>> MIM Speaks
CORE VALUES FOR GOOD MANAGEMENT
JAN 29, 1995 -
THE STAR
MANAGEMENT is the world's oldest profession, but its
professionalism materialised only over the last half century.
Unlike most other disciplines which have evolved into closed
shop bodies clearly defined admission requirements and with
rules regulations prescribing behaviour, management is
practised by-all who have-to work through and with the support
And co-operation of people.
Management is, therefore, also the most universal profession
and its practice is evident in business enterprises,
government administration, voluntary and community oriented
organisations, and in virtually all fields of human endeavour.
Because of its universality, the outpouring of management
literature-its concepts, tools and techniques, applications
and case studies-is flooding the market. Often as soon as an
idea is published in a management bestseller it is rapidly
overtaken by another idea which in turn, is again rendered
"obsolete" by yet another idea in a short time.
The notion of fads and gimmicks is at tempting explanation for
the substantial turnover of management books. Despite the
volume there is unfortunately a lack solid reference to
essence of managerial behaviour as management thinking floods
the constellation with shooting stars.
I always try to remind managers that there is, as in any noble
profession, a body of principles and practices that will
endure. Many of my international colleagues have preached for
a return to basics, but the seductive solution offered by yet
another management expert is sometimes hard to resist.
Managerial competency is already a scarce resource in our
drive to maintain high economic growth rates and will feature
as a key determinant in our ability to fulfil Vision 2020.
As the apostle for effective management, the Malaysian
Institute of Management believes that competent managers can
be developed, but we should never lose sight of the core
values and standards upon which we can drive towards
modernisation. In my view, these beliefs can be summarised in
the 10 commandments of good management.
1. Believe in yourself
Good management must begin with the individual. We are
managers because we can make a difference in the lives of
others by the way we manage. We have a responsibility for the
welfare of others and an accountability for results. How can
we deliver if we have no confidence in our own ability to do a
good job?
If we are lacking, it becomes incumbent upon us to make good,
to find the opportunities to be educated, trained and
developed, to find the inspiration to want to help others, to
be possessed of a vision and to dare dream the impossible. To
be effective, it should first be applied to self; over time we
our selves must change for the better, and we can only
effectively do-this if we take responsibility for our own
growth and build up the confidence in leading others.
2. Have faith in others
How often have we yielded to temptation to turn down an
assignment because we do not have confidence in the ability of
our staff? Or, having accepted an assignment, excuse poor
performance by referencing it to the poor calibre of our
colleagues and subordinates?
The practice of management demands courage and discipline as
the winds of change will throw up situations never encountered
before with no precedence to draw from. The easy solution,
never the best, is often to sit tight and wait for the
situation to blow away. This is a managerial cop-out.
We need to have the wisdom to draw on the strengths of our
people, to see things in a different light, to search for
innovative solutions never tried before, to draw on brain
power, and have the discipline to follow through. Faith in
others and the commitment to help grow and develop
subordinates is a moral responsibility of good management.
Buying talent off the shelf is easy enough, but to have truly
loyal and committed staff requires us to be courageous to
invest in our own staff and to have the discipline to walk the
talk.
3. See the holistic view
The divisional structure has been a source of factionalism in
many organisations. Often divisions are so large that they
tend to become separate entities, making co-ordination a
difficult proposition. Because of co-ordination
inefficiencies, a number of international organisations have
moved to replace the pyramidal with team-based or cluster
structures associated with decentralisation and a higher speed
of response.
An Organisation that is fractured by divisional loyalties will
inevitably sacrifice its clarity of purpose and will to
compete. CEOs do have the advantage of the holistic view, but
divisional and functional managers will have to quickly
recognise that their primary contribution is towards total
corporate results.
Not recognising the forest for want of the trees is a
fundamental weakness of many managers; unlike other
disciplines managers have to realise that in management we
enter through the functional route and progress towards
becoming a generalist. The faster we acquire the holistic view
the more confident will we move towards assuming higher
managerial responsibility.
4. Apply effective tools
Management is an evolving discipline as the body of knowledge
and understanding keeps growing. Touted as a science, it is,
in reality the art of relating with people. Biased towards
effectiveness rather than efficiency, the manager is well
advised to comb through the literature to seek out the most
appropriate and useful methodologies, processes and
applications. Just as the effective doctor has to be
acquainted with the latest medical advances to diagnose
problems and to prescribe treatment, the manager has to be
literate in the tools of his trade.
One generally accepted tool is the power of the computer for
storage retrieval and access to data. With Internet providing
the beginning of an information superhigh way, it would be the
ignorant and foolhardy manager who feels he can still function
effectively without technological intervention.
5. Follow-through
How often have good ideas been introduced with a big bang, but
somehow or other lose steam later? Hundreds of MOUs get signed
during an investment mission, but only a handful get
activated. We tend to focus too much energy on planning but
control, much less glamorous, is left to the lower ranks.
Budgeting exercises consume a lot of effort and time, but how
serious are we at making sure that planning objectives are
really fulfilled? In many physical games we are taught that
follow-through is as important as the initial execution of a
stroke or a drive. Golfers, bowlers and tennis players know
that it is less the impact and more the swing that counts.
In management it is so easy to initiate but so difficult to
sustain and progress our purpose to its logical conclusion.
Following through on a given course of action is the hallmark
of a tenacious and persistent manager.
6. Communicate effectively
Management deals with people and the effective co-ordination
of the efforts of different individuals is the crucial element
of managerial work. Therefore, the degree of effectiveness of
managerial work depends largely on the power of communication
in its different forms-verbal and written-and in its many
channels: one-on-one group, telephone, memo, letter, etc.
As communication is the essence of good co-ordination, a
checklist is often used for organising functions, and meetings
are normal vehicles to discuss and co-ordinate the
contributions of different people.
The art of good communication is now extended to cover public
speaking, group dynamics and body language. Communication has
grown beyond purely technical requirements and now deals with
preparing the target group for the introduction of a new idea
and subsequent follow-through.
Have we not noted how the ground is carefully prepared for the
introduction of major national initiatives with the Prime
Minister making a policy speech before legal and other
formalities are pursued?
Communication is not limited to just the word uttered or
written; it is the required to ensure that objectives are best
fulfilled.
7. Have a sense of balance
The philosophy of management has moved from
service-to-shareholders to service-to-stakeholders. As no
Organisation can function and be successful without the
continuing support and goodwill of many different
constituents, management has the invidious task of balancing
and reconciling the often conflicting interests of different
stakeholders.
To maximise shareholders' welfare is a clear enough objective,
but long term viability can only be secured if sufficient
attention is also paid to the interests of employees,
customers, suppliers, financiers and the community. To invest
time and concern for all claimants on the well-being of an
Organisation is a business proposition.
Therefore, managing an organisation has to recognise
longer-term perspectives even more than shortterm bottom line
returns.
8. Develop people who help us
The essence of management is to achieve organisational purpose
through the effort, co-operation and willing support of
others. An effective team is one that is driven by a sense of
vision and the recognition that what is being done is
worthwhile doing.
The team brings together a body of knowledge and skills.
Strengths are exploited and weaknesses corrected. For a team
to function effectively in an environment of continuing
change, continuing development is also required.
Management has a corresponding duty to equip people with the
best that can be offered through education, training and
experience so that they can function at peak performance. We
owe it to the people who help us achieve organisational
objectives to continually provide opportunities to develop
people through work. Work then becomes more challenging and
rewarding and morale is kept high.
9. Think global but apply local
There are universals in management, for example performance
yardsticks and managerial processes. These constitute the
technology of management and most curricula of business
schools deal with this aspect of management. But there also
exist specifics which are not universal and relate to local
situations.
Doing business in the USA is very different from doing
business in Japan because of cultural differences. The primacy
of individual rights and freedom of the West is in sharp
contrast to the spirit of collectivism of the East which is
translated, in management, as the hard science of the West
compared to the soft art of the East.
With globalisation of business across borderless economies,
the international manager has to be a person of all seasons,
adaptable, sensitive and flexible in his practice of
management. As we begin to grow our own expatriates to serve
in China, Vietnam and elsewhere our very effectiveness has to
depend on how well we can blend our professionalism with the
prevailing ethos of the locality we service.
10. Have fun
Not everyone can be a good manager. Because management is
people and relationship oriented, individuals whose
inclinations and comfort are slanted towards materials and
machines will find difficulty to function as a manager.
The research scientist flourishes because he seeks answers to
scientific problems through experimentation principally with
non-human objects. He finds considerable satisfaction in his
pursuit of knowledge. The manager, on the other hand, pursues
a vision through people. Such a purpose can be equally
exciting and immensely satisfying.
There can be a joy in management which should be the antidote
to stress. Confucius must be having managers in mind when he
suggested two millennia ago that the best job to have is one
in which we do not have to work at all.
These 10 commandments have been put together to guide the
manager to better appreciate and understand the essence of
good management. Management is not a collection of tools and
techniques. Neither is it a science. Much of management
literature, unfortunately, has been devoted to pursuing these
aspects of management.
Malaysian management is Asian biased in which the art of
getting the best productivity out of people is the key to
better performance. It is also the gateway to the realisation
of Vision 2020.
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