Crossing valley with trust among team !!!!

Valley crossing is a task the amount of trust, team work and communication between the team . The task it to cross a valley , there are 3 people who have  to cross valley with the help of stick .The job for every 3 of them is to cross the valley safely. The distance between the cliffs is more than 1 step and less than 2 steps. Hence this will ensure that every person is in the air( in danger) once. The team has to make sure that they reach the other end safely.

The steps involved in crossing the "Valley" can be summarized by the table given below:

Step	State of 1st Person	State of 2nd person	State of 3rd person
1	Safe	Safe	Safe
2	Half-Risky	Safe	Safe
3	Full-Risky	Safe	Safe
4	Half-Risky	Half-Risky	Safe
5	Safe	Full-Risky	Safe
6	Safe	Half-Risky	Half-Risky
7	Safe	Safe	Full-Risky
8	Safe	Safe	Half-Risky
9	Safe	Safe	Safe

Team work-Teamwork is absolutely necessary while carrying out any task. It helps the manager and the organization as a whole to achieve targets. It cannot be possible for a single person to handle everything. It is the teams effort which matters in the long run. Also in the above task team effort was necessary to a large extent. Hence team work plays a pivotal role in management


2.      Trust-
This is again a very important factor. Whenever a manager assigns a task to his employees he definitely has a faith in them. This faith encourages the employees to work harder because it gives them a feeling of consideration. This particular thing is showcased very well in the above task. The person hanging in middle has to have complete faith in his teammates about their ability. Only then can a goal be achieved.

3.      Rapid communication-
Communication is important in an organization or else any activity for that matter. It helps to communicate your ideas. Communication in the above task was important so as to convey your position and feelings. Communication should not be delayed and must be at the right time.  

NAVRANG CUBE !!!

It was the first time a saw navrang cube . The navrang cube has a total of 27 cubes with 9 different colours of 3 each . The task which was given to us was to place all the 9 colours on each side of the cube . Navarang cube unlike the normal rubik cube can be dismantled and re-structured .

      Prof Mandi has given the task of arranging all the 9 colours on the 6 faces of the cube . I was enthusiastic and gave a try to solve the puzzle , but could not complete it in the stipulated time . Prof Mandi has solved the puzzle in 2 mins by arranging the cubes in a structure and following a pattern. Then we can to discuss about organizational structure and objectives . There should be a proper organizational structure for the organization to achieve the objectives .

      A systematic approach is needed to solve any problem. A structure has to laid in the organization to achieve goals of the organization. Planning and strategy will play a crucial role in running the organization .

Creating a world without poverty -Muhammad yunus and Grameen Bank

                    "The challenge is to innovate business models and apply them to produce desired social results cost-effectively and efficiently"

We were asked to watch a video – which is a speech of Muhammad yunus  about grameen bank . It was an extraordinary speech about social business to help the poor . As yunus says “The poor must have a chance to participate in decision-making that affects their lives”

           Grameen Bank (GB) has reversed conventional banking practice by removing the need for collateral and created a banking system based on mutual trust, accountability, participation and creativity. GB provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh, without any collateral. . The origin of Grameen Bank can be traced back to 1976 when Professor Muhammad Yunus, Head of the Rural Economics Program at the University  of Chittagong, launched an action research project to examine the possibility of designing a credit delivery system to provide banking services targeted at the rural poor. The Grameen Bank Project (Grameen means "rural" or "village" in Bangla language) came into operation with the following objectives:

• extend banking facilities to poor men and women
•   eliminate the exploitation of the poor by money lenders;
• create opportunities for self-employment for the vast multitude of unemployed people in rural Bangladesh        
  

With the above data we could discuss about the 2 type of approaches in banking . The traditional banking and grameen bank . The objectives of the two banks is different . Traditional banks are of profit motive but grameen bank has got a motive for its own to help the poor . Grameen bank’s approach to the people attracted a lot of people to take loans . Grameen bank has given the option of taking the poor as the stake holders of the bank . As discussed in the above posts Management objective of the grameen bank was to reduce poverty in all terms and they were successful in doing so .

Learning : Sometimes we have to go in a different way to achieve the objectives of the business . Approaches depend of the objectives and goals of the business .

                              I wish Grameen bank could help more poor in the future and achieve their goal of creating a world without poverty . 

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together” - James Cash Penney

When I was a child i used a play a lot with Magnets,later when i came to know magnets have a Magnetic field which can attract other objects inside the magnetic field and now I came to know how Magnet can be seen in a Management perspective . 

                           Prof Mandi has walked in the class and showed a magnet and asked why does a magnet attract . We have given many answers and came to answer which Mandi has expected i.e Allignment .A magnet has its power to allign other attractable particles in its magnetic filed . A manager is a like a magnet who will align all the workers in place . In terms of an organization it aligns all the work forces in order or in a organizational structure .

                                     Managers align people and process . They create the force to make people and tasks align in an order . Objective of the magnet is to align and in the same way objective of the manager is to organize the people and there respective tasks .Here we come to know about a important management lesson - management by objectives . 

                            Management by objectives (MBO) is a process of defining objectives within an organization so that management and employees agree to the objectives and understand what they need to do in the organization in order to achieve them.The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing course of actions and decision making. An important part of the MBO is the measurement and the comparison of the employee’s actual performance with the standards set. Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal setting and choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfil their responsibilities.

                                     We can further discuss this topic with comparison of the three monks story and tower building exercise where goals are set based on the methods . 

   

Three monks	Tower building exercise
No hierarchy	Hierarchical structure
consesus on decision	Control by higher management
Work divided among the all	work defined according to the role
work load is distributed	work is distuributed according to role
Skill is same	Unskill of the employees

 We have further discussed how skill mismatch can bring changes in the organizational structure .Management should know which skill has to be given priority and which skill not . The objectives of the management or organization should be clearly set to achieve success . 

Will be blogging again . Keep reading !!! 

Management Lessons From Three Monks Film

History : 

Three Monks is a Chinese animated feature film produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. After the Cultural Revolution and the fall of the political Gang of Four in 1976, the film was one of the first animations created as part of the rebirth period. It is also referred to as The Three Buddhist Priests.

Background

The film is based on the ancient Chinese proverb "One monk will shoulder two buckets of water; two monks will share the load, but add a third and no one will want to fetch water. The film does not contain any dialogues, allowing it to be watched by any culture, and a different music instrument was used to signify each monk. In this play, main aim is to show essence of TEAM WORK and PRODUCTIVITY, these are explained by theme of fetching water from down the hill to top of hill, where Monastery is situated.

Concepts :

                     The Film starts with a monk who prays and contemplates in a monastery in the hilltop. He uses two buckets and a stick to carry water from riverside to the hilltop. He follows the method daily until a second monk comes and joins him. The second Monk brings in water for the first time but later he does not wish to work alone as the first monk was idle when he was carrying water. They decide to Work together but they reduced the amount of work for carrying a single bucket. 

                     As there was difference in the personalities of the two monks they faced problem carrying the single bucket of water with the help of stick. Even though both monks were good at heart, they fought for a small work. First monk saved bird in his journey and the second one saved butterfly. But when they were working together, somehow team dynamics didn't work between them. The Video continued and the two monks decided to measure the length of the rod and tie the bucket in between for equal load sharing. They started to measure by hands. But that division turned out to be biased because of difference in length of palm of each monk. So, they agreed upon measuring by scale. In this case both worked together to reach to a mid-point of rod, one measured the rod and other holder the position for perfection in measurement. We conclude that Measurement of work needs to be scientific and objective. This contributes more towards work satisfaction.

                         The work would be equally divided between the two, So that the other doesn't feel he is doing the complete work. Each member will have his role to play and restricted to his boundaries .Effort on the individual is less leading to work satisfaction. 

                         Here comes the third monk in the picture. On arrival of the third monk, the two monks rested and thought he will bring water. But to their surprise, the third monk drank water brought by the two monks. The team should follow certain norms. 

                        When the Work is equally shared, even the fruit of the work should be shared equally.

                   Continuing in the video, fire broke out and all the three monks irrespective of the tensions between them worked together to bring water as much as possible and were able to blow off the fire.

                     There was need for an organized system where every team member has his role to play for the output. Thus a method was devised in which one pulley system was set up. One monk filled bucket from the river. The second pulled up the bucket and third one carried the bucket to monastery. 

Thus this method was highly efficient as compared to others as:

      

1) There was a continuous feedback and instantaneous communication

2) Reduce the effort put in by the individuals 

3) Optimal use of resources 

4) Use of technology and Engineering can yield Better results.

                               This is the kind of modern management that we witness in organizations today. We witnessed the changing group dynamics with the change in method of work. Managers should devise methods for maximum productivity and improved work satisfaction.

Future of business lies in Modern Management

Now, its like i have started eagerly waiting for Prof .Dr.mandi sir's  GYAAN Sessions.To listen to what all new things he has up his sleeve.

                              As  we sat around Dr.Mandi in the first class , he started throwing some cubes at us.Then he has asked how many single cubes can be built by keeping one on the other in a single column. Every one was giving a figure based on their perception and strategies. He asked if some one could volunteer and come forward to build a block. One student came forward with a challenge that he can build a block with 14 cubes,but he made a bigger block with 22+ cubes.

                        Now comes the real challenge. Dr.Mandi asked 3 students to come forward to work as an organized team in which a person would be blind folded(lower management) and other the instructor(Middle management) and a person to monitor both (Upper management) . The instructor/Manager will be guiding the blind folded/Employee to build the block .Then Dr.Mandi sir asked them to cross the number of cubes for a block, which was made by the earlier person. The team performed very well and they were able to cross the target and made a block with 27 cubes.

Following is the analysis made after the two tasks in building the blocks.
1) Work is more clearly defined in an modern organized system than in an unorganized/craftsmanship system.
2) Productivity is more in case of the modern organized system
3) work is divided into different levels in the organization in a modern organized system while the whole the work flow is ambiguous in an Craftsmanship type system.
4) Satisfaction levels of the employee is less in the modern organized system as there is less transparency in the system
5) Employees expertise in their own domains in the case of the modern organized system but the skill would not be having more value as the work is divide into more refined ways .


Conclusion :
An Modern organized system will have the best productivity and clarity of goals, but it should also consider the satisfaction of the employees in the organization by bringing in changes in the HR policies which would rejoice the employee, as pointed by Prof. Dr.Mandi sir,for the employee's  every single penny,every incentive means a lot .

Waiting for next class .. Will be keep posting.

Management- A Pandora's Box

                                     Before getting admission in NITIE I used to read a lot of stories and blogs about life in a b-school, now it’s my turn. Thanks to NITIE for making me a part of this fraternity. 

                                          The most exciting journey of my life started on 17^th June 2013. God’s own campus has welcomed all our batch with a shower of blessings to begin a great journey ahead.The first day was as usual two hour class,assignments and theories but I was really looking for a practical b-school class.  Then on 18^th June a man walked in silently, sat on the dais and asked all the students to sit around him. He knows exactly how to increase the productivity of a session by giving the students more than just a class room experience. He is none other than our beloved Prof T.Prasad. He is popularly known as Dr.Mandi because he is the person responsible for the famous marketing event MANDI.

 

                                            He calls business as “Dhanda” and believes that there is no mistake in earning money by doing a business ethically. He taught us the basic principles of management with those toys and other scientific toys like Newton’s cradle to make it more practical than theoretical. He has really motivated us to start earning while learning and said a slogan

“Socho Becho!!  Becho Seekho !! Seekho Socho !! Socho Becho”

                                          To sum up, the session was really interactive and thought provoking. Looking forward for more such sessions from Dr.Mandi. Will be keep blogging. 

Thank you !!!