A ‘maala’ or garland is a typical Indian concept. It is customary that in Indian marriages the couple garland each other. In ancient times in India there was the practice of a lady exercising her freedom to choose her husband from a group by garlanding him.
First let us try to know what a bouquet is. It is a bunch of flowers cut along with the stem and leaves and tied tightly together. Here the various flowers that form part of the bouquet are in a state of bondage. When a person holds a bouquet, his hands are also in a state of bondage. Here the individual flowers have very little opportunity to express itself freely. It begins on one end with the stems and ends on the other with flowers. Here not all flowers are visible and they do not complement each other either.
Let us try to understand the garland or maala. Here the flowers are pierced by a thread and strung into a uniform garland. Now each flower has its freedom of expression being in a state of suspended animation. The garland has no end or beginning and hence is in a zero state. In a garland all the flowers complement each other and are all visible.
The bouquet and the garland represent two different and contrasting styles of management. There is no doubt the bouquet style of management is the modern western approach in vogue these days all over the world. We try to make the other a captive and try to control them. In the process we do not realize that we ourselves become captives. Most of the religious leaders cultivate ignorance as they themselves are ignorant. Management professionals try to put pressure on everyone and try to control their subordinates. No doubt they remain in pressure and are also controlled by the situation. Here ego plays a major role.
The garland style of management is in reality the Mindful management and marketing. The primary criteria for becoming part of a garland is the willingness to be pierced. It is a sacrifice and is a little painful. It is the ego that goes in the process. Here the leader and each other individual forming part of the garland are pierced for a common cause. This piercing makes them a natural team with tremendous vibrance and dynamism. When we want the best out of an individual, giving freedom is the only option. It is a natural and organic state of affairs and can be put into practice if we are ready to sacrifice our ego.
A pure mind is definitely a prerequisite to become adept at Mindful management and marketing practice. In the entire universe, we find only maalas or garlands and not a single bouquet. It is high time that man dismantled the bouquet culture and the style of management. There is indeed everything that we want in a garland style of management.
We know management and marketing is all about team work. A team is not real until it becomes a maala or garland. When it becomes a maala, everybody functions selflessly towards a noble goal. It would be difficult to recognize who the leader is. Such a team anywhere anytime would be a formidable force to reckon with. The entire nature will align with and complement the efforts of such a team. Organic spirituality is no doubt the most important aspect of organizing teams that take the shape of a garland. Every management and marketing professional can give this approach a try and enjoy diverse benefits with effortless ease and certainty. An invisible thread is passing through a Mindful management and marketing team that leads to its oneness.