Touch-me-not and Horsetail plants in corporate

How can one differentiate scientists from sales executives? Is it simple or difficult? Do nature has any ‘R&D plants’ and ‘Sales Plants’? It may be very interesting, but nature has finest examples for R&D scientists and sales executives as it has produced such plant species in nature. Besides providing an example for our comparison, nature also has rich teachings/deep message for us.

R&D scientists/people are relatively very sensitive to criticism, exhibits a quick response to any stimuli, but are relatively very rustic or insensitive to the dynamism of time or change. Personalized sensitivity only they show. These people always speak the language with micro details and show great love just in disposing/showcasing their knowledge than creating its relevance or need. In any presentation, scientists talk more about the methodology, experimental design and validation of results than how the results are going to make a difference or overall impact on the growth of the organization. Even for interpretation of some results, they will have the definition, clause, and methodologies to follow. They listen less and emphasize and reiterate more upon what they have done. Anyone questions their knowledge, they badly get offended.

In the case of sales group, they speak more, talk more and create an acute need for the product they intend to sell without knowing any details or meaning of what they speak. This is true not with all but is the general trend. They speak the language of how useful the result or product be and how it can take the buyer to reach anywhere & everywhere and for anything and everything. They do not get bothered or get affected by the criticism or questioning. Despite all odds and refusal, still they offer their visiting card to the customer to contact them if the customer changes their mind in near future.

The plant touch-me-not or touch-me-please is the typical example for how scientists at R&D people are in general. The plant is very sensitive and when touched, folds its leaves. Despite having thorns for its defense, the plant shows high level of sensitivity. So are scientists, despite having knowledge, always shows restlessness to questions/criticism. Ironically the touch-me-not plant belongs to a group of many gigantic trees like rosewood or rain tree. Despite being very sensitive, the plant touch-me-not remains as a very small creeper on the ground, very seasonal and insignificant in the habitat where it lives. This is how in general; the R&D people are in most corporate. Because they are over sensitive, they never grow beyond the size of a touch-me-not plant, like how the plant despite being a member of a family of huge trees remains very small.

The sales people are like horsetail or bindweed. They are the force to reckon with incorporate. They may appear to be insensitive, but are extremely sensitive. Because of their sensitivity to the needs only, one may find the sales person promoting automobile spare parts for a while may start promoting drugs, the very next day.

Sensitivity should lead to adaptation otherwise, one may not grow. Being sensitive does not mean anything in nature but the sensitivity should help the species to evolve further. Neither the R&D people in general nor the plant touch-me-not have ever learned this lesson and that is why they remain very sensitive without much growth or evolution either in nature or incorporate. But the story can be different in single man lead organizations, where sycophancy wins and not other traits.

Dr. S Ranganathan