Kids and the second line of management
By KartiK Gaur Head - Marketing, Communication & Training, Swipe Telecom Some realizations come from the simplest of experiences that happen to you in your day-to-day life and tend to stay with you for longer if you are receptive enough. They can bring about the right change in our personal and professional life. Here’s one such realization I’d like to share. I was driving down a quiet road in Pune, one pleasant weekend afternoon, when I saw a mother walking on the side of the road with her children, they were heading back home from school perhaps. One of them was holding the mother’s hand, looking a little scared, while the other, who seemed older, was running happily on the road, far ahead of them. I wondered why the mother didn’t stop that kid from sprinting like that carelessly . While my mind was figuring the reasons, the mother gave a pat on the shoulder of the little one with her, and he ran to his elder brother with a broad smile, happy to compete and catch up with the brother. He looked fearless now, and the mother, too, had a different smile on her face, like she felt a sense of achievement. After some time, she stopped both of them and they walked together. At work, for almost three months, I was going through a problem that’s quite common at any workplace — when an HOD travels, the activities seem to lose their pace at work, and hence the work gets delayed, and the predefined milestones get pushed back until further notice. An assistant digital marketing manager who reports to me felt helpless when I was not around, and I had no idea why. He had the people, the resources. I’d given him the actionable items to be worked on. What was the problem? I believed in him and I knew he could pull it off when I was not there. But does he infuse the same belief in his subordinates? Was it the older brother who told his younger one to run? No. Leadership has to be multi-levelled. Everyone needs a pat on their shoulder from their super seniors. The second line of management is mostly focused towards execution. Transferring motivation is difficult for them; their actions are result-oriented and they deem phenomenal growth, like the oldest boy sprinting down the road. So while they need to grow, it’s the responsibility of the HOD or senior manager to inspire and motivate everyone around them, show subordinates what they can achieve, point towards the elder brother and give them a pat on their shoulders . It will make them run. And after all, growth of the individuals is the answer to the growth of an organization. Feedback: Kartik@swipetelecom.com
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