5 Things To Avoid In Your Organization: A Guide to Building a Healthier, More Productive Work Environment

 5 Things To Avoid In Your Organization: A Guide to Building a Healthier, More Productive Work Environment

As organizations evolve and face new challenges in the modern workplace, it becomes increasingly important to identify and avoid common pitfalls that can undermine performance, employee well-being, and organizational culture. While there are countless obstacles that businesses must navigate, some are particularly insidious and can have long-lasting negative effects if left unchecked. In this article, we'll explore five critical issues you should avoid in your organization to help foster a healthier, more productive work environment: Pleasanteeism, Nomophobia, Pseudo-compartmentalization, Pseudo-matrix reporting, and Pseudo-grassroots planning.

---

1. Pleasanteeism: The Silent Productivity Killer

Pleasanteeism refers to the phenomenon where employees feel the need to excessively please their superiors, even at the cost of their own well-being, productivity, or honesty. This often stems from an environment that emphasizes maintaining appearances or an expectation of constant positivity. While it may seem like a good thing at first glance (after all, who doesn't want to keep their boss happy?), it can actually stifle open communication, discourage critical thinking, and prevent real problems from being addressed.

In organizations where pleasanteeism runs rampant, employees might agree to unrealistic deadlines, overcommit to tasks, or avoid voicing concerns, all in an effort to appear agreeable or competent. The result is often burnout, decreased employee morale, and a lack of innovation, as critical feedback and diverse perspectives are suppressed.

How to Avoid Pleasanteeism:

• Create a culture of psychological safety where employees feel comfortable speaking up and expressing dissenting opinions.
• Encourage honest feedback, both from employees and towards leadership.
• Foster a leadership style that values transparency and values constructive criticism over blind compliance.

---

2. Nomophobia: The Hidden Distraction at Work

In today’s digital world, nomophobia—the fear of being without your mobile phone—has become an increasingly common issue in the workplace. While smartphones have revolutionized communication, they also bring a host of distractions that can severely disrupt productivity. The anxiety that comes with the fear of being disconnected often leads employees to feel pressured to respond to emails, texts, or social media messages around the clock, even during off-hours or in meetings.

This chronic state of "always-on" is particularly harmful in terms of employee focus and engagement. It prevents workers from fully immersing themselves in tasks, leading to scattered attention and a lack of deep work, which is essential for creative thinking and problem-solving.

How to Avoid Nomophobia:

• Set clear boundaries around communication expectations, such as designated "no-phone" hours for deep work or meetings.
• Encourage employees to take regular breaks from screens and prioritize face-to-face or phone communication where appropriate.
• Lead by example—avoid over-checking your phone during meetings or when interacting with your team.

---

3. Pseudo-compartmentalization: The Illusion of Control

Pseudo-compartmentalization is the tendency within organizations to create rigid departmental silos that hinder collaboration and communication across teams. While dividing tasks into specialized areas is a fundamental part of organizational structure, when these divisions become too pronounced, employees may be discouraged from stepping outside their designated roles. This artificial compartmentalization can limit creative problem-solving, slow decision-making, and stifle innovation.

Employees might be given specific tasks but lack the broader context of how their work fits into the organization’s larger goals. Without an integrated approach to operations and communication, productivity and morale can take a significant hit.

How to Avoid Pseudo-compartmentalization:

• Encourage cross-functional teams and regular interdepartmental meetings to share knowledge and insights.
• Promote a culture of collaboration and transparency, where employees from different teams freely share ideas and best practices.
• Ensure that employees understand how their role contributes to the broader organizational mission.

---

4. Pseudo-matrix Reporting: A Confusing Web of Authority

Pseudo-matrix reporting refers to a structure where employees have multiple reporting lines—often to both functional and project managers—but without clear delineation of authority or responsibility. While matrix organizations, in theory, can provide flexibility and adaptability, pseudo-matrix structures create confusion and ambiguity, leading to mixed signals about priorities, responsibilities, and decision-making authority.

This lack of clarity can lead to inefficiencies, as employees struggle to navigate competing demands from different managers, often resulting in conflicting directives and delayed decisions. Moreover, the absence of clear ownership can undermine accountability and lower employee morale.

How to Avoid Pseudo-matrix Reporting:

• Clarify roles and reporting structures to avoid confusion and ensure that employees know who to turn to for decisions.
• Use a clear RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix to map out the decision-making process and responsibilities for key projects.
• Promote a culture of clear, transparent communication, so that employees understand not only what they are responsible for, but also who is accountable for what.

---

5. Pseudo-grassroots Planning: The Appearance of Collaboration Without Real Change

Pseudo-grassroots planning occurs when leadership claims to have involved employees in decision-making or strategic planning but has not genuinely empowered them. This often takes the form of "token" surveys, focus groups, or town halls that give the appearance of input, but the actual decisions are made at the top without considering the feedback in a meaningful way.

This tactic not only demotivates employees but also erodes trust between leadership and staff. When employees sense that their input doesn't truly impact the organization’s direction, they become disengaged, and innovation stalls. Moreover, without authentic involvement, employees are less likely to buy into organizational changes or initiatives.

How to Avoid Pseudo-grassroots Planning:

• Implement authentic, two-way communication processes where employee input is actively considered in decision-making.
• Make it clear how employee feedback directly influences decisions and changes.
• Involve employees early in the process and give them ownership of initiatives to ensure a sense of genuine collaboration.

---

Conclusion: Creating a Healthy Organizational Culture

To build a thriving, productive organization, it's crucial to avoid the hidden dangers that can undermine trust, collaboration, and employee satisfaction. By addressing pleasanteeism, nomophobia, pseudo-compartmentalization, pseudo-matrix reporting, and pseudo-grassroots planning, you can pave the way for a more effective, communicative, and engaged workforce.

Investing in your employees' well-being and fostering an environment of trust and clarity will not only boost performance but also create a sustainable culture where people are genuinely invested in your organization's success.

After all, an organization that avoids these pitfalls is one that can innovate, adapt, and truly thrive in today’s fast-paced business landscape.

 

Win Mahabharata Like Shakuni !

(Life Coaching Series)

The Art of Long-Term Strategy and Posthumous Success

In the grand epic of Mahabharata, few characters are as intriguing and controversial as Shakuni. Often portrayed as the quintessential villain, Shakuni's story is a masterclass in long-term strategy, manipulation, and the pursuit of revenge. But was Shakuni truly successful in his goals? Let's delve into his methods and their far-reaching consequences to understand how one can "win" even beyond death.

 

The Backstory: Motivation for Revenge

Shakuni's path to vengeance began with a tragedy. When Bhishma sought a bride for the blind prince Dhritarashtra, he imprisoned Shakuni's entire family as a show of power. Forced to watch his family starve to death, Shakuni emerged as the sole survivor, armed with dice made from his father's bones and an unquenchable thirst for revenge against the Kuru dynasty.

Lesson 1: A powerful motivation can fuel long-term planning and persistence.

The Long Game: Patience and Positioning

Upon reaching Hastinapura, Shakuni didn't immediately seek revenge. Instead, he positioned himself as a trusted advisor to the royal family, particularly to his nephew Duryodhana. This allowed him to influence decisions and sow seeds of discord from within.

Lesson 2: Position yourself strategically to maximize your influence.

Manipulation: The Art of Indirect Control

Shakuni's greatest strength was his ability to manipulate others, especially Duryodhana. By nurturing Duryodhana's jealousy and ambition, Shakuni created a powerful proxy for his revenge. He didn't need to act directly; he could achieve his goals through others.

Lesson 3: Indirect influence can be more powerful and less risky than direct action.

The Dice Game: Turning Point

The infamous dice game was Shakuni's masterpiece. Using his loaded dice, he stripped the Pandavas of their kingdom, wealth, and dignity, forcing them into exile. This single event set the stage for the eventual war.

Lesson 4: Identify and exploit critical moments that can trigger a cascade of desired outcomes.

Fomenting Conflict: The Path to Destruction

Shakuni consistently advocated for aggressive action against the Pandavas, preventing any chance of reconciliation. His goal was not just to harm the Pandavas, but to bring down the entire Kuru dynasty.

Lesson 5: If total destruction is the goal, eliminate all paths to peace and reconciliation.

Beyond Death: The Legacy of Hatred

Even after Shakuni's death in the war, the hatred he had cultivated lived on. It led to attempts on the lives of Pandava offspring, including the unborn Parikshit, showing how a well-executed plan can have effects beyond one's lifetime.

Lesson 6: True success can be measured by the lasting impact of your actions, even after death.

The Ultimate Victory?

At first glance, Shakuni's plan seems to have failed. He died in the war, the Pandavas emerged victorious, and their line continued through Parikshit. However, a closer look reveals a different picture:

1. Massive Destruction: The Kurukshetra War resulted in unprecedented devastation, with millions dead and the Kuru dynasty in ruins.

2. Pyrrhic Victory for the Pandavas: While the Pandavas won the war, they lost almost everything in the process – their children, their joy, and ultimately, their kingdom.

3. End of an Era: The war marked the end of the Dwapara Yuga and the beginning of the Kali Yuga, an age of moral decline.

4. Lasting Impact: The effects of Shakuni's actions resonated for generations, shaping the course of history in the epic's world.

Lesson 7: Success can be redefined. Sometimes, causing your enemy to "win" at a terrible cost can be the ultimate victory.

The Ethical Dilemma

It's crucial to note that Shakuni's methods, while effective, were deeply unethical and caused immense suffering. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of revenge and manipulation.

Lesson 8: Consider the moral implications of your actions and the price of success.

Applying Shakuni's Strategies Ethically

While we can't endorse Shakuni's destructive methods, we can extract valuable lessons about strategy and apply them ethically:

1. Long-term Vision: Have a clear, long-term goal and be patient in working towards it.

2. Strategic Positioning: Place yourself in positions of influence relevant to your objectives.

3. Network Building: Cultivate relationships with key individuals who can help achieve your goals.

4. Indirect Influence: Learn to guide outcomes without always being the direct actor.

5. Identifying Leverage Points: Recognize critical moments or decisions that can have outsized impacts.

6. Persistence: Be prepared for setbacks and maintain focus on your ultimate objective.

7. Legacy Planning: Consider how your actions and decisions will impact events even after you're gone.

Conclusion: Redefining Victory

Shakuni's tale in the Mahabharata offers a unique perspective on success and strategy. While his methods were undoubtedly villainous, his ability to impact events on a grand scale, even beyond his death, is a testament to the power of long-term planning and strategic thinking.

In our own lives and careers, we can take inspiration from Shakuni's strategic mind while rejecting his destructive motivations. True victory doesn't have to come at the cost of others' downfall. Instead, it can be achieved through ethical means, creating positive, lasting impacts that continue to yield benefits long after we're gone.

By understanding Shakuni's strategies and reframing them in a positive light, we can indeed "win" our own Mahabharata – not through revenge and destruction, but through foresight, influence, and a legacy of positive change.

NOTE:

To those still worried about this intriguing character and wondering as to how can one draw inspiration from a "villain", here's a sanskrit subhashitani for you: 

"हंसः श्वेतः बकः श्वेतः को भेदो बकहंसयोः।
नीरक्षीरविवेके तु हंसः हंसः बकः बकः।।"

"Haṃsaḥ śvetaḥ bakaḥ śvetaḥ ko bhedo bakahaṃsayoḥ
Nīrakṣīraviveke tu haṃsaḥ haṃsaḥ bakaḥ bakaḥ."

Translation: "The swan is white, and so is the crane; what is the difference between the swan and the crane? In the ability to separate milk from water, the swan is truly a swan, and the crane is just a crane."

You might also be interested in this article on Vidur!

Von Westendorp Approach Using Python

 

Von Westendorp Approach Using Python

(Artificial Intelligence Series)

Strategic pricing is a critical process of Product Management, when it comes to launching a new product. There are many methods to pricing your product and one of the most popular ones is the Von Westendorp approach. The beauty of this approach is that it provides a glimpse in the form of a “Price Sensitivity Meter”. Once the graph is plot, we get the following price points at the intersections:

a.       OPP (Optimal Price Point) – The ideal price where the consumer is most willing to pay.

b.      IPP (Indifference Price Point) – The price where the consumer is least willing to pay.

c.       PMC (Point of Marginal Cheapness) – The price beyond which the consumer will consider the product to be too cheap and might not consider buying.

d.      PME (Point of Marginal Expensiveness) – The price beyond which the consumer will consider the product to be too expensive and might not consider buying.

From the above four price points, we get the RAI (Range of Acceptable Index); which can be used to price our product. All said and done, let’s get our hands dirty now!

A survey is conducted to assess the likely price points with questions like:

·         At what price would you consider the product to be too expensive and out of reach? (Too Expensive)

·         At what price would you consider the product to be expensive but still worth buying? (Fleecing)

·         At what price would you consider the product to be a cheap and worth buying? (Bargain)

·         At what price would you consider the product to be too cheap that quality would be doubtful? (Too Cheap)

All the responses are collected and the dataset is arranged in the following manner:

Please note that the first two columns are sorted in descending order while the last two are sorted in the ascending manner. Using this dataset, one can plot the Von Westendorp graph in excel itself. While this might seem quite easy and does not require any other dependencies like a Python IDE; I personally detest doing it in excel. I will explain the reasons at the end of this article.

I’ve used Miniconda CLI, Jupyter notebook and .csv data format for this project. You may choose other IDE and tools that you are comfortable with like Spyder, NoSQL, etc.

Launch a fresh notebook and import the necessary libraries. Now, load the data and check the shape as shown below:

Next step is to remove the intransitive price preferences* and compute the cumulative frequencies, as shown below:

Once the above is done, we need to define a table where all the array values can be tabulated.

 

Now, we need to compute the results and get the values, as shown below:

The last step is to plot the graph:

The output graph will look like this:

So, that’s it, pretty simple, isn’t it? Well, no. It wasn’t that easy when I did it for the first time. Let me share my learnings with you. Prior to plotting it in Python, I did it with excel. I’m presenting a comparison table of the values that I got:

One can easily note that the values arrived at via Python are higher than those from excel. The reason being the following:

·         In Excel, it will accept all price points from the dataset as it is, in order to plot the graph while in Python, I have the freedom to “remove intransitive price preferences*”. If I had skipped this step, values from Excel would match those from Python.

·         It is imperative to remove the intransitive price preferences as not doing so would present a skewed graph, as well as, generate incorrect values.

·         As a result, my data shape dropped to 16 from 39; meaning entire 23 rows were invalidated.

The obvious question that would arise in the minds of data analysts and machine learning enthusiasts is – Why not scale or normalize the dataset?

The answer is plain simple here – applying normalization to the dataset would replace the suspect values (intransitive, duplicate, etc.) with the average or mean. Since, this is akin to “changing the respondent answers”, it would amount to gross manipulation of data and render the purpose of survey useless.

Thus, the key takeaways from this exercise are:

1.       Statistical inferences are better accomplished with Python than with Excel

2.       Respondents are prone to error and one might need to drop off the incorrect answers

3.       Adequate sample size is a must to ensure that there are enough data points to suffice for the inference

4.       Scaling or normalization is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution and must be applied with sufficient caution

5.       Intent needs to be preserved even if it is at the cost of the content

Note: *intransitive price preferences – the price points that are not linear but are concurrent. This can happen where a respondent might choose the same price point for more than one question. For e.g. Rs. 8000 selected as ‘bargain value’ as well as ‘too cheap value’.

P.S. You can contact the author to know more about this article. The sample python code is available at https://github.com/southpau79/humintonline .

For those lazy to read & have scrolled to find the end of page, here's the video:

"TOPS" METHOD FOR BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

TOPS^TM METHOD FOR BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

 

All business is a “going concern” and everyone wants the going to be smooth. In an ever changing world where Moore’s law, Butler’s law and Kryder’s law seem to be inversely proportional to customer perception; staying ahead of the competition becomes a matter of survival. But apparently, as Hector Berlioz has said “Time is great healer, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils”; one does not have all the time in the world to learn, apply and wait for the long run. Results are expected from day one and most leaders do not realize that concrete outcomes are fructified only after deliberate attempts are made to obtain them. If all of this sounds like Greek or Latin, then let me spell it out directly – “Business Transformation” is the need of the hour if one has to maintain their operational resilience amidst the fourth industrial revolution.

In my two decades of career, I have been able to witness world class manufacturing, best-in-class productivity, industry best practices and several innovative methods to achieve overall improvement. As a Management Consultant, I always insist on remaining a skeptic with an open mind without which it is practically impossible to either learn from or advise your clients effectively. For any organization, business transformation means management of change at its core. The more rigid the organization, the more difficult it becomes. Let me clarify here that I’m not pointing towards agile methodology, as in the current context even an agile organization is deemed to be rigid. Given the innate nature of mankind, a definite structure appeals to us more than a formless manner of functioning. Hence, resistance to change is imminent and how do we manage this resistance is critical to success in modern times. A simple IFTTT (If This Then That) approach can be as disastrous as the ITTYTWIT (I Thought That You Thought What I Thought) error that most of us are prone to. In general, without mincing my words - most of us have witnessed that organizations, enterprises, programs and projects are driven by HiPPOs (Highly Paid Person’s Opinion). While the matter of fact is that opinions don’t matter, actions do. I have personally witnessed leaders in pretty good organizations toying with ideas like “Thought Leadership” and “Design Thinking” and thereby costing the organization huge amounts of wasteful expenditure by attempting to engage in miscalculated or misleading steps and activities like using “post-it notes for process mapping” involving entire top and middle management team for weeks altogether, where it could have been easily executed by an outsourced expert at a fraction of the cost or like moving from one legacy system to the other before ending up with budgetary constraints for a real digital transformation project.  

Let me bring you back to the current topic, where I wish to present a proprietary method for achieving business transformation with the least resistance as shown below:

As can be seen from the above image, one can drive transformation using any of the four paths viz. Technology, Operations, Process and Strategy. However, the stars provided for each indicate the weightage or importance of that particular aspect w.r.t to overall improvement in the organization. The stars also are an indicator of the level of paradigm shift and ensuing resistance to change that can occur while bringing about the transformation. Hence, if an organization is geared up for operational resilience right from the beginning, then it would be ideal to follow the steps as described below:

§  STRATEGY:

Irrespective of the vision, mission and goals of the company; the strategic direction must be formulated after a careful consideration of the overall context to successfully manage the stakeholders. A risk based approach is required to envisage unforeseen circumstances and be prepared for accommodating major tweaks in the future.

The more flexible the strategy, the more resilient is the organization as opposed to a robust strategy that harbors enormous internal resistance and does not provide enough space for management of change. In pure layman terms, your strategy is your bulletproof vest – it has to be soft enough to allow you to breath and hard enough to be impenetrable. 

Strategy can neither be run through bias nor is it a mere thought experiment. From strategy emanates tactics and from tactics flow maneuverability and from maneuverability comes victory.

§  PROCESS:

Once the overall strategy has been established, a clinical approach to process management is required. Without a process approach, an organization cannot achieve its intended purpose. To do this effectively, one has to sift through layer upon layer of existing dogmas, norms and practices. One must not hesitate to question the adequacy of the existing procedures and rethink the alternative possibilities of getting the job done.

Consider process as the battlefield formation, where it must work with synchronicity and swiftness to enable one to adapt to ever changing requirements and newer environments. However, one must be smart enough to not to reinvent the wheel when not required and diligent enough to dive deep to uncover hidden treasures, if the need be.   

Process transformation is one of the toughest nuts to crack and it really does pay in the long run.

§  OPERATIONS:

Now that an excellent process has been set up, one can look into transforming operations. One must note that both strategy and process are enabling functions while operation is an execution function. Here, one must have a hands-on approach to solving everyday problems. A cursory glance here and slight nudge there will only lead to weakening of the pipeline. A thorough systems approach is required to identify opportunities for improvement and close the gaps if any.  

Allegorically, operation is the weapon without which any enterprise is rendered unviable. So, to bring about operational transformation it is imperative to get your hands dirty and perform a microscopic examination of all the corners involved.   

§  TECHNOLOGY:

Technological advancement is inevitable in the current times and organizations need to either adapt to this change or adopt newer ways of working. But it must be noted that, any kind of technological transformation must not be attempted if the underlying foundations of operations, processes and strategy are not strongly resilient; unless one has the willingness and capacity to change the entire landscape solely on the pillar of technology.

Technology can be either an enabling function or an execution function or both depending upon the context, scale of operations, and complexity of processes. Mere shift from legacy systems to latest technology does not constitute digital transformation. Business transformation that leverages technology to build upon its operational resilience in accordance with the strategic direction is the preferred way to go.

 

Technically speaking, technology is like a telescope that helps you aim better and hit the bullseye with ease. However, it can be of no help to the one who is blind. In the current context, what is implied is that going gung-ho with a haywire approach to whatever is the latest will not work. A careful and holistic take is required to undergo transformation at the technological level which must also be supported by the other three levels described earlier. 

An organization can survive without technological transformation as this can be achieved later if not imminently. Similarly, operational transformation may or may not affect the overall performance of the organization in the immediate future but is important in the long run. In a competitive scenario, revamping operations is a must in order to survive and stay ahead. On the contrary, process transformation is a critical factor that can decide the bottom-line of the organization and define its growth. If this is overlooked, things can go wary with the slightest of change in market dynamics or the business environment. Under stable conditions, most organizations assume that their processes are performing to their optimum values while the reality is otherwise. The greatest risk in times of change or turmoil is that a company might cease to exist if processes are not reviewed periodically. Lastly, strategic transformation is needed when there is massive change or advancement in the industry. If there is rigidity and resistance at this level, then the existence of the company itself can be questionable.

No matter which framework one may choose to adhere to or follow, the TOPS^TM method for business transformation ensures a smooth transition with the least friction.