Golden Egg at Office or Home!

 

Golden Egg at Office or Home!

This is an old story, Stephen Covey explained with the new paradigm in one of the best seller books: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People [Worth reading book]. Please pay attention to the story and below examples to implement and enjoy the golden egg.

This fable is the story of a poor farmer who one day discovers in the nest of his pet goose a glittering golden egg. At first, he thinks it must be some kind of trick. But as he starts to throw the Egg aside, he has second thoughts and takes it in to be appraised instead.

The egg is pure gold! The farmer can't believe his good fortune. He becomes even more incredulous the following day when the experience is repeated. Day after day, he awakens to rush to the nest and find another golden egg. He becomes fabulously wealthy; it all seems too good to be true.

But with his increasing wealth comes greed and impatience. Unable to wait day after day for the golden eggs, the farmer decides he will kill the goose and get them all at once. But when he opens the goose, he finds it empty. There are no golden eggs-and now there is no way to get any more. The farmer has destroyed the goose that produced them.

I suggest that within this fable is a natural law, a principle—the basic definition of effectiveness. Most people see effectiveness from the golden egg paradigm: the more you produce, the more you do, the more effective you are.

But as the story shows, true effectiveness is a function of two things: what is produced (the golden eggs) and the producing asset or capacity to produce (the goose).

If you adopt a pattern of life that focuses on golden eggs and neglect the goose, you will soon be without the asset that produces golden eggs. On the other hand, if you only take care of the goose with no aim toward the golden eggs, you soon won't have the wherewithal to feed yourself or the goose.

Parental version of goose and golden egg:

Suppose you want your daughter to have a clean room. Your daughter is a goose and the cleaning action is golden egg. She is a valuable asset to produce golden eggs.

But if your paradigm is focused on production, on getting the room clean, you might find yourself nagging her to do it. You might even escalate your efforts to threaten or yell, and in your desire to get the golden egg, you undermine the health and welfare of the goose (that is your daughter)

Bringing values and discipline in children is a good idea that is a golden egg, make sure the goose (your child) is enjoying it.

Manager/Lead version of goose and golden egg:

Assume, you are the lead or manager, you need to get work done from your team. Here work is a golden egg. Your team is goose.

If you keep your focus only on getting work (golden egg) and ignore the health and welfare of your team (goose), you get very less or least productive deliverables. And you will be projected as a bad leader.

If you are focusing only on team welfare and their comforts, by neglecting delivery of work. Organisation will eliminate you. As you are only feeding the goose and not producing golden eggs.

Learn to balance, else you lose the race!

Spouse version of goose and golden egg:

Root of all your success is: Succeed at home first! If you are not successful at home, you lose Interest, Peace and Happiness. You will be in disturbed mindset. With that mindset you have the possibility of experiencing a chain of failures.

To get success at home, you must follow these goose and golden egg principles. Happiness, peace, and cooperation are the golden egg. Your spouse is a goose.

It's your duty to keep the goose happy and healthy. If not, you will miss the golden egg. (i.e., Happiness, Peace, and cooperation)

Don't be greedy in getting only golden eggs (work and cooperation). Pay little attention to goose (subordinates, children and spouse relationships) health.

Corporate Guidelines on Golden Egg:

Your subordinates are not your servants or slaves, they are the beautiful assets who produce golden eggs. Treat them with respect. Because they are working for your success. Recognise and appreciate their hard work. Win their trust. (Ref: How to win trust)

Most of your subordinates may be much smarter than you. Listen to their views and ideas.

If Lead/Manager only projected on work (golden egg) by not recognising employee (goose) health and hard work, with no doubt he/she will be remembered as a worst leader. And in organizational employee review and surveys you have the possibility to receive least ratings and bad reviews on your leadership qualities.

Author: GCV (Vishnuvardhana GC)

• Kannada Blogger

Kereya neeranu Kerege chelli

Author Disclaimer:

I’m not a robot to be constant, consistent and complete, I’m a normal human and my blog will be contradictory like director give multiple movies have different opinions on the same subject or different subjects. I flow like a river, I really don’t look for sand, rock, trees, house, and so on. Intention is helping as many as possible before reaching the ocean. I strongly recommend to consult expert’s advice to follow and adopt any methods. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being.

Need of Employee Engagement Survey

 

Need of Employee Engagement Survey

It happened in the one of my previous office. One of my managers got demoted as an individual contributor. Our director called a meeting and informed us that so and so person will be the new Manager and existing person will be individual contributor, as he requested to become individual contributor.

I was shocked!!! Later I got to know that it is not position change but a demotion. This demoted person got the least rating in the organisation survey in employees’ satisfaction and engagement.

It was so true; it was a possibility that he received such ratings because that person was interested only in self- appraisal and favouritism. For example, he used to always recognise (give awards) people who spoke Malayalam (Kerala). Later he was getting a party from the rewarded person. This was disclosed by another Malayali guy who had bonding between Malayali’s and others.

Regarding Employee Engagement Survey:

It was an anonymous survey, they took high level ratings and comments of each leader and manager like who is doing what at the workplace.

It was a very beautifully designed survey, similar questions were asked multiple times (repeatedly) in different patterns, so that it will provide correct feedback from the employees.

This is an example; I'm sure many organisations have this issue. Some organisations are very badly exposed in glass doors, social media and google reviews.

We are Small/Medium Sized Organization, we don’t need any survey?!

You are wrong! I agree in the small organizations; It's impossible for one to hide his team members' achievements. And every management head is aware of who is doing what.

In my opinion, having an employee survey gives a clear picture of all the leads and managers working style, employee engagement and employee satisfaction.

Because, many a time leads and managers don't treat employee's health, they only focus on deliverables. Some of them shout or point out the negative things in open meetings, about their team members. This damages employee self-respect and trust.

Due to the above reasons, most of the attrition happens in the organisations.

Using authority, position, micromanagement and critics on team members:

Leaders should win the trust of their subordinates. Then their team members out-perform. In my experience, I have witnessed great results and great deliverables with the people who are using true leadership qualities.

Using authority, position, micromanagement, we can get results. They only meet the expectations. But it destroys organisation reputation and employee interest.

Just watch few of the meetings (3 to 4 different internal status meetings). If you are noticed people commenting negatively on their own team members in their presence in front of the entire team. That is an indication of bad leadership quality.

If a leader treats his/her subordinates this way, how will their team members trust them and deliver great results. When their own supervisor has no trust and no respect towards them?

During my journey, I have observed lack of maturity in these leaders. They may be thinking, bringing those topics, negative critics about their own team members in crowded meetings shows their greatness and commanding nature. I call this is a stupidity. I think it will destroy trust, organisation reputation and productivity of the employee. And your office reviews in social media.

True leadership qualities:

As a leader, you should have a trust on your own people or team. They are working for you. Have a 1 on 1 meeting with them to discuss and resolve issues internally. Complaining is not the leaders’ job. Correcting is the leaders’ job. If it's really impossible to correct or resolve, escalate in different forums, not in open meetings. Remember, escalation should the last options, not the first option.

One should appreciate someone in public, criticize in private. These immature leads/managers are doing exactly opposite of it. I have witnessed this several times and in several meetings.

If we win the team members hearts through our good words, trust and motivation, we have the possibility to see people exceed expectations and work with higher involvement.

I have been doing this for years. Witnessed tremendously wonderful results and delivery.

Every single team/person I touched in the many organizations, they have given feedback as we love to work with you or work for you. Many of them told me on calls (chat/skype) and some of them shared through phone calls. This feedback is going to enhance your office reputation as well.

Many of the office negative feedbacks about managers and leaders on public platforms destroys organization health and reputation.

Here are few of my most recent feedback references I received from my team.

Law of Karma works everywhere:

Your subordinates are not your slaves! treat your subordinates with respect! You get what you give. If you give bad, get ready to receive bad. Whatever you put into the universe it will come back to you. Karma has no menu, you get served what you deserve.

If you are looking good reviews on your leadership quality. Be a good leader! Remember, today’s employees are tomorrows leaders they will follow your footsteps (by watching you) and they will be leading your children or grandchildren. Try to be a great leader, that should inspire your subordinates and joiner!

My personal belief: Earning with good Karma is the real earning. Earning with bad karma is burning.

Finally, bringing employees surveys gets you the true leader’s visibility, need improvement areas. This also helps in your organizations branding…

Author: GCV (Vishnuvardhana GC)

• Kannada Blogger

Kereya neeranu Kerege chelli

Author Disclaimer:

I’m not a robot to be constant, consistent and complete, I’m a normal human and my blog will be contradictory like director give multiple movies have different opinions on the same subject or different subjects. I flow like a river, I really don’t look for sand, rock, trees, house, and so on. Intention is helping as many as possible before reaching the ocean. I strongly recommend to consult expert’s advice to follow and adopt any methods. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being.