HR importance of Fine and Firm

Fine grip or firm grip on things is essential for success? Many people in corporate do boast that they have firm knowledge in the subject, their conviction is quite firm therefore they are very firm people.

The question is whether firmness would give success and help to advance our understandings or simply it would help in enhancing our brain power. If we ever get lost over such debate, we may continue to do the same thing but would expect different outcomes. This is what nature throws up to us through creating of several special of animals.

Look the animal world. If we carefully study the arboreal and aerial animals like primates, birds etc., we can understand the fact that they only rarely fall down from trees. They always firmly hold onto the branches of the tree. So are the perch of most birds and that is why even when the birds in their deep sleep, doesn’t fall down from the tree.

In general, animals always believe in firm grip on anything. Because they believe in this psychology, birds that build hanging nests always choose the weak terminal end of branches to build their hanging nest. The predator cannot reach such terminal branches as they cannot have firm grip on the terminal branches as they are pliable to break off easily.

To be successful, one needs to have fine hold as well besides firm hold. Only from fineness, innovation, creativity and newness etc., can be created. But many leaders have not understood the difference between ‘fine’ and ‘firm’ from the management perspective.

Many leaders ‘firmly’ depend upon certain people to complete their task. Because of their firm faith, finer understanding of the task, capability of the person and other influencing factors etc., such leaders virtually negate and neglect. Because of their firm faith, even when the task is not accomplished, these leaders find it difficult to engage other members of the team to attend the task.

No doubt our understanding should be firm and the same firmness should not ‘fevi-fix’ us to what we know is permanent and require not further improvement or validation. This would only breed stereotyped leadership pattern and repetition of what is already done. If we carefully watch people in corporate and their operating style, we can easily notice that many people often operate with only one set of domain knowledge.

They never diversify their knowledge base or understanding. They never acquire cross functional nuances. But interestingly such people would be occupying ‘decision’ making positions in most corporate.

Fineness will give flexibility, speed, agility, assertiveness and sensitivity to learn and see things quickly than waiting for failures to occur. On the other hand, firmness does help one but one should not get lost to it as it would impede knowledge expansion and knowing more.