How to become an Effective Manager?
I have spent much time working on small and big projects in different scenarios. In earlier years of my career, I was always amazed by the fact that sometimes simple, straight and clearly defined projects fail to get complete, rest succeed ; while apparently confusing and “not-so-defined” projects gets done and bring results.
Project Management is one of my favorite subjects and I have read many books on the topic. But the most important topic that has inspired me is being “Effective” in your work, especially management. It is effectiveness in action that creates a difference in project management.
The most important thing that I have learnt after much reading is that “Do not confuse brilliance with success or with the ability to execute”.
Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual; they fail to realize that the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learned that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work.
Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results. The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.
Working on the right things is what makes knowledge work effective.
Know the Knowledge Worker:
Another important thing that I have learned is to make best use of Knowledge Workers in your company or organization. In modern organizations the Knowledge Worker is the key player in making an organization successful. Knowledge worker is the man who puts to work what he has between his ears rather than the brawn of his muscles or the skill of his hands.
The knowledge workers are the new executives of your company. Their importance lies in the fact that they can make instant intelligent decisions and save “you” and “your time” from being used in everyday tasks and decisions.
The knowledge worker cannot be supervised closely or in detail. He can only be helped. But he must direct himself, and he must direct himself toward performance and contribution, that is, toward effectiveness.
The importance of the knowledge worker is perhaps best illustrated by a newspaper interview with a young American infantry captain in the Vietnam jungle.
Asked by the reporter, “How in this confused situation can you retain command?” the young captain said: “Around here, I am only the guy who is responsible. If these men don’t know what to do when they run into an enemy in the jungle, I’m too far away to tell them. My job is to make sure they know. What they do depends on the situation which only they can judge. The responsibility is always mine, but the decision lies with whoever is on the spot.”
In a guerrilla war, every man is an “executive.”
Hence if you can cleverly leverage the knowledge workers in your team then you can surely push your projects towards completion. Putting ideas and strategies into action and to effectively coordinate with the knowledge workers are two tips that I wanted to share with you in this post.
Were you already aware of these facts? or I have contributed something to increase your knowledge and efficiency, share your views in comments.
