House of Cards - Drama Television Series - Essay Example

House of Cards is a very elaborate and engaging channel to introduce management principles to neophytes. At random, the average person may deduce management to be the study of managing people. This entails keeping good relationships within an organization: studying people, what makes them tick, and what makes them laugh, all in the effort to make them go in the direction you want them to go. After watching one episode, one may realize that while all these elements are present, these are not all there is to management.

Management is the art of managing people. It is essential to understand the people in the organization. It is crucial to understand what makes them work and what does not. Identifying these elements enables you to delve deeper into the person, granting you the ability to utilize people to their maximum potential. Frank Underwood is seen to associate and group himself with people who share the same interests: with Zoe Barnes, a vigilant and truth-seeking journalist, and with Catherine Durant, an anti-Walker politician who has her tricks. These relationships will enable him to achieve his goal since he has aligned goals with these persons. It is crucial to note that while people have aligned goals at the moment, it may not be so eventually.

It is also essential to not only understand but to establish your relationship with the people in the organization. Doing so grants you knowledge of how you can handle them. Frank is seen to be fully aware of the situation he is in and how he must act despite being deprived of what was promised to him. He understood how people work and how the government worked, enabling him to devise a plan that would grant him the thing he desires the most without ignoring due process. Management and politics are in many ways alike. One of them is through the incessant need to please everyone and get on their side to get what they want.

In management, people need to please their boss. They need to meet their goals in the workplace while maintaining a pleasant attitude. In politics, lawmakers need the vote of the majority even during the clash and dispute of ideas. This may entail under-the-table deals and other vote-buying schemes (no matter how undignified and dirty they may seem) to pass a certain bill. While the nitty-gritty of management may seem dark and hazy, these elements are good points to discuss since they open students to the reality of the world.

All in all, I think this piece will be a very interesting channel to discover and undermine the different management principles and techniques needed to efficiently run an organization. It is important to understand from the onset that while positive reinforcement should always be at the forefront of all practices, there may be times when we can rely on the good and old-fashioned “usapan nalang.” As Frank Underwood said, “Moments like these require someone who will act, do the unpleasant thing, and the necessary thing.” Read More