Question Answers of the Magic of Team work by Sam Pitroda

The Magic of TeamWork

Dr. Sam Pitroda 

Q.1 What is the key problem affecting India's progress-lack of policies or lack of implementation or lack of teamwork?

 Ans. The key problem affecting India's progress is lack of implementation. We have great policies and ideas, but we in India severely lack teamwork.

 

Q.2 What is the joke about the Indian and Japanese workers at the Maruti Suzuki Company?

Ans. The joke about the Indian and Japanese workers at the Maruti Suzuki Company was that 1 Indian was equal to 10 Japanese: Indians were very smart, capable and dedicated individuals. But 10 Indians were equal to 1 Japanese: Indians lacked team spirit and cooperation.

 

Q.3 What is the 'crab mentality?

Ans. Crab mentality is a metaphor referring to a pot of crabs, wherein individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab each other in a useless competition. This prevents any of them from escaping. The author is using this metaphor in context of Indians where if someone is trying to climb higher and achieve more, the others just drag him down.

 Q.4 Where does the root of ‘crab mentality’ lie?

 Ans. The root of ‘the crab mentality lies in our cultural background. We have had feudal and a hierarchical social system which preaches that whoever is senior supposedly knows the best.

 Q.5 What is the demerit of a hierarchical social system?

Ans. The demerit of a hierarchical social system is that it preaches that whoever is senior supposedly knows the best. It was fine in earlier times when knowledge and wisdom were passed on orally. But it has lost its relevance in modern society as now there is no way that one person can know everything.

The author proves this by giving an example that a young computer-trained person has more answers for an accounting problem than a senior accountant has.

 Q.6 How can the right kind of teams be created?

Ans. The right kind of teams can be created by understanding the best way to leverage the diversity of experience.

Q.7 “If this were happening in India”-what does the author mean by ‘this’?

Ans. This refers to the nature of tasks given to the executives of a company. In the US, the senior members didn't mind the nature of the task given to them while in a workshop, irrespective of their position in the company. They believe in teamwork. But if this would have happened in India, then Indian members would have complained about the work allotted to them as they expect work in accordance with their hierarchy.

 Q.8 How does hierarchy come in the way of doing a task together in India?

Ans. In India, hierarchy comes naturally to our minds. Owing to this attitude, Indians fail to recognise and understand the strengths and weaknesses of individuals. Thus they either lead or follow; instead they should do both simultaneously. 

Q.9 What should the members of a team learn for effective teamwork?

Ans. For effective teamwork, the members of a team should learn how to exercise and accept leadership and should learn to lead and follow simultaneously.

Q.10 Should the members of a team exercise leadership only or accept the lead of others only in 'true teamwork"?

 Ans. In true teamwork, the members of a team should learn to both exercise and accept leadership simultaneously.

 Q.11 Who is a good team player?

Ans. A good team player is one who has respect for others, tolerance for different points of view and a willingness to give. Another important aspect of being a good team player is having the ability to resolve conflicts without egotism or without indulging in sycophancy.

Q.12 Is total agreement on a conflicting issue possible?

Ans. According to the author, total agreement on a conflicting issue is almost always impossible, though he finds that in India, people tend to focus on achieving total agreement.

Q.13 Which is important for beginning a piece of work to begin work on the agreed-upon aspects or to wait for a total agreement?

Ans. The author believes that to begin work, things should move forward with the agreed upon aspects. People should not wait for the total agreement.

Q.14 What are the qualities of a good team player?

Ans. To be a good team player, one got to be open, clear and honest.

 Q.15 What does the author mean by ‘a hidden agenda’? How does it affect teamwork?

 Ans. By ‘a hidden agenda’, the author means that people say something but mean something else. They do that to secretly achieve something. This hidden agenda kills the teamwork. 

Q.16 What does a good work ethic’ imply?

Ans. ‘A good work ethic’ refers to say and mean the same thing, which should be implied for efficient teamwork.

Q.17 How did the author handle inefficient employees in C-DOT?

Ans. When the author found somebody inefficient, he would tell the person directly to his face in a general meeting.

Q.18 How did the errant employees react to his open criticism?

Ans. When the writer criticised his employees directly and openly, the employees found it insulting. They said that instead, he should point out their inefficiency individually.

Q.19 What was the author’s intention behind open criticism?

Ans. The author observed that criticising someone openly in a meeting was for the benefit of all present as everyone could learn from that inefficient individual's mistakes. 

Q.20 What did he learn about the Indian attitude to criticism?

Ans. From the reaction of the employees, the writer learned that Indians do not differentiate between criticising an idea and criticising an individual.

Q.21 Does criticising an idea mean criticising an individual?  

Ans. No, criticising an idea does not mean criticising an individual. But in India, if a person is said that his idea is not good then he takes it personally and assumes that he has been criticised.

Q.22 Can an employee afford to criticise the boss in India? 

Ans. No, an employee cannot afford to criticise the boss in India as the concept is not a part of the Indian system.

Q.23 What are the key elements of a team’s success?

Ans. The key element of a team’s success is to know about the psychological health of a firm. The organisation should know how its employees feel. It should make sure that the employees are stable, confident, secure and comfortable. 

Q24 What affects ‘team performance’ in India?

Ans. The dichotomy and difference in respectability between physical and mental workers affects ‘team performance’ in India. 

Q.25 What was the job of the author’s driver?

Ans. The job of the author’s driver was to drive his car and he used to open the door whenever the author entered or exited the car. 

Q.26 How did he react when the author asked him not to open the door of the car for him?

Ans. The author’s driver Ram almost started crying when the author asked him not to open the door of the car for him. Ram humbly asked what was he saying and insisted that it was his job to do that for him.

Q.27 How did the author like to use the driver?

Ans. The author did not want the driver to be a mere driver. He wanted him to become a team player.

Q.28 How did the author motivate the driver to be a team player?

Ans. The author motivated Ram to be a team player by asking him to come into the office and help out with office work like making copies, filing papers, sending faxes, answering phone calls or simply read than sitting idle and waiting for the author to show up.

Q.29 How do diversifying tasks help workers? 

Ans. Diversifying tasks increases workers’ self-esteem and motivation and makes them team players.

Q.30 Why is it difficult to build teams in India?

Ans. It is difficult to build teams in India because nobody wants to play second fiddle, i.e. nobody wants to be in a subordinate position to someone. 

Q.31 How can working with diversity happen? 

Ans. One need not spend all the time and energy on cultural background. We should be experts in working with diversity and this can be attained if we get rid of personal, caste and community interests.

Q.32 Does age matter for holding positions?

Ans. Age does not matter for holding senior positions. It's the capability and expertise that counts.

Q.33 What matters much for a senior position-age or capability?

Ans. Age does not count for holding a senior position. There can be a 40 year CEO with a 55-year-old VP. Seniority has nothing to do with age. It's the capability and expertise that matters. 

Q.34 How should the seniors treat employees with lower self-esteem?

Ans. Employees with lower self-esteem need recognition and respect. So they have to be pampered and encouraged a little more. This makes them feel better and work better. 

Q.35 What are the fundamental ideals in a corporate environment? 

Ans. The fundamental ideals in a corporate environment are respect for others, openness, honesty, communication, willingness to disagree, resolution of conflict and realising that the larger goal of a team as a whole is above individual or personal agendas.