Emperor Akbar, Birbal story of beautiful child & objective Quality

This is one of the famous Birbal stories.

One day Emperor Akbar, of Mughal empire, was standing with his grandson Khurram, I believe. He asked Birbal "isn't Khurram the most beautiful baby in Agra?"

Birbal said "No doubt, your majesty Prince is really a very handsome boy."

Akbar was enraged "Only a very handsome boy? He is the most handsome boy in Agra maybe even the earth."

Birbal said "Your majesty to every parents and grand parents the baby of the family will be the most handsome."

Now truly upset Akbar said "alright let every courtier bring who they think is the most beautiful child we will see if there is any child more handsome than my grandson."

Well next day all courtiers came with children, but Akbar found some fault or other and rejected all, as not handsome! Akbar then noticed that Birbal had not came with any child. SO he asked "Why are you not with any child, Birbal?"

Birbal replied "I have not found yet your majesty, please give me some more time." Akbar agreed. Finally after about a week Birbal came and said "I have found the most beautiful child in Agra, your majesty, but there is one problem, his mother is so protective she is not willing to let him out of her sight. we will have to go to his place and see him. We can go with the main courtiers and in disguise."

Akbar agreed and they set off the next day in disguise. They left the city and reached some of the lesser fortunate part of the outskirts. There outside a small hut an ugly child was playing. Akbar got furious "Are you making fun of us all Birbal? This ugly child..." Birbal "Hush your majesty please wait."

Just then the child fell down and started crying and out rushed its mother "Oh my moon, my sun, my beauty, did the bad ground hurt you? Mother will punish it, now my sweet, my honey, my beautiful rose, my angel stop crying."

Birbal and Akbar with others then went forward and Birbal said "This ugly child? Moon? Rose? Angel? How can you call that?"

The mother flared and said "How dare you say my moon, my angel as ugly? Are you blind or mad? Ask anyone or go search entire Agra you will not find a more beautiful child in entire empire forget Agra? Now before I take my broom and beat you better get away from here!"

Akbar and Birbal and team beat a hasty retreat in face of the wrath of the furious mother! On the way Emperor Akbar was silent and then he suddenly turned to Birbal and said "You are right Birbal, to every mother and father his/ her child is precious and most beautiful."

"To every grandfather also, your majesty." Birbal added and the entire team and Akbar laughed.

Moral : Objectivity is lost when own blood or product is involved :)

A lesson in objectivity

This is a lesson for all Business and COO and CIO and CTO's.

To let Quality be a part and or controlled by Delivery Head or Service Head is not a good idea. However we advocate review, inspection, pair programming an objective view is required. The delivery or service will always be the parents of the work done. They will always see it as perfect!

I remember in my early job one very senior delivery leader telling a colleague that his product is perfect and need not be tested. My colleague trusted the words of the very senior guy and released the product and it became the worst hit with incidents in production! The clients literally went up in arms as it collapsed entire business applications!

Whatever we say about new models, frameworks - if we do not keep objective quality it will always have the same story as Akbar and his grandchild.

However we say the leadership is perfect and just finally my baby is perfect!

Abandoning quality in the name of cost or new models and tools will only lead to disaster in the long run.