What is Pierian Spring?
I get asked this question every time I talk about the company and what we do.
To explain what Pierian Spring is, we need to take you into the exciting Greek mythology. There was once a sacred fountain in Pieria in Macedonia. The Muses believed that drinking from this spring would bring them great knowledge and inspiration, especially in arts and science.
The name was made popular by Alexander Pope in his poem ‘An Essay on Criticism’. He explains that little knowledge will intoxicate a person in such a way that it makes him feel like an expert. However, the truth is that he knows very little. So in his poem, he advises either you drink deep or taste not the Pierian Spring; ie., you either understand something completely or do not attempt at all.
Why did I pick this name?
Three reasons.
The first is that I had wanted a historical, international name with deeper meaning. While there are many Indian names, most of them are taken.
The second reason is what the name itself means – either you understand the subject fully or don’t bother, as half baked knowledge is dangerous. Being in transformation industry, there cannot be a more apt name.
The third is that the abbreviation PSLV is same as the rocket ISRO sends to space.
And of course an added advantage is that it creates an icebreaker to begin any conversations. 🙂
The Beginning!
Often I get asked, why did I leave a comfortable well-paying job to venture out on my own? Why can I not see that business is not for everybody and that one needs tactical approach to establish and function any business?
For me starting Pierian Spring Learning Ventures was not starting a business. It is a second life. Second work life, if I may clarify. And the only thing that aptly fits my thought process when I moved from comfortable to uncomfortable, is this quote.
In the old way of doing business, it was fine to disagree and then go to dinner. Now it’s personal and more partisan, and a disagreement on one issue leads to a disagreement on another issue – Pete Gallego
I had about 23 years of corporate work experience and much of that is leading teams, P&L for branch and business.
In my experience productivity is affected when teams are not aligned with organisational goals and values.
Where there are two or more people, there are disagreements and differences in opinion. Each person has their own perception and opinion which may not be agreeable to the other. This happens all around us, in our personal lives and in our professional workspaces as well. Some disagreements, especially those that challenge a thought, can result in innovations.
But what happens when one refuses to understand or empathise the other’s point of view? That is when clashes occur. Left unchecked, these differences can have a negative impact on the relationships and profitability of an organisation.
That said, we cannot work or survive in silos. We need to interact with people constantly and these interactions are extremely vital for the success of any business.
Therefore, organisations invest significant time, effort and money to safeguard the quality of the work environment. Increasingly the human resources are focusing on keeping employees happy and in check. However, there are always incidents and many times they are, directly or indirectly, due to bad or unacceptable behaviours.
The solution we believe lies in the behavioural aspects of each and every individual. Behind every difficult behaviour, there is a reason that caused it. In order for a behaviour to change, it is important we get to the root of it.
However, change can only happen from within. Not by force. Not for anyone else’s benefit. Only if an individual truly sees a benefit in the change, will they allow the change to happen. Awareness of change, therefore, becomes crucial. And that is precisely where we come in.
So Pierian Spring Leaning Ventures was created with an intention to dig deeper into the behavioural aspects of people to understand their needs at an individual, emotional level and provide bespoke programs that can address their need.
Connect with us to know more. 🙂
Aparna Ramesh K is a behavioural coach with a passion to support people who want to help themselves. She is an avid YouTuber and creates videos. For more information and to reach out to her click here
