Animal Farm Syndrome

I have not read Animal Farm by George Orwell. My son had it for his literature last year and I bought the York Notes to help him out. I was distainful of such notes during my school years. Now I know they are very helpful as they gave the right perpectives and delve into "behind the scenes" of the author's mind or intent. I remember in Secondary 2, my English and Form teacher of Alfred Tan, while Animal Farm was not our reading list, we had a discussion about it for those who have read or is familiar with the work. One classmate (and I have brilliant classmates) gave a summary on the story which about a farm and how the animals revolts against humans and then the pigs were elected to be the leaders of the farms. The pigs began to act and behave like humans.

Well, I enjoy being an observer and the "fly on the wall" in a conference room. It is interesting to note that in the room, participants would criticises their "human owners" before and proceed to think, act and behave like their precedessors. In figuring out how to get things done, different controls or directives or prescriptive measures were suggested. I call this the Animal Farm Syndrome. The cycle tend to repeat itself. Seems like they do not have any fresh ideas to lead or direct.

Injection of new blood is important to an organisation. Coming in at the right level, the new blood will bring fresh perspectives and do things in a different way. Promoting from within will bring out the "fly in the window" syndrome. The new leaders think they can do a better jobs than their precedessors by vowing not to do what was done to them and proceed to do exactly the same things by trying harder.

Yes, flying harder towards the light will not bring the fly out into the open....