When one's best is not enough ...

In Dec 2020, it seemed that covid19 pandemic has almost ended in India. While various parts of the world were still reeling under Covi19, India seem to have escaped the brunt of the brutal virus that had a potential to spread like wildfire if not contained. 

Till Mar 15 2021 all key economic indicators showed a definite recovery. Businesses were getting back to pre-covid19 levels. People lowered their guards, Governments – Central and State apparently went easy on plans for preparing for an emergency situation in case of a resurgent covid19 wave. India exported vaccines to other parts of the world -fulfilling its role as a responsible country helping those in need as it was safe

Come Apr 30 2021, India was reeling under a resurgent and doubly lethal second wave of Covid19. It seemed that “everything that could go wrong, did go wrong”! Right from most of the citizens not following covid19 appropriate behavior”, permissions granted for mass gatherings, elections, inadequate medical infrastructure and less than required essential medicines vaccines and essentials like oxygen: It seemed that all came together to produce catastrophic results for the second most populous country in the world. Community leadership, religious and secular institutions and affiliates, civil society organizations, eminent individuals and responsible corporate: each one were unprepared for the situation and could not provide the requisite support when pandemic started unfolding in Apr 2021.

By 10 May 2021, the country seems to have contained any further growth of the covid19 virus. Help has come in from all quarters including global support to fill up the gaps in our medical infrastructure and supplies. Central and State governments, media, courts, corporate, civil society organizations, defense forces, eminent individuals and entities – religious and secular, are all contributing to resolve the impending crisis. Restricted movements, lockdowns, forcing covid appropriate behaviors and roping in Corporates, religious, secular entities and eminent individuals to support to the needy: has all played its part. A strong critique of the Government actions by the opposition and the analysts highlighting the gaps in our current response to Covid19 has also helped the Government in containing the situation or so it seems. Next four weeks are likely to be critical in our fight against covid19 in the country. 

The gigantic proportion and scale of the pandemic is unprecedented in a democratic and diverse country like India. Elected Governments in state and center, all of them committed to ensure well being of its citizens, failed to contain the crises in the initial phases despite their best efforts. The confirmation of Virus being airborne and spreading through air, as against through droplets, did not help the situation. It seems that we are in crazy tough times!

Above description aptly describes a situation where our best is not enough in achieving a national goal of “keeping ourselves safe”, by corollary, making the family, community, state and country safe”!

Now reflect on the situations we have faced in our personal and professional lives where our best was not enough and how did we respond to it. Limiting the discussion in a corporate situation where we have to resolve conflicts and come up with win-win solutions to achieve the organizational objectives even in normal times, leave alone a pandemic situation!

 What do we do when our best is not enough to seek desired results? Obviously, seek help! This is what we did as a country: we sought help from everyone including other countries! The Government sought support from non-government entities and individuals. Once, we started working together, things started happening and we could contain the speed of growing covid19 pandemic. Once the Government became one of the entities in resolving a situation, and not “the only entity”, things have started showing results. The lesson to be learnt is that when we seek help, the problem no longer remains ours and we are not the “only one” but one amongst our team members, colleagues, sub-ordinates, peers and superiors involved in doing our collective best instead of individual best. When even that fails, seeking help from outside organization cannot be ruled out.

 Seeking help is an art, especially in a corporate environment! Rising above ones’ ego, letting go the fear of success and fear of failure are important attributes to seek timely help. 

Apart from seeking help, what else can we do when our best is not enough: keep doing our best, better it every day, if not every moment! Keep executing without seeking results. As is said in Bhagvad Gita, the Hindu mythological treatise.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भुर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥ Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. - Bhagavad Gita, Chapter II, Verse 47

Even if you have not sought help or you are not in a position to seek help, keep doing your best! Do not get attached to the results or the action itself! “This is not mine” and “ I would keep doing my best” are good thoughts that are likely to produce amazing outcomes – even though the outcome is uncertain.

Summarizing the key actions when one’s best is not enough 1. Seek help 2. Keep doing your best without seeking results 3. Do not get attached to the results or the action itself!