#32: Immersion vs. Institutionalisation

Nishad Shah
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read

Recently, I was wondering what makes people stick to organisations, and more importantly, succeed in highs and lows. It’s an often reiterated fact that employee engagement is a key parameter for success, and ‘actively engaged’ employees are more likely to have a favorable experience. But what’s a key behavioral factor to engagement? Immersion.

Most engaged people that I see around me are ‘totally immersed’ in their work life, and that means having the openness to try out different sort of work, not having very rigid stances against work or people (unless in certain situations) and an acceptance of consequences thereof. And as this employee dives in the sea with open arms, the water is more than willing to make space for him/her.

However, taken too far, immersion can be deadly, since that leads to institutionalisation. To my mind, institutionalisation occurs when you lose the ability to question what the organisation is doing, or telling you to do. You take it as the norm and do it, without bothering about the rationale of that practice. This is dangerous on multiple fronts.

Firstly, it alters the person’s behavior and contributes in making him less curious and more willing to accept the status quo. That leads to a sub-optimal performance, because most progress comes for altering apart from the status quo. Secondly, it’s bad for the org. because it is grooming people who are attuned to handling only certain kind of situations, and not willing to take risks in others.

So, immerse yourself in the work and culture, but don’t stop questioning how that best fits the larger purpose.

Just out of college

Tales of a toad thrown in a new lake

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Deft Dilettante. Pseudo-intellectual show-off.

Tales of a toad thrown in a new lake

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