2 Secrets - 'They' Don't Want You To Know

Greek philosopher Aristippus, was flattering the king and so was in a good position.
Once he sees the great Greek philosopher Diogenes, dining on lentils...
Aristippus says, "Learn to flatter the king and you will not have to live on lentils..."
Diogenes looks up from his plate and says
"Learn to live on lentils and you will never have to flatter anyone"...

Loved this story. On reading it, I remembered that I know of a method where you do not need flattery at all.

There are 2 kinds of management styles, as you might know, the X and the Y Theories ( proposed by Douglas McGregor in 1960s).

Theory X says that people are lazy, hate work... They are inherently morons and naturally escapists.
You need to boss over them, slap punishments, set rules and as such.
They need to be treated like obsolete radio sets (punching them whenever they don't work).

Theory Y says that people are inherently good natured.
They love work, are productive & proactive, have self control... they are ambitious and are generally positive.
So the management needs to motivate them, give them best environment and needs to trust them.

Which style is right?
If you ask me, each employee is both theories put together. Cannot be otherwise.
And depending on the management style, their X or Y comes out into the open. 

In my experience, I worked my way into the hearts of a team of about 30 people in one of my previous jobs. Initially, I did not know my style... was it X or was it Y?

But when I started responding to my team members, I found myself treating them more like human beings.
Like I talk to my daughters...
I trusted the team. I never imposed myself or my ideas, how much ever it was tempting.
I watched myself responding with pain when something did not go right with them.
I designed & left it to the team to execute. Most of the times, they adapted my design to their own style.
I did not flinch an inch, even when the output was not actually close to what I had on mind.
I trusted nature to set things into flow. I trusted my teem members and their ability.
Though I pampered them, I was assertive in some vital things, I was leading them with visualization
techniques, implanting them indirectly, without being preachy.
One word was important - Harmony.
If there is harmony, there will be respect, success, happiness and satisfaction. Life will be worthwhile. Collective energies started flowing...

Initially, there was resistance to the style. From above and from below.
Initially and later too, the team exhibited a tendency towards the X Theory.
I responded "Harmoniously".
If they cannot do something on a day, that's fine. Another day would come.
If this person does not have the capability to execute what I had on mind, no problem, that's how much he can do... I will find someone else to do it, if necessary.

The team became comfortable and then they improved. They were taking responsibility on their own...
a phase came when I did not even need to check or supervise.
They would sort out, whatever the issue, among themselves.
It was love... for work and for the work place.
In fact the team started treating each other with the same love and harmony.
A request is simply granted, because their judgement has been tuned and trusted over and over again.

Recognizing talent, motivating them for higher performance,
accepting people for what they are, respecting the soul inside the employee...
all these bring harmony.
Then there is no need for flattery, there would be no use of flattery...

And those who don't fit into this pattern, who are always the quarrelsome or the gossiping kind, somehow naturally wither and drop off from the team... it's just a natural process...

With this, we were the most organized lot, meticulous at work,
but a little not too disciplined always, though...
Yet, our team started achieving material - tangible success that was hitherto not there.

In the other style of management, I had fortunately experienced this too, there is a sort of fear in the air,to put it short.

So, 
2 things they don't want to listen to & don't want you to know... 
2 things that keep me going...

1. The inner urge to create & spread harmony around, wherever you are...

2. The attitude of "please don't do me any favours. I don't want anything for myself"



Salman Khan's film Body Guard has this line that describes my life's truth
"Mujh par ek ehsaan kar... ke mujhpe koi ehsaan na kar"
- I just need one favour from you - the favour of not doing any favours to me...






Thank you for reading :)

PS: Perhaps the "shroud"ists won't appreciate this.
They would not want you to read these lines, too...
But I guess, this is going to be the future of corporate, if you think corporate should have any future.