Appreciating Talent – “the cracked pot story”……

Rajiv Srivastava -
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Often we get so focussed on a single dimension of performance that a lot of other goodness in people goes unnoticed. One of the lesser practiced principles of talent management is to simply accept people the way they are and encourage them to play to their strengths. Find your natural advantages and then seek out avenues where you can capitalise working to those strengths.

You can relate to “The Chinese Cracked Pot” story :

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. The bearer said to the pot, Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side. That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.

Each one of us have our own unique flaws – we are all cracked pots in that sense. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them . . .

Recognise your strengths and those of your most precious assets. Working to your strengths makes you most competitive. It is nature’s way of winning!!

Cheers !

rs

Rajiv Srivastava
http://www.icanlead.in

61 thoughts on “Appreciating Talent – “the cracked pot story”……”

  1. That’s a really great story and with a great meaning. This message gains more importance in these times since in stressfull situations we do not give too much of a time for other people ( read subordinates, peers etc) to deliver and on top of that we have also picked up this capability to judge immediately. Hence we are left with one superior person ( that’s us) sorrounded by non-deliverers.

    This is a very pitiable situation to be in and its totally our own creation.

    Recognising the other person also as God’s creation at an equal level and having equal capabilities can leesen our mental bag and baggage of our sorrounding.

    And to top it all, practising tolerance and love towards one and all also sets up the reciprocating wheel which yields only good situations in the end.

    Just realize how our children will grow up if we keep passing judgements and criticising them every time they make a ‘mistake’. When we avoid doing this for our children (hopefully 🙂 ) why do we keep persisting with our colleagues, peers, partners…makes no sense, right!

  2. This is a great analogy with children here Jiten. Well brought out. Also the point on tolerance and love towards all seems very apt to obtain best results over time.

    Like they say “Judge hesitatingly, fight half heartedly and always feel happy unnecessarily” is a great mantra for peace and success.

    rgds

    rajiv srivastava

  3. A wonderful piece of story! Personally it made me feel better about myself but couldn’t help thinking as to how many managers would be visionaries to go ahead and hire a crack pot.

    People are more focussed towards short term goals for their own survival rather than go ahead with long term big bets.

  4. But we all have to understand and get it that matters of talent are always long term – there is hardly ever a short cut available. The analogy with children reinforces that….

    regards

    rs

  5. A poem from Marc Gafni’s book, which also included this ‘cracked pot’ story. He also follows it up with an interesting poem to illustrate the same:

    I make Mistakes
    (By hand/ from scratch)
    Homemade mistakes
    All sorts and assortments
    Every morning

    Meager offerings
    I must admit
    But Somebody must do it …

    Take the overripe bananas
    Just yesterday
    I bought (without thinking)
    A twelve-pack, a bruised bunch
    To the protest of my husband
    Dissecting them from sack
    upon purchase
    Already browned and sluggish
    – to the disgust of all senses

    With an echo of that odor
    I would so dread as a child
    Dare it seep from my discreet lunch bag

    “Honey, why waste the money, the fridge space, the
    strength of your arms to carry in this putrid pile of …”
    “ –oy, I apologize,
    Wasn’t thinking
    Careless – mistake”

    And this, the fifth [mistake]
    This morning alone
    All the little misdeeds add up
    To volumes

    ––– Sweep me out the door –––

    To the bus stop
    Where from my grief
    I surface to find
    A friend in need,
    in frantic search
    In corner stores
    for a cure
    for a mother
    in the throes of labor
    hospitalized next door

    Sabrina
    verging birth
    Is screaming out
    screaming screaming
    for, yes, no less
    than overripe bananas.

    I triumph home
    to the scent in the kitchen
    Brown bag the bananas with a note:
    “Our mistakes can be our miracles”
    Yes, I make mistakes
    But – perhaps –
    Mistakes make me.

    1. Both these poems were written by Gafni’s ex-wife: Chaya Kaplan-Lester! Who is an amazing poet!

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