The Hindu Business Line : The new world of work

The world has become an interconnected marketplace. Trade opportunities are now opening in markets which were earlier closed to other countries — for example, China, Eastern Europe and Russia.

As more goods and services become available worldwide, developing countries emerge as major outsourcing platforms, thanks to their cost-effectiveness.

Anticipate aspirations

Success in the new world of work warrants that managers stay close to their customers to anticipate and answer all their aspirations. A number of companies have drastically reduced their turnaround cycles to attain flexibility and versatility of a high degree. As technology has become more sophisticated, most processes have turned cross-functional.

Teams of employees drawn from diverse departments work on different projects. Managers don the mantle of a mentor-cum-consultant to such self-managing teams.

Employees are not only proficient in their own jobs, but also understand and complement the jobs of other employees. “It-is-not-my-job” mentality has been given the go-by.

Time is the essence in the new world of work. If decisions are not delivered in time, managers will not be in the game any further. Ideas generate decisions. “The pursuit of ideas is the only thing that matters. You can always find people to do almost everything else.”[Michael Eisner]

Ideas, the key

But then, what are ideas? Where do they come from? Necessity is the mother of invention [and also, reinvention]. Creativity and innovation are the consequence of passion, pressure, and perseverance. A sense of commitment propels people in their journey towards growth and development.

Second, the manner in which people perceive and tackle problems that demand lateral thinking is important.

Managers must ensure that employees enjoy an optimum level of liberty, which will enable them perform to the best of their knowledge and skill. This freedom ought to enjoin them merely to ask forgiveness, rather than seek permission. Due to the speed and complexity of business, junior employees may be confused with the sheer size and magnitude of their tasks. Managers need a solution to handle this situation. Karl Weick has coined the term “small wins” to describe the strategy for circumventing this difficulty.

Start simple

According to Weick, it is better to start with small and simple issues, before undertaking any ambitious and complicated projects. When solved satisfactorily, the small issues will generate a sense of triumph and achievement motivation. Nothing succeeds like success. Small wins are the baby steps that help people get going in the right direction.

(The author is a Chennai-based freelance writer.)