WRONG PEG IN RIGHT HOLE
THE DANGEROUS COMPROMISE

The dictionary meaning of “Compromise” is:  the expedient acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable. In most common language, a “compromise” is a sub-optimal solution to a problem that is accepted as a settlement or by choice.

There is a popular saying that; “Round Peg to Square Hole” and “Square Peg to Round Hole “ do not work.

The “Round Peg to Square Hole” and “Square Peg to Round Hole “are situations of mismatch or compromise which are not standard or optimal solutions and are abnormal situations that would not work well due to gaps between the shapes of the peg and the hole in either of the cases. Both the situations can be explained by geometrical diagrams as follows, while the color of the Peg is Yellow and the color of the Hole is Red:

In both the above situations there are significant gaps at four corners or four sides of the holes and the Pegs do not match exactly with the holes. The gaps are empty gaps which can cause leakages and inefficient output of the combination.

An example, a few days back I read in the news that a regulator of the technical education is coming with a policy guideline that the students not having the subjects such as Physics and Mathematics in Higher Secondary Level of education, can be allowed to be admitted into Graduation Courses in Engineering in India. Such students who get admitted to the Engineering Courses at Graduation Level will be taught Physics and Mathematics as bridge courses (remedial courses) during the Graduation Course in Engineering. There was unprecedented hue and cry from the Academic Fraternity and Engineering Experts in India as to how could such a practice be implemented that could affect the quality of Engineering Education ultimately. There were fierce arguments from the Engineering Academicians and Engineering Experts of all kinds of fields of Engineering justifiably. This could be an example of “Wrong Peg in Right Hole“ and a mismatch to have possibility of its result as inefficient output of Engineering Education. The Higher Secondary Level of Education is necessary as pre-requisite to get admitted into Graduation Courses in India as a general level of education in India right now. A student who has not taken the courses of Physics and Mathematics during his/her Higher Secondary Education is definitely, either weaker in these subjects or does not have knack for these subjects. However, for Graduate Engineering Education, most academicians and experts who raised voice were unequivocal that without grasp of Higher Secondary Level of Education in Physics and Mathematics, it would just be impossible for a student to study and complete the Graduate Engineering Course; the academicians and experts were in fact arguing justifiably. A student who is either weak in Mathematics and Physics of he/she does not have knack for these subjects for which he/she has not studied it in Higher Secondary Level Education, may not be assumed to grasp it with required depth by a bridge or remedial course as was being argued by the regulatory authority. However the concerned regulatory was trying to push the matter aggressively. This is a case of a dangerous compromise; an example of “Wrong Peg in the Right Hole “, a dangerous mismatch. Such a situation may produce not so qualified and competent Engineers who can fail to create Engineering substances or marvels of expected standard due to deficit of right competence.  Moreover, such students may fail clearing the 4-year Engineering Graduation Courses. Even if pass out in any case, they may not be the best or competent Engineers, that apprehension can not be removed from the minds of the society.

In a Central Bank, a Governor was appointed a few years back; with Masters qualifications of History because of his back ground in bureaucracy through a civil service engagement and the political leadership appointed due to any internal objective may be there. The Governor of the Central Bank is supposed to work for the Economy, Monetary Policy and Currency Management and Banking area at National Level. Normally the personnel appointed for such positions of Central Bank Governors globally are from the field of Economics and Management qualification area. The said appointment has yielded no significant results in the concerned economy which is clearly visible under the tenure of such a Governor of the Central Bank; other than some loud statements made in Press and Media by the said Governor time and again while the prior Governors were less visible in media but more visible by their constructive actions for the economy and some internal objectives of the appointing government might have been met by his appointment. A good Governor appointed with right economic acumen, can do lot of good for the economy of the nation. The person was preferred, as there are ample reports in media;  as he was also instrumental and involved in handling of a controversial banning of some currency notes during a bureaucratic stint he had in a specific government department that motivated preference for his appointment. This is a classic example of “Wrong Peg in Right Hole“, a mismatch.

A premier academic institution, in fact an institution of repute, a business school of unique standing, appointed a person, its Operational Head, the Director of the Institute 3-years back even without having the prescribed qualifications; by a dubious and fraudulent process out of the way, a departure from the practice put in place by its famous founder; by an ill motivated search committee who acted in a corruptive practice and in illegal manner by overlooking qualified applicants, some 20 or more of them, who had applied in response to an advertisement of the institute for the position of same Director or its Operational Head. The incumbent Director who was appointed in the dubious manner illegally by following fraudulent practice through an appointed search committee, created so much mesh and  misrule during his 3-year tenure, that the Institute lost lot of its reputation, resources and societal standing, got into undue litigations and financial mesh and so much of wounds created every where that the Institute will take a long time to recover and heal out of the wounds out of the mesh. Even civil structures of the institute were distorted permanently for motivated greed that will remain as permanent scars of damages done to the institute by reckless and non-mandated actions inflicted by the concerned Operational Head’s (Director's) actions supported by its appointers and a Board of Management of the institute in connivance or as mute spectators, that the institute will take a long time to get healed of the wounds while the permanent scars of distortions of its Civil Structure will continue for ever.  This is another beautiful example as to what happens in “Wrong Peg in Right Hole“ which is a dangerous compromise.

In another instance of some decision, the Ayurvedic Doctors were pitted for doing Surgery with some training courses. It was a real and horrific decision and action area having life implications for people. The Allopathic medical fraternity at a National level had to go on Strike in protest of this decision and such a plan of action. This is also an example of “Wrong Peg in Right Hole”, that could be a dangerous compromise.

In another situation, a think tank works on subjects of Agricultural Science and Technology, without having  Qualifications and Experience of Agricultural Science and Technology. In that situation, everyone feels to be an expert of Agricultural Science and Technology and its commercial practices, while it is an area of expertise and the job of experts of Agricultural Science and Technology. The experts are a forgotten lot in the decisions process. It is the bureaucrats who have no qualifications and experience, decide for the Agricultural Science and Technology. This is certainly a case of “ Wrong Peg in Right Hole “.

Another bright example is, the Civil Servants or Retired Civil Servants (Retired Bureaucrats) being placed at very Senior Positions at National Level in some situation indiscriminately to occupy and capture positions that should logically and for better results be occupied by the Experts of the subject matter. The Civil Servants or Retired Civil Servants are not know-all competent persons for all areas of expertise, but they are placed at Critical Positions where performance is ultimately important for public good and it is the job of an expert. However, political considerations overrule such appointments in place of Professional Considerations and against the Considerations of the interest of Public and Society. In fact in some situation it has been quite indiscriminate and rampant that has not led to good results for the economy, society and national benefit as a whole.

Through these examples, I have tried to demonstrate that for Critical Jobs to be done, at any place, at National Level, Global Level or in any Organization, there should be a matching Competence with the requirement for better outputs and expected outputs. However, most of the times, where there are political considerations and involvement that over rules the situations, for which this does not happen. The political considerations get more aligned to personal preference than professional competence. That is the place where the decisions fail and the outputs fail.

The readers can find many examples in real life all around in every field. When there is a matching competence the output can match the expectation, it is a situation of “ Right Peg in Right Hole “. However, when there is a competence mismatch and the output is not what is expected; is a situation of “ Wrong Peg in Right Hole “ and is a situation of a dangerous compromise.

[Disclamer : Although any or some situations may seem similar, the author has not targeted any specific situation by name and description. The disclaimer is placed to that effect.]

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology), M.B.A. and Ph.D.(Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 35 years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University (with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities. He is a management expert covering extensive areas from management in agriculture, industrial management, development management to management of public systems. He is a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.