Management Musings
A generalists view on management and life in the corporate world.
The Chasm| Constant Activity Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Progress
Get busy! Get going! Do something!
How often have we heard leaders and managers using these exhortations? Perhaps way too many times. While all of the above seem ‘action oriented’ they are as meaningful or as meaningless as baby talk.
Most people or shall we say teams tend to confuse activity with progress. They are wrong!
Progress no doubt, requires action. Action especially in a professional context has purpose embedded in it. Activity or a set of random activities are precisely that. Random!
Mining for Diamonds | 6 Dimensions of Great Team Players
Great teams are teams that perform…consistently. But are great teams just a matter of chance? Is there a way or a method of selecting these teams? What are the traits good team players display or possess?
While the cliché says there’s no “I” in “TEAM” the fact is that all teams are but a collection of “I”s.
For teams to succeed and succeed time and again it is important to get the “right mix” of people in the team. A good team would consist 7 personality profiles.
Heart of the Matter: Cracking the Culture Code
We all journey through our professional lives much like nomads in search of water, game, fair weather and green pastures. Choosing to move on or stay put depending upon the very same factors.
So why do we as professionals stick around or leave organisations? Does the answer lie only in the remuneration and recognition that we get or is there something more?
The Real Elephant in the Room is the HiPPO
Decisions can either be made or arrived at. Semantics? Not really. Not everyone in the meeting room is prepared, equipped or at the expense of sounding trite capable of decision making. Most are happy if someone else does, some perhaps more “responsible” ergo “the boss” or “the Highest Paid Person”. It doesn’t take too many years of corporate life to figure out that all meeting rooms regardless of industry or country have more or less the same characters sitting in them.
The Middle of the Road Theory
We’ve all heard about the middle of the road donkey that could not make up its mind. Flip the axis and we are now talking about traffic lanes.
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say!
Cliché? You bet! Nevertheless an expectation in the corporate world. Also perhaps a forgotten or even the most ignored mantra.
No Is An Answer, No Answer Is Not
A majority of the readers of this post would have termed themselves “Professionals” or used the term “Professionalism” to describe one of their traits.
Moving On…
How many times have we bid farewell to people? Life puts us through these moments in various ways; be it graduating from school, changing houses, breaking up with your girl (or guy as the case maybe) and for most part of adult life changing jobs.
Playin Hookie
How often have you called in sick at work? Well, I don’t know why but I think that maybe “I am not feeling too well” or “Am down with a fever” somehow do not seem weighty enough in front of your office folks to merit a day off. The “Take Care!” from your colleagues sounds more cautionary than concerned.
Twilight: The Nothingness of Transition
How often have we all cribbed about the fact that we are overworked? I guess despite the fact that we get to hear it ever so often; it’s not a REAL crib. We actually love the fact that we have enough and more to do. In someway being given more work to do seems to be something to be proud of for most (for all you know you might be the docile donkey that doesn’t throw tantrums!).
Everything at Once
What do the words Vision, Mission, Objective, Goal mean to you? Well, for most of us from the corporate world this would be the mumbo jumbo that leaders speak of and the wordsmiths of the corporate world spend hours, weeks or even months trying to craft to perfection.
What (not) to expect when your are expecting
Here’s a poser. How many times have you ended up dejected, dismayed, disgruntled or any of the words that describe any of the emotions that lie in that spectrum?
Cozy Corners
Have you ever attended one of those workshops meant for team building? If you are a salaried professional with over 2 years of experience chances are you have, perhaps more than once.
Best laid plans…..
How many of us set out to fail? Well! Stupid question, but the fact is that not many of us set out to succeed either.
Most of us keep going ahead in life and believe in the song que sera sera..whatever will be..will be. Much like the piece of paper whose ascent and direction are determined by the gust of wind that blows it from one place to another.
Read more articles by Sudham on Management, Leadership and Organisational Behaviour