Business and Management Blogs

Better Late Than Never

posted Jul 15, 2011 4:46 AM by Muhammad Kamran Azeem

Hello viewers,

Before I proceed to the intended topics which have become favourite of mine, let me be introduced to you precisely and concisely…..

A belated introduction with a sleepy Author:

It hardly happens ever that a person starts his journey with loud snores followed by deep slumber. Unfortunately, this is what happened in this case, when I started my journey weeks back.

In fact, from today onwards, the articles through me would be motivational efforts due to an inspiration and light from my ideological Guru, Mr.Kamran Azeem who has gifted me not only the idea but also a web-space with a conviction that even a stone needs at least a beam of light to get itself recognized.

I do agree with him, though, his notion gives me a huge responsibility to prove myself, specially, ’WHAT type of stone am I and how much reshaping needs to be done’.

To be frank, I can assure you that I am already a nugget of something who has undergone metamorphosis at several phases of my life, particularly the professional career.

My perennial cravings to learn EVERYTHING (mis-)guided me through several zig-zag curves in academic life:  starting from cozy affair with Geography to hobnob with Economics, and then entering the most notorious area of science (Chemistry) and then exploring Business and Management. In my post-college life, the pattern repeated itself from Information Technology to Personnel Management, followed by Logistics to Administrative Management.

One must be surprised with the idea that when I boarded the plane of my career with so many apparent destinations, and an open ticket in hand, (highly unusual scenario), what makes me land on the grounds of Business Management leaving the other disciplines forever, though I had spent most of  my past with them ?!! The answer is simple : that “I was not the Pilot”.

Anyway, I realized the fact (though very late) that Business and Management have occupied a key place in the hierarchy of each industry and every profession.  Whether one belongs to Chemistry or economics, or even he or she is a politician (God forbid), they have to be a part of the Business or Management somewhere in its hierarchy.

What am I here for ? !!

Most Management Gurus agree that Management skills are usually God-gifted but these qualities can be enhanced (if traces exist) through proper training. I also agree with this mix of hypothesis and observation. But I would like to add into it something that is supported by Einstein’s ‘Theory of Perspiration’:

That is, we must not forget that sometimes, we see people occupying the upper ranks in hierarchy through practicing this theory, which postulates in metaphysics that:

‘Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration’.

(Please be aware that you will never find any theory with this name on Google or Bing etc.)

Again, I repeat, what am I here for ?

My attempt from today onwards is to share with you my experiences and create a network of people who can contribute their knowledge and skills to simplify the intricacies of the two metaphors: Business and Management.

I hope to receive a very noisy ‘outcry’ soon.

A Very Happy New Year

Management under Camouflage

posted Jul 15, 2011 4:45 AM by Muhammad Kamran Azeem

A Set of Self-Interests in Disguise

What we see as ‘Management’ today at our business places is nothing but a procedural set of personal self-interests in disguise.

Well, this self-interest could be and should be revered or deplored is just another issue into which I have none of my business. The thing that makes me interested is to watch and differentiate one manager from the other through behavior and policies to identify the intensity and direction of the self-interest that I am talking about.

Yes. I know you are perplexed to read this pessimistic idea of a ‘disguised management’. It surely creates a negative impression of such an acclaimed discipline. This is the same as we disregard the value of ‘Aab-e-Hayaat’ (the elixir of live) instead of appreciating it. For a flourishing business, we must appreciate a good management the same way as we appreciate the elixir of life. But think of the possibilities if the drink is consumed by an imp instead of a pious saint !!!  The consequences obviously, would be disastrous.

Let me ask you the other way: What happens when the management goes into wrong hands? Off-course, your answer would be that a single wrong decision by higher management may bring down the business and even make the enterprise extinct.

Yes I do agree. But let’s keep it in mind that no manager would like to do that because in this case, not only other’s interests are at stake but his own personal earnings are lost (at least for several weeks, if not forever) !!

This means that mismanagement or poor management can be intentional only as long as it safeguards one’s own interests. Such mismanagements are short-termed and usually have roots in the personality traits. It has nothing to do with the management skills. However, the positive aspect is that it can be traced and corrected.

We should not confuse at this stage with exceptional cases such as  ’wrong decisions of good managers’, or the ‘good strategies of poor managers’……The result in this case has anomalies and almost anything can be predicted.

Contrary to it, let’s see another scenario wherein two or more managers come together to cooperate each other and safeguard their personal interests giving next or the last priority to the welfare of their enterprise. It crosses the boundaries of true professionalism and loyalty for the enterprise and therefore, can be one of the most dangerous scenarios.  Some of the major implications being:-

  1. Dissatisfaction among other employees (particularly, subordinates)
  2. Since the number of subordinates in a company is always greater than the number of managers, the extent of dissatisfaction is imaginable.
  3. The Higher Management (at the level of CEOs) is usually unaware of such designs and ‘disguised management’ giving it a chance to extend its roots further, deeper. This makes the losses permanent and perennial.
  4. The curve of customer dissatisfaction gains a non-uniform downward swing due to poor support and services by the disappointed employees.
  5. Competition finds its way in, and ultimately, the business share in the market segments start diminishing.

( to be continued )

The Kitchen of Strategies

posted Jul 15, 2011 4:44 AM by Muhammad Kamran Azeem

A Good Manager is a Visionary Strategist

Within a short span of five and a half years in Middle East, loafing around managers helping them drive their professionalism, I had to come across different types of managers and management, each with his own unique characteristics.

The most common of them were those who try their best to make their office a kitchen full of fermenting ideas borrowed from Google and elsewhere and expect their notebooks to cook all of them to reflect their creativity.  Occurrences were to the extent that I wondered, Oh God!!  How businesses would flourish in Middle-East in the absence of search engines?!!

Anyway, such ‘dishes’ usually remained half-cooked or over-baked due to lack of vision and optimum control over the business logistics. They failed to understand that preparing different types of recipe, needs different types of cooking range, skills, seasoning and dressings. Even though, appreciation can’t be guaranteed as it depends on several factors such as time, temperature, mood and taste of the people being served. This explains why I disagree to the long standing axiom that “a good manager is the one who can get his work done through any means”. I am sure that a visionary team leader would never do this mistake.

As clarified above, you cannot cook a certain type of dish by any means. You need to identify and use specific skill and resources for that. So, in the context of above verbal illustration I would prefer to redefine a good manager. That is, a good manager is a visionary strategist who knows:

  • What actually needs to be done?

(Defining the Problem)

  • What process is involved into it?

(Understanding of Procedures)

  • What is the optimum time required to start and finish?

(Time Constraints)

  • Who around him can be the best capable person for it?

(Understanding of the Right Person)

  • How to simplify the task in hand.

( Liaison, Delegating & Controlling abilities)

In other words, a good manager is a good professional and knows how to put a giraffe into refrigerator.  (Once I happened to see this funny grill which beautifully supports the idea that) while searching for winning strategies, we should start with the simplest solution in front of us rather than finding a complicated solution under complicated situation.

Hey, if you have any doubts, I can let you know, not only how to put a giraffe, but even an elephant in your refrigerator!!

Looking forward for your comments.

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