UPSIDE DOWN – Real Story

We have always thought that we were working because our bosses/entrepreneurs needed us. We thought, we were there to ‘help’ our bosses/owners meet certain targets. We thought, we were hired because the organisation needs us?

Well! well! Well! How about if the truth comes out to be actually a little different. Would you believe, if someone were to tell you that the truth is the other way round? That, it is because of us, that our bosses exist, so that they could facilitate an efficient completion of their tasks? The typical pyramidal structure of organisations is shrinking. Every business today works as an inverted pyramid, whereby, every position in the pyramid works towards facilitating the role of the widest base of the pyramid- the front-line executives.

For a company that’s selling a product, the highest value addition happens at the front-line, with the remaining part helping this front-liners do what they are expected to. And this restructuring cannot happen all by itself, it calls for an efficient leader who can motivate his/her team to think that they are ‘needed’ by their organizations. Some amount of mindset streamlining is also needed, by the front-lines, to get out of hierarchical mentality.

CLOSEST TO ACTION

Front line executives are the touch point of contact between the customers and an enterprise. Hence, the skills with which they handle a customer at this point, decides the future of a business customer relationship. Quite naturally then, a lot needs to be empowered to take day-to-day decisions.

Consultants iterate that the conventional pyramid with fewer senior positions has not changed. The way we looked at a structure, as a top down command and control structure in terms of ‘roles’, has changed.

BUSINESS SENSE OF INVERSION

So, if retaining customer loyalty is the key, one of the best ways to ensure this is by supporting frontline employees. Sometimes, an insecure manager might just not want to delegate responsibilities and if at all they do it’s under tremendous power shift downwards leading to an inverted pyramidal structure.

By putting more decision-making power into the hands of those on the lower rungs of the hierarchy – who are closest to the ‘action’ – especially in the IT and the ITES industries, organisations can act faster and effectively. The top management plays the role of a strategist, but the execution of the strategy is done by the people at the base of the pyramid.

Managers need to spend considerable amount of time in the field, interacting with front line teams collecting first hand feedback from them. This is essential because front liners are in constant contact with customers, and understand the market’s growing needs.

Any knowledge oriented organisation would need this kind of a structure. At organisations where large scale recruitments are constantly happening for global clients, it is the front-line associates who are facing the customers.

HIERARCHY IS PASSÉ

Hierarchical organisation structure is a passé now. It negates today’s rapidly changing market where decisions need to be quick and frontline executives need to be alert to the requirements. So whether or not to evolve is no longer the choice. Yes, how you adapt to change is your choice. So what really happens is, they keep the chunk of the responsibilities to themselves and leave the mundane stuff to others; ensuring that the applauses come to them and brick bats get ducked to the front-liners.
Servant leadership’ is the other side of the mentorship coin – and unless leaders believe that they are serving the best interests of the organization and the people within the organizations, there is no way that they will impact anyone.

WHEN EMPOWERMENT IS ELUSIVE

Organizations fail to implement this structure because of lack of information, low perseverance, and the inability to truly empower team members – where leaders override the team decisions – leading to ‘empowerment’ remaining an elusive concept.

More often than not, managers are unable to see this in the right perspective without losing a sense of importance. More importantly, even at the bottom, the hierarchy mindset that we are brought up with hinders from accepting this philosophy easily.

Proper planning of strategy execution and what it will imply for those who have to actually carry out the execution is needed. The required structure is all about a two way system, in which there are a number of performers and there is the infrastructure, including personnel and facilities, to support it. So, it boils down to the need for managers to act more like ‘colleagues’ and less like ‘bosses’.

more at http://www.citeman.com/12861-upside-down-%e2%80%93-real-story.html#ixzz2kpPwrDgx

Avoid the Trap – Weigh Your Alternatives

A point of cross roads or a dilemma, you can call it any name. Choosing an option, whether to follow your boss after he has decided to call it off with the present company while quietly extending an offer your way to join them in their next venture or to stay put. Its tough to take a call here but if you brood over this profoundly you may get the answers you are looking for.

Consider thoughts like, do you enjoy working for them? Which is the most important question of moving with him/her to a new job? If you don’t like working for them then switching jobs will not improve your work environment or working conditions. If you do enjoy working with your present boss, then that is a positive reason to move, but remember if you don’t like working for him, just because he has a new job doesn’t mean his personality will change or his work ethics.

Sometimes we consider this as a safe bet and move on but how many times do we consider a question. What am I moving for? Is there anything for me in this shift or its just an unadorned option of following blindly?

Ensure you are not losing your identity in the course of such an action; the relationship you share today may turn sour tomorrow and then what? Weigh your options in a manner that will bring fruits for you in the long term.

Think about responsibilities, your role, the company and brand name( if you are interested in that), the freedom of thoughts to work, creativity factor, your dignity in the due course, the relationship you share and if this is what you planned for your self or not? Sometimes, though we get attracted towards the monetary benefits we fail to realize that the new role may not fit us but only be conducive to our bosses.

Upside:

• The boss knows you well, and the gelling obviously will pay a crucial role in working together in the new assignment also. How to capitalize on your strengths and weaknesses is the boss’s job and if (s) he is good at that then why not?

• It is wise in some cases to shift, chiefly when you know that this is how you get better opportunities and this person can actually guide you towards the right direction. The faith in your mentor if you consider them one is the key in situations like that. Once you plan your move, don’t look back for any reasons of regret.

• Better & superior opportunities await you on the other side, most of the times this is what happens if the move is planned as your boss has obviously moved for a higher package, a larger role and enriched responsibilities, the bigger his pie the chances are you are going to get the large chunk of the pie as his/her pet.

Downside:

Following him/her sometimes is like being a shadow…and not actually looking for your own growth.

• Sometimes, an employee is just left to being a dummy and then these people don’t enjoy the stint by following their bosses. Low respect, no dignity and other similar factors come in the way of success then and the bell of regret is all that rings in the mind.

• Most of the time the Boss is moving for his own benefit, and on his own conditions, if you think that they match with you then go ahead but if not then discourage your thoughts of going on with him especially if you have no other motive than just being an acquaintance to your boss.

• Once you ponder on the reasons you may realize that staying back may offer a better opportunity, you might end up in the same position as a successor, which  might not be the case if you follow.

Here is the self confessed real story of agony of following blindly,

I am working with the same Boss for the last 6 years. I have been with him in the last 3 companies. Now due to the long relationship he has started taking me for granted.
Some of the important points I am narrating below:

1. No exposure to senior management
I am in the current company since the last 3 years and all theese 3 years he has stopped me from interacting with the senior management of the company. Whatever I am doing as my job role; He shows to the top bosses as if he has done them. He stops me from talking & mailing to them. He manages region & I am handling location but he stops me from interacting with my counterparts even at the location level.

2. Harassment assuming he is the Godfather for me
Due to the long relationship he has started taking me for granted, he harasses me like anything. No leaves, No Saturday offs, unnecessary work pressure. The way he interacts with me & my counterparts is totally different where in he insults me in front of my counterparts & team mates. He thinks I don’t have any option other than him.

3. Dual reporting problem
Due to structure change now, I am reporting to 2 bosses (Old one & new One (Business Head)). Actually my Old boss is VP & New Boss is SVP. Old boss stops me from interacting, sharing data, coordinating with him. Due to which new boss thinks I am a bit reserved towards him. He tells me don’t interact with him as I have done everything here for 3 years and this guy is trying to take the credit where as on the other hand he himself interacts with him and shows him the picture that he is doing everything in my location.

4. No decision making powers
He has not given me any decision making powers so far. Whenever any approval of my level comes in; He stops me from making any decision giving the reason of lack of experience for the same.

Changing to a new job without a lot of pondering and honest soul-searching can sometimes be the best thing you could do for your career. So please ensure you don’t fall in the trap where the piece of cheese is bigger but not tasty

more at http://www.citeman.com/16448-avoid-the-trap-%e2%80%93-weigh-your-alternatives.html#ixzz2VnlsMklz