Managing Work and People Without Harshness and a Domineering Attitude

0:00 There is an apocryphal story involving the mother, a sodic, and a Bullock. The sodic complained that the Bullock was being obstinate and not cooperating. The mother asked the sodic to bring the Bullock so she could observe it. After doing so, she indicated there was nothing wrong with the Bullock. She advised the sodic that the bullock's obstinacy was related to something inward the sodic needed to address, and she counselled patience, understanding, and goodwill. The Sadiq and the Bullock both benefited. The vital ego, when it is put in charge of a project or supervising or managing the activities of people, frequently tries to assert itself and exercise a form of power over others, which can lead to some rough handling of others.

0:54 Particularly when this ego aligns with the mental nature that believes it knows better than others what to do and how to do it, there can arise a certain narrowness and intensity that creates a difficult working environment. This can take on a certain harshness and oppressiveness, which in the long run is not helpful. It is best to find ways to encourage, to support and guide in a positive manner, and only to exercise anything more intense than that when absolutely needed to preserve the integrity of the project. This does not mean, however, that individual variances and method are processed by individuals need to be discouraged.

1:40 On the contrary, as long as the work is done, and done in a reasonable fashion, these individual activities provide those doing the work a means of gaining their own knowledge and learning, growing and developing their own insights and power of action. In many cases, one finds that the people actually doing the work, with this amount of flexibility and freedom of action, may find ways to enhance and improve upon the work. And certainly the working environment is more conducive to harmony and collaboration than in a tightly controlled and discipline centered management process. Srioro Bindo writes quote to take advantage of what is good in others, keeping one's eye always on that, and to deal tactfully with their mistakes, faults and defects is the best way.

2:39 It does not exclude firmness and maintenance of discipline, even severity, when severity is due. But the latter should be rare and the other should not feel it as if it were a permanent attitude. End Quote Reference Sri Oruvindu and the Mother, Looking from within, Chapter 2. Looking at Oneself and Others, page 47.