Bol Madhavache

Ring the bells that still can ring  ;  Forget  your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything  ;  That’s how the light gets in
― Leonard Cohen

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A customer walks into sales office of a company to buy a new car.  He is greeted gracefully, the interactions are focused and aligned to his needs. The model displayed to him match with expectation, the right information is communicated to the customer.   The test drives shows that every component is well designed, well thought of and is perfection in its performance.

It is just perfectness at every stage. There is perfection in product, communication, service calls management and delivery. It is customer delight. It is a reflection of the value system of cherished by the organization. True perfection is the outcome of excellence.

Does perfection ever become obsession?  Does it become counterproductive?  Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is yes.

Recently, there was an interview of an actress who expressed deep resentment about “body perfection” demand posed by film industry. She was expected to put on weight, then reduce the weight, tone the body, conduct plastic surgeries and to maintain body dimensions “as desired by the industry”.   The whole concept of creativity in the art was lost and she was expected to behave like a machine.

Professor Saharsrabhuddhe taking seven and half minutes scheduled rest in the afternoon as depicted in the film 3-D idiot, though fictitious, is an illustration of  extreme perfection. .

These sound extreme examples of “perfect obsession”. However, we do come across students, teachers, corporate managers who have become “obsessed with perfection”.  Like any other virtue, excessive demand on perfection also becomes counter-productive.

People who are obsessed with perfection exhibit different types of behavior in day-to-day life.

Some, obsessed with perfection, do not allow experimentation. These are people who have built a notion of their own version of “what is perfect and proven”. They are unable to see beyond their experience, cannot challenge their own conviction, cannot dismantle their own creation nor can accept new definitions.

Some people with narrow vision act as only fault finders.  They have an idea of “perfection” but their approach, intention and motivation is to find fault. The fact is that such people never take up any task themselves. The motivation to find faults could be ignorance, settling political scores or in extreme cases, sadistic as well.

Some of them have lost the power of appreciation. They like to take high but unrealistic positions. As nothing is perfect, therefore, there is nothing to appreciate.  Small but important achievements mean nothing to them.  Dashboards, progress charts, plan vs actual, benchmarks make no impact to them.  They are unable to see value of small celebrations.

Some obsessed with perfection cannot take any decision or accept risk associated with decision.  They are hesitant to sign any document produced nor take ownership of any decision. Probably the real or perceived threat arising from any “imperfect” decision is so high, that they would rather stay away.

Perfect but over-engineered systems often do not take off.

The film “Taare Zameen Par” is a story that defines the contrast between obsession of perfection institutionalized by the education system and the natural evolution of a human being.

Recall the last scene when Ishan Awasthi paints the award-winning picture. In the early morning, motivated Ishan goes out for a walk, captures the great canvass of the nature with a sharp mind, stores the images in his mind and walks to the competition. He is not punctual, nor has he any plan. Perfection is neither his focus nor intention. Unlike the successful manager defined by 7 habits, he is not even focused on the end result. His choice of colours, the powerful strokes, the sense of proportion and sense of satisfaction is having an internal resonance with the image that he captured.  There is no planning, no structure and flowcharts to the process of painting, no formula to define the colour combination. He just wants to ensure that the painting is a true reflection of the image he captured in the morning. The adjective perfect makes no sense to him.

True perfection is a source of joy and not of pain. It has a resonance with personal internal beliefs and is not imposed from outside definitions.  It is aligned with the pursuit of excellence. It has no comparison with others and no conflict within. Look at the carvings on ancient temples, all perfect without tools and techniques.  A programmer writing an efficient code, an engineer improving engine efficiency, an architect designing a new  structure, an artist depicting new subject, a scientist with new invention all arise from creativity that defy established definitions of perfection.

Perfection that has no creativity, no emotion, no bonding, no sense of belongingness, no alignment with end delivery is obsession. Such persons are only chasing a mirage.

Perfection is neither a start, nor a goal, nor a process, nor a dictation, nor a command. It cannot be the focus of work.  It is reflection of internal value systems is ingrained through reinforcement and positive approach.

The entire creation of God in the form of nature gifted to us in beautiful but not perfect.  The underlying principles of the nature could be a subject study for scientists, but manifestation of the in different forms of nature is imperfect. No two mountains, no two clouds, no two river banks, no two rainbows are alike. No two wonders in nature are the same.  Nature does not fulfil six sigma statistical requirements in any of its creation.

Imperfection is the natural state of being.  Nothing is and can ever be perfect. This imperfection does not arise of inefficiency or incompetency. It is inherent to the creation.  Imperfection gives every existence a new distinct identity.

For a scientist, this uniqueness is the starting point for any discovery.

For a tourist, it is an experience to be cherished in life that can’t be reproduced.

For a spiritualist, this is an inner connect of oneself with the nature. Saints like Mother Teresa, Tukaram any way do not fall in the category of “measurements” neither do they demand any perfection.

Great corporate leaders carry out planning meticulously and with perfection. Here again, perfection is only an instrument and not an obsession to achieve their goal.  For them perfection cannot be disconnected from end goal or passion for excellence.  They do not “impose” perfection.  They see value and potential in what is considered as imperfect. They like to work with imperfect people. They appreciate divergent ideas, new methods, experimentations, failures. They accommodate and also forgive an imperfection that is not a deterrent to the larger goal.

For these leaders, alignment to the greater cause is more important than the level of perfection.

Lord Rama appreciated the participation of the small squirrel while “Setu” was being built, irrespective of her capacity. This gesture was a great motivation to the rest of the army.  True leaders do not wait for perfect resources to be made available with perfect skill sets, they lead under imperfect conditions.

None of the human emotions such love, romance, compassion, sensitivity carry any adjectives related to perfection and measurement.  This makes every individual unique.  This uniqueness gives him or identity. No leader, no staff, no son, no friend, no wife, no husband is perfect.  Had that been the case, the charm of life, the pleasure of learning, sharing, evolving as better individuals would have been lost for ever.

Dictatorial regimes defined by their notion of perfection believe in stifling individual voices.

Wars and proxy wars are not necessarily driven by ambitions. Many times, they were imposed by the kings, generals and ideologues who wanted to set something they perceived was not right as per their definition of perfection.

Romance is the most imperfect gift given by the nature that helped human beings to rebuild civilizations after such wars were imposed by perfectionists.

The day romance becomes codified, structured and measured, the world will cease to exist.

Next time, you are not able to appreciate genuine imperfection, take a pause for a moment and revisit your hypothesis.  That could be a moment when your mind is obsessed with perfection.  More important, you could be missing something that has greater value.