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Back in the 19th Century, John Godfrey Sax wrote a poem based on a fable about six blind men and an elephant. Six blind men were interested in learning about an elephant. They had never had any interaction with an elephant before. They were taken to an elephant, and one by one each approached the elephant, touching a different part of the animal. Each man generalized the makeup of an elephant from the part they touched. One thought it was like a wall because he ran into the elephant's side. Another thought it was like a snake because he only felt the trunk. For some time the men argued but could never agree. Each was more convinced than the other that his perspective was correct. The moral of the story is that to properly understand a thing of complexity, it takes listening to other people's perspectives, incorporating all the pieces, in order to complete the puzzle. I was thinking about this fable as it relates to organizational behavior. Specifically, I thought it would be fun to add another part to the story After the men argued for a bit, the HR Director stepped in to debrief and gain insight. These are the questions that arose:
Following an engaging conversation about the value and measurement of different perspectives to impact their organizational bottom line, the six men left the room. The only ones left in the room were the HR Director and the elephant. It's another story on how the HR Director got the elephant out of the room. But for now, let's just say, it took time, energy, and resources, just like any organizational change. But in the end, it was worth it!
Chris W. Brussalis
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