What would you prefer if you are a manager?

[JR]

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Namaste,

With reference to the following input from Vaagmi ji, I was wondering what you would prefer in your candidates, if you were a manager:

a. Average skill set (not poor skills set, but not exceptional either) but extremely dedicated and hard-working.

b. Exceptionally brilliant however not so hard working.

Please provide your reasoning.

Thanks,

Jayashree

Moderator: I am solely posting in this forum because people seem to participate better here than the chit-chat forum, however if this topic is more appropriate there, kindly move it to there.

Namaste Visalakshi ji,

Whereas in the world of schools and colleges, one's intelligence determines the level of success and fame, in office situations, it is purely one's work ability/hard work that determines success. I have observed this with many people. Even those of average IQ can succeed, say as a Programmer, if they are able to invest that much time for finishing the project within the deadline. I have practically observed the managers in many situations just brushing aside values such as code needing to be according to standards, etc, if they deem the worker as otherwise hard-working able to work extra 2 hrs (unpaid) as and when needed, and will be available to work in the weekends too. Even those of average IQ, over exposure to the code for sometime, pick it up and therefore hard working ability far outweighs the merits of a top IQ, except for advanced scientific applications. This is my observation.

Cheers,

Jayashree

JR ji,

A poor skill level may be acceptable at a low level. Such people do not rise in the hierarchy because it is a ruthless competition in which the less able are mercilessly filtered out and held back to find their own level of inefficiency to settle down-Peter's principle. An algorithm which is badly written and hence takes just one nanosecond more at the time of execution may add up to several seconds when in a programme the piece is repeated several times. And that is easily found out and the techie who coded it suffers.

Average IQ is ok at lower levels. But as higher and higher levels are crossed it is the razor thin sharpness that is rewarded.

It was a POS software. My client in Canada complained that once the transaction was keyed in, the cash drawer opened up one tad of a second later and she was unhappy with that delay. I asked one of my best techies to take a look at the script. He tweaked it. And lo the problem was solved. The client came on the line and gleefully thanked me for that. And that was the difference between the man who originally wrote that script and the man who tweaked it. Yes. You are right. In an advanced scientific application nanoseconds matter in a far bigger way. A rocket motor firing one nano second later may mean a series of correcting maneuvers to bring it back to the planned trajectory. LOL.

 

[biswa]

a.

You have to consider the effects on the whole team. Poor attitude breeds poor performance for the whole team.

 

[renuka]

Namaste,

With reference to the following input from Vaagmi ji, I was wondering what you would prefer in your candidates, if you were a manager:

a. Average skill set (not poor skills set, but not exceptional either) but extremely dedicated and hard-working.

b. Exceptionally brilliant however not so hard working.

Please provide your reasoning.

Thanks,

Jayashree

Moderator: I am solely posting in this forum because people seem to participate better here than the chit-chat forum, however if this topic is more appropriate there, kindly move it to there.

Dear JR,

Since I run my own practice..this is how I interview staff;


1)Firstly and most important..I usually pick well groomed and attractive looking staff...who take the trouble to look good and smell good. Make up should be tasteful but not too much. Appearance is very important when I chose a candidate. Well groomed people usually perform better at work.

2)I usually do not bother too much to see what their results are as long as they have their basic qualification.
Some candidates bring all their certs to show how good they were in class and school and their high marks etc.

I usually do not pay too much attention to that..becos marks dont really matter when work starts and I would be teaching them so its going to be me who trains as a long they can follow me its enough.


3)Now every human has their hardworking phase and their "lazy' phase.

From my experience those who try to show extreme "hardworkingness" are usually fakes who only act like that when boss is around and then make other staff do the work when boss is not around.

So I prefer a person who is not a fake..not too hardworking or too lazy but 'smart working" that is they know how much input to put in and when to relax.

 

[sravna]

Dear JR Ji,

It depends on who I manage.If I am managing not managerial level workers I prefer hardworking people. If I am managing managers, then I prefer brilliant individuals.

That is as you go higher and higher up in the hierarchy, brilliance becomes more and more valuable than hard work.

 

[renuka]

Dear JR Ji,

It depends on who I manage.If I am managing not managerial level workers I prefer hardworking people. If I am managing managers, then I prefer brilliant individuals.

That is as you go higher and higher up in the hierarchy, brilliance becomes more and more valuable than hard work.

Sravna...I thought you would say the higher and higher up in the hierarchy spirituality becomes the most valuable!LOL

 

[renuka]

One more thing I forgot to mention..I always choose people without experience so that I train them according to what I want and need.

Those with experience usually try to act as if they are know it all and more valuable than others and they usually try to run the place like how they worked in their former place. In fact training a person with experience is harder cos you have to "detox' them from their former work place work values which might not be the same as my workplace work values.

Starting pay is same for everyone..even if a person has a little more experience than others I still give the same starting pay becos for me everyone is a newbie when they start fresh with me.

 

[renuka]

Dear JR,

Its not possible to vote in the poll you have created becos choosing a candidate is not just all black and white..its has "50 shades of grey" too.

 

[sravna]

Sravna...I thought you would say the higher and higher up in the hierarchy spirituality becomes the most valuable!LOL

Yes Renuka, at the highest level spirituality is the most valuable.

 

[biswa]

Sravnaji how about: genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?

 

[sravna]

Sravnaji how about: genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?

Dear Biswa,

That's right. May be even an iota of inspiration is very powerful.

 

[renuka]

The Sanskrit saying goes...

1/4 of knowledge is from Guru..1/4 from the Student's own effort..1/4 from fellow classmates and 1/4 in the course of time.

I guess even in work life this can be applied..

1/4 knowledge from organization..1/4 knowledge from own effort..1/4 knowledge from fellow co workers(team work)..1/4 knowledge in the course of time..and this leads to success!

 

[JR]

3)Now every human has their hardworking phase and their "lazy' phase.

From my experience those who try to show extreme "hardworkingness" are usually fakes who only act like that when boss is around and then make other staff do the work when boss is not around.

So I prefer a person who is not a fake..not too hardworking or too lazy but 'smart working" that is they know how much input to put in and when to relax.

That's an interesting observation. In my experience though, I have come across some genuine 'hard-workers' - people who would not be satisfied with even a display piece being 'not up to the mark' even if otherwise they had spent weeks of effort getting the product ready and sit to spend hours researching and fixing it; those who do not moan and groan for spending hours extra on a stretch to meet with not just the deadline, but their own standards of 'satisfactory code' even without boss expecting as much.

I am a person who starts any assignment ASAP, the next instance after it is assigned, will work steadfast to finish the work much ahead of the deadline and will keep testing and testing the product during all the free time. Even me, do not possess the virtue of working extra hours, working on weekends, etc. But my hubby is a grade A worker - he never fusses to work late, through weekends, he says programming is his 'passion'. We usually call such people 'nerds'.

 

[JR]

Dear JR Ji,

It depends on who I manage.If I am managing not managerial level workers I prefer hardworking people. If I am managing managers, then I prefer brilliant individuals.

That is as you go higher and higher up in the hierarchy, brilliance becomes more and more valuable than hard work.

So you are exactly like Vaagmi ji, Sravna ji! I agree brilliance is the most important characteristic trait as one moves up the hierarchy! Thanks.

 

[Vaagmi]

JRji,

Your posts 12 and 13:

It is not that only brilliant people (BP) should be employed. The less brilliant(LB) too have a place. Their role can not be fulfilled by the brilliant one. You take a LB and give him a well tried out process and ask him to achieve his goal. He will go through the process pretty fast and deliver results quickly. Here the process, the result and the time are all predetermined. The whole project moves smoothly like a well oiled machine. If the process at some point is unable to meet a standard which has changed or encounters a problem with a dynamic variable which has become unpredictable, then you need the brains that set the process first. It is then that you need the BP.

A BP is one who, given a task, finds ways to finish it within the quickest time frame and then laze around.

Sometimes the LB becomes a BP in course of time because of experience and you have the bonus there. The cost is less but the product has evolved into top class. LOL.

BP are generally interesting fellows who have brains and a heart too. They save time by finding ways to beat the timelines and spend the leisure in writing poetry. You get closer and touch them and you will know this truth. And what a poet they are!!

There exists a very large crowd which can never get to know/understand these BPs. They would call them nerds, zombies, Ambis or even ammaanjis. Not that BPs are bothered. LOL.

Hardworking is in a different context. It is working against the pressure of tight timelines. It is then that your inadequacies get revealed- to others as to yourself. But that is the work-in- progress. We evolve through many such situations and an observer calls it hardworking. LOL.

 

[JR]

Very funny and thoughtful write-up, Vaagmi ji. Thanks

 

[biswa]

But my hubby is a grade A worker - he never fusses to work late, through weekends, he says programming is his 'passion'. We usually call such people 'nerds'.

When it's passion, it is not work. Sometimes people get their priorities mixed up. Then 'work' becomes 'passion' and real 'passion' becomes 'work'!

 

[renuka]

I am a person who starts any assignment ASAP, the next instance after it is assigned, will work steadfast to finish the work much ahead of the deadline and will keep testing and testing the product during all the free time. Even me, do not possess the virtue of working extra hours, working on weekends, etc. But my hubby is a grade A worker - he never fusses to work late, through weekends, he says programming is his 'passion'. We usually call such people 'nerds'.

Dear JR,

I used to be known as Dr ASAP when I was in the government hospitals.

I used to come much before work time..start early rounds and finish seeing patients and then head home when work is done.

One consultant used to dislike me..he used to tell me "the reason you are so hardworking during office hours and finish all your cases ASAP is becos you do not like your job..those who have passion dont finish everything ASAP"

I wonder if he is right too..becos I used to do my job like a robot..totally mechanical..make sure no one dies in my hands and then when my call is over..I head home and just drop dead and sleep off.(sometimes we had to work 48 hours without sleep)

But at times some co docs had called me during my off duty times to help out when there was any major accident with lots of admissions..I used to help out even though I dont get paid for it.

Then again I work like a robot and go home.

I somehow never let work be my passion..I treat it as just part of my life.

 

[JR]

I somehow never let work be my passion..I treat it as just part of my life.

I think in the long run, everybody will get to this point sooner or later. When I started out in my job, I wanted to quickly ascend the rat race and become a 'Project Manager' very soon! I used to work so fast and dedicated that if the assignment to finish a work was for 7 days I would finish in 3 days and ask the boss for more... but as time went on, I realized that it is not just work capacity that determines important things as promotion, but a lot of other things like your rapport with co-workers and bosses, your application knowledge, your contribution at meetings, and so forth... having realized these challenges, I slowed down (my rapport especially with bosses with very poor - I am too shy). So life goes on like that...

 

[vgane]

JR,

Your topic is very interesting!

There are white collar jobs, pink color jobs and blue color jobs

I would call white color jobs are office type of work that require a higher level of intelligence compared to blue collar..So I would prefer an intelligent guy..Being higher in the hierarchy would mean that more the intelligence that is required

Blue collar jobs which are manual jobs require hard work & skill..They have to have basic intelligence to follow the routine systems, policies and procedures

Pink color jobs which are in the service sector require customer interaction, entertainment etc require a higher level of EQ..It is neither hard work nor intelligence that will work here!

 

[JR]

JR,

Your topic is very interesting!

There are white collar jobs, pink color jobs and blue color jobs

I would call white color jobs are office type of work that require a higher level of intelligence compared to blue collar..So I would prefer an intelligent guy..Being higher in the hierarchy would mean that more the intelligence that is required

Blue collar jobs which are manual jobs require hard work & skill..They have to have basic intelligence to follow the routine systems, policies and procedures

Pink color jobs which are in the service sector require customer interaction, entertainment etc require a higher level of EQ..It is neither hard work nor intelligence that will work here!

Very true, nicely said Sir, thank you!

In white collar jobs, it is very important to be innovative and think outside of the box, who else, but only one of high IQ can do this?