“Learned helplessness occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances, even when they can do so. The term was coined in 1967 by the (American) psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier.
“Engaging in activities that restore self-control can be valuable. Seligman later developed the concept of learned optimism: By explaining events to ourselves in a constructive manner and developing a positive internal dialogue, people can break free from a cycle of helplessness.” [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/learned-helplessness]
When the wife and I first arrived in Eastern Europe while still in the car on the way to our new home away from home, the host popped the question, “Do you think we can compete against the West? We just invested into this new product, and our knowledge base is nil.”
Fast-forward to today. After these friends showed competition – both foreign and local – the Western brand they feared disappeared from the market – this once poor Eastern European micro-enterprise can crush the brand of the largest industry competition. The investment advisor offered the brand to them, but I did not acquiesce. “You have developed a better product. Keep developing state-of-the-art products, and no one will stand in your way.”
How? Benchmark. Benchmark. Benchmark.
Here’s a quote from an earlier posting: “The purpose of benchmarking should be to get a broad background of an area of knowledge, plus knowledge of state of the art and who is advancing it, and what principles drive the challenge or problem.
“Benchmarking research is the process for rapidly learning the essence of the desired field of knowledge with interest in finding the leading edge.” [University of Delaware]
“We will not be like Vietnam – or the other Asian Tigers – but if we ever learn that there is more to the world than our caste system, it will open our eyes and minds to look outward and forward and learn to benchmark. Benchmarking in business and industry does not mean an enterprise must strive to be a clone.
“During the infancy of Apple, Steve Jobs benchmarked his innovation and marketing efforts against the consumer-packaged goods industry.
“Recall too that as a mentor to my Eastern European friends, we sat Marketing and R&D together – i.e., properly geared in our product development and innovation efforts – in every business unit. Innovation is not for “innovation's sake” but to respond to a human need and raise one’s wellbeing.
“Unsurprisingly, they have become giant-killers, and so third-party raw material providers chose to partner with them. Three of their brands have attained state-of-the-art, and the fourth one is coming along.
“Those familiar with the blog will recall the wife’s horror when we first arrived because they were the poorest country in Europe, and it showed. ‘What are we doing in this god-forsaken place?’”
Seligman also “developed the concept of learned optimism: By explaining events to ourselves in a constructive manner and developing a positive internal dialogue, people can break free from a cycle of helplessness.”
Benchmarking is a great way to explain events – as in why PHL is the regional laggard – to Juan de la Cruz.
Here’s more from an earlier posting: “From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development. This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), led by renowned economist Paul Collier, examines the vital role government plays in economic development, analyzing the political, social, and economic factors that elevate society from poverty to prosperity. It will help people understand how their community and country can flourish, wherever they are in the world.” [Oxford University]
Let’s hold it right there. Are we in the Philippine elite class more guilty than Juan de la Cruz for being parochial and insular? Why can’t we look outward and forward, given this universe holds much more promise for Juan de la Cruz than we care to recognize?
There is such a thing as horizontal leadership that Chris Argyris expounded in his “double-loop learning.”
In other words, while national – and local – leadership is imperative, all of us, especially in a democracy – where personal responsibility is “imperative” for the common good – can demonstrate to Juan de la Cruz horizontal leadership.
Let’s take a concrete Philippine example:
“Helping our small farms to cluster together is now a key strategy of the Department of Agriculture, so they can attain economies of scale to be more productive, profitable, and competitive. Farm census data in 2012 show that 88 percent of all our farm holdings are under 3 hectares, and more than half (57 percent) are even less than a hectare. Fragmentation is likely to be even worse today.
“Farm clustering helps government do its job of providing farm support services much easier. For the farms themselves, the potential benefits could be far more significant. The benefits of clustering and consolidation go well beyond production at the farm, where, indeed, the scope for cost reduction from economies of scale is broad.
“Here, savings would come from using labor-saving mass production techniques, which not only reduce costs but also permit more timely farm operations and better product standardization. But clustering and consolidation could also improve the upstream and downstream links of the farm value chain.
“To cluster and consolidate our farms, it is best to do it via cooperatives. Thailand calls its agriculture ministry the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. I think that speaks volumes about how the DA ought to be moving forward.” [“Farm clusters: Why and how,” Cielito F. Habito, NO FREE LUNCH, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 27th Apr 2021]
Question: Does the above example meet the yardsticks of benchmarking?
Then consider: “The Innovator’s DNA” by Jeffrey H. Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen; Harvard Business Review, December 2009. And “the ability to successfully connect seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas from different fields, is central to the innovator’s DNA.”
Can Juan de la Cruz connect such seemingly unrelated things? We will develop the instinct if we start to overcome our inward-looking bias. Please recall the Danish example the blog has raised before:
“Denmark is among the world’s largest pig meat exporters.
“For more than 100 years, the production of pigs and pig meat has been a significant income source for Denmark. Approx. Ninety percent of the output is exported and is thereby essential to the Danish economy and trade balance. The Danish pig industry is among the world leaders in breeding, quality, food safety, animal welfare, and traceability. That is the reason why Denmark is among the world’s largest pig meat exporters.
“Danish pig meat producers observe high animal welfare standards, and pig farmers constantly strive to improve live pigs’ welfare. Danish pig production equates to high food safety standards and good animal health. Environmentally sustainable production methods are critical to Danish pig production.
“Around 5,000 pig farms in Denmark produce approx. 28 million pigs annually. Most pigs are slaughtered at the cooperative abattoirs Danish Crown and Tican. Also, a substantial number of live piglets are exported, mainly to Germany.
“Pig meat exports account for almost half of all agricultural exports and more than 5 percent of Denmark’s total exports. More than 70 percent of Danish pig meat production goes to other EU countries, and the remaining part to countries outside the EU.
“Danish pig meat finds home in more than 140 countries, and the largest markets in terms of volume are Germany, UK, Poland, China, Japan, Italy, Russia, and Sweden.” [https://agricultureandfood.dk/danish-agriculture-and-food/danish-pig-meat-industry]
When we benchmark, we (1) seek knowledge of state of the art, (2) find the leading-edge, (3) who is advancing it, and (4) what principles drive the challenge or problem.
In other words, to traverse poverty to prosperity is beyond “pwede na ‘yan.”
And we cannot overcome “pwede na ‘yan” if this is how we spell the future of Juan de la Cruz: “AmBisyon Natin 2040. By 2040, Filipinos enjoy a strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure life. In 2040, we will all enjoy a stable and comfortable lifestyle, secure in the knowledge that we have enough for our daily needs and unexpected expenses, that we can plan and prepare for our own and our children’s future. Our family lives together in a place of our own, and we have the freedom to go where we desire, protected and enabled by a clean, efficient, and fair government.” [NEDA website]
Let’s pause right there. How can we compete against Vietnam or China and the Asian Tigers if we can’t commit to attaining state-of-the-art in agribusiness and industry in general or in education and healthcare?
Don’t we say that we are as good as — if not better than — the next-door neighbor? Or are we to accept that Juan de la Cruz is the mirror image of Bondying or Juan Tamad?
“The ability to successfully connect seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas from different fields, is central to the innovator’s DNA.”
That is why the blog speaks to the modern math concept of sets and subsets.
And it starts with the law of divine oneness that science demonstrates via the photosynthesis phenomenon. In other words, to be a Bondying goes against the grain of human development.
Translation: We took the wrong fork at every turn, benchmarked against our neighbors. “Beg for Western money and technology.” That is how they raised agribusiness to world-class levels, pursued innovation in the broader industry, and attained global competitiveness – edging out wealthier nations.
Can we be more forward-thinking in spelling out the future of Juan de la Cruz?
And it is beyond clustering farms. Or CREATE. That is why the blog keeps raising that our top eight companies cannot even match one Vietnam enterprise. Because we must overcome “pwede na ‘yan.”
With due respect to us in the Philippine elite class, satisfied as we are in our stations in life, we owe it to Juan de la Cruz to demonstrate horizontal leadership. It is beyond the treatise of Chris Argyris. It is what our professed Christianity demands, i.e., the imperative of personal responsibility for the common good.
Put another way, and we must demonstrate that we can overcome learned helplessness – and thrive in learned optimism.
Gising bayan!
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