Entropy: The Manager's Enemy

Entropy is a dangerous reality of life. Any system unattended for sometime (for maintenance or improvement) will inevitably but steadily deteriorate.

Often times, it is said - well begun is half done. But most of the poeple do begin well. It is only a little later that people cannot cope with the pace or quantity or difficulty. Energy and Focus are required for two purposes - one to keep entropy away and two to improve things. Many times, the energy and focus given are not enough even to keep entropy away.

I had seen this happening during later stages of my course at ISB. Believe me, I had begun well. I was as organized as the word organized. But, the quantum and the rigor of the work made it harder and harder to keep abreast. Managing it and improving it was possible only after expanding time (by waking more hours), by moving away from my desk and routine to take a macro view of what i was doing (so that i could develop a perspective of the task at hand), and by sticking religiously to the purpose I had set.

Being purpose driven and developing a perspective about the task can go a long way in keeping entropy away.