Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

In Oct 20222 my friend and I received admission from IIMA and ISB for an MBA Program. We
wanted to pursue MBA from Indian B School. Despite consulting the same people, we took
admitted to a different B-School. This event got me thinking about why he selected ISB over
IIMA and why I selected IIMA over ISB. After a couple of classes at IIMA, I understood that
my and his perception of IIMA and ISB are different. Hence, we end up selecting a different
B-school.
I would like to give a brief about myself so that the evaluator can link my thoughts, emotions,
actions, and decision for all topics. I came from a family of government employees. I have
grown up in a conservative family. From the induction sessions, I learned about my nature –
Introvert but extrovert (on some occasions), objective, interested in ideas with little liking for
parties, sharply defined interests, and excellent team player.
“Viewing multiple realities” helped me understand the following questions –
1. In some situations, why is my decision driven by emotions or objectivity?
2. Why do I make judgments about any person, object, or location based on my past or
someone’s experience?
3. Can I really understand the reason behind the behavior or action of a person in any
context?
In this world of subjectivity, perception plays a very important role in the personal and
professional sphere of the person. My mother is a homemaker. She still takes care of
everything within the four walls. Seeing the clear-cut division of work between father and
mother, I have developed the perception that women’s primary responsibilities are taking
care of family and home. Throughout college, I held the belief that women should focus on
family than their careers. I used to have a lot of debates with my classmates over this topic.
My point of view was that staying at home and taking care of family is part of the culture. If
we don’t abide by the norm, we are disrespecting the ethos of our culture. Though I am a
supporter of girls’ education, some thoughts of a patriarchal society stayed with me even
after studying in a premier college.
When I started working, I was part of a team where the team lead was a woman. She is
smart, analytical, and a great manager. Initially, I used to have doubt in my mind that she
doesn’t care much about family and home. As I get to know her more with time, I found out
that she is not only a splendid manager but also a great mother and wife. In icebreaker
sessions, she used to narrate the challenges she faced as a working woman. She used to give
credit to her husband and in-laws for her successful professional career. Her husband help in
all household activities from washing dishes to getting groceries from the market (the time
when blinkit and Swiggy were not there). Her in-laws used to take of kids and understood
her situation being a working woman. She found a great support system in her in-laws. This
real-life example changed my perception of gender roles.
Similarly, I may still carry some stereotypes and biases from childhood. Class on perception
has ignited my curiosity to look deeper inside myself and evaluate views and mindsets in
alignment with modern principles. Now and then, I look within and try to find the source of
my thoughts regarding any place, object, event, or person.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Interpersonal Sensitivity
On my first day at vConstuct, I stepped into the meeting room. The room is adorned with a
wooden table, media gadgets, and comfortable chairs. But what caught my attention was
the big Instruction board. A few of the instructions written on the board are as follows –
1. Listen to the speaker attentively.
2. Don’t interrupt when someone is speaking.
3. Argue in a soft tone.
4. Criticize and disagree with an idea or thought inside the room openly.
This instruction board shows what kind of culture the company promotes. Now, I understood
that instructions on the board are meant to encourage interpersonal among colleagues.
Interpersonal sensitivity can be defined as the skill to assess another individual’s abilities,
traits, and state of mind from non-verbal cues. In day-to-day conversation, we label our
managers or superiors as “horrible bosses” or “toxic managers”. There can be multiple
reasons for such actions – micromanagement by a manager, poor communication, or yelling
at co-workers.
In June 2018, I was handling the Singapore project along with client success. Every fortnight
an internal meeting was scheduled to discuss the progress made by each regional
coordinator. But I was not included in the call. I raised the concern with the organizer, but he
didn’t the took the necessary steps. He felt that it was not necessary to involve me in this
discussion because the project had started. I was delivering the required services on time
and the client was also happy with the quality of work. I got the hint from another manager
that Singapore wasn’t the priority for the organization. Hence, management didn’t include
me in the critical meeting meant for upskilling the regional coordinator. Such action hit my
motivation and morale. I was no longer enjoying the work and felt that I was not valued by
the company. Consequently, my performance dipped. The company never tried to enquire
what was the cause of poor performance. In the career development discussion, I tried to
bring up the issue but the conversation was diverted to another topic. They trusted and
delegated the work to me but never showed interest in the project.
Not clear about the future growth in vConstruct, I started to explore the other options.
When I put in the resignation email, it took 3 weeks for the manager to schedule a
discussion with me. He asked me two questions to which I had the answer but didn’t express
– What made you leave the organization? What can we do to stop you from going? I wished
that he started asking these questions when he observed the changes. I felt that the ethos of
the organization lost somewhere among deadlines, business priorities.
I also admit the fact that I should have pushed more for the dialogue earlier. I could have
taken some proactive steps to deal with the situation – should have sent the email to the
manager, should have let the manager know the critical project issues instead of solving
them by myself.
Going forward, I will communicate if there is a feeling of insecurity, under-valued, conflict,
and lack of empathy.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Leadership and Delegation

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you
are a leader.” – President John Quincy Adams

The term “leadership” has different meanings for different persons. Style of leadership
differs from person to person just like we observed between Coach Knight and Coach K.
After going through the session, I could relate two of my managers to Coach K and Coach
Knight.

Navneet Singh– Navneet was heading the interior design department. In her team, I was
responsible to get the model ready from designers and draughtsmen. Though she was an
expert in the field she lacked trust among the team members. Whenever we used to give a
time estimate for work, she used to sit with us and truncate the time to deliver as soon as
possible. Due to commitment, there was immense pressure on the team members to
complete the project. Working after office hours had become a new normal for us. Instead
of appreciating the hard work and asking well-being of the team, she was worried about
deadlines and commitments.

She used to delegate project planning and strategy to only one person in the group.
Eventually giving that person the pseudo-authority of the department. This situation has
created a lot of dissent among colleagues. Eventually, members started leaving the
organization.

Abhishek Sinha - I joined Bentley with other colleagues. We were new to Bentley’s product.
First few weeks Abhishek spent a few hours daily training and explaining the role of a
technical consultant to us. He was the program manager of the project. He used to lead the
meeting with stakeholders initially. As he started seeing that we grasped the intricacies of
the project, he let us drive the meeting. It gave us a lot of motivation and push us to learn
and do better.

He used to motivate us to take courses from LinkedIn learning related to Product

management and data analytics which is a required skill for promotions and growth. To me,
he is not a manager but a mentor and guide. But sometimes team members take Abhishek
for granted. This behavior results in the project milestone delays

The stark difference between them was their leadership style. Navneet was more of an
autocratic leader whereas Abhishek was a transformational and delegation leader. Navneet
believed in calling shots without considering the team members’ views. Such a leadership
style leaves little room for initiative, cooperation, and innovation. Polar opposite leadership
style of Abhishek fosters cooperation, innovation, and confidence in the team.

I believe that in the organization we need authoritarian, participative, and delegation styles
of leadership. According to the situation, we need to emphasize the goal of business – to
make a profit by providing the best customer service along with motivating and empowering
the employees.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Emotional Intelligence
A person draped in a single dhoti forced the British Empire to give independence. That
person is none other than Mahatma Gandhi. I used to wonder how he was able to galvanize
people from different regions and cultures for a single cause. The answer lies in his
leadership style which embraced the principle of emotional intelligence.
I would like to narrate a story of my friend where I displayed emotional intelligence at a very
young age. I am very good at science and mathematics. One of my classmates was poor in
his studies. He used to struggle with science and mathematics topics. Every and now then he
was bullied by other classmates for failing in the subject. Even the teacher left no scope in
humiliating and scolding him. He used to attend coaching classes but still was unable to keep
pace with his studies. On a personal level, he was going through deep pain because his
mother was diagnosed with cancer. As pre-board started approaching, I could sense the
sorrow and despair in his eyes. One day I walked to him and told him to sit with me.
Reluctantly he agreed. He started attending all classes with me. I used to explain the concept
and problems during break time. I asked him to join me to study after school. We started
studying together. Slowly, I understood his grey and told him to work on it. I used to make
sure that he is in touch with his studies while dealing with his mother’s illness. My actions
stilled confidence in him. Eventually, he did well in his exam.
When I recollected these events after the class, I was surprised to know that I showed high
EQ at a very young age. I hear my inner voice reach out to him (quality of self-awareness). I
emphasized with him and gained his trust. Here I apply my social awareness aspect.
Somehow, I end up motivating him during his troubled times. People have the emotional
intelligence to varying degrees. Some are good at it from the beginning and some need
training to develop it.
The importance of emotions has increased in recent years very much. People are exposed to
more information, and more stimuli, have more debt, and a broad spectrum of stress.
Sometimes this stress spill over into the work environment. Any decision taken without
considering the consequences of the decision on stakeholders is likely to yield a bad
outcome. In private organizations, consequences can be seen the form of plummeting sales
revenue, lack of cooperation among colleagues, low morale and productivity of employees,
high attrition rate, etc. In the public sphere, IAS and IPS have huge political and public
pressure to deliver public services. Any lackadaisical decision can affect thousands of people
in the country. For example – A officer who indulges in corrupt practices often has a low
emotional quotient. They don’t care about the public welfare. Hence, in an interview for
higher government positions, the system ensures that they are hiring people with a high
emotional quotient. Emotional intelligence is a powerful force that has the potential to
shape a society characterized by harmony, empathy, and social cohesion.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Issues in managing influence

How many times have we made a mistake but never revealed that mistake to our parents
when we were kids? To be honest, I have done it multiple times. Even at the age of 32,
sometimes I hid my mistakes from my parents. I am pondering why I hid facts from my
parents at this stage. The answer lies in the events that happened in childhood. I vividly
remember that whenever I commit a mistake, my father used to scold and sometimes slap
me. I still carry that fear today. Fear of getting scolded or slapped is the roadblock to
transparent communication.
In the professional setting, we come across such instances where our viewpoints are not
respected, unable to speak up about the lacunae in the boss’s idea, unable to express
dissatisfaction with the quality of work of subordinates, etc. People chose to remain silent
due to fear of loss of status, alienation, and expulsion. For example, a soldier remained silent
even though he heard some noise from the woods because of the strict instruction of the
commander. In this case, his troop may get attacked if actions are not taken soon. Hence, it
is beneficial for an individual to speak up his/her opinion in meetings or privately to come to
a solution. Organizations should promote a culture of open communication and encourage
employees at all levels to voice their opinions. Creating channels for feedback and
suggestions can help mitigate the power differentials and ensure that influence is distributed
more evenly.
Due to conflicting interests and power struggles within the organization, individuals may
engage in internal politics to advance their agendas. These internal politics can lead to a
toxic work environment, decreased productivity, and a loss of focus on organizational
objectives. Here organization should foster a culture that values cooperation over
competition.
In offices or families, we disagree or differ from an individual or group on many topics. In
order to reduce the negative impact of conflict or disagreement on the organisation we can
take the following approach –
1. First step is to acknowledge the issue/problem. Actively listen to help the other
person feel heard.
2. Investigate all sides of the problem. Take time to gather all relevant information from
all stakeholders.
3. Set some guidelines before discussing the conflict. Participants should agree to speak
calmly, listen and try to understand the other person’s point of view.
4. We need to keep negative emotions out of the discussion. The sudden outbursts may
the discussion.
5. Let others know what you have decided and also let them know that you care and
are moving forward.
By following the above approaches, we can maintain healthy relations among colleagues
despite some disagreements. If mission control had followed the above steps, the skylab 3
project would be motivated to finish the mission from the bottom of the heart.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Motivation and Performance

When I asked my friends, who switched the job recently, the reason for leaving the
organization. He gave me a plethora of reasons such as organizational culture, management
style, goals and values, job demands and support, incentives, and rewards, and much more.
After probing him further, he revealed that he lost the motivation to work for the
organization. Lack of motivation reflected in his quality of work and reduced productivity. He
resigned from the organization despite getting a good salary.
Motivation and performance are interlinked. Motivated employees are more focused,
persistent, and willing to exert effort to perform well. These individuals set higher goals,
take initiative, and show increased job satisfaction. These behaviour benefit organizations
and individuals.
Higher management of the company understands the importance of motivation in work
culture. They create a positive work environment that fosters motivation by providing clear
goals, autonomy to try ideas, and opportunities for growth and development. For such
organizations people are pivotal. They invest in the skills and training of the employees. All
big MNCs such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc. reward their employees for high
performance which is result in higher motivation.
Regular feedback and recognition are vital to sustaining motivation. Constructive feedback
through 360 review or career development discussions helps individuals understand their
strengths, and areas for improvement and align their efforts accordingly.
But there are downsides to high motivation. High motivations sometimes lead to
overconfidence. Motivated Individuals take on more tasks than they can address in a given
time. This led to the negligence of work-life balance, personal relationships, skill
diversification, and health. Post graduation I was high on motivation. I used to spend 13-14
hours at work every day. I stopped working late hours eventually when fell ill seriously.
Intense motivation focused on a specific outcome can lead to tunnel vision. It can limit
creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Sometimes the effect of intense motivation can be seen on the team as well. Highly
motivated managers may set unrealistic expectations for the team. These expectations put
the team under immense pressure. It can also lead to the strained interpersonal relationship
within the team. Hence team leaders should consider the team’s perspective before setting
aggressive commitments to higher management.
Excessive motivation can lead to a diminished sense of enjoyment in tasks or activities.
When individuals are solely driven by external rewards or outcomes, they may lose sight of
the intrinsic value and joy of the work itself.
Hence, Individual and organizations need to assess their performance in light of the overall
balance of life, teamwork, team performance, professional development, and collaboration
with other colleagues or team.

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 Organisational Behaviour | Suraj Shinde

Groups and Individual

A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have
come together to achieve objectives. Groups can be formal (account, design department,
etc.) and informal groups (friendship and interest groups). Throughout our lives, we engage
in various social interactions, both as individuals and as part of a group. Whether it's in our
personal relationships, workplaces, or communities, understanding the dynamics of
individuals and groups is essential for understanding the complexities of human interaction.
When I moved from vConstruct (a US-based MNC) to Total Environment Pvt Ltd (real estate
company), it was a big transition from the US workplace culture to the Indian workplace
culture. In vconstruct, invitees used to actively participate in the meeting whereas, in the
new organization, it was mostly driven by 2 or 3 folks. I felt that most of the attendees
choose to remain passive in the meeting. When I enquired further, I came across the fact
that only the views of a few people were given consideration. This action led to the
formation of factions, lack of communication, poor productivity, and bystander apathy.
Once I was part of a project status review plan with the project head, planning manager,
procurement, and execution team. The planning manager pointed out that the construction
of 2-3 villas is delayed by a month. The project head lashed out at the execution team
without understanding the cause of the issue. The execution team try to explain the cause of
the delay, but he was hell-bent on scolding the team. The planning manager gave some
suggestions to fast-track the execution. He hardly paid attention and seek explanations from
the team. He gave them an aggressive deadline to complete to which they reluctantly
agreed. In this situation felt that the participants could have come to a solution that was
practical and achievable.
In both situations, communication was the key to tackling passive behavior and
disagreement. Colleagues need to listen and understand the reasoning behind the view. If
the reasoning is not clearly communicated by anyone, we need to ask follow-up questions to
build on their ideas. Sometimes, we interrupt another person with our idea. Here we need
to allow others complete and then offer our suggestions. Such behaviors allow everyone to
participate in the discussion. Managers play a vital role in identifying and understanding the
feelings of group members. He should encourage new members to share their thoughts.
Social awareness is the key to a participative environment.
Here we can clearly see that groups influence individual behavior and individual can
influence group dynamics. Understanding group and individual behavior help in predicting
and explaining human actions, facilitating effective communication and collaboration,
managing conflicts, and creating supportive and productive environments.
As said by Ratan Tata –

“You want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.”

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