Thursday, September 8, 2011

Wharton vs. Harvard Business School..A comparision



Wharton vs. Harvard Business School

At the most simplistic level, you can think of Wharton as the school of facts and Harvard as the school of stories. Wharton is a numbers-driven, fact-craved MBA institution. Harvard is a story-driven place, as evidenced by its near total reliance on the case study method of teaching. As J.J. Cutler, deputy dean of Wharton’s MBA Admissions and Career Services, puts it, “We are a fact-based and data-driven school. We do not have a charisma-style approach. We let the data drive us and help lead us to the solutions.”
That sounds like a disguised knock on Harvard, and it might very well be. Yet, it gives you a clue as the basic difference between these two great MBA schools.more...


2011 Alumni Achievement Awards at HBS View Video 





Friday, August 26, 2011

Strategic Planning & Operations 08-26


Strategic Planning and Implementation for an organization, is akin to supply of oxygen to a Living Organism. The wherewithal’s and Tools for Strategic Planning and Execution.

This is an article positioned at the CEO, COO, CXO, and other senior management executives. The students can also read this article, but it is quite possible that they may find it confusing. I have tried to detail all the tools and implements that could be helpful in this process. Indians would be happy to know that an Indian PSU Hindustan Petroleum Corporation LTD has made it to the list  top twenty  organizations in the world, who have entered the BSC Hall of Fame Report 2011.They have for company, FBI, Abu-Dhabi Government, City of San Fernando Philippines and others. more....

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Academy or Aca-Dummy 07-30


You are an Educational Institute alright, but…
Are you an Academy or an Aca-Dummy?
I feel, we have more of the latter…..

 A few years back I had written an article, which was a comparative one between the two of the world’s most famous B-Schools in the world “Harvard Vs Wharton a comparative study”It is all about how an educational institution has to be, & the parameters and the metrics, against which the institutions have to be evaluated. Of course we could also do the same comparison between IIMs & ISB or IITs & the BITS. But the data available is not sufficient for carrying out a full analysis on all the relevant parameters. Some rankings that are being carried by the highly respected magazines are honest no doubt, but they lack the in-depth analysis. 

Even that is viewed by  very few parents. Usually the parents fall for the high claims made by the institutions in their ads. Hardly any institution is asked to substantiate its claims with documents.

We need a set of highly demanding parents to make the institutions more responsible in their thought and actions. Please read the complete article HERE...

Please also read my other well accepted article on Education


Let us take the campuses to the corporates..

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Harvard vs Wharton a comparision

Academic Institutions can now leverage our global branding to add to the quality of intake and revenue. Talk to us.


Claim your exclusive webinar for a discussion.




Wharton vs. Harvard Business School

At the most simplistic level, you can think of Wharton as the school of facts and Harvard as the school of stories. Wharton is a numbers-driven, fact-craved MBA institution. Harvard is a story-driven place, as evidenced by its near total reliance on the case study method of teaching. As J.J. Cutler, deputy dean of Wharton’s MBA Admissions and Career Services, puts it, “We are a fact-based and data-driven school. We do not have a charisma-style approach. We let the data drive us and help lead us to the solutions.”
That sounds like a disguised knock on Harvard, and it might very well be. Yet, it gives you a clue as the basic difference between these two great MBA schools.more...


2011 Alumni Achievement Awards at HBS View Video 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Elite Institutions & Eluding Parent Patronage




Education and its quality is one factor that decides & impacts the quality of socio economic life a person leads. Naturally every parent   aspires for the best in education for his children,especially in India where there is virtual hand holding till at least the graduate level. Now if you think, this is the trend only amongst the educated parents, you are in for surprise.


In a survey conducted in the Hyderabad slums, it was found out that 65% parents sent their children to private schools. This fact was more or less corroborated by my own experience, while interviewing post graduate students (MSc) in the prestigious Andhra University campus at Vizag. I found that a large number (almost majority) including girls hailed from small villages and whose parents were laborers surviving on daily wages. The grit, the determination, and the mindset of these uneducated parents make the thinking of pseudo intellectuals like us look pedestrian.

Now who is a real intellectual? The uneducated intellectuals more than deserve the few lines that I have dedicated to them. more...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Live Projects, Employment,Imparting,Curriculum, Whose responsible??.................. India Jai Ho






Any article on education draws considerable attention and even controversy.

Last year my article on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) drew so much attention, that it made it to the home page of WikiHow. Anything reaching any wiki home page is bound to become controversial. A substantiated statement that, US ranks 29th in the world in the math literacy, among the 15 year olds, brought huge protests from the Americans. The brickbats are still there for all to see in the discussions section of the article.

While I write this article, I have just received the highest honor the wiki community awards to its members. “The Barn Star” award for my contribution to the wikiHow community in the form 15 articles to “make the world better". more...

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Is Money Everything???




I feel it is not wise to either agree or disagree with either. It is all a case of circumstances, environment, Karma and Dharma.
What if the lure of money was not there?? Would people still work?? One’s need for money is fulfillment of some other need for other. Is earning money also societal??
How much of it is societal, and beyond which point is it greed??
Now what is greed??
What is right and what is wrong??? more...

Please also read Shyam's article


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Astute Strategy Formulation for sustenance in Balance Score Card Implementation



The Balance Score card was defined clearly in terms of process and methodology in the early nineties by Dr. Robert Kaplan and Dr. David Norton, and subsequently Balance Score Card software was developed. It is a well known fact that dramatic results were obtained by the organizations with the implementation of BSC.

However it was observed that after initial euphoric response, there seemed to an inertia and uncertainty, when it came to the ability to sustain the process. This often dealt a  severe blow to the process of optimization of production cycles and processes.

 The authors felt the need for creation of an independent office which could on permanent basis take care of sustainability in the implementation of the Balance Score Card. They devised a process for the sustainability and gave a simple nomenclature to define it. They christened it as Office of Strategy Management (OSM).

The last five years have seen a heavy wave of organizations adopting the OSM. In a recent survey of Hall of Fame organizations, over 85% have already built this organizational capacity (the OSM) to make strategy execution.



Why OSM is needed??

We know that there is continuous churn at the top of the organization. With the change in positions, changes in personnel, the inevitable change in perspective is brought about. The new perspective is likely to treat the Balance Score Card implementation as a lesser priority, resulting in continuity being a casualty.

We have independent offices for Finance, HR, Marketing and others, why not one for the strategy.  Strategy is one office that drives all other offices towards optimization by providing real time evaluation.

Now let us have a look at the functioning of the OSM.

In the October 2005 Harvard Business Review, Drs. Robert Kaplan and David Norton introduced the concept of a new enterprise function to coordinate and integrate all strategy management processes. Through a $5 million research effort involving over 60 organizations (25% of which are in the Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame for Executing Strategy®)

They learned that sustaining a performance management system like the Balanced Scorecard requires two components:

1. A clearly defined process that is customized to fit into the existing Governance cycle of the Organization.

2. Establishment of an independent entity to oversee the implementation of BSC, an entity that coordinates with other departments and oversees the implementation of BSC everywhere and provides real time evaluation reports. This will facilitate path corrections for the departments in the initial stages itself.

Thus a new integrative system was evolved for strategy management named Office of Strategy Management (OSM).

OSM plays three important roles.


The Architect
I            
I
I
The Office of Strategy Management 
I
I
I
I
Process Owner-------------------------------------------------------Integrator





Roles:

The Architect:

Define and clarify the philosophy of performance management and the processes required to
execute.

The Process Owner

Define, develop and oversee the execution of processes required to manage the strategy.

• Develop the Strategy

• Translate the Strategy

• Align the Organization

• Plan and Fund the Strategy

• Review the Strategy

• Test and adapt the Strategy

The Integrator

Insure that processes owned and run by other functional executives are linked to the strategy.

• Human Capital

• Strategy Communications

• Initiative Management

• Financial Resource Management

• Key Process Management

OSM imparts a sustainable competency; one that can survive churn at the top of the organization as well as changes in ownership and disruptive changes in the marketplace. In  fact, organizations with an OSM in place.

have been better prepared to weather the recessionary storm that has buffeted the global economy over the past three years.These organizations have reported stronger performance over the past three years and are much more optimistic about their chances of success in the coming years compared to organizations that are not so equipped.

I will be pleased to give a detailed presentation on OSM to corporates and the B-Schools

Best wishes,

Shyam

Shyamsunder Panchavati

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Lataji

Lata ji good at anything she does...

At Music, At chopsticks


Sher shared by Lata ji
рдЧाрд╣े рдЧाрд╣े  (рдХрднी рдХрднी) рдЗрд╕े рднी рдкрдв़ा рдХीрдЬрдП, рджिрд▓ рд╕ी, рдХोрдИ рдХिрддाрдм рдирд╣ीं 

Shared by Shyam
рддुрдо рдЬ़рдоाрдиे рдХी рд░ाрд╣ рд╕े рдЖрдпे,рд╡рд░рдиा рд╕ीрдзा рдеा рд░ाрд╕्рддा рджिрд▓ рдХा 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I wish you enough...

Stolen from Paul Coelho's blog

I wish you enough




(today a received an email from a very close friend of mine. I asked her if I could share it here, and she agreed)
Feb 14, 2011

Dear Friends,
Amongst all the activities I enjoy in London (shows, galleries, big parties etc…), the moment I enjoyed and cherished most was spending time with my 86 year old neighbor, who always took time to make me his own special coffee with a plate of cookies so graciously served to me on a white linen We used to spend hours talking…primarily me talking and he listening… with his advice whenever I asked.
Yesterday, I sent an email to him (the text is not mine) which was bounced back to me, and after having my husband (who is presently in London) check on him, I received a call to tell me that he had passed away on Jan 28th. My message of appreciation to him was a bit too late…
Below you find my message
Love
I.C.
Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, ‘I love you, and I wish you enough.’
They kissed and the daughter left. The father walked over to the window where I was seated. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but I could not refrain from asking:
‘When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?’
He began to smile. ‘That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.’
He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more.
‘When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’
Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more..
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting…
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good- bye.

Monday, February 14, 2011

The path lies within........





View enlarged image



If eternal Bliss is destination, the path lies within. You need to surrender to your inner self to  conquer the world

You cannot seek an acquaintance with the world when your inner self is a stranger to you.


"There is a saying in Tibetan that says “At the door of the miserable rich man sleeps a contented beggar.” The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come from wealth, but from setting limits to one’s desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction."   His Holiness Dalai Lama


Peace of mind is something everyone aspires for, and yet nobody seems to know when, where, and how to get it. Over a period of time, term “peace of mind” has undergone a transformation from a qualitative entity to a quantitative entity. People now a days speak in terms of “some peace of mind” to describe their aspiration or achievement. It can no longer be equated with the total tranquility of mind and the body. Peace of mind or lack of it can be the result of conquest over or conflict with self.


“In the final analysis, the hope of every person is simply peace of mind.”

Dalai Lama


Now this seemingly complicated entity can be related to simple activities like retention and release, self-protection or surrender. Or may be getting a bit out of touch with yourself? You are the problem and the solution. The destination is yourself, and the path lies within you.

Then how to go about it? What is retention and what is release? What is an Armour and what is a surrender?

Frankly speaking, I am also an explorer, not a conqueror, still traversing, still finding my way out of the maze, knowing fully well that destination is not the culmination of the journey, but the beginning of the next. It is an oasis all right, but chasing it is so fulfilling experience, that you never give up.

There is continuous stream of healing, love & good will flowing through us continuously. All we have to do is join it willingly & whole-heartedly, and make it a part of us.

How to go about it?

Release and heal what hurts mentally, physically, emotionally, & spiritually. Said easily than done, I know it. But then there is a way to it. We can always try.
It is important to build a relationship with your inner self. You have to discover yourself, and align with the spiritual source. Every one has inner guidance factor. We just need to get in touch with it.

Vulnerability is strength not a weakness as it gives us access to true strength. But it hardly happens. Right from our childhood, we build Armour of self righteousness, which comes in the way of retention and acquisition of good values and release of the ones not so relevant for us.

Awareness of this is a big step forward towards freedom and ignorance of it is the cause of all our adulthood sufferings.

It is absolutely necessary to break free of the shackles of childhood learning, which portrays vulnerability as a weakness. It is just the opposite. It is surrender to love, which gives all the strength in the universe, "The true strength". We need to be open to feel love. Vulnerability is openness. The greatest challenge in this life has always been to let down the walls of self-protection and release the energy that created them.

And may be when we implement this difficult but certainly not impossible practice. We can feel peace of mind once again as a qualitative experience rather than quantitative entity.

I would like to conclude with a Marathi shlok from great saint poet from Chatrapati Shivaji era Samarth Ramdas’s “Manache Shlok”.” The prescription for eternal peace.”


рдордиा рд╕рдЬ्рдЬрдиा рднрдХ्рддी рдкंрдеेрдЪी рдЬाрд╡े
 рддрд░ी рд╢्рд░ी рд╣рд░ी рдкाрд╡िрдЬे рддो рд╕्рд╡рднाрд╡े
рдЬрдиी рдиिрди्рдзीрдпрддे рд╕рд░्рд╡ рд╕ोрдбूрдиी рдж्рдпाрд╡े
рдЬрдиी рд╡рди्рдж्рдпрддे рд╕рд░्рд╡ рднाрд╡े рдХрд░ाрд╡े
(рд╕рдорд░्рде рд░ाрдорджाрд╕ )


(Oh Holy mind, you should proceed in the direction of devotion. Then you can visualize the god in your nature & seek his divine blessings. The Act, which attracts criticism from people, should not be pursued. The act which gets reverence from people and is liked by all should be pursued.)

I would like to conclude with the following sloka from Vishnu Sahasranaman


na krodho na  mAtsaryam na lobho nAsubhA matih |
bhavanti kRta puNyANAm bhaktAnAm purushottame || (13)

" Neither anger nor jealousy, neither greed nor evil thoughts haunt
the minds of those people who are devotees of purushottama (The
Supreme Being) and who have acquired merit by virtuous deeds " .


Best wishes,


Saturday, February 12, 2011

The CEO's Shakespearean Dilemma







CEO’s Shakespearean Dilemma.

To be or not to be, (or how much to be) that is the question…




To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
 
This famous soliloquy from Hamlet, more or less describes the dilemma the information  overload and multitasking has imposed on the CEO’s of the day. Of the enormous amount information; desirable, undesirable, solicited, unsolicited, important and trivial,   often presents dilemma for the CEO. The  difficult choie of what is to be  considered, what is to be ignored, where action is to be taken and where it is to be left alone often makes the Ceo's position akin to a burning cauldron .

Technology advance brings with it the evils of its own. The speed with which the information is received and decimated and the tremendous amount of information flow through all the channels of communication, is making multitasking essential and inevitable, especially for the senior management and “C” level executives.

There is a feeling that the speed and diversity is causing an information overload. 

Is this overload reducing the efficiency and adversely affecting the quality of delivery of the executives.

One might think that constant exposure to new information at least makes us more creative. Here again, the opposite seems to be true. Teresa Amabile and her colleagues at the Harvard Business School evaluated the daily work patterns of more than 9,000 individuals working on projects that required creativity and innovation. They found that the likelihood of creative thinking is higher when people focus on one activity for a significant part of the day and collaborate with just one other person. Conversely, when people have highly fragmented days—with many activities, meetings, and discussions in groups—their creative thinking decreases significantly.

These findings also make intuitive sense. Creative problem solving typically requires us to hold several thoughts at once “in memory,” so we can sense connections we hadn’t seen previously and forge new ideas. When we bounce around quickly from thought to thought, we know we’re less likely to make those crucial connections.

 
While Human beings have worked to continuously increase the quality and speed of the communication in terms of distribution, reception and decimation, the communication mechanism in the Human Body has remained constant. In case of multitasking, while the executives switch from one task to the next quite fast, it takes longer for the brain to switch off from one task and switch on to the next. 

Hence the productivity of the executives is less in each of the multiple tasks they handle, when compared to the output when they are handling single tasks.

In a recent study, for example, participants who completed tasks in parallel took up to 30 percent longer and made twice as many errors as those who completed the same tasks in sequence. The delay comes from the fact that our brains can’t successfully tell us to perform two actions concurrently. When we switch tasks, our brains must choose to do so, turn off the cognitive rules for the old task, and turn on the rules for the new one. This takes time, which reduces productivity, particularly for heavy multitaskers—who, it seems, take even longer to switch between tasks than occasional multitaskers

This is like a scourge for the “C” level executives. They need long uninterrupted hours in order to synthesize the information flowing in from different directions, different sources, They need time to reflect on the possible implication it could have on the organization and its bottom lines, they also need to deliberate on the quantity of the quality time that needs to be allocated, make judgments, work on possible trade offs.

This is not a new problem, although the intensity has been increasing by the day. Peter Drucker in his sixties famous book  “The effective Executive” has dealt with the problem in detail.




In the ancient Indian scriptures there is a mention of an art and profession named “Avadhanam”. This art is related to an act of absorbing large amount of information from number of sources (from eight to thousands), Ashtavadhanam (8), Shatavdhanam (100), Sahasravdhanam (1,000), and reproducing it back from memory any time during the event which runs for days together, amidst disturbances deliberately created by ringing of bells, and topic deviation, others. There are still some practitioners of this art in South India. And we remain awestruck by their skills memory power and knowledge.


(From Wikipedia)  View Demo video
Avadhanam is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in Sanskrit and more so inTelugu (р░Ер░╡р░зాр░иం) and Kannada languages. It requires immense memory power and tests a person's capability of performing multiple tasks simultaneously. All the tasks are memory intensive and demand an in depth knowledge of literature, and prosody. The tasks vary from making up a poem spontaneously to keeping a count of a bell ringing at random. No external memory aids are allowed while performing these tasks except the person's own brain, not even so much as a writing utensil.
Avadhani (Telugu: р░Ер░╡р░зాр░иి) refers to the individual who performs the Avadhanam; the group who queries the performer are the prucchaka(One who asks questions, Telugu: р░кృр░Ы్р░Ыр░Хుр░▓ు). The first person to ask the question is called "Pradhana prucchaka;" he is the same as any other prucchaka except that, he asks the first question. The Prucchakas put forth questions to the avadhani, which are primarily literary in nature. The Prucchakas can optionally place additional constraints. Though it is not stated explicitly, conformation to Chandassu (Poetic Meter) is mandatory. Avadhani should answer them in the form of a poem. The literary questions generally consist of a description given in prose and the avadhani has to express it as a poem. The additional restrictions placed by the Prucchakas can be anything like asking the avadhani not to use a given set of alphabetical characters in the entire poem or to construct only a particular type of poem etc.



Most of the executives have a well-planned task schedule for the day, in the dairy. The problem is with the equally important unplanned unscheduled work that keeps creeping in throughout the day in the form of phone calls, emails, client meetings unscheduled travel, others. These are the greatest time eaters ever known. For every planned day’s work, you have two or three day’s unplanned work seeking your urgent attention.

In laboratory settings, researchers have found that subjects asked to multitask show higher levels of stress hormones. A survey of managers conducted by Reuters revealed that two-thirds of respondents believed that information overload had lessened job satisfaction and damaged their personal relationships. One-third even thought it had damaged their health.


After going through the case studies and examining the solid evidence that more than proves the negative impact on optimization, that multitasking has, It is better for the executives, managements, and the organizations to understand that quality work needs, quality time to be allocated, for quality delivery.

The senior executives need to be very discerning in selecting and ignoring the information according to its relevance to the task on hand. This is not easy because they need to go through every bit of information to keep them informed, and set aside the ones not immediately required. The senior executives should be able to develop a self-disciplined, monitoring and evaluation system by which they could apply almost every hour to check the quantum of delivery planned and the actual quantity delivered and make necessary amends immediately.

After perfecting this system for their work, the senior executives need to ensure that the same system is uniformly followed down the hierarchy. The executives down the line should be able to share bulk of the work of the senior executive leaving him with enough time to attend to the most important.

What is the solution to this problem?

A good filtering strategy, therefore, is critical. It starts with giving up the fiction that leaders need to be on top of everything, which has taken hold as information of all types has become more readily and continuously accessible. Rather, plain old delegation is as important with information as it always has been with tasks. It is very important to make people understand what information not to send. Especially the secretaries and assistants should be taught the astute filtering process. At the end of the day the secretary can send a small briefing about the mails received and not forwarded, so that the senior executive has the knowledge of the mails not forwarded.

There is no absolute solution to this problem. You cannot have a solution that is universal in application. In spite of the best solutions, the best executives may derive,

You will always have the executives pondering about

To be or not to be, that is the question

Probably Shakespeare created this famous soliloquy with today’s executives in mind. I already visualize the great playwright turning in his grave and having good laugh. at today's executive's predicament .

Please share your thoughts

Best wishes,

Shyam

Monday, February 7, 2011

Leadership is beyond clich├йs & rhetoric’s,





Leadership is beyond clich├йs & rhetoric’s, it has more to do with Professional Ethics and Human Values that win you hearts and bring Transformations.





I know it is easier to open a can of worms than a discussion on Leadership. Quite naturally I expect a lot of response in form of views perspectives,discussions, & dissents. I welcome them all, look forward to a great  learning experience

There are many  posts, articles and books on Leadership. In fact  leadership is a topic, where everyone has some thing or other to contribute.This is one area where there are more preachers than practitioners.However some exceptions notwithstanding, most of them are full of  clich├йs & rhetoric’s. The purpose of this article is to focus on aspect beyond the cliches & rhetoric's. 

We people in the marketing have seen many managers repeating often repeated clich├йs,  & rhetoric’s. Most of the times without understanding the meaning and consequent hurt that may cause to the person being addressed. These generally are picked up by the first line managers from their middle management bosses, who in turn pick it up from their senior managers who again get it from “C” level managers. This negative percolation down the order was very much in vogue in the good old sixties and seventies when the “C” level managers were from a different country. Certain clich├йs are not taken affront off in certain countries, but down the orient especially in India, these are not considered gentlemanly (more specifically some four letter words.)

Actually, regressive leadership impacts people faster and percolates down the hierarchy faster than the progressive leadership, which has to be built laboriously brick by brick. But once built, the edifice is too strong to be shaken by avalanches in the form of negative thought processes and narratives.

I just want to give an example of a negative and regressive thought process.

I can quote an instance from the seventies, that relates to a large multinational organization from USA in Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Healthcare. The Country Head from India was giving a presentation to the Chairman and other board members. He spoke eloquently about a product, which had registered an extra ordinary growth during the year gone by; suddenly the Chairman, who made the following statement, rudely interrupted him.

“There is no greatness in selling this product, our brand is like “Rolls Royce “ which sells on its reputation. Even a dog with a brochure tied to its neck can sell the product it does not need any human effort”.

 It is needless to enunciate how the country manager would have felt, but more importantly the regressive attitude and narration was faithfully carried down the line to the junior most level. You can visualise the amount of negative impact, it could have created on the mindsets and morals of the field staff.

Those were the days, when narratives from the top were considered diktats, and carried faithfully down the line.

So leadership is all about taking values from your senior. Managers. The negatives, even if they travel up to you, the buck should stop there.

Now let me cite an example of the positives percolating down.

The Japanese culture and their management method including “Kaizen” are worth emulation by all everywhere in the world.
I cite a small example.

A leading Japanese multinational, which is into electronics and infrastructure, systematically, breeds high levels ignorance in their staff right from the stage of initiation, simultaneously imparting highest level of knowledge in the area of their work. I was surprised to find a senior Japanese technician totally ignorant about his company info like turnover, manpower count, he didn’t even know the name of his chairman. He innocently admitted that he only remembered the person he reported to, and people who reported to him. Yet he had contributed constructively to the infrastructure aspects of the power plants, his company built in many countries.


Now just have a look at his bosses extra intelligence or lack of it.

My friend wrote to this man ( A senior executive) to get a Sony car stereo for his BMW, whenever he came to India next. The man wrote back. “Ok I will get the car stereo, but what about the car.” It took a while for my friend to understand the message. Now the perception of the Japanese was, to get a car stereo, you had to buy a car, pluck the stereo out, and…. What to do with the car? Now he could be excused for the ignorance of the fact that car stereos were available separately in the market. Because this ignorance led to the expertise in his own field.

Nothing except work or work related information.This is what, I call  positive percolation.




Now compare this to a senior executive from west. He will not only remember everything about his chairman (down to the scandals). He will give you all info (including personal) about other heads like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffet et al.


(These incidents from early nineties when internet had not invaded our lives.)



Qualities that make a good leader

Attitudes towards goals & goal setting for the team

It is important to take a personal and active look when setting the goals. Get into the shoes of the team members. Think analyze & understand the likely thought process of the team members the moods the attitudes, the fears, the resentments. Allow them to express & justify. Understand and agree with their justification. Bring them into totally non-combative mood. Appeal to their human side.

One thing every one appreciates in a leader is honesty. One thing everyone hates in a leader is duplicity. If duplicity is a part of professional leadership, then it is better to be a personal leader than a professional one.

Explain to them how each member can help save a few jobs, or create a few jobs at the junior most level by reaching the goals. How many more can he help create by exceeding it?

Arouse the philanthropist in him and see how he suddenly becomes pro-active in goal setting process. The leader has to relate to the team directly intuitively & emphatically .the focus should clearly be on the substance of the decision including the repercussions.

Implementation  & Work Pattern

It is important to understand that every member has his own approach to goal attainment listening to them in fact increases the options for the leader. So long as they go with the organizational policy, ideas should be encouraged. The best way of making most of the opportunity is accommodating the members thinking, even if it involves a little risk. This will ensure an involvement of heart soul & body into the task.

Human values require the leader to have a sense of self, an ability to profoundly alter the human, emotional, and economic relationship, the ability to feel separate from the organization. Here the order of preference is the team member, team, and organization.

I know the management purists may not agree with me. But as I said, when nothing works, it is the human values that get you through.

Your opinion on this, as always, is very valuable for me.

Best wishes,

Shyam