The Corporate Pressure Cooker Environment: Pressure To Perform And Perform Under Pressure.

We have been listening that all job execution has to be done within a specified time period with a specific margins, with stringent cost and quality control.
Managers/Executives are really under continuous stress and strain. At any cost they have to execute and it should be perfectly done, which is a part of the Corporate Performance Measurement System.
Very often I find myself working and also many of my executive friends working for 12-14 hours a day. Putting long hours is the order of the day for all the executives and managers.
I was taught from my school days there is no short cut to success; just hard work can take you to your destination and make you successful. We are living in a pressure cooker atmosphere with two aspects Pressure to Perform and Perform under Pressure.

Pressure to Perform: Pressure to Perform is a great philosophy in management and also in life, as we are all living in the performance-oriented world. Performances are benched marked in different industry and existing firms and the new firm try to meet the standards and that are recorded, rather break the past records that are already being made.
Very much similar to sports, in professional management which emulates lot from the sports persons and sports team. All managers/teams channel their energies and keep their focus to fulfill the assignments/targets to match the performance matrix.
Any individual has to work hard to keep his up his track record and to excel in his career. It is his Absolute Personal Responsibility (APR) to out perform his competitors within the organization and rise up the corporate ladder

Perform Under Pressure: In a meeting room the VPs/Senior Managers while giving targets will create the pressure by giving the specific figure within a specified time period. Managers/executives will have to perform under tremendous pressure and it becomes a real pressure cooker environment to achieve those figures.
The quarterly order bookings and the quarterly profits are compared YOY basis.
Gap Analysis are made and introspection are made, warning are given, heads roll out if the gap is big, when the gap is small new targets are set with new pay hikes, with promotions and additional responsibility. Management deliberately creates a pressure cooker environment and in the process they get the job out from the concerned persons and teams. Of course at times HR Dept works as Safety Valve of the pressure cooker, in many cases in a highly competitive environment HR Department remains inactive, and the poor performer has to bear the burnt.

So to draw a conclusion we find Pressure To Perform is absolutely individual task it is a part of self-motivation to keep you going, and Perform under Pressure is an external positive and negative motivation, which may break you at times.

Radical Change with HUMAN CAPITAL: Late Prof Sumantra Ghoshal.

Recently a topic of Radical Change in Management was being discussed with one of my friend in office he told me to go through the writings of Late Prof Sumantra Ghoshal.
Prof Ghoshal in his writing said core of change management is only possible if the Top Management of the organization has to be proactive with the change element using the Human Capital.

1.Top Managements core team intellectuals should understand the need for radical change.

2.They must have the courage to do what they see and believe what they need to do.

3. They should be able to analyze the gap and should take action to fill up the gap.

4.It is the Top Management’s duty to create confidence in the mind of the internal customers employees, customers, investor’s community, and the change leader need authenticity.

5. Market capitalization is an important part for the company, it is very tight rope walking for the top management and continuously grows, have every chance of falling down.

6. Make your employee understand about the future uncertainties and the pitfalls in the business in uncertain world, create trust with your tread unions, building up a relationship.

7.Change has to be a continuous process, you cannot afford to rest, it is an endless journey, and it should be purpose driven and a progressive journey.

8.The difference between the good, better and best is the Vision of the Leadership.

9.It’s really the HUMAN CAPITAL that matters and scarcity of Business Ideas, which matters.

10.It is the value creations, which can happen through HUMAN CAPITAL, and continuous self-renewal.
Last but not the least the CEO should able to understand his people; it's about changing continuously, which makes the difference.Upward and omward journey.

"West Bengal" Miles To Go Before You Sleep

Tata Motor’s entry to the domestic market will be in The October, the Singur factory will be ready by June end or July 1st week ’08.

It will be great test for Indian Auto Manufacturing sector to redefine the Auto manufacturing once again, it is the engineering genius and technological hallmark of the TATA’s has proved once again. Now it is the high time for West Bengal State to reengineer it’s thought process and streamline their left oriented thinking towards the right direction.
It is really a change management process for the Leftist in West Bengal are going through, we are all eagerly waiting for the D Day when the first Nano will roll out for TATA Motors Ltd, Singur plant. Many more major projects in the pipeline of WBIDC.
Congratulation to the TATA’s and the West Bengal Government for positive thinking and taking little steps in the right direction. West Bengal is changing, “but miles to go before you sleep”.

Dhirubhaism : All The Mahamantras Of Late Dhirubhai Ambani.

I found a very interesting book on all Dhirubhai’s thoughts its really mind boggling. It is written by AGK who headed Mudra Advt.
‘Dhirubhaism’ - by A.G.Krishnamurthy. Tata McGraw Hill.
The Mantras are as follows:
1. roll up your sleeves and help. you and your team share the same DNA.
2. be a safety net for your team and they will perform wonders.
3. be a silent benefactor
4. dream big but dream with your eyes open.‘a vision has to be within reach not in the air. it has to be achievable.’
5. the arm-around-the- shoulder leader.‘we must learn to trust distrust kills initiative trust and transparency stimulates entrepreneurship. ‘
6. supply creates demand.‘think big, think fast, and think ahead. ideas are no one’s monopoly.’
7. money is not a product by itself. it is a by product, so don’t chase it.‘if you work with determination and perfection, success will follow.’
8. leave the professional alone.‘give the youth a proper environment. motivate them. extend them the support they need. each one of them has infinite source of energy. they will deliver.’
9. change your orbit, constantly.‘growth has no limits only when you dream it you can do it.’
10. optimism, the core of Dhiubhaism.‘pursue your goals even in the face of difficulties, and convert adversities into opportunities. ‘
11. you can find a friend in every human being.‘i have trusted people and they have put their trust in me.’
12. think big.‘for those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win… dream and dare.
13. hold on to your dreams.‘don’t give up, courage is my conviction.’
14. bet on your people.
15. be positive.
No doubt the book is worth reading he made his empire during the Licence Raj, but he taught his two sons not only to survive but to outsmart global MNC’s in an unprotected global environment.

Three 'C's in BPR are becoming more important to run a complex business.

When the 3 C’s of Hammer in BPR is an integral part of Business Strategy for any business success. All these ‘C”s are to be carefully analyzed and meticulous strategic planning has to be taken.
The 1st ‘C’ Customers,
The 2nd ‘C’ Competitions
The 3rd ‘C’ Change.
All the ‘C’s are getting very important with business growing complex day by day, just getting a customer is becoming difficult in technical sales.
Sailing to a customer is to get into the 3 ‘C’s of your customers with empathy. Customer’s Business Cycle is getting difficult, competitions are rising, margins are getting thinner, sometime its get suffocated and the customer’s starts loosing money.
In most of the time you act as a consultant to your customer to choose /suggest a right product /solution tailoring the product according to his specific requirement.
Customers makes a total homework before going for a product/solutions more often you find him to be very focused on his requirements which are pre defined according to his business requirement.
The Customer’s Customer, the Customer’s Competitions, and Changes anticipated in Customer’s business structure is an important aspect, which you have to keep in mind before pitching your product/solution.
The customer’s customer habits are rapidly changing, so too, communications must consider language, culture, media, venue and technology for maximum effect. The way to reach these distinct marketing targets is decidedly more specialized than it once was. Tactics like interactive, targeted broadcast, experiential marketing, entertainment marketing, buzz marketing and direct customized e marketing represent just a few of the new options. Customer is very much sensitive about his demanding customer’s or else he looses his customer to his competitors.
Customer’s Change, technologies are fast becoming obsolete with the TLC/PLC becoming shorter, changes are necessary, investment protection are important, and scalability is required. Pitch in the right solution for which gives investment protection via scalability customer’s ROI should be protected thru value for money.
Tough times ahead tough customers to be broken.

Marx Ignored Human Capital

Marx thought about his philosophy he considered all the people are weak and feeble and the Have-nots being exploited by the Haves.
But the world has changed over the years and in the last decades it has changes rapidly.
Internet, Globalization has played a tremendous role in it and it is an on going process.
But still today you have got poverty, 5 Billion people in the planet is living below the poverty line(According to UN drawing less than US$2 per day).
But today if you really unleash the power of the people you have to educate them in right full manner. If you look any country which is G-7/8 countries (Process Economies) their main capital is Human Capital.
Take for example a country like India, which is struggling to climb up the Value Chain, is not having quality Human Capital.
Mr. Narayan Murthy was a socialist but this socialist with Rs 10,000 ( Us $ 300) set up Infosys and in 25 years time the Market Capitalization of Infy was Rs 1,35,000 Crores (US$35 Billion).
A Marxist having brain power( Proper and Right Education) can be wealth creator and in turn can benefit the society.
It is unfortunate we don't have enough Narayanmurthy's, but India is having a serious challenges of over population.
There is a silver line behind the dark clouds the 350 Million young Indian kids who are between the age of 9 to15 years requires proper education.
The demography can give tremendous dividends if we can educate them and it is not going to be a liability. I am sure if India can ensure that every child can access quality education and stay in school for at least 10 years, another 10 Narayanmurthys can come out, may be Marxist or capitalist but can benefit the society by wealth creation.
You cannot get Laxmi without Saraswati bandana. You have to admit that knowledge is power but also economic power.
" If you think money can give you independence you are absolutely wrong, it is the knowledge, ability to utilize the knowledge and experience can give you independence" Henry Ford said these great words.

Indian education Sector will be open to FDI

There is an acute shortage of good faculty in Technical and Management education in India, but as we progress we are having huge shortage of quality manpower in India. As India is an emerging market and growing at 8.5% plus GDP per last three years India is facing a tremendous shortage of skilled/talented manpower.
Quality educational system is becoming a necessary for India. Indian government has privatized and opened the educational sector to churn out both quality and quality, in recent times they are opening up the educational sector to FDI.
Ruth David of Forbes predicts that "The Indian government will allow foreign universities to enter India, setting in motion a revolution in education and helping the country meet the growing demand for an educated workforce."
Indian GDP has crossed US$1 Trillion and will be doubling by another 5 years time if the growth rate is unabated.