Over the last few years i have got the opportunity to explore the artistic side of management and have been intrigued by it. Management as an art starts where science leaves off. Science deals with the measurable, the calculable and the predictable- mostly found when one is introduced to management early in the career. But, when management extends outside this field, which it does at numberless points in any business everyday, science is powerless; it has no base to work from and consequently no guidance to offer and it is the art of management that comes to play. 'Art' in the context of management is about 'sensing' the situation. Like Knowledge in any organisation exists as Explicit- which can be documented, shared, taught and transferred without much complexities and tacit knowledge is the one that re-defines business- knowledge that cannot be documented- it has to be felt. Tacit knowledge is 'artistic' it has to be experienced to learn- like cricket cannot be taught in a classroom it has to be played to master it. One of the greatest challenges that organisations face today is the (Tacit) knowledge gap that exists between the decision makers and the rest. A challenge probably globalisation and demographic changes in work force (off shoring) has got with it.
The greater the skill and artistry with which management is conducted, the less the fuss and effort needed to cope with situations. Partly because real skill like artistry always looks so easy. The skilled manager, like the brilliant batsman appears to be taking things easily; his skills make the situation, like the bowling, look easier than it is. It seems no effort to send the ball to the boundary. This circumstance leads some people, particularly those under good management without realising it, that many of the functions done by high management could be done by anyone and those at the top are having an idle time, getting a handsome salary for doing nothing.Infact the need for an instant and flexible response to situations, alterations, plan etc should make it clear that the highest levels of mgt cannot be dispensed with. Higher management reaches the summit of art when it represents, to those below it, wisdom by suggestion and without dictation, and is least seen, yet always present when asked for.
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Friday 27 August 2010
Influence of Moral Behavior and Social setting on employee performace
The reason for me to start this discussion is to understand the influence of Moral behavior and social setting on employee performance and engagement. Any inputs from readers will be of immense help. In the continuing blogs I will try to touch upon the various unconventional aspects that influence or enhance employee performance.
Games sometimes provide us with an illuminating analogy for other more serious activities- mainly social activities. Politics, economics, scientific, sports even war. One thing that has always intrigued me is how we will define a ‘game’.
What governs games and what makes it most interesting is the very fact that all actions are governed by rules- without the existence of rules and without any control- games cannot be played or there can be no games. How do we now relate this back to our day to day life- any relationships that becomes stereotyped and repetitive and in which ulterior motives are at work have been termed as ‘life games’.
Even workplace- which constitutes of million relationships, mainly complex are governed by some rules-Some very explicit- some implicit. These rules are derived mainly from the ‘values’ in which the organization is built and can be found explicitly mentioned in the contract letter and day to mails on ethics and behavior. What about the unwritten ones- the rules that we mainly get to know only when we break them. Moral behavior and social environment in the work place contributes heavily to this.
So, what makes a person accepted easily in an organization, especially in a globalised world- is it complying with the written rules and values or understanding and adapting to the unwritten rules. In other words, what employees do in organizations (public) may not accord with what they do in private- in other words the individuals moral behavior is shaped not only by his character but also by his immediate social context, the nature of his relationship to other people and the social pressures of work.
Games sometimes provide us with an illuminating analogy for other more serious activities- mainly social activities. Politics, economics, scientific, sports even war. One thing that has always intrigued me is how we will define a ‘game’.
What governs games and what makes it most interesting is the very fact that all actions are governed by rules- without the existence of rules and without any control- games cannot be played or there can be no games. How do we now relate this back to our day to day life- any relationships that becomes stereotyped and repetitive and in which ulterior motives are at work have been termed as ‘life games’.
Even workplace- which constitutes of million relationships, mainly complex are governed by some rules-Some very explicit- some implicit. These rules are derived mainly from the ‘values’ in which the organization is built and can be found explicitly mentioned in the contract letter and day to mails on ethics and behavior. What about the unwritten ones- the rules that we mainly get to know only when we break them. Moral behavior and social environment in the work place contributes heavily to this.
So, what makes a person accepted easily in an organization, especially in a globalised world- is it complying with the written rules and values or understanding and adapting to the unwritten rules. In other words, what employees do in organizations (public) may not accord with what they do in private- in other words the individuals moral behavior is shaped not only by his character but also by his immediate social context, the nature of his relationship to other people and the social pressures of work.
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