Problems and Solutions

Real time problems need real time solutions which answers are not so easy to find in books.

All the theory we may have learnt at school and college may not come in handy most times.

There is neither a right way nor a wrong way with problem solving.

The most successful way of solving a problem which I know of from experience, is to sound out very trusted and close ones for their opinion.
Their way of looking at the same problem may differ. They could offer a third dimension.
A via media solution could then be worked out after hearing them out patiently.
80% of opinions may not work out, yet when opinions are sought the sense of participation itself is the reward (and a learning experience). This is the first step.

When a solution is actioned, one has to wait for the results to show. This is the second step.
With time everyone settles down to hear and being heard.
The best solution may not work out in practical terms.
The leader among the group invariably emerges. He or she may be young or old. It's the problem solving ability which has to be respected.

We get to read about such instances in our ancient texts where rishis and yogis engage in 'tarka' (holding healthy arguments or discussions with mutual respect, to arrive at the right answer). All these wise men have been known to respect each others' opinions or views even though they may prefer to strongly, but respectfully, disagree with each other! What an ideal situation!!

Cut back to the modern age where one hears more often than not, "Tarkam pannade. Naan solratha kel", (meaning, don't argue, just do as I say). Lot depends on who is saying this.
If the person who says this, happens to be a wise and an experienced one, its better to follow his advice.

Most times, experience has won hands down over knowledge of theory, combined with little or no practical experience. Perhaps because 'experience' has tread the path long time back and knows which pitfalls to avoid and how best to safeguard 'or' because of learning through other people's 'experience'!

Mahalakshmi.

Leadership

Dear Friends,

An ideal leader is one who knows how to lead and not necessarily has to work among the crowd. It is necessary though for the leader to have come up the hard way from the grass roots level just to know what are the pitfalls and what are the peaks.

There are not many who can lead.
There are not many who can lead effectively.
There are not many who can lead effectively with kindness intact.
There are not many who can lead effectively with kindness and corrects others' mistakes along the way.

A leader is one who is not afraid that his chair is shaken by someone from down below the cadres. For he is confident of his qualities of leadership.
A leader is one who leads everyone through thick and thin, more in thin than in thick.
A leader is one who does not let his team take advantage of his kindness. Is firm when it comes to getting work done first and foremost. For many a times kindness is mistaken for leniency by others. Being firm yet being kind is the most difficult of all tasks for any leader.
A leader is one who does not have to shout at all and sundry to get the message across.
A leader is one who appreciates when he sees good work and does not hold back due to any reason & has the courage to stop and correct mistakes then and there.

Having said all the above, I think a leader is the one at the top, knows his job, knows the job of each and everyone's in his team. He knows where to pull up people and correct their mistakes to get the best out of them. Personally feel it is the next in line he should be strict and firm with and at the same time give the next in line his freedom to extract work from the third in line.
The leader should never step in directly to rectify things from the 3rd line onwards to the last one down below. Though he should be aware of each and everything that goes on. The number two is the backbone for any effective leader to lead well. The deputy keeps the boss informed of everything.
Unless really necessary a leader should not interfere in matters of the lower levels and let the hierarchy function in a healthy manner. It is so because the top man cannot monitor everything.

A leader is one who will not encourage sub-standard work to go on from his next in line just because he helps this guy with his personal problems. But is this not why many come up the ladder, eventually? By all means the next in line can help the boss with his personal problems like any good friend does, but not at the cost of office work. If this is kind of professionalism is maintained then the element of being partial should not arise.

A leader needs to be attached enough to lead others to deliver results and detached enough to not let it all go to his head!

There are leaders who shout to get work done, to get attention.
There are leaders who torture their lower level staff to work harder. This is good for the staff as they learn faster under such a dictator! They may hate this guy but they will respect him much, much later when they themselves move on up the career ladder.
There are leaders who are partial to real fools who know nothing of anything which goes around in the workplace but these fools are very useful to get some personal things done or maybe they are the leader's comforters.
There are leaders who just don't bother whether you exist in the organization as they are immersed in their own work.
And there are leaders who make the lower level staff eager to report for duty each and every day of the week and every week of the month and every month of the year! He or she is the real human asset in any organization as have the knack of making the work interesting for those who work under them with the right kind of professional encouragement and motivation and inspiration. These are the ones who lead through example.

Three cheers to the leader in all of us! We are all leaders in some level in both our personal as well as our professional life.

Lead others kindly into light.

Mahalakshmi