Management Stories # 28 - What is Life for?

This post shall mark the end of the Management Stories topic - at least for this month's course of posts. So, a final, memorable story for all Managers to sit back and understand what is life all about, and what are we running after in life.

A corporate executive on holiday in a small Greek seacoast village was strolling by the docks and drinking in the local color. He complimented one fisherman on the quality of his catch.

“How long did it take you to get all those fish?” he wondered.

“Not very long,” answered the Greek. “An hour or two.”

“Then why didn’t you stay out longer to catch more?”

Shrugging, the Greek explained that his catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The executive asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a nap with my wife. In the evening, I go to the village to see my friends, dance a little, play the bouzouki, and sing songs. I have a full life.”

The executive said, “I have an MBA from a Premier university. I can help you. You should start by fishing longer every day. You’ll catch extra fish that you can sell. With the revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring you, you can buy a second boat and a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can ship fish to markets all around the world. In time, you can then move to New York City to direct your huge enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the Greek.

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the executive.

“And after that?”

“When your business gets really big, you can sell stock and make millions!” exclaimed the executive with zeal.

“Millions? Really? And after that?”

“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a small village near the coast, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, catch a few fish, take a nap with your wife, and spend your evenings singing, dancing, and playing the bouzouki with your friends.”

Trust this gives an idea of how to set your vision in life, and how to move forward to achieve it.

Management Stories # 27 - Lead a positive transformation

In 1982, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin were conducting a study of the adult-learning process.

They videotaped two bowling teams during several games.The members of each team then studied their efforts on video to improve their skills.

But the two videos had been edited differently.

One team received a video showing only its mistakes; the other team’s video, by contrast, showed only the good performances.

After studying the videos, both teams improved their game, but the team that studied its successes improved its score twice as much as the one that studied its mistakes.

Evidently, focusing on the errors can generate feelings of fatigue, blame, and resistance.

Emphasizing what works well and discussing how to get more out of those strengths taps into creativity, passion, and the desire to succeed.

This sets an outstanding example of how to lead a positive transformation.

Management Stories # 26 - Be careful when you pass comments

A balloonist, who was set to travel in a particular direction, realized that he was lost. He then decided to drop down to ask directions and found a young lady around.

“Excuse me, but I am a little off course” he shouted. “I promised to meet a friend an hour ago, I don’t know where I am.”

The woman hollered back: “You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are at exactly 40 degrees, 22 minutes, and 21 seconds North latitude and 70 degrees, 30 minutes, and 33 seconds West longitude.”

“Amazing,” the balloonist replied. “You must be an engineer!”

“I am,” she replied, “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I can’t use your information. Am still lost and you have not been much help at all. If anything, you have delayed my trip.”

The woman thought for a moment, then replied: “You must be in management.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”

“Well,” said the woman, “you do not know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to your position due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems.”

“In fact,” she said, “you are in exactly the same position you were before we met, but somehow it is now my fault.”

The balloonist felt so ashamed that he let off all the hot air, and left the balloon in the same place, and ran off home.

So the next time you pass comments on people below you, please bear in mind that you could actually be getting it back sometime soon. If any, pass comments as issue-based and do not make anything personal.

Issue-based firing is always tolerable, but certainly not individual-centric or bad personal comments. Learn to treat people with minimum respect and retain your own dignity.

Management Stories # 25 - Think out-of-the-box

Many a time, we are confounded with problems that seem to be having pretty easy, but too many, solutions. This would require going through multiple rounds of reviews and fixes to finally solve the issue - going through the same dreaded path every now and then. So how really do you ensure you don't have to tread the same route again?

Just one way - think "out-of-the-box", and come up with a solution. Here is a story to prove the point.

Assume you are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. It is raining heavily, you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:

• An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
• An old friend who once saved your life.
• The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be one passenger in your car - it is just a small two seater car?

Choices are:

• You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you
  should save her first.
• Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this
  would be the perfect chance to pay him back.
• However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

Guess what is the best solution - the "Out-of-the-box" model?

You can give the car keys to your Old friend and let him take the Old lady to the hospital. This would also ensure you would stay behind and wait for the bus with the perfect partner of your dreams.

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations.

Never forget to “Think Out Of the Box.”

Management Stories # 24 - Deal with Mistakes

Most of us face situations which are really frustrating, compelling and sometimes ripping our peace apart. The problem gets worse when someone of your team, who is very well trusted, makes a mistake (a genuine mistake) and that eventually screws up a lot more things just because of cascading effect.

The point to consider is: whether you forgive the mistake because of all the good work done so far by the trusted person, or is it agreeable to imagine that all good work is always there for granted, and the mistake should be severely punished? Tough question, and many of the Managers are stuck for an answer on this. Let us see a story on similar lines for a solution.

There is this popular story about a top salesman in the aircraft industry who messed up. He lost a $5 Million contract. At his desk the next morning he starts going through his papers – tidying them up, clearing his desk.

He gets a phone call from his manager: “Have you got 5 minutes? ”

“Sure” he mumbles and slowly makes his way up the stairs to his boss’ office.

As he enters the room he says: “Look, I know I got it wrong – am sorry – I have written my letter of resignation – here it is ” and puts it on the desk.

His manager looks at the letter, rips it in half, rips it in half again and puts it in the bin.

“You must be joking” she says smiling ” We have just spent $5 Million on your training – there is no way you are leaving until you have made that back for us.”

And the rest, as they say, is history. The guy worked even harder, was so glad for the opportunity, and landed up billions worth of contracts for the Organization.

To err is human, to forgive is divine. But yes, agreed that Managers cannot always be divine - but at least we can choose to be a human to understand that errors are common place in human life.

Am not preaching to turn a blind eye on all mistakes, but just learn to forgive and forget genuine mistakes committed by the trusted ones, who have already slogged in their life to always give you the best. That will help you push up the motivation levels even higher.

Understand that everyone is answerable to their own conscience, and it will certainly hurt the person directly, and they will do all they can in the world to ensure they compensate for the error.

Management Stories # 23 - Value of intellect

Charles Steinmetz was a German-American mathematician and electrical engineer. He fostered the development of alternating current that made possible the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States, formulating mathematical theories for engineers.

He made ground-breaking discoveries in the understanding of hysteresis that enabled engineers to design better electric motors for use in industry. Read more about him here.

Steinmetz was once called out of retirement by General Electric to help it locate a problem in an intricate system of complex machines.

Having spent some time tinkering with and testing various parts of the system, he finally placed a chalk-marked ‘X’ on a small component in one machine.

GE’s engineers promptly examined the component, and were amazed to find the defect in the precise location of Steinmetz’s mark.

Some time later, GE received an invoice from the wily engineer – for $10,000 (huge in those days).

Incredulous, they protested the bill and challenged him to itemize it.

Steinmetz gave this break-up:

Making one chalk mark : $ 1.00

Knowing where to place it: $ 9,999.00

Thats the power of great intellect and intelligence.. any value that you place on it or pay for it is still insufficient.

Realize and recognize the power of intellect in any one around you - it could just be a worker in the last level of your organization, but learn to spot intelligence not by the qualification but by the sheer power of brilliance and commitment. If you learn how to harness the potential of such people, you can be sure of succeeding in a big way.

Management Stories # 22 - Change is the teacher

Positive change requires letting go of old patterns and taking a fresh approach. It demands going beyond our preconceived notions.

A story about the relationship of a teacher and student illustrates this principle.

A student who thought he had it “all fgured out” would visit his teacher each day for personal lessons about life. Despite the teacher’s attempts to share her life experience, the student resisted.

One day the teacher took a different approach. The teacher asked the student if he would like some tea. The teacher proceeded to set the tea table and brought in a huge pot of piping hot tea.

She not only filled the student’s cup, but once the cup was full, she continued to pour. Tea overflowed, streaming onto the table and the beautiful carpet.

Shocked, the student jumped up from his chair and started screaming at the teacher.

“Stop! You must be crazy! You’re ruining everything! Can’t you see what you are doing?”

The teacher continued her pouring as if the student weren’t present until the entire pot was empty.

Only then did she look calmly at the student and respond, “If you want to receive my tea, you must keep your cup empty.”

Like a wise student, we can gain insight only if we are open to change.

Change is always our teacher, pointing new directions, suggesting new options, testing our potentialities.

Change challenges our current reality by forcing a new reality to rush in.

If we’re open to it, if our cup is empty, new possibilities flow into our lives. If we’re not open to change, we respond to it like an enemy we have to fend off.

Management Stories # 21 - Achieving Work Life Balance

For most of the current day Managers, Work is Life, and Life is just the Balance time available off work. This is reflected as "Work, Life Balance" and is certainly not what is meant by "Work-Life Balance".

Let us run through the popular methodology of Stephen Covey's Big Rocks which is used by many Management consultants as part of their training on Work-Life Balance.

Imagine a bucket. Put three or four big rocks in.

“Is the bucket full? ” asks the trainer.

“No” you reply.

“Of course not” says the trainer and put some smaller rocks in it to fill in the gaps.

“Full now?”.

“No”. The trainer puts in some sand, then some water. It’s full.

So, what’s the learning here?

It’s to do with the order.

What would happen if you’d reversed the order?

Put the water in first, then the sand, then the small rocks. There would be no room for the big rocks. These big rocks are the important things in your life.

You need to schedule them first, not try to squeeze them in after arranging the water (writing pointless reports), sand (unnecessary travel) or small rocks (staff meetings where no-one listens and everyone looks at the clock or to their own mobiles for sms / mails).

What are the big rocks in your life?

For many, it is things like family, time to watch the children grow up, time to write that novel, time for themselves, time to make a difference.

You decide. You identify 3 or 4 things you believe are important. The 3 or 4 things that will make a difference when you leave the world and move on - you will and must be remembered for whatever you have done for those 3 or 4 things.

Hope this piece of narrative is useful for many in understanding and achieving work-life balance.

Management Stories # 20 - Earn respect

As a Manager, it is important that you earn respect before you can command respect. You must also know that respect given is respect earned. Treat everyone fairly, to be sure that you are respected.

To behave as a human being first (before being a Manager) is another important thing to learn and practice.

A fable from the East tells of an emperor and a zen monk who came face to face for the first time. This establishes the point in question clearly, and the moral here is drawn partly from Mahabharata, where the vision of Yudishtra and Duryodhana are discussed on similar lines.

Back to the story..

The emperor ruled over a kingdom that practiced Buddhism and the monk was eager to meet with him, looking forward to sharing tales of enlightenment.

But when they met, the emperor decided to test the monk by saying to him: “When you look at me, what do you see?”

“I see a Buddha,” answered the monk. And what do you see when you look at me?”

“I see a pig!” countered the emperor. Waiting to see the monk’s reaction, he said no more.

The monk pondered for a moment, then said:

“A Buddha sees a Buddha; a pig sees a pig!”

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Now, is there any better way to learn how to earn respect?!

Here is something for the Poor Wives to cheer about..

Poor Wives - how they suffer ... !

As promised, here I fulfill the wish of poor wives - the way they want to take revenge on the really-so-difficult husbands, who are not understanding and painful to handle.

Here are the sayings of some women about their husbands and their married life.
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A Woman's Perfect Breakfast:

Imagine..

You're sitting at the breakfast table.....
Your son's picture is on the box of Wheaties.
Your daughter is on the cover of Fortune.
Your boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.
Your husband is on the back of the milk carton.
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Love may be blind, but marriage Is a real eye-opener!

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At the cocktail party, one woman said to another, "Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?"

The other replied, "Yes I am, I married the wrong man."
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Wife to Husband:

I must admit, you brought religion in my life.
I never believed in Hell until I met you.
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Eighty percent of married men cheat in America.

The rest cheat in Europe.
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When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

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Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.
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A little boy asked his mother, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?"

And the mother replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying."
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A husband and wife were shopping when the wife said, "Darling, it's my mother's birthday tomorrow. What shall we buy for her? She would like something electric."

The husband replied, "How about a chair?"
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Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage. He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn't have to hear about the way his mother cooked.

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Murphy's First Law for Wives: If you ask your husband to pick up five items at the store and then you add one more as an afterthought, he will forget two of the first five.
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Wife to a Friend: Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, a little wine, good food and companionship. He goes Tuesdays. I go Fridays

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A little boy went up to his mother and asked: "Mom, where did all of my intelligence come from?"

The mother replied, "Well son, you must have got it from your father, because I still have mine."
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A man was invited for dinner at a friend's house. Every time the host needed something, he preceded his request to his wife by calling her "My Love", "Darling", "Sweetheart", etc., etc.

His friend looked at him and said, "That's really nice after all of these years you've been married to keep saying those little pet names."

The host said, "Well, honestly, I've forgotten her name.
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After a quarrel, a husband said to his wife, "You know, I was a fool when I married you."

She replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice."
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A lady inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Husband wanted".

Next day she received a hundred letters.

They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."
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When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife is.

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A couple walking in the park noticed a young man and woman sitting on a bench, passionately kissing.

"Why don't you do that?" said the wife.

"Honey," replied her husband, "I don't even know that woman!
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Son: "Mom, do all fairy tales begin with 'Once upon a time' and 'long ago'?"

Mom: "No dear, sometimes they begin with 'honey, I was delayed at the office...'
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"And you tell me several men proposed marriage to you," said the husband.

"Yes, several," the wife replied.

"Well I wish you had married the first fool who proposed."

"I did!"

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A long married couple came upon a wishing well.

The wife leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny.

The husband decided to make a wish too. But he leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned.

The wife was stunned for a moment but then smiled, "It really works!"
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Seven Ages of the Married Cold

1st year -- The husband says, "Oh, sweetie pie, I'm really worried about those nasty sniffles you have! There's no telling what that could turn into with all the strep that's been going around. I'm going to take you right down to the hospital and have you admitted for a couple days of rest. I know the food is lousy there, so I'm going to bring you some takeout from China Garden. I've already arranged it with the head nurse."

2nd year -- "Listen, honey, I don't like the sound of that cough. I called the doc and he's going to stop by here and take a look at you. Why don't you just go on to bed and get the rest you need?"

3rd year -- "Maybe you better go lie down, darling. When you feel lousy you need the rest. I'll bring you something--do we have any canned soup around here?"

4th year -- "No sense wearing yourself out when you're under the weather. When you finish those dishes and the kids' baths and get them to bed, you ought to go to bed yourself!"

5th year -- "Why don't you take a couple aspirin?"

6th year -- "You ought to go gargle or something, instead of sitting around barking like a dog!"

7th year -- "For Pete's sake, stop sneezing. Are you trying to give me pneumonia? You'd better pick up some tissues while you're at the store."

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Get a new car for your spouse. It'll be a great trade!

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The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. (unknown to any)

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Why are men like lawn mowers?

If you’re not pushing one around, then you’re riding it.

How is an ex-husband like an inflamed appendix?
It caused you a lot of pain, and after it was removed you found out you didn’t need it anyway.

How do we know men invented maps?
Who else would make an inch into a mile?

What is the difference between men and women?
A woman wants one man to satisfy her every need……..
A man wants every woman to satisfy his one need

Where do you have to go to find a man who is truly into commitment?
A mental hospital
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Why do men chase women they have no intention of marrying?

For the same reason dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.
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And now for the grand finale... here are a few short, cute poems from a wife to a loving husband.

I see your face, when I am dreaming.
That's why I always, wake up screaming.

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything that you're not.

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet,and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.

I want to feel your sweet embrace;
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes --
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "Go to hell."
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Management Stories # 19 - Evaluate your employee properly

In 2005-06, the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets were looking for a talented player to add to their roster.

The usual scouting reports and analyses delivered a list of names. Some of them were unavailable or too expensive, and others did not seem like the right fit for the team.

Then, using advanced analytics capabilities, the Rockets’ general manager identified a player named Shane Battier as the one the team most needed. (You can visit http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shane_battier/ for more details on him)

Not everyone was convinced.

By most conventional measures—points scored, rebounds, blocked shots—Battier was simply an average player. But Houston’s analysis went one step further.

The organization was able to measure how other team members performed whenever Battier was on the court. By that standard, Battier stood above his peers.

Whenever he was on the court, no matter where he was playing, his teammates got better and his opponents got worse.

Battier has since gone on to be a star with Houston.

This is a standing example of how to evaluate your employees - it is not just how they do their work, it is also an important matter to evaluate how they work as part of a team, and how they influence positively the team work.

Here is something for the Poor Husbands to cheer about..

Poor Husbands (I promise, I shall post one to support the Poor Wives tomorrow itself ! :)
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Position of a Husband Is just like a Split AC - no matter however loud he is in the Outdoor, he is designed to remain Silent indoors...
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"Husband is one who is the head of the family, but his wife is the neck, and whichever way she turns, he goes."
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A man in Hell asked Devil: "Can I make a call to my Wife?"
After making call he asked how much to pay.
Devil : "No Charge, Hell to hell is Free."
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Husband: Do you know the meaning of WIFE?
It means: Without Information, Fighting Everytime!
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Wife: I wish I was a newspaper, So I'd be in your hands all day.
Husband: I too wish that you were a newspaper, So I could have a new one
every day.
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Wife: I had to marry you to find out how stupid you are..
Husband: You should have known it the minute I asked you to marry me.
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Wife: What will you give me if I climb the great Mount Everest ?
Husband: A lovely Push...!
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It is said: "Behind every successful man stands a woman" - but not many know the fuller version of the phrase.

It is this: "Behind every successful man stands a woman, telling him that he is wrong !"

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And now for the best one ......................................
.
.

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Doctor: Your husband needs rest and peace. Here are some sleeping Pills.
Wife: When must I give them to him?
Doctor: They are for you, so he can have his rest and peace.

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Management Stories # 18 - Move to the top by hardwork, not otherwise

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

"I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull."They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral: Bull S**t may get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Management Stories # 17 - Let your boss have the first say !

A sales rep, an administration clerk and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out in a puff of smoke.

The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one."

"Me first! Me first!" says the admin. clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."

Pouf! She's gone.

In astonishment, "Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life."

Pouf! He's gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say. Else, wherever you run, you could still get caught very easily, and no angel or genie can help :)

Management Stories # 16 - Welcome new ideas

There is this great story about an executive at a fabric manufacturer who took over an existing group. The group was decades old, and had run into sickness over the past 30 years, and since the Promoters could not sustain it any longer, they sold off the unit to this new entrepreneur.

The Promoters were from a typical family-run background, and were clearly running the business in their own fashion, whereas the entrepreneur who took over was a professionally qualified guy, and soon as he took over, he called for a meeting with the workers wherein he demonstrated beyond doubt that he was open to any new ideas.

A day later, someone from the production line approached the Production Manager and, in a heavy foreign accent, said he had an idea that might solve a problem that had long bedeviled the company.

The point under consideration was that an important type of fiber would sometimes snap, causing millions of dollars of production delays each year, and this worker had some thoughts on how to fix that specifically.

The Production Manager promised to try the idea, and it worked. He was called for a meeting with the entrepreneur.

“That was a great idea,” the entrepreneur told the worker. “How long have you had this idea?”

“Thirty years,” the worker replied. That is precisely the number of years since when the unit went into financial sickness.

As they say "A stitch in time saves nine" - and to really do that stitch in time, you must demonstrate to all of your people that you are really open to new ideas and must welcome them.

A few of them may not be worth even listening, but if you shut it off, the door might be permanently closed, and you may not get the most brilliant ideas, which could hold the key to your most critical problems.

Management Stories # 15 - Be Calm, it is worth.

Here is a simple story of a guy who went for an interview. This guy was well qualified, but was not sure of getting selected, as he saw few more aggressive candidates sitting around for the interview. Though he was a little concerned, he did not show out much and waited for his turn very calmly.

And the turn did come. The interview started.

Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question. Think well before you make up your mind!"

The guy thought for a while and said,"my choice is one really difficult question."

"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this.

What comes first, Day or Night?"

The guy was jolted into reality as his selection depends on the correctness of his answer, and he knew that he was tricked in to this question. However, by his very nature, he retained the calmness and thought for a couple of seconds, without jumping into an urgent conclusion.

Finally, he said, "Its the DAY sir!"

"How" the interviewer asked.

"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"

He was selected for the job right away!

"Calmness is the cradle of power. - J.G. Holland"

Management Stories # 14 - Understand your Manager's problems too!

A mother repeatedly called upstairs for her son to get up, get dressed and get ready for school. It was a familiar routine, especially at exam time.

"I feel sick," said the voice from the bedroom.

"You are not sick. Get up and get ready," called the mother, walking up the stairs and hovering outside the bedroom door.

"I hate school and I'm not going," said the voice from the bedroom, "I'm always getting things wrong, making mistakes and getting told off. Nobody likes me, and I've got no friends. And we have too many tests and they are too confusing. It's all just pointless, and I'm not going to school ever again."

"I'm sorry, but you are going to school," said the mother through the door, continuing encouragingly, "Really, mistakes are how we learn and develop. And please try not to take criticism so personally. And I can't believe that nobody likes you - you have lots of friends at school. And yes, all those tests can be confusing, but we are all tested in many ways throughout our lives, so all of this experience at school is useful for life in general."

"Besides, you have to go, you are the headteacher."

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How simple is this story - and how deep is the message..? It makes the point very obvious - that everyone sails through difficulties in life, and every soul deserves a patient hearing, and some amount of sympathy. Please create that habit to look at everyone with some amount of sympathy in the mind, including your own Manager, and you will understand why he behaved in a particular good or bad fashion at that given point of time.

Everyone goes through a bad patch, and there are no exclusions to this rule - remember that your Manager also is subject to this rule. Once you develop this understanding, the bonding between you and your Manager will improve tremendously, and it can create wonders.

Remember: "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved"

Management Stories # 13 - Should the Manager just extract work?

The story goes that sometime, close to a battlefield over 150 years ago, a man in civilian clothes mounted on a horse, rode past a small group of exhausted battle-weary soldiers digging an obviously important defensive position.

The section leader, making no effort to help, was shouting orders, threatening punishment if the work was not completed within the hour.

"Why are you are not helping?" asked the stranger on horseback.

"I am in charge. The men do as I tell them," said the section leader, adding, "Help them yourself if you feel strongly about it."

To the section leader's surprise the stranger dismounted and helped the men until the job was finished.

Before leaving the stranger congratulated the men for their work, and approached the puzzled section leader.

"You should notify top command next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men - and I will provide a more permanent solution," said the stranger.

Up close, the section leader now recognized General Washington, and also the lesson he'd just been taught.

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Clearly, this happened decades before the debate on whether Management is just the art of getting things done by people, or with people.. and the solution which will appeal to all, is clearly embedded in this incident.

End of the day, we must all remember that we are first a human being and then only a manager or colleague. Reiterating this in mind always will help to have your feet firmly on the ground.

Express your love, before it is too late

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it." All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around.

Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary" Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group.

"I carry this with me at all times, " Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists" That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

Management Stories # 12 - Career Planning

This short story - it's a joke really - can be used to illustrate attitudes to developing young people, career direction, and especially the advice and aspirations of parents and coaches, which might be different to the dreams of the individual...

In a circus, the Bearded Lady and the World's Strongest Man fell in love, and decided to start a family.

Soon the Bearded Lady fell pregnant.

A few weeks before she was due to give birth, the Bearded Lady and the circus ring-master were talking.

"How's it going?" the ring-master asked, "Are you well?"

"Yes thanks - we are very excited," said the bearded lady, "We have so many plans for the baby - we want to be supportive parents."

"That's nice," said the ring-master, "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"Oh, we really don't mind as long as it's healthy," said the Bearded Lady, "And it fits into the cannon.."

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With this kind of advanced (?) thinking and planning by the Parents, what career options would be available for the kid? We must leave the kids to bloom step-by-step naturally, and nurture and coach them, with unobtrusive guidance for them to find their natural talents and real calling.

Same thing applies to Office environment as well. We must allow our subordinates to be on their own, identify and coach talent and put "right people in the right job".

Do you forward email chains? Read this..

Here is a email from one of the mail chain victims.. please read on..

I want to thank all my friends and other unknown people who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2008, 2009 & 2010 and 2011.

Because of your kindness :

I stopped drinking Coca-Cola after I found out that it's good only for removing toilet stains.

I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS

I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.

I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from hell with calls to Uganda, Singapore and Tokyo.

I also stopped drinking water outside for fear that I will get sick from the rat shit and urine.

When I go to parties, I don't look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times. (Poor girl! she's been 7 since 1993...)

My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.

Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Dalai Lama, Ganesh Vandana, Tirupathi Balaji pics etc..Now most of those "Wishes" are already married (to someone else)!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not send this e-mail to at least 918,739 people in the next 9 seconds, a bird will shit on your head today at 6:30 p.m.

C'mon guys, give me a break!!

Management Stories # 11 - All about Attitude

A landscape gardener ran a business that had been in the family for two or three generations. The staff were happy, and customers loved to visit the store, or to have the staff work on their gardens or make deliveries - anything from bedding plants to ride-on mowers.

For as long as anyone could remember, the current owner and previous generations of owners were extremely positive happy people.

Most folk assumed it was because they ran a successful business.

In fact it was the other way around...

A tradition in the business was that the owner always wore a big lapel badge, saying "Business Is Great! "

The business was indeed generally great, although it went through tough times like any other. What never changed however was the owner's attitude, and the badge saying Business Is Great!

Everyone who saw the badge for the first time invariably asked, "What's so great about business?" Sometimes people would also comment that their own business was miserable, or even that they personally were miserable or stressed.

Anyhow, the "Business Is Great!" badge always tended to start a conversation, which typically involved the owner talking about lots of positive aspects of business and work, for example:
- the pleasure of meeting and talking with different people every day
- the reward that comes from helping staff take on new challenges and experiences
- the fun and laughter in a relaxed and healthy work environment
- the fascination in the work itself, and in the other people's work and businesses
- the great feeling when you finish a job and do it to the best of your capabilities
- the new things you learn every day - even without looking to do so -
- and the thought that everyone in business is blessed - because there are many millions of people who would swap their own situation to have the same opportunities of doing a productive meaningful job, in a civilized well-fed country, where we have no real worries.

And so the list went on. And no matter how miserable a person was, they'd usually end up feeling a lot happier after just a couple of minutes listening to all this infectious enthusiasm and positivity.

It is impossible to quantify or measure attitude like this, but to one extent or another it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, on which point, if asked about the badge in a quiet moment, the business owner would confide:

"The badge came first. The great business followed."

------------

Clearly goes to prove that you must not only develop a positive attitude at work, you must also wear your attitude / display it in life and action. And the results would automatically follow.

Management Stories # 10 - Anger Management

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while. One of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained:

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small.'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

---------

With this story, it would be amply clear of what to do when you are angry and upset. Rather, what not to do should have been much more clear. Uncontrolled anger and instant angry responses are a sure-fire way to poison the recipient. Try to bring that under your control, and remain in control for ever.

To summarize again, when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

Management Stories # 9 - Never assume

This story is set to explain why you should never assume or jump to quick conclusions about people. It is always risky to make very quick judgements, and would be proven in this story.

------------------------------------------

A party of suppliers was being given a tour of a mental hospital.

One of the visitors had made some very insulting remarks about the patients.

After the tour the visitors were introduced to various members of staff in the canteen.

The rude visitor chatted to one of the security staff, Bill, a kindly and wise ex-policeman.

"Are they all raving loonies in here then?" said the rude man.

"Only the ones who fail the test," said Bill.

"What's the test?" said the man.

"Well, we show them a bath full of water, a bucket, a jug and an egg-cup, and we ask them what's the quickest way to empty the bath," said Bill.

"Oh I see, simple - the normal ones know it's the bucket, right?"

"No actually," said Bill, "The normal ones say pull out the plug. Should I check when there's a bed free for you?"

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Is there a better way to understand the pitfalls of quick judgements? :)

Management Stories # 8 - Hardwork

An elderly couple retired to the countryside - to a small isolated cottage overlooking some rugged and rocky heathland.

One early morning the woman saw from her window a young man dressed in working clothes walking on the heath, about a hundred yards away. He was carrying a spade and a small case, and he disappeared from view behind a copse of trees.

The woman thought no more about it but around the same time the next day she saw the man again, carrying his spade and a small case, and again he disappeared behind the copse.

The woman mentioned this to her husband, who said he was probably a farmer or gamekeeper setting traps, or performing some other country practice that would be perfectly normal, and so not to worry.

However after several more sightings of the young man with the spade over the next two weeks the woman persuaded her husband to take a stroll - early, before the man tended to arrive - to the copse of trees to investigate what he was doing.

There they found a surprisingly long and deep trench, rough and uneven at one end, becoming much neater and tidier towards the other end.

"How strange," the old lady said, "Why dig a trench here - and in such difficult rocky ground?" and her husband agreed.

Just then the young man appeared - earlier than his usual time.

"You're early," said the old woman, making light of their obvious curiosity, "We wondered what you were doing - and we also wondered what was in the case."

"I'm digging a trench," said the man, who continued, realising a bigger explanation was appropriate, "I'm actually learning how to dig a good trench, because the job I'm being interviewed for later today says that experience is essential - so I'm getting the experience. And the case - it's got my lunch in it."

He got the job.

As they say, there is no substitute to Hardwork, and Hardwork ultimately triumphs.

Management Stories # 7 - Communication

This story is going to explain the importance of good communication, and some fundamental principles behind it.

=================

As is bound to happen sometime, two different international calls got crossed. These were between a Chinese (Lee Sum Wan) and an Indian (Mr Sori).

Lee Sum Wan: "Hello, can I speak to Annie Wan?"

Mr Sori: "Yes, you can speak to me."

Lee Sum Wan: "No, I want to speak to Annie Wan."

Mr Sori: "You are talking to someone! Who is this?"

Lee Sum Wan: "I'm Sum Wan. I need to talk to Annie Wan. It's urgent."

Mr Sori: "I know you are someone and you want to talk to anyone! But what's this urgent matter about?"

Lee Sum Wan: "Look, just tell my sister Annie Wan that our brother was involved in an accident.

Noe Wan was injured and now Noe Wan is being sent to the hospital. Right now, Avery Wan is going to the hospital."

Mr Sori: "Well, if no one was injured and no one was sent to the hospital from the accident, that isn't an urgent matter! You may find this hilarious, but I don't have time for this!"

Lee Sum Wan: "You are very rude. Who are you?"

Mr Sori: "I'm Sori."

Lee Sum Wan: "You should be sorry. Now give me your name!"

Mr Sori: "I'm Sori!"

Lee Sum Wan: "I don't like your tone of voice, mister, and I don't care. Now give me your name!"

Mr Sori: "Look, lady, I told you already. I'm Sori! I'm Sori! I'm SORI! You didn't even give me your name!"

Lee Sum Wan: "I told you before, I'm Sum Wan! Sum Wan! You better be careful, man. My father is Sum Buddy. And my uncle holds a very prestigious position in the family business. He is Noe Buddy."

Mr Sori (sarcastically): "Oh, I'm so scared. Look, I don't care about your uncle; he's a nobody. Everybody thinks he's top dog and holding an important position in the company."

Lee Sum Wan: "No, Avery Buddy just married my aunt. And Avery Buddy doesn't work there."

Mr Sori: "Like I said, I don't care which one of your aunts sleeps around, and I also know that not everybody works here! Jeez! Now, which one of my employees do you want to talk to?"

Lee Sum Wan: "Wheech Wan is my sister!"

Mr Sori: "I don't know which one is your sister! How in God's name would I know that......and they both put the phone down angry at each other...i wonder why?????

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Here ends the story, but sometimes this is exactly how some people work within an organization. Without really understanding the organizational policy, culture or needs, they just go about dictating their own terms all around, and at the end of a long conversation (which could sometimes last years), they understand that they have so far been talking crap or addressing a wrong audience.

So, it is very critical to really be in a mind to listen, have the intent to be attentive and patient, and more importantly, respect the other person talking to you, even if you are seeing them for the first time.

Scrabble type fun

This has got to be one of the cleverest fun stuff you would have read in a while.

Someone out there either has too much spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.

(Wait till you see the last one)!

DILIP VENGSARKAR
When you rearrange the letters: SPARKLING DRIVE

PRINCESS DIANA
When you rearrange the letters: END IS A CAR SPIN

MONICA LEWINSKY
When you rearrange the letters: NICE SILKY WOMAN

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER

DESPERATION
When you rearrange the letters: A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters: THEY SEE

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters: IM A DOT IN PLACE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:

When you rearrange the letters: WOMAN HITLER !!!

Howz that for a fitting finale?

Management Stories # 6 - Adaptability

An old hill farming crofter trudges several miles through freezing snow to his local and very remote chapel for Sunday service. No-one else is there, aside from the clergyman.

"I'm not sure it's worth proceeding with the service - might we do better to go back to our warm homes and a hot drink?.." asks the clergyman, inviting a mutually helpful reaction from his audience of one.

"Well, I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't leave it hungry."

So the clergyman, feeling somewhat ashamed, delivers his service - all the bells and whistles, hymns and readings, lasting a good couple of hours - finishing proudly with the fresh observation that no matter how small the need, our duty remains. And he thanks the old farmer for the lesson he has learned.

"Was that okay?" asks the clergyman, as the two set off home.

"Well I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't force it to eat what I brought for the whole herd..."

What a simple way to prove the importance of being always watchful and adaptable? While our duty remains to be the best regardless of the level of need, we also have the additional responsibility to ensure that we adapt our delivery according to the requirements of our audience.

For instance, you should not sit and draw out scores of Pivot tables and Charts on Financial Ratios of your company, if you are just preparing a project profitability report. Be clear on what you are currently working on, and what will suit the audience. By doing just that, you will present a much better deliverable, and also can be sure of focusing your efforts and hard work only on the really required, worthwhile deliverables.

Software Professional - A story in Tamil

சிந்தித்க தூண்டும் நகைச்சுவை கலந்த உரையாடல்...Plz Read.. Note however, that, it is designed for fun and thoughts, and not to damage anyone's feelings or business....
====================================
"ஏம்பா இந்த கம்ப்யூட்டர் படிச்சவங்க எல்லாம் நிறைய சம்பளம்
வாங்கிட்டு, பந்தா பண்ணிட்டு ஒரு தினுசாவே அலையுறீங்களே? அப்படி என்னதான் வேலை பார்ப்பீங்க ?

நியாயமான ஒரு கேள்வியை கேட்டார் எனது அப்பா.

நானும் விவரிக்க ஆரம்பிதேன்.

"வெள்ளைகாரனுக்கு எல்லா வேலையும் சீக்கிரமா முடியணும்.
அதே மாதிரி எல்லா வேலையும் அவனோட வீட்டுல இருந்தே செய்யணும். இதுக்காக எவ்வளவு பணம் வேணுமானாலும் செலவு செய்ய தயாரா இருக்கான்."

"அது சரி பல்லு இருக்குறவன் பக்கோடா சாப்பிடுறான்".

"இந்த மாதிரி அமெரிக்கால்-ல, இங்கிலாந்து-ல இருக்குற Bank,
இல்ல எதாவது கம்பெனி, "நான் செலவு செய்ய தயாரா இருக்கேன். எனக்கு இத செய்து கொடுங்கனு கேப்பாங்க.
இவங்கள நாங்க "Client"னு சொல்லுவோம்.

இந்த மாதிரி Client-அ மோப்பம் பிடிக்குறதுக்காகவே எங்க பங்காளிக கொஞ்ச பேர அந்த அந்த ஊருல உக்கார வச்சி இருப்போம். இவங்க பேரு "Sales Consultants, Pre-Sales Consultants. ...".

இவங்க போய் Client கிட்ட பேச்சுவார்த்தை நடத்துவாங்க.

காசு கொடுகுறவன் சும்மாவா கொடுப்பான்?

ஆயிரத்தெட்டு கேள்வி கேப்பான். உங்களால இத பண்ண முடியுமா? அத பண்ண முடியுமான்னு அவங்க கேக்குற எல்லாம் கேள்விக்கும், "முடியும்"னு பதில் சொல்றது இவங்க வேலை.

அப்பா : "இவங்க எல்லாம் என்னப்பா படிச்சுருபாங்க"?

"MBA, MS-னு பெரிய பெரிய படிபெல்லாம் படிச்சி இருப்பாங்க."

அப்பா : "முடியும்னு ஒரே வார்த்தைய திரும்ப திரும்ப
சொல்றதுக்கு எதுக்கு MBA படிக்கணும்?" –

அப்பாவின் கேள்வியில் நியாயம் இருந்தது.

அப்பா : “சரி இவங்க போய் பேசின உடனே client project
கொடுத்துடுவானா?”

“அது எப்படி? இந்த மாதிரி பங்காளிக எல்லா கம்பெனிளையும் இருப்பாங்க. 500 நாள்ல முடிக்க வேண்டிய வேலைய 60 நாள்ள
முடிச்சு தரோம், 50 நாள்ல முடிச்சு தரோம்னு பேரம் பேசுவாங்க. இதுல யாரு குறைஞ்ச நாள சொல்றாங்களோ அவங்களுக்கு ப்ராஜெக்ட் கிடைக்கும்”

அப்பா : "500 நாள்ல முடிக்க வேண்டிய வேலைய 50 நாள்ல எப்படி முடிக்க முடியும்? ராத்திரி பகலா வேலை பார்த்தாலும் முடிக்க முடியாதே?"

"இங்க தான் நம்ம புத்திசாலித்தனத்த நீங்க புரிஞ்சிக்கணும். 50
நாள்னு சொன்ன உடனே client சரின்னு சொல்லிடுவான்.

ஆனா அந்த 50 நாள்ல அவனுக்கு என்ன வேணும்னு அவனுக்கும் தெரியாது, என்ன செய்யனும்னு நமக்கும் தெரியாது. இருந்தாலும் 50 நாள் முடிஞ்ச பிறகு ப்ரோஜெக்ட்னு ஒண்ண நாங்க deliver பண்ணுவோம். அத பாத்துட்டு "ஐயோ நாங்க கேட்டது இதுல்ல, எங்களுக்கு இது வேணும், அது வேணும்னு" புலம்ப ஆரம்பிப்பான்.

"அப்புறம்?" - அப்பா ஆர்வமானார்.

"இப்போ தான் நாங்க நம்பியார் மாதிரி கைய பிசஞ்சிகிட்டே "இதுக்கு நாங்க CR raise பண்ணுவோம்"னு சொல்லுவோம்.

அப்பா : "CR-னா?"

"Change Request. இது வரைக்கும் நீ கொடுத்த பணத்துக்கு நாங்க வேலை பார்த்துட்டோம். இனிமேல் எதாவது பண்ணனும்னா எக்ஸ்ட்ரா பணம் கொடுக்கணும்"னு சொல்லுவோம். இப்படியே 50 நாள் வேலைய 500 நாள் ஆக்கிடுவோம்."

அப்பாவின் முகத்தில் லேசான பயம் தெரிந்தது.

அப்பா : "இதுக்கு அவன் ஒத்துபானா?"

"ஒத்துகிட்டு தான் ஆகணும்.

முடி வெட்ட போய்ட்டு, பாதி வெட்டிட்டு வர முடியுமா?"

அப்பா : "சரி ப்ராஜெக்ட் உங்க கைல வந்த உடனே என்ன
பண்ணுவீங்க?"

"முதல்ல ஒரு டீம் உருவாக்குவோம். இதுல ப்ராஜக்ட்
மேனேஜர்னு ஒருத்தர் இருப்பாரு. இவரது தான் பெரிய தலை.
ப்ராஜெக்ட் சக்சஸ் ஆனாலும், ஃபெயிலியர் ஆனாலும் இவரு தான் பொறுப்பு."

அப்பா : "அப்போ இவருக்கு நீங்க எல்லாரும் பண்ற வேலை எல்லாம் தெரியும்னு சொல்லு."

"அதான் கிடையாது.

இவருக்கு நாங்க பண்ற எதுவுமே தெரியாது."

அப்பா : "அப்போ இவருக்கு என்னதான் வேலை?" –

அப்பா குழம்பினார்.

"நாங்க என்ன தப்பு பண்ணினாலும் இவர பார்த்து கைய நீட்டுவோம். எப்போ எவன் குழி பறிப்பான்னு டென்ஷன் ஆகி டயர்ட் ஆகி டென்ஷன் ஆகுறதுதான் இவரு வேலை."

"பாவம்பா"

"ஆனா இவரு ரொம்ப நல்லவரு. எங்களுக்கு எந்த பிரச்னை வந்தாலும் இவரு கிட்ட போய் சொல்லலாம்."

அப்பா : "எல்லா பிரச்னையும் தீர்த்து வச்சிடுவார?"

"ஒரு பிரச்சனைய கூட தீர்க்க மாட்டாரு. நாங்க என்ன
சொன்னாலும் தலையாட்டிகிட்டே உன்னோட பிரச்னை
எனக்கு புரியுதுனு சொல்றது மட்டும் தான் இவரோட வேலை."

அப்பா : "நான் உன்னோட அம்மா கிட்ட பண்ற மாதிரி?!"

"இவருக்கு கீழ டெக் லீட், மோடுல் லீட், டெவலப்பர், டெஸ்டர்னு நிறைய அடி பொடிங்க இருப்பாங்க."

அப்பா : "இத்தனை பேரு இருந்து, எல்லாரும் ஒழுங்கா வேலை செஞ்சா வேலை ஈஸியா முடிஞ்சிடுமே?"

"வேலை செஞ்சா தானே? நான் கடைசியா சொன்னேன் பாருங்க... டெவலப்பர், டெஸ்டர்னு, அவங்க மட்டும் தான் எல்லா வேலையும் செய்வாங்க. அதுலையும் இந்த டெவலப்பர் வேலைக்கு சேரும் போதே "இந்த குடும்பத்தோட மானம், மரியாதை உன்கிட்ட தான் இருக்குனு" சொல்லி, நெத்தில திருநீறு பூசி அனுப்பி வச்ச என்னைய மாதிரி தமிழ் பசங்க தான் அதிகம் இருப்பாங்க."

அப்பா : "அந்த டெஸ்டர்னு எதோ சொன்னியே? அவங்களுக்கு என்னப்பா வேலை?"

"இந்த டெவலப்பர் பண்ற வேலைல குறை கண்டு பிடிக்கறது இவனோட வேலை.

அப்பா : புடிக்காத மருமக கை பட்டா குத்தம், கால் பட்டா குத்தம்கறது மாதிரி." "ஒருத்தன் பண்ற வேலைல குறை கண்டு பிடிகுறதுக்கு சம்பளமா? புதுசா தான் இருக்கு. சரி இவங்களாவது வேலை செய்யுராங்களா. சொன்ன தேதிக்கு வேலைய முடிச்சு கொடுத்துடுவீங்கள்ள?

"அது எப்படி..? சொன்ன தேதிக்கு ப்ராஜக்டை முடிச்சி கொடுத்தா, அந்தக் குற்ற உணர்ச்சி எங்க வாழ்கை முழுவதும் உறுத்திக்கிட்டு
இருக்கும். நிறைய பேரு அந்த அவமானத்துக்கு பதிலா தற்கொலை
செய்துக்கலாம்னு சொல்லுவாங்க"

அப்பா: "கிளையன்ட் சும்மாவா விடுவான்? ஏன் லேட்னு கேள்வி கேக்க மாட்டான்?"

"கேக்கத்தான் செய்வான். இது வரைக்கும் டிமுக்குள்ளையே காலை வாரி விட்டுக்கிட்டு இருந்த நாங்க எல்லாரும் சேர்ந்து அவன் காலை வார ஆரம்பிப்போம்."

அப்பா : "எப்படி?"

"நீ கொடுத்த கம்ப்யூட்டர்-ல ஒரே தூசியா இருந்துச்சு. அன்னைக்கு டீம் மீட்டிங்ல வச்சி நீ இருமின, உன்னோட ஹேர் ஸ்டைல் எனக்கு புடிகலை." இப்படி எதாவது சொல்லி அவன குழப்புவோம்.

அவனும் சரி சனியன எடுத்து தோள்ல போட்டாச்சு, இன்னும் கொஞ்ச நாள் தூங்கிட்டு போகட்டும்னு விட்டுருவான்".

அப்பா : "சரி முன்ன பின்ன ஆனாலும் முடிச்சி கொடுத்துட்டு கைய கழுவிட்டு வந்துடுவீங்க அப்படித்தான?"

"அப்படி பண்ணினா, நம்ம நாட்டுல பாதி பேரு வேலை இல்லாம தான் இருக்கணும்."

"அப்புறம்?"

"ப்ராஜக்டை முடிய போற சமயத்துல நாங்க எதோ பயங்கரமான ஒண்ண பண்ணி இருக்குறமாதிரியும், அவனால அத புரிஞ்சிக்க கூட முடியாதுங்கற மாதிரியும் நடிக்க ஆரம்பிப்போம்."

"அப்புறம்?"

"அவனே பயந்து போய், எங்கள தனியா விட்டுடாதீங்க. உங்க டீம்-ல ஒரு ஒண்ணு, ரெண்டு பேர உங்க ப்ரொஜெக்ட பார்த்துக்க சொல்லுங்கன்னு, புது பொண்ணு மாதிரி புலம்ப
ஆரம்பிச்சிடுவாங்க."

இதுக்கு பேரு "Maintenance and Support". இந்த வேலை வருஷ கணக்கா போகும்.

"ப்ராஜக்ட் அப்படிங்கறது ஒரு பொண்ண கல்யாணம் பண்ணி வீட்டுக்கு கூட்டிட்டு வர்றது மாதிரி. தாலி கட்டினா மட்டும் போதாது, வருஷ கணக்கா நிறைய செலவு செஞ்சு பராமரிக்க வேண்டிய விசயம்னு" இப்போ தான் கிளைன்டுக்கு புரிய ஆரம்பிக்கும்.

அப்பா : "எனக்கும் எல்லாம் புரிஞ்சிடுச்சிப்பா".

Management Stories # 5 - Be wary of your wish

A couple were dining out together celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

After the meal, the husband presented his wife romantically with a beautiful very old gold antique locket on a chain.

Amazingly when his wife opened the locket, a tiny fairy appeared.

Addressing the astonished couple, the fairy said, "Your forty years of devotion to each other has released me from this locket, and in return I can now grant you both one wish each - anything you want.."

Without hesitating, the wife asked, "Please, can I travel to the four corners of the world with my husband, as happy and in love as we've always been?"

The fairy waved her wand with a flourish, and magically there on the table were two first-class tickets for a round-the-world holiday.

Staggered, the couple looked at each other, unable to believe their luck.

"Your turn," said the fairy and the wife to the husband.

The husband thought for a few seconds, and then said, with a little guilt in his voice, "Forgive me, but to really enjoy that holiday of a lifetime - I yearn for a younger woman - so I wish that my wife could be thirty years younger than me."

Shocked, the fairy glanced at the wife, and with a knowing look in her eye, waved her wand.....
And the husband became ninety-three.

This story clearly highlights the need to be really wary of what you wish for, while trying to move up the ladder in an organization. You must not just dream wild, but be clear of your capabilities and eligibility to reach a specific position.

By being positive, firm and still ensuring that your feet are still on the ground (and not flying high), you can get a cool, steady climb up, instead of a quick-promote-go, which could be a roller-coaster ride. The faster it goes up, the faster will it also come down.

Remember, Rome was not built in a day, and it takes real hard work to become successful and remain so for times long.

Management Stories # 4 - Conviction & Reward

A committed atheist (that's someone who steadfastly does not believe in a god of any sort) was on a trekking holiday when he became lost in some dense woods.

A large angry bear, with ten starving cubs back home and claws like kitchen knives, suddenly emerged from the undergrowth.

The atheist screamed in terror, turned and ran. The bear was quicker however, and after a long and desperate chase eventually cornered the atheist in a gully.

The exhausted atheist sank to his knees, shaking.

The bear, seeing that its prey was trapped, moved slowly towards the petrified man, drooling. The bear was drooling too.

The atheist lifted his head, with tears in his eyes, and uttered the words he thought he would never say in all his life: "God help me..."

With these simple three words, a blinding flash of lightning lit up the sky. There was a deafening crash of thunder. The clouds parted. A brilliant light shone down. The forest fell silent. The bear froze still, in a trance. The atheist stood gaping, transfixed.

A voice came loud from above. Louder than twenty AC/DC concerts all happening at the same time. We can safely assume this voice to have been the voice of a god of some sort.

"You atheists make me seriously mad," boomed the god, "You deny me all your life. You tell others to deny me too. You put your faith in all that bloody Darwinian airy-fairy scientific nonsense, and then what a surprise - you get lost because you can't read your stupid map, and now you're about to get eaten by an angry bear all of a sudden you're on your knees sniveling and begging for my help?......... You must be joking..."

The atheist looked down, realising that he was not arguing from a position of strength.

"Okay, I take your point," said the atheist, thinking on his feet, while he still had them, "I can see it's a bit late for me to convert, but what about the bear?... Maybe you could convert the bear instead?"

"Hmmn... interesting idea..." said the god, thinking hard, "...Okay. It shall be done." At which the brilliant light dimmed and vanished; the clouds closed; and the noises of the forest resumed.

The bear awoke and shook its head, a completely different expression on its face. Calm, at peace.

The bear closed its eyes, bowed its head, and said, "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful, Amen.."

The above story brings out a critical management point in view. Do not try to take sides while in an organization, do your duty with conviction and the rewards will flow in automatically.

If you try to take a side without really understanding the point at large, you might end up like this atheist. Instead, you keep doing your duty like the bear, automatically you will get rewarded at the appropriate time.

Management Stories # 3 - The Pencil Story

This story is extracted from “Like The Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho, the master story teller. Very apt for understanding certain fundamental qualities.. here we go..
===============================
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point, he asked:

‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:

‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.

‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.’

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice’

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencils fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.’

===============================

The above story brings about certain key qualities to imbibe, if someone has to really be successful in life, while remaining peaceful and happy at all times.

Management Stories # 2 - Comparing with others

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me.."

"Yes?.." says the surgeon.

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new.. We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running.."

This simple example explains why we should not try comparing ourselves with others. We might keep thinking that others are not doing a great job, and that it is dead simple. But we might be missing to see an important dimension, which could be all the more critical, and is better known to that person only.

Sometimes, the job well done by others might sound like a tiny stuff, but little drops of water make an ocean - if people keep doing even small jobs in a bad fashion, all such would snowball into a big pending project for someone else to clear.

From now on at least, let us try to respect the jobs executed well by every other person. Respect given earns respect to you again.

Management Stories # 1 - Positive thinking

This month of February - it is going to be full of short Management Stories and lessons.

Here goes the first one on Positive thinking. You will perhaps have heard this very old story illustrating the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking.

Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential.

The first salesman reported back, "There is no potential here - nobody wears shoes."

The second salesman reported back, "There is massive potential here - nobody wears shoes."

This simple short story provides one of the best examples of how a single situation may be viewed in two quite different ways - negatively or positively.

We could explain this also in terms of seeing a situation's problems and disadvantages, instead of its opportunities and benefits.

Note that both the salesmen used exactly the same set of words ("nobody wears shoes") to prove their point. If these words are read in isolation, it can give a different meaning, as against reading them along with the prefix.

This also emphasises how important it is to clearly communicate your view, and not just stop with a word or two in an email.

Unwarranted lengthy mails are clearly not the requirement, but communicate with clarity and use enough phrases to get the meaning clear and uncomplicated.