'ASK' IS THE MAGIC WORD !

"My LIC days"

I moved about in the life insurance corporation of India meeting different dignitaries, talking to them and publishing what they told me. That was an interesting experience.

A sizeable section of the managers had faith only in themselves. Some of them did not contribute what the organization expected of them. But others really delivered goods.

There was another group of managers. They will do their work. At the same time, they will let others work.

Result was that sometimes the impossible is made possible. This way, these managers produced results extra-ordinary.

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When the chief general manager of housing finance asked me to take up an innovative project, I could not believe my eyes and ears. Such an important assignment I had never received in my life.

The assignment was to visit different housing finance companies in the region, study their work and submit a report to them.

I was in a jubilant mood. Immediately I started collecting materials relevant to this project. Sought official permission from the local division head.

Even before getting formal permission from the organization, I was collecting information on the subject. For this, I talked to the employees of these organizations approaching them purely in my personal capacity.

The work got its way. There was good progress. Materials could be collected. Discussion was conducted. But everything seemed to getting ahead on a personal plane only.

Official permission however was not received. Regional manager of south zone knew the matter. He had promised to do something in the matter.

But beyond promises, official permission was not forthcoming at all.

In the meantime personal efforts in the matter of project work was making tremendous progress. Report got ready. And the rushes could be sent to the housing finance organization. When the official permission is received, the report could be submitted to the chief general manager. Beyond rushes, nothing could be rushed through.

But the report had reached the housing finance organization unofficially.

'Ask is the magic word', simply because a manager asked me to take up the project, it was taken up and done.

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Years passed by. One day I came across a letter in office files. That was a reply to a letter written by the regional manager. The local divisional head had written to him that my services could not be spared. A higher grade assistant was so important in the organization when at least a hundred of such assistants worked in the branch centres under the division.

For the first time, I came across an 'actuary' who didn't work. And at the same time didn't let others to work also.

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Then I remembered a talk I had with him on a previous occasion.

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I said, "sir, let us ask branch number three to issue policies for all business completed up to March."

Division head: "How can we say so?"

I repeated my plea. He was not convinced. But even then, he reluctantly instructed the higher grade assistant of branch number three through the new business manager to issue policies for business completed up to March. And policies for all business completed were issued. 'Ask is the magic word. Again, 'ask' is proved to be a magic word.

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Lesson: 'Ask is the magic word', so goes a management theory. Two managers proved this theory – one, on his own and the other, at the behest of others.

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