ARTISTIC MANAGEMENT

Nothing jeopardizes an individual's career, a project's success and an organization's bottomline more than bad management. The paradox of management is: "Every individual hates his/her manager" including an individual who is hated by his/her reportees.

What is good management?

This is a question that management gurus have been struggling to answer for decades. While the management gurus debate among themselves on what good management is and strive to come up with an appropriate answer, we decided to seek the answer to the easier question.

What is NOT management?

We can define management in one way or the other. Each one has its own version. But at least we know we can define it. It is accepted that "what is management" can be defined. But can we define "what is NOT management?"

Is it bad management or is it no-management?

How can you define "What is NOT management?"?

And who can answer this question better than YOU--the one on the receiving side of bad, good or no management at all.

Let's start decoding this simple yet complex question.

What better way than ask the world's best coders to decode this mystery around management.

With this issue, we are throwing open a contest wherein our esteemed readers, as in YOU, will be asked to send in your experience of "What is NOT management?".

While we have to wait to receive your responses, we have collated some samplings for you.

1. For a young fresher, his manager is god. And what happens if god displays everything else other than godliness. At some point, nearly everyone has observed someone being ridiculed in public at work. Yet, public humiliation is an old, outdated habit of the classic authoritarian management style. Unfortunately, it is still commonly used, as employees’ stories attest. This software engineer for a large IT services firm recalls being chastised almost daily in front of his team members for not understanding new code instructions. Picking on your employees in public shows nothing but how good you are at NOT managing the show.

2. Withholding praises is another trait that such managers follow most religiously. This software engineer recounts his own experience in the most bitter way. New to organization, he met his highly insecure manager at offshore and soon flew onsite to take care of some urgent project requirements. Once onsite, he gained extreme client support and praise from onsite manager. He came back despite onsite manager's wish that he stays put onsite and takes care of the project. Unfortunately all this did not wash down well with the offshore manager. All the official praise / recommendation that was sent by client was withheld by the offshore one. All this while the engineer is oblivious of any such letters/recommendations. It was only during the annual appraisals when the engineer started collecting feedback on past projects, he discovered that his onsite manager had sent great feedback on his performance which was withheld at offshore for obvious reasons. He could see the contrast clearly and the biases too. The engineer was demoralized on getting badly appraised even though he was a star performer. He even thought of quitting but then some inner sense asked him to escalate this issue before leaving. Truth came to light and the offshore manager was asked to leave. All this goes on to prove only one thing, withholding praises due to insecurity is just another form of not being able to manage the show.

Anyways, we are not here to judge good, bad or no-management. We are just kickstarting this campaign of discovering "what is NOT management?". Start shooting your responses to NM@reinventsoft.com.

5 Things You May Not Know About Bill Gates

1. HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. On being asked “You’re a competitive person, would it ever upset you if you weren’t the richest guy in the world?”, Gates’ responded, "I wish I wasn't, there's nothing good that comes out of that," he said. "You get more visibility as a result of it."

2. HE’LL NEVER RUN FOR OFFICE. On being asked if he would follow in the footsteps of other wealthy Americans who have entered into the political arena, Gates said, "I certainly will never be a politician”. When asked why he replied, “For every reason. I wouldn't like it, I wouldn't be elected. I'm better at what I'm doing."

3. HE DOESN’T CARRY A WALLET. On being asked "What did you carry around in your wallet.... how much cash are we talkin here?", he replied, "I don't carry a wallet around that often"... 'guess when you’re that rich you don’t have to!

4. HE DOESN'T HAVE AN iPOD. "I don't have an iPod. I think a phone is a nice portable device to have one's music on...and I think some other people may do that in the future too, we'll see."

5. HE LOVES GOING TO THE MOVIES. On being asked: "Is it tough for you go to a soccer game with your kids or to just go to the movies?" He said, "No, the movies are great - they turn the lights out!" "I'm not bothered when I'm out in public or anything," he said. "Somebody might ask for a signature, rarely, but that's not a difficult thing."

Source: CNBC

MUNCH IT OVER LUNCH!

"I do think with my not being here full time there is some opportunity that people will really step up. There's somewhat of a vacuum created there... I have got to get out of the way, and let that new thing step in there."

Bill Gates

(on his retirement on June 27, 2008)