GreyFlex Weblog

Among the many blogs on economic scenario, its effects and way forward one I have been following quite regularly is Seth Godin, here’s a link on a free-ebook from his blog site http://sethgodin.typepad.com/files/what-matters-now-2.pdf

Its a great read.

Just yesterday the small team of us present at office got together while the systems were getting serviced and I grabbed the opportunity of discussing with them, how post these times, the business scenario will change for ever. Like it is pretty much clear the rules of business process will and have transitioned to a much more pragmatic approach. The team appeared to agree that we had to leverage our expertise in managing process, its transactional sequence, the multiplicity of priorities, anticipating and preparing for trouble, and proactively approaching opportunities with not so much dependence on domain expertise or what we have done so far. I have always believed that domain expertise can be learned and the time it requires to learn the process is inversely proportional to the willingness of the individual or the team engaged in it.

I read Seth Godin regularly and he inspires confidence in troubled times and it just felt great that he happened to mention just what we discussed in his post, http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/what-are-you-good-at.html

While we have been seeing a frightful drop in the business margins since August 2007, our business process has shown a steady increase in the top lines. We have managed to keep our neck out of the flooding waters primarily due to our earnest efforts to follow process and ensure that we are one up on the critical deliverable. The future belongs to proactive approach on business processes and being able to deliver value to clients over and above the transactional part of the deal. This approach applies significantly and critically to small enterprises and entrepreneurs, which in turn signifies the shift in outlook of team members of these enterprises to be aware of this challenge and adapt to it.

I am awed with the speech that Barack Obama gave on his inaugural address, and it did not appear like he was reading it, nor did it look like he had some help from a prompter. There is a lot on the web on his speech and subsequent analysis of why, how and what he said in those 25 minutes. He is known for his oratory skills, but the way he went on from issues to another and the passion he generated with those words in light of the troubled times we are in, I guess, connected much with listeners across the globe.

I have always been fascinated by the US – Indo relations. It’s been blow hot… blow cold… Most Indians, and typically a very large part of the entire middle class here, want to visit US; have been to US (some a few many times); know a great deal about the US; have someone they know or are related to closely in the US, yet I am not too sure if we have been able to impress much on our interest in US and get the policy makers there to know of the impression. We also had some of our national dailies screaming Obama quote US Citizens as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and non believers. For some reasons I believe that Obama unlike most other Presidents seems to acknowledge the role of the sizable Indian native population in US, and therefore I guess he may want to tread a better approach to the relations with India.

On his foreign policy, http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/foreign_policy/, one gets to see the changed US policies on troubled countries mentioned in prominence. The web page may not want to include all other countries and therefore it could be why India; however time and again the tilt towards these countries, and no direct reference to us makes us the common citizens wonder, if they yet presume India not to be an ally? The United States has never,  and as, in the recent past ever shown a strong support to Indian concerns. Nor do we do so well from our end with our communist parties crying wolf whenever there is a trade agreement signed or an FDI is inked with a American multinational, which probably attracts negative media attention there in US. For that matter communist parties are just the same with any other western countries and Indian enterprises as well.

In course of our regular business we have interacted with a lot of professionals from US as clients and have imbibed processes which have helped us manage business from a generic manner locally to transacting and presenting business in structured and professional way to global clients. It is to the credit of such transactions we have learned through them that have enabled us to gain grounds with professionals from different other parts of the world. Our experience in the last decade, which I am sure is not surprising and not new to many others, as well, is that our  business prospects are proportionate to the strength of US economy and other markets also respond better then. The way we have been conducting our business and responding to global clientele has undergone a sea change for better and local clients have also experienced such welcome change. It is quite in the interest of the enterprising community that the US economy does well and our relations with US on both the fronts; economic and external affairs, improve.

Hopefully with http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/change_has_come_to_whitehouse-gov/ we will see better  times to come soon. Will there be a learning for our policy makers in managing such a change ?

There’s been a small break from my writing due to a new business process engaged by us recently. Activity in business is rare these days and therefore it is a good news considering the turtle pace of deals and action seen in business all-around. The client has been magnanimous to offer us this deal considering that we are yet operating at a smaller scale and on successful implementation the scale seems quite promising. Scaling up fast is possible when you are small and the opportunity is big :-).

Here I write on client business transition, which is an exciting phase in business. The business then has the opportunity to experience a new process, manage a new process, implement a new system and if all components in the process runs well, reward comes in the form of added bottom lines. A new process for a client brings in excitement and needs to be carried out at a fast pace which often  can be extremely de-settling for the set internal processes. Its like stirring a bowl with mud and water, and then you suddenly see a colloid of brownish liquid till the mud actually settles down and then there is clarity. The water gets it clarity with the passage of time and everything looks settled and is back to normal. Similar is the reaction, with colleagues, associates and even family members when the equilibrium is disturbed from an otherwise set eco-system.  The effect of the stir is quite different on each of these individuals.

From an account manager’s perpective, responsible to such a client, one would wish that the stir settles down instantly and clarity is available quickly. While most account managers would wishfully want such improbable to occur, the length of passage of time will test the nerve of even an otherwise cool mind. It becomes important for the account manager to be able to see clarity because a query from the client in unclear waters can be extremely unnerving leading to the feel of being out of control. A feeling such as this will be the last thing an account manager would ever wish. Though one would want to, there is certainly no escape from the extreme chaos that is bound to happen within the existing systems and the way of doing things. A new process; a new role; changed systems; often warranted by such transitions, can get colleagues & associates, grapple at the pace, and usually leads to bursts of stress and excitement getting the whole ecosystem tense. 

To complicate matters further, family chips into the chaos not realising that people involved in transition sometimes unconsciously carry home this experience. They are not unreasonable in their quest to know the reasons of chaos, but explaining chaos requires patience which is generally thin in such circumstances :-).

I believe, it is during such turbulent times, the tough get the opportunity to prove themselves and clear the stir. It takes attention, commitment, willingness and pace to settle  the process and revert to stability. It is probably an opportunity as well for everyone in the process to align and check each other on reliability and adaptability. Transition in business teaches you valuable lessons, and the gripping experience, like all times is unique and worth each penny being an entrepreneur.

I knew of Dr. Randy Pausch, just the day he died. He inspires. I’d pray for his soul to rest in peace.

Confidence motion won, trust lost and citizens eye-washed. We have always known to have very short memories. All that have concerned us for 4 long years has now been forgotten and there is jubilation over the accomplishment to offer nuclear power to us, the citizens, to eradicate poverty, and which may reach us in 6 years! No other PM has staked so much ever on a deal, but then there was never an issue to  cover up many other…!

The parliament debates on confidence in the Government, over the n-deal, which apparently will generate 6% of our energy usage in around 6 years. I wonder if this hype is a leading eye wash over issues on price-rise, inflation, decline of business opportunity, and corruption. Isn’t it ironical, the ruling alliance manages to accomplish this almost every-time they near completion of their term. What’s next?