Managers should learn satisficing...

 

'Perfection' is the key word to most managers. And why not? This, afterall is a competitive world. 

Projecting ones' most efficient abilities to produce best possible results with minimum available resources becomes the greatest challenge for the managers in the battle-field of professional outsmarting each other.

While managers keep striving hard to effectively meet ends with available resources, many a times it is just sufficient enough to find out the most acceptable solution rather than  obtain successfully the best possible goal.

Thus, in true sense, managers have to work hard to develop talents to adapt to satisficing situations rather than optimising. 'To Satisfice' means to find an acceptable solution to the situation at hand whereas 'To Optimise' means to achieve the best solution and the desired outcome. 

"Managers donot optimise, they most often satisfice.." said Herbert Simon. 

Most of the time it is not possible to get what you want. 

 

Politics is a complex game and it is either the internal or the external politics in relation to an organisation that may create an environment where managers need to compromise.

In order to obtain an amicable solution and to preserve one's positive image within the executive front, managers often settle down with satificing results rather than actually getting what should be the best outcome. 

In a large Govt company, attempts were made to replace  the public image of lethargy and incompetence with a cooperative and conducive work culture. It was although a herculean task to convince the so called veterans of the company who resisted maximum to any change. The new Manager with a vibrant aptitude and a committed approach continued his endeavours steadily and initiated certain alterations in the ongoing processes within the company environment. He started with a proposal to outsource the housekeeping (mainly, cleaning) services to ensure regular and effective hygiene and sanitation facility at the company premises. The existing personnel who were side-lined by such measure went on protest. They were warned that since such action can warrant legal actions, they should stop any protests. So, finally when the new contract was issued and the new contractor started with his ventures, the older disgruntled staff started feeding wrong information to them. the instigated them for asking for better monthly wages, welfare facility and liberal working hours. All the offline understandings and cooperative attitude that was expected from this contract went haywire. Thus a well intended measure gradually became a constant source of unease and conflict. 

Finally with minimal persuasion, the contractor agreed to continue as per the terms of contract and accepted to work as agreed.

This shows how politics can turn the whole outcome and managers often find themselves in bigger complicacies where accepting an amicable agreement is the only possible solution.    

The lesson learnt is, to practice more to refine measures to satisfice; while striving at the same time to achieve the desired goal.

What goes wrong can be corrected

             What Goes Wrong, Can be Corrected....

It was a really painful experience to watch him lose... He was never weak. I admired him as the most intelligent and bright individual. All heights were achievable to him. His persona made me feel proud that I was associated with him. ...

But things had to get complicated. And what I see today is real frightening. He has lost his confidence and has transformed into an alcoholic and dependent on anti-depressant drugs. He lost all his investments in foreign trades. He lost all money that he took as a loan from friends and acquaintances. Now he has to hide from them. He is afraid of even speaking straight. ...

Is life so uncertain ? Yes, death and Life both do not have any deadlines.

Today the busy surroundings of the workplace and pre-occupied home atmosphere have engulfed the entire peace of mind. Technology has given access to new and updated information, no doubt. But just visualise the scene at our houses. Today's kids are glued to the cartoons on television and if that does not suffice, either mobile games or computer games has become their fav pass time. Parents too are not immune to such habits. The family soaps have withdrawn all attention of the home maker wifey from the much needed precious time sharing with the kids or other family members. The other half also equally gets stuck to office work or keeps busy on mobile calls. Not surprising, a large portion of the population suffer these days from attention deficit disorders!

No one believes in sharing true feelings and no one has time to take control of situations. The easier way is may be to paste a status on Facebook, Whatsapp or chat network. More so with a fake ID! 

Moreover, no one want interruptions. May be that is the reason, why even the children of present generation find it difficult to decide about their own future. It is either guided by circumstances or by surroundings.

There is a tremendous amount of soul searching required to assess every level of relationship and commitment. Confidence is good but over confidence can ruin the entire stretch of a peaceful life.

Karmanye Wadhi Karaste Ma Faleshu Kadachan.... (कर्मण्ये वाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ... )The holy script of Geeta summarises all in these few words.

One must focus on what goal has to be achieved and should strive to achieve it by all means. Some one would contest that despite all efforts one may not get what he or she wants. Well, true. But does that mean we stop trying? Life when ends, may not have a backspace, but while living, we all can resort to recovery from failures or retrieval from an erroneous path. Errors are signals that something needs to be done to prevent future such mishaps. It is not at all wise to ignore or under score such events and repent later.

Although births are still manipulated these days (in form of early or planned ceasarean or abortions; in form of Artificial Reproduction techniques, etc.), death is still uncontrolled. Not even at hands of professionally competent doctors. However, managing things effectively and efficiently means a committed and dedicated approach in all endeavours. Retrieving from an already chosen faulty approach would be more appropriate than to continue committing mistakes and try to justify them with vague excuses. Errors are preventable; period.

Let's focus on "Just do your best and Forget the rest". Everyone does have a destiny. It's only when we identify and make our own efforts to attain destiny, that one becomes successful. A swiss cheese pattern of alignment of all odds and the positive efforts, would result in a happy and peaceful career ahead. The mantra is... stay focused, have patience and there is a need for perseverance and commitment.