A Peacock in the
Land
of Penguins
Adapted from a book by
BJ Gallagher Hateley & Warren H.
Schmidt
There once was a time,
in the not so distant past,
when penguins ruled many lands
in the Sea of Organisations.
These penguins were not always
wise,
they were not always popular,
but they were always in charge.
The top management wore the same
outlook in their distinctive black and
white suits.
They believed that uniformity is
the way to do things;
Uniformity is Unity.
On the other hand, worker birds wore
colours and outfits that reflected
their work and lifestyles.
Birds who aspired to move up
the corporate ladder were
encouraged
to adopt the penguins’ code of
conduct
and wear the penguin suits.
They learn the penguin stride and
follow the example of their leaders.
One day, Perry the peacock joined
the Land of Penguins.
He was loud, colourful and
full of new ideas.
Although he was different,
the penguins were impressed by his
new ideas. They felt that he has real
Penguin Potential.
Initially, everyone was happy.
The penguins were pleased
with their new recruit.
Perry was creative and
he brought in good results.
=
However, as time went by,
the penguins began to murmur
against Perry.
He was too loud, too colourful
and had too many new ideas
that intruded the penguins’ comfort
To
oL
ou zone. Too many
d! Too colourful
new ideas!
We are NOT
comfortable!
Perry was also unhappy.
The penguins tried to turn him into a
penguin.
He was told to “try to be like the rest
of us,
wear a penguin suit”.
Both parties were unhappy.
Leave me alone... Be like us!
Wear a penguin
suit!
We see this story unfolds
in many organisations today.
Creativity and innovation are seen to
be
“a breath of fresh air” in many
organisations.
Many “Perrys” are recruited for their
creativity. Yet, along the way, their
creativity is stifled by
the need to conform to the norm.
There will always be Penguins and
Peacocks in any organisations.
Other than penguins and
peacocks,
there are also pigeons who are
peacemakers in the office,
Sparrows who try to be neutral
so as to keep a low profile or
Ostriches who choose to
bury their heads in the sand.
Peacocks bring in varieties
and new ideas,
But, the stability provided by
the penguins must not be ignored.
Penguins,
being the backbone of the
organisation,
need to recognise that
diversity can exist in an
organisation
if there is acceptance and trust.
When we learn to appreciate
one another’s differences,
we become more willing to listen,
more open to new ideas and
more eager to grow.
Birds of different feathers
can work together in harmony.
The End...
