Play the trick and win – HR message from Mallard duck

Even if you are capable, talented, knowledgeable and competent, still may have to play some tricks for success is the management message the mallard ducks conveys to the corporate world.

Post breeding season, i.e., after hatching the chicks from eggs, the female and male mallard ducks undergoes a process called molting. This is called pre-summer or post winter molting. During molting, they loose their plumage and become less conspicuous or less visible. They have to be less visible as immediately as possible after molting, because they loose their ability to fly and they gain flight ability only after re-growth of the plumage, i.e., next during winter migration.

In other word, when the mallard looses its ability to fly, it becomes less visible to its predators. A flightless bird is always vulnerable to predators. All the more, during molting, the mother mallard will be having her chicks as well. It looses its plumage pre summer in order to radiate heat. This is all about the biological advantages of mallard ducks the nature has given.

The corporate must learn about the mallard ducks beyond the space of their biological ability, evolution or uniqueness.

During building nest, they select the nesting site so cleverly that no predators can either notice them or locate them. Mallard ducks are ground nesting birds. Even if they notice the accidental entry or presence of a predator, the mother duck ‘feign’ injury and limbs. By seeing the injured or lame duck, naturally the predators would move towards the injured duck. The duck smartly guide the predator and take them to further away from the nest and later fool them.

In boss subordinate interaction, both parties should remember the key aspect of management that capability/ability whatever one has is not enough for success. One also needs to play some wise tricks to be successful. Learn to feign what is not but with good intent. If the mallard had not faked injury, the quest of predator would have ended up in the nest. Through faking, she offers herself as an easy meal to the predator and thereby she could protect her nest.

Building the nest by carefully selecting the place and having less visible body colour during molting are indeed the best capability nature has provided to the mallard ducks and one can argue that the above traits are sufficient for them to be successful. But they went beyond by adopting a finest strategy or trick and become successful.

The message is not to fake what is not, but learn to play ‘tricks’ when required. But never do the trade out of trick is the management message the corporate world must learn from mallard ducks.

Dr S Ranganathan