Why Someone Undeserved Is Promoted | Management Story

Why Someone Undeserved Is Promoted | Management Story

By   22:34   No comments:

In the forest 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.

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 of the Story: 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.

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The Role Of A Manager In An Organisation

The Role Of A Manager In An Organisation

By   12:19   No comments:

A manager in an organisation is not  always a leader. Management and leadership are two different concepts, though often appear to overlap. Modern organisations tend to be complex and operate in a global business environment. Therefore, there is renewed focus on the importance of management and leadership and their distinctive roles in promoting and advancing the interests of the organisation. Hard competition and continuous pressures for change demand that managers and leaders work closely together for achieving business goals.

On the practical level, a manager is called upon to evince the quality of leadership and a leader the knack for managing difficult situations in their respective roles in any organisation. Pragmatically speaking, then, the distinction between a manager and leader is not problematic. “A manager is often portrayed as a procedural administrator/supervisor—an individual in an organisation with recognized formal authority who plans, coordinates and implements the existing directions of the organisation (Koontz et al, 1986).”

A leader, on the other hand, is defined as someone who occupies a position of influence within a group that “extends beyond supervisory responsibility and formal authority” (Vecchio et al. 1994: 504) and is involved in devising new directions and leading followers “to attain group, organisational and societal goals” (Avery 1990: 453). This distinction between the supervisory manager and visionary leader has to be understood in terms of their respective tasks and functions. Dunsford, a management guru, believes that management is concerned with ‘efficiency’—with tasks such as coordinating resources and implementing policy, while leadership has to concern itself with ‘effectiveness’ of making decisions, setting directions and principles, formulating issues and grappling with problems. 

Katz (1974: 90-102), however, has identified three critical managerial skills and the last two happen to be attributes of competent leadership. These are: technical skills (the ability to perform particular tasks or activities); interpersonal skills (the ability to work well with other people); and conceptual skills (the ability to see the ‘big picture’). Modern leadership theory supports an integrated approach to management and leadership.

Early work on leadership identified the various styles of leadership based on personal traits and behaviour of an effective leader, such as drive, desire to lead, decisiveness, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, intelligence, job relevant knowledge (Kirkpatrick and Locke 1991: 48-60). The behaviourist models focused on the relationship between a leader’s actions and their impact on the attitudes and performance of employees.

These studies compared various styles of leadership, such as authoritarian and democratic styles. They studied if an effective leader was more prone to efficient accomplishment of a task rather than being inclined to the welfare of employees and subordinates. The ideal style, as proposed by Stogdill in 1974, combined the best of both approaches. In later work we find considerations of leadership theory as part of a wider approach to modern management.

The traditional distinctions between a manager and leader is disappearing. Modern business operates in the midst of uncertainties as the current global slowdown and enveloping financial crisis show. Accordingly, the role of a manager demands flexibility, dynamism, management skills as well as leadership quality.

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10 tips to make a great first impression

10 tips to make a great first impression

By   11:47   No comments:

It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.

Having a memorable, high quality Business Card or MiniCard is a great first step – but once you've handed it over, and arranged a meeting, there are lots more ways you can make sure people remember you.

With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person's impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follows.

So, whether they are in your career or social life, it's important to know how to create a good first impression.

Here are some useful tips to help you do this.

Make eye contact

This one is pretty straightforward – read any book about body language and the first thing you’ll learn is that making eye contact allows people to trust you. If you don't, you'll look shifty and like you have something to hide. And who'd do business with that person? (Don't stare deep into their eyes though – that's just weird!)

Looks do matter

If someone turned up to a meeting with you with messy hair or crumpled clothes, you’d notice – and you wouldn't be impressed. So if you're on your way to meet a potential client or employer, make sure you look smart and professional. There's no need to go overboard – just dress like you mean business!

Listen to them carefully

If you're a bit nervous, it's very easy to forget to listen to what your new contact is actually saying. But if you make a concerted effort to really listen, you'll reap the benefits during the meeting – repeat back what they say, ask related questions, and they'll realise you're someone who values their opinion.

Say their name

Don't go overboard on this one, or things could get a bit creepy! But done properly, this is a clever little trick, which reinforces the point above – that you're listening. "John, I absolutely agree with you about that" is a friendly way to let them know that you're engaged, and present in a conversation with them and nobody else. And who doesn't like that in a new colleague?

Timing is everything

Obvious, isn't it? But you'd be surprised how many people think nothing of arriving a few minutes late, assuming that, like their mates, a new contact won't mind waiting. They will mind – and they'll leave with the impression that you're unreliable. So plan ahead – and arrive with time to spare.

Careful with the jokes

Humour is a fantastic ice-breaker, but be very sparing with it. It's all too easy to go just a bit too far and make a new acquaintance feel uncomfortable. If in doubt, tone it down – you can always joke around when you know them a bit better, but if you accidentally offend them, that's the first impression they’ll walk away with.

Be Original

It's all too easy to slip from being yourself to "professional mode" – but people can tell the difference. They want to meet you, and do business with you, rather than your idea of who they want you to be. So relax and be yourself, and subconsciously, this will help them to relax too. If you're feeling tense, take a few deep breaths – it always helps.

You're pretty when you smile!

Don't go overboard – nothing makes someone more uncomfortable than a grinning stranger. But make sure you smile on first contact and keep your face relaxed and friendly, especially if you know you have a tendency to look severe. Just imagine yourself as the new kid at school – you'd always remember fondly the first person who smiled and invited you to play.

What's your body saying?

It's not just your face that speaks volumes; it's your entire body. Posture, whether your arms are folded or open, even the firmness of your handshake will give the person you're meeting ideas about what they think you're like – and that's before you even open your mouth. Do some research on body language to find out what to avoid and you'll feel what a difference it makes.

It's not all about you

Well, not this time anyway! The point is, make sure you don't talk too much about yourself, and allow them instead to tell you about themselves. If you're the interviewee, then obviously the rules are a little different, but even so, people respond well to questions about their business and their plans, and you'll find they prefer doing business with someone who is genuinely interested in their ideas.

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Why Managers and Executives Take Time And Effort

Why Managers and Executives Take Time And Effort

By   10:09   No comments:

Some managers / executives are just plain awful people. They may have no admire for some individuals neither of them does the catering company admire their qualified ecosystem and the organization they work with.

These executives are unpleasant along with beliefs wicked therefore, it doesn't admire by themselves. Although most of these executives are quite few, chances are you'll work with a director in this way.

Should this be the case, you can find virtually nothing that can be done about this. Admit the fact that this can be the circumstances making selection to live or get away from.

On the hand, most challenging executives have no idea of the fact that these are challenging. They really imagine these are beneficial executives setting up cases of control. Understanding why and how your director moved off track will let you pick the right strategy for handling your pet.

Here Are 6 Reasons Why Managers and Executives Take Time And Effort:

Micro management

Some executives are actually uncomfortable by someone's inadequate operation prior to now and they are determined not to allow this take place all over again. Because of this, they take part in everything and selection that can take spot in the market model typically baffling final results with pursuits. It is skype compounded in the event the manager's manager can expect your pet to target control the day to day activities of the small business model. Target coping with results in worthless a serious amounts of top priority management techniques and finally disconnects the manager from subordinates.

In over their heads

Many challenging executives are actually marketed recommended to their present position because of their complex expertise, their beneficial work track record, their determination to work more several hours or their warm and friendly not harmful romantic relationship with their manager. Crucial management techniques including corporate expertise, control expertise and making decisions expertise get a minimum of factor, contributing to an worthless at moments a troublesome director.

Management by numbers

Too quite a few executives are actually trained to control by amounts. These are securely dedicated to informing this control them instead of make the effort to regulate this. These executives make all judgements just good amounts regardless of the guarantee damage function. People are use-and-throw stability published items which are expected to discover the employment carried out while in the before determined economic factors.

Bad manager advisor syndrome

Most challenging executives find out on the feet of the master and however were marketed recommended to their present position from the master. Mentored by awful cases, they in return mimicked the identical bahaviours. The actual has educated them the art of target management, management by amounts and the acquire no captive tactic also rudely frank and communicating as a result of subordinates.

Overworked

Difficult executives all have the first thing in keeping these are fire competitors. Nearly they target control these are in the dense of countless battles leaving a minimum of a chance to be aggressive and get the job done. This really is unfortunate for a challenging director since ersus/he actually starts to continue to work hard not smart, they push more complicated with their website visitors to get the job done and turn into intolerant to flaws. These are worthless simply because they're in poor health geared up to handle the stresses that today's online business offerings take triggering their lack of control and analytic expertise to be evident. There is little or almost no time for qualified progress as coaching might be described as indication of individual weak spot or perhaps a high-class which the director or subordinates cannot afford or not one of them.

Poor communicators

In the world of information technology quite a few management think obligated to extend interaction KFZ-Versicherung by means of the utilization of email, internet and black color berry's. Tricky executives tend to over begin using these procedures by delivering off of e-mail to address troubles which should be resolved one on one or, at least on the phone. To handle the issue even more, some have reverted to completing operation evaluations by means of email in order to cut down time constraints which have been caused by being overworked. The better connected a difficult director grows to the content interstate the better disconnected and confused end up being the subordinates.

Selective feedback

Many challenging executives encompass by themselves with "certainly" people. Those who explain they're doing very well when their operation is horrible. Considering they are prone to encompass by themselves with normal folks that personify their habits, these people are not aware of their operation is a lot less than acceptable. They deliberately or unexpectedly jampacked off of open and straightforward suggestions and consider they're doing a superb employment since, no-one has said excitedly in different ways.

Strategies For Coping With A Difficult Administrator:

You won't be able to control something that you won't be able to manage. The majority of us have attemptedto control our individual relationship's and we find that individuals are more serious off of compared to once we began. If you're able to manage one thing then, you can handle it. Tricky executives are very similar. They won't be monitored given that they should not be operated. We can easily manage but, not manage a difficult director.

Down the line, we need to understand one point very clearly, We can’t successfully allocate our time if we do not know how long each of our allocated tasks will take. This is how we end up missing deadlines, being late for meetings and taking on more than we have time to do.

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Why Do We Need Managers ?

Why Do We Need Managers ?

By   20:49   No comments:

A great boss can change your life, inspiring you to new heights both professionally and personally, and energizing you and your team to together overcome new challenges bigger than any one of you could tackle alone.

If you’ve had the opportunity to work with a manager like this, count yourself lucky. Such a manager can make a job a lot more enjoyable and productive. However, even managers who don’t live up to such lofty ideals and expectations are important to organizations.

A good manager is now by definition a leader. Equally, a good leader will also be a manager. But how do you become such a leader? Read more on my previous post on  the Differences And Similarities Of Leadership And Management and How To Become A Good Leader.

Well, here are the top three reasons, why Managers are Important.

The first reason managers are important is that organizations need their managerial skills and abilities more than ever in these uncertain, complex, and chaotic times. As organizations deal with today’s challenges, the worldwide economic climate, changing technology, ever-increasing globalization, and so forth, managers play an important role in identifying critical issues and crafting responses.

Managers skills and abilities was crucial in guiding the organization through many challenging times.

Another reason managers are important to organizations is that they’re critical to getting
things done. A Managers job is to ensure that all the employees are getting their jobs done so the organization can do what it’s in business to do. If work isn’t getting done or isn’t getting done as it should be, Managers also the one who must find out why and get things back on track.

Finally, managers do matter to organizations! How do we know that? The Gallup Organization, which has polled millions of employees and tens of thousands of managers,
has found that the single most important variable in employee productivity and loyalty isn’t pay or benefits or workplace environment; it’s the quality of the relationship between employees and their direct supervisors.

In addition, global consulting firm Towers Watson found that the way a company manages and engages its people can significantly affect its financial performance. Also, a recent study of organizational performance found that managerial ability was important in creating organizational value.

What can we conclude from such reports? That managers are important and they do matter!

Leaders are not born, but developed. But, what exactly Leadership is? Read more on my other post on How To Develop Leadership Skills.

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Success Of A Project Starts With Prudence

Success Of A Project Starts With Prudence

By   19:44   No comments:

Whatever you undertake, act with prudence and consider the consequences. —Anon

No matter how comfortable a schedule looks at the beginning of an iteration, you can’t avoid being under pressure some of the time. If you find yourself having to choose between “doing it right” and “doing it quick,” it is often appealing to “do it quick” with the understanding that you’ll come back and fix it later. When you make this promise to yourself, your team, and your customer, you mean it. But all too often, the next iteration brings new problems and you become focused on them. 

This sort of deferred work is known as technical debt, and it is not your friend. Specifically, Martin Fowler calls this deliberate technical debt in his taxonomy of technical debt,* and it should not be confused with inadvertent technical debt.

Technical debt is like a loan: you benefit from it in the short term, but you have to pay interest on it until it is fully paid off. Shortcuts in the code make it harder to add features or refactor your code. They are breeding grounds for defects and brittle test cases. The longer you leave it, the worse it gets. By the time you get around to undertaking the original fix, there may be a whole stack of not-quite-right design choices layered on top of the original problem, making the code much harder to refactor and correct. In fact, it is often only when things have got so bad that you must fix the original problem, that you actually do go back to fix it. And by then, it is often so hard to fix that you really can’t afford the time or the risk.

There are times when you must incur technical debt to meet a deadline or implement a thin slice of a feature. Try not to be in this position, but if the situation absolutely demands it, then go ahead. But (and this is a big but) you must track technical debt and pay it back quickly, or things go rapidly downhill.

As soon as you make the decision to compromise, write a task card or log it in your issue tracking system to ensure that it does not get forgotten. If you schedule repayment of the debt in the next iteration, the cost will be minimal. Leaving the debt unpaid will accrue interest, and that interest should be tracked to make the cost visible. This will emphasize the effect on business value of the project’s technical debt and enables appropriate prioritization of the repayment. The choice of how to calculate and track the interest will depend on the particular project, but track it you must.

Pay off technical debt as soon as possible. It would be imprudent to do otherwise. Act with Prudence!

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