Cliches

Cliches are universal. An overdose can kill. Here is a light-hearted look at a few management cliches.

Think Global-Act Local

What exactly this means is anybody's guess. Are you supposed to think Shanghai and act Mumbai? Or think like an Afghan and act like a Kolkatan? Ok, if this is for a business, then think like NBC and act like Jaya TV, maybe. Or think like McDonald's and act like your idli-dosa joint. Whatever one may make of it, it does sound impressive. Maan gaye ustaad, whoever thought of this one.

Think Out of the Box

Our typical man on the street, if he hears this, will immediately start looking for THE BOX. Where is the box? Or, to take it a step further, he may get worried that he has to THINK. How can management ask us to think? It is another devious trick to torture us, and profit from a common man's sweat....etc., etc. Box or no box, thinking is anathema to most people. Why think, when we have survived for so long without it?

Leverage Your Strengths

Ever since Hindustan Lever produced a Johny Lever, the old levers went out of fashion. With financial leverage getting a bad name after Lehmann Brothers showcased its pitfalls, one has to be careful in leveraging anything. Again, a fundamental question arises, 'what are my strengths?'. If you are a corporate in the modern world, finding any unique strengths may be as tough as finding that needle in the haystack. And with the consumer increasingly detecting the 'sameness' everywhere, you may need to leverage the ad agency's creativity rather than anything else. Jai Ho!

God is in the Details

Without getting into debates on the metaphysical, and assuming that he exists, what level of detail are we talking about here? If you are executing a road building project, is it enough to know where it is being done, or does one need to know the chemical composition of the bitumen being used, and names of all family members of all the workers on the construction site? Again, explanations are not easy to get, but the statement continues to hold you in thrall. Why should God be there and not in the BIG Picture, is anybody's guess. Maybe coz an Ambani is aready there.