MID TERM EXPERIENCE !

MID TERM EXPERIENCE !

PRE-EXAM JITTERS

A month in NITIE and we were bombarded with a lot of exams and presentations. In the same league, we had our mid-term for "Principles of Operational Management". We had to recall all the classroom teachings, practical learning, management concepts and the blog experience for the mid-term. There was a sense of anxiety before the mid-term and everyone was busy preparing for it in the best possible way.

PREPARATION

http://pomcourse2012nitie.blogspot.in/2012/07/pom-quiz-questions.html

Amidst all the long hours of reading Stoner and learning the concepts of management, Mr Mandi posted an online quiz for all of us. It was a very fruitful experience. We had a brainstorming session on the quiz and everyone came up with brilliant ideas and views. The whole concept of such debatable statements made it all the more interesting.

The more we discussed, the more ideas came up. Everyone had such wonderful thoughts which never came out before the session. The questions were tricky too. For instance, if the working conditions are enhanced, will the productivity be increased. Or if the working conditions are better, will the burden on the workers be reduced. Such questions generated the maximum conflicts and by the end of the session we all came to a mutual consensus.

Since we have a very huge batch and a lot of people have different opinions. With no offence to anyone, there were few who had the Munna-Bhai attitude!

They were so inspired by the movie that they were planning to use unethical means for the exam. But the mail by Dr Mandi specifying the important details related to the test cleared a lot of tension and everyone was motivated to perform well. Moreover the seating arrangement in the test ensured that people were not tempted for the same :) 

THE DAY 

Before we began, Dr Mandi in his usual chirpiness made us shout slogans like "Aaj ki roti aaj hi kamayenge" ... "Socho becho .. becho seekho ... seekho socho"
There is this thing with such slogans which brings out the best in you. You have this feeling of doing something for yourself.
The paper was distributed to us one by one and with each passing second, the thought of what and how the paper would be grew larger and deeper. Finally the paper landed in my hands and a quick glance brought a smile to my face. I had studied the syllabus and was happy to see most of the questions in my zone.
Time management was not a major worry for a lot of people as everyone was well prepared. The major issue in an exam is the preparation and the time management. Since most of the people had read the concepts well, so the other factor was not a big issue.
We had to share the examination hall with Section C who had their Financial Accounting Mid-Term but unlike us they had the issue of time management. The paper was a little lengthy as they say and they found it difficult to finish it in time.

The paper had a variety of questions almost engulfing the whole syllabus. From managerial skills to Hawthorne experiments, the paper had everything taught in the classes. Everyone took less than 1 hour to finish the paper and we could all see smiling faces post exam. They had this satisfaction that the hard work put in the preparation has finally reaped benefits.

THE EVALUATION

After the exam, we got a mail from Dr Mandi with the subject "POM Quiz test results". My heart started racing and with prayers flowing into my mind I opened the mail. We had been evaluated and I was pretty relieved with my performance. The evaluation is given as below :


1. Technical skills emerge as critical for higher levels of managerial
positions Ans. FALSE


Right answers - 97 %; Wrong answers - 3%


2. Flat Hierarchy organization involve greater coordination with in
organisaiton compared to taller hierarchy organizations - Ans.. FALSE


Right answers - 49 %; Wrong answers - 51%


3. Bounded rationality principle encourages the managers to be
gamblers Ans. FALSE


Right answers - 69 %; Wrong answers - 31%


4. Craftsmanship encourages involves specialization Ans. FALSE


Right answers - 97 %; Wrong answers - 3%


5. Hawthorne experiments concluded that better working conditions
leads to higher productivity Ans.. FALSE


Right answers - 73 %; Wrong answers - 27%


6. Organizations structures are conditioned by he organizational
purpose and organizational processes. Ans. TRUE


Right answers - 98 %; Wrong answers - 2%


7. As per SMART goals principle realizable goals may be defined as the
goals that are already realized. Ans. FALSE


Right answers - 97 %; Wrong answers - 3%


8. Both scientific management and administrative management theories
conflict each other . Ans. FALSE


Right answers - 23 %; Wrong answers - 77%


9. The word ..Scientific means in Scientific management..


Verifiable, Objective, Involves testing and experimentation,
analysis; synthesis; logic; rationality; empiricism; repeatable,


10. Differentiate Work - Job:


Job:  A group of homogeneous tasks related by similarity of functions.
Work - Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the
production or accomplishment of something.

We can see that majority of the students performed decently well. There is always some scope for improvement and I am sure that the mistakes will be rectified in the exams to come. I will be signing off now.
Wait for my next blog ! :)

Three Monks !

THREE MONKS

INTRODUCTION

The principles of management can be understood by a movie on three monks. 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.

The movie is added below: 

THE PLOT 

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. The film tells the story from the aspect of the Buddhist bhikkhu.

  

A young monk lives a simple life in a temple on top of a hill. He has one daily task of hauling two buckets of water up the hill. He tries to share the job with another monk, but the carry pole is only long enough for one bucket. The arrival of a third monk prompts everyone to expect that someone else will take on the chore. Consequently, no one fetches water though everybody is thirsty. At night, a rat comes to scrounge and then knocks the candleholder, leading to a devastating fire in the temple. The three monks finally unite together and make a concerted effort to put out the fire. Since then they understand the old saying "unity is strength" and begin to live a harmonious life. The temple never lacks water again.

We can relate a few management lessons from the story: 

1. Teamwork does enhances the efficiency in the working of task

The Three monks allow personal pride to interfere with the performance of daily tasks, each believing that the other two should be the ones to go downhill to fetch water. When a fire breaks out, however, they understand how silly they have been and work together to save the temple. So, from this we learn that in an organization and in a team, its important to take personal vanity out of the equation and to perform the duty at hand so that there is no regret later. A Manager has to take a note of this and check for any signs of work-delegation to others in his team.

2.  Disputes tend to arise when there is more than one person involved

When the third monk went downhill to fetch water for the first time, he came back and drank water all by himself, exhibiting a selfish tendency not aligned to the goals of the team ie. To have water stored at all times. This led to further animosity among the 3 monks and the task never got completed. Hence even in an organization, selfish motives should be discouraged. A team working towards a common goal is the best direction to be heading to!

3. Scientific and objectives measurements and instruments should be used to resolve the conflict

Complex Problems, Simple Solutions - This is the motto of decision making for any manager or team member in an organization. When the first two monks were trying to push the weight of the bucket towards each other, we in the class were asked to give a possible solution to the problem. And well, a simple solution was suggested by Pulkit Goenka (Roll No 115) that they should mark the middle of the stick so that they do not fight.

There were a lot of other possible alternates given by others too like:

• One person getting water one day
• Two persons more bucket
• Two sticks, four buckets
• Divide the work in half
• Get a motor and connect a pipe
• Attitude problem - Brain wash

But in an organization, the above mentioned alternates cannot be applied. We have to think rationally and not in a bounded territory.

4. The most efficient method to solve a problem evolves over a period of time

When posed with a question from our professor, that whether the two monks should get 2 buckets on alternate days or a bucket shared by both of them, most of us answered "Alternate Days" and by now it's easy to guess that it was the wrong answer because it was driven by common sense and not Productivity analysis according to which getting 1 bucket shared by the two monks is a much better proposition. Just to make it clearer, here is a table illustrating the productivity statistics in either case. Assuming 1 Man uses 1 unit of energy to lift 1 bucket.

Event	Output (No. of buckets)	Input(Worker Energy units)	Productivity = Output/Input
1 Man – 2 buckets	2	2	1
2 Men – 1 bucket	1	0.5	2

5. Teamwork and team interest should take precedence over the personal interest

Teamwork can lead to better decisions, products, or services. The quality of teamwork may be measured by analyzing the following six components of collaboration among team members: communication, coordination, balance of member contributions, mutual support, effort, and cohesion. Teamwork quality as measured in this manner correlated with team performance in the areas of effectiveness (i.e., producing high quality work) and efficiency (i.e., meeting schedules and budgets).

6. Experiences in crisis management comes handy to come up with new innovative methods to solve a problems

The monks out of egoistic behavior did not fill water till the fire broke out and they were left high and dry! Had they not waited for the fire to break out and had kept some water, they would not have been in a crisis. The management lesson here is to have a proactive approach! Do not wait for fire to break out in the organization (Fire is a metaphor for something ungainly in the organization)

7 Attitude of each team member determines the fate of the task and decides for the success rate

When the two monks were trying to divide the load of the bucket equally, the taller monk used his bigger hands to show that the bucket should be hung closer to the first monk, but the presence of a measuring instrument helped them get the exact center and resolved the problem. Hence it is important for a team and a manger to have the right attitude.

8. Synergistic roles:   Individual sums become bigger than what was there individually

To put out the fire each monk panicked and tried his best to run down to the river and bring the bucket full of water. But this process was long and tiring, and also had too many glitches on the road. So it proved to be ineffective.

Coordinated effort dosed of fire very easily and without being tired.

Productivity is Important. Productivity is about how well an organization converts resource inputs into goods or services. Workplace productivity is about how firms can utilize labor and skills, innovation, technology and organizational structure to improve the quantity and quality of their output.

Basically it's about exploring all the ways that can make a working environment more efficient.

Why is productivity important?

• Basis for improvements in real incomes and economic well-being.

• Monetary policy (inflationary pressures)

• Fiscal policy (financing of health, education, welfare)

• Slow productivity growth = conflicting demands for distribution of income more likely

THE BIG QUESTION - HOW TO RESOLVE DISPUTES AND WORK TOWARDS A COLLECTIVE GOAL?

CONCLUSION

From the above video analysis, we have come to the following conclusion :

• The productivity increases with the increase in the number of persons 
• There is more than 100% increase in the production with 100% increase in resources with good co-ordination
• One monk carrying water every day will become boring after a while but two monks carrying water will not be boring and productivity will not be hampered
• Disputes and conflicts are bound to arise but they need to be minimized so as to make the most out of the available resources
• Team work and coordination is the key to success
• Synergy is the magic word here!

Valley Crossing and Goal Setting

Management is often included as a factor of production along with machines, materials, and money.

The size of management can range from one person in a small organization to hundreds or thousands of managers in multinational companies. In large organizations the board of directors formulates the policy which is then implemented by the chief executive officer. Some business analysts and financiers accord the highest importance to the quality and experience of the managers in evaluating an organizations current and future worth.

Now to understand the nuances of management, we can relate it to the "Valley Crossing Exercise"

Let us have a picture for the same

Three wise men Crossing the valley  - Detailed task process :

Persons	First Person	Second Person	Third person
Step
1	Safe	Safe	Safe
2	Half Risky,
3	Full Risky,
4	Half Risky,	Half Risky,
5		Full Risky,
6		Half Risky,	Half Risky,
7			Full Risky,
8			Half Risky,
9	Safe	Safe	Safe

Safe - Both the legs of the person have full support
Half Risky – One leg in the air and the other leg has support
Full risky - Both the legs are in the air without any support
Half risky – One leg is in the air and the other leg has support
Safe - Both the legs have full support

How to go about it -- The Structure !

• Minimize the risk and ensure safety of all.
• All members should have equal workload with equal risk.
• Load should be equally distributed sequentially.

ROLE STRUCTURING

Roles of all three members are similar but not same; and equivalent in terms of total effort & risk. All 3 member Roles have equal distribution of

   

 Risky situations (1);

 Half risky situations (2);

 No risk situations (2)

    

All roles are designed for equally strong persons and there is no weaker or stronger requirement in any specific role. Communication and feedback across the 3 members was instantaneous. Interdependence among the 3 members was maximized and made crucial.

The roles are interlocking, with highest levels of interaction among the members, with instantaneous feedback being exchange and without any scope for social loafing.

STRATEGY AND EXECUTION

Communication and coordination with each other through various kinds of sounds and gestures is an important key here. If strategy is deciding what to do, execution is all about making it happen. It’s the follow through.

The main requirements for successful execution are: 


1) clear goals for everyone in the organization, that are supportive of the overall strategy; 
2) a means of measuring progress toward those goals on a regular basis;
3) clear accountability for that progress.


A good execution requires having a systematic way of exposing reality and acting on it but many organizations do not face this reality very well. It’s the manager’s job to force his organization to face reality, and then to deal with it.


You don’t have to be a management expert to diagnose whether an organization has a strong culture of execution. It’s usually obvious. Just sit through a couple of top management meetings, and you’ll quickly get the idea.


Interestingly, it’s not always the actions of the lead manager in the meeting room that will signal the nature of the culture. If a manager sits silently through a long and uncritical and unquestioned presentation, he or she is probably failing to do the job. Same for a manager that raises questions or suggests goals that seem a total surprise to others in the room.


But if a manager sits silently as the presenter does a hard-headed critique; as others freely weigh in; and as everyone leaves with a clear sense of goals, timelines and next steps, then the manager is doing the job. He or she has created a successful culture of execution that can govern itself.


Here, in the Valley Crossing Activity, execution by the team members as well as the management is equally important. The team members have to ensure smooth communication and execution among themselves. A slight mistake by any 1 member can lead to dire consequences. It is more of a team effort rather than an individual brilliance. The team members should be very clear with the task at hand. The management level people should be efficient to make the team members motivated and confident regarding the activity. 


There cannot be hesitation or lack of interest in this activity. All the 3 team members are equally responsible for each other. The same thing applies in any big organization. There can be linkages among the team members and the success of the project can only be determined if they are working together and inter-connected.

SUCCESS OF THE TEAM

Proper designing of team tasks, correctly assigning team roles, and preparation and execution of the tasks. Thus, success and excellence is designed by the managers.



To maximise the contribution of project teams, a number of essentials need to be recognised. The essentials to team success aren't expensive, don't require the expenditure of large amounts of capital or expense money, and don't require new bricks and mortar. The biggest challenge is that the only change needed to be made to implement the essentials to project team success is behaviour.


The 5 essentials are : 

• Team Composition and Roles
• Team Goals and Expectations
• Team Resources
• Team Sponsorship
• Team Recognition and Rewards

Goal Setting : The SMART Criteria

SMART is a mnemonic used to set objectives, often called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), for example for project management, employee performance management and personal development.

The acronym letters broadly conform to the following parameters :

Developing goals upon these parameters :

SPECIFIC

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:

*Who:      Who is involved?

*What:     What do I want to accomplish?

*Where:    Identify a location.

*When:     Establish a time frame.

*Which:    Identify requirements and constraints.

*Why:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE:  A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

MEASURABLE

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.

When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……

How much? How many?

How will I know when it is accomplished?

ATTAINABLE

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

REALISTIC

To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

It is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.
It's also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a particular level of performance.



You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control. 


Keep the low-level goals that you're working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.


In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck.
If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.

A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

TIMELY

A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing.

When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.