Peter Drucker is the guru of management. As someone earning her Master’s Degree in Public Administration I’ve been exposed to his stuff over and over. He’s been revered as the transformer of management technique since the whole subject was recognized back in the late 1800’s. He wrote a book called “The Practice of Management.” It’s a must read for those pursuing management degrees.
I’m reading a couple of his books as I wait for the fall semester to restart my official studies. I’ve hit the wall, but I’ve made contact with my university and I think there is hope still for me to complete my MPA. I’m still learning from my own reading, and it all helps with my new position as staff with a Chinese/American NGO.
Management as a study isn’t that old.
Whether it is business management or public administration, the past 150 years is when this became a “thing.”
Before that there were merchant guilds, lords, nobles, kings and empires. The “science” of managing was an exclusive affair.
Now people like me can study how to control all sorts of things. Managing is really a form of controlling.
Attempting to control variables and make something new for good or profit is the crux of the science.
One thing that I have learned from my own studies and managing a classroom of students at the public school where I teach is that you choose the things you can best manage, control, and leave the rest alone.
God is in control. He is my back-up. A Christian has this advantage. If everything hits the fan I can run to Him.
I know I can’t handle most things, so these days I don’t manage much but my time. I “control” my time. It’s freeing.
When you stand back and think about it you realize that you attempt to control/manage all sorts of things in your life.
Choosing where you put your management effort is vital to living a more peaceful life. If you’ve been given management responsibilities prepare yourself for major trouble. Managing things is difficult.
It’s not a piece of cake.
You simply cannot control all the variables.
At most, it is a hope that things will work according to a strategic plan. Controlled outcome is a myth.
God is in control. We are not.
Thank You, Lord!