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Trust and security

Over the long weekend, one wandered to watch a few things on Youtube. Must say was a great experience with what can one do. I ended up listening to longing but not listened to music, watch my childhood icons, delve into war history of India, cross border exchanges of freindly and not friendly kinds and last but not the least an interview of Dean Dipak Jain of Kellogg school fame. I am a great fan of Dipak for a multiplicity of reasons. Apart from the usual great mind, great achievement (first non American Dean and all for 10 years), mastery on the subject etc what makes him even greater is his firm feet on the ground.

I can go on as I have had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with him on a few occassions but the key purpose is to take on from what he said in an interview with Chicago Business School.

Before people trust you, you must trust them. Once you trust them they cannot got haywire. If you are not able to trust then somewhere you are insecure. Micromanagement is one such ramification of insecurity.

In today's corporate world, I am seeing live the two cases - one of a micromanager and other who trusts people and harnesses their power. Needless to say one is far more productive than the other.

Today's breed of manager's are frought with the danger of moving in extremes. Delegation is not abdication of responsibility. The delicate balance needs to be struck at each situation and with each team.

I must say that the local management of Reliance store in Gurgaon (book section in particular) must be doing something right as I am having a great experience with staff there. They are genuinely helpful, non interfering (good service at times is explained as shadowing the customer as I found in a few hotels).

I went to buy a book that has been ordered a few weeks back. The gentleman on the floor apologised that the same is not available and in a matter of trust building mentioned that it is unlikely to come in near future and if I need it urgently then I must try at store X failing which Y. A similar experience at the pen counter where they got my Lamy order but with the wrong nib specification. He apologised and said, "you have waited, please wait a little more and I will get that. In the meanwhile, here is another pen that will satisfy my desire for pens." Superb!

Comparing this with another store where they could not care less about order of a pen by a customer.
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