Problem of adaptation and adaptability – HR message from deep sea fish

The fishes that live deep inside the sea are called ‘deep sea’ fishes. Deep sea fishes are presumed to be safe from its predators as they live deep inside water. Anything that dies in the sea will have to go to the bottom of the sea first therefore the deep sea fishes have lot to eat. They need not hunt its prey. Hunting cause more energy loss to any predatory animal than having food without effort. This is how many would think about the deep sea fishes.

The water pressure is very high at the depth of the sea than in the surface. The fishes that live at the bottom of the sea have to manage the pressure difference. Hence they are evolved with high pressure from within system than that exert from outside. That is how they manage the pressure difference. If these fishes are moved to a different zone where the water pressure is less, these fishes would fail to survive as the high pressure from within does not get resisted from outside and hence the fish would explode.

Many people in the corporate do live like ‘deep sea fishes’. They have evolved to live in the primitive culture of some corporate where the ‘undue pressure’ is high. The problem is that they cannot survive in other corporate where the problems don’t exist or the corporate culture is not primordial. The question one might ask very often is that when people can perform well in such corporate where the culture is primitive means naturally they have to be very successful in well organized corporate also.

While recruiting people, the corporate leaders easily conclude that the people from very primitive corporate will have great adaptability. When people can perform better in primitive conditions means they can perform well when best facilities are provided. This will be the most common line of thinking of the corporate leaders in general. But sometime such conclusions can go wrong. The people from primitive corporate may fail to perform despite the best is given to them. The reason being is that they are nothing but ‘deep sea fishes’ and need some primitive conditions to perform.

Like how a deep sea fish requires high water pressure to live, these people also require some primitive culture. Mostly the people from ‘single man’s corporate exhibit such behavioural trait.

The HR function and the corporate leaders must know about the ‘deep sea fish phenomenon’ in people. If such phenomenon is seen in people, however talented they may be, the corporate must think twice before recruiting them at least to the senior position.

Adaptation and adaptability of people must be understood differently. Well adapted people need not be adaptable is the management message the deep sea fishes conveys to the corporate world.

Dr S Ranganathan