Along with the global Recession, Most industries have taken a hit.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
What leadership is all about
I am currently reading a book by Jack Welch...called winning. Its a fantastic book. Something I have been currently inspired by is something I want to share today. Its called what leaders do.
1. Leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach and build self confidence
2. Leaders make sure people
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sharing Information
Motivating your team and your people to a large extent is possible with many small and important steps. One amongst this is the necessity to show them the things your company is doing and where it is going.
Monetary incentive is always important to an employee. However it is also important to make an employee feel good about him and his job. Nobody wants to work for a company with a 7 digit salary where he cant say what a great job he has or what a great company he works for.
Recently in a conference
Friday, September 12, 2008
If you cant do it jump ship!!!
This has always been an issue with me...about deserting a sinking ship.
I mean do you actually expect your ship mates to hold on to the shinking ship and drown to their deaths? Heavens..thats mass murder!!
Today's business has become so number oriented that even when your employee comes up to you for your help, you sound off an earful, hold a gun to his head and threaten him with dire consequences.
Just imagine, instead if you
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Managing People and empowering them contd
Hi, carrying on from my previous post...talking about my experiences in two companies. We have already seen a small start up.
Next is
2. The BIG MNC
One typical attitude of most MNC's is that though they praise Indian talent, they never actually give in completley to them. YOu will find even today most of the Major MNC's will have the Top guy being an expat. In the event that you do have an Indian at the top, Many of these guy somewhere in the process begin to get so stuck up that actually forget that most of the people who work in the company are Indians, like him, and are worthy enough to be given responsibilities. They also tend to have very practical solutions, if only you care to listen. Not hear. LISTEN.
Things I have observed there...
1. Marketing always considers sales guys uncapable of thinking or understanding "STRATEGY" or marketing communications. While I understand that it may be pointless in exlpaining the nitty gritty,A clear cut idea can be presented to endow the sales team with more fire power.
"We have a new brand ambassador" is not a clear cut idea. Its a statement. Why we have the particular brand ambassador? now thats more interesting. Here again, just a brief why is enough.
Though I am a marketing guy from the heart, being in sales has opened my eyes to the immense potential synchronization of sales and marketing can do.
2. When things get bad, or look kinda outta shape, MNC's pull out their advertising budgets and spend like mad. Here again, why dont you spare a ear for the small little guy in the corner who sells your stuff. You might be surprised at the answers you get, and the simplicity of the solutions.
3. HR exists to recruit, and spy on their guys. Whos gonna leave, whos interested in planning to leave, etc. ITs a sad state of affairs.
Some companies do a fantastic work of motivating their people by creating a FUN atmosphere, regardless of the work pressures. Today companies instead of getting their guys to relax and re focus, pressurize their teams to "THINK RIGHT" Dont you think a 5 min break is better than a gun at the head. I have read about some companies pulling out their guys right in the midle of a slump and packing them off to a three day meeting in some fun resort. business and fun. or only fun. And the results were there to see. Even if you do continue the slump, hell you still have your people there with you, fighting with you.
Well again we come back to square one. Having confidence in your people. Sharing ideas, information and empowering them. Giving them the confidence that they are important, their views are appreciated and contributes to the comapny think tank and that they can speak up any time. Giving your employees such an atmosphere automatically changes your comanies work atmosphere.
Phew!!! I wonder how many have seen this transition happening. If you have, do let me know thru your comments... till then
Cheerio
Next is
2. The BIG MNC
One typical attitude of most MNC's is that though they praise Indian talent, they never actually give in completley to them. YOu will find even today most of the Major MNC's will have the Top guy being an expat. In the event that you do have an Indian at the top, Many of these guy somewhere in the process begin to get so stuck up that actually forget that most of the people who work in the company are Indians, like him, and are worthy enough to be given responsibilities. They also tend to have very practical solutions, if only you care to listen. Not hear. LISTEN.
Things I have observed there...
1. Marketing always considers sales guys uncapable of thinking or understanding "STRATEGY" or marketing communications. While I understand that it may be pointless in exlpaining the nitty gritty,A clear cut idea can be presented to endow the sales team with more fire power.
"We have a new brand ambassador" is not a clear cut idea. Its a statement. Why we have the particular brand ambassador? now thats more interesting. Here again, just a brief why is enough.
Though I am a marketing guy from the heart, being in sales has opened my eyes to the immense potential synchronization of sales and marketing can do.
2. When things get bad, or look kinda outta shape, MNC's pull out their advertising budgets and spend like mad. Here again, why dont you spare a ear for the small little guy in the corner who sells your stuff. You might be surprised at the answers you get, and the simplicity of the solutions.
3. HR exists to recruit, and spy on their guys. Whos gonna leave, whos interested in planning to leave, etc. ITs a sad state of affairs.
Some companies do a fantastic work of motivating their people by creating a FUN atmosphere, regardless of the work pressures. Today companies instead of getting their guys to relax and re focus, pressurize their teams to "THINK RIGHT" Dont you think a 5 min break is better than a gun at the head. I have read about some companies pulling out their guys right in the midle of a slump and packing them off to a three day meeting in some fun resort. business and fun. or only fun. And the results were there to see. Even if you do continue the slump, hell you still have your people there with you, fighting with you.
Well again we come back to square one. Having confidence in your people. Sharing ideas, information and empowering them. Giving them the confidence that they are important, their views are appreciated and contributes to the comapny think tank and that they can speak up any time. Giving your employees such an atmosphere automatically changes your comanies work atmosphere.
Phew!!! I wonder how many have seen this transition happening. If you have, do let me know thru your comments... till then
Cheerio
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Managing people and empowering them
When we get fresh out of MBA/PGDBM we are presented with a rosy picture of working for large multi national companies..big moneys..fully challenging job profiles and a brilliant work atmosphere. Where we can have career discussions with peers and bosses alike, where we can approach your HR's for problems and get solutions..In short a Next to perfect job.
And everyone knows that this is all but true. A very small percentage of organizations are actually able to offer these luxuries to their employees. Very few are able to understand and manage these expectations of their employees and are able to mould them to fit into more practical environments.
Employees are people with ambition. Employees are people with ideas.
Today I want to write about how comapnies handle their people in times of crisis. No, this is not about cutting costs or job cuts. Its more about attitudes. Unfortunately or fortunately I have been in two companies where I was present in such ascenario. One is a small start up, the other a large MNC.
1. The small start up
We were'nt able to actually kick start the sales of the company's product. It was due to many factors. Primarily the lack of experience in the comapny with almost no one having any experience in sales, including myself. This went on for 6 months, were we dint have a budget to operate, no marketing, no sales force other than myself and a colleague and worst of all no flexibility in terms of margins or payment.
During the period I observed that the company panicked not for business or growth, but that they were paying two guys ( me and ma friend) and we were'nt getting business. They would rather sit with the stocks in the godown than paying two people!!!
We were threatened constantly on the phone to work "PROPERLY", e-mails ignored in the case that they would have to help us and give a suggestion, absolutely no information was givien, let alone training. We were asked to cover entire metroes on a daily bais. Imagine covering around 40 stores of a chain on a single day!! Maybe I looked like superman... :)
Anyway when I look back now, I realize how these things affected me:
1. I felt I am working for people who know even less than me. (BLind men leading another blind man)
2. Confusion as to how we were to sell premium products with no brand appeal in Major retail chains with no flexibility. We were termed " unable to negotiate", while the same people couldnt even negotiate a hall for the launch program!!!
3. Desperation as not being able to achieve, feeling like loosers
I can go on and on, but lets just analyze. The state of mind which is very important in tought imes has gone from worse to WORSE. do you expect such an employee to get you out of a slump? Needless to say the company has still not kicked of almost nearly a year and half.(FYI during this period they have wasted lots of money in desperation to promote themselves, which they could have invested in extra margins to retail chains and created visivility)
Anyone can manage a content employee...the challenge is in motivating and retaining a disintersted, and confused employee in tough times. A comapany grows by its employees, and its the employees who can get you out of tought imes. What the start could of done? my views would be on the next post after the second experience.
More in the next post with company no 2 and the theme of this post.
Do post ur comments. They keep me going. :)
And everyone knows that this is all but true. A very small percentage of organizations are actually able to offer these luxuries to their employees. Very few are able to understand and manage these expectations of their employees and are able to mould them to fit into more practical environments.
Employees are people with ambition. Employees are people with ideas.
Today I want to write about how comapnies handle their people in times of crisis. No, this is not about cutting costs or job cuts. Its more about attitudes. Unfortunately or fortunately I have been in two companies where I was present in such ascenario. One is a small start up, the other a large MNC.
1. The small start up
We were'nt able to actually kick start the sales of the company's product. It was due to many factors. Primarily the lack of experience in the comapny with almost no one having any experience in sales, including myself. This went on for 6 months, were we dint have a budget to operate, no marketing, no sales force other than myself and a colleague and worst of all no flexibility in terms of margins or payment.
During the period I observed that the company panicked not for business or growth, but that they were paying two guys ( me and ma friend) and we were'nt getting business. They would rather sit with the stocks in the godown than paying two people!!!
We were threatened constantly on the phone to work "PROPERLY", e-mails ignored in the case that they would have to help us and give a suggestion, absolutely no information was givien, let alone training. We were asked to cover entire metroes on a daily bais. Imagine covering around 40 stores of a chain on a single day!! Maybe I looked like superman... :)
Anyway when I look back now, I realize how these things affected me:
1. I felt I am working for people who know even less than me. (BLind men leading another blind man)
2. Confusion as to how we were to sell premium products with no brand appeal in Major retail chains with no flexibility. We were termed " unable to negotiate", while the same people couldnt even negotiate a hall for the launch program!!!
3. Desperation as not being able to achieve, feeling like loosers
I can go on and on, but lets just analyze. The state of mind which is very important in tought imes has gone from worse to WORSE. do you expect such an employee to get you out of a slump? Needless to say the company has still not kicked of almost nearly a year and half.(FYI during this period they have wasted lots of money in desperation to promote themselves, which they could have invested in extra margins to retail chains and created visivility)
Anyone can manage a content employee...the challenge is in motivating and retaining a disintersted, and confused employee in tough times. A comapany grows by its employees, and its the employees who can get you out of tought imes. What the start could of done? my views would be on the next post after the second experience.
More in the next post with company no 2 and the theme of this post.
Do post ur comments. They keep me going. :)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
New blog...whats it going to be
Hi,
Welcome to Business bubbles. SOme of you might already visited daily mirror (www.dm4ya.blogspot.com) which is my first blog.
The entire purpose of business bubbles is to share my take on marketing ideas, management practices and anything else related to business. IT will be largely based on my experiences and what I have learnt from others.
Hope you find it useful. Do leave your comments...
Welcome to Business bubbles. SOme of you might already visited daily mirror (www.dm4ya.blogspot.com) which is my first blog.
The entire purpose of business bubbles is to share my take on marketing ideas, management practices and anything else related to business. IT will be largely based on my experiences and what I have learnt from others.
Hope you find it useful. Do leave your comments...
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