Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Monday, 27 April 2015
Teeny Weeny : Unshed Tears
Unshed tears linger on my lashes,
My heart bleeds,
You can see my smile,
But cannot understand my eyes.
I seem to have everything,
But for these I do not crave,
I need just a little bit understanding
a little bit of thought and care.
I know you care for me,
but it is not reaching me anymore
Maybe we are so close
That we have grown apart and more ....
__________________________________________________________________
Teeny-Weenies will spice up the monotony of the leadership posts . Hope you like them.
Looking forward to your comments.
My heart bleeds,
You can see my smile,
But cannot understand my eyes.
I seem to have everything,
But for these I do not crave,
I need just a little bit understanding
a little bit of thought and care.
I know you care for me,
but it is not reaching me anymore
Maybe we are so close
That we have grown apart and more ....
__________________________________________________________________
Teeny-Weenies will spice up the monotony of the leadership posts . Hope you like them.
Looking forward to your comments.
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Message from a Leader about Vision
My dear Team,
The new financial year has
set in.
There are a lot of things to do and several thresholds to
be surpassed.
If I look a year back,
I can see that the IT team has come a long way. We have set up the R&D
Team. We have implemented complex modules like Autojob Allocation,
Recruitment , Domain etc. We have initiated the Helpdesk team
and the application. We have set up the testing team. Recently we have
started performance testing of applications . We have achieved ISO 27001.
Our process are better that what it used to be. We have initiated
the Manesar revamp. We have started using tools like Mantis and SVN. We
have implemented the Timesheet system. Tracking of IT helpdesk
tickets of the Circles , training and the new appraisal system have
started working.
Yes, we have done a
lot.
But we have a LONG way to go .
I am writing this email
to all of you to make you understand what plans I have for this year and what I
want to achieve - with the co-operation and hard work of ALL of you. The
following are there in my wish list :
- Do It Right the first time : Before we start any task , think, analyse, ask questions, clarify and then do your job. Proper analysis, unit testing , performance testing will help us achieve Zero Defect Delivery.
- Measure , measure, measure : If we cannot measure anything, we cannot improve. I want the team to be managed using data, objectively. You will count the number of defects found in your code, no of outages , no. of times the application goes down, the number of bugs found in the production. These data should be on your fingertips. These numbers will be written in your appraisal form.
- Ownership : I want all of us to take complete ownership of our work. We have to take charge, initiative to figure out if things go wrong in those items.
- Analysis and Preventive action : We are generating a lot of data . Example defect data, performance data, helpdesk ticket data. These do not have any meaning if do not analyse them and come up with areas of improvements. We have to improve continuously. Taking small steps. And you are empowered to make these improvements. Only you can do it – since you are the ones who have to go thru the pains of waking up all night to rectify things, get rebuked for closing tickets and repairing networks, hardware etc. Small suggestions, ideas, trainings will go a long way in improvement in our quality as well as timeliness of our work.
- Faster & better : The times have changed. Everybody wants things to be done instantly. While we should take care that we do not deliver buggy code or fixes, we have to be sensitive to the fact that we have to turn around much faster than what we are currently doing. We might have to change some approach for this. Better collaboration, communication and good relationship between our team as well as other functions are crucial too.
We have to scale new heights.
There are a lot of expectations of the Senior Management from all of you.
We have to become bigger and global in our outlook. We need fresh,
innovative ideas, initiative , hardwork and sincerity and proactiveness from
all of you.
And believe me , I am
there to help you achieve these goals. Never hesitate to reach out to me
if you think the above vision is being sabotaged or you need support or have
some innovative ideas .
Looking forward to a fruitful
, successful, fulfilling and enjoyable year ahead.
Cheers !
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
One Question & The Real King
I am a great fan of Akbar-Birbal stories and I find great leadership lessons from these simple folk lores.
The following are two of my favourite stories. Enjoy .....
The Real King
The King of Iran had heard
that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East and desirous of meeting him
sent him an invitation to visit his country.
In due course, Birbal arrived in Iran.
When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated there.
All looked alike. All were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king?
The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.
"But how did you identify me?" the king asked, puzzled.
Birbal smiled and explained: "The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support."
Overjoyed, the king embraced Birbal and showered him with gifts.
In due course, Birbal arrived in Iran.
When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated there.
All looked alike. All were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king?
The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.
"But how did you identify me?" the king asked, puzzled.
Birbal smiled and explained: "The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support."
Overjoyed, the king embraced Birbal and showered him with gifts.
Leadership lesson : Open your eyes and spot the leader.
***
One Question
One Day a scholar came to the court of Emperor Akbar and challenged
Birbal to answer his questions and thus prove that he was as clever as people
said he was.
He asked Birbal: "Would you prefer to answer a hundred easy questions or just a single difficult one?"
Both the emperor and Birbal had had a difficult day and were impatient to leave.
"Ask me one difficult question," sad Birbal.
"Well, then, tell me," said the man, "which came first into the world, the chicken or the egg?"
"The chicken," replied Birbal.
"How do you know?" asked the scholar, a note of triumph in his voice.
"We had agreed you would ask only one question and you have already asked it" said Birbal and he and the emperor walked away leaving the scholar gaping.
He asked Birbal: "Would you prefer to answer a hundred easy questions or just a single difficult one?"
Both the emperor and Birbal had had a difficult day and were impatient to leave.
"Ask me one difficult question," sad Birbal.
"Well, then, tell me," said the man, "which came first into the world, the chicken or the egg?"
"The chicken," replied Birbal.
"How do you know?" asked the scholar, a note of triumph in his voice.
"We had agreed you would ask only one question and you have already asked it" said Birbal and he and the emperor walked away leaving the scholar gaping.
Leadership lesson : Tact and wit are important to win the game
***
Raja Birbal, was an advisor in the court of the Mughal EmperorAkbar. He is mostly known in the Indian subcontinent for the folk tales which focus on his wit. Birbal was appointed by Akbar as a poet and singer in around 1556–1562. He had a close association with the Emperor, being part of his group of courtiers called the navaratna or nine jewels. In 1586, Birbal led an army to crush an unrest in the north-west Indian subcontinent, which failed tragically when he was killed along with many troops, in an ambush by the rebel tribe.
By the end of Akbar's reign, local folk tales emerged involving his interactions with Akbar, portraying him as being extremely clever and witty. As the tales gained popularity in India, he became even more of a legendary figure across India and neighbouring countries surrounding it. These tales involve him outsmarting rival courtiers and sometimes even Akbar, using only his intelligence and cunning, often with giving witty and humorous responses and impressing Akbar. By the twentieth century onwards, plays, films and books based on these folk tales were made, some of these are in children's comics and school textbooks. [Source : Wikipedia]
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Trust me ...Trust them !
Anne was perplexed and confused.
She had joined Softmicro two months back. Softmicro was a big software solutions provider and it has offices all across the globe. Anne had joined the Technology team as a Senior Project Manager - five Project Managers reported to her and her total team size was about 250 people.
Anne's experience was in managing large enterprise project development , implementation and delivery. She was a part of the Quality Circle where she had implemented lots of innovative ideas in the organization. In her 18 years of work experience, she had well rounded knowledge about most of the aspects of corporate functions. She was a great team player and the most sought after Manager in her previous organizations.
After a year of sabbatical, she joined Softmicro with great zeal and renewed vigour. At the first meeting , Neena - her boss told her "Anne, beware of the people under you ... they are all work shirkers . Deal with them with a strict hand. They have a tendency to spin stories and waste time...".
Anne had tried to follow Neena's advise. But after a few weeks , her experienced eyes sensed something amiss. She could feel an atmosphere of "They vs. Us". Her direct reports did not open up with her. There was an important project delivery two weeks back , but her team missed the deadline. The risk of schedule variance was evident, but it was not brought to her not brought to her notice. Neena was upset. And so was Anne.
Her job was at stake.
A heavy layer of "distrust" pervaded in the air.....
Anne went to the cafe below and ordered a cup of Indian lassi . The sweet, frothy drink made from whisking yogurt and water , with a cube of ice on it seemed to soothe her senses.
She pulled out her mobile and called up her mentor - Bala.
Bala answered within two rings .
"Anne... ! I knew you would call me today..." Bala's nasal South Indian accent made Anne cheerful in a jiffy.
"Bala ! Ok ... If you are a clairvoyant, then tell me why I have called you up ..?" She egged him
"Well , well ... problems at work ... what else .... ha , ha... " Bala's trademark full throated laughter resounded on the phone.
After a minutes silence , Anne said "Bala ... need your guidance ... desperately.."
Anne narrated her story.
"Hmmm ... the same problem prevalent everywhere ... of trust... Anne, let us meet today, at 7 pm".
In the evening , Bala gave the following sermon to Anne.
Trust is an essential part in managing people
and building a high-performance organisation. It's the foundation upon which
all relationships are built. As in any relationship, trust is central to stable
and productive workplace relations and successful team building initiatives.
High trust environments correlate positively with high degree of employee
involvement, performance management, commitment and organizational success. If
trust is present in the workplace, the organization gets maximum effort and commitment,
and the employees receive security and know they are appreciated.
Trust is strongly linked to attributes such as caring for colleagues,
actively involving them in the company's vision, mentoring, role modeling and
inspirational motivation.
The more high tech, impersonal and sophisticated
organizations become, the greater the need for leaders who can build a culture
of trust in the organization.
Smaller organizations consistently rated higher on job satisfaction,
commitment, trust, loyalty and respect.
Creating smaller business units, flattening the management structure,
involving staff in decision making and opening up timely and transparent
channels of communication is central to creating trust in organizations.
"Anne, create trust ... else you will fail. The Triangle of Trust is the buzzword now "
The three sides of the triangle are these :
Self-Trust - Inner Trust
Self-trust is based on acceptance of yourself
and your own inner intuition and wisdom. It is that deep, intuitive sense or
gut feeling about something. If you follow your inner intuition, your
self-trust is high. Trust comes out of the
experience of pursuing what is true. What is true lies within each of us.
Self-trust is at the core of trusting others and being trustworthy.
"Anne, do you trust yourself ?"
Trustworthiness - Being Worthy of Trust
Usually when we think of trust, we think in
terms of trusting others. But how trustworthy are you in others eyes?
- Do you follow through on your promises?
- Do you act with integrity?
- Are you honest, caring and reliable?
- Do you have the competence or skills to carry out the task at hand?
- Do you fulfill others' expectations of you?
- You are worthy of others trust if you score high in these areas.
"Anne, how do you score on these questions ?"
Trusting others
Trusting others is based on expectations. It is like a bank where we deposit goodwill. We
typically trust someone if we know they will fulfill our expectations. We each
have a set of characteristics, known only to us, of someone who we deem worthy
of trust. Our degree of comfort with trust is also based on whether we see the
world as a friendly, safe place or a hostile, unsafe place. The more we see the
world as basically friendly and safe, the more open we will be to trusting
others. The reverse is true if we see the world as unsafe and unfriendly.
"Bala... I knew I could trust you to help me " Anne smiled.
"Any time, my dear lady ... and good luck with Trust .... "
Thursday, 12 March 2015
9 ways to eliminate Stress at Workplace
Nowadays all
of us are stressed. Either our organization is going thru a major restructuring
and we face uncertainty or we are doing so much of multitasking that we are
spread out very thinly. We are interrupted
and distracted and our mind wanders. We
are unable to concentrate and focus. All
these lead to too much stress at work. Everybody seems to be overtly busy with
no time for leisure or fun with family.
1. Do not React but Act
When we feel stressed, we should sit back and
see what are the conditions on which we have control upon and what are the ones
on which we don’t have control. Usually
it is 50-50. So , proactively we should
try to control the 50% on which we have control upon and Act on them
2. Breathe
This is an age old trick . Simply inhale for five seconds, hold
and exhale in equal counts through the nose. As soon as the oxygen increases in
the blood level, you feel better.
3. Create a To-do list and Focus
Most of us go through the day using a “push, push, push” approach,
thinking if we work the full eight to 10 hours, we’ll get more done. Instead,
productivity goes down, stress levels go up and we have very little energy left
over for our family. Creating a to-do list will help us focus.
Most of us are bombarded during the day - emails, phone calls, pop ins, instant
messages and sudden, urgent deadlines distracts us. . While we do not have control
over the interrupters, we can control our response. Either agree to be
interrupted or Accept the interruption, cut it off, or just disconnects or make
a plan for response. One of the way
which I employ is to set a timer of my email that the emails will be delivered at the interval of 30 minutes . I have time
boxed myself for checking emails at
particular intervals. I have also set a particular ring tone in my phone which
enables me to distinguish which calls to answer immediately and which I should
ignore and return the call later.
5. Identify Self-Imposed Stress
Learn to stop self imposing
stress by building your own self-confidence rather than seeking other’s
approval. If you’re too caught up in
others’ perceptions of you, which you can’t control, you become stressed out . Once you shift your focus from others’
perception of your work to the work itself, you’re more likely to impress them.
6. Prioritize, prioritize,
prioritize
It is important to define
what’s truly important and why. It’s
important to understand your role in the organization, the company’s strategic
priorities, and your personal goals and strengths. Cull your to-do list by
focusing on those projects that will have the most impact and are best aligned
with your goals.
7. Take short breaks, Eat Right And Sleep Well
When we not sleeping well, we
are not getting the rejuvenating effects.
According to the CDC, an estimated 60
million Americans do not get sufficient sleep, which is a critical recovery
period for the body. During work, try taking short breaks – preferably every
one hour . Get up from your seat and walk to get a cup of tea. Eat a low sugar
high protein diet . And sleep at least
6-8 hours a day. Try soft music, a nice story
book which will relax your mind.
8. Be positive and encourage
yourself
Internal negativity is bad. Instead of being harsh and critical of
yourself, try pumping yourself up. Encouraging
thoughts will help motivate you to achieve and ultimately train you to inspire
others.
9. Hobbies Help
Cultivate a new hobby. Learn a language. Practice Soduku. Enjoy Crosswords. Remember, work is important but not everything in life. Stress can eat into perfectly happy lives and we can go down the spiral, having a detrimental effect on our work as well as our personal lives.
So take stress by the horns and deal with it with strength and perseverance.
Cheers !
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Teeny Weeny : 24th February
Again it was the 24th of February.
Mellow rays of the sunlight flooded Aditi's small one bedroom apartment. The nip in the air, the fragrance of February filled up her senses. Her first class was at 10.30 am. ,
But it was the 24th of February.
Like every year, she had to be in the Physics laboratory by 7.30 am.
She opened her cupboard and opened a small card which had pink rose motifs . The ends were frayed now. The words written with blue ink had faded .
"Always smile like these roses ! " - A silent admirer. I will tell you how much I need you tomorrow - 24th February, at 7.30 am , Physics laboratory
25 years ago, same day , Aditi had smiled just like she was smiling now. She looked at herself before leaving for the college. She was still pretty and petite. The pink cotton sari suited her fair skin. She put on a light pink lip gloss and combed her short hair which had started graying near the temples. She pulled the off-white shawl around herself . She started to leave but as an afterthought she came back and put on a black bindi on her forehead. Yes, she looked nice , Aditi thought.
As she stepped inside the campus of Science College, her Alma Mater and now her work place, she saw young students laughing and talking in groups . Their face shone in the sunlight.
Aditi hurried towards the lab.
As she reached there, she saw her class mate and now her colleague Sagar standing near the lab door.
"Hmm... so... your annual rendezvous ... eh ... !" he winked.
Aditi blushed .
"Yes.... How stupid of me isn't it ? And more so because I had confided in you .... "
She looked searchingly at Sagar's eyes.
"Well ... see , I too make it a point to come on this date and time ... just to give you company ... " Sagar laughed.
They went inside the lab. It was still the same as it was 25 years back. They sat there and laughed and joked for about an hour.
"Aditi, My students are waiting ... I will leave now ... See you later ... "
Aditi looked up. She waited for him to say something.
Please .... please ....come on Sagar .... I have waited for 20 years .... My heart is parched ... I want to hear what you have not been able to tell me .... I know it is you ... don't you know that I know ?
"Ok... I too will leave .... "
"Until the next 24th Feb ? " Sagar winked
Yes. I will wait . Wait for you to tell me how much you need me .....
Aditi walked slowly out of the Physics laboratory towards class room no 404 .
Maybe next year .....
She adjusted her glasses and went inside to face her young students. ....
__________________________________________________________________
Teeny-Weenies will spice up the monotony of the leadership posts . Hope you like them. Looking forward to your comments.
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Leadership lessons from Eagles !
The Eagle, reflects the behaviour and traits of brilliant strategic leaders.
One
leadership lesson drawn from the eagle is that of vision. It is said that the
eagle soars or flies high when it is hunting. From the way of the eagle, the
leader can learn the need to have a high vantage point, giving vision to the
people.
Eagles
spend much of their time at a great height surveying the big picture but then
they spot something of interest and with their great eyesight are able to hone
in and look at the detail.
Based on this detail, they are very decisive and
swift to strike before stepping back again and looking at the big picture.
Eagles are also very protective of their young while encouraging independence
from an early age.
You
need to have a view of the big picture while being able to selectively drill
down and look at the detail. Brilliant leaders certainly need to be very
decisive and often, swift to act. The idea of encouraging the independence of
your staff based on effective coaching is also very positive leadership behavior.
From
the eagles, one can also learn about resilient or tough leadership.
Leaders
need to be tough and resort to positive thinking, changing the “I can’t” to “I
can!” and the “I’ll try to do” to “I’ll do it!”
When eagles are 30 years old,
they go through a process of renewal.
Finding a hidden place high in the
mountains, the old eagle with curved beak begins to claw at its face, and tear
out the old feathers that by now become less airborne. As a result, it bleeds
badly. But this is vital for the eagle in order to renew its strength. If the
eagle did not do this, it would not be able to live to its normal 40 years.
They allow self disruption to survive. and this builds the eagle’s resilience.
Let us all learn from the eagle and soar high !
Friday, 6 February 2015
To Be or Not To Be a Lenient Manager
I have often been blamed to be a lenient manager.
"Ananya, You are too lenient ! Your team is very independent. In the town hall meetings , they always raise some point or the other ... "
"Well ... "
"They take advantage of your liberal attitude. They always seem to be so happy and confident . They are hardly seen working late hours..... "
"But my teams have achieved the best performance awards !" I said
"See... that is why .... you have been too lenient in giving them good appraisal ratings . We are quite strict and do not mince words in the appraisal discussions."
In such conversations, I do not continue further.
But the fact is that , my teams always performed the best, always met their target and contributed well in the overall organizational growth. They were cohesive lots who fought and argued in the team meetings, but once they went out of the meeting, they always spoke the same thing . Sometimes they agreed to disagree.
They were a happy lot, really enjoying their work.
Everybody has their own leadership style.
There is no "Good" or "Bad" leadership style. The style has to meet the situation, the audience and the organization. I personally do not believe in typecasting a style as "lenient" or "strict".
The leader has to lead the team to success.
Any manager will tell you that his or her ideal staff is self-sufficient, conscientious, and trustworthy. With only the lightest supervision, they can essentially manage themselves. Sometimes, you will stumble upon employees like this by blind luck. More often, managers who are able to take a hands-off approach have invested a great deal of effort at the start of the employment relationship training, mentoring, and establishing clear performance and conduct guidelines.
It is almost like bringing up kids.
The manager has to trust the team and treat them like adults , capable of managing themselves. They should be taken towards being a "self-managed " team. This happens gradually, but the leader must constantly drive their team towards this goal.
Once the manager senses that the team can handle the freedom, only then, slowly and steadily the team becomes independent .
I have seen the team taking ownership and pride when they feel that they are the decision makers. It is not true that they do not put in extra effort, but fact is that there is so much of teamwork that the workload gets shared. I have observed my team members staying late nights to solve a problem in spite of my telling them to go home and complete the work next day.
As a general rule, it is a bad idea for supervisors to become overly friendly with their employees, but the leader has to know how to be empathetic and where to draw the line .
Even as you demonstrate genuine caring, you must preserve some professional distance. Otherwise, you will risk insubordination and the appearance of impropriety.
The leader should endeavor to set appropriate boundaries at the workplace so that s/he does not compromise on the capacity to be the boss when the needs be.
S/he should shift the focus from winning the love of the employees to managing a successful business. At the same time, the team should feel one with the manager, ready to take up challenges and achieve goals happily and efficiently. The leader should be capable of changing his style at the right time and at the right situation.
The feeling is really exhilarating and satisfying.
I feel that somehow, somewhere I have managed to touch their lives.
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Who is a leader ?
This is a poem which inspires me. Written by an Anonymous Poet.
A Leader
Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to meet every challenge with care
Easy in manner, yet solid at steel,
String in his faith, refreshingly real,
Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn’t conform to the usual mould,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight and means it all too,
Going forward and knowing he’s right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight
Over and over he makes his case clear,
Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear,
Growing in strength, he would not be unnerved,
Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease :
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.
Ready to meet every challenge with care
Easy in manner, yet solid at steel,
String in his faith, refreshingly real,
Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn’t conform to the usual mould,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight and means it all too,
Going forward and knowing he’s right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight
Over and over he makes his case clear,
Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear,
Growing in strength, he would not be unnerved,
Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease :
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.
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