Reflections

This is the second and concluding article of : http://reflectionsvvk. blogspot.in/2013/07/corporate- india-prevalent-operational. html We looked at the numbers game, and the no-emotions approaches; let me start with an example that will. highlight why emotions can and do make perfect business sense, especially when combined with a long-term approach... My normal approach when taking tough calls is to be humane, and give the other person both sufficient time as well as a chance to put his views forward. Additionally, I try everything within my power to retain - retrain, transfer etc. I have always been advised by peers to avoid being gentle, and just kick them out. I never understood why - until this case happened. It was an eye-opener for me. This incident happened a few years ago when I was heading a large team; on joining, I first took charge by looking at the historical sales performances of the entire team. This was critical, since I was told to cut the lagg...

http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/wockhardt-medicines-banned-in-europe-113071000888_1.html "According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), responsible for regulating medicines in the UK, the deficiencies identified during inspection in March included “a risk of cross-contamination and evidence of data falsification” My mind again went back to an incident from 7-8 years ago; I was preparing a data-set of my territory related to precise retailer mapping on individual products, using billing data from my channel which quoted specific unique item codes. This would give us a handle on the entire market, and enable payouts as well as monitor sales precisely. Now far too obviously, this is a time-consuming exercise if done properly. My manager at that time was furious, and screamed - yaar, cant you fabricate a few records? Both the above real-life incidents - one with very serious repercussions, as it entails a potential loss...

http://www.mjakbar.org/mjbiography.htm MJ Akbar is an Indian Journalist with a wide-ranging experience of more than 40 years cutting across Media, ranging from The Times of India to Headlines Today. He is a prolific Author, with several books to his credit...  "The actions by the Pakistani Government to support them - actively and passively - represent a growing problem that is undermining US interest and may violate international norms, potentially warranting sanction. In supporting these groups, the Government of Pakistan, particularly the Pakistani Army, continue to jeopardize Pakistan's opportunity to be a prosperous nation with genuine regional and international influence - Admiral Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff" The above excerpt from the conclusion makes the overall approach abundantly clear - blunt, straightforward, factual, and racy. This is a book that is a must read for Indians, as it is among the most authorit...

A small incident in a retailer's outlet today has set me thinking... I was asked by this retailer in Mumbai about a brand in telecom (a new local brand). I immediately replied that my experience of this brand in MP has not been too healthy; we had a common distributor, who was running to huge losses on account of several issues in terms of service failures and product failures. I shared this experience with him, and accordingly advised him to be careful. Note how a chance interaction in Indore has impacted a business deal 600 Kilometers away. I could not do otherwise: I, too, had a business dealing with him- and for the sake of that association, and maintaining trust - I had to be truthful with him. But this has impacted the other totally unconnected brand...  And yet, corporate managers tend to disregard this for shortcut methods - only to attain short-term numbers. This is not an isolated incident: my mind went back some 12 years to when I was managing a packing assembly at...

Our continued silence is a matter of extreme concern; unless the Indian citizen wakes up, and addresses the corruption that is now endemic to society as a whole, we are going to continue on a one-way spiral to the bottom. Let us consider the economic climate, and how it has been impacted by corruption and fiscal profligacy. We are facing a scenario of a broad-spectrum decline in all aspects of the business environment, cutting across sectors and indicators. The reasons, as given in my earlier posts, are on 2 sides: implementation hurdles and Policy stasis. Both need attending to; without that - we can expect a further slide. We are facing a BOP crisis in April 2014: how much of the $162 Billion can be rolled over is a moot point. This is short term debt coming due; add to this CAD, capital flight etc - and you are staring at a crisis situation of unprecedented proportions. If something is not done - we can expect a further correction.  Research reports from across the wo...

Our capacity to forget is truly amazing. It has taken us just 14 days to move on; just 14. But why should I find this surprising? This is par for the course; the average Indian capacity to absorb punishment is almost legendary. The list of man-made disasters and scams we have forgotten makes a very interesting read indeed, one we can justifiably be proud of - having managed to first mis-manage and then forget all the mismanagement for any number of "achievements" of our political masters, bureaucrats and big business. Be it the man-made Uttarakhand, or AMRI Fire case or be it the Satyam or Cobrapost scam; we are very quick to move on. It doesn't concern me; It doesn't effect me. I am alive and well; I am healthy and have a job... that is all that matters. My life is hunky-dory, and great. Why should I care? These, and similar opinions are the general rule. We are armchair specialists: commenting with zeal on each expose and tragedy; shaking our collective heads wit...