There are lessons for managers from the political class. — Gokul Krishnamurthy
Now, for some political savvy
Management is an art, perhaps, a fine art. There is no scientific formula that unlocks the principles of management in the form of an equation in physics or chemistry. »
‘People! Focus on me!'
The typical response of a post-1980 born belonging to Gen Y, frustrated that nobody understands her. Do we face the same situation at our workplaces? Do we fail to understand the aspirations of the younger generation? »
A manager's lexicon
What some phrases could actually mean.We have zero tolerance for...: An expressive phrase that denotes a ‘no nonsense' approach to matters. In many cases, works with differ... »
Revelation yet recruitment ad, say readers
Last week's question ‘Recruitment ad or revelation?' on an ad for the position of CEO, which had gone into the details of the work environment at the cost of creating negative perception, has elici... »
Silence at work?
At this high-stress office of over 40 professionals, a minor lapse in concentration can prove pretty expensive. Think data, think reports. It's also a place where people derive energy fr... »
Managers with ‘Masters in Office Politics'?
Management veteran R. Devarajan writes that ‘Modern day managers need to have a high degree of ‘Political Savvy''. That brings us to this related issue. The definitions of ‘office politi... »
Recruitment ad or revelation?
Among other qualities, a recruitment ad for the position of CEO listed the following as essential: ‘Continuous monitoring of all the departments and taking stern action against employees for shirk... »
Better systems are a manager's job. Here's why.
A day after Spain lifted the FIFA Soccer World Cup in July 2010, South Africans were walking tall — rightfully revelling in applause for a successfully organised global event. For Professor Nor... »
On campus as ADAG
Even as it manages its employer brand with improvement in processes from within, RCom will partner other ADAG companies — Reliance Entertainment, Capital and Infrastructure — to visit B-schools as... »
A manager's lexicon
We decipher a couple of more oft-used phrases and what they could possibly mean. A little bit of fine-tuning is needed: A cunning ploy employed by managers when asked by th... »
‘Paradigm-shifting innovation is what we need'
Prof Vijay Govindarajan is widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on strategy and innovation. The Earl C. Daum 1924 Prof of International Business at the Tuck Sch... »
A manager's lexicon
We continue to ponder over what managers possibly mean when they say…He is too crucial to our team: This is a powerful statement that seemingly conveys the criticality of a... »
Are women better at sales? Amen, say readers
Some readers point out that generalisation is not appropriate, but most say that some attributes make women better suited for sales roles. Some edited responses:»
Realistic Promises
Do women make better sales people?
In conversation with The New Manager, Mr Judhajit Das of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance notes that 15 per cent of the field sales force in his company comprises women. He adds, “Women make... »
Business coaching — the next beckoning!
As we wound down our coaching engagement, I could sense some hesitation in my coachee. I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to discuss. “I don't suppose… of course not,” I hear... »
Brain science and principles of Hinduism
Framing a principle-based global economy
Business and virtue go together
Don't blame people, blame the culture
Head honcho's kin as head hunter?
Why Theory of Constraints?
‘Win respect with the value you add'
Readers say ‘no' to public criticism at work
A manager's lexicon
We delve into the possible meanings of these commonly used phrases.We have an open culture: Alarm bells ought to ring when one hears such a statement. The real message is p... »
Chat away but keep it low
In response to our question on ‘Silence at work', a majority of respondents said that informal conversations in the work place help. Edited excerpts:
Essential ensemble, not noise
The... »RCom rings in the changes
Like several others in the telecom space, Reliance Communications too has been in the news on the HR front. A Reuters report in September 2011 on organisational restructuring mergin... »
Watch out! An expat speaks out
The other day I happened to meet a young American sent by a multinational on an assignment to India. Let's call him James.
James is the first Westerner to work in the Indian arm o... »
Smoking zones work
Responding to our question on ‘unofficial smoking zones' in workplaces (despite a ban), readers acknowledge that while smoking is harmful, given the law that denies ‘official' smoking zones, such u... »
The fifth column
5%... 6%... 7%... 8%... 9%... 10%... 9%... 8%... 7%... ( ? ).
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We as Indians were used to the ‘Hindu rate of growth' for decades and we somehow muddled along. Suddenly,... »
Should ‘unofficial' smoking areas be allowed?
In several organisations, there are unofficial smoking zones despite the ban on smoking in workplaces. In many, ironically, these zones also display the ‘No Smoking Area – Smoking here is an offen... »
Head honcho's kin as head hunter? Doesn't matter!
Most responses to our question on ‘Head honcho's kin as head hunter?' have this underlining thought: “It doesn't matter who the head hunter is, as long as the job is done professionally.” So... »
A manager's lexicon
A tongue-in-cheek look at what modern day managers really mean when they say certain things. Well, at least most of them!We repose great confidence in your abilities: You w... »
Pushing the pedal on profitability
Presenting to the board of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance recently, Judhajit Das, Chief of Human Resources, explained what had transpired in insurance since it was opened up to private pl... »
Exploring consciousness for true collaboration
Conscious capitalism and the larger purpose
Renunciation is key to excellence
A manager's lexicon
Workplace resolutions for 2012
Removing supply ‘constraints' at TACSA
HR transformation floods Mother Dairy
Cash does not add to investor appeal
Analysis shows that no matter how adventurous investors may be, they seem to assign more weight to a company's growth prospects determined by the business and sector it operates in, than to its idle cash coffers. »
Now, for some political savvy
‘People! Focus on me!'
Managers with ‘Masters in Office Politics'?
Silence at work?
Revelation yet recruitment ad, say readers
Recruitment ad or revelation?
A manager's lexicon
RCom rings in the changes
Chat away but keep it low
‘Paradigm-shifting innovation is what we need'
Hospitals hire from hotels - for better service
Sony goes with Hakuhodo Percept's pitch
Pierre Cardin premium pens fail to ink in sales