"Surprises"

Environment Matters!

Note: The word ‘environment’ here means the surrounding one lives in, and not the environment, environment. ;)

 “Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us”

-          Earl Nightingale

Most of us already know how important the environment is for a seed to germinate and grow into a healthy plant. It is not just the water that helps it in the process, but it is the sunlight, the climate, the soil quality, the nutrients. It is the environment as a whole that is responsible for the sapling’s survival and growth. The same rule applies to a person’s development and performance, which we all have the knowledge of. Unfortunately, when it comes to really implementing this knowledge, we tend to surpass this truth with our presumptions and judgmental attitude.

One of my high school best friends married some time ago. She was very happy for this marriage because the going-to-be husband and in-laws were supposedly ‘open-minded’ and ‘did not mind’ if their daughter-in-law wanted to work, even if it meant she would not be able to give as much time to the service of her in-laws as she would be expected of. This was one of the rarest cases I knew of and I was happy for her. But after few months of the marriage, the scenario changed drastically. Yes, both the husband and in-laws were encouraging about her going out for work and she had even started to look for the job. But, the setting of her home weren't exactly very encouraging. Finally, she ended up being one of the typical housewives; she always discouraged other girls to be. The point is- it is important to support someone for the work they are doing wholeheartedly, but it is equally important to give them the kind of environment they need to do it!

Traditionally, a person is questioned about their competency when they fail to work as per the expectation of the manager, who is then intervened accordingly. Many a times, it may be the case. And many a times, it may not.  My senior brother once told me “The time has come to shift our management method into that of a leader. No one is going to perform better if you try to manage your people the old-fashioned ‘manager-staff’ way. Time has changed and so has the way of management. Here, what matters more is how much a manager can give to their staff, and not the opposite. Because the more the managers give, the more they receive.” And I had conformed to this thought instantly, because it actually was the truth, if one gave a thought to it. Besides, the kind of environment a person gets, the kind of perception they build of the place, of the people. If the organizations cannot provide their human resource with what they primarily require, what the human resource becomes and gives back is all on them, not the contrary. At least that is what I believe.

Environment is the foundation. Just like the building crumbles down without a strong foundation, the performance of a person reduces in absence of an enabling environment. Therefore, before doubting on someone’s ability, it’s crucial to analyze the setting too, because the influence of the environment is so strong that it can play a decisive role in someone’s way of living and doing the work.