Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Employee Engagement, HR, Management on December 6, 2019| Leave a Comment »
An annual get-together where families also get invited is a good idea to make people feel the humane side of the organization.
Plan entertainment of all kinds– primarily focused on kids–and see how much the parents love their day (or evening) out. Ensure that spouses hog the limelight – it is they who support the company’s operations in a silent but effective manner.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, the English version of which was released recently.)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Females, Gender Parity, Management, Women Empowerment on December 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Females of almost all species would go to any lengths to protect their cubs. If you falter, they would be quick to tick you off. Let someone else get funny with you, and see how they react.
Never have qualms about reporting to the fairer sex. Take it easy. They are far more professional (and also compassionate) than you imagine. Multi-tasking comes easy to them, what with their having to juggle various roles with aplomb at all times – being a daughter, a wife, a mother, a home maker, a daughter-in-law, and a company executive at the same time. How they still manage to retain their sanity of mind is a potential subject of academic research.
Nature also gave them the exclusive rights for the perpetuation of our species. Encourage those who wish to re-start their careers after a post-delivery sabbatical.
However, managements would do well to avoid getting swayed…
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Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Excuses, Leadership, Management on November 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »
How many times can you kill your mother-in-law to avail leave?! Excuses for being late to work and for excessive leaves are a sign of weakness of will power and character.
Offering excuses for a fouled up job is just not done. Be bold, accept your share of the blame, and make amends.
To help your team to grow and zoom, get out of your ivory tower, try to redress their difficulties, and demonstrate your leadership qualities.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, which covers more than hundred topics of interest to managers of all hues, shapes and sizes)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Ethics, Mahabharata, Management, SQ, Values on November 27, 2019| Leave a Comment »
We do not necessarily need a degree from Harvard to realize the difference between right and wrong. The Moral Compass within us is capable of telling us if we are on the right path.
Human values form the inner core of our personalities. These keep nudging us to be good human beings.
If ‘Values’ are the cause, ‘Ethics’ are the effect. If our value system is in place, our outward behaviour and conduct shall be ethical. Same is true of organizations, where the underlying culture determines the response of its key managers to tough business situations.
A company which believes in human values would handle a separation differently. When ramping down a business, good performers could get helped to secure career opportunities elsewhere. A star performer who has made up her mind to leave would get treated with great respect, thereby making her a valuable brand ambassador for the company.
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Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Designations, HR, Job Labels, Leadership, Management on November 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Designations are not important in cases where the external exposure of the employee is minimal. They form the psychological part of an employee’s compensation package.
For those whose role demands an external exposure, a higher sounding designation would improve the canvas of opportunities, enabling a faster realization of the company’s goals.
For employees who have outlived their core utility in companies which believe in firing people only when there is a disaster of a nuclear nature, an improvement in designation would be an invaluable tool in the company’s Human Resources arsenal.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’, which covers more than hundred topics of interest to managers of all hues, shapes and sizes)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Conflicts, Leadership, Management, Resolving, Work Culture on November 23, 2019| Leave a Comment »
An executive fighting his boss
– when he feels the top dog is wrong – is a good sign.
Executives fighting between themselves in the boss’ presence is also the sure sign of a healthy work culture.
Seniors airing their difference of opinion or berating their colleagues is an unhealthy sign.
We all remember the fable of a monkey which mediated between two warring cats and gobbled up the entire piece of cheese at hand.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Complacency, HR, Leadership, Management on November 20, 2019| Leave a Comment »
This is a malaise every workplace is stricken with. You may have a set of intelligent, obedient and relevant people working for you. But it is quite likely that half of them would have fallen into the trap of complacency. They would have become critical of the company/department, would be working in a comfort zone, and would be displaying a singular lack of initiative. They would no longer have the shine in their eyes and would surely not be operating on all four cylinders.
Your Human Resources honchos would be neglecting this lot at the company’s long-term peril. An antidote package could comprise a sustained program of employee engagement, elaborate mentorship, job rotation, sponsorships for advanced educational courses (either online or in the distance mode), and recreational breaks. Simply spicing up their work life would also help.
At the individual level, keep watching for signs of falling into the trap…
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Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Boss Management, Management on November 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Amongst other things, you also get paid for keeping your boss’ blood pressure under check. Pity the poor over-stressed guy and update him before he thinks of any project assigned to you. In other words, meet him halfway through.
If it is getting delayed, or worse, not getting done at all, make him an accomplice to murder by keeping him informed in advance. In case you are likely to meet your target, present him with a draft report/outcome much before the deadline.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Bell Curve, Book, Management, Performance Appraisals on November 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »
The pre-dominance of the Bell Curve in performance appraisals has never been in doubt. It recognizes the fact that all people are not identical, the tasks assigned to them are different, and the environment they operate in need not be homogeneous. All organizations have their share of high performers, free riders, under-performers, and downright deadwood.
A well understood Bell Curve principle is about building meritocracy and practising a differentiated rewards strategy. It has its own limitations, especially in highly innovative outfits. However, it keeps the bar high, thereby helping an organization to scale greater heights.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Advertising, Book, Management on November 12, 2019| Leave a Comment »
As a Chief Executive Officer, if you hire lions like Pablo Picasso or MF Hussain to create a corporate emblem for your company, would there be any point in getting a bunch of giraffe Vice Presidents and General Managers to meddle with his final work? Define a target and a budget, and let the agency have a free hand.
As a trainee cub, join an ad agency if you love irregular working hours, midnight escapades and hobnobbing with the hoi polloi of creative geniuses whose king (or, queen) size egos need to be managed at all times, with clients’ deadlines looming large over your work horizon. Depending on your skill set, you may gravitate towards copywriting, production, media planning, or client servicing. In all cases, creativity under pressure should be the motto of your life.
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’)
ashokbhatia 