Thoughts

Future-Proofing Addu City: Rethinking Governance in the Age of Disruption As we prepare for the 2020 local elections, the talk in Addu City centers around familiar promises—delivering the ruling party’s presidential manifesto, creating jobs, attracting investment, building "geydhoshu mas" factories, pushing for greater autonomy through decentralization reforms, and expanding community-based tourism. But as I listen to what’s being said, and what isn’t, I’m increasingly convinced that  we’re still trying to solve tomorrow’s problems with yesterday’s tools . While the pledges are important, the political thinking behind them still feels trapped in a past that no longer exists. We live in a deeply interconnected world. And whether we like it or not,  Addu is fully exposed to global challenges —economic shocks, health crises, cybersecurity threats, and climate change. Yet our local governance model remains fragmented, reactive, and painfully slow. A New Kind of Threat Needs a N...

The No. 1 classic mistake almost every manager makes upon first being promoted? They persist in doing their old job rather than the new one. They hang onto every little task themselves. And the end result: They eventually burn out. While this burnout is underway, the people who report to them fail to grow and eventually burn out and feel unmotivated, too. How to solve the problem? Delegate! Not only is it more efficient, it also motivates the staff and allows them to grow and reach their full potential. That, in turn, boosts the overall performance of the team. And makes the new manager look good. One of the misunderstandings managers have about delegating is that by giving away authority to others, he or she is giving up control. Quite the opposite occurs. In delegating, a manager must make certain that employees apply the same criteria or reasoning that manager would use to solve a problem and gain a solution. In that sense, the manager actually spreads his or her own co...

Even the most truly high performing work places are not pure meritocracies where everyone is perfectly rewarded based on the quality of their work. This is more true as you climb up the ladder and in to the leadership ranks. Unlike in schools, the continued success in a job depends of your achievements, general likability, friends at work and how politically savvy you are to navigate the complex bureaucratic corridors of the work place. In schools, you pass exams based on your general cognitive ability and IQ; ie: based on your merit. Political skills are often neglected and considered taboo when you first join a team. Even during recruitment, we always look for the most bright, most educated, most likable candidate and his/her past accomplishments.  Don't get me wrong here. Your ability matters the most. Along with your ability and likability, there are other variables that add or take away from the potential that affords you. I know that you wish to work in a pure meritocra...

Earlier in my career as a manager, I have made the mistake of doing too many things on my own and getting involved in every aspect of the operations. That has backfired on me and the operations in two very distinct ways: People thought I did not trust them & that had a profound impact on engagement levels among individuals and cross-functional teams. People were hesitant to come up with their own ideas on achieving a goal and looked up me to instruct them every step along the way. As I became wiser and acquired more experience & knowledge, I have come to realize that being a manager does not mean that I have to dip my hand in everything. Over the years, I have come to realize that my strength lies in identifying who is best suited to do what and empowering them to achieve our common goals. Delegating does not only get things off my plate and lighten my workload. It prepares people around me to take on the challenges faced by the business, it develops new skill ...