Basically, I am a Flash Action Script programmer in Custom courseware department. As my responsibilities are increased I became Project Manager. I learnt a lot of Project Management skills in CommLab India. Initially I used to get tensed to handle multiple projects, because I used to take complete responsibility of all the projects and I was not able to meet the deadlines I used to work late nights with the team to complete the projects.

On those days I am not able to find out the reason for these problems. One day I attended Stephen R. Covey’s training program on “Overcoming Challenges in Today’s Times” in which he showed some video clips on trust. Also I read about trust in the book “The Seven habits of Highly Effective People” written by him. I learnt that we need to trust our team first and give them responsibility. After this training I worked on this concept and realize that I was not giving responsibility to my team and taking full burden of the project upon me, because I am not trusting my team.

Then I started experimenting on the concept with my team members. I selected one member in my new project with whom nobody wants to work, because his performance is very low. Before starting the project I gave complete details of the project to review and then I personally explained everything about the project and his role and I said,

“This is your project and complete responsibility is yours. You are the boss of your work and I will not take any responsibility on this project, but I am always available to help you. You can ask me any number of times for the clarifications or any other suggestions. But I will not take any responsibility of the project.”

Then I asked him to give the project plan which he submitted. I took confirmation two times about the deadline. He promised me that he will submit the project on time. I helped him whenever he asked me. He became very serious on his work and taking full responsibility of the project. Everyday he updated me the status without asking. Unfortunately, after this hard work he didn’t complete the work on time. He felt bad about his performance and understood his area of concerns. Then he requested me for some more time to complete the project which I agreed. This time he doubled his effort and concentrated on the areas of concerns and completed the project. After completion of the project he felt great in handling the project independently for the first time and also he enjoyed working with me. I am also happy because I didn’t have complete responsibility. I just kept tabs on the project status. I hope next time onwards he will be more responsible in his work.

We should first keep trust on our team and start giving responsibilities. Also this applies to the team member to ask and take responsibilities. One will feel great if any responsibility is given. It is very difficult to get job done with others if that person does not feel any responsibility. If we give total responsibility then that person will find better ways to handle the job, sometimes better than us. This concept helped me to handle multiple projects without stress.

Don’t put pressure everyday to your team members which does not give any motivation, just keep trust on your team and give them the responsibility. Responsibility of work will makes them feel great and motivates them to work.

Keep Trust on Your Team!

Abdul Razzaque Hussain
Project Manager

I am not an economist or a management guru. I do not know what precisely causes economic recessions and booms. I am 47 years and lived all my life in India. I never really faced a recession in my life. So, the whole thing is quite new and mysterious.

I have read a lot about the problems faced by organizations and individuals because of this recession. I read that companies are cutting costs by laying off employees and stopping salary hikes and in some cases, reducing salaries for the remaining. I also read that men and women are finding it very difficult to meet their financial obligations.

Why companies are going bankrupt? Is it because their customers are not buying enough or they are not repaying what they have borrowed? And why do the customers do that? Is it because they do not have money? Why don’t they have money? Is it because their employers haven’t paid them? The questions go on. I haven’t really figured out where it started.

To me it looks like the old story of the Ant and the Grasshopper. The ant toils first and then enjoys the fruits of its labor whereas the grasshopper enjoys first and then it doesn’t have the chance to earn it! Are we not the grasshoppers of today’s world? Organizations want to grow very fast, very big not by improving their worth to their customers but by borrowing money and synthetically growing; individuals want to enjoy the luxuries of cars and flats by borrowing many times their earnings.

For a moment, imagine a person with a modest salary and modest savings but with no debts? Or a small business which pays modest salaries but with adequate retained earnings and is debt free?

How will the recession affect them?

Such a business doesn’t think of retrenching its employees; it is busy making more money than ever as it is actually in the best position to offer its services at a lesser cost as it does need to bother about loan payments to banks and investors. And the individual? He doesn’t need to worry about the house loan repayments. Even if he is retrenched, his savings will see him through till he gets a new job, which he will very quickly, especially if his philosophy is to strive to be worth more. It constantly goads him to improve his skills.

Why can’t we be ants? Why can’t we strive to be worth more to earn more? Why can’t we earn first and then rightfully enjoy? It is possible both for organizations as well as individuals to live like ants and avoid the fate of grasshoppers. To the ants of the world, I salute you. To the grasshoppers, it is never too late to become an ant!

RK PRASAD
CEO

In this particular article I will share some of my experience in which I really struggled to become successful.

I have started my career as a programmer (Flash Action Scripting). With-in no time I learned many languages and software like PHP, ASP JavaScript, SCORM, AICC and lot many things after Joining CommLab India.

What ever challenges came to me in programming, I got through those challenges successfully. If I remember properly, approximately 97% of times I successfully faced the challenges and 3% were failure. From those 3% of failure, I use to learn and apply that experience in next challenges. For a period of 2 years, I was driving my career with an unlimited speed facing every challenge of my life happily.

One day every thing started changing. From an unlimited speed, I was dropped to zero. The reason was – CommLab India decided to start a new department called “Technology” which will play a supporting role to make the things better in courseware and I was going to head the department.

After this decision it took me a very long time to pick up my pace again. When I was a programmer, I was in the front line to face the challenges but now my team will be in front line to face the challenges and I was standing behind them.

Before forming the team, I was working alone and for any challenges I use to do planning by myself REGULARLY. When the team came, I use to plan for them once (when the project start) and forget it. Every time I was facing failure rather than success. I was not able to understand what the problem is going on.

Then I came across a method called RPM (Result Oriented Purpose Driven Massive Action Plan) by Anthony Robin. I went through the training material to learn RPM. Slowly I started implementing RPM method in my projects and found that it really works. The rate of failures in the projects started decreasing. Not only I am practicing the RPM method in my personal and profession life but also teaching this method to others in my surrounding to that I learn this method properly.

When we start any assignment – a project for a client or buying something for you – we put some milestones and we think that we have done enough of planning for that assignment. But if you really want to understand the meaning of the word “Planning” then it’s just not putting up the milestone but breaking each milestone into such small pieces that you can see each part of the project crystal clear. For example, you have to send a mail to your client regarding an update on the project. If you think that write a mail is not a part of planning then you are wrong. Every thing which you are going to perform in the project is a part of planning.

When you are putting milestones for a project, it’s just a “Plan”. When you start breaking the milestone into small pieces then it becomes “Planning” and you have to keep on evaluating you’re planning at regular milestones to see that your planning is going according to your plan.

It was a dream of CommLab India to have there own university from a long time and finally we had our University (http://www.commlabuniversity.com) because we planned it properly. Now I am heading Technology department in which I have a team of 4 members who take care of CommLab University, trouble shoot any technical problems and also support courseware in make there works simple.

It took me a very long time to understand the different between “Plan” and “Planning”. I am happy that I understood the difference and now I am able to apply it. I am thankful to CommLab for providing me the opportunity to get trained on RPM method.

Still I have to go a long way learning from my failures and moving towards a successful future.

Syed Amjad Ali
Sr. Manager-Technology