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Archive for the ‘Management Lessons’ Category

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In an earlier post, we had looked at the various leadership styles which emerge from an upgraded Blake Mouton Grid which has three axes: Concern for Production, Concern for People and Concern for Ethics. One of the styles we came across was that of the Charmless Charlies.X Y Z upgraded

These are hapless souls who could not care less for getting results, or, for that matter, for the people who slog their butts out for them. Issues of ethics or improprieties involved in any decision-making do not appear to affect them.

They rank poorly on all the three dimensions – Concern for Production, Concern for People and Concern for Ethics. In terms of an upgraded Blake-Mouton Grid, they would earn a rating of 1,1,1. These are CEOs who, having reached their level of incompetence, exemplify the Peter Principle.

In large organizations, these could be very senior managers who carry a rich legacy of…

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ashokbhatia's avatarashokbhatia

What is the best Christmas present a CEO can give to her organization?

In keeping with the Yuletide spirit, the best gift could perhaps be a resolve to take decisions based not only on commercial considerations but also on sound ethics and values. Decisions which would serve the strategic interests of the organization and would never lead it to a situation of public disgrace and compromise.

An upgraded Blake Mouton Grid

If one were to take the liberty of modifying the Blake Mouton grid, the leadership style of such a CEO would qualify for either a 9,9,9 or a 5,5,5 classification.X Y Z upgraded

Here is a quick rundown on the various leadership styles which emerge from a grid of this nature:

1,1,1: Charmless Charlies

One can only wish their organizations the best of luck.

9,1,1: Road Rollers

They would achieve a target by ruthlessly crushing anything that comes in their way.

1,9,1:…

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Organizations where the top management believes that any suggestion for improvement in a department emanating from another department amounts to interference and sacrilege tend to become like zoological parks. All subject experts get confined to their ‘cages’ or ‘enclosures’. Forays into another’s territory are frowned upon. This is a sure shot recipe for nipping creativity and innovation at the work place.

The biggest casualty of course is the hapless customer who has had the misfortune of buying a product which turns out to be defective. The incessant running from pillar to post a disgruntled customer is subjected to ends up creating a market ambassador the organization could surely do without.

(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, the English version of which was released recently. Here is a video clip which captures the journey of the book so far:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-video)

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Saint Thiruvalluvar was a humble weaver and an enlightened soul who gave us the Thirukkural, one of the finest specimens of Indian spiritual literature. It carries within itself eternal values and wisdom which could guide a lay person as well as a professional in all spheres of life.

Thiruvalluvar

Thirukkural captures the three-fold direction of life – Aram, or virtue; Porul, or wealth; and Inbam, or love.

The sage says that the life of a householder is superior to that of someone who opts for renunciation. He goes on to describe the duties and responsibilities to be discharged by a householder in great detail.

While describing the duties of kings, Thiruvalluvar touches upon the art of management and governance in very clear terms. This aspect has already been captured in some detail here.

Thirukkural speaks of matters of the heart with great elan. It gives love as much importance as ethical behaviour and righteous conduct. Feminists can take heart from the fact that it highlights the need for respect of women in unequivocal terms.

Thirukkural is an enduring example of the eternity of values, ethics and a humane approach to problem solving.

 

(Related Posts: 

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/management-lessons-from-thirukkural

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/06/23/management-lessons-from-india)

 

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A vast majority of professionals decide to be ‘passengers’ and not ‘drivers’ in their careers. They are happy to behave like headless chickens, strutting about sounding very busy but with meagre results to show. Typically, they outsource the thinking part to brainy birds around them and lead a mentally sedentary but self-contented lifestyle.

Call them file-pushers, clock-watchers, head clerks, or what you will – they do serve a useful purpose in keeping big bureaucracies running like well-oiled machines. They can also be groomed to become devoted followers for charismatic and dynamic leaders.

(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, the English version of which was released recently. Here is a video clip which captures the journey of the book so far:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-video)

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Yes-men

They are to be found in all spheres of life. They have perfected the art of boosting the sagging morale and flaccid ego of their superiors, thereby securing better perks and intangible benefits for themselves. Due to close proximity to their bosses – whether perceived or real – they end up being king makers.

Smart bosses easily figure out how to remain at an arm’s length from them. The tricks they use to steer clear of yes-men: a discouraging body language, asking for hard evidence for all the charges being levied against someone who is absent and generally berating them on select occasions in public.

(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, the English version of which was released recently. Here is a video clip which captures the journey of the book so far:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-video)

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The cultural ethos of an organization is essentially reflected in the way the top honchos conduct themselves. It also manifests in the manner in which the organization handles its relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Empathy is a critical component of the ethos of an organization. The trait of being able to put oneself in another person’s shoes and arriving at business goals and decisions by consensus helps the organization to be more efficient.

Understanding and empathizing with the perspective of the party of the other part also makes it easier to negotiate and successfully close tricky business deals. As an example, when one tries to finalize an order with a customer of Japanese origin, one discovers the value of empathy and mutual trust, because the latter is apt to ask for a detailed costing of the product on offer, a prospect often disliked by most businessmen hailing from a different culture.

Unfortunately, empathy and consensus do not always form a part of the arsenal of business owners and CEOs who are considered successful. Quite a few business leaders have brought to fore a leadership style which tolerates no dissent and abhors a natural impulse to seek consensus. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos are some who have demonstrated that a leadership style which celebrates conflict, disruption and dominance is not only a virtue but possibly also an enabler of sustained creativity, technological evolution and advancement.

Of humility, consensus and culture

However, it appears that CEOs with a Western mind and an Eastern heart are configured somewhat differently. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, sounds passionate about leadership and transformation, but the route he chooses is based on ethos, empathy, empowerment and democratization. In his book “Hit Refresh”, he concludes that ‘the choice of leading through consensus versus fiat is a false one.’

He goes on to propose that the ‘C’ in the CEO represents culture, thereby implying that culture building forms the core of his leadership style. In his leadership paradigm, hubris gives way to humility and envy to empathy. A CEO is as much responsible to the investors as he is accountable to the citizens.

A transformation in the offing?

Brand Microsoft has never been about empathy. Rather, its operating style has always been that of crushing the competition. But then, why would it allow Linux applications to run on Windows as well? Perhaps, rapid progress in the realm of technology is making friends out of foes, leveling off the field and making diversity and inclusion the critical components of a business strategy.

How this transformation plays out in future would depend on many factors. The way the market environment shapes up. The degree of freedom truly enjoyed by a senior person at the helm of affairs. The collective consciousness and value system of the core team which supports the CEO in steering the business, possibly based not only on a commercial compass but also on a spiritual one.

The argument one often comes across is that when satisfactory business results are coming in, what is the need for management to deploy such soft practices as empathy, humility and consensus in their operations?

In his book entitled “Be Unreasonable”, Paul Lemberg argues that when a top honcho believes in being reasonable, the business only gets buried deeper in conventional wisdom. He goes on to demonstrate how unreasonable strategies can bring one unconventional success.

This does seem like a workable proposition, especially when one is working in a highly competitive and disruptive environment. However, such a materialistic approach is open to challenge in some ways. One, the long term sustainability of business itself could come under a cloud. The success can then be fuelled only by a perennial outpouring of disruptive innovations, a feat which many businesses may find difficult to achieve. Two, the human capital of the business is likely to remain underserved and underexploited. It is almost certain that team members working under such conditions would not be happy souls who put in their best performance.

A feminine touch

In yet another noteworthy piece of work entitled “Shakti Leadership”, authors Nilima Bhat and Raj Sisodia argue that too many people have bought into a notion of leadership that exclusively emphasizes traditionally ‘masculine’ qualities: hierarchical, militaristic, win-at-all-costs. They propose that this approach has led to corruption, environmental degradation, social breakdown, stress, depression and a host of serious problems.

They show us a more balanced way, a leadership that is generative, cooperative, creative, inclusive and empathetic. These are traditionally regarded as ‘feminine’ qualities, but are worthy of emulation. In the Indian yogic tradition, these are symbolized by Shakti, the source that powers all life.

Indian scriptures speak of the concept of Ardha Naareeshwara, a form which is an eclectic mix of masculine and feminine features. This is what could turn out to be a better recipe for sustained success in the decades to come. A leadership style which is based on both masculine as well as feminine traits.

The technology explosion

Much like capital, technology in itself is soulless. However, American author Tracy Kidder has held that ‘technology is nothing more than the collective soul of those who build it.’ One would therefore not be wrong in surmising that even in the face of the technological explosion that we experience in our times, human beings – and as a logical corollary, human values – shall always play a definitive role in shaping the society along more just and humane lines.

The power of social media to shape public discourse and reform political decision making is already on display. Yes, there is always the danger of people getting manipulated by an overt use of the same social media. But surely these are short-time blips on the dimension we label as time and cannot last too long.

The future holds hope

Empathy appears to be kicking in. So-called feminine traits like creation and inclusion are taking centre stage. Competition is giving way to collaboration.

A noteworthy feature of organizations which believe in the virtue of empathy is the intention to give back to society some part of what the business gains from it. What follows is a keenness to offer products and services for the overall good. That is the kind of approach that Microsoft and many other enlightened businesses take.

(Related Post: https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/super-leaders-the-near-perfect-ceos)

 

 

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Neglect this vital part of your life only at the personal risk of your well-being – mental as well as physical. Take time off for your kid’s parent–teacher meeting due next Saturday. Cultivate a hobby which helps you retain your sanity while handling the whirlwind operations that you try to manage at the speed of light.

Remember,

E = mc2

Here, E represents your energy and/or enthusiasm, m is mental peace, and c is your capacity – mental and physical.

When you achieve a better work–life balance, you improve your mental peace, as well as your capacity to do things. Your energy levels remain high.

(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, the English version of which was released recently. Here is a video clip which captures the journey of the book so far:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-video)

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For those interested in the art and science of management, here is a video clip which captures the journey of my book so far.

Feedback is welcome.

(Related Posts:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/a-tale-of-two-countries-and-a-book-launch

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/01/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-some-comments)

 

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Practising managers have had a look at it. Entrepreneurs – of the social as well as the anti-social kind – have gone through it. Management consultants have flipped through it. Eminent personalities have browsed through it. Academicians have devoured it.

Here are some of the comments received so far in respect of the book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’.

“Behind the veil of humour and punch – there is a message. As the human drama unfolds itself in the corporate jungle, the best and worst of human natures battle for space.  Sure enough, the early warnings in the book might help the hapless to survive and the smart to succeed. However, buried in the crevices of the chapters lies a deeper secret. The secret of an inner tuning – developing an inner compass based on personal values that not just protects you but also guides you towards happiness and fulfilment. Most importantly, it helps you to use the right lens to see reality and truth as such, cutting through a smoky screen.”

Mr K. V. Rao

Resident Director – ASEAN, Tata Sons Ltd , Singapore

(Excerpt from the Foreword to the English version of the book)

“Here we have another work with a series of teachings based on the vast experience of a manager and consultant from the distant antipodes, whose admirable curriculum can be consulted in the work that deserves to be widely disseminated in Portugal, and which satisfies us that it will be part of the library of technical management works and insurance and sales techniques whose introduction to the Portuguese publishing market Liberty Seguros has been supporting.

What really surprised me the most is that management is really a universal science. That is, the formula for success, whether in India or in Portugal, in terms of the main vectors on which business philosophy rests, it is similar.”

Mr José António de Sousa

President and CEO of Liberty Seguros, Portugal

(Excerpt from the Foreword to the Portuguese version of the book)

“Mr Bhatia’s book soothes the frayed nerves of a manager with fresh insight in challenging situations.”

Mr Sandip Choudhury

Regional Finance Shared Service Lead (VP) North America, Mylan Inc., Southpointe, PA, USA

“Ashok’s book makes one think, smile and reflect over our organizational lives taking us by the hand with delightful kindness into a realm of effectiveness….”

Prof Jose Fonseca

Dean, School of Business and Social Sciences of Universidade Europeia of Lisbon, Portugal

“For those who worry too much about the managerial challenges in their careers, here is a ready reckoner which will not only provide a fresh perspective but also bring a smile to their frown.”

Dr Paul Griffiths

Strategy and Knowledge Management expert; Director, Latin America at Lafferty Group; Partner, Corporate Edge, Chile

“Whether for entrepreneurs or for career oriented managers, the book shows a fast 360° way to navigate the choppy waters in which Homo Organizationum operate.”

Mr Marco Paulo Abrunhosa Cardoso

A wisdom seeker, Kotka, Finland

“It is impossible to not to finish the book in 1 or 2 days. Revisiting the book reminds us about simple principles that have a huge impact! All of this with a great humour!”

Mr Miguel Dias

Founder & CEO, CEO World, Portugal

“A lot of great wisdom here by Ashok who has based his perspectives on many years of relevant, and sometimes difficult, experience. Well done.”

Dr Jack Jacoby

Master Strategist, Director, Corporate Repair, Mentor, Facilitator, Motivator, Troubleshooter, Australia 

“This book captures not only the strategic thinking but also the tactical skills required to navigate one’s way to success, inner satisfaction, happiness and most importantly – peace.”

Mr C S Dwivedi

Vice President – Manufacturing & Corporate Planning, HCL Infosystems Limited, India 

“I found this book both entertaining and insightful. Lots of serious thoughts, couched in a somewhat light-hearted manner – this, and the succinct but sharp points, make it eminently readable. The format enables consumption in large doses, or even a few pages at a time: very useful in today’s time-stressed, short-attention-span world.”

Mr Kiran Karnik

Director, Reserve Bank of India; Chairman, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi; Former President, NASSCOM; Columnist and Author; His latest book is “Crooked Minds: Creating an Innovative Society”.

“The book is interesting. It is written in simple and lucid language and in a style of humour and fun.   From time to time cartoons appear and make reading the book that much enjoyable.

The book is unusual because it undertakes at least two difficult tasks simultaneously. The first task is to link management arts with management science – which a typical academic knows how difficult it is. The second task is to connect theory with practice. Accordingly, many an instance contain relevant references and quotes.

The biggest contribution of the book, however, lies in how inconspicuously but effectively the messages of values are enmeshed in the given instances or topics. While knowledge and skills can be taught, attitudes and values however cannot and ‘should not’ in a traditional sense be ‘taught’. The moment a value is ‘taught’ (“Be honest”, for example), the learner stops listening and questions silently, ‘Who are you to teach me’, ‘Are YOU honest?’ Knowledge and Skills are like the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, which are visible. Attitudes and values are like river Saraswati, which is invisible. Leading by example is the only instrument, therefore, for a teacher to ‘teach’ value .”

Prof G P Rao

Management Educationist, Founder Chairman (Honorary), SPANDAN Society, Hyderabad, India

“This is a unique book which covers a vast area of business management. In particular, it touches upon leadership, administration and refined concepts in the domain of human resources. The author deserves credit for having summed up his forty year long practical experience and present it in a crisp and humorous manner. One only wishes the language used was somewhat simpler in some parts, though.”

Mr R Mananathan

Chairman, Manatec Electronics, Puducherry, India

“Mr Bhatia’s book is replete with rich management lessons which would be useful to managers and business owners of all kinds. He also draws upon such of our ancient scriptures as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Thirukkural.”

Mr P Rangaraj

Chairman and Managing Director, Chemin Controls and Instrumentation, Puducherry, India 

“I read this book through summer and liked it very much.”

Ms. Clara Nunes dos Santos

Ambassador of Portugal in Norway

“The book captures in light tone a very meaningful message for those in Management and Business. These days when people have “no time’, this book acts as a pill that awakens the dormant mind of the reader and gives him the needed gusto to face important issues in the day. It is a ready reckoner for the Management Leaders.”

Dr Ananda Reddy

Director, Sri Aurobindo Center for Advanced Research, Puducherry, India 

“This one is a must read for all professionals, whether young or not-so-young. Beneath all the humour lies a deep spiritual connect. When the author speaks of values and ethics in business, he makes a profound statement. He also touches upon Circularity Leading To Sustainability, a concept which I, as a professional in the same field, strongly advocate myself. Gone are the days when managements could take an ostrich approach to such issues as global warming and environmental degradation. This book has multi-faceted messages. Those who read it are likely to feel as if they have just completed a distance education course in management.”

Mr Prakhar Goel

Manager, Peterson Projects B.V., Netherlands

“Ashok Bhatia’s compilation of gems of wisdom in the area of management comes as a pleasant surprise. As a seasoned meteorologist, I have survived many kinds of weathers in my own career and can readily identify with many of the thoughts expressed in his book. The youth of today can surely practice quite a few things mentioned in this book, as long as they ensure that their bosses have not had access to its contents!”

Mr Ashok Kalra

Chief Meteorologist, Indigo Airlines, Retired Wing Commander, IAF, NCR, India

“Great experience shared in simple but powerful way. I am really delighted AKB. All the best and I am sure readers will draw benefit.”

Prof Rammohan Pisharodi

Marketing Professor/Chief Editor, Alliance Journal of Business Research at Oakland University, USA 

“The author has brought his rich corporate experience and wisdom in this book with simple messages. While most of the authors are serious while discussing the corporate practices with tons of do’ and don’t kind of advises, he presents the message with a sense of humor. I think he has covered almost all functions of management with the message to survive in the corporate jungle.”

Mr S Ganesh Babu

SME Business Transformation Consultant & Performance Coach, Pondicherry, India 

“Few strengths of this book are short lessons, supporting pictures, quality references and unique solutions. If it is gifted in various programs in educational institutions to students, they will be prepared to enter the corporate jungle with a positive approach.

Self-evaluation, Enrichment, Discipline, Lessons learnt, Rights, Feedback, Training etc are some topics which can also be covered in the next edition.

A book worth reading and gifting to friends and students.”

Mr Dileep Bhatia

Nuclear Scientist turned Career and Values Counselor,

Rawatbhata, India 

“Can teaching management to aspiring managers be also fun? Yes, thinks the author who sums up his four decade long experience in this delightful book. Capturing more than a hundred topics, often backed by appropriate illustrations, the book is easy on the nerves, even as it makes one exercise one’s grey cells in a meaningful manner. By highlighting the relevance of a manager’s Spiritual Quotient, it heralds the advent of a new age: The Age of the Spiritual Manager.”

Dr G Anjaneya Swamy

Dean, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India  

“There are many hard-core management books written over the last five decades by logical die-hards, but not many from the kinder hearts.

One such in the recent past is this book. The beauty of this book is that it deals with every possible situation and topic that one is likely to come across while passing through the Corporate Jungle. The solutions provided are not in any copybook style but each one is distinct, much like Dhoni’s helicopter shots. These are quite breezy, short, and to the point. Some chapters get over just as you start in.

AKB’s experience of over four decades shows through the wisdom he conveys, often with a dose of subtle humour. The book is truly a light hearted reading in Management for all ages and races. May the Portuguese translation of this book be only the first of many translations to follow in other foreign languages.

Mr Hariharan Subramaniam

Industrialist, Author, Architect – Indian Institute of Governance, India.

“The short chapters make the reading quite easy and there are many insights shared by the author in such a small book. A lot of valuable points have been shared. The book is a treasure and I have no intentions of gifting it to someone I hate, as recommended by the author.

The chapters I liked the most: Consultants, Corporate Strategy, Interpersonal relationships and Promises.”

Mr Gowrishankar Sundararajan

Senior Director, Malaysia Blue Ocean Strategy Institute, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. 

“For those who eye the realm of management with a tinge of green hued envy, this book would be an eye opener, since it lays bare the kind of dirty tricks managers often play on each other. To those who are already a part of the crab basket phenomenon called management, it could provide some invaluable tips. Overall, a good read, with some profound lessons!”

Mr Sunil Jain

Chairman, Chemisynth, Gurugram, NCR, India

“I am so much enchanted (if that is the word I am searching for) with the wonderful piece of work mentioned below that I almost read it in a single go. Hence, it will be foolish of me to write a criticism of the book. What I can do is, boast my association with the author Mr. Ashok Kumar Bhatia through Facebook. A Plum fanatic (he loves to address himself as a person suffering from Wodehousitis) Ashok kept no stones unturned to describe, in a humorous way, “the modern tactics of dealing with corporate culture” with an uncanny talent of conveying the right message to the audience in minimum words. Thereby, making it an interesting read! Though the comparison with Peter Drucker is dangerous, I would prefer to risk it with him.”

Suryamouli Datta 

Associate Consultant, Tata Consultancy Services, UK/India

“Thanks, sir for your wonderful piece of work! Hope to get more from you in the future. All the best!” 

Priya Talwar

Founder, Editor’s Atelier 

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, “𝗢𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁…𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰”!
Yep, that’s when the author’s already lost you.

Good positioning isn’t about shouting the loudest or trying to be clever.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱—
and getting them to pause just long enough to think, “Hmm… tell me more!”

That’s how I felt too when I stumbled on a mini army of books about corporate survival.

 

(This is how you can lay your hands on the Portuguese version of the book, launched in Portugal during March, 2016.)

Related Posts:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/a-tale-of-two-countries-and-a-book-launch

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2021/04/20/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-book-review-by-inertiaspeaks/

 

 

 

 

 

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