Interesting Management Lessons

The four key lessons that I learnt from a movie I saw recently are, I believe, the most important in anyone’s work life. This film is based on a true event that took place during World War II. It was drawn from failed attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler. The movie revolves around the main protagonist (Colonel Claus Von Sauffenberg) and the plot he masterminded to carry out the assassination. This officer, despite being part of a rigid system or an organization, takes a stand for what he believes is right & for the good of the country. The opinion’s & belief of the majority of his peers & superiors doesn’t stop him from taking the stand that was eventually proved right and he was recognized as a hero in his country post the end of World War. While we know of many heroes in the annals of history who stood for what was right, but seldom do we come across someone who fought the system from within. He, against overwhelming opposition and at the risk of damage to his brillian...

Selling has existed from time immemorial for trading and barter of goods & services is as old as history itself. The concept of sales as we know it can trace its origins to per-industrialization era. The proprietor of the business was focused on producing and meeting orders; selling, marketing, and accounting were regarded as secondary. Often these orders were already in hand before the production even started and the objective was simply to meeting the burgeoning demand. The advent of Industrial Revolution brought with it, major organizational changes to the DNA of various businesses. Organizations now shifted focus to mass production & diversification of assembly. Since the local communities (which were the traditional consumers of the produce) could not consume all that was manufactured, a need for increasing the sales coverage was felt to find newer markets for the excess products. Thus, was born the sales function & modern day salesman. To begin with the primary role...

An interesting movie that I saw recently was also one of the most captivating films on interpersonal conflict ma nagement. The movie is about two submarine officers in the US Navy who are faced with the task of making a critical decision (launch of a missile) with the lack of critical  intelligence. the key challenges that they face are their varied backgrounds & thought process and therefore their different approaches to decision making. While the captain of the submarine has worked his way up in the Navy, believes that he is the master of the vessel and therefore has the right of having the final say in everything (whether others believe it's right or wrong), his XO ( executive officer) is an ivy league pass out who believes that the opinion of crew members are important and decisions should be made by the book. The underlying age difference & individual philosophies are also something that plays a crucial part in the story line as some of the crew members believe th...