Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country.

Sri Lankan way of thinking is largely influenced by the

teachings of Lord Buddha. Most of these teachings can be found in the Singalovada Sutra. To be
a good manager we should have to follow what Lord Buddha has taught.

Assignment of the most respective works to the most efficient employees and make sure job
requirements match the employees’ skills and talents.
Keep them challenged by assigning special projects, training, or job rotation.
Give free food employees and pay them well and care for them and they will pay you back with
good work and loyalty.
Support them in sickness and provide healthcare for all your employees.
Share the bounty. Profit-sharing and other equitable means of sharing the wealth will let your
people know you appreciate their efforts.

Buddha has not preached anything against making a profit. Just make sure you are making a
profit while keeping the basic principles of honesty, integrity, social responsibility, and right
livelihood. Some of the management practices based on Buddhist way of lay life are listed below
for your reflection and action

Start small and tend to your business as you would a fire. Let it grow steadily as you feed it.
When writing a mission statement, consider your duty to make your small part of the world a
better place.

-Buddhists should disapprove of adversarial business language. We should use

words that emphasize collaboration and cooperation. Be conscious of the
words you use. “Business is war” and “Crush the competition” are not very
enlightened statements. Companies are very fond of using war as a teambuilding
theme. An enlightened workplace avoids the use of language that
connotes doing harm to other living things.

An enterprise that builds partnerships with other businesses, treats employees well, sees itself as
a responsible member of the community, and shares its resources will be an organization built to
last.

Your organizational structure should facilitate learning at all levels. Workspaces should be
designed for teamwork and learning, procedures and policies written accordingly.
Never give money to those who would misuse it. Give it first to the shareholders and employees
who helped you make the profit. People influenced by Buddhist way of life should use so called
financial capital & human capital in the following manner

Never abandon what can still be useful. Repair it. Invest in quality well-made furniture, floors
and fixtures.
-Select and hire carefully. People must be cultivated for long-term, and not
dumped at the first sign of tough times.
-Be moderate in consuming resources. Recycle paper. Fly coach instead of first
class. Share office spaces and dining spaces.

Real success depends on the virtue and character of leaders. No amount of charm will make up
for the lack of confidence people have in you.
One should think long term. All endeavors yield fruits in their own time.
-Do not become attached to work processes. Let it all go. Everything changes.
-Stay current and overhaul processes regularly.

Respect technology as a tool. It can be used for good or bad.

-“The Web site you seek cannot be located, but endless others exist.” This anonymous saying
reflects the way the Internet is forever changing, how
cyberspace is infinite and endless. Just remember that worldly pleasures, will
not last for ever. Everything is in a state of flux
-Take the case of telecommuting. A good employee will do his work wherever he is. Many
employees simply try to look busy at the office. People who work from home may tend to be
even more productive.
Do not cling to the latest guru or consultant. Think for yourself. (Situational
Leadership and contingency theory of management)
Bad communication is gossip, idle chatter, and bad-mouthing. Good communication is clear,
effective, direct and honest.
Do not analyze things too much. Decide on a course of action and take it.
Meetings tend to be unproductive when the group debates and analyzes for so long that the
window of opportunity for timely action closes.

-When hiring remember that appearances can be deceiving. People are hired
for their technical skills and get fired for poor interpersonal skills.
Job security is a thing of the past. One cannot cling to a job or a career. Things
change. That is the only constant. .We are responsible for our own
development as employees. We should not look to someone else to hone our
skills and develop our raw talent for us. Take the initiative and learn what you
need to for yourself.
Never put profit before people.

-Your organization should embrace diversity. We must not insist on a one-sizefits

all package.

Diversity is based on the fundamental idea humans are all the same. We all want fair pay for a
fair day’s work. We all want respect. We all want to do meaningful work. We want kindness
from others.
-Buddhists are not sexist. Lord Buddha was 2,600 years ahead of his time by allowing women to
become nuns and by declaring that everyone could go on the path to enlightenment. Do not sell
yourself or anyone else short on account of gender. Buddhist would teach his employees about
sexual harassment laws both the spirit of the law and the letter. He would say these laws are
based on basic respect for all individuals and the right for people to feel safe at work. He would
stop any harassment if he saw it going on. Any harassment affects all workers.

If Buddha had spent his life playing it safe, he would never have become the
Buddha. Playing it safe never leads to greatness.