Management Lesson...

Management Story !

Story 1:

It’s a fine sunny day in the forest and a lion is sitting outside his cave, lying lazily in the sun. Along comes a fox, out on a walk.

Fox: “Do you know the time, because my watch is broken”

Lion: “Oh, I can easily fix the watch for you”

Fox: “Hmm… But it’s a very complicated mechanism, and your big claws will only destroy it even more”

Lion: “Oh no, give it to me, and it will be fixed”

Fox: “That’s ridiculous! Any fool knows that lazy lions with great claws cannot fix complicated watches”

Lion: “Sure they do, give it to me and it will be fixed”

The lion disappears into his cave, and after a while he comes back with the watch which is running perfectly. The fox is impressed, and the lion continues to lie lazily in the sun, looking very pleased with himself.

Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the lazy lion in the sun.

Wolf: “Can I come and watch TV tonight with you, because mine is broken”

Lion: “Oh, I can easily fix your TV for you”

Wolf: “You don’t expect me to believe such rubbish, do you? There is no way that a lazy lion with big claws can fix a complicated TV”

Lion: “No problem. Do you want to try it?”

The lion goes into his cave, and after a while comes back with a perfectly fixed TV. The wolf goes away happily and amazed.

Scene: Inside the lion’s cave. In one corner are half a dozen small and intelligent looking rabbits who are busily doing very complicated work with very detailed instruments. In the other corner lies a huge lion looking very pleased with himself.

Moral:

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY A MANAGER IS FAMOUS; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES.

Management Lesson

In the context of the working world:

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY SOMEONE UNDESERVED IS PROMOTED; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES.

Story 2:

It’s a fine sunny day in the forest and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk.

Fox: “What are you working on?”
Rabbit: “My thesis.”

Fox: “Hmm… What is it about?”
Rabbit: “Oh, I’m writing about how rabbits eat foxes.”

Fox: “That’s ridiculous ! Any fool knows that rabbits don’t eat foxes!”
Rabbit: “Come with me and I’ll show you!”

They both disappear into the rabbit’s burrow. After few minutes, gnawing on a fox bone, the rabbit returns to his typewriter and resumes typing.

Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit.

Wolf: “What’s that you are writing?”
Rabbit: “I’m doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves.”

Wolf: “you don’t expect to get such rubbish published, do you?”

Rabbit: “No problem. Do you want to see why?”

The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing.

Finally a bear comes along and asks, “What are you doing?

Rabbit: “I’m doing a thesis on how rabbits eat bears.”

Bear: “Well that’s absurd ! ”

Rabbit: “Come into my home and I’ll show you”

Scene: As they enter the burrow, the rabbit introduces the bear to the lion.

Moral:

IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW SILLY YOUR THESIS TOPIC IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHOM YOU HAVE AS A SUPERVISOR.

Management Lesson

In the context of the working world:

IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BAD YOUR PERFORMANCE IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER YOUR BOSS LIKES YOU OR NOT.

Truth about Failure...

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure...
It does mean you haven't succeeded yet

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing...
It does mean you have learned something

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool...
It does mean you had a lot of faith

Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced...
It does mean you were willing to try

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it...
It does mean you have to do something in a different way



Failure doesn't mean you are inferior...
It does mean you are not perfect

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life...
It does mean you've got a reason to start afresh

Failure doesn't mean you should give up...
It does mean you should try harder

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it...
It does mean it will take a little longer

Adversity...

If you are going through a tough phase in your life, it is time to brace up to one fact. You and only you can make your fortunes turn. Is there any successful person who has not had to face adversity? Ask them how they handled it, and you will get one answer- resilence.

Here is a story……great food for thought!

“Put three pots of water on a fire. In the first pot put some carrots. In the second pot, put some eggs. In the third pot, put some ground coffee beans. Boil all the pots for 15 minutes.

The carrots went in hard, they are now soft. The eggs went in soft inside. They are now hard inside. The coffee beans have imparted the water with colour and a wonderful smell.

The problems of life are like the boiling water! What happens to us when we face difficulties in our life? We can be like carrots. We go in tough and strong, we come out soft and weak. We get tired. We lose hope. There is no more fighting spirit left in us.

We can be like eggs. We start with a soft and sensitive heart, expecting to do good and get good. We end up hard and unfeeling inside. We hate others, we become embittered. We don’t like ourselves anymore.

We can be like coffee beans. The water does not change the coffee beans, the coffee beans change the water. See it! Smell it! Taste it! The hotter the water, the better the taste. We can adapt. We can learn from the problems we face, garner new knowledge, get new skills…. We can grow in experience. We can make the world around us better!

How do you handle Adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

It is important to understand that success is, among other things, a function of your ability to respond effectively to adversities. Remember, all setbacks are temporary and every failure is a lesson. Do not lose sight of your goals. Review your approach to handle the current situation and just keep doing things you need to do. When the going is really tough, it is all the more important to take care of yourself. Eat right, read inspirational material, listen to motivational songs. Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who have a positive outlook. Negative people can de-motivate you…disassociate from them if you can.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest only patience, perseverance and tenacity can help you get on top of the situation.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

There are examples galore of leaders and their leadership styles- Political leaders, captains of industry, social activists, religious leaders….. Every leader you think of is unique in his calling, his vision and his style of functioning. Yet, there are certain attributes that are common to all leaders.

Trying to unravel a ‘leaders’ personality, I came down to my own simple 3C formula, or the three dimensions of personality that make a leader.

He must have a Cause
# Faith in his vision, mission or purpose
# The ability to articulate the vision
# The passion to realize the vision

He must have Competence
# Skill for achieving the purpose
# Complete self confidence
# Clarity of thinking and planning

He must have Charisma
# Capability to inspire and motivate
# Capability of being a change agent
# Live by values, lead by example

The clear and passionate articulation of the cause builds conviction of people in the mission.
The proof of competence builds respect for the person leading the mission.
The power of charisma builds a strong appeal for being part of the mission.

When there is a conviction in the mission and respect and appeal for a person, a following starts, and when there is a following, a leader is born. A leader does not set out to be one, but becomes one by the fervent dedication to his intent, the calibre of his actions and the integrity of his conduct.

“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.”

Continual innovations in technology have ensured that the environment around us changes very fast- ways of doing business, means of communication, lifestyle trends, people’s expectations- and hence, opportunities and threats are continuously changing. Considering this, remaining on top of the knowledge curve in ones chosen vocation is of paramount importance.

Here is a story.

A boy, particularly good at chopping trees, went looking for work, axe on his shoulder. Chancing upon a logging site, he asked the supervisor if there was any work available.

“Well”, said the supervisor, “Chop down that tree, and we shall see.”

The boy completed his task with dexterity and was immediately hired. It was Monday.

At the end of the week, the supervisor called him and told him his services were no longer needed.

The boy was shocked! “I am your most productive worker. You can’t sack me.”

“Well, you were the most productive worker on Monday, but by Thursday you had sunk to the least productive. And you’re doing even less well today.”

“But, I spend all my time chopping down your trees. I start early and finish last. I work through lunch.”

“I agree”, replied the supervisor, “but how much time do you spend sharpening your axe?”

Just the awareness of change and the intent to adapt are not enough for consistent success. In order to adopt new strategies and be more creative, you must keep your mind tools sharpened at all times.

How do you keep your mind tools sharpened? Just three simple tasks!
# Listen: Keep your ears to the ground. Understand feedback objectively .
# Read: Keep abreast of new theories, new laws, new research and new ideas, both specific (to your vocation) and general. The more you read, the more things you will know. There is a saying that goes, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."
# Write: Capture in writing the insights you have gained through your experience, feedback and your reading. Writing clarifies your thoughts and ideas. It also helps you analyse your learning needs.

At all times, do not lose sight of your goals. Learning can be said to have occured only when you put to use the new insights gained in following your goals. Hence, you must take the time to reflect and fit new knowledge with your strategies so as to enhance achievement.

Remember, mental faculties must always be “Work In Progress”. Being proactive is the only way to stay on top of change, or, in this fast-changing environment, we will quickly be extinct.