Management Mantra

Leadership skills in Whatsapp Group Admin

September 21, 2016 RimpleSanchla Management Mantra post

While we talk about the leadership, the persona having capabilities to transform the vision, in reality, taking all teams along with him, becoming a guiding light, motivator all the time to reach the final goals. We never thought earlier about the comparing and taking an example of leadership qualities before on Whatsapp Group Administrator. The following write-up is inspired by few WhatsApp group where I am an admin as well as my day to day experience of being an Entrepreneur.

Vision: Creating a group on a certain theme and make it successful is a vision of the Group Admin, and he or she makes it happen by having a thought in mind first. Certain people create a group on the theme of School members, college students, certain company members or some industry altogether. Some groups are of special interest or like-minded people who wish to exchange ideas on very prompt medium. Have read somewhere that the first ingredient of success is to dream a great dream and if you can dream it, you can do it. Our leaders are also visionary and they led us to some goals and achievements.

Establishment: People need courage and a strong commitment to establishing something new, on which they are not sure about the clear-cut goals and guidelines. Group admin creates a group by having certain thoughts in mind, like from what will be a theme, first conversation, who will be group members, from where he or she will get those number and etc etc. The small things matter, micro-planning required, even if you are at top level being a leader. The planning while and before establishment makes the leaders confident and makes him aware of the potential problems lie in the path. The foresight will help teams to find a solution.

Selection / Recruitment :
Selection of members in Whatsapp group is also a very important task since the activeness of group and members lies on this criteria. Even in some cases where the count of members increases above 50, Admin needs to select some inactive members to remove and add new aspirants in the group. What exactly the Admin does in this process. Selection of suitable member and add them in a Group, Monitoring of Performance ( Activeness, effectiveness, and Value) of the group members. Take the decision to remove and add new members. Same is happening in the Corporate world. In today’s scenario, the Corporate is totally Performance driven and an employee is rated, graded, awarded and terminated based on the performance.

Policies :
Whatsapp group Admin admin generally makes and helps others to break the rules either way. I have seen certain Admin, who restrict members by posting unwanted material, photos or contents on racism which may not generate a healthy discussion. It is a leader who decides how his group will behave. In certain groups there are only light contents will be forwarded whereas some groups are so active where they discuss technology, job opportunities, current affairs which adds value to your knowledge.

Conflict Resolution :
Many members have a difference of opinion with others still they are active participants and who make the group alive, it is a leader who keeps them alive and encourages them to talk and share their views whereas applicable. In some of the cases, Admin becomes intermediator to resolve the difference of opinion and drive the discussion to some other fruitful directions.

We never notice such leadership skill but it is everywhere in each individual if a person starts looking at that angle.

Note: Not all WhatsApp admin are leaders! Not every admin is successful in managing the group. A success of a WhatsApp group can be measured with the content and discussion happening in the group. You can ask questions like: Is the purpose of the group still intact? Purpose can expand, Vision can get larger, but it cannot dilute! 🙂 Happy Whatsapping.

Time Management Analogy

December 13, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management Mantra

The time management ‘rocks in bucket’ story

Use this time management story to show how planning is the key to time management.

Start with a bucket, some big rocks enough to fill it, some small stones, some sand and water.

Put the big rocks in the bucket – is it full?

Put the small stones in around the big rocks – is it full?

Put the sand in and give it a shake – is it full?

Put the water in. Now it’s full.

The point is: unless you put the big rocks in first, you won’t get them in at all.

In other words: Plan time-slots for your big issues before anything else, or the inevitable sand and water issues will fill up your days and you won’t fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn’t necessarily have to be a work task – it could be your child’s sports-day, or a holiday).

Understanding Resource Utilization & Successful Delegation from Mahabharata war

December 7, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

Knowing the SWOT of your available resources can give you optimum utilization of your resources.

Delegation is a win-win when done appropriately, however, that does not mean that you can delegate just anything.
Kurukshetra war gives you a perfect lesson on both of the above. No wonder, Mahabharata is also known as the 5th Veda! It’s been said, those who read the epic Mahabharata, they get the knowledge and wisdom of all the 4 Vedas – Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva Veda’s. Rishi Vyas, knew, that 4 vedas would be difficult for common man to understand and that’s why he wrote Mahabharata.
On the Kaurava’s side, nobody wanted the war except Duryodhana. Kaurava’s had best of the resources like Bhishma, Drona, Karna, etc – all Maharathi’s. They did not wanted to be a part of war, but still had to.

Though, Kaurava’s side consisted best, but their motives were distributed. No common goal. Were just there for the sake of the being in the war.

Let’s look at few characters from Kauravas side:
Bhishma – He won’t kill the Pandavas, they are his grandchildren
Drona – He won’t kill Pandavas (his students)
Shalya – He was the maternal uncle of Pandavas and secretly helped them by acting as a spy. He also demotivated Karna in the battlefield.
Karna – Promised not to kill any Pandava except Arjuna.

So as you see, Kauravas are nothing but a directionless team of traitors. A team without any GOAL, fighting cluelessly. No organization.

Pandavas had a common goal but they intelligently divided the responsibilities. They had an agenda and they picked the right man for the right job.

Dhratsadyumna – Drona.
Shikhandi: Bhishma.
Satayaki – Bhurisrava.
Arjuna – Karna.
Bhima – Duryodhana and his brothers.
Sahadeva – Shakuni and his sons.
Nakula –Karna’s sons.
Support system – Virat, Drupad, Chedi, Magadh, Kasi, Matsya and Naga king.
Krishna – Saarthi, Crisis manager, Advisor, Mentor.
A great example of proper resource utilization. The right team is made by selecting the right Individuals. Get the right man for the right job. Have a common goal, but divide the goal into sub-goals and delegate it to the right individuals.

Understanding mergers and acquisitions from Kauravas and Pandavas

December 5, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

Hastinapur was the greatest empire of its time and the presence of Bhishma & Drona guaranteed the Victory of Kauravas (100 brothers) in Kurukshetra. Both the parties are going Kingdom to Kingdom for campaigning to become their allies. Kauravas, in their own world and pride did not make powerful allies except from old relations like Gandhara (Shakuni), Sindhu (Jayadrath), Kambodia (Camboja – Bhagadutta). Kauravas had enough of resources in terms of wealth, army, cavalries, elephants.
Krishna was not a king, but he had well-trained army with over 10,000 men who have been great assets in previous campaigns.
Before the war there came a situation, where Krishna was approached to become an ally, by both Duryodhan and Arjuna. Arjuna asked for Krishna and Duryodhan was happy to receive Krishna’s army.
Pandavas on the other hand did not have wealth so they focused on making powerful allies.

Panchal through marriage with Draupadi.
Dwarka through marriage with Arjuna and Subhadra.
Magadh through marriage of Sahdeva and Vijaya.
Chedi through marriage of Nakula and Karenmayi.
Kasi through marriage of Bhima and Balandhara.
Kekaya through marriage of Yudhisthira and Devika.
Matsya through marriage of Abhimanyu and Uttara.
The Rakshasas through marriage of Bhima and Hidimba.
The Nagas through marriage of Arjuna and Uloopi.
The kingdom of Virat – Arjuna saved Virat from Kauravas while disguised as Brihannala

Kauravas army and cavalry was too huge compared to that of Pandavas. Still Kauravas lost the war.
Pandavas chose powerful leaders. Krishna was a great asset. Krishna’s army was an asset only till Krishna provided his leadership. It’s not just the skills but knowledge, strategy and alertness plays a key role in winning any game!
Network with people and expand your reach. Connect with people who will fight with you because you share a similar cause.

Importance of Decision Making & context in Management

December 4, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

In the epic Mahabharata, Bhishma (Devavrata) took the vow of lifelong celibacy and service to whoever succeeds the throne of his father – King of Hastinapur, Shantanu. Thus sacrificing his ‘crown-prince’ title and denying himself the pleasures of conjugal love.

He took an immediate required Decision and the context was father’s happiness.

Who knows what future has stored in! His brave and bold decision turns out to be fatal. His step mother, Satyavati, gives birth to 2 children who die without leaving a successor. The Hastinapur kingdom is now without a king. Satyavati comes to Bhishma to break his vow and get married or have union with the 2 widows of his 2 no more son’s.

Bhishma refuses saying, that he has taken one decision and now he will stick to it no matter what.

On one hand, you see integrity and on the flip side, the decision taken long back has brought negative consequences.

What we learn from this story is as an organization we need to take decisons quickly with a context thats empowering and that takes the game forward. Decisions taken today may turn out to be complete opposite over a period of time or in another circumstances – could be internal or external. Context of the existence, survival and growth of the organization keeps changing So changing the decisions at right time is also utmost necessity. And not to take short-sighted decisions!

If you do not change your decision making instinct with the context, prepare for a storm, prepare for the “Mahabharata”.

Organization is bigger than the Individual

December 1, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

Yudhishtira is a noble king, an epitome of wisdom and righteousness. Yet he decides to gamble away his entire kingdom not just once but twice.

Draupadi asks, who gave him to right to lose her, his brothers and the Kingdom? Being a king, does not entitle him to gamble away his kingdom. Yudhistira loses his self control and gambles away everything, thinking that the kingdom, the property, his brothers and his wife are all his “possessions”.

The organization (Kingdom) is bigger than the individual (King / CEO). The individual has no right to destroy the organization, even if he has founded it. He may be the manager or owner but the organization is certainly greater than him.

Passion in work versus doing for the sake of doing it!

December 1, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

Once Arjuna asks Krishna why Yudhishthira is called Dharmaraja (Religion king) and Karna as Daanveer (Donation king), as both never refused alms to anyone. Krishna says, wait for some time &I will let you know.

After a month, in whole kingdom it was raining heavily, both (Krishna and Arjuna) in disguise of Brahmins (wise men/priests) first go to Yudhishthira, saying that we are doing a Yagna and need 100Kg of Sandal wood. Yudhishthira immediately sent his servants across the kingdom, and later regretfully refused by saying that it is difficult to find dry Sandal wood anywhere as its raining heavily. Let me know if I can arrange anything else for you. Both Brahmins said “thanks” and left the place.

Then they went to Karna and made the same demand. Karna thought for a while and said it is raining heavily outside, it is least likely to get dry Sandal wood. He takes out his bow and arrow and cuts all windows and doors of his palace and compiles them for the Brahmins.

Later Krishna says to Arjuna, it is not that Yudhishthira would have refused if we would have asked for wood from his doors and windows. But this idea didn’t strike Yudhishthira in first place. Yudhishthira donates because it is written in Dharma (religion), Karna donates because he likes to do it.

The message of the story is very subtle. So many times in our personal and professional life we are doing just for the sake of doing it. There is no heart and soul into it. There is no passion for doing it.

Personality myths in management

February 10, 2014 RimpleSanchla Management Mantra post

Introverts and Extroverts

We are always told that:

To be happy is to be sociable
To be great is to be bold
If you are sitting alone in a social gathering, it means you are sad
If you are a part of group, means you are smart, happy and fun loving
If you are quiet, it means you are shy and not bold
If you are loud and speak a lot, mingle a lot, you are a leader

Talkative people are rated as smarter, better looking as more interesting and more desirable as friends. Velocity of speech also counts as well as volume. We rank fast talkers as more competent and likable than slow ones. Voluble are considered as smarter than reticent

We see ourselves as the nation of extroverts. If you are not an introvert, you are surely managing, raising, married to or coupled with one.

There are also a set of people who pretend to be extroverts. Extroverts with their loud voice, constant communication and interaction with people, leave an impression that they are smart and intelligent. Which may be true or may not be true.

We have been born and brought up in an environment or a value system called “Extrovert Ideal” – an ideal self is gregarious and comfortable being in spot light.

Parents feel they are not providing something when they see their child sitting with books and spending time alone instead of playing or interacting in a group or staying alone for most of the times. At times they may even be resentful when they see other kids.

Even in schools, desks are arranged in such a way that group learning can take place, there are various programs, events, functions, competitions in schools and colleges to foster group work. And the one who cant fit themselves in the group, start feeling inferior and go into a shell or thinking that there is something wrong with them.

Do you know, without introverts, world would have been devoid of theory of relativity, theory of gravity, the GOOGLE, satyagraha revolution, Harry potter, Charlie Brown, W.B Yeat’s the second coming, Proust’s in search of lost time, Orwell’ s 1984 and animal farm, the cat in the hat,etc.

We would have been devoid of geniuses like Einstein, Gandhi, Newton, Roosevelt, Abraham lincoln, speakers like robin sharma, etc.

Apple computers are a brain child of an introvert!

Worlds greatest ideas, art and inventions – from theory of evolution to Van Gogh’ sunflowers to the personal computers, came from quiet and cerebral people who knew how to tune into their inner worlds and treasures to be found there.

Introversion – along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness and shyness – is now a second class personality trait, somewhere between disappointment and a pathology. Not all introverts are shy. Do not mix up both. Shyness is fear of social gatherings and public speaking and fear or acceptance. Even extroverts can be shy.

Extroverts is an enormously appealing personality style, but we have turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us conform. Let their voice not over shadow the voice of introverts. Listen to them and you will be surprised to hear some treasures, something innovative that you would have ever come across.

If you are an introvert, reading this article, be proud to be so and know that you are equally powerful and equally important. Know that most of the world leaders are a part of you.

If you are an extrovert, know that you are missing on something from the geniuses around you. World needs you and introverts also.

Of course extroverts are also genius. Infact, Its not the extrovert or introvert that tells us who is genius, its the intellect. All we need is not judge genius in the scale of loudness, volume, social gatherings, clothings, talkativeness, loud body language, number of people surrounded by. All these factors do not co-relate in terms of being genius.

How Ram & Hanuman offer new understanding of appraisal?

May 17, 2013 RimpleSanchla Management lessons - Indian Epics Management Mantra post

Story goes here:

I am the HR head of a large company. We have just gone through an appraisal system and there is lot of angst in the organization about the process. I feel the process has value but we aren’t doing it the right way. Can mythology offer some new way to look at it?

You need to clarify: who has the problem? The appraiser or the appraisee? Hanuman’s mother once asks him why they went through all the trouble of building a bridge across the sea, fighting demons, and killing Ravan to save Sita. “You could have just lashed your tail and in a single sweep gotten rid of the demons and saved Sita without any trouble. So why didn’t you?” Hanuman replies: “Because no one asked me to. Besides, it was Ram’s story not mine.” This tale draws attention to two points. The appraisee (Hanuman) knows that he is being celebrated for his compliance, not his capability. But he does not begrudge the appraiser (Ram) as he knows the story is about Ram’s exploits and not Hanuman’s.

So whose story is your appraisal system measuring and what exactly is it measuring? It is not a measure of the employees alone or in isolation; it is a measure of the employee in a particular context; it is a measure of what the employees were asked to do and whether the resources allocated to them was good enough to enable them to reach the results. If the results are bad, then the problem is not just with the employees, it is also with the organization’s expectation and resource allocation. The appraisal system reveals how good or bad the organization is.

But that is not how we see appraisal system. We use it to determine how much we should pay employees, who should be promoted. In other words, it is a tool that is used to determine distribution of company expenses. We use it to judge employees and measure them against each other, determine how much a person should be paid. We do not see it as an appraisal of organizational capacity and capability. It is as much about the subordinate as it is about the appraiser and the organization as a whole.