The Razor and the Organisation: Sharpen the Blade, Value the Hand

 The Razor and the Organisation: Sharpen the Blade, Value the Hand

While shaving regularly, I sometimes forget to change the razor. Once, while shaving in the morning, I found myself pressing the razor harder. When I looked in the mirror, I saw it wasn't a clean shave, so I decided to use a new razor the next day. The next day, while shaving, I failed to realise that it was a new razor. I applied extra pressure and ended up bleeding from a cut. I smiled at the sight of blood and told myself that I should have been mindful about the new razor.

Reflecting on the cut, I saw a parallel between the razor and people in an organisation. But the old razor is not simply a person who has served for a long time. Tenure or age alone does not make a person dull. A person becomes like a blunt razor when their skills are not refreshed—when there is no upskilling, cross-training, feedback, or room to grow. At some point, they simply keep doing the job and derive no pleasure from it. Some organisations realise this early and move people into new roles, training them to take on new responsibilities; these people slowly begin to improve in their new roles. Some organisations, without realising their mistake of not developing people, force them to quit, which is absolutely inhumane. Such people often become blunt not because they lacked worth, but because no one invested in sharpening them.

The new razor taught me another lesson. It did not cut me because it was new; it cut me because I forgot to adjust my hand. Similarly, new employees do not damage an organisation simply by being new. They may question old practices, and those questions can feel like a cut. But not every cut is bad. Some cuts are like a surgeon’s incision: they remove what is diseased. The question is whether the organisation has the wisdom to heal and improve after the cut. Damage happens when leaders fail to onboard new people, listen to them, and manage change carefully. The wound comes less from fresh talent and more from unmindful change management.

The shaving process itself offers a fuller analogy. The mirror is feedback and performance review. Pressure is the pace and expectations we place on people. Shaving cream is support, training, and resources. Honing or stropping the razor is upskilling and cross-training. Bleeding is attrition, conflict, and lost productivity. Mindful shaving is thoughtful leadership and careful change management. Organisations should reflect on their willingness and ability to develop people rather than jumping into a hire-and-fire mood. More employee development means more learning; more learning and implementation mean more productivity and less bleeding.

So, throw away the blunt blade, not the person holding it. Hone the old razor wherever possible; replace only what you can't sharpen. If age is the reason you want to relieve someone, do it with dignity and use their wisdom whenever you feel it is necessary. Keep developing your old people, and care for your new people. That is what it means to shave mindfully—and to lead an organisation mindfully.

M.L. Narendra Kumar