Introduction
Just after a few classes and some very good interactions with people from different parts of the nation, a glance at the time table said “Principles of Organization and Management” by Dr T Prasad. The lectures on the first few days were enriching in their own unique way, so I was looking forward to the class. I was astonished and spell bound by the way Dr Mandi (I will call Dr T Prasad as Dr Mandi) started the session. An introduction which included a lot of significant achievements literally swept me off my feet.Mr Mandi had initiated Mandi and Hamara Dhandha which had always appealed me. I had seen few seniors participating heavily in such events and coming out with flying colours. With each passing minute my goals in life got stronger and they suddenly had a purpose.
“Socho ... Becho ... Becho .... Seekho ... Seekho ... Socho” sums up the ideology of every individual hoping to create a name for himself. Everyone is capable of creating ideas but only a few have the courage to implement them. Dr Mandi encouraged everyone not to be a part of the herd but to have one’s own identity. He dreams his students become millionaires and have thousands of people working for them.
“Aaj ki roti aaj hi kamayenge” instilled in me the desire to think about my future from the first day itself. The general idea of “kar lenge” has to be shunned. We have to become self reliant as soon as possible. Dr Mandi showed us how money can be made from simple toys but with a larger meaning. A simple game of tic-tac can be converted into a number puzzle and can be sold for a significant amount of money. A lot of other applications of physics and maths can also be a good source of learning for the children (consumers) and at the same time be a source of income for the producers.
Pink Floyd - Another brick in the wall
The age old tradition of molding students in a similar cast
is analogous to another brick in the wall. The out-of-touch education system is
bent on producing compliant cogs in the societal wheel. We need to come out of
the cocoon and create a name for our self. This mentality needs a turn around
and an initiative by Pink Floyd was beautifully shown in the session. The video
can be viewed at:
Are we doing enough to change all this?
A serious thought has to be put in on the education system
prevalent nowadays.
The video on Mandi showed the kind of effort put in by the
students and Dr Mandi. Mandi was covered by well known media houses of the
country.
It shows how money can be generated from innovative ideas and
good implementations
Tower Building Activity
The nuances of management were taught by Dr Mandi through a
tower building activity. Small wooden cubes were used to create a single stack
of as many cubes as possible. The risk taking ability of an individual was
tested through an open auction. The auction resulted in only three people ready
to pay money in case they fail to achieve the pre-defined target.
The 3 people selected were portraying the top management,
manager and the worker. The audience were equivalent to consumers and they too
had an important role to play.
Customers/consumers always expect producers to do well. They are always
with the producers and are more interested than the competitors.
The top management was also providing inputs time and again
on how to get the task done. The manager
made sure that the worker is always performing the task with perfection. He
motivated the worker and always pushed him to give his 100%. The worker was
tired and exhausted and at times also felt that the task at hand is too
difficult but gradually as the activity went along, the seemingly difficult
task of building 18 blocks seemed achievable. The audience provided the much
needed motivation and after the task was completed, even the audience felt that
the difficult task of 18 cubes in a single stack can be achieved by many which
seemed impossible in the start.
SMART
The whole idea was summarized through the concept of SMART
where Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely were perfectly
understood through the activity. One has to be very clear with the task to be
performed. Initially people were willing to build a stack of 30-35 blocks but
eventually when the hurdles were explained a lot of them were not willing to do
more than 20. The hurdles and uncertainties in the process of management was
pictured and everyone has to be prepared to face them with perfection. The
attainable figure of around 20 blocks seemed realistic to everyone as we moved
along. The timely execution of the activity is also very important.
We have to understand that the workers are very important
and need to be taken care of. The management has to ensure that the workers are
properly treated which would pave the way for a smoother process. During the
activity, the worker was exhausted and he was on edge for most of the later
part. But the support of the management as well as the consumers gave him the
desired mental support and the activity was successfully completed.
Theory X and Theory Y
In terms of Theory X and Theory Y, the manager was Theory Y
manager of situation 4. The worker liked his work and the manager also treated
the worker as not lazy.
According to me, situation 4 is the best. The worker should
enjoy his work and the manager should not find the worker lazy.
The dangerous situations would include where the manager
assumes the worker is lazy or the worker dislikes his work. Even when the
worker likes his work but the manager feels he is lazy the situation can be
very bad.
One should understand the basics of management. If you
cannot do it, it is not management.
Management includes the
participation of each and every individual. For instance, without the audience
the achievements of M S Dhoni, the Indian Cricket captain would look very
small. Audience is also a major part of any activity.
Summary
During my stint at TCS, there were a lot of instances during
which we had to provide the deadlines for the project and there were cases when
we had undermined the obstacles which could come in our way. We missed
deadlines and that bought a bad name for the company. This is where management
comes in. We need to weigh in all the possible cases and come up with a plan B
in case the desired outcome is not achieved. One has to fetch for himself.
There are no free lunches. The whole gist of the activity lies in the fact that
the equal participation of every individual is important for the goal to be
achieved.
No comments:
Post a Comment