Tag: Management

Manjula’s Library

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It started out as a joke.

Manjula complained about me filling the house with art and books —- and we were running out of space.

She decided that when I was seventy-five (that’s right, i’m —not yet) and stopped leading MYcycle tours (big assumption there) we’d open the house as a library.

In her memory I closed one of the bedrooms to reopen it as ‘Manjula’s Library’

Just one of the bookcases

There’s now hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books in English, including those about education, India, history, philosophy, for adults and children.

It’s an idiosyncratic mix already used by our guests, the members of ‘reflective space’ and the time I spend with young people.

My own favourites are the picture books.

It changes by the day ….

… check out the new arrivals.

Yes, it’s not JUST books, we now have a selection of cool badges.

Critical management.

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I’ve tried to help people become active participants in the decisions affecting them throughout my life.

I’ve worked to develop and improve their organisations as facilitator and manager since the early 80s.

Initially this was in NGOs and government but later in my career i was guide: consultant and trainer working with MNCs (multi-national companies) and by developing partnerships.

Occasionally, here I’ll post opinion pieces and insights from my experiences. These are for anyone but particularly young people and especially members of our reflective space group here in Mysore.

Here’s the latest.

Dancing Elephants about personal and organisational change

Management styles: whimsical

Management Styles: Banyan Tree

More subjects will follow about innovation, motivation, developmental stages of an organisation, responsible business, thinking…

blah blah blah

..

Uncanny coincidence.

With dancing elephants we introduced an award scheme. Years later we found an incredible coincidence.

Sometimes things were meant to be.

….

Manjula’s Library

There’s a great range of books including those on learning, management, history, philosophy and education in Manjula’s library at our house aka Mysore Bed and Breakfast. My favourites are the children’s picture books which are of course for all ages!

….

My MPhil was a research degree in Critical Management undertaken at Lancaster University in the 1990s

In my studies and practice, I focused on human behaviour in different contexts. When I reached my 60s, I realised I’ll never understand human behaviour 🤪

I’ve helped develop hundreds of projects over the years. As a facilitator no one probably associates them with me.

I’m satisfied with that.

Stephen

Managing People 1

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Here’s two recent terms I’ve used to describe management ‘styles’ that may need more explanation. 

Banyan 

Meaning a manager who is so strong in imposing his or her will that nothing below can easily grow and flourish. 

This style is often seen in command and control structures or in new developments that have difficulty in moving on from the initial pioneering stage. 

The end result is limited delegation, people fearful of taking the initiative or making mistakes. It’s centralised control and reliance on one rather than the many in the team and loses the valuable diversity that is achievable through engaging all the brains in the organisation. 

Please note I’m not disrespecting the Banyan which is wonderful.

To follow next… management through whim. 

Team briefing

SF3 Comments

As per usual. The girls are completely ignoring me. I’ve offered Manjula a new job and here’s the detail of the tasks and targets!

Ok so I’m not the worlds best artist 🙃 it’s how I communicated her job when she first came to work for me….

Here’s a photo of the original job description!

yes, there was a day when Manjula actually worked for me. Now we know that the tables have turned.

This is just my way to help support her and to focus on what’s important such as eating well, putting on weight, exercising, not being in bed too long, welcoming and chatting with guests, taking meds on time. Above all fun things and seeing the world through a glass half full

Here’s Manjula summarising how her jobs changed over time. A week or so before she died.