The Hindu Business Line : <I>Surviving the organisational food chain </I>

Amazing fleetness of foot when escaping blame; snarling and snapping when angry; distinctly marking the territory; and moving in for the kill when a colleague is weak. These are a few of the ten giveaway signs to affirmatively answer the question, `Was Your Boss Raised By Wolves?' which Gerald M. Groe poses in his book by that title, from Jaico (www.jaicobooks.com) .

"How do you survive such a carnivore? How do you tame a wolf and avoid being gobbled-up in the organisational food chain?" asks the author, a Ph.D. in organisational psychology from Columbia University, and a former Vice President of International Human Resources for American Express.

`Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?' you may ask, but that's what chapter 2 is all about. Groe offers `wolf wisdom' such as: "Like the wolf pack, and its predatory environment, the world of business is a hierarchy of interdependent power relationships. It is the larger, more financially powerful companies that wolf down smaller, less financially powerful organisations... "

We need leaders who will exert appropriate power and influence for the benefit of the organisation, concedes the author. A problem, however, arises when `managers go too far'. What happens then?

The managers begin to abuse their positions and the power they have over those beneath them, and thus trigger off `boss phobias' in some employees. These hapless ones have three options: "Put up with the abuse; leave the situation; or be proactive and assertive in establishing a more equal collaborative relationship with the boss."

The book focuses on the third option. Thus, a chapter titled `working with the wolf' explains that effectiveness lies in alignment because there are `lots of moving parts within organisations'. Learning organisation orientation demands that leaders at all levels `encourage active participation in planning and decision-making'. Replace the old chain-of-command approach with `a chain-of-collaboration orientation that is embedded within the organisation's culture,' exhorts Groe.

To make that happen, `Walk in your boss's shoes by understanding the challenges of his job,' advises the author. "Earn the right to influence your boss by delivering on promises, understanding his position on the issues, and demonstrating loyalty. Be prepared to think things through before presenting big problems and solutions to your boss."

Then comes `taming the wolf', a chapter in which the author urges you to do your job.

"Too many people do not perform their duties with focus, concentrated effort, high standards, and an emphasis on results rather than activity. Therefore, you can be a star by simply doing your job well," counsels Groe. You can help your boss deal with surprises, by adopting a proactive approach; that is, thinking through circumstances, hypothesising their possible impact, and devising some ideas to address them.

`Be the wolf,' instructs a subsequent chapter. In it, the author makes a strong case for you to view yourself as an enterprise, Me., Inc., "which must be continually invested in and developed in order to be considered valuable both within your organisation and the external marketplaces."

A book that lights the road for lambs.

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

D. Murali