Managers Who Make a Difference , livre ebook

Dear Reader ,
The book you are holding is one of the books from the IIMA Business Books series published in collaboration with Random House to disseminate knowledge to executives in a manner that brings them up to date in different fields of management. The books are written by authors who have rich experience of teaching executives from a diverse set of organizations. Written in a conversational style with numerous illustrations from the world of experience, you will find the books useful in your work life. The references cited in the books provide you with ready information on where to look for more detailed information on specific topics and concepts. I am certain you will enjoy reading the book. Write to us suggesting topics that you will like being covered in the books that are to be published under the series in the future.
Samir K. Barua
Director
IIM Ahmedabad
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AHMEDABAD
BUSINESS BOOKS
Managers Who Make a Difference
T.V. RAO

RANDOM HOUSE INDIA
Published by Random House India in 2010
Copyright T.V. Rao Learning Systems Pvt. Ltd. Reproduced with permission 2010
Random House Publishers India Private Limited MindMill Corporate Tower, 2nd Floor, Plot No. 24A Sector 16A, Noida 201301, UP
Random House Group Limited 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 2SA United Kingdom
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author s and publisher s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
EPUB ISBN 9788184001662
CONTENTS
Introduction
1. Versatility
2. Efficacy
3. Internality
4. Values
5. Creativity
6. Interpersonal Engagement
7. Team Building
8. Time and Talent Management
9. Communication
10. Motivation and Leadership Styles
Conclusion
Introduction
WHAT IS A MANAGER?
A manager is someone who gets things done. He starts with an objective given to him by others (organization, department, top management, superiors or bosses, etc.). He understands and interprets his goals. He sets out an action plan and mobilizes the resources (men, material, money or budgets and other support) required to achieve them. He then sets about achieving his goal, monitoring the progress along the way.
Once upon a time, that was the definition of a manager, Over the last couple of decades, however, the world has changed radically. Communication and connectivity has increased, cities have grown, and we have been buffeted by immense social forces. Here are just some of those changes that impact our workplace today:
People s preferences have come into sharper focus
Consumerism and commercialization has increased
Economic activity has gone up leading to greater employment opportunities and accessibility
Education levels are going up
Talented people are scarcer
People have become more conscious of their rights and have become less negotiable. Concerns about health and well-being have increased
People have become more conscious of costs and benefits
Choices have increased
Relationships have become more complex. Divorces have increased and new phenomena like same-sex marriages, live- in relationships, and cross-cultural marriages have come into existence
Modern organizations have become flat and yet some continue to be hierarchical
Ethical issues have come into focus
The definition of a manager has to change with changing times. The implication is that a manager s job is to set new goals, new standards, recruit new people, mobilize new resources, review methods, set and reset new technologies, etc. The thrust is more on the dynamic process here. The manager is a dynamic entity and not merely an achiever of someone else s goals. The modern manager may be required to initiate new goals, define a vision, and chart out a course of action.
TYPES OF MANAGERS
From my work and interactions with managers I classify them into four categories:
1. Doers: These are managers who get things done. Though they are not extraordinary, they are necessary in the workplace. They do routine jobs. They take life as it comes. They may not have ambitions, but they work hard enough to sustain their jobs and progress at a normal rate in the organization. Without them the company may not be able to run. However, if they leave, another manager will fill their position. The Doer Managers can be further classified into committed doers and shirkers . Shirkers try to find short cuts and try to do much less than what they are expected to do. We do not deal with them in this book. The Doer Managers are sincere and hard-working managers.
2. Achievers: These managers do more than what they are required to. Many of them are outstanding. Achievers are smart managers and they work hard and get things done fast. They are noticed in the corporation and considered as assets. They have career ambitions but do not have a mission or purpose in life beyond that. They are willing to move to any company that pays them a higher salary or uses their competencies better. They are career managers. If luck favours them they may become CEOs at a relatively young age.
3. Visionaries or entrepreneurs: Visionaries are leaders. They are restless, creative, and they think big. They have long-term goals. They want to make an impact on the organization and are largely driven by creation of wealth for themselves and others around them. Thus, they make a lasting mark on society. These managers are found in various fields-government, social services, industry, trade, and commerce. They are often entreprenuers and empire builders. Personal wealth is often their distinguishing trait. Deepak Parekh, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw, Venu Srinivasan, Anil Khandelwal, Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji, Sunil Mittal, Vijay Mallya, A.M. Naik, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, and many IIM graduates like Sharath Babu all fit into this group.
4. Missionaries: These managers are mission driven. Their goals are not personal but more social and community related. They are highly driven by their goals, and there is an element of sacrifice involved in what they do. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr Verghese Kurien, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Ila Bhatt, Kiran Bedi, and Vikram Sarabhai are all examples of missionaries. Type 3 managers may also qualify to be in this category the moment they focus single-mindedly on social objectives rather than empire building. One such example is Narayana Murthy. As managers, our goal might usually stop at type 3-after all, the visionary is the archetypical manager and not all of us want to change society. However, all of us have missionary elements in our nature and it is important we acknowledge type 4 as the ultimate kind of manager.
The distinction between types 1 and 2 is sometimes blurred. The distinction between types 2 and 3 is clear. Type 2 managers are employees while type 3 are usually self-employed or employers. There are, however, various exceptions to this. For example, Deepak Parekh is mission driven but a professional manager and Verghese Kurien was appointed by the Government of India to head the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for several years and brought in the white revolution. Types 3 and 4 dedicate their lives to one cause. While type 1 and type 2 shift organizations when it suits their career goals; as they settle down and find their vocation or cause and substitute it as a mission they become type 3 and when they make sacrifices and influence large numbers of people they become type 4.
All four types described above are managers. Types 2, 3, and 4 are also leaders but the degree of their leadership varies. Type 2 managers demonstrate several leadership competencies in terms of setting standards and coming up with new ideas in their sphere of activity. Type 3 s leadership competencies are in identifying new areas of activity and setting new goals. They are entrepreneurial leaders and their spheres may vary from small to large to empire building. Some of them may even rewrite the rules like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Narayana Murthy, Deepak Parekh, Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Mahajan, and move closer to type 4. However, some of them may not yet be identifiable as type 4, as the most distinguishing feature of this type is being mission driven and making personal sacrifices for the sake of larger goals and not for personal wealth. Some of the characteristics of the four types of managers are presented in table 1 .
THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD MANAGER
Imagine the four levels of managers to be four rungs of a ladder. Your aim is to climb as high as you can. One of the objectives of this book is to help those in type 1 to move to 2, those in type 2 to 3, and the ones in type 3 to 4.
This book is based on two beliefs. First, that the better a manager you are, the bigger your vision is and the more value-led you are. While I will focus on the core skills you will need to be an effective manager, I will constantly point to the highest level to which all managers should aspire. Second, that the managers who make a difference exhibit certain qualities that can be emulated and developed. Their thought processes, outlook, values, and motives can all be acquired. Managers are not born, they can be made and each one of us has the capacity to extend ourselves. As a result I have emphasized human resource (HR) tools such as
TABLE 1: TYPES OF MANAGERS


PRD (Performance Review Discussion) and 360 degree feedback which help individuals improve through self-examination.
A summary of the qualities (implicit in our discussion of the four types) every manager must possess to a varying degree is: