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| Sunday, 18 July 2004 |
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Building bridges important in good management by Elmo Leonard The managers of today, and the discipline of management stands at a very challenging and exciting time, the new President of the Chartered Management Institute (Sri Lanka Branch) Gamini Karunaratne said at CMI's AGM, held last week. The impact of regional conflicts and epidemics over the past decade in particular, have gravely affected business and people. The resulting economic pressures have accelerated the changes taking place in the world, the CMI president said in his inaugural address. CMI is a branch of the Chartered Management Institute, UK. Stronger professional management has never been needed more, to give the leadership and adaptability that is essential for survival in these turbulent times. CMI has given the lead in recognising professional management by creating the accolade of chartered management which will be an international hallmark of management excellence, he said. The CMI President urged every member of the Institute to strive to attain such heights. In today's business environment, the demands for change are unrelenting, with competition increasing all the time. There is a lot of pressure now, for new and improved products and services at prices that represent good value for money, Karunaratne said. The most critical of the skills required to manage change is the ability to interpret and manage people, Karunaratne continued. In today's context, managers must have three special skills; first in his view, is managing oneself. It means, planning one's work, planning meetings; planning the day's important assignments and other such responsibilities. In the CMI president's contention, the next most important management skill is managing relationships. It means managing everybody around one, including one's family. Today, there are many broken families mainly because husband and wife did not know to manage each other's relationships. The third management skill that today's young people require is managing Information and Communication technology. Today, there is nothing that anybody in management can do without a knowledge in Information and Communication Technology, Karunaratne said. In today's scenario, of high competition, it is the strongest who will survive. People who can be proactive and objective, people who know how to plan strategies are those who would lead their institutions to success. The CIM has the responsibility to endure that professionals within their membership be given every opportunity to learn to manage such special skills, Karunaratne said. Good managers will always learn to do simple things first. Many managers believe that doing things which are sometimes very complicating, sometimes which are very clearly beyond them is important. They overlook the fact that if they do simple things successfully, it will lead to the resolution of many problems. Today's young people want to get on the fast track straightaway. They should be given the encouragement and guidance to develop the essential skills needed in a shorter time than we experienced a few decades ago. Many managers are in the habit of missing out opportunities which is one of the biggest setbacks in management. Managers should strive to make the best of opportunity, rather than convert opportunity into problems, Karunaratne said. Managers should remember that their word is their bond. "We must keep building bridges and should never stop thinking of the most important tomorrow, Karunaratne |
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