New Delhi, Jan. 16 -- Long before B-schools began to sprout, 'management' referred to a bunch of people in charge of an establishment, not a discipline. The word made its debut in academia only after basic principles got codified.

Frederick Winslow Taylor, an early exponent, said it was about organizing work for optimal results. As a concept, it got a fillip from Peter Drucker, who expanded the scope of its role and laid special emphasis on clearly defined objectives. And as it gained ground, goal orientation began to get around as its primary lesson.

Today, targets stare at us from everywhere, be it at work or play, plans for the next hour or the rest of one's life. Success often involves crunched timelines, stiff deadlines and thin re...