Management – Re-Defined - A Step Forward Towards Modern Management Philosophy

Abstract

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind. ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna- Bhagavad Gita Management is a process of aligning people and getting them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in search of excellence. The critical question in all managers' minds is how to be effective in their job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad Gita, which repeatedly proclaims that "you must try to manage yourself." The reason is that unless a manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he or she will be merely a face in the crowd. The classical Indian epics written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on all managerial techniques leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state of affairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity, absence of motivation and so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today and probably in enterprises in many other countries. The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership, motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, giving work meaning, decision making and planning, are all discussed in the Bhagavad Gita. While Western management thought too often deals with problems at material, external and peripheral levels, the Indian thought tackles the issues from the grass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking of man is improved, it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results.Management is, therefore, all about man and about his development, not merely his body, mind or intellect but his heart. It is when heart responds to heart that a static organization becomes transformed into dynamic one