Diwali or Deepavali, depending on which part of the India you come from, remains one of the main festivals in the country. This is an occasion for families to gather together, purchase new things, indulge in (lots of) sweets, and celebrate.
If one were to ask about why the festival is celebrated, many different mythological stories would be put forth. The most common one would be the slaying of demon king Narakasura by Lord Krishna, and that of Lord Rama’s return after his exile and the war. Some of the lesser known associations are with the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, and the coronation of King Vikramaditya.
The timelines of these stories differ vastly, and it is difficult to establish the primary source of this festival’s origin. However, the fact remains that this is symbolic of good over evil, of prosperity and is an occasion for festivities.
More than one reason
Over the years, I have come to understand that festivals such as these should be celebrated more for the message that they convey, instead of just the mythological stories they are associated with. After all, the various versions have their own set of believers and one or the other cannot be dismissed as being wrong.
Similarly, any individual, especially managers, get to hear different versions of a given situation. For example, a meeting to discuss a drop in sales can bring forth different rationale and reasoning, depending on who is explaining it. The reasons could be anything, right from the weather to inadequate supplies, with fingers being pointed at various quarters.
A good manager takes the time and listens patiently to all the explanations, excuses and rationale put forth by the team. After that, he/she settles down to evaluate them, as also think about the same independently. Only after such a thought process does the manager take any decision. And usually, that turns out to be a sound one.
How to take fair decisions
There are two key aspects to such an approach.
Avoiding bias
The first, and quite a difficult aspect, is to evaluate all the versions being told without any bias. This is difficult, mainly because it might happen subconsciously and unintentionally. For example, a statement by a close friend is always more believable because that person is known to you. Any such bias by a manager can lead to a skewed understanding of a situation.
Independent evaluation and understanding
This is the next aspect and involves some effort. Many managers tend to avoid this, relying instead on the analysis and interpretation of others. Although that is not wrong in itself, it is not ideally correct. Any interpretation would be influenced by the other person’s perception and motives. If a manager tends to avoid an independent evaluation, the decision making might be skewed.
These approaches cannot come about overnight and require a shift in the mindset; such a shift needs to be carefully practiced and worked on. The period in any management institute is a good opportunity to work on this. In fact, various group projects given in such institutes are an excellent opportunity to start practicing this approach to decision making.