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Luck is the by product of Continuous Improvement

The Indian Optician, August, 2009

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
— Eleanor Roosevelt

This is a short story that dates back to the 1960s but the wisdom expressed by the principal lead is very much relevant in today’s fast-moving world.

Not even two full decades had passed since India’s exciting independence and the traumatic partition, which resulted in a state of affairs wherein positive and negative aspects occurred together, just like two sides of the same coin, as happens so often in life.

We were staying in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area. Kundan Sahib ran a small bakery shop, called Kundan Bakery, in the local market.

In 1947, the then very young Kundan Lal Sahni had migrated to Delhi with his family, leaving all material possessions behind in Lahore, where the family had seen great times and plenty of wealth. Armed with perseverance, capability and willingness to work hard, he landed in Delhi as a ‘refugee’ and set up a bakery shop – not a simple task during those trying times – but the ingenious Kundan Sahib took his work seriously and as a reward for good service and honesty, gradually, step by step, the volume of business increased and people flocked to his store to enjoy his delicious fare.

I still recall how as kids we often used to go to Kundan Uncle’s (that is how all the neighbourhood kids called him) bakery to buy bread, cakes etc. It was always a pleasure to go there, whether in a group or alone, as Kundan Uncle always had a kind word, a joke or a sweet for everyone. We used to play pranks with him and he enjoyed with us. He was like a family member to all of us. When adults went to buy something at the bakery, they and Kundan Sahib would have discussions on all sorts of issues – politics, Nehru, Raj Kapoor – anything. Kundan Uncle used to know what each of his customers liked. “Mrs. Mehta, I have this fresh bread that came in just now, the type Mr. Mehta likes. Should I pack this also?” or “Mr. Sood, it is your son’s birthday next week. Shall I bake that special cake he likes?” The best part was that throughout the day one could enjoy the fresh and tasty products. Personal requests regarding different kinds of products were also easily taken care of and we could not even dream of ever going to another bakery. Kundan Uncle was a part of the ‘ecosystem’ there and an integral part of our daily lives !!

Years went by. Our family moved to West Delhi. I went out to study and then for work to various cities. We stayed in touch with Kundan Uncle though – sometimes through telephone calls and occasionally, visiting his shop to share a cup of tea while passing by that area. It used to be about a once a year contact. His son’s Rajeev and Manoj were of the same age as me. We had played together as kids. Kundan Bakery continued to flourish. Clientele grew and a very loyal clientele at that !! Customers still would not go anywhere else for their bakery needs. Rajeev and Manoj also joined the family business. They opened more shops : one to start with, then two, three, four and five, in nearby localities of South Delhi. Kundan Sahib and his sons learnt to manage the business, shuttling between shops. They continued to have one central bakery where everything was baked and then distributed to different locations in the city.

Two years ago, I got a surprise call from Kundan Sahib. “Son, you have a management degree and have worked in big companies. I need to talk to you about our business. Can you come over?” he asked. “Sure”, I immediately agreed. We fixed a time to meet at his shop – the first one. I reached there at the time agreed. Rajeev and Manoj were also there. After some pleasantries and a cup of tea with the usual cakes, Kundan Sahib, now in his mid-seventies, said “Son, business has been going well. We have expanded and now have five shops. Rajeev and Manoj have been managing the business with me. Their children are also growing up. Lately, our family discussions have centred around finding a future direction for our business and we thought we should take your views also.” Manoj, the younger one, added “A few years back, a national company called Montana Bakery, started opening bakery shops all over the country. Montana has opened thirty shops all over Delhi, out of which fifteen are in South Delhi. They offer a wide range of bakery products : cakes, pastries, breads etc. Montana has a huge central bakery and distribute products twice a day, through temperature controlled vehicles. Our business is doing well, but Rajeev and I are worried that we may start loosing out to Montana going forward. We are telling Papa that we should look at some other businesses and reduce our risk, otherwise Montana could take away our business. It is a big brand. How can we match them? What do you suggest?”

“Kundan Uncle,” I said, “you have seen life. You have a lot more experience than all of us. While I may have an opinion on this, what is your suggestion?”

Kundan Sahib : “Son, I started this business from nothing and with nothing in hand. Over the years, I nurtured it and worked hard. I have tried my best to keep my customers happy. I have personally interacted with them, and by God’s grace, Kundan Bakery is a much respected name today. I am proud that my children Rajeev and Manoj continue to follow my tradition.  Now, my grand children have also started getting involved in this business and I am happy to share the knowledge gained through my personal experience, with them. I am aware that Montana has brought in new technologies and business practices and that this has made them more effective in today’s business world. They are fully equipped to meet the changing needs and requirements of customers; they have hired professionals to look at logistics, marketing, selling techniques, human resources, customer care etc. But although we may not have all the resources that Montana has, we do know a lot about our customers. My suggestion is that perhaps we should look at upgrading our processes, that is, the way we do business. This would mean a new way of approaching marketing, technology, inventory management, customer service skills, our people and hence our business outlook, while building on our customer relationships. This will make us more efficient, profitable and competitive enough to not only survive, but to come out stronger in the coming days. We have to upgrade and look at new ways of doing business in these new circumstances. Son, I have seen tougher times and I have always learnt new ways of doing business with changing times. That is what made me successful in my life”.

I was amazed at the way this man in his seventies looked at situations and circumstances !! He was willing to ‘relearn’ and change even at this age. I was reminded of a well-known personality, who, I am told, in his late eighties used to start a discussion with, “Twenty years from now …..” . He was always living in the current context with a dream for the future !! Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals”.

 

Kundan Sahib concluded by saying “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.”

 

I was immediately reminded of a popular saying, “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction”.

I thought to myself, “What advice can I give this man?”

 

“Kundan Uncle, you are very wise indeed, and have truly understood the situation. You have obviously given a great deal of thought to this impending threat but I am sure your way of tackling this problem is probably the best option and I am sure, your business will emerge stronger and more competitive going forward. Efforts at brand building, newer techniques in logistics and inventory management, investing in employee development and customer service, so that your employees take care of customers as well as you did ….. are things that will definitely pay dividends ”, I declared after much consideration.  After all, as another time-honoured maxim goes, “Luck is the by product of Continuous Improvement”, I reflected.

Note : This is a true story. Names and some facts have been modified for reasons of confidentiality.

J.P.Singh

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Strategic Leadership in Business

The Indian Optician, December, 2008

Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long & hard the road maybe; for without victory there is no survival …..

Winston Churchill

The only thing one really needs to decide is, what ‘Victory’ means to him/her. What is the ‘Desire’ one has, that one wants to be fulfilled ….. the point is that it is important to have ‘A Clarity of Purpose’.

Strategy has its origins in military science, where it refers to the large scale plan for how the generals intend to fight & win a war. Strategy makes the difference between victory & defeat & in a business context, between success & failure of a business. The prime purpose of having a strategy is to ‘Win’ !! It involves having an understanding of how we will play the game differently from or better than others ?!

The starting point towards building a Strategy, be it business or military or one’s personal life, is to understand the current state. This is like a recce of the battle ground & involves scanning the environment, competition, industry dynamics, customers, trends & own realities. At this stage some very tough questions must be asked & answered honestly….. facing The Brutal Facts so that the current reality is absolutely clear.

This allows availability of sound & reliable information. Skipping this step can be dangerous. However, the other extreme is Analysis Paralysis & one must ensure that a balance is struck between quantity & quality of data vs time taken & actionability. A good balance ensures timely, efficient & effective strategic decisions.

While a lot of information & data that is gathered definitely helps in making good choices, having done all the rational & logical analysis (sometimes all data may not be available & one should work with intelligent assumptions for the balance), experienced & seasoned Strategic Leadership also involves stepping back & taking an intuitive look at everything before the final decision ….. a holistic, experience, gut based vetting ….. having studied everything as a science, practicing Strategic Leadership gracefully as an Art form ….. !!

Resources are always scarce in business & hence prioritising & allocating these scarce resources amongst unlimited possible activities/areas, is the key to building Strategic Leadership, which is about making the most intelligent choices ….. those that will help us use our limited resources to win the war for Value Creation for The Customer & for Maximizing Returns. It is about making choices about The Right Things (which locations, customers, products, services etc.) and The Right Ways (how to create value for the customer, how to deliver service, how to align resources etc.) ….. as in a game of chess, which is also to be won with limited resources at one’s command.

Having looked at the current & desired states & having prioritised allocation of resources, there has to be an alignment in all areas of the business for most effective results. The First & Most Important part of this alignment is having The Right People & Developing, Training & Grooming them well, followed by processes, measurement of results & rewards & incentives

This making of choices, alongwith Leadership Effectiveness is the MOST CRUCIAL for SUCCESS in Business, in War or in Life !! Effective Strategic Leadership involves Flexibility in Thinking, Execution Excellence, Infectious Enthusiasm, Strong Networks, Maturity, Inner Strength & building very strong values in the group.

Most importantly it is to ensure that bridges are built into the future, for sustained Competitive Advantage  ….. so that many generations can cross over ….. as did Krishna, Gandhi & many more !!

JP Singh

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The Best Advice I Received

The Indian Optician, June, 2009

The Oxford dictionary meaning of advice is ‘opinion given about what to do and how to behave’. At a simple level, this is clearly what advice is. However, there are three things that I would generally consider while evaluating advice :

a) the source/giver of advice (his/her credibility, motivation/incentive, experience),

b) basis of advice (time testedness, observations/outcomes validating what is being stated) and

c) personal experience of the receiver on acting upon, subsequent to receiving the advice.

In view of the above, considering a) wisdom, neutrality & experience of sources b) centuries of observed outcomes & c) my personal experience post using the advice, I believe that the following advice given by elders/teachers is one of The Best that I ever received :

‘If Wealth is lost, NOTHING is lost; if Health is lost, SOMETHING is lost; if Character is lost, EVERYTHING is lost’.

 

In school, when given these statements, one would tend to take them lightly, not realizing the full significance. These were merely a list of quotations one had to memorise and repeat in class or exams; scores depended on the accuracy of replication. As I moved through experiences/situations in life, the eternal truth behind this statement emerged more & more clearly for me. Needless to say, Truth itself & one’s Karma are important ingredients at play here.

The beauty of this statement is that it is applicable not only to an individual, but equally well to organizations, businesses and society. Brand Equity captures The Character that enables long term sustainability & resilience of organizations ….. the ability to bounce back everytime they hit a roadblock or stormy weather. This is not built by ‘advertising’ alone, as many would tend to believe, but is an accumulation of ‘conduct’ over long periods of time ….. of the way people behave and carry themselves within and with the outside world, of the Values & Culture that prevail.  Finance experts would even monetize Character as Goodwill !!

Health is determined by the fundamentals and soundness of Business Processes ….. in Disciplined Thought & Disciplined Action ….. Customer Satisfaction Processes, People Development Processes, Performance Measurement and Rewards …..

With Character & Health intact, True Wealth is always in place ….. these give the ability to get up and bounce back even after hitting tough times or to rebuild Financial Wealth and Profitability if needed. Those who look at financial measures alone should change their outlook. The assets side of the balance sheet can get strong support if one looks at not only financially measurable assets, but also at these strong determinants of performance capability & fitness.

Even the current global turmoil could have been avoided if the financial wizards of the world had read and internalized this advice. If they did not earlier, I hope better sense prevails and they digest it now. In today’s modern world, this Golden Advice handed over through generations by ‘Elders’, passes all the above three tests and would  sail through smoothly on the requirements of the now much talked about SOX & Ethical Corporate Governance touchstone also !!

J.P.Singh

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When scarcity and deprivation hurt

Business & Economy, 2007

Creativity and Talent can only surface when the nation prospers

Fundamentally, the core purpose of our lives is to be of service to others. Anything which allows us to move in that direction or facilitates this process, is in line with the forces of nature. Such alignment creates achievement of purposes in flow and resonance with nature, in a manner where effort is ‘effortless’. Anything not on line with the flow of nature, takes in an amount of effort, which is first used up in neutralizing the resistance due to it being against the very flow itself. This leads to an efficiency loss and only the balance goes towards fulfilling the core purpose. So either a lot more effort/energy is needed or the effort falls short of the core purpose. We need facilitators to lubricate the flow of effort in a natural manner. Resistors needs to be taken out & if then, there is enough resonance, there are catalysts which speeden up the process.

Economic Independence is also a means to allow human beings to fulfill the core purpose of being able to serve & love others. It maybe be looked at, at two levels 1) To be able to take independent decisions, to be able to make a choice & 2) That there is no/less ‘dependence’ on someone else & more self dependence. The first one got out of the way for us in 1947, after centuries of ‘not even being able to exercise a choice’. At the macro level, we gained Independence and could now ‘decide/make a choice’ ourselves. The second part of ‘no/less dependence on someone else & more self dependence’, however, still kept eluding us, both as a nation & as individuals, for many more decades. ‘Interdependence’, the very nature of everything in The Cosmos, will, should & has to stay  & maybe one day, to be looked at as another dimension worth considering ….. The Cosmic Dance continues!!

It is said ‘The Right Thing’ done ‘The Right Way’ starts showing ‘Good’ Results. Each of these terms ‘Right’ & ‘Good’ are subjective and contextual. However, predecided  indices/measures of desired ‘Result Areas’ should then bring in some amount of objectivity. It seems that after almost half a century of having obtained the power to exercise choice, we hit on the Right Things/Ways atleast to start moving the needle on a predecided parameter of desired ‘Results’ in the form of GDP growth & that is very creditable to my mind, also leading to the second point above, of ‘No/less’ Dependence on someone else & more self dependence !!

The above discussion remains in the realm of Economic Wealth & captures Material Wealth creation or Independence in being able to make a choice in this area or to be not/less dependant or more self dependant in this area. If those be the predecided ‘Result Areas’, so be it & the measures thereof are fine. However, Total Wealth comprises Physical (Health, Wellness, Body) & Spiritual (Mind, Soul, Values) Wealth. If these are what we need to look at as included in ‘Result Areas’ then measurement indices need to be revisited. Economic Independence should allow a flowering of a society where Total Wealth is created. It is true that scarcity & deprivation do not allow this to happen. Maslow’s need hierarchy comes out & does a  Rudra Tandava in the open. Personal needs of food, clothing, housing, security have to be met before anyone starts looking at the core purpose of human existence to serve & love others. In any case, charity begins at home. Once out of this cycle, made possible by Economic Independence/Wealth, can human beings & society move up Maslow’s hierarchy & create an environment where there is Ananda Tandava of ‘Celebration/Joy of Life’ !! It allows flourishing of Creativity, Art & Literature. It allows ethics and values a chance to stay alive and not to be throttled, though always unjustifiable, by the pains of an empty stomach and a naked body. The energy sucking black holes of hatred, anger, terrorism etc. should drown and disappear.

In the days of deprivation & scarcity, one was told to study hard & become an engineer, doctor or CA. Many a dream & aspiration were delivered still born . . . . . Choice, when you are no longer living in scarcity & deprivation & when you have a vibrant economy offering multiple opportunities, allows creativity to flourish in such a society. Dreams & Aspirations take flight & soar high!! Creativity acts like a catalyst. All these further lubricate the entire process of existence in harmony with nature adding momentum as we go along and facilitating the purpose of ‘Serving & Loving Others’!!

J.P.Singh

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Shortage of Good Leadership in India; A Ticking Time Bomb ?

Business & Economy July, 2008

One of the most widely discussed & debated terms, with many definitions already existing, ‘Leadership’ continues to be an intriguing topic. As a student & practitioner of Leadership, I have tried to observe, read about & learn from the ways, behaviours, thoughts & styles of many Great Leaders. In my quest to learn more about Leadership, before being able to comment on Good Leadership, I checked how Oxford Dictionary treats the subject. Lead is described as ‘show the way, esp by going in front; guide or take by holding, pulling etc.’. A Leader then, is ‘a person who Leads’ & Leadership is the ‘ability to be a Leader’.

What then, is ‘Good’ Leadership ? Fundamentally, at the most basic level, the element of ‘going in front’ is an essential requirement to be fulfilled. A Leader is also expected to have, depending on the field of operation, Business, Functional or Domain knowledge, specific to the area of operation. A good definition of  Leadership that I came across is ‘A Leader is someone you choose to follow, because you know that he/she can take you where you want to go, but cannot go alone’. This definition goes beyond just ‘subject expertise’ & ‘going in front’, to highlighting ‘choice’ & ‘desired direction’ on behalf of the followers as well ….. It allows for a conscious human being to make an active choice & to determine his/her future direction….. so much a part of The Indian Ethos !! The question then is about options available to be able to make a choice, rather than having to choose from whatever is available.

However, talking of Good Leadership, there is also the concept of ‘Situational’ Leadership. According to this, the approach should be changed depending on the context or situation. An approach valid in one situation, may not be valid in another. So, a slightly broader view, encompassing more variables is proposed. Now what is the context that is generally kept in mind when choosing a Leadership approach ? Very often, even when this is followed, the context remains very narrow ….. confined to one circumstantial dimension only i.e. a variation in approach/action just based on situations & events or maybe depending on who the Leader is or what geography or domain he/she is involved in. Leadership should look at a much wider context ….. social, economic, psychological, physical ….. a holistic systems approach. A Bangalore city prospering in IT ignores the context of infrastructure or social inconvenience that maybe building up due to another variable that gets totally left out of the equation. While Delhi booms in real estate & infrastructure, social stress, intolerance, crime & road rage create a bulge and distortion of the picture at another place.

Good Leadership, at the cutting edge, is Life itself !! Like in life, a Dynamic Balance of various aspects has to be maintained ….. between yin & yang, masculinity & feminity. Good Leadership needs to attain a balance between social, economic, physical & psychological variables. In most situations we see one dimensional excellence at the cost of various other dimensions. The result is a time bomb ticking somewhere else. Depending on which area one is responsible for, one would maximise indices depicting performance in that dimension, sweeping the dust out from ‘my house’ onto ‘the neighbour’s front yard’. This does not really ensure a healthy, all round effort. Inflation & other pressures build up as a result of ignored variables, not built into the equation. A chain is as strong as the weakest link …..

In the corporate world, to some extent ‘The Balanced Scorecard’ approach deals with such a situation, though not fully. Alongwith stakeholders’ financial interests, it encourages measurement on the people, customers & process dimensions as well ….. definitely an approach in the right direction, but still needs broadening of the scope to include impact on society, environment & nature.

There is tremendous ‘Energy’ in India today, both quantitatively & qualitatively. A billion plus people, half of them below 20 years of age, growing opportunities, developing economy, increasing aspirations !! What is needed is a holistic approach to make sure that this phenomenal social, physical, psychic energy produces the best results in a multidimensional Indian ecosystem. Neglecting any one dimension is like ‘leakage’ of energy from that ‘weakest’ point in the nuclear reactor ….. !! Balanced, well rounded development, ensuring that social, economic, psychological, physical & environmental interests are in a Dynamic Equilibrium is the challenge in India today. Such a balance will ensure ‘Ananda Tandava’, which India has taught the world over ages.

Alignment of a billion ‘charged ions’ in a Laser Head, needs application of a high voltage of Leadership Qualities of Truth, Integrity, Ethics, Humility, Inner Strength, Transcending of Self & Passion ….. And once it happens it can LEAD to a Highly Powerful Laser Beam ….. !! However, leaving a weak spot, an unattended to variable, can LEAD to leakage of uncontrolled high energy into the Indian environment ….. causing damage or a lost opportunity. Let’s hope that we see A Dynamic Equilibrium leading to A Celebration of Life in the India of tomorrow !!

J.P.Singh

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