An essential HR message of Hoatzin bird

Hoatzin bird is otherwise called as stink bird or Canje Pheasant, largely lives in mangrove forest, swamps and riverine habitat in some parts of South American continent. The stink birds are extremely unique when compared to other birds in many respects. Feeding habit, digestive biology, anatomical uniqueness of the chicks, parental care etc., the hoatzin birds are totally different from other birds.

Presence of the claws in the wing digit of chicks is very unique to the Hoatzin birds and the claws will progressively disappear when the chicks grows to an adult bird. The progressive disappearance of the claws from chicks to adult holds an important management message to the corporate world.

Unlike other birds, the chicks of the hoatzin birds have claws in their wing digit. The parental care for the chicks is very short. When the parental care is poor, the chicks are naturally vulnerable to many predatory animals especially when the chicks have to remain in the nest with the care and protection of the parent birds.

The stink bird lives in mangrove ecosystem and so they build nest in mangrove trees. When the chicks see a predator, they jump immediately into the water and hide. Once the predator is gone, the chicks climb up the tree with the help of their claws in the digit of the wings.

When the chick grows to become an adult bird, the claws become vestigial and hence would disappear. Obviously, the adult birds do not require to climbs the trees as they have fully developed wings, so can fly.

Most animals when they are young will not have strong claws, canine teeth, horn etc., and only the adult animals will have them. But in the case of the Hoatzin birds, the chicks have claws and not the adult. Nature has given claws to the chicks as they require them for survival. Once they become adult, the claws are automatically removed.

The corporate must provide some exceptional support or facilities to the people below the managerial cadre till they develop certain leadership qualities. Once they are fully developed, the exceptional support must be withdrawn. The support provided to the people in corporate should be only to achieve certain traits or results and it should not be for sustaining the long survival in the organization.

Provide the support when necessary and never make it as a practice is the message the nature conveys through its creation of Hoatzin chicks.

Support, motivation, encouragement, training etc., are required to make people independent & empowered and once they attain the above qualities, such support should be withdrawn or annulled. Otherwise people become slave to such system and cannot live or perform without the above.

When some support is provided to some people, it should not be assumed that everyone of the equal rank also must be given the same. The contextual need and reference only should determine the above.

Dr S Ranganathan