Are you a deep sea clam...a HR message

Deep sea clams are considered to the longest living animals on earth. The scientific studies have proved the existence of the deep sea clams beyond 500 years of age. More shocking thing about this bivalve is their extremely slow rate of growth. It is reported that the deep sea clam grow very slow, astonishingly much slower than what one could imagine. It takes 100 years for this animal to grow a few millimeters of length.

Slower the growth will naturally favour greater the length of life is the message one can learn from the life of deep sea clam. Many employees in corporate do follow the same philosophy. They seldom aspires any growth, career achievements, progress and better prospects in life and thereby tries to live long in the same designation and same organization. Only when one aspires, problems sprout and otherwise life would go mundane without any problems.

Many people seldom achieve success and glory in life not because they lack talent or knowledge or capability or competency but purely because they, by default follow the psychology of deep sea clam. They refuse to grow because of fear of death or in other words, most of them love to live long without any flavour and fragrance.

Only goal of many in corporate is to achieve job security in the same organization. They always struggles to maintain the status quo and never showcase what they deserve, never demand if it is denied, never explain the mind and its reasons. Their only wish is to cling onto the job.

The question is why many are not exploring their talents and opportunities and are scared to take up newer challenges and responsibilities and do not aspires to grow is a mystery. They compromise their career growth and diminish their capabilities just for the sake of retaining the job in the same organization.

Another important management message also the extremely slow growing deep sea clam conveys. Most of the small organizations, organizations that are run directly by the entrepreneurs, companies that are run as family units always venerate people who holds the psychology of deep sea clam. Such people never ask for salary revision, never talk about their contributions but instead always thank the company and the management for everything. Naturally the management of such small units has every reason to feel happy and proud of such ‘deep sea clam people’.

The message is that never love to serve the organization long but also see whether you are growing or not? Measure your growth in several directions and if it is not happening, question the reason and explore the world outside. Never be like a deep sea clam and wish the world to appreciate you as one of the long serving employees.

Let the historians of the world write your success and contributions and not the tenure of your service in the same organization. Let this be your New Year Resolution.

Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai

Desire, Dream and Destination – Social Entrepreneur Forum