RajeshGoli.com :: Reason - 'Challenging careers': Management lessons

Here are a couple of management lessons or rather 'tricks that managers use to get stuff done' I learnt recently.

For the purpose of the article, let us create two entities: BOS and SOB. BOS is either a person or an entity that represents the management, in short BOS is the boss. SOB is person that works under BOS.

Now, as it happens all the time, BOS wants some amount of crappy work done, and wants SOB to do it. SOB, on the other hand, thinks he is better than that. Now lets call the crappy work CRP and the alternative or the 'good work' that SOB wants to do PRC. Let us also say ASSES is some guy who is working on PRC (good work) right now, and he'll do BOS's bidding.

So the terminology is:

BOS is the BOSS.
SOB is the worker.
CRP is the crappy work.
PRC is the good work (that SOB wants to do).
ASSES is a guy who is working on the PRC (good stuff) now and he will do what BOS says.

BOS asks SOB to do the CRP. SOB protests and asks for PRC. BOS suggests that SOB go through an assessment that tests his capacity in PRC, and that he will decide on SOB's request based on the results. An assessment is done, SOB, who was confident of his capabilities and of doing well, thinks he has done well. BOS calls SOB for a meeting to discuss the assessment and here is the conversation that ensues.

BOS: SOB, you are obviously smart and did fairly in the assessment. But I guess you are not up to the mark in XYZ skill in PRC. You will have to do CRP for some time and prove yourself. I will let you do PRC later on, maybe an year from now.

SOB: (Is dumbstruck by now).... Well, I can prove to you that I am good enough!

BOS: Sure SOB, you are one of the best we've got. Go ahead prove yourself and I will keep my word.

Pretty innocuous conversation, SOB simply wasn't good enough and BOS was a good guy who is willing to give SOB another chance, right? Wrong! SOB was good enough all along, that is precisely why BOS wants SOB to do CRP. He wants good people to do CRP as well. Could he just say that to SOB? No, SOB would simply ask for PRC, he would say something on the lines of "If I am good, why not give me PRC?" Hence BOS packages the whole thing cleverly in the form of a 'challenge'. As a side effect, SOB will work really hard on CRP to 'prove himself'. For BOS, it is mission accomplished! He perpetrates the mantra 'the bar is high enough that even SOB could not clear it'. It is sly, but it works like a charm!

What would have happened if SOB had reacted differently that he had? What if he had believed with conviction that he was good enough to do PRC? Would the end result have been different? Let us revisit the conversation:

BOS: SOB, you are obviously smart and did well in the assessment. But I guess you are not up to the mark in XYZ skill PRC. You will have to do CRP for some time and prove yourself. I will let you do PRC later on, maybe an year from now.

SOB: (Is dumbstruck by now).... (thinks)

SOB: I am pretty sure you've got the parameters wrong. Tell me what exactly in PRC skills that you are looking at and give me another shot at it. I am sure I will clear it!

BOS: Wow SOB, I love your conviction and I love the people who raise up to challenge, sure enough I'll have you meet ASSES, our PRC expert. You'll have another go at this! This time you know what we are looking at. We are specifically looking at XYZ skill in PRC.

SOB: Thanks. I will prove what I mean.

BOS is a real nice guy and is giving SOB another chance to prove himself. Right? Let us see the assessment that ensues.

SOB: Hi ASSES.

ASSES: Hi SOB. Why is it that you want to do PRC?

SOB: Well, blah blah blah is the reason. I love to do PRC.

ASSES: Fair enough. Can you solve the following XYZ type PRC problem.

(ASSES gives a fairly straight forward question that can be solved in multiple ways. SOB solves it decently in one of the ways. Many similar questions from ASSES and similar solutions from SOB follow.)

ASSES: I'm done with you SOB, I shall give my assessment to BOS. He shall get back to you on this. Bye

SOB: Bye.

Now, BOS meets up SOB. Here is the conversation:

BOS: I'm sorry to say this SOB, but ASSES does not think you are up to the mark. Your XYZ skill in the PRC is particularly bad. Why don't you do CRP this year and prove yourself?

SOB: .... Well, I can prove to you that I am good enough! Tell me what I have to do in CRP.

BOS: Sure SOB, you are one of the best we've got. Go ahead prove yourself and I will keep my word.

Does it end any different? No, the BOS simply employs ASSES to kill SOB's ego. SOB will now perform with religious fervor in CRP to 'prove himself'. As far as BOS is concerned, it is 'Mission accomplished!'

Created on 21^st February 2006

1. Ahh, SOB 3rd way thinking

I somehow got to your page and after reading this has a thought so posting the SOB 3rd view.

SOB thinks he has proven himself enought to his BOS. For Some reason his BOS doesn\'t want him to work on PRC. He knows it inside he did good and was capable to work on PRC but he continued to work on CRP, as he don\'t have any other option. Though he worked but he wansn\'t able to give his 100% + he tried for another job in another place where he hoped to get PRC.. Cant this be 1 senario also..?, Sorry for my poor english..

Preeteesh on 15^th April 2007

2. real world experience

seems like something i\'d experience in reality ... same case with u ?

nikhil on 16^th June 2006

3. Hmm:D

Hey dude, that's a nice piece of info there buddy.

Meghan (KwokFist) on 20^th May 2006