The Mandi Marathi flash

Maha Mandi - Product Information : TANGRAM

From a plethora of products to be sold at MAHAMANDI 2014, The TANGRAM was undoubtedly the most dynamic. Kindly go through this video to get an idea of what a tangram is. It is not merely a game of the CREATIVE quotient but also introduces the child to the world of PERMUTATIONS. 

They are seven pieces that can used together to make more than 200 designs

The Maha Mandi Poster.. Maay Marathi..!!

Types of Leaderships... when to endorse which style...

I have discussed below the eight leadership styles and as instructed in class by Dr. Mandi, THE REAL LIFE LEADERS WHO EXEMPLIFY THEM. 

If you are aware of these different ways of leading, you can adapt your style to manage circumstances and advance your intended goals. How do you decide which styles to employ? Read, reflect, and go experiment.

1. Charismatic

The Icon: OPRAH WINFREY 

Known all over the world by her first name alone, picks a book to read and makes it a bestseller overnight, runs her own television network, and has more than 14 million Twitter followers. Her word can move the stock market and social issues for the better.

TRAITS

• Influences others through power of personality
• Acts energetically, motivating others to move forward

APPLICATION

• To spur others to action
• To expand an organization's position in the marketplace
• To raise team morale

2. Innovative

The Icon: RICHARD BRANSON

Launched his first business at 16, founder of Virgin Group, comprising more than 400 companies in fields ranging from music to space tourism. He recently described his philosophy to Inc. magazine: "Dream big by setting yourself seemingly impossible challenges. You then have to catch up with them."

TRAITS

• Grasps the entire situation and goes beyond the usual course of action
• Can see what is not working and brings new thinking and action into play

APPLICATIONS

• To break open entrenched, intractable issues
• To create a work climate for others to apply innovative thinking to solve problems, develop new products and services

3. Command and ControlThe Icon: Tom Coughlin

Controversial head coach of the New York Giants, a stern taskmaster and disciplinarian who learned to adapt his leadership style to improve his relationships with his team but never lost sight of his goal: winning Super Bowls.

TRAITS

• Follows the rules and expects others to do the same

APPLICATIONS

• In situations of real urgency with no time for discussion
• When safety is at stake
• In critical situations involving financial, legal, or HR issues
• In meeting inflexible deadlines
• Demands immediate compliance
• Engages in top-down interactions
• Is the sole decision maker

4. Laissez-Faire

The Icon: Donna Karan

Founder of DKNY, built an international fashion empire based on wide appeal to both women and men. Although she has spent less time creating her own designs since 2002, her vision lives on in the work of other designers, inspired by her leadership.

TRAITS

• Knows what is happening but not directly involved in it
• Trusts others to keep their word
• Monitors performance, gives feedback regularly

APPLICATIONS

• When the team is working in multiple locations or remotely
• When a project, under multiple leaders, must come together by a specific date
• To get quick results from a highly cohesive team

5. Pace Setter

The Icon: Jeff Bezos

Founder of Amazon, set the pace for the boom in e-commerce by creating a transactional interface that every other online merchant copied—the same people who are now following him to the cloud.

TRAITS

• Sets high performance standards for self and the group
• Epitomizes the behavior sought from others

APPLICATIONS

• When staff are self-motivated and highly skilled, able to embrace new projects and move with speed
• When action is key and results are critical

6. Servant

The Icon: Herb Kelleher

Cofounder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, famously said "the business of business is people" and created a company culture that reflects that philosophy. He once took an interior office with no windows rather than encourage the traditional view of an office as a status symbol.

TRAITS

• Puts service to others before self-interest
• Includes the whole team in decision making
• Provides tools to get the job done
• Stays out of limelight, lets team accept credit for results

APPLICATIONS

• When leader is elected to a team, organization, committee, or community
• When anyone, at any level of the group, meets the needs of the team

7. Situational

The Icon: Pat Summitt

Former head coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team, holds the record as the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history. Even as new players joined her team each year, she maintained a winning record (more than 1,000 victories and eight national championships over 38 years) by adapting her coaching to her young players' skills and needs.

TRAITS

• Links behavior with group's readiness
• Includes being directing and supportive, while empowering and coaching

APPLICATIONS

• Where ongoing procedures need refinement, reinvention, or retirement

8. Transformational

The Icons: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

Turned a $12,000 investment and a correspondence course on ice cream making into a beloved international treat. They adopted a radical business philosophy dedicated to social responsibility and created a business model that allowed members of their customer community to become stockholders.

TRAITS

• Expects team to transform even when it's uncomfortable
• Counts on everyone giving their best
• Serves as a role model for all involved

APPLICATIONS

• To encourage the group to pursue innovative and creative ideas and actions
• To motivate the group by strengthening team optimism, enthusiasm, and commitment

Crossing the Valley Mandi Style...!!!

Crossing the valley:

The activity below shows a group of three individuals, connected only by a pole, attempting to cross a valley.

The activity has three participants who are given a long rod which is carried by them on their shoulders, and then they have to cross a small crater as a group. There each person gets to be in motion for a few seconds without using their legs. The burden of the person in air is borne by the other two participants.

Analysis:

L1     L2     L3_______                               Step 1: All safe

R1     R2    R3

         L1     L2     L3                                    Step 2: Person 3 half safe

R1    R2     R3

         L1     L2     L3                                    Step 3: Person 3 full unsafe

         R1     R2     R3

                   L1     L2    L3                           Step 4: Person 2 and 3 partially safe

         R1     R2     R3

                   L1     L2    L3                           Step 5: Person 2 fully unsafe

                   R1     R2    R3

                             L1    L2    L3                  Step 6: Person 1 and 2 partially safe

                   R1     R2    R3

                             L1    L2    L3                  Step 7: Person 1 fully unsafe

                             R1    R2   R3

                                      L1    L2    L3         Step 8: Person 1 partially safe

                             R1    R2    R3

                                      L1    L2    L3         Step 9: Everyone is safe

                                      R1    R2   R3
L- Left foot
R-Right foot
___- Valley 

Teamwork:

The process of working together with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.
The team work is often a crucial part of a business as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying for the best in any circumstances. Team work often means people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedbacks, despite any personal conflicts between the individual.

· Effective communication: The communication between the team members should be free flowing, well channelized and directed towards achievement of project success. Also, communication between team members and team leaders should be a two way process.

· Strong leadership: The speed of the boss is the speed of the team. It is vital to have an efficient leader who can exhibit exemplary behavior. A good team leader is one who gives importance to team goals over his individual goals and is capable of showing direction and ensuring that the team members remain focused.

· Efficient delegation: Assigning responsibilities is as important as ensuring it is fulfilled perfectly. Therefore, it is essential to assign work as per the capability of team members.

· Conflict management: It is mandatory to resolve conflicts within the team. Even critical issues, when dealt with maturity, can be resolved easily without leaving a scar. Differences in opinion should not come in the way of the team’s performance.

· Trust: A term vital for any relationship also applies to a team-oriented environment. It is important to generate trust within the team. Team secrets, details of new projects or any new development within the team shouldn’t be divulged unless it is in the interest of the organization.

· Common goals: A team obviously is made of individuals with diverse opinions, often conflicting. The focus clearly is attainment of common goals. Therefore, it is vital to set aside personal points of view, be aware of organizational goals and work towards achieving targets together.

· Respect: To work in coordination, it is essential to understand and respect others in the team. Respect for each other’s competencies, views and actions will minimize conflicts, ensure smooth functioning and enhance productivity.

· Togetherness: A team signifies togetherness. As a unified unit, it should work on a common platform. It is advisable for organizations to take initiatives and organize team building exercises, excursions and monthly team meetings to strengthen team bonding.

· Avoiding negativity: Shun feelings of negativity, jealousy or ill-will. Do not participate in unproductive or unhealthy discussions.

. Setting a good example: Each team member, through his work, should set an example for others to follow. It can be done by outperforming the target, suggesting new ideas for policies and procedures or by participating in activities at the organizational level.

An Elephant's guide to Fly - straight from the Mynah

       We have always been told how Indian fables and folklore elucidate the knowledge of Life. But now we come across an example where we see how these stories hold tremendous significance in modern management techniques. Before we begin, here is the small fable about an elephant with dreams and a Mynah, his ultimate guide. 

THE ELEPHANT AND THE MYNAH

A Mynah and an Elephant struck a deep friendship. One day the Elephant said: “You 

know all my life I wanted to fly. I have always dreamt of the fun it would be to fly 

over the villages and to look from the sky at the houses and people below, to glide over 

rivers and jungles. Do you think I can fly?” 

“Sure you can,” said the Mynah. Reaching back with his beak, she pulled a feather 

from her tail. “Here” she said, “take this feather and hold it firmly in your mouth. 

Then flap your big ears as hard as you can and you will fly.” 

The Elephant did as he was told. He put the feather in his mouth, flapped his ears as 

hard as he could and, lo and behold! He began to fly. Holding the feather tight in his 

mouth, he flew over the villages. He looked at the people below; he glided over rivers 

and trees. He managed to do things he had never done before, he saw things he had 

never seen in his life. 

At last, when he glided back to earth, he ran to meet his friend, guarding his feather 

carefully with his trunk. “Mynah, you have changed my whole life”, he said. “I really 

can’t thank you enough for this feather”. 

“That feather?” said the Mynah. “You didn't need it at all!. That was just a discarded 

one. I just gave you something to believe in” It was your belief and the flapping of 

your ears that did it, not the feather!”

Now let analyse the fable in a OB HR scenario. We will consider the statements made by the mynah in the context of Leadership.

Elephant: Do you think I can fly? 

Mynah: Sure you can  - The Mynah demonstrates complete trust in her follower. She instills that sense of pride so as to instigate inspiration rather than extrinsic motivation. She could have offered the elephant some bananas and encouraged him to fly, but she does not..!!!

Mynah: Take this feather and hold it firmly in your mouth.  - Extremely clear instructions are given. There is no ambiguity whatsoever. This enables the follower to blindly walk the path with complete dedication. 

Mynah: Then flap your big ears as hard as you can - Benchmarking. Give your 100%. Use your complete potential or all such vague motivational quotes prove to be completely futile as compared to a benchmark of As Hard As You Can.  

Mynah: You will fly - A clear goal. A clear victory. No doubtful statements such as "You may eventually..", "And you never know... ", "And One day you may fly.." 

Elephant: You have changed my whole life. I really can’t thank you enough for this feather. -Gratitude. A leader's report card. If the leader cannot significantly influence and enhance his followers path. He is not a Leader.

Mynah: That feather? You didn't need it at all! - Transferring ownership of the accomplishment to the doer. To the employees. A wonderful Chinese quote that aptly puts this situation in words has been shared on this blog earlier. 

Follow this simple story in every facet of your life and ELEPHANTS WILL FLY.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. —Lao Tzu

The three monks of OB & HR

The Points to look out for in the above video:

What are the areas we need to understand from this video ? First, see that each monk has the same intrinsic quality of kindness, which enables each one of them to help out a creature in distress.

• So, all the workers in your organization are equal. You cannot differentiate them on the basis of individual capabilities, which leads to craftsmanship. Here, we need to encourage the fact that all workers in my organization, and I will use that word, are deemed equal and have to be treated as such so that the productivity of the organization does not suffer due to individualistic brilliance.

• In an assembly line, every worker is designated a task ,which is needed to be carried out by him only as that is his designated task. Here, too initially the lone monk had his individual task of fetching the bucket of water.

Secondly, we find that as the lone monk carries out the task of fetching water, he becomes exhausted as the work load is too much for him to bear alone. He becomes tired easily and loses interest in saying his prayers.Thus, he prefers to go to sleep instead of carrying out his devotional duties as a monk.

•  Never, make any worker independent in your organization. It leads to monotony in task , greater use of energy from one single human being, and decrease in overall efficiency.

When, the second monk arrives, new complications begin. How the work needs to be divided between the two of them becomes an important question.

•  Scientific methods and standard techniques are needed to divide the work among your workers. Let, no one feel cheated. Keep everyone happy and your overall productivity will be more.
• The work becomes more interdependent. Monotony is decreased and effort estimation shows lessening of energy utilized per person. This makes the entire process easier to carry out and leaves time and space for personal utilization. Here, the monks carry out better prayers.

When the third monk arrives, initially the team of monks becomes unsettled by his lackadaisical nature. He shows no interest in fetching water and drinks up all the water for the entire monastery. However, when the need arises and the firefighting begins, we learn the value of teamwork , coordination and eventually innovation in the entire work process. 

• The third monk signifies a larger team, which might lead to discord as team members may try to look for individual benefits. It is our job to make them realize that teamwork is the key as during firefighting situations within the organization and one must work effectively towards proper teamwork and coordination.
• Here, the work is also nicely distributed resulting in faster productivity and quicker output.

Finally, with the team in place , the monks device a strategy for innovating the entire work process,  which makes the job easier for them to carry out and also easier for them to manage. Thus, eventually the entire process becomes stable and the monks end up attaining NIRVANA !!

 

Let us hope that we too take these learning from this unique video and attain our personal NIRVANA... My mission is to become a good manager and use all the techniques I have learnt in my classes in the real time scenario. Once again, thank you Dr. Mandi for introducing us to the three monks , who have now bwcome an integral part of our lives.

THE MAHA MANDI EXPERIENCE

The theory X and Theory Y by Douglas McGregor

          Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book 'The Human Side Of Enterprise'. Theory x and theory y are still referred to commonly in the field of management and motivation, and whilst more recent studies have questioned the rigidity of the model, Mcgregor's X-Y Theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. McGregor's XY Theory remains central to organizational development, and to improving organizational culture.

McGregor's X-Y theory is a salutary and simple reminder of the natural rules for managing people, which under the pressure of day-to-day business are all too easily forgotten.

McGregor's ideas suggest that there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. Many managers tend towards theory x, and generally get poor results. Enlightened managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop.

McGregor's ideas significantly relate to modern understanding of the Psychological Contract, which provides many ways to appreciate the unhelpful nature of X-Theory leadership, and the useful constructive beneficial nature of Y-Theory leadership.

theory x ('authoritarian management' style)

• The average person dislikes work and will avoid it he/she can.
• Therefore most people must be forced with the threat of punishment to work towards organisational objectives.
• The average person prefers to be directed; to avoid responsibility; is relatively unambitious, and wants security above all else.

theory y ('participative management' style)

• Effort in work is as natural as work and play.
• People will apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of organisational objectives, without external control or the threat of punishment.
• Commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement.
• People usually accept and often seek responsibility.
• The capacity to use a high degree of imagination, ingenuity and creativity in solving organisational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population.
• In industry the intellectual potential of the average person is only partly utilised.

Never be intimidated by others.. only Mediocrity is always sure of itself

An introduction to a thought process.. OB & HR

   One of the very first arguments raised in class was whether an individual was more effective than a team. After much deliberation it was forced upon the class that the a team has to perform better than a solitary worker. But what I fail to understand is why should one be faced with such a dichotomy..?? Does individual output really matter..? Can you really isolate a singular efficiency and attribute success or failure to it..? I believe not. 

   People may counter this with games such as Golf or athletics where individual efforts win rewards. But can these games really exist for that individual? I know this line of thought goes slightly overboard, but it definitely needs due consideration. 

   On a more practical note, a team has to be employed when an individual is ineffective. “I can’t handle this alone” is the culmination of team work. If at any point, it is observed that the team does not add as much value, its existence should be questioned.