BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

P. D. Agarwal B. E., AMIMA, MSEG, FIE (India)

Introduction

Expectations from a manager

Concept of human relations

Motivating forces

Better human relationship practices

Manager's Conduct

Psycho-techniques in management

Sixth Sense

Summary

Expectations from a manager A potential manager, as an enlightened human being, requires inherent or acquired qualities of leadership. He is required to command the loyalty and respect of his men. One of the prerequisites for this acquisition is the capacity to appreciate details, to assign responsibility, and to delegate matching powers to the subordinates so that they can discharge the assigned responsibility in a satisfactory manner. He is expected to wisely fix the relative priorities of the issues in hand. He or she is called for an ability to contemplate more than one issue at a time. The vocation should not be considered as just a means of livelihood but instead should be venerated as a way of living. Where these talents are wanting they should be inculcated by honest practice or by studying authentic literature on the subject.

Concept of human relations It is natural to assume that human relations mean being nice to people. But human relations go much deeper than spasms of good will. Human relations can be described as to understand and to appreciate people on a human-plane, not as boss or subordinates. Proper human relations incorporate‘ working with mental and social forces in an individual or a group of people so that hostile feelings are kept under control and anxiety is kept at a minimum level. When a person is praised or criticized his or her nerve fibers are sensitized or, in other words, the emotional system is activated. Of course social and psychological forces modify these feelings. For example, if a person is criticized in the presence of his colleagues or acquaintances it might be taken as an offense. On the other hand if criticism is done in the privacy of a room the reaction shall be different, most probably docile. If a person is emotionally worked up then his emotional reception shall be bit abnormal. The manager should understand and appreciate this psychological aspect of human beings.

Communication with a person activates a long chain of psychological forces. One simple communication activates a incessant chain of impulses exciting unmitigated nerve center. This chain of these psychical forces explains why seemingly a simple act of the manager produces an unexpected reaction in the temper of his audience. The direction to which these psycho forces will leads is largely dependent upon predominating psychical forces of the moment. The manager should therefore be vigilant and should be able to smell the ambience around him and should not abandon normal caution in over enthusiasm or by agitated mind.

In a modern and democratic society, fear of losing one’s job or of major disciplinary action has little influence on employees’ behavior. The new socio-economic and political order, along with changed human values, has demolished authoritarian approach, which was founded on the premise that subordinates shall have to work because they have to work. This premise is no more valid in present times hence authoritarian approach has become ineffective to yield productivity.

Discipline is acceptance of substantive regulations in an establishment. It in itself does not necessarily lead to high morale but results from already present high morale. Thus special provisions for “preservation of discipline” or “a code of conduct” are an indication that morale is not adequate in the organization. Some corrective measures become inevitable to improve the situation. These should not necessarily be oppressive but should be corrective. Primary causes of low morale shall have to be identified to start with and then effective corrective measures shall have to be designed and implemented religiously. Many managers feel content after passing orders to their subordinates and expect good performance. But such managers discover to their great disappointment that how mistaken they were. Actually driving the workforce from the back does not yield results. It is universally accredited that a manager should lead rather than drive his subordinates to achieve peak performance or to maintain cordial atmosphere