I was a brash youth long ago, when I was doing my MBA and then in my job with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. I had revolutionary, off beat solutions for most of the problems and was always game to test my cranky ideas (one such idea was recounted in this post )
But one thing I lacked then, and now, was diplomacy. During my MBA, many a time, I would come up with extreme workable solutions, only to be thwarted by someone else whose idea, though acceptable, was inferior in quality. Noways, I am claiming that my ideas were always better than others. But there were numerous instances when my ideas were far superior in quality, and should have been implemented. In the end, it was that every single time only compromise solutions/ideas that were average in quality got the nod ahead of the best solution on the table. I have seen this happen to others ideas too.
The practice persisted in my jobs. The status quo, dont rock the boat ideas and solutions found favour with the powers that be, than path breaking ideas. I remember a classic case. Early in my career as a Sales Officer with HPCL, I went up to my GM and gave him an idea. The Petrol pumps (dispensing units) were always installed parallel to the road in a line. A single row will contain 3-4 pumps, with driveways on either side. This resulted in a queuing problem. Many an occassion, I had noticed that there were cars in the queue behind the last car being filled, when the 2-3 pumps ahead were lying vacant. My suggestion was to install the pumps at 45 degrees angle to the main road/main driveway. This would ensure cars will not have to queue up unless all the petrol pumps are engaged. An original, simple idea back in 1990. But I was made fun off. I persisted, send the idea to our CYI (Coin Your Idea) scheme, but never heard anything about it.
Almost 8 years down the line, after I had quit HPCL, I returned to the same office to make a courtesy call. I heard the then GM, who was Sr.Manager in the office when I proposed the idea, discuss in admiring tones, how our competitor BPCL had gone in for restructuring their outlets along the same lines I proposed all those years ago, and the benefit that they have reaped. I could but smile, and didnt say a word. At least it proved to me that my idea was not bad, after all. That was enough for me.
I was reminded of this when I read a review of the number-one best-selling novel in America today The Overton Window by Glenn Beck. It is based on a brilliant idea invented by a researcher named Joe Overton. The idea is that at any given time there is an acceptable area of ideas and debate, with things too extreme being excluded. Overton’s point was that a skillful politician can move the window. I should read the book one of these days, for then I might be able to make some sense of what happened long ago
