LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT AND PATIENCE TO UNDERSTAND CAN REMOVE LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Through a recent real-life experience, I am trying to explain, how a little bit of effort and patience to understand can remove lot of misunderstandings that can have also a cost.

Recently, in a particular month ( would not be fair to give more details but it is real ) some organization from USA, an intermediary known globally and very popular, wrote me that one of their associated Organizations would like to speak to me for discussion on a specific subject on 8th of the month at 4.30 AM of IST ( India Standard Time) or 4.00 PM PDT(Pacific Daylight Time). As it was a paid discussion I agreed as matter of good will, though the time of 4.30 AM IST was very inconvenient.

When the final schedule came, it came as 9th of the month at 4.30 AM IST. At the very first instance, looking at the schedule I was getting wild, how could the date be changed. But I tried to apply my mind patiently and thinking what could have triggered it. After a bit of patient thinking, I could realize the actual organization who wanted to speak would have meant 8th date as per their timing (in USA), while the agency had possibly said 8th as per my timing (in India ), because as per their timing 4.00 PM PDT of 8th date would be 4.30 AM of IST of 9th date, and with geographical location they are 12.5 hours behind in reality, that is a fact.

I just, politely sent a confirmation agreeing to the schedule. The agency-organization realized the flaw, and they apologetically wrote me back, if I want to change to 8th date of my timing (India time ) they will convince the other Organization to accept. I also realized there could be a friction and misunderstanding there among themselves and even the whole discussion might get abandoned if that organization did not like or would not be convenient for them, ultimately it will be at my cost; I said its OK and they should go ahead.

What I tried to illustrate here is, if I would have reacted being wild on seeing the change of date on face of it, I would have also landed up in a misunderstanding with them and ultimately at my own cost to lose the discussion, but it was pragmatic on my part to apply mind patiently and think about what could be the logical reason behind it. That resolved the misunderstanding from all 3-sides respectfully involved in this case I gave example.

In social media now a days, I find a lot of misunderstandings that surface, could possibly vanish if little bit of effort and patience and mind is applied, without looking into the Fonts, Caps, Bolds, Longs, Shorts etc. etc. anything, that could be individual choices and a discretion used by the author for any reasons he/she may have.

I thought to place this observation for common understanding of the Readers.

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.