Get Things Done
LEAD THE WAY
“The future looks bright”... Hang on, it’s gonna be a tough ride.”
Yes, that is the new world economy-Interesting, Volatile and chaotic. Volatility describes the economy’s rate of change: blindingly fast, with explosive upsurges and gut-wrenching downturns. Chaos describes the direction of economy’s change. The familiar world is changing at a pace faster than what we can discern. We are not sure exactly where we are heading. For times such as these, where in a blink of eye the organisation can rocket to success or plumb down into failure, leadership becomes more important than ever.
Murphy and Murphy have given ten ways of effective leadership and management.
To begin with, Make haste slowly. Pace and precision is the key to successful organisation. It is very important to ‘Think’ and then ‘act’. It should be “Aim, Ready, Fire” and Not “Ready, Fire, Aim” i.e. only speed will not do. Set targets and not a target and then plan to hit bang on. In a race like this, it is very important to have an unchanging “Centre”- a set of core values and objectives that holds everything else falls apart.
Second, Partner with customers –Partnership with customers strengthens the bonds of customer loyalty that organisation need to survive and prosper in turbulent times. For this , make partnership everybody’s job i.e. every department should to some extent build the customer relationship Customers- potential, existing and lost are important. Let go off unprofitable customers Apart from this, discovering untapped needs can open up existing market opportunities.
Third, built a culture of commitment- without a cultural centre, without a commitment, there is no way to succeed. To build a culture of commitment, first assess your current culture and then create a shared purpose so that people can have a feel of belongingness and purpose.
Fourth, put the right person in the right place-It is very important to know what you are looking for before hiring or firing people. You have to put the “right” people in the “right” places. One aspect to be taken care of while recruiting is ‘Looking behind the resume’. Many important skills and ability to build a culture of commitment, deescalate anxiety etc. do not show on the resume as they are not easily quantifiable. Also personal choices of people effect the credibility as this can lead to leaving out some of the most efficient employees.
Fifth maximise knowledge assets. Majority of knowledge assets are tactic rather than explicit. This means that they exist in the skills, experience, relationships and insights of employees, which make them difficult to quantify- Take a stock of current knowledge assets. Once that is done, mobilize, the intellectual capital you already have to optimise productivity and simultaneously create new intellectual capital has to be shared as ‘more you share it more you have it.’
Sixth, cut costs, not values. In a turbulent economic environment, any company experiencing weakened financial health cuts costs. Cutting cost is valid as long as values are not compromised on as they are the core of existence of an organisation. ‘Cut the fat, not the muscle.’
Seventh, out position your competitors. It is very important to have a competitive edge over your competitors to succeed in this cut throat race. For this, knowing the market demands, competitors and your competitive positioning and then implementing strategies comes in handy.
Eighth, ‘Stir not Shake’- In this blink you & loose economy, stress levels among employees are very high. Therefore, successful leaders reduce anxiety and inspire hope by stirring employees to higher levels of achievements and not shaking them with negativity and fear.
Ninth, cut through the noise. Effective leaders have to communicate effectively with customers-both internal and external. Dismantle the barriers of communication, Listen, Reach out.
Tenth, Focus or Fail.
‘No stream or gas ever drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focussed, dedicated and disciplined.’
Dr Henry Emerson Fosdick.
If you can’t see the bull’s eye, you can never hit it.
These elements along with a strong desire to succeed, not alone but with the people, makes a leader the world reckons and looks up to. Happy Leading!
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - DANIEL GOLEMAN
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is how well an individual manages his or her emotional state. Emotions have a very central and encompassing role to play in our lives. Emotions affect our productivity, performance, our learning capabilities and most importantly our interactions with others. This is why managing emotions is necessary for success in every arena especially in management.
The concept of EI originated after observations that a high intelligence quotient was not the only determinant of success. In fact the Emotional Quotient or how well a person manages his emotions is equally important and a better predictor of success than traditional methods like GPA, IQ and other standardized test scores.
Why are emotions important?
The importance of emotions lies in evolution. Earlier for survival purposes, the brain relied more on instincts or the “flight or fight” syndrome for protection against predators and not on reason or logic. Now, the threat perception is not from predators but from other people. E.g. – In a meeting if one person is presenting an idea and it is criticised by all others present, then the threat perception of the presenter will be high. He will get defensive, hostile to the others and also become closed to ideas.
However, even today, in situations where we feel threatened, the neuro signals to the logic /reasoning part of the brain is shut down and the emotion/instinct takes over the brain and its functioning.
Components of emotional intelligence- The following are the essential elements of emotional intelligence:
Self awareness – The first step in managing emotions is being aware of emotions i.e. recognizing feelings and discriminating between them.
Mood management – Handling the emotional state to ensure that the projected behaviour is appropriate and relevant to the situation. This is especially important to avoid misunderstanding with people who may not be aware of our internal conflicts or feelings.
Self motivation – Our emotions can determine how motivated and directed we are towards our goals. Therefore we should learn to “gather up” our feelings and direct them towards the target despite self-doubt, inertia, impulsiveness – i.e. managing negative emotions.
Empathy – It means recognizing other’s feelings; listening to their verbal and non-verbal cues and responding according to the situation.
Managing relationships – The success of relationships – both personal as well as professional (conflict resolution, negotiation, decision making etc.) depends upon how well the persons involved handle their as well as the group’s emotions. Negative emotions like sarcasm, stereotyping, unjustified criticism etc. have to be avoided for better and productive relationships.
WHY IS EI IMPORTANT?
Building on EI has a lifelong and all encompassing effect. Researchers have concluded that people who manage their own feelings well and deal effectively with others are likely to lead more contented lives. They are also more likely to retain information and learn more efficiently their dissatisfied counterparts.
For students it can help address issues like – low self esteem, depression, alcohol or drug or drug abuse peer pressure etc.
For corporations – helps employees co-operate better, increased motivation thereby increasing productivity and profits.
EI is a very important determinant of success and should be cultivated and built upon to fully realize our capabilities, increase our capacity for learning and to bring efficiency in our social interactions.