Employee Speak: Chandru Kini, CEO, LifeKen, Bangalore

 http://www.lifeken.com/

About the company: LifeKen was born as a dream of two promoters – Chandru Kini and A. Suryanarayanan. LifeKen is a Retail Pharmaceutical Chain that operates in total 82 Stores in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. It is actively pursuing the opening of its Retail Pharmaceutical Chain in the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi. Plans are on the anvil to expand to other cities in the South and West and thereafter to the North and East.
     
 

1. How was LifeKen conceptualized? What prompted (Surya and) you to start this venture?

Surya and I ventured into this since we were both entrepreneurs at heart, and were passionate about starting something of our own. A great deal of hands on research was required for establishing a retail pharmaceutical chain like LifeKen. A model pharmacy was set up in Jan 2004. With the success of the model pharmacy, we were granted funding by the Modi’s family, based out of Mumbai. They have put in their personal investments into our venture. Mr Pranab Modi is on the board of directors for LifeKen.

It has been an eventful ride since then. We were also inspired by the success stories of various other retail pharmaceutical chains that were born in India in the last few years.

2. What is the unique experience LifeKen offers to its customers or its unique selling proposition as compared to other retail pharmacies?

Apart from the pharmacies that are successfully operating in the various cities, we have planned to initiate health care awareness programs for our consumers, educating and enlightening them about the preventive measures that could be taken to avoid certain ailments. Health check up mechanisms will also be available at the pharmacies for the consumers to get an insight into their current health status especially for ailments like osteoporosis etc.

The fundamental reason for commencing these programs is to promote a long-lasting relationship with LifeKen consumers.

3. What are the key challenges you face in your industry? How do you deal with them?

The key challenges for a retail pharmacy like LifeKen are at the sourcing as well as at the marketing phases of operations.

At the sourcing stage, there could be a great deal of supply chain issues especially when it comes to availability of commonly purchased drugs. There is always an urgent need to replenish the stores with drugs that are in constant demand with customers. That’s when our relationship with drug suppliers comes to our rescue. The suppliers that we work with are reliable and have the professionalism to ensure timely delivery of urgently required drugs to the pharmacies.

Another complexity that we face is on the marketing front- it becomes a challenge to advertise and to do any promotional activities. It would undermine the ethical standards that we maintain as a retail pharma company.

4. What are the values that you would like your employees to imbibe?

I strongly believe that customer engagement as well as customer delight should be at the forefront of the value system in LifeKen. It would be a reflection of how effective the pharmacy set up is. Employees are required to follow ethical standards of employment which will be critical for the overall success of the organization.

Something that I really hold key to my success is the support and guidance that was provided to me during my stint as a professional. And to a great extent, I would like to continue this tradition with the employees of LifeKen as well. In fact, we would like our employees to be with us and grow along with the success of the organization. 

5. What are your suggestions for future entrepreneurs in retail pharmaceutical?

A great deal of hands on approach would be required for establishing a retail pharmaceutical company. Considerable amount of time and energy have to be invested in research activities to set up an establishment like LifeKen.

Now, Discover Your Strengths: Book Review; Nov'07

Title:Now, Discover Your Strengths

Author:Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton

Publication details:  Pocket books, Great Britain, 2005

Number of pages:262 pages

To motivate your team members to give superior performance you must correct their weaknesses right? Wrong! As per the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths”, focusing on their strengths is far more effective in achieving success than eliminating their weaknesses. Based on interviews conducted by Gallup of over 1.7 million employees the authors introduces a positive approach for discovering, focusing and using strengths and talents to create personal and professional success.

The authors consider the following two assumptions on which they think most organizations are built flawed and provide alternate assumptions they think are right.
“Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything.
Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness.”

The statement “Spontaneous reactions, yearnings, rapid learnings and satisfactions will all help you detect the traces of your talents.” is quite useful for zeroing in on our talents. The book maintains that while with sufficient practice we might be able to learn different tasks well, we will never be great in these areas unless we have a natural innate talent for them.

Each copy of the book contains a unique ID code that allows you to take a Web-based interview (StrengthsFinder) that is fairly easy to take. This analyzes your instinctive reactions and presents you with your five most powerful signature themes like Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic, or Strategic. Once you know which of the 34 themes you lead with, the book shows you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels: for your own development, for your success as a manager, and for the success of your organization.

The book reinforces a lot of unique ideas first published in Marcus Buckingham’s best selling book “First Break All The Rules”, ideas like manager being the most influential person for an employee’s stickiness to an organization, individualization (treating individual employees differently rather the same way to take care of their individual needs) etc.

It also provides a step by step strength based approach for developing and managing 3 HR processes viz., selection, performance management and career development. Here, I found some of the suggestions to be radical but credible. For instance in performance management system it talks about every manager holding a “strength discussion” rather than a “development discussion” with his team member. While the former is focused on how the employee’s strengths can be utilized at work, the latter typically focuses on areas of improvement. However, industry data of how companies have applied it practically for HR processes and benefited would have been useful for HR practioners.

This resourceful book is easy to read with its short concise chapters, varied examples and interesting case studies.  The report of my signature themes was a little too brief, nevertheless very useful.

If you are wondering is it OK to ignore our weaknesses then do note that the book does acknowledge that any weakness which comes in the way of superior performance needs to be minimized. For instance the book gives the example of Bill Gates. His genius at taking innovation and transforming them into user friendly applications is a “strength” whereas his ability to built an enterprise in the face of legal and commercial assault as compared to his partner Steve Balmer, is not. So he selected Steve Balmer to run the company allowing him to return to software development. Thus, the important message it imparts is…. “Capitalize on your strengths… and mange around your weaknesses.”

Being and Effective Mentor : Feature Article, Nov'07

One of the important ways to develop your career is by having a good mentor. But did you know you can develop your career not only by being mentored, but by mentoring others. Now before you switch off from this subject thinking you are too junior in your company to be a mentor, do read further to find out more about mentoring. Then decide whether you can be a mentor and whether it is worthwhile being one!

Understanding mentoring

A mentor is one who offers knowledge, insight, perspective or wisdom that is especially useful to the other person. He is a career counselor, a coach, a guide, a motivator, a role model and a teacher.  A mentor’s role is to help the mentee reach his/her goals.

A mentee is a person being mentored by another person; especially one who makes an effort to assess, internalize and use effectively the knowledge, skills, insights, perspective or wisdom offered by the mentor.

A mentoring relationship is mentee-centered. The mentor listens, sometimes challenges, offers insights and encourages. The relationship needs reasonably frequent and consistent contact. Both partners contribute, change and grow. In an informal mentoring relationship someone takes an interest in us, or we in them. A formal mentoring relationship has an acknowledged commitment of time and energy for the purpose of guiding and sharing. Both types can be for specific projects or for extended time periods.

You need not be in a senior role in the company to become a mentor. Yes, being a mentor to somebody if you are just out of college is difficult, but if you have worked successfully for a couple of years you have the basic qualification required for being a mentor. However, all successful people do not necessarily make effective mentors; certain individuals are more effective in the role of developing others. Whether or not an individual is suited to the role of mentor may depend on his or her own stage of development and experience. So what else does it take to be a good mentor?

Characteristics of a good mentor

Some of the common characteristics of good mentors are:-

1. Genuine interest in and commitment to others’ growth: Mentoring requires that you be sincerely interested in someone else’s growth and be willing to motivate and support others to learn and grow. A mentor can significantly influence another person’s life. Time and energy over a period of time is necessary for such a relationship. You must be able to devote the same to your mentee.

2. Approachable and welcoming: A mentor should be easy to talk to so that the mentee can talk about anything with the mentor, not just a technical subject. And it is so much easier to talk to a person who is warm and encouraging. Establishing a good rapport with mentee is important for being approachable.

3. Good listener: Your focus should be to LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN!! Listening carefully will help you understand the perspective of the mentee and this will in turn help you cater to the individual needs of each mentee.

4. Gives advice without dictating actions: Help your mentees organize their own thoughts. Help with their focus. Help them think about what they can do to be successful, not what you did to be successful. Understand their problems and offer solutions. But be clear that any decisions made should be made by them. They have to figure things out for themselves.

5. Encourages independence yet offers support: Encourage your mentee to be independent. Also offer support by sharing your knowledge and experience, including successes and failures. A good mentor should stick up for and look out for the best interests of the person being mentored. Being aware of resources and support systems within the company will aid you in the same

6. Good role model through actions and words: Mentors must provide a good example of a successful career. They must demonstrate what they are advising. Having someone tell you what you should do carries much less weight than seeing someone act it out.

7. Encourages and demonstrates confidence in mentee: A key characteristic of a good mentor is the "I-know-you-can-do-it’ attitude. As a mentor you must believe in your mentee’s capabilities and ability to succeed. This will also help build your mentee’s self-confidence. Offer constructive criticism as well as compliments to encourage him/her.

8. Exhibits patience: People can't be expected to learn all at once. Remember that you didn't know everything all the time. So patience will help you push your mentees gently towards their goal achievement.

9. Willing to admit they don't know everything: Individuals who are still willing and able to learn make good mentors. This also includes an ability to accept different points of view.

10. Inspires trust: A mentor should respect the confidentiality of the mentoring relationship. The discussions held during the relationship is solely for the purpose of developing the mentee and not for any other purpose like finding out what the mentee thinks so that he/she can be manipulated to meet one’s ulterior motives.

So does it look like you have the making of good mentor? If yes, read further to find out why you should consider taking up the role of a mentor.

Benefits of being a mentor

According to research sponsored by AOL Time Warner Foundation and conducted by Pathfinder Research and Market Facts, 99% of people who mentor through formal mentoring programs recommend it to others.  A mentor once said, "I didn't know in advance how rewarding it was going to be, so I was worried about the responsibility of giving my time consistently.  The irony is that once I started doing it, I didn't want to miss a session."

While mentoring others does help in your career development they also provide you with many other benefits as listed below:-

How can anybody become a mentor?

OK now you are all charged up and want to be a mentor and it strikes you that you don’t know how to find your mentee. Start by looking around in your workplace. You are likely to find a candidate among your own team members. However, it is best that you do not mentor somebody who reports to you to avoid conflicts between work and mentoring goals. You can even identify somebody from another department since your mentee need not necessarily be from the same profession like Finance or Sales.
 
If you are known for your knowledge and expertise in the company, mentees will come looking for you. In that case examine your time commitments before committing to a mentoring relationship.

Your company may ask for volunteers to be mentors for the formal “mentoring” or in the case of junior people “buddy” programs. Go ahead and volunteer! Unlike formal mentoring programs, in informal mentoring relationships, you will have to take more initiative to maintain it and get the best out it.
 
  

Conclusion

Why do people become mentors? The answers vary. Some of us just want to be a positive influence on others, or give something to their community. And some of us were fortunate to have had a mentor and want to repay that by mentoring others. What ever is your reason for being a mentor, you will find it a rewarding experience. Nothing can beat the satisfaction of seeing somebody reach their goals and achieve their dreams in front of you.

References

• Reh, F. J, “Mentors and Mentoring: What is a mentor?”, http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/mentoring.htm .
• Reh, F. J, “Mentors and Mentoring: Being a Mentor”, http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/mentoring.htm .
• “What characteristics does a good mentor have?”, http://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan/0,1607,7-193--82397--,00.html .
• Saul, J, “Creating Mentoring Relationships”, http://gbgmumc.org/Response/articles/mentor.html
• Megginson D and Clutterbuck D, 1995, “Mentoring in action”, Kogan Page Limited, London.

The Greatness Guide: Book Review; Jun'07

Title: The Greatness Guide
Author: Robin Sharma
Publication details: Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai, April 2006
Number of pages: 240 pages

Do you want to craft an extraordinary life for yourself? Then ‘The Greatness Guide’ is what you maybe looking for. Robin Sharma, the author of international bestseller ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ and one of the world’s top success coaches, in his book ‘The Greatness Guide’ brings together 101 powerful ideas for meeting your highest potential and living a great life.  If you liked Robin Sharma’s other best sellers you will like this book too. I did.

The Greatness Guide has something for everybody - salesmen, CEOs, managers, professionals and even parents. There are several relevant chapters for achieving success at today’s workplaces that will appeal to readers at every level of their careers. There are tactics for achieving peak performance, potent ideas for motivating employees and growing leaders, specific strategies for customer satisfaction and for turning setbacks into opportunities and a whole lot of other stuff. For example in his chapter ‘Sell Your Desk’, he advocates getting out of the office to become a better performer in business.

It is packed with unique suggestions for improving personal effectiveness, being happy and getting more from life. For instance in his chapter ‘Speak like a Superstar’, he says, “Articulate a series of spectacularly positive words…words that you imagine a superstar in your field using…You will discover that speaking these words will make you feel…more passionate. And when you feel great feelings, guess what? You will do great things.”   

Robin Sharma provides several practical suggestions - create personal best practices like repeating success statements throughout the day; commit to surroundings being first class thus feeling like extraordinary before becoming extraordinary; use positive reference points to pull you into new way of seeing things; read books by people you respect to allow some of their brilliance to rub off on you etc.

While a lot of Robin Sharma’s ideas like celebrating one’s blessings or listening twice as much as speaking, are not new, he breathes certain freshness into them. While talking about life’s best pleasures being simple ones he says “Enrich your life with more of them and your heart will be happy. And you can start with sweet breezes.” Or look at the way he highlights the need to schedule things you really want to do in your life. He says, “You can argue that self-development is an essential pursuit to you…Show me your schedule and I’ll discover the truth. Because your schedule doesn't lie.”

From his opening disclaimer “I am no guru” to the very end, challenging us to claim our greatness, Robin speaks from the heart and does not fail to inspire. In the chapter ‘Be wildly enthusiastic’ he says, “I’ll be the first one to agree what you can’t control what happens to you each day. But with abundance of enthusiasm, I have no doubt that whatever the coming hours bring, you will handle them with grace, strength and a smile.” The book makes me want to be first class in my work as well as my personal life and more importantly Robin gives me the confidence that I can.

His use of simple language, catchy titles, short (2 page) chapters and anecdotal style makes it easy and enjoyable reading. Sure, one can finish it in one sitting. But to get the most from the book, read it slowly, taking the time to savor and reflect upon each idea. And like all self help books unless the chapters are reread and the ideas refreshed regularly and applied, the insights may be forgotten. All in all ‘The Greatness Guide’ is an excellent resource for achieving personal and professional mastery!

Ask the Expert: June'07

1. I lead a team of 5 people and I feel giving my team members feedback on their work can help improve the effectiveness of the team. But I am not sure how to do it the right way. So far my experience of giving feedback especially negative one has not been too good.

You are absolutely right; feedback can improve performance of team members which in turn will improve the effectiveness of the team as a whole. By giving negative feedback in a constructive way you can ensure that your feedback is meaningful to your team members. Some guidelines for that are:-

• Be specific than general. “You made a good presentation” is general. “You managed the audience questions well” is specific.
• Describe behavior only, do not interpret/evaluate. “You did not complete implementation as per schedule and delayed it by a week” is descriptive vis-à-vis “You are irresponsible” which is evaluative.
• Provide feedback immediately after the occurrence of behavior.
• Be focused on behavior that team member can change.
• Do not mix negative and positive feedback. Examples of both are:-
  • Mixed:  “You did the project well, but you did not take any initiative to try out things.”
  • Unmixed: “On the positive side your project execution was good. You did it with no customer complaints. In the areas of improvement, you need to work on conducting handover training to the satisfaction of the users.”
• Stimulate suggestions for improvement.
• Stop if emotional issues surface and deal with them.

2. I know it is not right, but I am jealous of my colleague who is my competitor at work. How can I deal with this?

Being envious of others is a natural reaction and helps in pushing ourselves further to do better. But getting jealous about it and as a result creating negative energy in you is not helpful. It is a good thing that you are aware that it is not a helpful emotion.

Write down what makes you jealous of the colleague. Write down your own accomplishments.  Question yourself – “Are you working smart and hard?” “What behavior of your colleague is bringing him success?” “Are you leveraging your skills, and exceeding your targets?” With some self reflection you will be able to chart out a plan on what needs to be done for you to become as successful as your colleague.

If your colleague succeeds does not mean you cannot succeed. There is enough work and opportunities for everybody to do their bit in today’s corporate world as long as you are willing to work for it. Use all the energy spent in being jealous to do more and better at the work place. Also getting to know the person better may make you realize he/she is just like you and that you could actually be friends and learn from each other.

3. Two of my team members do not get along with each other and this is creating a lot of negative energy in the team. Shifting one of them to another team is not an option right now. As the team leader can I do something?

Yes, you can definitely take some steps to improve the situation.

• As a first step analyze their recent conflicts, take inputs from their peers, and understand the dynamics at play.
• Then individually counsel the two people involved them. Let them know how their conflict is affecting the team. Tie issues to business results so you focus on events or behavior not on personality traits. Even if people do not get along they can still work together effectively. Understanding reasons for their not getting along will help. Talk about what you have observed or know has happened, not about something someone else heard or saw.
• Next step would be to set up a joint problem-solving approach to resolve the conflict.
  • Ask the team members involved to present their view points objectively.
  • Get agreement from them on the problem that needs to be solved. Say things to make them feel you want to solve the problem, not lay the blame. Have each of them generate possible solutions.
  • Get commitment on what each team member will do to solve the problem.
  • Summarize and set a follow-up date to make sure they are working together effectively.

Pareto Principle: Management Funda; Jun'07

What does it mean
The Pareto Principle also called the 80/20 Rule means that in anything a few (20%) are vital and many (80%) are trivial. For instance roughly 80% of your orders come from 20% of your customers. 80% of decisions come from 20% of meeting time. 80% of customer complaints are about the same 20% of your projects, products or services. You will notice this even in mundane matters like we wear 20% of our most favoured clothes about 80% of the time.

How did it have its origin?
In the late 1800s, economist and avid gardener Vilfredo Pareto established that 20% of the people owned 80% of the wealth. While gardening he observed that 20% of the peapods in his garden yielded 80% of the peas harvested. After Pareto made his observation many others observed similar phenomena. Quality management pioneer, Dr. Joseph Juran in the 1930s recognized a universal principle he called the "vital few and trivial many" which stated that 20% of something is always responsible for 80% of the results.

What are its applications?
The Pareto principle has several applications. Some of them are listed below:-

Are there any limitations to using it
Yes, but we should view it as challenges which need to be addressed rather than limitations. One challenge is to identify which actions make up the useful 20% and that too in advance. The other challenge is to determine whether this useful 20% always contain more or less the same actions or differ in different times.

 How can I use it
So often we say “There is so much to do and so little time” or “What an unproductive day!”  Consistent application of 80/20 rule can help us dramatically improve our productivity.

To maximize personal productivity, realize that 80% of one's time is spent on the “trivial many” activities.  Analyze and identify which activities produce the most value and then shift your focus so that you concentrate on the “vital few” 20%. Similarly to increase department productivity, focus attention on the top 20% of activities or transactions by first identifying and ranking projects and purchases in order of risk and productivity; and then focus remedial activities on those select few. Assign or delegate the 80% “trivial many” to subordinates or reduce them to clerical processes.  Identify that 20% of all transactions which account for the greatest risk and concentrate on minimizing those risks rather than minimizing all risks at much greater time and expense.  To reduce costs, identify which 20% are utilizing 80% of the resources. 

So go ahead and identify that 20% in your work that really matter. Remember they are going produce 80% of your results.

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle.
2. Callos, JD, “The Pareto Principle (a.k.a. The 80:20 Rule)”, http://www.4hb.com/08jcparetoprinciple.html.
3. Savage,A, “How Useful Is the Pareto Principle” http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/how-useful-is-the-pareto-principle.html.
4. Reh,FJ,“How the 80/20 rule can help you be more effective”;   http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm.
5. Rain, L, October 2004, “PARETO'S PRINCIPLE”, http://naeb.org/Purchasing_Link/Commentaries/2004/Oct_LR_Commentary.htm.

Employee Speak: Sambit Bal, Editor - Cricinfo

http://www.cricinfo.com/

About the company: Cricinfo, the world's leading cricket website, ranked number one in all of its major markets has live coverage of all Test and one-day international matches, news and features written by world's best cricket writers and in-depth statistics of all the first class cricketers. The Cricinfo Magazine features insights, information and comments from the world's best cricket minds. Regular contributors include Harsha Bhogle, Sanjay Manjrekar, Peter Roebuck, Gideon Haigh and Patrick Eagar.

1. What does your organization do?

Cricinfo is an organization which acts as a complete one roof outlet for Cricket.

2. What is your role?

I am the editor for Cricinfo’s both online and offline website and magazine. I manage our global editorial operations spread across Bangalore, London, Australia, and Pakistan. Cricinfo is easily the world's biggest cricket website and we see ourselves as being the global voice of cricket. It’s not only our job to give scorecards and data, but also to make sense of everything that happens in the world of cricket. It’s our job to deliver all the news in real time without compromising quality.

3. What are the key challenges you face in your industry and specifically in your role? How do you deal with them?

 The biggest challenge is in the technology arena. It is important for us to constantly reassess our delivery mechanism because in our space technology is updating constantly.  The internet is the most democratic of mediums and users are always being presented with new choices. So the challenge for us to stay relevant and contemporary! And we must offer the users a wide range of choices.

4. What are the future plans for Cricinfo?

Cricinfo is the best in the global market and we want to increase our breadth by becoming best in all local markets. Cricinfo should be first and last stop if you want to look at cricket online or offline.

5. What motivates you at work?

Keeping people motivated, finding talented people and watching them grow. Also creating and maintaining a work environment that is informal, creative and challenging and empowering people to do their job to the best of their ability. I have received trust and freedom from my company to deliver the best that I have to offer and I believe in doing the same with my colleagues. What matters to me is what you deliver, not what you wear to work or what time you land up in the office. And in my experience, if you trust people to do their job they don’t let you down.

6. What have been some turning points in your career?

I started my career at the age of 19 and have been working for last 20 years. I have worked with newspapers, magazines and websites. I have had eight jobs, but spent more than 15 years in three of them, and those have been the places I have enjoyed working the most. This is my sixth year with the Wisden Group.

My most significant job before this was editing Gentleman, a features magazine for people who wanted to read. It covered literature, art, culture, movie, food and people.

My first job in cricket was with www.totalcricket.com  started by Mark Masceranhas who brought big time cricket television into India. He was Sachin’s first agent and was his agent when Sachin brought 96 world cup to India. When Wisden was setting up their business in Asia they asked me to join them as the Asian editor both for the magazine and website. I have been here ever since.

I always taken life as it comes and haven’t at any point planned my career. I never applied for a job.  I never ever made a CV. I have stayed in organizations for long only if I enjoyed the work there and was valued. I have been part of many start up companies especially dotcoms. I have enjoyed every bit of work though short term.

7. What has helped you succeed?

The most important thing about working is enjoying what you do. In a sense my jobs have chosen me and very often they haven’t felt like jobs because I have had such a good time doing them. The most important decision of my life was to become a journalist. I was studying commerce and couldn’t bear to imagine a life spent in numbers. Journalism provided me an escape route, and luckily this is a profession that brings freedom and fulfillment in good measure. If you enjoy what you do, and do it to the best of your ability, the rest follows automatically.

8. What are the challenges you face as a manager? How do you deal with them?

The biggest challenge is to keep people motivated and challenged. And keeping a balance between a relaxed and happy atmosphere and yet keeping everyone on their toes. Comfort zones are the enemy in a creative workplace, so you have to constantly create challenges for team members to ensure that they don’t slip into monotony.

9. How do you help your team members deal with stress?

By giving them work that they enjoy and making sure they are looked after. We have an informal and non-hierarchical set up. I tell them that we are equals, but the only difference is that the buck stops with me. They get credit for the work, but they know that if they have a problem, I am there to deal with it.

Managing Difficult Bosses: Feature Article; Jun'07

In the book ‘First break all the rules’ the authors propound that employees do not leave their companies, but leave their bosses. It got me thinking. What if the boss is alright and the individual had not managed his/her boss effectively? I know what you are thinking….shouldn’t our bosses be managing us? Why do we need to manage our bosses?

Common sense tell us that parents manage their children. But ask any parent and he/she will tell you how his/her child manages him/her. And why does the child do that. To simply get his/her way!  Applying that logic we can say that we need to manage our bosses to get what we want from our work. Bosses can guide us, offer meaningful feedback, connect us with the rest of the organization, provide necessary organizational resources and motivate us to do better.

How do we manage difficult bosses?
While thankfully most bosses are not difficult (I guess that is why they are bosses!) there are some who are difficult and need to be managed accordingly.

The Indecisive - They are vague and flit between decisions. Figure out what triggers their indecisiveness. Is it avoidance of conflict or risk? Provide them the confidence that you will be able to manage the conflict or risk.  If you do not want procrastination, give them a hand by stating past problems encountered because a decision was not made Summarize the options considered and your criteria for selecting one option. Be clear what you expect from them. Do you want to simply inform, to decide jointly, to share the risk, to add one criterion or to re-examine the option.

The Control Freak - These managers micromanage everything not allowing you to think or function for yourself. Fear of failure or lack of confidence in you usually makes them want to control every little task. If you can reassure them that you are taking adequate steps to address risks and provide them as many details as possible, you can work well with them. Successfully executing a few projects will also automatically improve their confidence in your abilities.

The Absent One - This manager could be traveling across the globe or just has too many things on his/her plate. The trick is to squeeze yourself into his/her schedule. And once you do get face time with him/her make the most of it by preparing thoroughly beforehand. Summing up options and what decisions he/she needs to make, or direction they need to give makes it easy for them to deal with more in less time.  

The Politically Savvy - These bosses do not want to ruffle any feathers especially those belonging to the top management and are very conscious of what is politically right and wrong. They can be easily managed by helping them look good in front of their seniors. But it is important to watch your back.  Get written support for anything risky or controversial to avoid being a potential scapegoat.

The Whip-Cracker - The whip-cracker drives you hard. Ever watchful, he seems to know about every mistake that you commit or even the ones you are about to commit. He works very hard and does not seem to have life outside work. Unfortunately he expects you to work also the same way. If it is not a temporary phenomenon on account of a looming deadline, you need to reconcile to it. On the bright side you get to reap the rewards of hard work.

The Bully - Very rarely you could have a bully for a boss, one who is nasty and makes you miserable. But before you shout “Help!” look around. Is your manager singling you out? If you are the only one, maybe your working styles clash. Consider changing your style to match your boss’. If he is doing it to everybody then at least you know it’s not personal. Report it to your superior or an HR representative.

The Non Appreciative - You have worked hard and according to you, you have produced the best report possible. And there is no “Good show!” statement from your boss. If your boss is generally the type who never appreciates anybody then your best bet would be to ask him directly for feedback on your work and if you really did a good job he will have to admit it. Alternately you can ask for feedback from supportive teammates. But if he/she does appreciate occasionally then you know you only need to do better to receive that rare compliment.

The Inexperienced - Being a boss can be tough. Bosses have to deal with their own pressures and priorities. Added to that if they have just been promoted, they may still be learning the ropes of being a boss. Understanding this can make you more sensitive towards their problems. Due to their inexperience they may not realize the extent of direction that needs to be provided to subordinates. You can help them help you by articulating what kind of support you expect from them to do your job.

The Non Communicative - This manager communicates a decision and you are left clueless of the rationale for it. You are told to perform a task, but you do not understand the relevance of the same for the organization. You can ask for an explanation, but you are likely to not get one that satisfies you. Understanding your boss’ and organization's priorities may help you in this front. If you are new to the job this might be difficult, but over a period of time by observing trends and patterns you will figure out.

What about non difficult bosses?

Yes, we also need to manage them. Regardless of the type of boss we have we can have an effective relationship by following a few guidelines.

Appreciate realities: While some of us really do work for difficult bosses, most of us may only think we do. Check with your peers whether they also feel the same way. If not maybe you are being unreasonable. If you have faced problems with all your bosses maybe you need to reflect and see if the problem lies with you rather than the bosses.

Understand reasons for difficult behavior: As we saw earlier in the article, understanding the reasons for difficult behaviour helps in determining ways to deal with it.

Manage your own negative emotions regarding his/her behavior: It is important to do this so that you do not engage in self-defeating behavior like counter-attacking your boss.

Understand boss’ perspective: Look at issues from your boss’ perspective and not just from your own. Say your boss says ‘No’ to your dream project because there are insufficient funds, don't just complain. Understand from him/her what's needed to get it going and how you can help. By addressing the boss' concerns, you subtly influence him or her to work more on yours.

Communicate issues/concerns positively: If your boss generally behaves in a reasonable manner and his/her difficult behavior seems to be a result of stress overload, the behavior can be modified with feedback. While providing feedback, be clear about the issue and its impact without getting defensive or aggressive. Explain how the boss can resolve your concern. Ask for his/her commitment to follow through as agreed.

Use commitment based approach: Commitment-based approach with your bosses can provide good results. How this works is that you ask your boss to make specific commitments to you even if they are small. You follow up when your boss ignores or forgets that commitment by reminding him or her of the broken commitment.

Overcome fear: Often fear of how the person is going to react to you on discussing a problem prevents one from the broaching the subject. Overcoming this fear can bring things into the open and help sort out misunderstandings.

Be choosy about asking their opinions: If you ask your boss for an opinion, you will always get one. And the opinion may not always be the best one. However, once given, the opinion might seem like an order. So, if you don't want your boss' opinion to slow decision-making speed, or cloud the viewpoint, then don't ask for it. Well, don't ask if you don't need his/her opinion.

Don't just come up with problems: It is important to identify solutions to problems. So next time you take a problem to your boss also go with possible solutions. That way you are taking equal responsibility for solving it.

Educate: Agreed you are the technical expert since you spend all of your time on the issue. But you need your manager’s perspective because it is broader. While he/she may not know as much as you do, he/she can understand; so educate him/her. Educate by simplifying; using easy to understand language; by feeding him/her with articles, illustrations, best practices and summaries that help him/her see a perspective. By creating understanding, you relieve tensions; create trust that can lead to better decision-making.

Understand manager’s style: In managing your boss you should know her personal inclination, as well as your personal bias. If you are process oriented, you will tend to present issues in a systematic and orderly fashion, with pros and cons, chronology of tasks, etc. whereas he/she may prefer understanding the broad aspects leaving the detailing to you.

Be Trustworthy: Being trustworthy ensures that your boss has confidence in you and relies on you. And if he thinks you will help him succeed, he will make efforts to help you succeed.  Do not undermine trust by promising what you cannot deliver, by not delivering on what you promise, by surprising the boss with bad news without forewarning or by being sloppy in your work.

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Conclusion
The relationship we have with our boss is perhaps one of the most important relationships we have at the workplace. While we may not have difficult bosses, at some point we do face difficulties in our relationship with them. Effectively managing the difficulties we face in our relationship with our bosses can help us become more effective in our jobs.

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 References

• ‘Managing The Difficult Boss’,http://www.net-working.com/full/0211/boss.htm.

• Marilyn, PY,’Managing Your Boss’, http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/Anxiety/work_5.asp.

• Lyndsay, S, ‘How to Deal with a Difficult Boss: Solutions to 7 Types of Bad Management Styles,http://www.mftrou.com/management-styles.html.

• Horovitz, J, August 12, 2005, ‘10 rules to manage your boss’, http://in.rediff.com/money/2005/aug/12spec.htm.

• Zweibel, BK, ‘Manage Your Boss Effectively’,http://hodu.com/manage-boss.shtml.

Ask the Expert: Aug '07

I have just become a manager of a set of people and I feel I need to make some changes in the way we work. Unfortunately I am facing a lot of resistance from my subordinates, although I have explained clearly the need for change.

There is a natural tendency for people to resist change even if the changes one wants to implement are essential. Once people adapt to an environment and are sure of their role within it, any change will threaten the needs (comfort, satisfactory relationships etc) that are met by the status quo ie. the way things are. Some ways to make change easier are:-

• Give your subordinates some time to accept you as their manager. They are still getting used to you. Acceptance of you will lead to a greater acceptance of the changes you propose. Once you demonstrate your job capability, your ability to lead them and your genuine concern for their well being, they will accept you.
• Anticipate your subordinates’ concerns and address them. Give them opportunities to express their feelings. Answer their questions completely. Assure your full support in all implementation plans.
• Share your vision for the change and for your work group. Emphasize the benefits the change will bring to each of them.
• Involve them in decisions whenever possible especially those which impact them directly. They need to own the change to be able to implement it effectively.

One keeps hearing about how continuous learning is important to do well in one’s career. How do I learn without attending training programs which are expensive and time consuming?

You are absolutely right! To grow in your career you must continuously learn and develop your skills and knowledge. The will to learn is important. If you are in continuous learning mode you can learn every month, every week and every day. There are several ways to learn apart from a training program. Some of them are:-

• Learn on the job by soliciting feedback from others about your work, doing some self reflection of what you did right and wrong, discussing with other colleagues and observing their work
• Read relevant books and articles. Subscribe to relevant magazines to be in touch with the latest in your industry.
• Be part of online/offline groups that hold discussions on your area of work.
• Take an online course which will work out more economical and give you flexibility of choosing the time you want to devote to learning.
• Find someone inside or outside the company who has already mastered the new skills to act as a coach and clarify your doubts.
• Exchange questions and experiences with a “learning partner”, someone who is learning the same skill. If you cannot find a learning partner in your group or company, look for groups on the Internet who are interested in the subject.

However for you to successfully learn relevant skills you must identify what you need to learn. Make sure the learning areas directly help in improving your work related skills. Then develop a learning plan that includes what you need to learn, learning resources you will use, a schedule of learning activities and measures of learning achievement.

I know my top management is capable and have employees’ best interests at heart. But then why don’t they communicate important developments to employees. We have to rely on the grapevine to get company updates.  

While it is top management’s responsibility to communicate adequately with employees, don’t let that stop you from approaching them and clarifying any concerns that you have. When you meet them explain your concern positively. Try and understand their perspective on issues just as you want them to understand yours. If they say they will clarify later, ask for their commitment on the same and follow up on the same if you don’t hear from them.  

Mostly top management does not communicate for one of the following reasons:-

• Certain developments may not be final and communicating it too soon may have a negative impact.
• If there is bad news, they don’t want to alarm the employees by giving it immediately without having first formed a strategy to address the problem.
• Overloading employee with information is not good. So, they have to be choosy about what to communicate and in the process topics you are interested in may get left out.
• Some information by its very nature may not be for public consumption eg., financials of a private company. If you ask them they will explain it to you, but it will not be circulated to everybody to avoid leakage to outsiders etc.

Often information gets distorted through rumours. So, discount any rumours you have heard. You should definitely highlight your concern to top management directly. It’s likely that your manager will also be able to clarify. You may want to ask him/her first.

And, read carefully information about the company that is available to you - company highlights sent on emails and in newsletters, company news in media etc. Often one tends to read it hurriedly thinking it does not affect me.

Mind Mapping: Management Funda, Aug'07

Mind Mapping: What does it mean?
Human brain works through associations. Every idea has a number of links attaching it to other ideas. Mind Mapping is a technique that utilizes this ability of our minds. By using mind maps, we can quickly identify and understand a subject’s structure, the way the pieces of information fit together. They hold information in a graphical format that our minds find easy to remember and quick to review. They help us avoid thinking linearly by opening us up to creativity and new ways of thinking. This can be best illustrated with an example.

An example of a mind map

Steps followed in making the above mind map:

1. Write the subject title you're exploring in a circle in the page center. This is shown by the black rectangle (time management) in the above figure.

2. As you come across major subheadings for the topic, draw lines from this rectangle. Label these lines with these subheadings. These are shown by the red lines (time wasters, effective use of time etc).

3. As you go deeper into the subject and uncover another level of information ie., further facts belonging to the subheadings above, draw these as lines linked to the subheading lines. These are shown by the blue lines (focus, planning etc.).

4. Delve further into the subject and uncover another level of information ie., more facts belonging to the subheadings above, draw these as lines linked to the sub-subheading lines. These are shown by the orange lines(diaries, priorities etc.).

5. Finally, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line and label them. These are shown by the green lines (order of execution, allocate importance etc.).

How was it invented
Mind Mapping was invented by Tony Buzan following his research on note taking techniques. He tested how much was learned or remembered using each of the following techniques for taking notes:

He found that the ‘Least learned’ was 1 and ‘Most learned’ was 6. So, Tony Buzan came up with a new method for note taking based on the idea of making the notes brief and interesting to the eye.

What are it applications
Not surprisingly mind maps can be used in many different ways other than just simple note taking.

How can I use it
Want to show your team the big picture about the next assignment? Stuck with problem you are trying to solve? Getting bogged down by the loads of information about the topic you are researching? Want to come up with a new way of selling your product. Make a mind map! Thus you can use mind mapping to summarize information, think through complex problems, consolidate information from different sources and enhance creativity. You can easily find more such workplace uses for mind maps.

Once you understand how to make notes in the mind map format, you can develop your own unique way of making mind maps. For instance you may decide to use different colors to distinguish different ideas or use symbols and images along with words. So, try experimenting with mind mapping. I bet you will find mind maps effective.

References

• ‘Mind Mapping FAQ’, http://members.optusnet.com.au/~charles57/Creative/Mindmap/mindmapfaq.html
• ‘Mind Maps A Powerful Approach to Note Taking’, http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm
• Dunn, S, ‘For Greater Success in the New Year Try the Miracle of Mind Mapping’, http://www.mind-mapping.org/mindmapping-and-you/basic-introduction-to-mindmapping.html