Red Deer- The Best Investment Consultant of Modern Corporate

Always we plan our investments to meet the ‘future’ needs than for the present. One may wonder how the investments can meet the present needs as they are certainly aimed at future. The business world must know about the ‘investment proposal’ of ‘present’ and ‘future’ definitely from nature.

Many animals have the complete knowledge of ‘knowing’ the sex of their young ones well before they are delivered. Further, many animals also appears to know how to change/alter the sex of the young ones according to the ‘situation’ where the animals live. Research findings have shown that the red deer deliver male young ones especially when the mother deer is healthy (free from parasites, nutrient deficiency) and when they are unhealthy, produce female offspring. It is not just because the investment on parental care is high for rearing male than female offspring and hence they produce female young ones, they also foresee the future profit.

When they are not healthy and if they produce male young ones, the likely chance of finding a female partner for the new male in future is less and the subsequent ‘procreation’ possibility also go remote. All female animals choose only the fittest male to partner with and mate during breeding season. Imagine, if the red deer produces male offspring when they are not healthy, their investment on rearing the male is high and further the future chance of such male offspring to be successful in finding a female partner is also doubtful. Hence they produce female offspring under such situations.

The red deer doesn’t just plan its parental care investment by taking into account of its present health but also seriously consider the future consequences and the success of the offspring born out of such weak male parent. The modern corporate can find a valuable investment management strategy in red deer.

Many other animals that follow either polyandrous or polygynous reproductive strategy also wisely plan and produce offspring of the right gender by considering the habitat where they live. Nature has given uncommon wisdom, vision and insight for several animals to meet the well calibrated ‘pay’ versus ‘payoffs’.

The modern corporate must learn the fundamentals of business ‘planning’ from nature. Although the investment (on man power, innovation, resource allocation etc) is hghly limited and determined by the ‘present’, but definitely it should have right ‘pay off’ in future. Only then the planning can be called ‘near perfect’.

Look at the beauty of nature’s creation – the red deer. When they are unhealthy, they invest less and hence rear female offspring. Although the investment is less, from the less investment, they ensure greater profit for future. Understanding of the profit is inevitable not just ‘how much’ one invests but how it would impact the future as well.

It is not just huge investments bring huge returns/profit, only smart investments offer greater payoffs is the management essential, the red deer have to share to the corporate.

Dr S Ranganathan