12 Mantras for Effective Planning - Part 1

During my journey towards reading, understanding and learning the minute details of CMMI and hence process improvements, I have come across many new concepts unleashing immense knowledge but one concept which made me realize the importance of planning not only in herculean activities but also a minuscule activity of our day-to-day lives. That concept is ‘Generic Practices’ and we fondly call it ‘GPs’.

There are 12 GPs and following each one of them rigorously will make us systematic and hence will reduce the random thoughts drastically. The GPs are mentioned below:

GP 2.1 – Establish organization policy

GP 2.2 – Plan the process

GP 2.3 – Provide resources

GP 2.4 – Assign responsibilities

GP 2.5 – Train People

GP 2.6 – Control Work Products

GP 2.7 – Identify and involve relevant stakeholders

GP 2.8 – Monitor and control work processes

GP 2.9 – Objectively evaluate adherence

GP 2.10 – Review status with higher level management

GP 3.1 – Establish defined processes

GP 3.2 – Collect process related experience

After realizing its importance, we started an initiative in our organization which we fondly call as ‘GP Parade’. We made it customary that everyone in the organization irrespective of the level in hierarchy will participate in the ‘GP Parade’. Slowly, it has become a culture in the organization and our day never ends without ‘GP Parade’.

Apparently, we have seen a dramatic shift in the thought process of the people at CUNIX. One living example is the RACI matrix prepared by Ms. Harsha who works in admin department. The RACI matrix is shown below. It is a live example which is satisfying GP 2.4 and GP 2.7. So, from here one can understand that GPs are rooted strongly in our value system and we not only focus on learning it but also implementing it organization wide.

ADMIN DEPARTMENT'S ROLE RESPONSIBILITY - MATRIX
SR.NO.	Admin Activities	Employee Name	Employee Name	Employee Name	Employee Name
1	Opening and Cleaning Office	A	R	*	*
2	Office Key Management	*	R/A	*	*
3	Bank (Mon, Wed & Fri)	*	R	A	*
5	Prepare & Update PMS sheet every week on Saturday	R	*	A	*
6	Audit backup of all machines	R/A	*	*	*
7	Assets Register Maintain monthly	R/A	*	C/I	*
8	Router maintenance and operation	*	*	R/A/C	I
9	Biometric device maintenance and operation	*	*	R/A/C	I
10	H/W Repairs and Antivirus	R	*	A/C	I
11	Renew Internet	A	R	*	*
12	New staff induction	R/A	*	*	C/I
13	Muster, Check LAN, Update Board ½	A	R	*	*
14	Vouchers preparation	R	R	A/C/I	*
15	Courier Inward & Outward Management	A	R	C/I	*
16	Stationery	A	R	C/I	*
17	Printing of cards and other items	R/A	*	C/I	*
18	SUP	R/A	*	C/I	*
19	Staff travel	R/A	*	C/I	C/I
20	Visitors management	A	R	*	*
21	Vendor Management	R	*	A	C/I
22	Petty Cash	R/A	*	C/I	*
23	Utility Bills	*	R	A/C/I	*
24	Water and Tea Management	A	R	C/I	*
25	Cleaning of office	A	R	C/I	*
26	Release birthday cards	R/A	*	*	*
27	Diwali Program and puja	R/A	R	C/I	C/I
28	Picnic	R/A	R	C/I	C/I

Where R, A, C, I stand for:

R	Responsible	Primarily this person will execute the task regularly
A	Accountable	This person will get it done from the responsible person
C	Consulted	When expenditure & expense is involved this person will be consulted by R&A
I	Informed	This person is informed by R&A

Kudos! , Good work done Ms. Harsha. You definitely deserved a big treat. Your piece of work proved that we truly believe in learning and implementing things.

Watch out this space for more such experiments which we are doing in our organization which will definitely help, if implemented, other organizations to become systematic rather than random.

Till then, signing off. 

Contributed by: Rajendra Pratap Singh

Rise above the realms of being a Manager – Be a Leader!

Compassion, Involvement, Goal orientation and Determination define a True Leader

Are you proud of your boss? Or you wish to be a boss yourself? Are you happy carrying the title of Manager or do you wish to rise above that?

A come trait among all of us is, we are happy being whatever we are, although not satisfied. We want to be rise above, but we don’t want to work towards it. All of us have goals in our lives, but we don't have the determination to work towards our goal. The goal is not something that looks good on your paper gives you happiness looking at it, but it is something that makes you come alive, makes you want to work more, makes you want to give more than hundred percent, and something that you want from the depths of your heart.

A true leader understands this. A true leader knows various traits of human beings and how to utilise them towards the common good of all. Sometimes people need to be delegated responsibility, other times they work better with the deadlines and yet at times they need to be pushed around. There are people need to be beaten to get the work done, whereas other class of people just need the direction, and leader identifies the various traits and how to utilize and use that for the greater good.

The following are the major qualities that a leader should possess:

1.       Compassion: leader should be compassionate towards her subject. She should be working day in and day out with the people. She should feel their pain, problems and needs. She should also know how success truly makes her subject happy, and how her subjects define happiness/success. She should be one with her people.

2.       Involvement: a true leader is always involved with people. This does not mean the leader would participate in every activity alongside the individual, but it means that whenever the subjects are obstructed or lack vision or direction, a leader should come to help them out. A leader should not take all the responsibilities onto her shoulders, but should be able to mentor her audience how to fish. A true leader is the one that makes leader.

3.       Goal orientation and vision: a leader should be goal oriented. She should be focused and determined to achieve that goal. She should think in long-term. A leader should be visionary and should be able to identify and capitalize on the needs five, ten or twenty years since. A leader must focus on the goal irrespective of the obstacles, hindrances in short-term shortcomings. A leader should overcome all the shortcomings and walk and make others walk towards the goal.

4.       Determination: a life of leader is always planted with obstacles. People like Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela truly found it difficult to survive, not just because of the situations or resources, but because of surrounding people. Galileo was never respected when he was alive. People did not believe him, but that did not stop him. He was convinced of himself and was determined to change - change the way we perceive things, we work or we think. A true leader should always be determined and focused, no matter what the people say!

A leader is not born, but created. In the current environment, where competition is so intent, we don’t need managers; we need leaders, who go out of their way to serve the needs of people, of organization and of the society.