The Hindu Business Line : `Develop communication with the boss'

"BOSS is the company and company is the boss," said Mr Dexter C. Bob, Circle Head (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), Reliance Webworld, Chennai, to 500 students of management studies, computer applications and engineering at Sri Sairam Engineering College in Tambaram here in the lecture `Alphabetic Introduction to Career' after inaugurating the BL Club.

"One needs to have good communication with the boss," he added, while alphabetically listing the various factors needed for career planning, development and growth.

On the other important `b' — budget, he said, "Management essentially is the allocation of resources."

"Customer is the key," he emphasised. Communication is another key aspect in career planning and development. Cost control is a thrust area across all organisations today and will play a major role in the future. It has two major objectives: survival and better profit margins.

There is always a better way of doing things — this phrase has become the ground rule in today's cost management.

`D' is for dress, data and delegation. "You are the representative of the company. One forms an opinion about your organisation based on your external appearance." Inside the company too, "how well one presents himself is a critical parameter for success in a corporate career," he said.

The ground level or frontline salesman collects the data in most cases. Most often, it is faulty. Unfortunately, CEOs take strategic decisions based on it. Therefore, the salesperson should be trained on the importance of scientific data collection, Mr Bob said.

Ethics is very important in the long run. Freedom comes with responsibilities. The delegation of authority, power and responsibility is meant for reporting higher productivity.

"Don't give up hobbies. And pick up more hobbies," he said. Hobbies help relax, recuperate and refresh. Also, "you cannot stay away from people in a company environment. Nobody can work in isolation. One is part of a larger or a smaller team." Therefore, inter-personal skills are important.

"There is no such thing as a bad employee," he said, adding that leaders have to choose right people for the right jobs. "Organising is figuring out what resources organisation have got and direct them for various requirements to get maximum results."

`P' is for people, planning, process, problem-solving, profit, proactiveness, power play/politics, and positiveness. Of these, people and plan are very important. If you don't have people and a plan, you will never succeed.

"While quitting, quit amicably. The world is too small. Sometime in the future, you may again get to work with them either in the same organisation or elsewhere," Mr Bob cautioned. The principal of the college, Dr S. Seetharaman, and Dr K. Maran, Professor and Head of the Department of Management Studies, also participated.

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