Solve Your Problems – The Birbal Way
By
K S Shivaraman
Problem:
Emperor Akbar had a mobile court which, one day found itself in a village, where a young farmer Mahesh Das lived. Mahesh heard that Akbar would award thousand gold coins to the artist who pleased him with the most realistic portrait of the Emperor.
On the appointed day, there was a bee line of artists before the court. Each had a covered picture of the Emperor. Everyone was anxious to who would get the prize.
Akbar received the folded portraits and rejected them one by one with the comment “No, this is not exactly what I am now”.
Mahesh Das, who later became Birbal was waiting for his chance last and showed the portrait he was carrying.
When Akbar asked him whether his portrait and asked Mahesh whether it is the similar unsatisfactorily produced portrait, Mahesh said “My Emperor, look into the picture and satisfy yourself”
Strangely, it was neither a drawing nor painting, but a mirror which came out of the folds to show exactly what he was then when he looked at it.
“The best replica of Emperor Akbar” everyone chorused.
Akbar received Mahesh with open arms and awarded him thousand gold coins and also gave him a ring with Royal Seal and meets him in his palace.
Management Moral – 1
Learn what your client wants and give it to him so that his need is fulfilled (one of our principle motto in our senior care concept already). What Akbar wanted was not an artist’s impression of himself, but reality which only a mirror could provide.
Management Moral – 2
With humility, Mahesh made the Emperor realise that it was not possible to get what he wanted and for this, he won the prize despite not having done what the emperor wanted – a perfect portrait.
An argument with the King may not have got Mahesh the reward but the practical proof of the impossibility of the Emperor’s request made him wiser and it earned him the reward. Did he over smart the Emperor? Yes, he did but shared it only by his action!
So by all means, communicate what you have in mind but using your intelligence accordingly!