Recently read an article by Seth Godin in Fast Company.
Here, he says "In the face of change, the competent are helpless."
To say that I was confused would be an understatement. Wasn't winning and being the market leader all about building competence? Wasn't core competency the most important edge a company could have?
On the face of it, it starts making sense after pondering for a while. Competence after all is a person's ability to be quite good at doing a particular job. And since he is good at doing it in its current form, he is resistant to any change with it.
This 'sense' is shortlived, though. Because the understanding of the word 'competence' is incomplete. Looks like even Mr. Godin got it wrong.
Competence, as defined by Wikipedia here, means it is about skills and abilities and knowledges. In other words, competence is not knowing just one successful formula and applying it everywhere. It is actually about knowing a full range of formulae and also knowing which one to apply in what situation.
Given that, a competent person might embrace change, not resist it, because he is constantly looking at better ways to do it.
In that sense, change = better competence!!!
Jun 2, 2006
May 28, 2006
Swimming Pool vs. Well
I was watching a 'satsang' on TV today, that made me think about this.
The person gave this beautiful example about swimming pools and wells to substantiate his points. While the original point is ignoreable, this analogy isn't. He explained that with a swimming pool, we need to put in the water, whereas in case of a well, all we have to do is remove the dirt, and the gravel in there. Ground water automatically finds its way into that well.
What got me thinking about this was that this is the case with life.
Come to think of it, we expect the world to be treating us as a swimming pool, giving us what we want. Shouldn't we be more like a well, finding our own sources of what we need (ok ok... also of what we 'want')?
Of course, it's tough. Because we would have to start with doing the dirty job of cleaning up. But I guess it's worth it!!!
The person gave this beautiful example about swimming pools and wells to substantiate his points. While the original point is ignoreable, this analogy isn't. He explained that with a swimming pool, we need to put in the water, whereas in case of a well, all we have to do is remove the dirt, and the gravel in there. Ground water automatically finds its way into that well.
What got me thinking about this was that this is the case with life.
Come to think of it, we expect the world to be treating us as a swimming pool, giving us what we want. Shouldn't we be more like a well, finding our own sources of what we need (ok ok... also of what we 'want')?
Of course, it's tough. Because we would have to start with doing the dirty job of cleaning up. But I guess it's worth it!!!
May 6, 2006
What is Management?
No, I do not want to talk about the definition of management here.
What I want to talk about is the art of people management. Not an original idea though, but I have been lucky enough to experience this early in my career and realise its importance.
Read umpteen books on management and each of them would give a different funda on the topic. Each would look at one aspect of the whole practice and try to philosophise on it.
The practice, no doubt, is an art. But I have realised that most of people management does not involve getting things done. It involves removing obstacles in the path of things being done.
Let's look at it in more detail.
I am a strong believer in Theory Y, which says that given an opportunity people want to work, and that they get personal satisfaction in accomplishing the tasks given to them.
Given this, it is natural that left to themselves, things will get done. What, then, is the role of a manager? His / her role is to make sure that the doer faces as less problems as possible, while carrying out the task assigned to him. Because a self-motivated employee would go to his senior only when he is unable to do the task himself. He is not looking at avoiding the work. He is looking at finishing it in the best possible manner.
In such a case, all a manager needs to do is to help the employee solve the problem, and then, get himself off the scene. Once the problem is solved, the manager is no longer required, and his presence may possibly even lead to inefficient working of the employee.
So that's management as I see it - remove obstacles from your employees' ways, not get yourself in their way ahead.
What I want to talk about is the art of people management. Not an original idea though, but I have been lucky enough to experience this early in my career and realise its importance.
Read umpteen books on management and each of them would give a different funda on the topic. Each would look at one aspect of the whole practice and try to philosophise on it.
The practice, no doubt, is an art. But I have realised that most of people management does not involve getting things done. It involves removing obstacles in the path of things being done.
Let's look at it in more detail.
I am a strong believer in Theory Y, which says that given an opportunity people want to work, and that they get personal satisfaction in accomplishing the tasks given to them.
Given this, it is natural that left to themselves, things will get done. What, then, is the role of a manager? His / her role is to make sure that the doer faces as less problems as possible, while carrying out the task assigned to him. Because a self-motivated employee would go to his senior only when he is unable to do the task himself. He is not looking at avoiding the work. He is looking at finishing it in the best possible manner.
In such a case, all a manager needs to do is to help the employee solve the problem, and then, get himself off the scene. Once the problem is solved, the manager is no longer required, and his presence may possibly even lead to inefficient working of the employee.
So that's management as I see it - remove obstacles from your employees' ways, not get yourself in their way ahead.
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