“Fresh Fresh Negombo Fish For Sale in this Stall” (teamwork at its best)

 “Fresh Fresh Negombo Fish For Sale in this Stall”

 (teamwork at its best)

 

Today, inspired by the news that Sri Lanka’s newest “Maalu Maalu” in Paseekudah has become one of the best 100 hotels in the world, my story is around few fishermen, and about how teamwork fails even before it starts.

Once upon a time, few fishermen, lets say in Negombo, tired of getting cheated by intermediate mudalalis (intermediate buyers) thought of having their own fish stall to sell their heard earned (or hard fished) fish.

So the Smartass (lets call him Pandith ,you get this type in any team, dominating & full of creative ideas but pisses the rest of the team) decides to set up the stall near the beach and puts up a big hoarding that reads “FRESH FRESH NIGOMBO FISH FOR SALE IN THIS STALL”

Ones he puts it up nicely, he calls the rest of the team members also to see the stall. One fellow is saying, “machan; do we sell rotten fish here?”
Then Pandith replies, “what have you been smoking bro? hell no, its fresh fish only”

Then the machan says, then why do you have to say fresh fresh, anybody would obviously know that we sell fresh fish since its next to the beach!!

Pandith cuts the “fresh fresh” off the hoarding. Peer pressure eh?

“  NEGOMBO FISH FOR SALE IN THIS STALL”

And another team member stares at the board and ask Pandith, “machan, do we sell down south fish here”?
Pandith says, “Duh, no, we only sell fish from Negombo”. Then the machan says, “its so obvious that we sell Negombo fish so no need to repeat that its “Negombo fish”.
Should we?

And there goes the “Negombo fish” too off from the hoarding
“  FOR SALE IN THIS STALL”

Now the Pandith is a little irritated. Nevertheless, one of the machans asks Pandith again, “machan, do we give away fish free of charge? Its so obvious that we SELL them right? So why should the board say that its “For Sale”? Nobody comes to a fish stall expecting a “dan sala”

And here goes the “for sale” also
“ IN THIS STALL”

Then the last team member tells the Pandith, “machan, obviously everybody knows that what ever that we sell is sold at this stall. So why should we look stupid by just saying “in this stall”, lets take off that too!!”

And Pandith faints with frustration!



Doesn’t this experience sound familiar? We call up meetings and form teams just to FEEL GOOD? When we very well  know that too many chefs spoil the soup, (in this case it’s a “malu kadey”) we still form teams. Teams with one or two big talkers and a dozen of “nodding passengers”?

Pandiths, love to appoint teams. But by the time the team meets up for the first time itself the Pandith has already strategised, planned, scheduled and almost implemented the project also.

Remember, that people are no more “followers” (unless badly psychologically affected due to overuse of “Twitter” ). People feel important or engaged only if you bother to express their opinion and ideas in a way that they feel that they are part of the whole project. When teams are formed with the intention of showing off one Pandith’s creativity, knowledge & authority, achieve personal hidden agendas and may be to get away from sole responsibility of  failure. Or raping the idea of  “delegation” just to pass the buck to another hardworker and wash off hands.



With all these, should we still be surprised that most of the time teamwork FAIL?

Morale of the story (well this story might have few, but let me focus on teamwork aspect for the moment)

1. Its important that you listen to others, But don’t over do it.
2. Stand by your decision, but at the same time make sure you sell it to the rest of the team
3. If you know how to cook the soup, if you have the ingredients that’s needed to make the darn thing, & if you have the balls to take the blame if it ends up taste like cowdung, then for christ’s sake forget about team forming & “do it yourself”

Cheers!

PramoD