The best Manager I have known …!!!
After facing the challenges of Project Leader or manager in a software industry, I have often thought about my paternal Grand Mother. She could have definitely become one of the best Project Managers of all the time!
I have tried to analyze her character which made me grade her as a manager. May be there are many more qualities with her which I had not understood in my childhood.
Utilization of Human resources!
She doesn’t allow anyone to idle away time, including the children. And when my aunties, cousins come for holidaying, she had the knack of making them also participate in the houldhold activities.
I wonder how efficiently she had managed “Delegation of work” and performed as a strict supervisor. But still she herself was a hard worker. I have heard relatives say that my grand mother can cook for 50 to 100 people single handedly.
Planning and Scheduling
She should have planed every work in her mind, for there was no planner, or planning softwares at that time! This considerably reduced the last minute tension, effort and cost. Not only planning, but keeping the schedule as per the plan was part of her.
During our summer holidays, we children used to guard the appalams, vadams that had been put to dry in the sun, from the crows & squirrels. Our other duties include helping her in watering the kitchen garden, keeping the backyard clean etc.
Budget
Another important aspect of any work executed (in Current terms – Project) is the budget.
In those times people had less money and many members in the joint family. So definitely, one should be good in planning the budget. Everyone was accountable for every paisa spent. There will not be any unnecessary expenditure.
Preparing pickles depending on the seasonal fruits and vegetables, planning travels ahead, purchasing of gifts for festivals, marriages, relatives etc
She will throw away anything only after 110% sure that it cannot be reused!
Good Values
Apart from all the strictness, she believed in good values, which naturally was instilled into all of us. Some of the values she held strongly are
Honesty
Love and Respect
Kindness
Hospitality
Though when I was a child, I used to get annoyed by my grand mothers strictness and we cousins used to tell that as our granny’s dictatorship. But now I can understand because of her leadership qualities only, our big family was able to grow prosperously. She had been the main support for many nuclear families that enjoy prosperity now. I give her a very big SALUTE from my heart!
