Some thought provoking quotations
'It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked,through understanding;and to the open handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving. And is there aught you would withhold ? All you have shall someday be given....See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver and an instrument of giving. ' Khalil Gibran
' This is the true joy in life,the being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighy one. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die,for the harder I work the more line.' George Benard Shaw
' Even though a speech be a thousand (of words) but made up of senseless words,one word of sense is better , which if a man hears,he becomes quiet.' Dharmapada
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Act of Kindness !
Tim Sanders Blog took me to an interesting article titled The Answer for Ugly Times? Do Something Beautiful by William C Taylor.
With so much of uncertainity & stress around us a small act of kindness can make a big difference in our personal & professional lives.
It turns out that Boston's legendary Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where sick kids get some of the best care in the world, is building a big new facility. Every morning, in bitter temperatures and biting wind, ironworkers show up for work and move the building a little closer to completion. No news there. What is news is what happens before the shift begins:
"It has become a beloved ritual at Dana-Farber," the Globe reports. "Every day, children who come to the clinic write their names on sheets of paper and tape them to the windows of the walkway for ironworkers to see. And, every day, the ironworkers paint the names onto I-beams and hoist them into place as they add floors to the new 14-story Yawkey Center for Cancer Care.
"The building's steel skeleton is now a brightly colored, seven-story monument to scores of children receiving treatment at the clinic — Lia, Alex, and Sam; Taylor, Izzy, and Danny. For the young cancer patients, who press their noses to the glass to watch new names added every day, the steel and spray-paint tribute has given them a few moments of joy and a towering symbol of hope.
"It's fabulous," said [18-month-old] Kristen [Hoenshell]'s mother, Elizabeth, as she held her daughter and marveled at the rainbow of names. "It's just a simple little act that means so much."
I am sure we all have enough and more opportunities to do a small act of kindness. The article also talks about act of kindness demonstrated by Zappos, the fast-growing, billion-dollar-a-year Internet retailer. The CEO Tony Heish narrates and I quote
A customer who had been trying to locate a pair of hard-to-find shoes for her husband, until she finally found them on Zappos. But before she could give the shoes to her husband, he died in a car accident. This customer called the Zappos 1-800 number to ask for help in returning the shoes. The call-center rep provided all the technical support the customer needed — and then took it upon herself to send flowers to the widow, offering condolences on behalf of her colleagues . It was a simple gesture that conveyed a powerful signal — both on a human level, and about the type of company Zappos aspires to be. The widow was so moved that she spoke about the flowers at her husband's funeral.
Few acts of kindness which do not need much effort , sending a Thank You Note to someone special , Telling your Customers how special they are ..the list goes on
Everyday is Special so go ahead and make the best of it !
With so much of uncertainity & stress around us a small act of kindness can make a big difference in our personal & professional lives.
It turns out that Boston's legendary Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where sick kids get some of the best care in the world, is building a big new facility. Every morning, in bitter temperatures and biting wind, ironworkers show up for work and move the building a little closer to completion. No news there. What is news is what happens before the shift begins:
"It has become a beloved ritual at Dana-Farber," the Globe reports. "Every day, children who come to the clinic write their names on sheets of paper and tape them to the windows of the walkway for ironworkers to see. And, every day, the ironworkers paint the names onto I-beams and hoist them into place as they add floors to the new 14-story Yawkey Center for Cancer Care.
"The building's steel skeleton is now a brightly colored, seven-story monument to scores of children receiving treatment at the clinic — Lia, Alex, and Sam; Taylor, Izzy, and Danny. For the young cancer patients, who press their noses to the glass to watch new names added every day, the steel and spray-paint tribute has given them a few moments of joy and a towering symbol of hope.
"It's fabulous," said [18-month-old] Kristen [Hoenshell]'s mother, Elizabeth, as she held her daughter and marveled at the rainbow of names. "It's just a simple little act that means so much."
I am sure we all have enough and more opportunities to do a small act of kindness. The article also talks about act of kindness demonstrated by Zappos, the fast-growing, billion-dollar-a-year Internet retailer. The CEO Tony Heish narrates and I quote
A customer who had been trying to locate a pair of hard-to-find shoes for her husband, until she finally found them on Zappos. But before she could give the shoes to her husband, he died in a car accident. This customer called the Zappos 1-800 number to ask for help in returning the shoes. The call-center rep provided all the technical support the customer needed — and then took it upon herself to send flowers to the widow, offering condolences on behalf of her colleagues . It was a simple gesture that conveyed a powerful signal — both on a human level, and about the type of company Zappos aspires to be. The widow was so moved that she spoke about the flowers at her husband's funeral.
Few acts of kindness which do not need much effort , sending a Thank You Note to someone special , Telling your Customers how special they are ..the list goes on
Everyday is Special so go ahead and make the best of it !
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bloggers Meet!
One of my friends had forwarded me an invite for an Bloggers Meet organised by http://www.indiblogger.in/bloggermeet.php?id=26.
I kept wondering what would it be like , on registration I got a personalised invite with a specified agenda. I was looking forward to attend the same. I was thinking what it would be like to meet bloggers , I had butteflies in my stomach. When I entered the room( it was conducted in Microsoft Premises), it was an informal seating arrangement and there some seats which were empty. I managed to garb a seat waiting for the event to start. We were expecting some more bloggers to arrive.
We started the meet with a 1 minute fame , wherein each blogger would introduce a blog. Each one of them had a different perspective on blogging and what made them to have a blog. Some did it for professional reasons , one of them found his better half through blogging ...the list is endless ..everyone had a different reason
We spoke about Blogging rights , key things to be kept in mind while blogging and we also got an exclusive perview of Windows 7 . We also got treated on Pizza and Coke sponspored by Microsoft.
Overall I really had a good time and a learning too....
Tnanks Naveen!
I kept wondering what would it be like , on registration I got a personalised invite with a specified agenda. I was looking forward to attend the same. I was thinking what it would be like to meet bloggers , I had butteflies in my stomach. When I entered the room( it was conducted in Microsoft Premises), it was an informal seating arrangement and there some seats which were empty. I managed to garb a seat waiting for the event to start. We were expecting some more bloggers to arrive.
We started the meet with a 1 minute fame , wherein each blogger would introduce a blog. Each one of them had a different perspective on blogging and what made them to have a blog. Some did it for professional reasons , one of them found his better half through blogging ...the list is endless ..everyone had a different reason
We spoke about Blogging rights , key things to be kept in mind while blogging and we also got an exclusive perview of Windows 7 . We also got treated on Pizza and Coke sponspored by Microsoft.
Overall I really had a good time and a learning too....
Tnanks Naveen!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Quality Circle
On my way to office on a Friday morning I happen to overhear the conversation of a group of friends. One of them was asking his friend as to what was discussed about him in the 'Quality Circle'.
Apparently the group conducts ' Quality Circle ' in their apartment wherein they discuss about each roomrate ( positives & deltas ) . The difference is that the person being discussed is not present in the room.
The friend was shying away from discussing this topic and was not comfortable in speaking about what happened on the eventful day.
It made me think as to why do people shy from giving feedback. We try to be diplomatic and politically correct in what we say at work and @ home.
Dr. Frank Lutz in his book ' Words that work ' offers some interesting advice on effective communication.Next time when you need to give feedback to anybody,don't shy away , it might just help the person to be a better human being.
Apparently the group conducts ' Quality Circle ' in their apartment wherein they discuss about each roomrate ( positives & deltas ) . The difference is that the person being discussed is not present in the room.
The friend was shying away from discussing this topic and was not comfortable in speaking about what happened on the eventful day.
It made me think as to why do people shy from giving feedback. We try to be diplomatic and politically correct in what we say at work and @ home.
Dr. Frank Lutz in his book ' Words that work ' offers some interesting advice on effective communication.Next time when you need to give feedback to anybody,don't shy away , it might just help the person to be a better human being.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Conversations!
We all engage in conversations at home & work , some are meaningful & some just become a formality. With TIME passing by we hardly get to engage in ' Quality & Meaningful ' conversation.
Can you recall any such conversations ? If NOT then its time to revisit the conversations
Can you recall any such conversations ? If NOT then its time to revisit the conversations
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Secret !
Recently I was having a conversation with one of my colleagues on a career choice and she happened to talk to me about ' Law of Attraction ' . It is as simple as it sounds. She told me The Secret for a joyful living . She suggested me to read the book " The Secret " .
My officearea sports the biggest Crossword Book Store and I happened to visit the store one afternoon and I picked up the book " The Secret - Rhonda Byrne " . The next 2 hours that of hat afternoon I shall never forget. I completely touched by the book and I started slowly practising The Secret in small ways. Thanks Papiya for the recommending the " The Secret "
The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law.
The Secret explains with simplicity the law that is governing all lives, and offers the knowledge of how to create - intentionally and effortlessly - a joyful life. This is the secret to everything - the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health and prosperity.This is the secret to life.
It works on 3 simple steps to a joyful life , "Ask , Believe & Receive " . Belief is the most critical element of all the three.
If you want a joyful life then do pick up the copy from your nearest store / book site. You could also visit their site http://www.thesecret.tv/
Have a great life and enjoy every moment !
My officearea sports the biggest Crossword Book Store and I happened to visit the store one afternoon and I picked up the book " The Secret - Rhonda Byrne " . The next 2 hours that of hat afternoon I shall never forget. I completely touched by the book and I started slowly practising The Secret in small ways. Thanks Papiya for the recommending the " The Secret "
The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law.
The Secret explains with simplicity the law that is governing all lives, and offers the knowledge of how to create - intentionally and effortlessly - a joyful life. This is the secret to everything - the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health and prosperity.This is the secret to life.
It works on 3 simple steps to a joyful life , "Ask , Believe & Receive " . Belief is the most critical element of all the three.
If you want a joyful life then do pick up the copy from your nearest store / book site. You could also visit their site http://www.thesecret.tv/
Have a great life and enjoy every moment !
Language !
Recently I was having a conversation with my colleague on the language which is hardly being heard / spoken ' Sanskrit ' .In fact I remember when i was in school ( 1986 ) I used to speak & learn sanskrit. But i dont think our current education system no longer provides this option. If this is how the current generation is then I will not be surprised if the next generation asks a question ' What is Sanskrit ? '
I love watching TV and I came across Doordarshan , " the only channel " which still broadcasts news in Sanskrit. This made me want more and then I googled to know more about Sanskrit.What i found on Wikepedia is truly interesting.
Sanskrit (संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. Sanskrit is a member of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the Indo-European family of languages. It has the characteristic Satem sound changes associated with other members of Indo-Iranian.
The term "Sanskrit" was not thought of as a specific language set apart from other languages, but rather as a particularly refined or perfected manner of speaking. Knowledge of Sanskrit was a marker of social class and educational attainment in ancient India and the language was taught mainly to members of the higher castes, through close analysis of Sanskrit grammarians such as Pāṇini. Sanskrit, as the learned language of Ancient India, thus existed alongside the Prakrits (vernaculars), which evolved into the Middle Indic dialects, and eventually into the contemporary modern Indo-Aryan languages.
Today, Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals in the forms of hymns and mantras. Spoken Sanskrit is still in use in a few traditional institutions in India, and there are some attempts at revival.
The challenge that lies ahead is how to revive Sanskrit? I have started thinking , what about you ?
I love watching TV and I came across Doordarshan , " the only channel " which still broadcasts news in Sanskrit. This made me want more and then I googled to know more about Sanskrit.What i found on Wikepedia is truly interesting.
Sanskrit (संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. Sanskrit is a member of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the Indo-European family of languages. It has the characteristic Satem sound changes associated with other members of Indo-Iranian.
The term "Sanskrit" was not thought of as a specific language set apart from other languages, but rather as a particularly refined or perfected manner of speaking. Knowledge of Sanskrit was a marker of social class and educational attainment in ancient India and the language was taught mainly to members of the higher castes, through close analysis of Sanskrit grammarians such as Pāṇini. Sanskrit, as the learned language of Ancient India, thus existed alongside the Prakrits (vernaculars), which evolved into the Middle Indic dialects, and eventually into the contemporary modern Indo-Aryan languages.
Today, Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals in the forms of hymns and mantras. Spoken Sanskrit is still in use in a few traditional institutions in India, and there are some attempts at revival.
The challenge that lies ahead is how to revive Sanskrit? I have started thinking , what about you ?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Straight Talk
How many times have people come back to you and said ' why dont you get to the point ' ?
Its happened with me most of the times. I have developed a new habit of doing Straight Talk.
Straight Talk is nothing but put in simple words / get to the point of what you want to convey to your recepient.
Next time while in conversation just do ' Straight Talk ' and experience the benefits yourself.
Its happened with me most of the times. I have developed a new habit of doing Straight Talk.
Straight Talk is nothing but put in simple words / get to the point of what you want to convey to your recepient.
Next time while in conversation just do ' Straight Talk ' and experience the benefits yourself.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
What's In a Name ?
It just happened over a cup of tea...my colleague was surfing one of the news channel and he said ' TATA ka NANO ' .
The first reaction was Nano? I logged on to Google & Wikipedia to kill my curiosity. The search results were endless ( thanks to search engines)
The first meaning that I discovered was Nano refers to ' one billionth' . Well the meaning did not exactly ring a bell as a consumer and that became the topic of discussion for the next half hour or so.
Marketing gurus and enough case studys have clearly articulated that ' brand name ' has a big impact on the consumer behaviour. There have been enough articles in the national dailies on what made TATA choose Nano and they have their reasons some of them are ' nano refers to small , advanced technology ...'
With the kind of choice that consumers have in the market it becomes essential to have a name that appeals to all. Car ownership has always been a prestige issue for consumers and with increased brand availability in the market ' name ' plays a very important role.
On the contrary the Indian consumer is so much overwhelmed by this invention that probably the brand name has lost its significance and the affordability factor has been given importance.The car is priced at 1 lakh only. What more could the Indian consumers ask for ?
I am sure with time passing by this could be one case study where in the affordability of a product has shadowed the brand appeal...
The first reaction was Nano? I logged on to Google & Wikipedia to kill my curiosity. The search results were endless ( thanks to search engines)
The first meaning that I discovered was Nano refers to ' one billionth' . Well the meaning did not exactly ring a bell as a consumer and that became the topic of discussion for the next half hour or so.
Marketing gurus and enough case studys have clearly articulated that ' brand name ' has a big impact on the consumer behaviour. There have been enough articles in the national dailies on what made TATA choose Nano and they have their reasons some of them are ' nano refers to small , advanced technology ...'
With the kind of choice that consumers have in the market it becomes essential to have a name that appeals to all. Car ownership has always been a prestige issue for consumers and with increased brand availability in the market ' name ' plays a very important role.
On the contrary the Indian consumer is so much overwhelmed by this invention that probably the brand name has lost its significance and the affordability factor has been given importance.The car is priced at 1 lakh only. What more could the Indian consumers ask for ?
I am sure with time passing by this could be one case study where in the affordability of a product has shadowed the brand appeal...
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Magic Words
As a HR professional one of the challenges that I face on a daily basis is how do I maintain the engagement levels of my constituents. Engagement also signifies the organization health.
With Christmas & New Year round the corner I thought of an initiative that would bring a smile to my customers. It was to do with Thanks giving / expressing Gratitude. There are 2 little magic words that can open any heart with ease …One little word is THANKS and the other little word is PLEASE Appreciation / Thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.
In todays world when its harder to find time , I thought we will use this opportunity to Thank / Appreciate people at our workplace who have made a difference to our lives in their own special ways. We had designed Thank You cards which were sent to the Managers for their team members to fill in their comments and send it back to us so that we could dispatch the same to their team members. I was talking to one of the managers as to when is he going to give the Thank You cards for his team members , his response was ‘ is it mandatory ? ‘ It took me some time to react to his response.
Almost all the books that I read have mentioned about expression of Gratitude / Thanks , even the best of best politicians / military leaders have dispalyed this behaviour that can make a tremendous difference in peoples lives but this managers response was an unexpected one....
Do you use the 2 magic words " Thank You " & " Please " in your daily life at home / work ?
With Christmas & New Year round the corner I thought of an initiative that would bring a smile to my customers. It was to do with Thanks giving / expressing Gratitude. There are 2 little magic words that can open any heart with ease …One little word is THANKS and the other little word is PLEASE Appreciation / Thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.
In todays world when its harder to find time , I thought we will use this opportunity to Thank / Appreciate people at our workplace who have made a difference to our lives in their own special ways. We had designed Thank You cards which were sent to the Managers for their team members to fill in their comments and send it back to us so that we could dispatch the same to their team members. I was talking to one of the managers as to when is he going to give the Thank You cards for his team members , his response was ‘ is it mandatory ? ‘ It took me some time to react to his response.
Almost all the books that I read have mentioned about expression of Gratitude / Thanks , even the best of best politicians / military leaders have dispalyed this behaviour that can make a tremendous difference in peoples lives but this managers response was an unexpected one....
Do you use the 2 magic words " Thank You " & " Please " in your daily life at home / work ?
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Differentiation
Ever since I have entered the Corporate world , this word its own meanings and interpretations for people across.
As part of the annual meeting I was attending , the topic of discussion was differentiation. I could see different views amongst people and they all agreed that it is necessary to ' differentiate ' people basis performance but when it comes taking a call within their teams the word had a negative conotation.
Just the previous night we had a band comprising of all three former Indian Idols who had come to entertain us . The first artist came and tried to woo us with his ' singing style ' but the crowd was hardly interested and he was smart enough to recognise the early warning signals and bid farewell to us. Later we had a female & male artist who captivated the crowd till late midnight and the crowd wanted more.
I am a HR professional and was trying to relate the concept of ' differentiation ' with the band . I thought if we were asked to rate all the three people in the band , it would have been very easy for all of us to derate the first performer but when it would come to the next 2 artists who were equally good it would pose a question mark . People who have their own preferences ( including myself ) .
Each one of us has a filter of ' conformance / wanting to look good ' hence when it comes to differentiating the best , we all find it difficult. Jack Welch ( former CEO of GE ) introduced Forced Ranking.
When I googled for this on wikepedia I found something interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitality_curve
Every change takes time and I am sure next when a group is asked to differentiate performance we will be able to choose the best.
As part of the annual meeting I was attending , the topic of discussion was differentiation. I could see different views amongst people and they all agreed that it is necessary to ' differentiate ' people basis performance but when it comes taking a call within their teams the word had a negative conotation.
Just the previous night we had a band comprising of all three former Indian Idols who had come to entertain us . The first artist came and tried to woo us with his ' singing style ' but the crowd was hardly interested and he was smart enough to recognise the early warning signals and bid farewell to us. Later we had a female & male artist who captivated the crowd till late midnight and the crowd wanted more.
I am a HR professional and was trying to relate the concept of ' differentiation ' with the band . I thought if we were asked to rate all the three people in the band , it would have been very easy for all of us to derate the first performer but when it would come to the next 2 artists who were equally good it would pose a question mark . People who have their own preferences ( including myself ) .
Each one of us has a filter of ' conformance / wanting to look good ' hence when it comes to differentiating the best , we all find it difficult. Jack Welch ( former CEO of GE ) introduced Forced Ranking.
When I googled for this on wikepedia I found something interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitality_curve
Every change takes time and I am sure next when a group is asked to differentiate performance we will be able to choose the best.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Leadership
I am reading a book ' Where have all the leaders gone ? ' by Lee Iacocca and he speaks about the 9 Cs of Leadership which is quite a food for thought for all aspiring leaders and politicians.
1. Curiosity
2. Creative
3. Communicate
4. Character
5. Courage
6. Conviction
7. Charisma
8. Competent
9. Common Sense
How many Cs do you have to be a leader ?
1. Curiosity
2. Creative
3. Communicate
4. Character
5. Courage
6. Conviction
7. Charisma
8. Competent
9. Common Sense
How many Cs do you have to be a leader ?
Effective Decision Making
This statement quite intrigued me and made me wonder on the decision making at workplace
Jeffrey R Immelt , chairman of the board & the chief execuutive officer of General Electirc was once assked how many decisions does he make ad he said he personally takes 7 - 8 decisions a year. He said if he took only three decisions , the orgnaisation would decay and if it was 18-20 , the best people would leave.
This conveys how much empowerment and authoritarianism can you allow in the organisation
Jeffrey R Immelt , chairman of the board & the chief execuutive officer of General Electirc was once assked how many decisions does he make ad he said he personally takes 7 - 8 decisions a year. He said if he took only three decisions , the orgnaisation would decay and if it was 18-20 , the best people would leave.
This conveys how much empowerment and authoritarianism can you allow in the organisation
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Opportunities
I happened to read an article on Opportunities by Erich Joachimsthaler in Times Of India.He is a founder of Vivaldi Partners , strategy & marketing innovation firm headquartered in New York City.
He says ' The more successful companies often don't seem to see the biggest opportunities in plain sight ' . He sights a very interesting example on Sony ,which was once the world leader in music players.
Sony had all the things needed to follow the MP3 opportunity but it still frittered away the opportunity. And there was Apple , a computer company that had nothing to do with music and revolutionised the MP3 space with iPod.
Erich has the following pointers for being opportunist
1. The correct starting point - Don't concentrate your energies at one single point instead try to look at ways around it. Sony was focused on the success of Walkman whereas Apple on other hand had a different strategy ' How do we create a music player better than that ? ' .
2. Missing the big picture - Don't get confined to your little worlds , step out and explore opportunities beyond your immediate responsibilities. Sony stumbled because the company was strictly organised in silos. Another example Gillete which had three divisions Duracell for batteries , Oral B for toothbrushes and Braun for high end devices but still failed to see the biggest opportunity in oral care market. It was P&G which entered the local care category with the wildest imagination called Crest ( spin brush ) . P&G didn't even have the technology to do the spinbrush.
3. Junk the notion of Competitive Advantage - Most companies want to create a product that is faster , better than the competitors product. The so called ' Competitive advantage ' is a suicidal game. Companies need to identify innovations & products that fit into customer's lives. Its all about creating a different consumer experience.
4. It's not just about needs , silly ! - Most companies operate from a need fulfilment paradigm : find a need and fulfill it. Most companies do surveys to find a need & create a product with an assumption that the consumers will buy the product but in the end it does not happen.
Erich talks about ' ecosystem of demand ' a more comprehensive understanding of demand and how it arises. Its not about demand itself but also how context shapes it. Think about it
You may drink a different beer when you are out with your friends in the evening , than when you are alone with your wife at home. Many times you don't buy something just because there is a need , but just out of a passion or desire.
I work in the Human resources department which deals with employee relations for more than 25000 people. With scale comes the complexity of your need vs demand.
Quite often we get caught in what the employee needs rather than the context. A simple example can be the employee benefits . Survey results indicate that 40 % of the payroll departments time is spent in benefits administration. Generally companies roll out employee benefits just because your competitor has introduced some.
So next time when your launching a new product / new scheme think about the context and not about the need !
He says ' The more successful companies often don't seem to see the biggest opportunities in plain sight ' . He sights a very interesting example on Sony ,which was once the world leader in music players.
Sony had all the things needed to follow the MP3 opportunity but it still frittered away the opportunity. And there was Apple , a computer company that had nothing to do with music and revolutionised the MP3 space with iPod.
Erich has the following pointers for being opportunist
1. The correct starting point - Don't concentrate your energies at one single point instead try to look at ways around it. Sony was focused on the success of Walkman whereas Apple on other hand had a different strategy ' How do we create a music player better than that ? ' .
2. Missing the big picture - Don't get confined to your little worlds , step out and explore opportunities beyond your immediate responsibilities. Sony stumbled because the company was strictly organised in silos. Another example Gillete which had three divisions Duracell for batteries , Oral B for toothbrushes and Braun for high end devices but still failed to see the biggest opportunity in oral care market. It was P&G which entered the local care category with the wildest imagination called Crest ( spin brush ) . P&G didn't even have the technology to do the spinbrush.
3. Junk the notion of Competitive Advantage - Most companies want to create a product that is faster , better than the competitors product. The so called ' Competitive advantage ' is a suicidal game. Companies need to identify innovations & products that fit into customer's lives. Its all about creating a different consumer experience.
4. It's not just about needs , silly ! - Most companies operate from a need fulfilment paradigm : find a need and fulfill it. Most companies do surveys to find a need & create a product with an assumption that the consumers will buy the product but in the end it does not happen.
Erich talks about ' ecosystem of demand ' a more comprehensive understanding of demand and how it arises. Its not about demand itself but also how context shapes it. Think about it
You may drink a different beer when you are out with your friends in the evening , than when you are alone with your wife at home. Many times you don't buy something just because there is a need , but just out of a passion or desire.
I work in the Human resources department which deals with employee relations for more than 25000 people. With scale comes the complexity of your need vs demand.
Quite often we get caught in what the employee needs rather than the context. A simple example can be the employee benefits . Survey results indicate that 40 % of the payroll departments time is spent in benefits administration. Generally companies roll out employee benefits just because your competitor has introduced some.
So next time when your launching a new product / new scheme think about the context and not about the need !
Quality
Off late I have been reading & receiving quite a number of views on ' Quality ' be it at your work , with family , your relationships & Life.
My personal take on this that everything boils down to ' Self Discipline ' . The 2 magic & difficult words can create waves in all the spheres of life.
Magic because they bring in a new dimension in your work , relationships & life , difficult because it is not easy to practice self - discipline. Some people also call it Will Power. Reminds me of Nike ( Do it ) .
I was recently attending my companys annual offsite and we had admist us the presence of Gen. VP Mallick ( Operation Vijay ) talking to us about Leadership and its dimensions. He said Self discipline is one of the important attributes for a succesful leader. .I m not sure how many of us agree to this but we canset & create our own examples .
Are you ready to create one ?
My personal take on this that everything boils down to ' Self Discipline ' . The 2 magic & difficult words can create waves in all the spheres of life.
Magic because they bring in a new dimension in your work , relationships & life , difficult because it is not easy to practice self - discipline. Some people also call it Will Power. Reminds me of Nike ( Do it ) .
I was recently attending my companys annual offsite and we had admist us the presence of Gen. VP Mallick ( Operation Vijay ) talking to us about Leadership and its dimensions. He said Self discipline is one of the important attributes for a succesful leader. .I m not sure how many of us agree to this but we canset & create our own examples .
Are you ready to create one ?
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