The Next Generation

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MANAGERS :

There is a fantastic Indian song which goes like this:

“Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon, Pal do pal meri kahani hai, Pal do pal meri hasti hai,
Pal do pal meri jawani hai…..(now I delibrately leave some verses and come to the management part)….

Kal aur ayenge nagmo ki khilti kaliyan chunne wale, Mujhse behter kehne wale , tumse behter sunne wale, Kal koi mujghko yaad kare, kyon koi mujhko yaad kare, masroof zamana mere liye, Kyon waqt apna barbaad kare ?”

I have never been so moved by such profound words regarding a Management Succession Plan.

Translation in English (in management terms) :

“ I am here for a minute or two, My story will last for a minute or two,
My existance is for a minute or two, My youth will last for a minute or two.
Tomorrow there will be others to pick the flowering buds of songs,
Those who say better than me and hear (understand) better than you,
Why should anyone remember me tomorrow ?
Why should the world waste it’s time for me ?”

The fact is that Owners / top Managers of a business think that they will last for ever. This is the reason that most companies do not last long and die with their originators.

If the owners who started the busniess have the wisdom of creating a professional management structure , duly EMPOWERED , to continue the business during their lifetime, chances are that it will last after they are gone, and will benefit numerous families (INCLUDING THEIR OWN) over numerous years.

The fact is that the world changes by the minute if not seconds.

The fact is that if you don’t adapt and accept change, you are a GONER!

The fact is that if you don’t have people to take charge, your creation will go to dust.

Now come the Million Dollar questions:

a. When is the right time to plan for the next generation of managers ? Answer : When you are born, the only certainity is that you will die. So plan immediately, for death as well as succession.

b. Whom to trust ? Answer : Trust those whom you hired. If you don’t trust those you yourself hired, well then you have been stupid, no fault of their’s. If in doubt, eliminate your doubt or eliminate (from your plans) those whom you doubt.

c. How much to trust: Answer: As much as you would like them to trust you.

d How do I ensure that the EMPOWERED don’t OVERPOWER me ? Answer : VALUES AND EVALUATION. If you have cultivated and treasured values like sincererity, transparency, honesty and loyality (to the common purpose), you are half way through. In addition, by transparent evaluation, you will find which of the empowered are actually worth empowering and which are having power without the base for it. In other words, you can separate the stallions from the asses.

No short cuts here. Create an organization and make it last through professionals. Trust these guys, empower them enough to take things forward when you can’t.

Remember what Buddha said , NOTHING LASTS FOR EVER. (Neither will anyone).