1st November 2010
`The Tyranny of the OR and the Genius of the AND'
I was reading Jim Collins book Built to Last and I picked up the above line from the book. Many of us seem to suffer from a syndrome called `this or that'. For example we think that our children should choose either sports or education. We think that we have to choose between working hard and having a lot of fun. We think that we should pursue our hobby or our profession.
But the genius will find a way of combining both. Take the choice between sports and games. If the children are properly guided, they can be made to manage their time so well that they do well in sports as well as in education. In fact, some of the traits that you develop in sports will be so relevant in education. While you play any sports you not only play the sports, but also develop certain qualities such as perseverance, concentration, a killer instinct, mental and physical stamina etc, which will be very relevant to do well in education also.
Similarly having a lot of fun need not mean that we cannot work hard. In fact when we have fun and relaxation, the right side of our brain is activated and we will be coming out with better and innovative ideas which will make our work easier. Pursuing our hobby can be such a relaxation that when we retune to our work, we will be even more productive. Haven't you heard of Einstein and his violin?
When we get out of the tyranny of the OR and think about the genius of the AND, we will become better managers of our time. We will think more creatively. We will use all our resources even more carefully. We will start working smart and not hard!
Over this weekend, perhaps you can list down all those things you left due to the tyranny of the OR and seriously think how you can pursue it again. For example, you stopped going for the morning walk since you thought you didn't have the time? Can you still go for the walk with your iPod and use that time to listen to your favourite music which you have been missing all these days?
N C Sridharan
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