Learning from others
In the 4th century B.C. the Greek historian Herodotus wrote “The Histories”, an account of the Greco-Persian wars. It was the first time anybody had documented events from existing records. So it earned Herodotus the title “The Father of History”.
In it he recounts a story about Darius the Great, King of the Persian Achaemenid Empire…
When Darius was king, he summoned the Greeks who were with him and asked them for what price they would eat their fathers’ dead bodies. They answered that there was no price for which they would do it.
Darius summoned those Indians who are called Callatiae, who eat their parents, and asked them (the Greeks being present and understanding through interpreters what was said) what would make them willing to burn their fathers at death. The Indians cried aloud, that he should not speak of so horrid an act.
King Darius’ point was simple. Every culture believes that the way that they do things is the perfect way. Thus, by definition, at best everybody else is inferior and at worst flat out wrong.
Learning from history
Two and a half thousand years later, what does your organisation think of the way other organisations do things?
Would you make Darius the Great proud?
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Image by Alex Proimos
Great article as always.
What frustrates me most is the many organisations I see that simply have no interest in looking outside – some won’t look outside their own industry, some won’t look outside at all. They are missing out on incredible learning opportunities from wider communities but either see themselves as “unique” (no organisation is) or undoubtedly the best so they see no point.
Very short-sighted. Sadly its usually the most senior people who feel this way – the people on the front line would love the opportunity to engage in the wider communities of best practice.
Adrian, the conference circuit amazes me. Why on earth would a banker want to go and listen to more bankers? It shows a complete lack of imagination.