Rewiring of the Brain is a Must When Rapid Change Leads to Reality Jumping Ahead of Fantasy

“Krishna? A surprise visit on a Sunday morning? What’s brought you away from your weekend priority of introducing novel stuff in your beautiful garden?”

 

“Guru, I sense a crisis in my career and need your help.”

 

“Leave aside the formalities. As friends, we face all difficulties together. Tell me, what’s bothering you?”

 

“We had our first meeting of the ‘USA Study Group’ last evening. Each one had to suggest projects in 3D manufacturing for discussions during the training sessions in the U.S. The first task is to submit a write-up on the key factors in the business environment that will influence the success of the suggested project.”

 

“That’s normal practice. You must have done it in your engineering college.”

 

“Nothing is normal except the heading. The change is rapid and mindboggling. All the talk was Greek and Latin to me. Some of the factors mentioned by others were Gig Economy, Social Media Nihilism, Geopolitics, Political Chauvinism, Semantics, Syntax, Psychographics, Demographics, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain. They also mentioned several other new and complex concepts that completely baffled me. I don’t think I can cope with the requirements of this project. I am thinking of quitting. I’d rather not be found to be unfit by them.”

 

“My dear friend, first and foremost, stop this negative and extreme thought of ‘quitting’. You must develop your self-esteem. You are a graduate engineer and have progressed in a large company where often ‘survival’ is difficult. You have family responsibilities. You have to help them to live with self-respect, joy and happiness.”

 

“Guru, I have heard this sermon many times before. Just tell me what I can do to cope with this monstrous new situation.”

 

“It’s simple, Krishna. Who you are now, does not fit in the new setting. So, you have to reinvent yourself, recreate a ‘new Krishna’ to fit the new situation.”

 

“That sounds straightforward, but, pardon me, I find it ludicrous. You are talking as if we were going to upfit an old machine with new parts.”

 

“Absolutely right! Your brain needs rewiring.”

 

“You don’t mean undergoing brain surgery, do you?”

 

“Not at all. You just have to make up your mind and decide that come what may, you will not quit, but fight and shine in the group. With that determination and the actions you take, your brain gets the signals and it rewires itself.”

 

“Is this one of your new brainwaves or an established process? Any evidence of its validity?”

 

“It is scientifically proven and validated. This almost miraculous phenomenon is called Neuroplasticity. You know plasticity means amenable to being moulded and shaped, right? The human brain has very high plasticity and what’s more, it rewires itself when exposed to new things through new experiences, learning and experimentation by the individual. So, all that one has to do is to decide to fight with determination and perseverance. That fight involves learning, counselling, exchange of ideas and experimenting. The signals from all such activities lead the brain to self-rewire!”

 

“But people differ and there must be some limit to this growth of capabilities.”

 

“Not really. The person’s ambition determines the limit. The brain is a miraculous organ with 86 billion neurons and billions of other cells with connections forming pathways. The rewiring has two main aspects. One is the growth of new neurons and the other, new pathways or connections between neurons to cope with the new environment. If some pathways are not used, they weaken and lapse, which is when we lose old abilities. As I said, the capacity of the brain is enormous. But studies have revealed that even the most intelligent people use only 15% of it and the average people use only 6-7 %.”

 

“This sounds too good to be practical. Can you cite some examples?”

 

“Sure, not some but a lot of examples. The heads of business conglomerates manage all functions of different industries in the group. Look at our ministers. Very few are highly educated, but they are so creative. They manage the complexity of any ministry allotted to them.. So also, the IAS folk. They come from several disciplines, including engineering and medicine. But they manage different departments not directly related to their academic learning. They can get transferred from food to forest to finance and foreign ministries (maybe posted overseas as ambassadors or attaches); the only common factor perhaps is the letter ‘F’!   

 

“You and millions of others are the victims of the quest for scientific management. The idea was to create ‘order’ and avoid ‘chaos’. That is why managers and executives were classified as ‘specialists’ and ‘generalists’ – the kind who is Jack off all trades. The organization was divided into departments and the individuals attached to them as specialists. That suited the old stable and slow change environment. 

 

“But now, scientists themselves are hooked on the ‘chaos theory’ to solve the irregularities in various fields. In the new economy and society, the trend is one of convergence of disciplines and subjects. There is a vast need for ‘know-all types’; that is made possible by following the principle: student for life.”

 

“Guru, I bow to your clarity and ability to clear confusion from other’s minds. Yes, I studied engineering for my graduate degree. But after that, I resigned from studentship and consequently became a habitual escapist. I am now determined to renew the retired student Krishna and become a serious student for life. I will get into a learning mindset and pursue new and upcoming fields. This is the start of the Krishna Brain Rewiring Project.”

 

“And that, my friend Krishna, is the path to become an Executive Wizard.”