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, 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, 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 A Vibrant Life!, tagged Aesop's Fables, Chhota Bheem, Ethics, Families, HR, Internet Addiction, KIds, Morals, Panchatantra, School Education, Screen Time, Tom and Jerry, Values, Women's Empowerment on July 1, 2018| 2 Comments »
Hapless parents who are always rushing from pillar to post to make the two ends meet carry a lovely responsibility on their tender shoulders – that of bringing up kids.
Families have shrunk. Technology has sneaked into the family space. Most parents themselves have one sibling each, and they also happen to be equally busy chasing their own dreams. The desire to enjoy independence from parents has led to the current trend of singular families. Kids no longer have the luxury of curling up in bed with the family seniors and listening to juicy stories and fables from the distant past.
Often, hassled parents, already bearing the guilt of not being able to spend enough quality time with their kids, get into a conflict with kids over such inane matters as the choice of their friends, the dress they wish to wear in their free time, and the shows they insist…
View original post 531 more words
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Business, Ethics, HR, Interpersonal Relations, Leadership, Management, Results, The Book, Values on January 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Often, your truly is asked about the contents of the book entitled ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’.
The video clip here covers in brief some of the 110+ topics covered in the book.
Enjoy, and be a smarter and happier manager!
(Related Post:
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/surviving-in-the-corporate-jungle-a-video)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Book, Employee Engagement, HR, Management on May 19, 2017| 1 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, Complacency, HR, Leadership, Management on April 7, 2017| 1 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 of complacency. Analyse, introspect, and then speak to your seniors the moment you notice the zeal gone. Or, become a rolling stone and gather no moss!
(Excerpt from my book ‘Surviving in the Corporate Jungle’)
Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged Aesop's Fables, Chhota Bheem, Ethics, Families, HR, Internet Addiction, KIds, Morals, Panchatantra, School Education, Screen Time, Tom and Jerry, Values, Women's Empowerment on November 20, 2016| 5 Comments »
Hapless parents who are always rushing from pillar to post to make the two ends meet carry a lovely responsibility on their tender shoulders – that of bringing up kids.
Families have shrunk. Technology has sneaked into the family space. Most parents themselves have one sibling each, and they also happen to be equally busy chasing their own dreams. The desire to enjoy independence from parents has led to the current trend of singular families. Kids no longer have the luxury of curling up in bed with the family seniors and listening to juicy stories and fables from the distant past.
Often, hassled parents, already bearing the guilt of not being able to spend enough quality time with their kids, get into a conflict with kids over such inane matters as the choice of their friends, the dress they wish to wear in their free time, and the shows they insist on watching on a TV or on an iPad. Arbitration facilities provided by family seniors in the past have all but vanished.
Fed by cartoon or game characters which shoot to kill, the kids gradually start believing themselves to be invincible. They take violence and physical intimidation against others to be a normal behaviour. The resultant chaos in the society is for all of us to see and brood upon.
Pick up an old soft movie like The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins, and present day kids could be forgiven for looking at these askance. Put on an animation movie and you find an immediate arousal of interest.
Minimizing Screen Time, Maximizing Values
For hapless parents, there are two basic challenges. One, that of minimizing Screen Time, weaning away kids from gadgets and involving them in outdoor activities. Two, that of imparting them the values which would last them a life time.
No meal can be consumed unless a cartoon movie is not playing on the iPad perched on the dining table. The threat of changing the WiFi password alone works to bring about a semblance of discipline in the house.
Gone are the days when family seniors used to control all the entertainment appliances in the house. Now the kids’ wish and expertise rules supreme. At schools, gone are the days of detention and punishment. In quite a few cases, teachers get the flak for not treating the kids right.
One does not resent the kids their present state. One merely wants them to be better prepared to face the harsh realities of life, as and when they need to forgo the sheltered lifestyle they take for granted. In some cases, stay in a hostel might help. In others, a special course to use the right side of the brain might help.
Perhaps it is time to consciously revert back to the joint family system, wherever feasible. Perhaps it is time to be soft as well as stern while dealing with kids. Perhaps it makes sense for them to get exposed to some sort of deprivation in life. A walk through a slum. Stories of kids who do not get to attend school. Gifting toys to poor children.
The corporate world has already woken up to the need of a woman employee to spend more quality time with her kids. Maternity leaves are getting extended. Paternity leaves are already a norm in the advanced countries. More options centered around flexible hours are being offered. Yet, much more can and needs to be done.
In all cases, an outdoor sports activity helps. An addiction to reading books also helps. Even on internet, there is no dearth of such offerings as Aesop’s Fables and the Panchatantra.
What is essential is a strong connection with the real world and an exposure to the slice of virtual world which is steeped in ethics, morals and values.
(Notes:
(Related Posts:
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/on-the-children-by-khalil-gibran
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/kids-with-a-western-mind-and-an-eastern-heart
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/goofy-kids-p-g-wodehouse-and-some-spiritual-tenets)
Posted in Management Lessons, tagged Brand Image, HR, Leadership, Management, Thirukkural, Thiruvalluvar on January 16, 2015| 31 Comments »
Thirukkural (திருக்குறள்), also known as the Kural, is a classic Tamil ‘sangam’ (3rd century BC to 4th century AD) literature composition. It has 1,330 couplets or ‘kurals’. It was authored by the renowned poet Thiruvalluvar.
The Thirukkural is one of the most important works in the Tamil language. This is reflected in some of the other names by which the text is given by such as ‘Tamil marai’ (Tamil Vedas); ‘poyyamozhi’ (words that never fail); and ‘Deiva nool’ (divine text).
Just like ‘Ramayana’, ‘Mahabharata’, ‘Bhagavad-Gita’ and other scriptures, Thirukkural is also replete with words of wisdom. It is simple and contains profound messages.
Thirukkural has 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets. Broadly speaking, all the 133 chapters can be divided into three sections: Righteousness, Wealth and Love. In the text below, the serial number of each couplet appears on the top, followed by its Tamil text and then by its near-literal translation in English.
Practising as well as aspiring managers could draw quite a few lessons from Thirukkural. Here is a modest attempt to capture a few of its facets.
Leadership
Leadership is more of an attitude and a way of living and behaving. It is about opening one’s heart. It is about inspiring those around one. It is about leading others by example. It is about standing up for others and shielding them from harm.
770
Of what avail is the army of heroic warriors if there be no general to guide them?
388
He is a God among men who shields his subjects.
A good leader is an avid listener. He encourages dissent.
416
Listen to wholesome counsel however meager; for out of it springs great good.
389
The world is under the sway of the monarch who puts up with bold and bitter counsel.
529
Reject none on the score of disagreement. Men who have become estranged will flock to you.
A leader’s life is not easy. Following ‘dharma’ (righteousness) is his/her foremost trait. Being impartial and just is another.
33
Avail yourself of all opportunities. Do not cease from practicing Dharma on all possible occasions to the best of your ability.
111
An equity which knows no partiality is in itself a unique virtue.
432
Niggardliness, empty honor, blind favoritism, are all the faults of a king.
541
Strict enquiry and impartial justice mark the rule of a just monarch.
Intuition plays an important role in the life of a leader. Steve Jobs’ life is a living example of this trait.
429
Men of foresight who guard themselves against coming events know no distress.
Leadership is about human experiences and not about processes.
578
The world belongs to a king who can do his duty and yet be courteous.
Mergers and acquisitions often follow the rule of tying up with a former adversary in business. Google acquired Android, YouTube and Motorola Mobility, so as to extend the reach of its business as also to diversify into related verticals.
679
It is much more urgent to secure the alliance of one’s enemies, than to do good to one’s friends.
Brand Image of an Organization
Thirukkural has chapters which are intended for developing and managing kingdoms. The attributes of an ideal kingdom mentioned in the ancient text are equally applicable to the contemporary corporate world.
738
Five are the ornaments of a kingdom – absence of disease, wealth, fertility, happiness and security.
This can be interpreted to mean that a great company is one which has a strong brand image amongst all its stakeholders. Healthy and vibrant employees form the backbone of a company. By generating a surplus for its shareholders, wealth gets created. A culture which enables fertile imagination and innovation ensures its long-term survival and well-being. A result-oriented but relaxed culture results into greater happiness of its employees. Guarding the company’s assets – material as well as intellectual – ensures survival in a highly competitive environment.
Management
Managers need to be resolute, decisive and action-oriented. Loyalty to the management and operating within the company policy paradigm are two of the several qualities they need to have.
668
What you have clearly decided to do, do it without hesitation and delay.
766
Heroism, honor, tried policy and fidelity to the king, these four are an army’s shelter.
Stephen Covey has spoken of the habit of ‘sharpening the saw’. The poet also emphasizes the need to keep upgrading our subject knowledge, so as to do well in our careers.
401
Entering an assembly without sufficient knowledge is like playing at a dice board without its knowledge.
444
To follow in the footsteps of those who are greater than oneself is the crown of one’s strengths.
Planning, and thinking ahead, needs to be given a high priority. Want to beat the competition? Know its strengths and review your plans accordingly.
461
After much deliberation over profit and loss and the final gains, launch on a task.
471
A king must act after measuring the strength of his plan, his own resources, the strength of the enemy and that of the ally.
Restraining anger is important. Anger is also an important weapon in a manager’s arsenal. It can be used to put in place a team member who might be getting too big for his boots. When held back and allowed to simmer within, it can be used very effectively. Patience and forbearance are recommended. We also need to have the knack of getting our timing right!
305
If a man were to guard himself, let him restrain anger. Otherwise anger gets the better of him.
487
The wise will not fly into a passion when assailed; they allow their anger to smoulder within till the right time comes.
158
Conquer with forbearance one who has done you harm and caused you anguish.
484
One can succeed in the attempt to conquer the world if the right time and the right place are chosen.
Management is all about getting things done. A smart manager would know what needs to be done, who is the best person for doing it, and the right time to get it done.
516
The thing to be done, the proper person for it and the appropriate time for doing it, must all be duly weighed.
Meetings
Here are some guidelines on when to speak, how to speak and what to speak.
711
Men should weigh their words in speaking when addressing an audience.
714
Before brilliant people, be brilliant; before plain people, be as plain as white chalk.
715
The humility to maintain silence before superiors is the best of all good qualities.
Planning and Execution
The poet exhorts us to avoid procrastination.
674
An unfinished deed and an unfinished fight will, like a half-extinguished fire, cause ultimate harm.
675
Do a thing after carefully deliberating on five things – resources, means, the time, the nature of the deed, and the place.
677
The manner in which a thing should be done is to be determined after consulting an expert.
Getting Hired
Whether we are hiring a chartered accountant or an engineer, the cultural fit with the company is of great importance. People who sound the same based on their CVs are all different. Their value systems are determined by the family they belong to and the environment they have grown up in. Their personality traits are not the same.
Would they fit in with their immediate team members? Would they vibe well with the culture of the organization? These are some of the questions to be asked so as to ensure that we make better hiring decisions.
960
Out of modesty springs one’s greatness. Out of humility rises the honor of the family.
951
Probity and a sense of shame are virtues innate only in men of noble lineage.
The poet also exhorts us to make a hiring choice with due diligence.
509
Let men be chosen with deliberate care; when once the choice is made, let no suspicions crawl into your soul.
632
A minister should have five qualities: tenacity of purpose, birth in a respectable family, welfare of people, profound learning and perseverance.
Managing the Self
Like all spiritual texts, Thirukkural also extols the virtues of connecting with one’s inner self.
Being amiable and speaking positively helps.
93
To welcome one with a pleasant look and loving words is righteousness.
Helping others in a self-less manner may result into long-term loyalists getting developed. However, help rendered to an ungrateful person could be a waste of one’s time and efforts.
103
Help done expecting no return, if weighed, will be vaster than the sea.
105
Help rendered is not in terms of the return but its value depends on the receiver.
Forgetting and forgiving helps us to reduce our own stress levels.
108
It is not good to forget the benefit received; but it is good to forget then and there the injury done by another.
Self control is the real treasure. So is walking on the right path.
122
There is no greater wealth than self-control; treasure it as your wealth.
132
Strive hard to walk in the right path. One finds it one’s surest ally.
Loose talk, inane gossip and back-biting happen to be some of the tricks of making enemies and losing friends!
187
Those who alienate friends by back-biting may have forgotten the art of making friends through suavity of speech.
200
Speak profitable words; avoid nonsense.
Gems of General Wisdom
Renown
234
The wise are not favored by the gods; but the renowned on earth are adored by them.
Compassion
250
Oppress not the weak; remember your own fate in stronger hands.
Truth
298
Water cleanses the body; truth cleanses the soul.
True knowledge
352
Men of pure vision are led from darkness to light.
Will Power
595
The greatness of a person is proportionate to the strength of his will power.
Challenges
621
Laugh over your obstacles; nothing like it to push them further and further.
When it comes to cautioning leaders and managers against amorous advances within the confines of their place of work, Thirukkural is silent. However, it is interesting to note that in the Love section, it does deal with matters of romance, sex and lust. If there are observations from the view-point of the so-called sterner sex, we also find insights from the delicately nurtured amongst us. To that extent, the text may be held to demonstrate a decent level of gender parity. Chivalry is far from being dead!
Each ‘kural’ is complete in itself. It deserves to be meditated upon, one at a time, and imbibed in our day-to-day lives. One wonders at the keen observations of the poet, his sagacity and the effort he has taken to collate and compile this beautiful work, replete with words of wisdom which continue to be as relevant today as they were in the days of yore.
(Notes:
(Related Posts:
ashokbhatia 