In layman terms, Management means taking control of any activity and ensuring that it gets completed successfully. Managing is a never-ending cycle; it starts right from the time one wakes up in the morning to the time one sets the alarm for the next day and goes to sleep.
One of the common misconceptions surrounding the word "Management" is that people tend to relate it to one's career or qualification only. The term “Management” is glorified these days, and people tend to associate it with going to a good school and earning a formal degree from a reputable university and then getting into a good organisation (preferably an MNC), where you can experience self-development and career growth. Management is explicitly present and important in all these areas, but what we often tend to ignore is the fact that management is applicable to even day-to-day tasks and that too in all walks of life. It encompasses all aspects of our life. The reason why we overlook this reality is that we have got so used to doing these tasks, that we ignore the management aspect associated with them. Everything, even as mundane as daily exercise or catching up with friends or relatives over the weekend, needs proper management. One has to effectively manage their time so as to maximise the output.
Take a closer look, and you will realise that everyday life brings us many experiences that may not be "life-changing" but would hold important management and leadership lessons. The tasks of a homemaker are often looked down upon, but if we take a closer look then we can understand that being a homemaker involves tremendous management skills. Managing an entire family, taking care of each individual's specific needs, resolving petty fights among children and also keeping the bonds intact, is one of the most challenging examples of management. A homemaker needs to plan for the entire family, work round the clock, ensure that meals are prepared well on time, etc. All this may seem to be quite easy, but in reality, it is a very challenging and complex job. A homemaker doesn't just look after her own schedule but also tries her level best to make life easier for the rest of the family members.
A homemaker is the one who manages the entire functioning of a house, just like a manager looks after the functions of his/her team. A homemaker needs to plan ahead for the entire family, foresee any problems that may arise, multi-task to make the best use of their time and be ready with solutions for any last minute hiccups. If things are not going as per schedule or if any sort of conflict arises in an organisational setup, the employees will immediately report it to the manager. Now it is the duty of the manager to take appropriate actions because he is responsible for the smooth functioning of an organisation; likewise, is the responsibility of a housewife. Not only does she have to take care of her family's needs, but also has to support them emotionally and morally. She is the force behind making a house feel like home, and that is ten times the task of being a manager at work.
Take the simple example of the times when she takes into view everyone’s likes and dislikes and prepares the food accordingly - this is called
Stakeholder Analysis in the corporate world, wherein you analyse what your customer wants and try to make your product appeal to them.
Another example would be a simple visit to the supermarket - a homemaker would look across the breadth of the products to choose one that fits their budget but does no concessions on health - a clear case of
Market Analysis, considered a cornerstone of management.
A homemaker knows how to leverage the knowledge among her peers to discover better opportunities. From a better school for her kids to homely recipes for a healthier life - this best exemplifies the benefits of
Strategic Networking.
All this may seem to be quite easy, but in reality, it is very challenging to not just look after your own schedule but also to make life easier for the rest of the family members. All-in-all, we can see that a Homemaker is the epitome of a good leader and an efficient manager.
- Aiswarya Sreenivasan