Manger today 3rd Issue by Farhan Ahmad

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

Ijaz Nisar Editor-in-Chief & CEO Leading Edge

Managing the day to day responsibilities and requirements is the primary objective of all of us at present. To use oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intellect, to harness the emotions and to streamline duties with the help of both these directed capacities is a challenge. The third issue of Manager Today is here to help you all in developing that management skill to meet this challenge and shine in your personal and professional lives. Comprising the cover story on how you can capitalize on emotional intelligence and a look on emotional & spiritual mix in business would serve as a provocative beginning of your reading. I hope the exclusive interviews including entrepreneur Ramzan Sheikh, the CEO of Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, Uzma Bashir Ghous, the woman of substance and the real success story of Arshad B. Anjum, the vice president of operations Pearl Continental Hotels would inspire you a great deal. The recipe of a successful academic career is very well brought in the interview academia from the dean of Suleman School of Business LUMS, Dr Shaukat Brah. Dealing with the hazards stress brings in our lives, we have a very practical strategy of stress management in the magazine. More for the betterment of this publication I would like to inculcate the suggestions and participation of my readers. Till the upcoming Oct-Nov issue of the magazine I wish you all a very happy and peaceful time ahead.

Mail Box I feel pleasure to congratulate the Manager Today’s team to roll out such a wonderful & much awaited magazine catering to corporate sector’s needs. This is actually the first personal & professional magazine in Pakistan which is second to none in its content collection and layout. We, at Bank Alfalah wish the management of Manager Today a roaring success!

My dear Ijaz, Please accept my congratulations on a job very well done with Manager Today. May it grow in influence and content. Kind regards

I request for the annual subscription of Manager Today for my company, considering it the best guide for all of working personnel on their desks.

Philip S. Lall

Manager HR Faisal Spinning, Sheikhupura. -------------------------------------------------------------

Hamid M Mirza

I am very happy over receiving the second issue of Manager Today, the very first magazine of its kind in Pakistan. I congratulate the whole team on this unique and a valued venture.

Head of Marketing Bank Alfalah Ltd. ------------------------------------------------------------AS I read through the content of Manager Today’s second issue I could not resist appreciating the effort. The gradual ascend in its’ quality is remarkable. I wish you success at every step ahead.

Consultant & CEO Pro-cel Consulting -------------------------------------------------------------

Prof. Dr. Khawaja Amjad Saeed

Principal, Hailey College of Banking & Finance, University of the Punjab -------------------------------------------------------------

Waqas Lodhi

Manager HR Mughal Steel. ------------------------------------------------------------I want to congratulate you for publishing Manager Today which is indeed very informative guide for our managers.

It was really a greeting to get through the magazine addressing the core issues of human resource and management in companies operational in Pakistan. I must appreciate the content being highly relevant to the present problems of our work environment.

Jazib Faizi

Naseem Zafar

Special Assistant to CEO Packages Ltd, Lahore. -------------------------------------------------------------

Director CMD Lahore. -------------------------------------------------------------

Rahat Anjum

Manager Today is highly appreciated by us all at the PEL. The magazine seems getting comprehensive in its contents and the presentation. Accept congratulations! Major Waqar

General Manager HR, PEL, Lahore. ------------------------------------------------------------‘The reading habit of our nation is on a sharp decline’ it is a general comment we often hear. But I am rather of a different opinion, I do not think reading can loose its charm and influence on learned people no matter how busy they get in their lives though the only condition for it is quality stuff. Manager Today is an instance having a great potential of reviving reading habit of the nation. I count the publication of this magazine a social service indeed. I wish this venture a very good luck in future. Fasihul Karim Siddiqi

Director & Board Advisor HR Hinopak Motors Limited, Karachi.

INSPIRED? MOTIVATED? DID YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ? If you find ManagerToday inspirational for the personal and professional development, do inform us. You can also contribute with your articles, suggestions and recommendations at: Email: editor@themanagertoday.com, managertoday@hotmail.com Website: www.themanagertoday.com Ph: 042 5792066, 042 5817048, 0344 6700812 Don’t forget to mention your full name, postal address and phone number.

PCPB # 303-M

MANAGER TODAY Editor-in-Chief Ijaz Nisar Managing Editor Shakil A. Chaudhary Editorial Advisor Shakeel Ahmed Editor Nabeela Malik Sub Editor Mariam Lodhi Associate Editor Saba Kiani Art Director Heesan Bilal Marketing Manager Munir Hussain Sales Manager Haseeb Nisar Photographer Mansoor Ahmed Contributors Dr. SM Naqi Maqbool Ahmed Babri (Max) Masood Ali Khan Danish Shehryar Bakhtiar Khawaja Idrees Qamar Irfan Ahmed Mir Sonia Urooj Wali Muhammad Ghazanfar Azzam Shahid Nafees Muhammad Zaheer Bilal Ilahi Legal Advisor Muhammad Zulfiqar Ali Buttar Publisher Leading Edge Printer Javed Printers Head Office ManagerToday PL-20 Siddique Trade Centre Main Boulevard, Gulberg III Lahore Tel: 042-5792066, 5817048 email: info@themanagertoday.com www.themanagertoday.com www.leadingedge.com.pk

COVER STOERY 10

CAPITALIZING OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Remembering that we are always in transition, it is critical not to get lulled into the “this is forever” syndrome

EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL MIX IN 14 BUSINESS Information, it is rightly said, is not knowledge; knowledge is not wisdom. And wisdom is not attained if we do not nurture the capacity to love and serve our fellow beings. INTERVIEW

IF THE GOVERNMENT SUCCEDDS IN ALLOCATING SOME INCENTIVES FOR THE HOSPITALITY INVESTORS, THE INDUSTRY WOULD ENJOY A GREAT BOOM – RAMZAN SHEIKH MANAGEMENT 20

FIVE GREAT MYTHS OF LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE Undoubtedly, leadership is much talked and written about subject in the management literature. In behavioral training too, leadership has the top priority. Communication 22

HEAR TO LISTEN! Listening more sophiticated mental process than hearing and it calls upon energey and discipline that one needs to train himself for MARKETING 24

GOOD MARKETING DECISIONS BUT EXECUTION EXECUTION FOUL-UPS

SALES

HOW TO BE A GOOD SALES PERSON “7% of the impact come from the words you say, 38% relates to your body language and 55% of the impact is related to the way you say your words & your voice tone.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

THRIVING ON STRESS

16 26

There is a needs to initiate new infrastructure projects and inject fresh industry to absorb the evergrwoing pool of young men

ISLAMIC BANKING

HOW TO AVERT IMPENDING ECONOMIC DISASTER TMCL-based interest-free banking model can replace conventional banking immediately without any disruption in the financial system

HUMAN RESOURCE

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

SELF DEVELOPMENT

THE POWER OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT When I say Think and Grow Rich, what comes to your mind?

TRAINING

CORPORATE PATANGBAZ

22 14

INTERVIEW

SHAUKAT BRAH 52

HEALTH & WELLNESS

OLD PROVENS WITH NEW MEALINGS...

WISDOM CORNER

quotable quotes CORRUPTION To fix even a single unlawfully acquired stone in a house is to guarantee to its destruction. n HAZRAT ALI (A.S) Livelihooh acquired by foul means is the worst form of livelihood. n HAZRAT ALI (A.S)

ATTITUDE The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be. n WILLIAM JAMES

COMMUNICATION Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family. n VIRGINIA SATIR

CONFIDENCE You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. n ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

COURAGE One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest. n MAYA ANGELOU Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. n WINSTON CHURCHILL

DISCIPLINE The strongest man is whoever can make his reason conquer his passions. n HAZRAT ALI (A.S) Develop the winning edge; small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results. n BRIAN TRACY

FOCUS If you chase two rabbits both will escape. n ANONYMOUS

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COVER STORY

TAQUEER SALEEM KHAN The writer is a practicing psychologist

10 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

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‘It’s not your IQ. It’s not even a number. But emotional intelligence may be the best predictor of success in life, redefining what it means to be smart.’

very single day we are faced with some challenge and often several. The life of today’s man has become quite hectic. From smaller troubles like heavy workload, long working hours, family issues, increasing inflation ratio, long power cut offs and bad weather to greater issues of injustice, insurgency, insecurity and political instability – all have put people into great depression, a state of helplessness where they behave in a very nasty way to their fellow beings. This state of restlessness not only disturbs interpersonal relationships but the whole mechanism of a society in larger perspective. We, Pakistanis have become a victim of this distressing state which is affecting us individually and socially thus appearing symptomatically through obsessions, addictions, violence and loss of meaning. Apparently, no visible solution seems to be fitting to this malady of the twentieth century, but only one and that is introducing us to the emotional intelligence. By developing our Emotional Intelligence we can become more productive and successful at what we do, and help others to be more productive and successful too. The process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony.

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The idea of Emotional Intelligence Emotional Intelligence - EQ - is a relatively recent behavioral model, rising to prominence with Daniel Goleman's 1995 international best-seller called 'Emotional Intelligence'. The theory of Emotional Intelligence proved an important consideration in human resource planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more. Emotional Intelligence links strongly with concepts of love and spirituality: bringing compassion and humanity to work, and also to 'Multiple Intelligence' theory which illustrates and measures the range of capabilities people possess, and the fact that everybody has a value. The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioral and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. Goleman based his performance-related research on hundreds of top executives from some of the world’s largest corporations and concluded that close to 90% of leadership success is attributable to EQ. There are eight key fundamentals of emotional intelligence.

BUILD EMOTIONAL LITERACY Feelings are a complex aspect of every person. While research has identified eight "core" feelings (fear, joy, acceptance, anger, sorrow, disgust, surprise, expectation), we each experience dozens, even hundreds, of variations each single day. These emotions blend and merge and frequently they conflict. This EQ fundamental helps us sort out all of

those feelings, name them and begin to understand their causes and effects. It also helps us understand how emotions function in our brains and bodies, and the interaction of thought, feeling, and action.

RECOGNIZE PATTERNS Human brain follows patterns, or neural pathways. Stimulus leads to response, and over time, the response becomes nearly automatic. On a behavioral level, the neural patterns lead to behavior patterns. At a young age, we learn lessons of how to cope, how to get our needs met, how to protect ourselves. These strategies reinforce one another, and we develop a complex structure of beliefs to support the validity of the behaviors. As we become more conscious of the patterns we exhibit, it becomes possible to analyze the beliefs and replace them if appropriate, and interrupt the pattern and replace it with conscious behaviour that moves us closer to our real goals. This is an enormously difficult task that requires commitment and vigilance --- but it is not difficult to begin.

APPLY CONSEQUENTIAL THINKING People are often told to control their emotions to suppress feelings like anger, joy or fear and cut them off from the decision-making process. This old paradigm suggests that emotions make us less effective; nothing could be farther from reality. Feelings provide insight, energy, and are the real basis for almost every decision. Instead of disconnecting our emotions, we need to control our actions so that we have time to make the most creative, insightful, and powerful decisions. Particularly when dealing with conflict or crisis, we need to slow down the process and apply carefully practiced strategies that lead to decisions informed by the fused powers of heart and mind. This "habit of mind" stems from a clear understanding of the consequences of our choices and the ability to imagine the cause and effect relationships. This process allows us to be as impulsive as we truly want to be, August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 11

COVER STORY but also forces us to limit impulsivity when consequences are undesirable. One key mechanism to develop and monitor consequential thinking is "self-talk." Self-talk is a mechanism to mentally explore multiple options and viewpoints; it provides a system to balance the various aspects of ourself. Just as in conversations outside ourselves, sometimes the louder voice gets more attention; the issue in both cases is to develop a process where listening is valued and all the voices -- loud or soft -- are heard.

EVALUATE AND RE-CHOOSE In our daily lives, we have countless opportunities to get feedback about our thoughts, feelings and actions, and to change them if the feedback so warrants. Unfortunately, we also have a great capacity to ignore this feedback and continue with a scarcity of useful information. In this unconscious state it is easy to become selfish, to sever connections with our humanity and to subjugate ourselves to addictions or other compensations. The alternative is to listen -- listen to ourselves and listen to others. When we become

these mechanisms and opportunities.

MOTIVATE YOURSELF Motivation comes from Latin “to move;” it is a goal-oriented behavior. In essence, we take action because it feels good to do so. It feels right to take a break when we are on overload, then it feels right to go back to work. The challenge is to make it feel right to take action that does not have an immediate reward. To do so, we have got to tap into the part of ourselves that has a longer-view -which also feels right. We each make countless decisions each hour. For example: • What should I eat for lunch? •What clothes should I wear today? •Which book should I read? Ask? In part, we make those decisions unconsciously based on our patterns and habits. In part, we make those decisions based on our personal priorities. So, if we want to redirect our decision to take a longer-term view, we need to both shape unconscious habits and examine priorities to make sure they match. In addition to motivating ourselves, it is important to learn how to motivate others.

she were honest -- even when she was not. She internalized that value and struggled to improve her actions because it felt good to have her real behavior meet that high standard. 3. Give time. Motivation is a complex process and a vital one. Like so many intrapersonal skills, it often takes years or decades for the seeds to bloom.

CHOOSE OPTIMISM Likewise, children are born optimistic and tend to stay optimistic until they are six or seven. At that time, life's difficulties impinge enough that the door is opened for hopelessness. Research suggests that to avoid getting trapped in the negativity, people need at least one refuge. The refuge can be a person or a practice (such as reading) that provides positive input. It is remarkable to think that one source of kindness, one source of comfort, one source of hope is enough to combat the terrible perils that some children experience.

CREATE EMPATHY Empathy is the ability to recognize and respond to other people's emotions. It is con-

Emotional intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service and more skilled at sensing our own emotions, we are able to tap into the energy that they provide and take action. Emotions are energy and one place where that energy most frequently erupts is in conflict. To socialize effectively you must recognize and gauge other peoples' thoughts, feelings and actions just as you monitor your own. These skills are heavily dependent on interpreting paralanguage (body-language, tone, utterances, facial expression, and other forms of nonverbal communication). An effective socializer is able to turn conflict into a positive force. She/he creates compromise and makes sure needs are met. She/he can mobilize people, persuade and inspire others. The most critical step to teaching effective socialization is to provide positive role models and opportunities for people to practice what they have observed. In today’s demanding corporate culture, employees often do not find time to interact much socially. Thus, it is even more important that they are provided 12 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

There are many ways to do so; the most obvious are “extrinsic” motivations. For example, “If you carry my bag, I'll give you a candy bar,” is a simple example of extrinsic motivation -- it is a bribe or a type of commercial interaction. Quite useful at times -- but it doesn't last. Building lasting motivation requires a more complex strategy; one that employs both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (ideally 60-80% of the focus is on intrinsic motivation). Building motivation in others begins with three elements: 1. They need to feel the benefit of the priority you are suggesting. If you want a child to use a more polite vocabulary, she/he needs to experience how such a decision would feel good. She/he will develop that experience by being spoken to with polite words -- at the same time, it might feel good to avoid the consequences of using impolite words -- and that will feel good. 2. Always treat them as you want them to be. Sarah’s mother always treated her as if

nected to optimism because it is through a sense of our connection to others that we see our own efficacy and importance. Together they govern a significant portion of our behavior; they are the gatekeepers of our emotional selves. When we are empathic, it hurts us to hurt others or to see them hurt. We actually experience for ourselves the emotions of others.

COMMIT TO NOBLE GOALS Noble goals activate all of the other elements of EQ. Through our missions and our acts of human kindness, the commitment to emotional intelligence gains relevance and power. Just as our personal priorities shape our daily choices, our noble goals shape our long-term choices. They give us a sense of direction; they give us a spar to hold in the storm, they are the compass for our soul. All the “inside” aspects of emotional intelligence change your attitudes. They shape your own life; they help you become the person you want to be. Your noble goals touch the future. n www.themanagertoday.com

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August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 13

If you have solved the quiz and found the grand total, see your score at page # 58 and get to know the level of your EQ.

I take regular time out ( once a month or a quarter) to reflect on my core purpose and vision for how I want to live my life.

I communicate my needs and feelings honestly.

12.

I calm myself quickly when I get angry or upset.

I pay attention and listen without jumping to conclusions.

I can conceive feedback or criticism without becoming defensive.

11.

I am sensitive to other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotions and moods.

I am aware of how my behavior impacts others.

I freely admit to making mistakes.

10.

I stay focused ( not lost in unimportant details) in getting a job done.

I can pull myself together quickly after a setback

I can identify negative feelings without becoming distressed.

I stay relaxed and composed under pressure.

Rate yourself on the following items on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the low and 5 high). This exercise aims at fact-finding and not fault-finding, and is intended to help you focus on areas for self-improvement.

TEST YOUR E.Q

ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT MANAGER?

COVER STORY

IJAZ NISAR

Emotional & spiritual mix in business Information, it is rightly said, is not knowledge; knowledge is not wisdom. And wisdom is not attained if we do not nurture the capacity to love and serve our fellow beings.

<None>reat thinker and poetphilosopher, Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, once said that education is the manifestation of the perfection already inherent in us. It is about cultivating a way of viewing the world by developing the inner space with the help of which we are empowered to engage the outer space. It is a lamp to be lit, not a bucket to be filled. Management education, in Pakistan and abroad, betrays a marked disposition towards the later instead of the former. Our education system is excessively geared to filling young minds with megabytes of mindless information. It is heavily weighted in favor of analytical intelligence and ignores the fostering of emotional and spiritual intelligence. Information, it is rightly said, is not knowledge; knowledge is not wisdom. And wisdom is not attained if we do not nurture the capacity to love and serve our fellow beings. Management education imparts tools and techniques designed to secure professional skills that help the learner make a living. Spiritual education embeds in the learner both character and attitude. If professional education provides the scaffolding, spiritual education lays the foundation. Our higher education must, therefore, aim at combining instruction in tools and techniques with embedding character and attitude. The tragic events of September 11 and the unceremonious collapse of corporate entities Enron, World Tel, Arthur Anderson and recent global economic downturn have led American management schools to question their role as educators. Globally, there is a pronounced shift in emphasis and this is reflected in the increasing importance accorded to the de14 MANAGER TODAY | June - July 2009

velopment of emotional and spiritual intelligence in management education. Five years ago, I introduced a course in collaboration with a local business school on Anger Management and Emotional Intelligence for new managers. Such was the response from students that I not only continued the offering, but floated a new elective course on spirituality, Ethics and self development for young managers. Last November, I received a letter from a student who had taken both these course. He said: “I was your student in 2006 – 2008 when you taught two electives— Anger Management and Emotional Intelligence, Spirituality and Self development for managers. While reading a recent article in Businessweek on the new courses being taught at foreign business school with the same theme as your courses, I thought I should write to you and thank you for the impact the courses have had on my life and for being ahead of these schools in offer-

ing such courses. I remember the statements that you made in class: ‘I have never worked for money,’ ‘I see all of you as disciples, trying to balance the various demands that you face in your life,’ and ‘management is a creative pursuit;’ each day at work gives me examples of the veracity of these statements.” “In the last two years I have found that to do a role that challenges me is more important than the money that a particular role pays,” he wrote. “Inevitably, a challenging role makes me perform and stretch and the rewards are not far away. Managing the demands of team, the process, and the emotions of the people affected takes as much time as the job itself. And to top it all, every day I have to think creatively, think differently to get my job done.” I receive emails, and letters along these lines. They are an eloquent testimony of the need to embed emotional and spiritual intelligence in management curricula.n www.themanagertoday.com

ENTREPRENEUR

NABEELA MALIK

ould you like to give an introduction to your academic background? My schooling was done at Sacred Heart, a missionary school. Providing a very high quality education the school educated me in real terms. Later, I joined Government College Lahore; completing my graduation there I opted for some courses locally and some abroad. But personally I feel the process of getting educated never stops throughout the life. It is also because one has to keep abreast the modern day needs along with personal and professional enhancement of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caliber. Thus, I like studying the quality stuff from all around the world. Tell us something about the family business and the establishment of Royal Palm Golf & Country Club? Our family business was basically construction related. My father started with construction projects in 1967. We turned to hospitality industry after a long time and established Royal Palm Golf & Country Club in 2001. Initially, it was a sports oriented facility, which eventually transformed into a world class Golf course and country club as you can see it for yourself. The well established construction business might have helped in it. Yes, the core knowledge of construction did obviously help a lot in setting up Royal Palm in the short time span of two years which wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been possible

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August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 17

INTERVIEW

otherwise. What are the main features of a country club? What facilities are provided at Royal Palm? The 18 hole golf course at our club meets all the standards of Pakistan Golf Association (PGA). It has been visited by the Asian Golf Federation and Star Network and they have rated it as the best golf course in the South Asia. Apart from golf, we have three squash courses, three tennis courts, two swimming pools, fitness facilities, restaurants and banquet facilities at Royal Palm. So, actually it is the combination of a sports club and a country club. Is there any plan to provide lodging facilities in times to come that are yet unavailable here? Well, the project is in pipeline but due to recent insurgent attacks I believe it will be more appropriate if lodging and day to day activities arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mixed together. For security reasons, I think there should be a separate compound for all the routine club activities. Then there is a heavy traffic of visitors and members in the banquet or sports area of a hotel or a country club and ideally speaking, the residential compound should be separated from these areas. And we are in a process of developing lodging area far from the day to day heavy traffic activities areas. How far the insurgency has affected hospitality industry and tourism in Pakistan? Pakistan has much of internal or domestic tourism, people travel from one place to another frequently, it has decreased, apart from it the international tourism has also been highly affected due to the law & order and security issues. How to portray the soft image of Pakistan to the outer world? Primarily, it is the soft face of Pakistan we are representing and also few of the foreign companies operating in Pakistan are contributing toward making Lahore the favorite spot for foreigners. What are the Royal Palm membership pre-requisites? 18 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

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We look at an applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile, assessing his education, family background and present standing etc. We also find out that the person should be clubbable. So, the applicant himself and existing members should be feeling comfortable with one another. Has the present day global economic meltdown affected hospitality industry? Yes, it has definitely affected as four years ago there were 10 hotels announced to be established in Lahore but unfortunately not even one or two of them could come to completion. I find one or the two reasons of it including that certain roadmaps are needed to be provided by the government. Our government has to realize that hotels pay a very high ratio of taxes as 16% tax is levied on services and many other taxes making 20 to 30% bulk of over all tax generation, it also produces a great employment opportunity. So it should encourage hospitality industry. I hope if the government succeeds in allocating some incentives for the hospitality investors, the industry would enjoy a great boom. Do you have any role models that you might have cherished in your life? Yes, I certainly cherish the personality of LEONG, the prime minister of Singapore. He brought Singapore to the highly developed countries of the world though it is a small island. Besides him I really admire some of the leadership stories by Jim Collins, a management and leadership guru. These people are a great inspiration for me. What makes one successful in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and profession? Keeping a sharp focus on things around you is the basic component of success. And next to it is the vision, one must be able to see life in a bigger context. Being a professional it is very much essential to be competent, adaptable and strong enough to meet new challenges. As a member of the society, think beyond personal interests, apart from the www.themanagertoday.com

Our government has to realize that hotels pay a very high ratio of taxes as 16% tax is levied on services and many other taxes making 20 to 30% bulk of over all tax generation, it also produces a great employment opportunity. So it should encourage hospitality industry.

day to day dog fight for short term needs, one should try to bring some improvement in the existing environment. What is your execution strategy being a CEO? I focus on planning broadly for the upcoming projects. I believe in an open di-

alogue with my employees to discuss all the pros & cons of any new strategy. And more importantly, I always look forward to a healthy and impartial feedback from my clients and employees. Are there any HR issues at the club that needs to be solved? Luckily, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much of HR issues; we could find devoted and talented professionals performing their duties very well. But hospitality industry needs a continuous improvement. It is essential because the serviceability can not be put on the second preference. So, we are in a constant effort of regulating training and development programs to ensure a constant improvement in HR practices at the club. How Royal Palm meets its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR)? Our main focus is primarily on environment. We have a very sustainable and environment friendly model for the preservation of trees and luckily we have been able to preserve 95% of trees implanted here. Secondly the water re-cycling system is also very efficient because there is a lot of water consumption at the golf course. So, by the re-cycling system we make sure that minimum water is being wasted. We have a forthright assistance to meet any catastrophe as having nearly 2000 members whom we can call in case of any emergency in the country like earthquake or insurgency etc and our network quickly responds toward meeting any such hazard on national level. Serving as the CEO of a big club, how do you manage work life balance? The most important for you in the world is your own health and the self. So if you are consuming time on maintaining your health and routine life activities, then it is a great ability indeed. In my case, at times it feels that perhaps I am not maintaining an ideal balance between work and the family. And this realization is very much important because it motivates me to do more efforts in this regard. So, if there is a will to find this balance, one finds it.n August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 19

MANAGEMENT

SYED ALI RAZA The writer is the head of HR in a multinational company

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ndoubtedly, leadership is much talked and written about subject in the management literature. In behavioral training too, leadership has the top priority. There are many models and theories that have come into existence highlighting the different facets of leadership. But leadership remained an enigma for many. This is due to creation of leadership that is not in reality. There are many managers who still believe that leadership is a born talent, leadership is only for top management and one should have an inbuilt charismatic personality to be a leader. This belief has negative ramification to leadership development efforts in organizations. Two of the most insight leadership gurus, namely Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus in their book titled Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge identified five great leadership myths:

MYTH-I Leadership is a rare skill. There is a wide spread belief that leadership is rare because leadership skills are rare with people in organization. But the fact remain is that many people possess leadership competency within them, we realize this when opportunities are extended to tem to demonstrate their leadership prowess. The formal organizational structures discourage people to exhibit leadership behavior.

MYTH-II Leaders are born not made. Biographies of great leaders and stories surrounding them create a picture that leadership is a born talent. But the fact is that many leadership skill and competencies can be learned. However, there is no simple formula or model through www.themanagertoday.com

which leadership can be developed. This involves a rigorous process and many times a lifetime effort is required.

MYTH-III Leaders are charismatic. There is a tendency to think that one needs to be stylish, smart, and charming in appearance to become a leader. This is only half true. In reality, successful leadership practices and behaviors contribute for a leadership rather than charisma self leading a person to effective leadership behavior.

MYTH-IV Leadership exists only at the top of an organization. Organizations have played into this myth by focusing leadership efforts only on top management. In reality, leadership is required at every level of operation in an organization. On has to be a good leader even in a single person operation to excel in that. Therefore, there must be multiplication of leadership roles.

Managerial implication

he practical utility of five great myths will be enormous to all managers, particularly for top Managers. Organizations pay heavily, when we believe in something that is not real. For example, our leadership efforts may lack conviction if we believe that leadership is merely a born talent. Therefore, leadership development program in any organization must commence with dispelling these myths. The other valuable insight that managers must put into action is that leadership must be business of every body in the organization and not be confined to top echelons of handful of managers.n

MYTH-V The leader controls, directs and manipulates. Leadership is a role of empowering the followers as opposed to popular misnomer leadership as a power seeking role. Leadership is epitome of equity, fair play and sacrifice and not the act of manipulation. Effective leaders ensure rewards to others and the cost of self-comfort. Further, facilitation is what leaders engage in and to controlling and directing. n

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 21

COMMUNICATION

SONIA UROOJ The writer is a commuication traniner

Hear Listen! to

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any a times you are in a nice café with a friend, may be CTC, Masoom’s, or Malee` (Don’t think that we are running a FOC publicity campaign!) grabbing a bite; she’s saying something but all you can think of is your next meeting and your head is cramped with the upcoming audit report. You hear a distant voice that has been magically dragged; you try but you fail to identify with it and you find yourself saying, “Hone, you were saying something?” There comes a flying menu and she leaves you wondering where you went wrong. May be that was a little exaggerated version but in our daily lives we often don’t hear to listen. In today’s frenetic world empathetic listening is pivotal to effective communication. It promotes communication, reduces tension and facilitates cooperation in personal and professional lives. In a world where communication means getting the job done, listening certainly means more than just hearing. It means an edge. A manager who was curious about how much time he spent listening asked his secretary to keep track of the time he spent on the telephone, listening. To his utter surprise, he discovered his company was paying him 35-40 percent of his salary for this

function alone. Now if we extrapolate this individual calculation, amazingly seventy percent of our working hours is spent in verbal communication which equates reading and writing both put together as most of information that we receive till COB is verbal making it the most frequently used channel of learning. However, it’s quite ironic that it is the least understood function of all. Listening is assumed to be basically the same as hearing; this is a dodgy misconception because it leads to the belief that effective listening is instinctive. Whereas, listening involves a more sophisticated mental process than hearing and it calls upon energy and discipline that one needs to train himself for. Having settled so that listening is a learned skill, one can train himself for being an effective listener. To be an effective listener, it is best to listen with all the empathy, starting with listening level one and ultimately taking it to the third level. The first level involves putting yourself in someone else’s boots even if they pinch for a while and the last thing that you would want to do is being judgemental or tagging others. At the second level, you hear words but do not really listen and level three is listening in spurts. Many have found the empathetic ap-

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proach to be a powerful tool for improving their people skills. Some payoffs have been increased sales, improved ability to sell ideas to management, improved ability to handle emotional people, more effective interview and improved working relationships and who won’t want all that. The research indicates that there are twelve easy steps that can help us to improve our listening skills so that we listen at level one more often. The step 1 involves looking for something you can anchor on. If you adopt a positive attitude toward a subject, you will usually find something to broaden your knowledge. Dry though a talk may be, oozing out with dull numbers and figures; it will generally contain an idea that is worthwhile to you, now or in times to come. Ask yourself: What is being said that I can use? What’s in it for me? How does this relate to what I already know? What action could I take? At step 2, you take the initiative. Find out what the talker knows. Look at the talker and concentrate on what has been said. Go all the way in making the communication two-way. Ignore the person’s delivery and personality if you find them distracting. Reach for the idea that is being conveyed. Stimulate the talker with your attentiveness and expres-

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sions of interest. Show interest by the use of noncommittal acknowledgements. Step 3 is working at listening. Efficient listening takes energy and practice makes it easier. If the subject is announced in advance, prepare for it by reading, by discussing it, or by thinking it over briefly, establishing your own point of view. Then listen actively and energetically. Step 4 is all about focusing your attention on ideas. Listen for the speaker’s central ideas. Pick out the ideas as they are presented; sort the facts from principles, the ideas from examples and the evidence from opinion. At Step 5 you are suggested to make meaningful notes. You can improve your ability to learn and remember by making a brief record of the speaker’s main points, review your notes later on to determine what you can put to use, and whether you agree or disagree with the speaker’s notion. Efficient note-taking requires practice in selecting the right method of notes that are easy to interpret and review. Depending on the nature of the talk, practice making an outline, mental or written, or picking out the key words, phrases or ideas. Step 6 involves resisting external distractions. Sit where you can see and hear without being distracted. When you do so, you make it possible to be aware of noises without being distracted by them. Step 7 is about holding your rebuttal. Don’t let emotion-laden words throw you. Learn to sieve them. Identify the certain words that affect you to the point where you stop listening and start performing a rebuttal. One way to deal with this is to quickly analyze the reasons those words stir you, then resume listening, withholding any judgement until you fully comprehend what point the speaker is making. Another method is to jot down major rebuttal points as questions; do this briefly, not at length. Both methods can help clear your mind so that you can return to listening with an open mind. Step 8 is keeping your mind open. Quick and heated disagreement with the speaker’s main points or arguments can cause a psychological deaf spot. Give the talker more rather than less attention. Search for the full nub of the theme. Stay out of the judgemental framework by not judging what the person says as “wrong.” At Step 9 capitalize on thought

speed. The core of effective listening is to develop the utmost concentration on the immediate listening situation. Concentrate on what the talker says and then summarize it in your head. Step 10 is about practicing regularly. Get experience and practice in listening and note-taking by listening to difficult or unfamiliar material that challenges your mental capacities. Every club meeting could present many opportunities for practice. Regular practice will work wonders for you. Step 11 involves analyzing what is being said, nonverbally. Be patient and sensitive to the talker’s feelings. Ask yourself why the talker said what he or she did. Listen between the lines for hidden meanings what is the person saying nonverbally? And finally Step 12 is to evaluate and be critical of content, not the speaker’s delivery. It’s important to discriminate if the talker is stating facts or assumptions. Getting the talker’s message is more important than his or her appearance. Don’t let the talker’s poor voice, mannerisms, personality or appearance get in the way of the message. Recognize that most people are not very skilled at getting their message across. No mater how much your memory resembles to a sieve, better listening promotes better memory. By systematically slotting in these twelve tools into our listening behaviour, one can overcome poor listening habits, thus spending more time at level 1 that results in much improved ability to concentrate and retain information as it is easier to remember the information listened to at level 1. In a gist, efficient listening takes effort, but it is one of the easiest ways known to acquire ideas and information you can use and always remember the empathetic listening approach eases understanding of what the other person really means. To listen effectively, check your understanding regularly by rephrasing what the other has said. Give verbal feedback of what was said or done as this communicates approval. Since this approval bears no criticism and judgement, the talker feels heard and understood which ultimately leads to trust. So listening doesn’t mean hearing alone and perhaps next time when you are out with a friend, they won’t complain about losing you! n August - September | MANAGER TODAY 23

MARKETING

PHILIP S. LALL Writer is the management consultant & chief executive of Pro-cel consulting. procel@lhr.comsats.net.pk

GOOD MARKETING DECISIONS BUT

EXECUTIONFOUL-UPS CEOs and directors in many Pakistani companies face a two-fold delegation dilemma

oreign books and magazines so often trumpet the alleged quality of marketing decisionmaking in US, European & Indian companies. It seems to me Pakistani companies, too, can lay claim to the ‘quality’ of their marketing decision-making. If there’s Heinz, we have National Foods doing it here. If there are McDonald’s arches abroad, we have Gourmet and Salt’n’Pepper icons. If there’s MetLife marketing, we have EFU. Maybe its because we don’t yet have a global Pakistani brand we find it difficult to appreciate the ‘quality’ of marketing decision-making in Pakistan. Or is it because many Pakistani marketing professionals are so stuck

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into admiring the Sonys, Gillettes, P&Gs, Black & Deckers they can’t see the ‘quality’ of their own marketing decisions? Agreed, some Pakistani companies make awful marketing decisions. Might we also agree that many Pakistani companies produce remarkable marketing ideas? And many take sound marketing decisions? Then where’s the problem? Very often: execution foul-ups. My experience with nearly two dozen companies suggests avoidable foul-ups come from four main sources.

Foul-Ups with Inappropriate Delegation

The CEO of a large Pakistani FMCG company decided to change the pack designs of all his product lines and bring it under a common ‘umbrella’ design (reflecting his corporate vision). Fully aware it was a strategic decision, he assessed his marketing staff’s abilities for high-quality execution of this decision. He saw the risk, and took personal responsibility for executing it himself. It was possibly one of the best-executed marketing decisions in this company. In another very large Pakistani FMCG company, the family’s board chairman delegated almost complete authority and responsibility to the so-called ‘professional’

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CEO for all marketing decisions, including the company’s very successful brands. Though a few of his brand marketing decisions were sound, this CEO, in turn, delegated responsibility for execution to some rather mediocre managers. It just took a few years for this large company to be brought to its knees. CEOs and directors in many Pakistani companies face a two-fold delegation dilemma. Firstly, how much authority should be delegated to subordinates for executing a good marketing decision? Secondly, should authority for execution be delegated on the basis of loyalty – or competence?

Foul-Ups by Fragmented Thinking A medium-size Pakistani pharma company had several new products in its R&D armoury, based on ‘me-too’ molecules. While product managers tested product literature and area sales managers made sales estimates, the marketing director analysed industry data. He waited for the right time and decided to launch two low-priced new products he had planned as part of his ‘strategic turnaround’. Strangely, thinking among product managers and regional managers was quite different. Product managers saw this as a good short-term tactic to increase volume, while regional managers saw this strategic turnaround in terms of getting additional incentives. Even the supply chain director saw no advantage in the new products. Here was fragmented thinking about the execution of a sound marketing decision. Top managers visualize growth opportunities, map out strategy and convert it into sound marketing decisions, but lower-level managers see things differently. Some will invariably think of growth strategy decisions as ‘rocking the boat’ unnecessarily. Some will set their own implementation agenda. Some finance managers reduced strategy thinking to quarterly budget priorities. By the time, regional managers execute growth decisions, strategy thinking is transformed www.themanagertoday.com

completely into daily sales target pressures.Fortunately, the above company’s ‘strategic turnaround’ was not a complete failure; one product actually succeeded – only because the marketing director himself ‘sold’ the product’s strategic importance to the sales force.

Foul-ups in Internal Coordination When a family-managed firm was looking around for diversification ideas, one of the younger directors saw a growth opportunity in an agricultural crop implement. His father agreed with the idea, and the young director started planning to market the implement before the ‘rabi’ crop season. Other family board members said they would start work on engineering aspects, sourcing local and off-shore materials and arranging finances. A few weeks later, assuming that trial production would begin as promised by other directors’ subordinate managers, this director toured the field, ap-

You will see two kinds of foul-ups here: a common one is misinterpreting time deadlines. It seems to happen in almost all companies. For instance, after a major pricing change, the marketing director and his group product manager wrote a memo to their regional managers requiring them to ensure “prompt and regular feedback” on how the pricing decision was being executed. Regional managers interpreted this to mean they should send their weekly reports promptly every Monday. The marketing director actually meant verbal feedback every day. Another kind of foul-up is misinterpreting time as a product feature (e.g, generator start-up time or courier next-day delivery). A medium-sized Pakistani chemicals company was faced with near-saturation demand and stiff price competition from Chinese products. It used R&D to formulate chemical agents

If there’s Heinz, we have National Foods doing it here. If there are McDonald’s arches abroad, we have Gourmet and Salt’n’Pepper icons. If there’s MetLife marketing, we have EFU. pointed dealers & hired a sales executive. On his return, he was stunned to learn of almost zero progress on trial production. The product was eventually introduced late into the ‘rabi’ crop season; its sales were not even one-fifth of what he had expected. The young director had made a critical mistake – he assumed other directors and their subordinate managers would automatically coordinate with him. He forgot this principle: directors and managers will coordinate following their priorities – not your priorities. A brilliant marketing decision might be a director’s or manager’s priority, its good execution requires it to become an equally important priority for other directors and their managers.

for a different market sector. An important parameter of cost effectiveness was process absorption time. Applications trials showed highly competitive cost effectiveness: 15.6 mins for competing Chinese products and 13.8 mins for the company’s product with lesser input. The sales force, however, felt the difference of 1.8 mins could be communicated as 2 mins – it was easier to explain to customers. Two months after introduction, the Chinese products’ local distributor said to an ISO-certified major customer that a lie had been told. The customer made a big issue out of this time misinterpretation, saying now there was a trust deficit. n

Foul-Ups in Interpreting Time August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 25

WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

PROFILE fter 20 years of varied experience, ranging from private to public sector, she has developed her skills in Leadership and Change Management. While at PIA and National Bank of Pakistan, she was heading the Human Resources management & development of 15000-18000 people. She was also involved in the Financial Sector Reforms in Pakistan driven by the World Bank & GOP. Uzma has also been a trainer and has developed & implemented many projects effectively. She has now launched Management Consultancy firm as a partnership concern broadly focusing on Management Consultancy, Technical Advising, Talent Management, Resourcing and Training.

26 MANAGER TODAY | J August - September 2009

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Learning to live with people, learning to understand and respond to their aspirations, coping with the expectations of the stakeholders around you is the greatest lesson one needs to learn. Dealing with different situations requires much of efforts. And it is much more sensitive in one's professional life where there are many choices and choices come with consequences. So you have to be very careful. Thus, I am of the opinion, learning is a life long process.

IJAZ NISAR

e would be pleased to have an introduction to your early life and experiences. I have been very fortunate in getting multiple opportunities to see life in a wider scenario. I have met so many challenges and experienced the wins and failures in my life that actually made me a very normal human being. I graduated from the IBA Karachi. The time I completed my education at IBA, I was a very light hearted girl, highly motivated and compassionate about life and goals. I think i am a very simple person.

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What are the key lessons you learnt from your professional

How do you see the status of women working in our organizations? As a lady I find myself lucky enough to serve in Pakistani society. No matter, how people portray a dismal picture of our society, I say it is lucky to be among the men of this society who know to respect women and there are a lot of privileges. Though, males here need to realize the importance of women at senior positions. Especially senior officers should recognize and acknowledge the services of their female colleagues. I have been working in two large organizations. I have seen the treatment of men with the women being very much manipulating, and it really hurts me. August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 27

WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

What are the management consultancy opportunities in Pakistan? There are a lot of family businesses in our country that preserve a culture where owners do not open doors for the consultants to get advised. And that is the place where there is a strong need of consultancy and advising. Back in 90s only corporate sector was hiring management consultants and business owners, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;saithsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were depending on their own wisdom focusing on profitability alone. But now the situation is improved, many family businessmen have started realizing the need of consolidation, so now they look at management consultancy very respectfully and its scope is rising.

Q Q

How did you end up in the management as your career? Having an MBA degree I had a passion to work on the management side. I was asked by my father to join the family business but that was heavy civil contracting construction works, building bridges and construction. I joined the family business, worked and learnt a lot from the construction industry, enjoying that experience. But naturally I was more interested into corporate organizations. A mentor also facilitated me to come into this field and explore my talents and abilities in the area of management. In mid 90s I was offered by the National bank to join them considering me a right match owing to my academic and work experience. They were of the opinion that due to my understanding of developing projects I could be able to ad value to the bank in bringing a change in management that they were seeking. So I joined National bank.

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What are the challenges of management consultancy? Well, I would say, the quality of research and the experience these briefcase consultants bring with them is too shallow, thus the results they are producing are literally superficial. Our corporate sector is very rich in experience and a consultant has to acknowledge the complexity of the mechanism of an established organization. Here consultants adopt it as a profession having studied in theory but they do not understand the complexity of an organization. The present day fresh MBA and consultancy graduates lack practical experience thus they are deficient in accurate analysis and solutions. I also observe that fault lies with organization management who do not prepare their teams to bring in change. Thus, it becomes a difficult task for hired consultants to access organizations, build an environment and softening the grounds; reason being that readiness to change is not present at many of our organizationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; culture. The primary client of a consultant maybe ready for the change but other stakeholders inside the organization press him a lot for which strategic solutions of a consultant fail.

You have served as the head of organization development and training at National Bank of Pakistan. Would you like to share with us the experience at NBP? I think national bank is a great bank. We have seen it growing from 50 crore to a billion within six months and from one billion it jumped onto four billion, reaching eight to 12 and 18 billions. And we saw it all happening in front of us. Why such a rapid growth? It is because NBP got very strong muscles and very deep pockets. It has a lot of influence, being the mover and shaker in the market in terms of financial strength and policy formulation as well. My experience with national bank has been very pleasant. I enjoyed working there especially the project drafting of more than 12 billion was so thrilling that made us excited at our work. Trans nationalization opened many new horizons for us. National bank has many unique features owing to its position in the market, policies and a strong structure. There is also a huge lot of talent employees associated with the NBP but I do wish that there could have done more for a cultural change in the bank. Though Mr Ali Raza has brought a big difference yet his team should also focus on cultural change because still the image of the bank in people's minds is that of a government owned bank, so there is a need of people development in the bank.

As you shifted from NBP to PIA, how was that experi-

ence? PIA is a mixture of industries and it is so huge that amazes to work with. There we had engineers, a glamorous crew, an established customer service culture, passenger handling and at the same time the kitchen and food catering services. PIA offers so much diversity in work that it used to give a pleasure of moving into different cultures within a single entity. It is an extremely expensive organization ranging from all very active air stawww.themanagertoday.com

tions from the USA to Japan and all over other places. So its largeness fascinated me a great deal. The systems at PIA are much more intact and there is no other company who is making more money than PIA. Even PTCL with its 60,000 workforce does not make revenue equivalent to the PIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revenues. It means the company has that much potential of generating revenue and cash. The unfortunate thing with PIA is that it is badly managed. It is an overstaffed company and its management is poor. But on the other hand it is very much privileged and respected airline in the world. Even if you call any US or European company and tell that you are calling from PIA, you would be given a great deal of respect belonging to this legacy airline. The fact is that today there are very few legacy airlines present in the world and PIA is one of them. And I used to be very proud on working with PIA.

Being a HR professional, how do you assess this area for our women as a career? HR is misunderstood in our part of the world. HR is not only about making pay roles, its not limited to hiring people. If there is any single job that has to manage so many pushs and pulls after the CEO's job, then it is HR manager's job. It is only a chief HR's position that faces so many undercurrents and over currents. As far as women are concerned they are very successful HR managers in most of our corporate and multinationals particularly in the strategic business units we find women performing excellent at HR. Women need to develop their abilities in formulating executive policies also.

What is the meaning and role of the Organization Develop-

ment? In Pakistan every organization has the department of Organization Development (OD) but nobody actually understands the role of OD. It directly relates with the organizational www.themanagertoday.com

performance. OD is any change that you need to bring in to enhance performance. And people concerned do not understand it in real terms.

Having two abilities at a time, what do you think yourself a good HR manager or a corporate trainer? Well, I think at present I might have become a more proficient trainer as I was in the beginning of my career. Owing to my practical experience and relevant case studies and exposure I might have turned more able to guide and train people in their objectives. But when it comes to compare myself as a better training person or a human resource manager, I wish to be a great HR manager.

The quality of research and the experience these consultants bring with them is too shallow, thus the results they are producing are literally shallow.

Could you please mention the core competencies that a CEO look for in a HR manager? I think the biggest of all is the ability to connect and engage with people along with the leadership qualities and ability to deal with the senior personnel as well.

June - July 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 29

EVENTS

GLIMPSES OF LEADING EDGE TRAININGS eading Edge is a higly proactive and client focued Training & Development Consultancy. As an energetic company, it is infused with a desire to provide value added services. The core phillosophy of Leading Edge is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Learning with funâ&#x20AC;?. To demonstrate this philosophy ,below are the glimpses in which participants, from different organisations like, Federal Board of Revenue, Allied Bank Ltd., PEL, Ufone, A.F. Ferguson, Bank Al-Habib, Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, are learning and having fun together.

Sharing ideas

Receiving the certificate

Training participants at the closing session

Listening to the trainer 30 MANAGER TODAY | June - July 2009 August - September 2009

Group photo of Leading Edge Training participants

A merry moment in group discussion

Ijaz Nisar imparting training www.themanagertoday.com

The group of trainees

Trainees on a physical activity

Participants Participants keenly indulged in training and learning

A trainee solving a quiz www.themanagertoday.com

Fun in training!

Participants with Basharat-ullah Malik June - July 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 31 August - September

MINUTES IS ALL YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION ON ANOTHER PERSON

SALES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;7% of the impact come from the words you say, 38% relates to your body language and 55% of the impact is related to the way you say your words & your voice tone. People will always remember how you made them feelâ&#x20AC;?

ahore, May 21, 2009: Selling is a matter of persuading, convincing and obtaining business from potential buyer. Selling is a very simple word but having vast concept to it. Consciously or unconsciously we all sell everyday. When a child needs pocket money, she/he tries to sell NEEDS to parents. On Saturday night a wife hoping that her husband will take her to Saturday night dinner, tries to convince him and sell the

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GOOD TIME. When we adopt Selling as a profession, we need to master the skills as well. Numerous books have been written on the topic of “how to be a good sales person” but very few with practical knowledge and examples. So lets have a look that how we can polish these selling skills to become master.

Business guru, Zig Ziglar, once said. “people often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it everyday.” This is great analogy. Think about it and think about how salesperson can keep themselves motivated everyday.

Don’t just start talking away

Always make positive statements

The first six seconds of the call will decide whether two people take a liking to each other or not. Greet your customer with name if known to you, look in the eyes of customer and smile. Listen attentively and explain step by step that why your product is exactly the one that match customer’s expectation.

A good salesperson always has a positive attitude by presenting it. Good salesperson doesn’t say “this item has a long deadline” but “there is such a great demand for this product that the manufacturer needs 4 weeks to supply the product at the usual quality standard. How many would u like to book today?”

Sell the benefits

Know the buying signals

Remember, all of your selling efforts are answering the potential customers most pressing question “what is in it for me”? And that means Benefits and benefits alone. Start by hitting them with the most important benefit you offer to them. Right in your “headline”. This is your unique selling proposition (USP). Your headline has to scream benefits.

Sometimes we fail to watch potential customer’s body language and miss both the buying and non-buying signals. Once your potential buyer sense what your verbal avalanche are trying to accomplish, they will leave you talking to yourself. Never underestimate the power of nonverbal selling power.

Be motivated

Know when to stay silent Bridge the product A good salesperson should always bridge the product while convincing the customer. Selling is about direction, quality and quantity. The direction is “who you talk to”, the quality is “how you do it”, and quantity is “how often to achieve your targets”. In this managing time is incredibly important. The need to develop the knowledge and present it in different ways to different customers is utterly important.

Good salesperson recommends Of course its customers prerogative to choose. Good sales person is not a teacher so s/he says “you see……this is why I recommend for you to…”. Customer’s wishes and sales person’s arguments must interlock like a rack and pinion in the customer’s mind.

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Usually salespeople love to talk. There is a false assumption of beliving that “telling is selling”. This quality allows them to open doors and close sales but same friendly loquacious skill cause turnoff prospects and loose sales. In fact, after the first contact, its more important for a salesperson to listen then to talk Remembers the 3 C’s

CLOSE THE SALE CLOSE YOUR MOUTH CLOSE THE DOOR These Cs are the keys to be happy, successful selling. n

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 33

STRESS MANAGEMENT

WALI MUHAMMAD

34 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

tress is a commonly used term to describe a cluster of negative feelings combined with edgy physical sensations. Contemporary life is marred with situations where an individual is likely to experience such reactions many times over the twenty four hours of a day. Long term exposure to stress retards performance seriously and causes fatal consequences to one’s health. Stress- as people commonly experience and report is: … worrying about money. “Supervisor in the public office” …afraid of growing old and getting sick. “Retired army officer” … too little time and too much to do. “Undergrad engineering student” Intensely stirred up feelings on one side, the other side of stress continuum is dullness, feelings of depression, futility and virtually no enthusiasm at all. “It’s all a mindless repetition of days… kids, husband, in laws, cooking, cleaning… I wonder, if I am alive anymore. “A housewife” Our short term encounters to stress are as demoralizing as we all know of them.

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I want to shine in people but stress in social situations leaves me a dumb tongue tie. “A medical student” No wonder people come to fear stress and would do anything to avoid it, only to see that avoidance strategy amplifies it all the more. Commonly used strategies include drugs, addiction, mental or physical removals from stress arousing situations. I always thought that my job with a telecom operator company was too stressful and teaching in the university will be much more meaningful and easy until I switched on, only to find out that I have swapped the stressors of one lifestyle with stressors of another. “An Electrical Engineer” Closer analysis of stressful experiences reveals – it all starts from individual’s perception of a situation. Similar situations could be interpreted as depressing or exciting by two different people. Stress in a given situation for an individual depends entirely on how he/she assessed it. Stress is an individual’s perception and assessment of environment. This implies that everything we see, hear, and feel, taste and smell is a source of stress. Intentionally controlled assessment of situation may make the experience focused alertness or else confusing excitement, fear, or depression. Just like fire, when controlled, is a source of energy otherwise destruction. Properly controlled stress may just be the best thing happening with an individual. Negative assessment of perceptions lead to strain – triggering of a complex chain of neuro-chemical reactions resulting in changes in the physical and mental state of an individual, experienced through symptoms such as sweating, tension in muscles, rapid heartbeat, nausea, dizziness, fainting, indigestion, high blood pressure confusion and lack of concentration. The perpetual vicious cycle is: stress to strain to changes in performance to further stress and so on. Performance depends upon maintaining oneself on medium level between two extremes, harnessing the creative forces of stress to experience feelings of alertness, enthusiasm and well being while apwww.themanagertoday.com

proaching the tasks of life. This comes in handy as one begins to learn and recognize oneself experiencing the feeling states, “stirred up”, or “dull” and makes conscious efforts to keep between the two extremes. As one decides to see the glass half full conscious control of stress meter comes into play. The main problem, however, is mastering one’s physiological reactions that are only partially under one’s conscious control. Good news is, there are ways one can gain gradual control here. Deep muscle relaxation: To experience it now, clench your fist as tightly as you can for five seconds, then open your hand and consciously relax for five seconds, see how you feel. For a proper session, sit down on a chair and repeat the same process starting from your toes, feet, calves, upper legs, buttocks, arms, hands, shoulders, and finally the facial muscles. Repeat the entire exercise three times a day, before bed, after the alarm goes off in the morning and one in the afternoon. Your body will assimilate the relaxation response in a week that you can emulate at will. Relaxed breathing: For five minutes slow your breathing rate to five deep breaths a minute. In other words inhale for about six seconds and exhale for about six, combine it with deep muscle relaxation. Do Nothing: Take one or two, ten minutes breaks during the day for thinking and doing nothing. It may be very boring in the start but gradually one learns to appreciate the stillness. Burst in laughter: To accomplish this task keep something handy, a joke, an sms, a memory of your favorite comedy movie, etc.. Do it every so often during the day. Face it easy: when it’s a fearsome task, listen to soothing music, recite verses from your holy book, or think something nice for a while and please don’t smoke. Positive Payoff: To deal with lack of enthusiasm and lethargy observe your behavior for four days and note down any activity that you enjoy doing and feel pleased about such as coffee, reading

newspaper, TV, going for a walk, calling a friend etc… Combine it with the accomplishment of a piece of behavior as specified by you, such as checking the boring official e-mails and then drinking a cup of coffee, deep muscle relaxation and then calling a friend. Practice it for a while; it will surely spruce up your routine. Thriving on stress is all about making smart choices. While we can’t have complete control over a situation, important thing to remember is, we decide how we react to it.

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 35

ISLAMIC BANKING

TMCL-based interest-free banking model is commercially viable; it is capable of providing all modern banking services and also interestfree loans on wide scale. It can replace conventional banking immediately without any disruption in the financial system.

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ABDUL WADOOD KHAN The writer is a Saudi Arab based Islamic scholar

How to avert impending

economicdisaster TMCL-based interest-free banking model can replace conventional banking immediately without any disruption in the financial system

oday’s most vital problem faced by the world economies alike demanding most urgent attention of all concerned persons is the fast approaching strife and civil commotion due to persistent rise in price of goods. Keynes, the most eminent economist of the last century held that direct relationship between interest and price is one of the most completely established empirical facts in the whole field of quantitative economics. Margrit Kennedy, an eminent German economist holds that at present, element of interest constitutes more than 1/3rd of the prices of all things. Allama Iqbal, greatest Muslim thinker of the last century held interest to be the source of financial miseries and cause of moral degradation. He urged abolition of interest so strongly that he considered even talk of intellect, culture and religion to be futile without demolishing interest-based system. Interest is so strictly prohibited in Quran that offenders are warned of war form Allah and his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Allah warns in Quran “Whosoever violates my commands verily for him livelihood will become distressful” and also assures “whosoever follows my guidance will not go astray nor fall into misery” and promises “if you aid in fulfilling Allah’s will he will aid you”. Mohammad (PBUH) said that the people indulging in interest are bound to be struck with famine. These facts lead to the conclusion that what is most urgently www.themanagertoday.com

needed to be done to avert the impending disaster is to revert to Allah and earn his blessings by abolishing interest. Loan is an indispensable need of mankind and conventional banks offer it at different interest rate that is why interest-based banking prevails throughout the world. At advent of Islam interest-bearing loans were in vogue. Islam prohibited interest and highly commended interest-free loans. Profit-sharing was also in vogue in Pre-Islamic days. Islam did not prohibit it and permitted it to continue but did not commend it. Being originated from Islamic principles interest-free loan for sure is the basis of Islamic financial system just as Tauheed is the basis of Islamic ideology. It is an evil suggestion that interest cannot be abolished at once and that interest-free banking cannot work without raising the moral standards of people. Allah’s commands are all good for mankind and enforceable at all times and in all circumstances. Practically analyzing there is absolutely no reason for interest-free banking not being operable in the circumstances in which interest-based banking is prospering. Believing that Allah’s laws are enforceable at all times and realizing that interestfree loan is the basis of Islamic financial system late Professor Shaikh Mahmud Ahmad undertook intensive research studies and by dint of dedicated effort and with Allah’s grace invented an interest-free lending device which he named ‘Time Multiple Counter Loan’ (TMCL). For this re-

markable achievement and his most authentic and unique book on the subject ‘Man and Money’ he was applauded in the Pakistan Supreme Court Shariat Appellate Bench unanimous judgment of 23rd December 1999 in the famous Riba case as “Our country’s most outstanding economist, researcher and leading thinker who had devoted considerable part of his life to the study of the theory of interest.” TMCL was the only interest-free banking model presented in the court by the writer. During the hearing it was very well received by all the five honorable judges. In their unanimous judgment this model is narrated without any adverse comment. TMCL-based interest-free banking model is commercially viable; it is capable of providing all modern banking services and also interest-free loans on wide scale. It can replace conventional banking immediately without any disruption in the financial system. The writer offers his services free of charge to work for any institution or individual willing to implement this model with a view to get Muslim countries rid of interest and finish the miserable on-going war with Allah and his Prophet (PBUH) that is keeping Muslim Ummah deprived of Allah’s blessings. All well wishers of humanity in general and Muslim Ummah in particular are requested to do whatever they can for abolishing interest as our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said, “those who do not care about the affairs of Muslims are not from amongst us”. n August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 37

INTERVIEW

KAHKASHAN FAROOQ

38 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

www.themanagertoday.com

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 39

INTERVIEW

ow much potential do you see for hospitality industry in Pakistan and what are the challenges it’s facing here? There’s immense potential for hospitality industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with diverse culture, festivals, unique ethnicity and scenic beauty that attract tourists from all over the world and also the people of Pakistan to enjoy these blessings. At present, the hospitality industry is very small if compared to the lucrative potential it offers. However, since July 2007, the political instability, militancy and severe security issues have curtailed the growth of this industry very badly. But I foresee a very bright future for this industry in the years to come as I’m pretty hopeful that the things will come back to normal state very soon. Kindly share with us the policies you employ to compete with other players? I do not see much of the competition out there in market but we take it as a healthy sign. Whatever competition we are facing, boost more motivation into us to serve our clients even better than others and stay on top. A few big international players are also making sounds of coming to Pakistan. This is again a very healthy sign for the overall hospitality industry of Pakistan. Please tell us about your role and responsibilities as the GM and Vice President Operations? And what initiatives have you taken since joining Pearl Continental? My first role is of serving my guests with the best facilities & services and ensuring

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their satisfaction while my second obligation is to ensure good revenue generation to the Hashoo Group. Being the first Pakistani on this high-level position in Pearl Continental Hotels, I try all my best to prove my expertise and abilities to keep my staff motivated and trained. Since my joining, two more banquet halls have been included in the premises, 80 more rooms have been built while further 50 rooms are going t o be included in the building by the next year. That’s how it’s going to become a 610 rooms’ hotel. Besides, I’ve got a few restaurants opened here which have become a real treat for our guests. How do you ensure that all customers are provided best service? My commitment to serve my guests with best service keeps me literally on my toes all time. Most of the time, you’ll find me on the floor with my other co-workers. I’m accessible to everyone. To ensure the best services, regular training workshop are held in the premises, we always keep looking forward to our guests’ feedback which is of great value to us. We take our guest as a king who deserves state of the art treatment. How do you ensure maximum possible occupancy in these difficult times of security issues and global economic downturn? The matter of maximum occupancy depends upon best services. As our focus is always on creating a long-term association between us and our guests, almost all of them return to us by the grace of Almighty. Nowadays, due to severe security issues and global financial crunch, we

are also facing a downfall in our occupancy ratio. Its 58 percent right now which used to be 100 percent in normal times especially during Basant and other festivals in Lahore. However, we are serving food to around 10,000 guests per day. Has the hotel resorted to any kind of downsizing in an effort to cope with the recession? No! We have not resorted to lay off in order to cope with the recession. Our annual turnover is only 2 percent which is quite low. Mr. Murtaza Hashwani and the whole Hashoo Group value its workers a lot. But yes, we have closed down hiring of new staff so far. Do you run any promotions as well to increase the occupancy? As such we don’t run any such promotions or schemes to attract customers but yes in lean periods, bargains are done with customers. In fact, we look up to conferences, seminars and workshop kind of events for revenue generation. We’ve got 13 salespersons who visit our top clients to introduce our promotional scheme but this is a small level activity. What’s different from other hotels that your hotel offers to customers? First off, our ambience is very unique. The grandeur and the service our guests receive are incomparable. Besides that, we have eight restaurants in operation, serving the best food and recipes. We have Thai food restaurant which is one of our distinctive feature. You’ll get the best steak right here in Pearl Continental Hotel. We are also going to launch an Italian food restaurant very soon. Our busiwww.themanagertoday.com

The key to success is having firm belief in team spirit and retaining it. Always make yourself accessible to your staff and the people. Trust your subordinates. Direct them clearly then let them perform the job. Instead of firing them, motivate them and appreciate them for their good work. Work hard as it always pays and keep strong belief in your competencies

ness centre, gym, salon etc all these facilities are marked with state of the art facilities and services. Kindly share with us the policies you employ to compete with other players? I do not see much of the competition out there in market but we take it as a healthy sign. Whatever competition we are facing, boost more motivation into us to serve our clients even better than others and stay on top. A few big international players are also making sounds of coming to Pakistan. This is again a very healthy sign for the overall hospitality industry of Pakistan. How have you been coping with security concerns in view of attack on Marriott hotel and increasing insurgency in Pak? That attack on Marriot Hotel was one of the worst incidents in the history of the country. Providing fool proof security to our guests is our top priority. We have posted guards on each and every floor. Presently we have 200 security personnel in the premises. We’ve also given www.themanagertoday.com

training to our staff in this regard. Please inform us about the upcoming projects of Hashoo Group. Presently, there are seven hotels being run by Hashoo Group in the country: two by the name of Marriot while five are working as Pearl Continental. Mr. Murtaza Hashwani, an extremely talented hotelier is the president of the group. Under his dynamic leadership, another PC is being built in Faisalabad, while the group is also going to expand its network of budgeted hotels, Hotel One. Currently, three budgeted hotels are running in Lahore. Which are the traits, a manager must have to excel in her/his field? A manager must be competent in her/his relevant field and must be a firm believer in hard work. How do you keep work-life balance? Hospitality industry is so demanding that I hardly find time to spend with my family and participate in family events. To be in this field means a lot of sacrifices from the family side. I’m grateful to Almighty that He’s blessed me with an understanding family who regard my work

commitments and my workaholic nature. How do you find the fresh graduates coming to this field? First off, we don’t really find up to the mark staff from the local market. We hire and train people according to our high standards. Despite the great potential, the talented and trained staff is not available here. Ms. Sarah Hashwani is considering a plan to start a hotel training school here very soon. Besides, we offer internship to MBAs as executive management trainee but most of them show lack of interest in hard work and leave soon. No doubt, this is one of the most demanding fields and one has to prove its mettle to excel here. What is your recipe of success? The key to success is having firm belief in team spirit and retaining it. Always make yourself accessible to your staff and the people. Trust your subordinates. Direct them clearly then let them perform the job. Motivate them and appreciate them for their good work. Work hard as it always pays and keep strong belief in your competencies. n August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 41

HR FOCUS

BAKHTIAR KHAWAJA Writer is the head of HR in multinational company

Whose side are you on?

his world is full of HR managers who may be termed as ‘conniving agents of the management’, to borrow the term used by Max Babri in the first issue of this publication. If you are one of them, don’t despair, because you are in good company. A large number of HR heads who may fall in this category would justify their being there by theorizing that if they did not do the calling of their management, they would miss the opportunity of doing whatever good they COULD HAVE DONE for the employee, because they would not have survived for long. To be fair, HR managers have to conduct a complex (and at times dangerous) balancing act, by simultaneously attending to needs and interests of employees on the one hand, and management and owners on the other. On the face of it, these needs and interests may seem to be at odds with each other. A deeper look however reveals a large number of common threads, leading to a convergence of needs and interests of the two groups. In the heart of their hearts, management and owners know that the key to the only competitive advantage their business can muster; lies in the hands of their employees. In order to achieve sustainable success, the enterprise must look after its employees and attend to their needs and interests. HR departments can play a vital role in managing the perceptions of both groups, and making them realize that their destinies are indeed intertwined 42 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

with each other – their needs and interests are mutually inclusive, not exclusive. Once that is achieved and HR related decisions are taken collectively and transparently, organizational synergy will be assured, leading to long term, sustainable growth and prosperity for all concerned. n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR he writer is Group Head of Bank Alfalah’s Learning Group. He has over 30 years of experience and exposure in HR management and development and has worked in four continents of the world. He was the founder president of the LUMS HR Forum and is a syndicate member of the University of Gujrat. He speaks fluent Spanish, is a practicing musician and an active sportsman.

SELF DEVELOPMENT

SHAKEEL AHMED The writer is a Motivation Speaker

The Power of Personal Development When I say Think and Grow Rich, what comes to your mind?

lmost everyone in sales and those interested in personal development have read this classic by Napoleon Hill at least once. And almost everyone who's read it has a positive comment. Many (like me) will say, "Turning point in my life." Everyone has a turning point in their quest for lifelong learning. Everyone has their Aha! In your personal development, it's what you choose to listen to, watch or read that enhances your understanding of your life and teaches you what you need to do to succeed. Napoleon Hill's 1937 quote sets the standard. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." And once you have the information, it's all about what you are willing to do to take advantage of it. Most people know Napoleon Hill was the author of Think and Grow Rich. The person Hill emulated and studied was Orison Swett Marden. Not many know that. Marden was the leading positive-attitude genius of the 20th century. Well-known before 1930-almost unknown today. He was a founding father of personal development and positive thought. Aha! Author of more than 40 books, Marden also was the founder of SUCCESS magazine. Here are a few of his words of wisdom from the book he wrote in 1908, He Who Thinks He Can. 44 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

l "Every child should be taught to expect success." l "The man who has learned the art of seeing things looks with his brain." l "The best educated people are those who are always learning, always absorbing knowledge from every possible source and at every opportunity." l "People do not realize the immense value of utilizing spare minutes." l "No substitute has ever yet been discovered for honesty." l "Poverty is of no value except as a vantage ground for a starting point." These are quotes worth learning and passing on to others. One hundred years old! "Learn More about Orison Swett Mar-

den." Based on my personal experience and personal Ahas!, I'd like to challenge you with the rules of personal development and give you some examples of what I have learned so you might make your own plan to succeed or enhance the one you have.

Expose yourself to knowledge. At the end of a seminar I gave on positive attitude, I received an evaluation from a woman named Mary with a comment that read, "I wish I would have heard this 30 years ago." I got goose bumps of sadness and thought of a Jim Rohn quote: "All the information you need to succeed already exists; the only problem is you're not exposing yourself to it." This information exwww.themanagertoday.com

isted 30 years ago. Mary just hadn't exposed herself to it. Jim Rohn is known as America's leading business philosopher. His CD, The Art of Exceptional Living, is among the modern classics of personal development. Jim Rohn is the current master of inspiration and Aha! He imparts wisdom in every sentence. Between Marden and Rohn, there is a long list of valuable books. I owe my career success to these books and to personal development information to which I have exposed myself. Most of the books are more than 50 years old. Many with religious connotations-but still preaching the right words and thoughts. One of the most notable is The Power of Positive Thinking by NormanVincent Peale. Biblical and brilliant.

Simple is powerful. If you read it and it seems too easy or too hokey, reread it. It's probably part of your personal development foundation. One of my early Aha! moments of personal development was the simplicity of the message. Sometimes it's so simple, you go right past it without understanding the impact it can make. A classic example is the eternal How to Win Friends and InfluencePeople by Dale Carnegie. In 1936 he wrote, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." How many salespeople could benefi t from that single Aha!? I think all of them. Interesting to note that Dale Carnegie's lessons still are being taught in the classroom 70 years later!

Think and apply to improve. In As a Man Thinketh, published in 1902, James Allen says, "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." Thinking what can be done is at the core of your personal development. About 54 years later, in the million-seller, The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale writes, "We become what we think about www.themanagertoday.com

all day long." Get it? In 1969, I listened to Glenn W. Turner on a cassette tape: "Act as though you have already begun to achieve. Not fake it-live it."

Take a daily dose. Think about the time-worn expression, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Apply that to personal development, and it means learn and apply one new thing every day. At the end of a year you will have 365 new pieces of information.

The older the better. If you want a new idea, read a book that's 100 years old. "The best educated people are those who are always learning, always absorbing knowledge from every possible source and at every opportunity." -Marden, 1908. Or, "History has demon-

7. Do it even as your butt falls off. In 1898, Elbert Hubbard wrote an essay titled, Message to Garcia. Deliver the message, get the job done, complete the task-no matter what. Many have read that essay. Few have emulated it. Personal development challenges you to think forward. "Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come." -Victor Hugo, 1874. Personal development challenges you to be your best. "You cannot mandate productivity; you must provide the tools to let people become their best." -Steve Jobs, 1988. "I am the greatest of all time." -Muhammad Ali, 1963. Personal development challenges you to make decisions based on the person you seek to become. "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but

"You cannot mandate productivity; you must provide the tools to let people become their best." strated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats." -B.C. Forbes, 1919.

Personal development and positive attitude are joined at the hip-and at the brain. And there is another componentbeing of service. "There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." -Clement Stone, 1946. Add that to the 5000-year-old Chinese proverb, "To Serve is to Rule."

what they become by it." -John Ruskin, 1869. Wondering where you can "find more time" to devote to your own success? "It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." -Henry Ford, 1901. Just a thought. The key word is not development; the key word is personal. Do it for yourself, in your own way, and make your own time for it-or not. The biggest Aha! of personal development is from Russell Conwell's Acres of Diamonds. Considered to be one of the finest speeches ever written, Acres of Diamonds offers a multitude of lessons about the rewards of work, education and finding the riches of life in your own back yard-or your own library. Aha! n

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 45

COACHING

FAHAD KARAMALLY THE WRITER IS THE CEO OF NAVITUS

Corporate Patangbaaz C

oaching is the next ‘in-thing’ and is fast becoming a fad in management practices. It’s no longer restricted to merely explaining and teaching things but is becoming a more formal way of developing teams and successors. Succession planning requires coaching and the success of coaching de-

46 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

pends on how effective a manager is in this field. Many organizations are trying to create a ‘coaching culture’. In this attempt, managers are being called coaches. It is seen as their new role. Interestingly, the idea is that changing titles is expected to change behaviors – at least, this is how it seems.

Our newly designated ‘coaches’ are sent on training programs, which are more often than not, too theoretical. The contents and process taught are often not adapted to our local needs and cultural norms. Once these individuals have taken part in such well-publicized and often ill-conceived training initiatives on coaching, their subordinates start expecting their ‘managers’ to start behaving as ‘coaches’! Their list of expectations, while laudable, becomes rather unrealistic. They immediately start looking for attributes such as: • Good listener • People oriented • Forgiving • Encourages mistake • Empathetic • Emotionally intelligent • Understanding • Supportive • Facilitative www.themanagertoday.com

• And of course a coaching guru! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see our managers and coaches exhibit such qualities overnight? But, the truth is, it all takes time. Behaviors change to the extent of business context and environment supports it. The ground reality is that such learning cannot be fully practiced all of the time. This creates a heightened expectation gap; which becomes more pronounced over time, if no real change becomes visible. As a result, subordinates often feel dissonance. They hear one thing and see another. This contrast can sometimes lead them to describe their line managers as having a “Bossy” attitude.

WHO IS A BOSS? The word ‘boss’ has become an unhelpful stereotype. It often carries a negative connotation and understandably so. History is replete with examples of seniors who have behaved in an authoritarian way often acting aggressively. Such managers hardly ever listened to their subordinates, and thrived on giving orders. They used to rule by fear, and held knowledge and information close to their chests. All this stemmed mainly from a sense of insecurity. What mattered to such ‘bosses’ was getting the job done at any cost, only to get ahead or secure their turf. Feelings and emotions had no place in rational world, where you do what you are paid for. Thankfully, such behaviors are no longer as widespread as they once were. Here is an analogy that captures how the word ‘boss’ became so ugly. A negative stereotype of a ‘boss’, as described above, is like that of a swimmer on a diving board. He climbs a ladder and gets on to the diving board. He stands there for all to see. His entire support is the diving board. In order for this swimmer to perform, he needs to jump on the diving board a few times, pushing it down each time, in order to be propelled higher, in order to make the dive. The height attained this way, is of course, shortlived. This is generally what such ‘bosses’ have done. They have climbed the proverbial corporate ladder and stood on top of their subordinates, jumped on them, only www.themanagertoday.com

Similarly, a coach is someone that gives people space in which to soar to great heights, and encourages widespread recognition of the coachees for their good performance. A coach does all this without ever leaving the ‘string’ i.e., without ever losing the all-important connection with the coachees. to shine their own glory, while taking all the credit. But all in vain, as they end up diving head first! Can this unhelpful image of a ‘boss’ ever change? It can. Over time, and through consistent behaviors by managers that demonstrate both compassion and courage – a conduct that values and nurtures human dignity and fairness.

WHO IS A COACH? There are a number of movies based on true stories, namely: Coach Carter; Remember the Titans; Men of Honor; Miracle, Antwone Fisher and K-19 to list a few. Such films depict coaching and people development beautifully, albeit in a different context and setting from ours. Interestingly none of them entirely fit the theory of coaching as we see it in Western textbooks and what is usually taught in the class room. These films depict strong individuals who inspire people forcefully, but never lose sight of purpose and caring behind the effort. To me, Kite flying provides a useful metaphor for coaching. A good coach is a bit like a Patangbaaz (a kite flyer). When you have a kite in your hands and the wind conditions are right, it flies majestically. You let the kite soar to great heights; it rules the skies and competes with many other kites. Spectators can only see the kite, its beauty and flight. However, behind every kite is a person. This individual holds on to the string, gently guiding the kite’s trajectory. This person with the string allows the kite full flight and intervenes only when needed to redirect the kite to its original objective. Similarly, a coach is someone that gives people space in which to soar to great

heights, and encourages widespread recognition of the coachees for their good performance. A coach does all this without ever leaving the ‘string’ i.e., without ever losing the all-important connection with the coachees. Each one of us needs to maintain this connection with our coachees. It keeps us disciplined and focused. Our subordinates will perform better knowing that their manager is connected to them in some way. Connection shows caring and attention. Therefore, find a coach for yourself, and be one to your subordinates. In other words, be a corporate ‘patangbaaz’ and celebrate Basant all year round. This is one form of kite flying everyone will welcome and your people will grow to deliver magical results. n August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 47

48 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

Quality faculty members being crucial to the success of your objectives, do you have any particular faculty development program in practice to secure more faculty members? I believe faculty is the single most important asset in determining any educational institution’s position to stay at the top. Universities are only as good as their faculty.

Along with the establishment of these schools, is there any expansion plan in pipeline to set up LUMS campus in any other city as well? I have been requested by Sailkot Chamber of Commerce and other institutions in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi to establish campuses of LUMS; they assured me the provision of campus building and all research facilities. My answer to all such offers is always very simple, currently we have around 30 permanent faculty members and five visiting faculty members at LUMS, and for a vibrant business school we need nearly 60 qualified faculty members. So, unless I could secure a critical mass of faculty members I can not even think of establishing another campus anywhere for the next ten years.

PROFILE r Shaukat Brah is a Dean of the Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences since July 2007. He is a dedicated educator, committed to research, teaching and general well being of his students, colleagues and humanity. He has a PhD from the University of Houston, where during his graduate studies; he worked on a research project on NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. Thereafter, he taught at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, a case based premier institution, for two years. Recently, he taught at the NUS Business School for over sixteen years before returning to serve his current position. Dr Shaukat Brah’s research interests are in the broader area of operations management. To his credit, Dr. Shaukat Brah has over twenty international refereed papers, hundreds of citations of his research works in the Web of Science, refereed papers in international book series, conference papers, case studies and many other academic contributions. Dr Shaukat Brah’s teaching philosophy is deeply grounded in providing a very active learning environment.

NABEELA MALIK

INTERVIEW ACADEMIA

49 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

Business schools are mushrooming in our towns and streets, which are not very high merit oriented. How can we meet the challenge of preserving quality business education? The government has to play a key role in providing support for establishing a private sector run accreditation body that will determine the quality of education of business degree granting institutions. Free market is wonderful; however, institutions must present themselves for accreditation and evaluation to ensure maintaining minimum thresholds of quality. In south Asia we have South Asian Quality Assurance System for Management Schools (SAQS), which controls the quality of education in the region. LUMS is the only institution in Pakistan certified by the SAQS. Thus, I recommend establishment of accreditation body and a strict control on quality through them.

In this era of brain drain, what is your policy to retain key faculty members? We have a very high rate of faculty retention at LUMS, partly because of the empowering culture where everybody is an integral part of the decision making at all levels. Our retention rate is much better than that of universities in North America and Europe. However, we do need to work harder for retention of staff. At LUMS, we have very high expectations from all of our faculty members. We look at the teaching performance of our faculty, scrutinize their research and service performance and the thresholds for all these areas of evaluation are very high. We provide mentorship and support to help a new faculty member adjust to the new environment. Once adjusted, generally people do not quit. Some of them have a very different mindset and they may not fully value the worth of our great institution, however such cases are very rare and far between. All of this happens in spite of lucrative offers available to my colleagues. For instance, last year around six of my faculty members in the business school had offers from abroad, five from the universities in the Middle East and one from a European university. But, as a dean, I had no worries that my colleagues would be leaving to accept offers from abroad primarily because of their strong bond with the institution.

So, we are very much concerned about selecting the right faculty members for LUMS. We follow a very rigorous program for recruiting qualified faculty for the university.

INTERVIEW ACADEMIA

we are proud that our students prove better professionals in practical field. We also hope to increase the number of sponsored students at LUMS in near future.

LUMS serves a limited part of society being very much expensive, how can its scope be increased? The university is a non profit entity working on need blind admissions policy. This year we have an intake of 700 students for our undergraduate programs and we expect 100 of them to come from our National Outreach Program (NOP). Under the NOP program, we select top students from all over the country, train them for entrance test (LBAT) and communication skills so they can come up to LUMS standards. Once selected on merit, LUMS fully pays for the academic expenses including tuitions, residential expenses etc of all NOP students. This is only possible because of the generosity of our donors. Clearly, our recent NOP graduates are not letting us down and they have proven themselves in their professional fields. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career oriented business degrees are making our students materialistic. How can we produce balanced human professionals in the present time? This is probably the point where our education system is failing and it needs to be corrected from the core fundamentals. I am a business school professor and I keep telling everybody that there is nothing wrong in making honest money. One should work hard to increase wealth and standard of living, but it should not become a license to be arrogant to others. We get students in the university for two to four years and practically all of their per50 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

sonal development is complete by the time they reach us. So, I believe, if one is raised nicely and possesses strong values, materialism would not catch upon his personality. Would you like to make suggestions for improvement? There is a popular story that South Korea took Dr. Mehboob-ul-Huqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five year plan and implemented it without changing even a comma. The per capita of Korea in 1962 was less than per capita of Pakistan while today it is many folds that of Pakistan. The development, innovations and progress South Korea made in a shorter period is highly remarkable. The important factor is that in 1962 the literacy rate and other social indicators of South Korea were very high, and as the capital came to the country the nation was able to use it productively. That served as the secret of their success and development. We also need to improve education policies with big investments in this sector. Is there any role model in your life? The personality of Quaid-e-Azam is my ideal.

I love hard work and putting my best to perform my duties. The acts of kindness of my parents have also been a great inspiration for me. How do you manage work life balance? I always do my work at my workplace even if that means coming back to work late at night. I do not take anything related to work home. My family usually do not call me while I am at work either. While being with the family I give them full attention and I take keen interest in the activities of my children. We go out together, eat together and we do visit here and there whenever we get an opportunity. So, this way I try to maintain a quality of balance between my personal and professional life. What are the keys to success in life? Be honest to yourself, always work hard and stay committed to your goals. These factors would enable you to stand against all kinds of odds. Make ways not excuses. There is no short cut to success, so work hard with full devotion and commitment. With a purpose and conviction, you would definitely be able to achieve your goals.n www.themanagertoday.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

DR. S. ABBAS RAZA, M.D The writer is a Consultant Endocrinologist at the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital & Research Center

ho would have thought that all those old proverbs and advices that our mothers / elders gave us could keep high scientific sense? But todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work life routine is making us realize that those advices were of a high scientific importance. Here I would like to discuss some of the proverbs that my mother used to teach me frequently but I ever little cared because of my ignorance. Today I understand the new meanings of these advices owing to my knowledge of the medical field.

An Apple a day, keeps the doctor away

Old proverbs withnew

meanings... 52 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

Well, we know that an apple is a good source of some of the most essential minerals including Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Vitamin A, C & E and Folate. It also contains small amounts of iron, copper and zinc. The recent scientific data clearly sports that magnesium is one of the most essential minerals needed by every cell in human body. It is realized that more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body including proper muscle, nerve and heart function, protein synthesis and energy metabolism, depend on magnesium. Not surprisingly, we are not getting enough of it in our daily diet. Magnesium not only helps in regularizing our body systems but also help in boosting up metabolism. This change in metabolism may result in weight reduction and prevention of diseases like Diabetes Mellitus. Other good sources of magnesium include nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts, wholegrain cereals, oatmeal, and legumes while minerals in ample like calcium, selenium, phosphorus and Vitamin regulate multiple pathways which could help you limit your doctor visits.

Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper Take control of metabolism from the bewww.themanagertoday.com

ginning of the day. If you want to maintain a healthy metabolism throughout the day, take a nutritious breakfast. Many studies indicate that breakfast increases metabolism by 10 percent and reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes. A breakfast containing whole-grain cereal, fruit, whole-wheat toast and fat-free yogurt could just be the right way to start your day. Remember it’s not only your metabolism which gets affected due to skipping breakfast but also your performance at work resulting in poor concentration, irritability, and a higher craving for food during rest of the day. So next time you leave home in a hurry without having your breakfast, remember that you are asking for trouble!

Seven days without exercise makes one weak Exercise not only burn calories but also programs the body in such a way that body could handle calories in a more efficient way. One of the better ways to exercise is a technique known as Fartlek (also known as interval training). It is a Swedish word for ‘speed play’. It involves training sessions with alternate short bursts of intense activity with lower intensity activity. This could be achieved while performing alternating sprints with a slow jog, or powering up a hill followed by an easy downhill. This form of exercise actually is a great way to pump up your metabolism, burn more calories /fat and not loose interest in your exercise routine. This form of exercise actually teaches your heart and muscles to use oxygen more efficiently, by programming energy producing cells (mitochondria) in the body.

A tri-color meal is a good deal When deciding about how to prepare your platter at a Buffet or a dining table, just step back and decide how your plate should look like when it is full? The selection and variety of food could make a whole difference in how you would digest and metabolize that meal. If you make your plate a multi color, by adding vegetables, meat and salad, you might be doing a favor to yourself. A diverse colored platter could mean a food rich in most of the nutritional needs of the body. For example a food rich in B viwww.themanagertoday.com

Our body is programmed with ‘dietary induced thermo genesis’, which is initiated with food intake. So if slash your calories, the calories burned by eating are greatly diminished and so is your metabolic rate. tamins (spinach, asparagus, beans, melon, broccoli, fish, poultry and eggs) will be helpful in DNA synthesis, the central nervous system, metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein and energy production. Food deficient in essential amounts of Vitamin B6, B12, folate, thiamin and niacin, will leave you feeling depressed and fatigued. It may also slow the body’s metabolism and increase your risk for chronic diseases. So the best advice would be to mix and match the dietary selection to avail the complete synergy of these vitamins and minerals.

Eat to live, not live to eat One of the ways most of us end up trying to loose weight in our busy life style is by depriving our body from the food and performing ‘crash diet’. This in reality programs our metabolism to slow down and conserve more food in form of fat. Our body is programmed with ‘dietary induced thermo genesis’, which is initiated with food intake. So if slash your calories, the calories burned by eating are greatly diminished and so is your metabolic rate. It takes about 20 minutes from the time you actually start eating till your brain realizes that you have started the process of

eating. What it means for you is that brain satiety center (telling that you have eaten enough) does not send signal for atleast first 20 minutes and by that time you could have utilized too many calories. So, best way is to start with a salad and eat slowly. Other great way to increase your metabolism is by having small healthy snacks between meals. Snacking helps in igniting your energy by giving your body a fuel boost, which in turn results in increasing your metabolism and avoid the ‘over hungry-overeating syndrome’. These snacks should include healthy carbohydrates and protein (peanut, butter) Fruit (banana, Ample) and vegetables (pieces of carrots). These small amounts of protein/carbohydrate combination help regulate blood sugar, energy level and feeling of satiety. In the end, I would recommend a good balance of food intake, food selection and ways to burn these calories, could make a whole lot difference in keeping your metabolism at where it should be, making your life more enjoyable for you. n

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 53

BEST SELLER BOOK REVIEW

MUHAMMAD YASIR

Who Moved My Cheese?

any a times, one wanders between the existing and the upcoming; and such is the premise of Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D., that change is constant and inevitable. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cut-throat competition the power to anticipate, recognize, and understand change is of utmost importance to stay abreast in the corporate world. Rather than manage change itself, one must modify behavior towards change. The fable revolves around two mice and two little men looking for cheese in a maze. The cast of characters includes two mice, Sniff and Scurry, who are given human character traits and actions, and two little people, Hem and Haw, complete with complex emotions and belief systems. Sniff is quick to identify change and Scurry is quick to act. 54 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

Hem is in eternal denial, experiencing fear of the unknown and strongly resisting all changes while Haw learns to adapt to change in the hope of betterment. The writer uses "Cheese" as a "metaphor for what you want in life, whether it is a relationship, money, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, or even any activity like sports, whereas the maze pictures where we spend our time looking for what we want. It can be the organization you work for, the community you live in, or the relationships you have in your life. The tale begins with Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw in their daily jog to the maze in search of cheese. While searching for cheese, the reaction of the characters lends itself to comparisons with our reactionary vs. participatory approaches when encountering change. Some people live content

with what they possess and resist change, while others constantly keep looking for new opportunities. The book is divided into a foreword and three sections. In Section 1, "A Gathering," several in a reunion of former classmates discuss dealing with change in their lives. Section 2, "The Story," is the core of the book. Section 3 returns to the classmates who are finding real-life applications for the new insights gleaned from the story. Among the tools, Johnson also traces out the major fears that often paralyze people and suggests visualizing one's self at the end of a goal, looking at the journey as a challenge and seeing your reaction beyond the fear line. The book offers both an entertaining and thought-provoking way for people to review their own behavior toward change. n www.themanagertoday.com

MOVIE REVIEW

STANDANDDELIVER

ANGER MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR RAMON MENENDEZ STARRING EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, ANDY GARCIA, LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS, ROSANA DE SOTO RUNNING TIME 1 HR 45 MINS

DIRECTOR: PETER SEGAL STARRING: JACK NICHOLSON, ADAM SANDLER, MARISA TOMEI, JOHN TURTURRO RUNTIME 1 HR 46 MINS

MUNIR HUSSAIN

tand and Deliver, directed by Ramón Menéndez and starring Edward James Olmos, is an entertaining dramatic retelling of a true story about what one man can accomplish when he dedicates his life to serving others. The film contrasts the results of an educational system where no one cares enough to do anything more than to emptily, heartlessly "go through the motions," with what can be achieved through the labors of a single teacher who cares enough to demand more. The film argues for this more caring kind of educator. Each contrast suggests the inherent superiority of educators putting more than just their time into teaching their students; they must put in their hearts and souls as well. The story is told from a several perspectives. The primary perspective is that of Jaime Escalante, a man who leaves the private sector to teach public High School in Eastern Los Angeles. There are a couple of secondary perspectives told concurrently with that of Escalante. One is that of Angel, a troubled youth who is Escalante's most www.themanagertoday.com

challenging student. Another is the ongoing romance between two of Escalante's students: Lupe and Pedro. These differing perspectives serve as a narrative device in the film. The shifting back and forth between these story lines helps to break up the film into comprehensible segments within the linear whole. These alternate perspectives help build the viewer's affection for and interest in the students portrayed; while at the same time building the dramatic tension of the plot. All in all, Stand and Deliver is successful in its aims (namely advancing the argument that there are no "uneducatable" students) while remaining compellingly entertaining. In the late twentieth century movies supplanted literature as catalysts for social change. I believe that Stand and Deliver, as well as several other movies like it, have successfully moved education to the forefront as a national issue. The film is in that respect (which may well be the most important respect) a monumental success. n

hough not in his signature role, Adam Sandler once again has captured the audience with his performance in Anger Management. Together Adam Sandlar and Jack Nicholson is a recipe for the proverbial odd couple. Catering to the different audiences, the two performers bring as dissimilar acting styles to the table as possible and one would rarely find a perfect match of two apparently mismatched actors working together - a match only made in Hollywood; and their juxtaposed comedic styles are quite complementary, mixing lowbrow humor with a few slightly more sophisticated laughs. Anger Management, like most films of its genre, depends more on the personas of the comedians than it does on the script. Fortunately both Sandler and Nicholson are up to the challenge. The latter steals much of the spotlight as the eccentric, possibly half-insane doctor, a role tailored to Nicholson's simmering aggression and trademark sardonic grin. Sandler continues to successfully explore roles beyond the hot-headed buffoon type, demonstrating admirable development as both an actor and a comedian. His character is likable and funny. Although a bit uneven at times—some of the laughs are a bit strained, and the surprise ending isn't really so unexpected—Anger Management is successful on the whole. Nicholson and Sandler, working from a deliciously absurd script in roles they were born to play, are never boring to watch. It even has a message about standing up for yourself, but the best thing to do is just kick back on the chaise lounge and enjoy. n

August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 55

VOCABULARY SHAKIL A. CHAUDHRY

Vocabulary Bank

Management vocabulary for executives Manage:

City slicker: a person with the sophisticated manner and dress traditionally associated by rural people with city dwellers Comic relief: humorous scene or incident that alleviates tension in an otherwise serious situation l The Shakespearean dramas often contain cosmic relieves. Correcto-maniac: someone who has a habit of correcting others, say in matters of language l The correcto-maniac nature of the boss turned his employees fed up with the work environment. Fait accompli: something that has already happened or has been done and cannot be changed l We got married secretly and then presented our parents with a fait accompli. —Oxford Cosmopolitan: containing people of different types, religions and nationalities and influenced by their culture l London is a cosmopolitan city. Couch potato: a lazy person who prefers watching TV to being active In today’s competitive professional world it is not possible for any couch potato to survive. Critique: a detailed critical review or commentary, especially one dealing with works of art or literature l You need to learn how to critique an argument in a scientific way. Deadwood: useless personnel or material l In order to run this organization efficiently, we will have to get rid of the deadwood. Demeanour: the way someone looks or behaves l He maintained a professional demeanour throughout. Disingenuous: insincere; deceitful; not straightforward l That’s a very disingenuous argument. Doctrinaire: a person inflexibility attached to a theory without regard to its practicality l He came across as a doctrinaire ideologue to me. Doublespeak: language that is intended to deceive people, or that can be understood in two different ways l I am totally fed up with your double-speak. Enigma: someone or something hard to understand or explain l Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.—Winston Churchill

56 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

This word originated from the Italian word mannegiare (to handle). The word “manager” was first being used to refer to someone who ran a business or institution. Management Buy-Out The raising of large sums of money by a team of managers to buy the company they run. A variation on the management buyOut (MBO) is the less common management buy-in (MBI). In this case, a team of managers form outside the company buys it in order to run it. Management By Exception: A management philosophy: the policy of only looking closely at events that deviate significantly from an expected norm. Management by Objectives: Its main principle is that employer and employee sit down together to agree on the objectives to be achieved by the employee. Management Consultant: An adviser whose aim is to help companies to identify management problems, to analyze them, to recommend solutions, and (when requested) to help in implementing those solutions. The term management consultant covers four main areas of business consultancy: 1. IT, the fastest growing area; 2. Manufacturing; 3. Organizational Effectiveness (Including finance and marketing); 4. Corporate Strategy. Management Development: A catch-all phrase referring to the teaching and nurturing of management skills. There are eight functions that are generally agreed to be central to the job of managing: Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Supervising, Directing, Controlling, Co-ordinating, and Innovating. Market Leader: The product or service that sells the

most compared with the other products or services in its industrial segment. Market Share: A company’s sales in a particular market expressed as a percentage of total sales in that market. Market valued Added: The Market value of a company minus the total cash that has been invested in the company. This is the market’s measure of how much value has been added by the company and its operations. Matrix Management: A method that was largely devised by a Dutch company, Philips, after the second world war as a means of managing a broad range of products across a broad range of markets. Management controls ran in two directions: horizontally across geographical regions and vertically across different product groups. Mentoring: A method of management training in which junior managers are assigned a specific individual senior manager to whom they have privileged access for advice and guidance. Mergers and Acquisitions: The two ways in which companies come together, often abbreviated to M&A. Mergers are friendly combinations of two or more companies into a new entity; acquisitions are the (sometimes unwelcome) TAKEOVER of one company by another. Mission Statement: A statement by accompany of its overriding business goals, of how it is going to achieve them, and of the values it will uphold in doing so. Multi-Skilling: It aims at equipping workers with a number of skills. Traditionally each Employee has a specific skill for a specific task, which only he or she performed. However, employees are expected to carry out a number of different tasks, each requiring different skills. www.themanagertoday.com

HUMOUR

Aesop’s fables - Lessons for manager The lessons from Aesop’s fables are something to be really cherished. These unforgettable lines introduce us to a whole new vision of wisdom every time we read them. Here we have compiled a few of them for your delight.

The crab and his mother (lead by example not by words) mother crab criticized her son for walking sideways, whereupon the son asked his mother to show him how to walk straight. Of course the mother crab was unable to walk any straighter than her son, and soon apologized for criticizing what she herself was guilty of too.

The lioness and the vixen (quality not quantity) lioness and a vixen were comparing their young. The vixen said how beautiful her litter of cubs was, and remarked sneeringly that the lioness only ever had one cub. "Ah yes," said the lioness, "but that one is a lion..."

The apes and the travelers (think before you speak/discretion is the better part of valor) wo travellers, one who always lied and one who always spoke the truth, came upon the land of apes and were captured. Brought before the king of the apes, and asked for their opinion of the king ape and

his subjects, the untruthful traveler praised the king to be a powerful and impressive monarch, and all his subjects to be completely worthy of their master. The king ape was delighted and gave the traveler a fine gift. The second traveler thought to himself that if his friend had benefited by lying, so he would be benefit still more by telling the truth, and when asked his opinion replied that he thought the king to be a great ape, and all his subjects great apes too. The ape king was so enraged he ordered the poor traveler to be taken away and killed. The ass and the mule (share a load or you'll end up carrying it all) man loaded his ass and his mule for a journey, but after travelling for a while the ass began to weaken, so he asked the stronger mule to carry some of his load. The mule refused, and in due course the ass collapsed and died. The mule was then forced to carry the ass's load, and also the skin of the poor ass. The mule could only just manage the painful load, and realised his failure to help a little at first had caused a much greater suffering to himself.

The soldier and the horse (look after what is of value) soldier tended his horse well during the wars and the horse served him well. At the end of the wars the soldier treated the horse badly, with little food, no shelter and heavy drudging work. War broke out again and the soldier went to use the horse as before, but the wretched beast collapsed, saying that the poor treatment had turned him into an ass, and he would not be restored to a trusty steed in just a moment.

The oxen and the butchers (accept what is inevitable) group of oxen were set on avenging their treatment by the butchers and plotted to kill them with their horns, until an old wise ox spoke out: "We may hate and fear the butchers, but they do what they must do expertly, and if we kill them, man will still eat beef, so then other less skilled men will cause us far greater suffering."

DEAF FROG ….. NEVER GIVE UP Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began. Honestly, No one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as: "Oh, way too difficult!!" "They will never make it to the top." Or: "Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!" The tiny frogs began collapsing one by one. Except for those, who in a fresh tempo were climbing higher and higher. The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But one continued higher and higher and higher.... This one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for www.themanagertoday.com

the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! Then all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it? A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal. It turned out that the winner was DEAF!!!! The wisdom in this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic, because they take your most wonderful dreams and wash away from you, the ones you have in your heart! Always think in the power, words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions! Therefore, ALWAYS stay POSITIVE! And above all: Be DEAF when people tell you that you cannot fulfill your dreams! Always think: God and I can do this! Pass this message on to the "tiny frogs" you care about. Give them some motivation! Most people walk in and out of your life but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart. August - September 2009 | MANAGER TODAY 57

COVER STORY

ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT MANAGER? RESULT OF EQ QUIZ Add up all the numbers you have encircled to determine your overall score, and here is what your total score means: YOUR SCORE

12 – 24 Your frankness is commendable. Although you may be a technical wizard or have very high IQ, your EQ is on the low side. It appears you may have some work to do. If you scored in this range, you may find yourself blowing up at people, depressed, or losing sight of where you are in life. Don't despair! Emotional intelligence is not set at birth - it can be learned and improved. If life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond, then we hold the power to create the lives we want!

25 – 34 People in this range often find themselves blowing up at their co-workers, even their loved ones. They seem to have less 'buffer' for dealing with change, stress and difficulty. Some people also report depression or feeling 'lost' in life. EQ can be learned and improved - with big payoffs! Studies of entrepreneurs and employees at some of the world's top organizations show that EQ counts for twice as much as IQ and technical skills combined in defining who will be a star. Improving EQ results in better relationships, greater health and a happier outlook on life! Areas to work on: Given that self-awareness is the foundation of EQ, you might want to start here on the road to higher EQ. Ask yourself: If we have trouble expressing our emotional needs - if we regularly put others needs before our own - there's a good chance that we will one day wake up feeling empty, hostile, or depressed. Don’t let this happen to you! Take care of yourself! Express your key needs. It may be difficult at first - but research shows it will be a win-win. So move into the 'zone of dis58 MANAGER TODAY | August - September 2009

comfort' to express those needs and you will be rewarded for your hard work several times over! This is one of the key steps to building emotional intelligence. You will be happier - and those around you will understand you better, and be grateful for the feedback. Remember, if life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond, then we hold the power to create the lives we want!

35 – 44 You have slightly above average EQ - with room to grow! You are likely sensitive to the emotional climate of the people around you - your peers, friends, family and key clients. You are well aware of the effect your behavior has on others. Still, while you may be adept at tuning into others and their needs - you must remember your own! Don't be afraid to honestly communicate these difficult needs and feelings. The world is well stocked with martyrs - it doesn't need any more! Think also about your passion for work, we spend countless hours in our given roles - sometimes without much joy or satisfaction. In the process we become tranquilized by the trivial. Sure, the laundry needs doing, the groceries need getting, the kids need chauffeuring, the deadlines must be met, but we also need to stop and remember what gives us great joy and meaning. If we fail to remind ourselves (on a regular basis), we risk becoming hostile and cynical. We lose our purpose. And this translates to a diminished ability to be effective, at ease and fulfilled. If you work on gaining clarity in these areas, you will move toward maximizing your full potential and finding greater effectiveness, happiness, and fulfillment in your life.

45 – 54 Congratulations ! You have very high emotional intelligence. This is good news! Your level of EQ likely has been and will be a driver of your high performance for years to come. Areas to work on: while you are doing well - don't forget to take time out of your busy day-to-day activities to stop and reflect on what brings you the greatest meaning in your life. If we fail to do this on a regular basis, we risk becoming tranquilized by the trivial. But if we are working toward goals that are not in alignment with our key values and greater purpose, we face becoming hostile and cynical - losing the reason we are doing 'all of this' in this first place! This translates into less joy and enthusiasm for our work - resulting in a diminished ability to be effective, at ease and on purpose.

55 – 60 Congratulations on your exceptional EQ!

If you scored in this range, there is a slight warning however. You are either extremely high in emotional intelligence or extremely low. How is this possible? These results may reflect your high level of self-knowledge or your complete lack of it since you must be self-aware to assess yourself accurately. For this reason, self-awareness is the foundational competency of emotional intelligence! You may want to seek clarification from a peer, co-worker or family member to validate your score. You have either made it to the top or have a long way to go. “Where there is no passion, your soul is either asleep or absent.” John O. Donohue. n