THE NEW MANAGER IS CONFUSED!

Let us not firm wire a business model

The business world has really changed a lot in the last 25 years or so. Today, to run a niche, high on value, midsized company, where individuals are respected and rewarded for their deeds, but also needs to take a lot on themselves, is becoming pretty difficult to run or manage.
When you run such a company, the very nature of governance of such an enterprise evolves, which is definitely not the case of a well-oiled structured outfit.

So, when this niche company starts growing, experts tend to tell you, all the time — ‘Listen mate, you need to have a clear plan, budget, roles and targets and job descriptions.’ When you do that, they, will then perhaps tell you, see, I told you, you are falling short in 7 areas, to achieve this goal, so they are non-starters. But I keep pleading to them, that let us not firm wire everything. Let us develop this business model, and then let us see the loose ends, and we will keep working on them, and removing blocks and grow. I also tell them, I have a young bunch of Managers who are good in this method of working.

That is not always understood or appreciated. Is that the time for the entrepreneur to go? Not really. Because the ‘evolving’ model of business is also a proven model of business, and it works. So, you need to create a blend. This is where, the current generation Managers, who are driven by huge peer pressure, with the advent of MNCs and BIG Indian companies, acting like MNCs, who keep on reminding this niche company Manager of ours, why are you doing all this. Are you getting your value for money? This confuses a learning Manager, who was learning till that day in this niche company. They start thinking. ‘Why am I doing this really?’

So, a prospective learning Manager fails or falls into this deadly trap. As India marches into this new world of growth, there will be emergence of many of these ‘niche’ companies which actually produce talent, cleans them up, creates huge potential for delivery in this society. Young budding Managers must have a pretty close look at themselves, whether they want to be the new generation ‘Learning Managers,’ or succumb to the load of implementing everything.

Give it a good close thought.