Follow the manual ,or . . .
Reflections and thoughts of most anything.
The professional part – management – can always, and shall always be, discussed and questioned. I welcome and encourage all to comment, criticize, propose and be creative with new ideas and thoughts.
Looking forward, we don’t know the speed of change, but we know change is an essential and unavoidable part of life as well as of management. Does, for instance, all managers and politicians understand what information technology has brought and still will bring? They can use Social Media, but do they understand the full power of it?
How many believe that old authoritative management will survive in the future? No one I hope, as it represents a very different time, with human beings having to offer their physical power and skills in working for the few, who believed their heritage and social status made them superior rather than their skill.
The change is here and we will continue to experience a gigantic shift in the attitude to work, employment, remuneration and all which is seen as the norm today. A few understand the inevitable change but many don’t. Old financial and economic science may still be partly relevant as it is based on common conservative human thinking, but we shall be very happy that creativity will prevail. Human beings, at least a few, have a desire to develop, improve life, make things better. These creative and brave minds are the ones taking us into the future.
What has “management” to do with this?
Take a quick look at project management, risk management, contract management, and other management areas. The focus is on tools, methods and preservation and too little on creativity, thinking out of the box, risk-taking etc. I mean that the tools and methods shall be the small part in all management while creative thinking and looking ahead and humanity should be the big part. And the base for all your management shall be your own personality and your way of approaching matters!
Years ago, I recommended a book by Briner, Geddes, and Hasting about “Successful Project Management” to students as it was moving the focus from tools to a creative process.
Your management and my management may be different, but we both learn from each other as long as we don’t fall into the trap and try to follow known managers even if our personality is very different. To imitate may be fun, but not creative.
A quote by Albert Einstein:
“Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
It is always good to consider which is the main target in your doings:
Do you always;
“Try doing your best to never do anything wrong”
or do you
“Try your best to do things right”?
Consider this a while before you read my view;
If you follow the first, how to do this? The easiest way is to use all the experience from the past and follow the manuals. I.e. do only what you and the generations before you know is right and nothing will go wrong, the manual is your leading star and nobody can blame you for anything. Safe, secure and no risk?
If you follow the second, how to do that? By using your experience? Yes. By using the manuals? Yes. But what’s more – You must use your creativity, look what is going on now and see the world around you, what can be expected, what is changing, what possibilities are here, what will the future bring about, what can be done better, what will benefit mankind now and tomorrow!
Think out of the box!
We should not have computers or internet today, not even the wheel, if nobody had been brave enough to go outside the “manuals”, use their creativity and take risks in trying to see around the corner!
