Attract to detract – HR wisdom of Lapwings

The indescribable beauty, virginity, serenity and majesty of many animals and birds do attract the attention of human being. Similarly, the august gesture and aggressive posture of many animals also would detract us from going close to them. The interesting question is that do animals consciously engage in attracting other animals and do they also know how to detract them when situation demand or warrant?

Animals are known to employ the art of ‘attract to detract’ strategy very well in their ecosystem. They adopt the above strategy as and when required. ‘Discriminative wisdom’ one needs to dispose while exploring different strategies to meet the different needs and wants.

Knowing well about the prey and knowing well about the predator is the genetically predetermined factor and which is innate in every animal. And similarly, the knowledge of how to hunt the prey and how to escape from the predator is also the trait that is inborn in every animal. Hence such knowledge or wisdom cannot be considered as very unique or extraordinary in anyway.

Employing different tricks to attract the attention of the predator just to detract their focus is a very smart act that can naturally be born only from smart thinking and wise strategizing. A great management lesson the corporate employees have to learn from the animal world.

Many ground nesting birds and deer species engineer the technique of attract to detract the predator in the forest ecosystem.

Ground nesting birds like Lapwings or Kill deer while incubating the eggs use the above technique to drive away their enemies. The predatory animals try to snatch the eggs of these ground nesting birds.

On seeing the predator, the birds move much away from the nesting site and attract the predator’s attention to catch them. The ground nesting birds smartly move away from the nesting site to a different place. Usually the predators used to get misguided and would start following the bird and search the eggs in the different site.

The deer also use the same method. They hide the young ones in the bush and move away to a different place. Later they tend to attract the attention of the predator to detract them from noticing their young ones.

The message to be learned by the corporate employees is that the technique of ‘attract to detract’ is a finest weapon to deal the enemies. It should be remembered that fight or flee never will be a solution to the problem. One has to evolve a smart strategy to deal the situation. Animal world is full of such smart strategies and intelligent methods.

During egg laying stage, the birds cannot afford to fight the predator. The best option they have to adopt is to attract the predator and then detract their attention so they can safeguard the young ones.

Learn the art and apply the same when you are seriously engaged in your work. Detract the attention and avoid confrontation and unnecessary arguments. Let smart success be your focus.

Dr S Ranganathan