The War of Art

Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance..

Give yourself a gift . Read this book .

The new illiterate..

Who is the leader ?

Baba Ramdev has promised to go on a fast from June 4. A news channel put together a panel for the 9.00 pm news which had Justice Santosh Hegde and a representative from the Congress

(Manish Tiwari possibly undergoing therapy to recoup or coaching on how to defend the Congress in the latest scam ) and few other folks. Part of the discussion initiated by the anchor was about the "Anna" camp , "Baba Ramdev" camp etc . He kept asking "Who is the leader of this movement ? Anna or Baba ? ". Justice Hedge's reply that both are leaders whose views he respects was not sufficiently newsworthy enough for the anchor who kept repeating the question.

"Who is the leader?" (in the context of this situation) comes from a paradigm that there can be only one leader. A pyramid structure which can hold only one person at the top. This type of questioning is also symptomatic of the times where depth , introspection , analysis are compromised for quick conclusions and buzz. This Maggi noodles approach to complex issues serves nobody's interest.

Maybe Nestle can launch a campaign saying our noodles have spawned a whole new approach to analysis and discussion of issues (which are way more convoluted than the noodles ). With Maggi at least one can get an enjoyable snack at the end of the few minutes. When a news channel (or any organization) uses that approach to a complex issue all one gets is wasted time.

Why walk when you can fly ?

Soar beyond your fears

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from
Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever
seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that
thoughone of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky,
the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the
falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the
member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace
windowthat the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried
everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone
more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this
problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above
the palace gardens.He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this
miracle"

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king.
The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your
highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings.
But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that
are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they
remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the
mundane.

So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and
fulfilling.

So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to
the glory of flight.

From the Book "Why walk when you can fly"

Leadership

Leadership is an improvisational art. The game ... keeps changing.
Competition keeps changing. So leaders need to change, to keep
reinventing themselves. Leaders have to be ready to adapt, to move,
to forget yesterday, to forgive, and to structure new roles and new
relationships for themselves, their teams, and their ever-shifting
portfolio of partners.

--Tom Peters

A new way to fight corruption

A fee based BPO style business to fight corruption . Brilliant and much needed service being explored by Shaffi Mather.

As he aptly quotes his colleague 'We are insane persons attempting an impossible task. Of course , an insane person does not know what is impossible '.

Ideology coupled with the power of an organization and market forces can hopefully pack progressively powerful punches to the monster of corruption.

The road stops here...

California state is struggling with fiscal problems and looking at some tough measures to cut down government spending .

"Though the legislature failed to solve our budget problem yesterday, rest assured that solving the entire deficit remains my first and only priority, and I will not rest until we get it done. I will not be a part of pushing this crisis down the road - the road stops here," Mr Schwarzenegger said. 

Hard to imagine a politician in India saying 'the road stops here'.  Here the origin of a problem is always due to the opposition party or some external event / entity.

Irrespective of what Mr Schwarzenneger does to resolve the crisis and the extent to which he is able to resolve the problem - it is heartening to see him taking accountability to resolve the crisis.

'The road stops here ' applicable to individual 'crisis' situations too :)

Words

Alice Kahana , an artist living in Houston , has a painful and vivid memory of her journey to Auschwitz as a 15 year old girl. On the way, she became separated from her parents and found herself in charge of her little 8 year old brother. When the boxcar arrived , she looked down and saw that the boy was missing a shoe . "Why are you so stupid ! " she shouted at him , the way older sisters are inclined to do so. "Can't you keep track of your things?" .

This is nothing out of the ordinary except that these were the last words that passed between them , for they were herded into different cars and she never saw him again.

Nearly half a century later , Alice Kahana is still living by a distinction that was conceived in that maelstrom. She vowed not to say anything that could not stand as the last thing she ever said.

- The Art of Possibility , Ben Zander

Tackling effects alone

Found this article (online) about Mumbai in a Calcutta newspaper. The High Court is urging the Municipal Corporation to declare car-off in days in Mumbai as a means to reduce pollution. The line of thought is why should 85% of the population suffer due to the 15% who use their vehicles. There is a genuine issue - pollution and a declared villain - the folks who use their vehicle to commute. Has the makings on a needless saga.

This makes as much sense as the Traffic Police in Mumbai putting up energy guzzling electronic signs to flash statistics of drunk drivers arrested , messages like - don't honk . Implication being all problems on the roads is solely due to the indiscipline of motorists . Never mind that most roads resemble the moon's surface , traffic signs in many places don't work or are not even installed , BMC has thoughtlessly dug up roads in an entire area reducing the lanes available for traffic movement , corrupt officials have turned a blind eye to pavements and roads being encroached , successive governments and the municipal corporation have not made the effort to develop the public transport adequately . I have read often that Mumbai has a very good public transportation system compared with many other parts of India. Well , in the land of the blind the one-eyed is king.

Coming back to the pollution issue . It is a genuine problem . One that affects most residents of Mumbai. Commuting takes much longer than it should. The solution for that is not to mandate car off days . First and foremost develop the public transportation system in quantity , quality and frequency which incentivizes travel by public transport. Once a robust and comfortable public transportation is in place then to experiment with car-off days makes sense. The government need not do it all by themselves . Some of the bus , train transport can be privatized. Improving the public transport takes vision , will , ability to implement plans within specific timelines * - all of which our successive governments and municipal corporations have so far not demonstrated.

* cases in point - 

1. The Metro . It looks like a fairy tale ending . And then they built it happily ever after....

2. Bandra-Worli sea link

We need to work on genuine, long term solutions rather than waste time on impractical (at this point in time) ideas like 'car off days'. 

Lives transformed by music..

Inspiring to see how music shaped the destinies of the children of El Sistema in Venezuela and the vision and perseverance of Jose Abreu who made it possible.

It's a heartfelt , profound and powerful vision . 

Later see watch the talented youngsters of The Teresa Carreno Youth Orchestra led by Gustavo Dudamel whose talent was nurtured by El Sistema .

Lessons from below

Interesting article by Rohini Nilekani.

Microfinance rests on mutualism . This is very different from the individualism of free markets....As a society , we have often looked for models that we hope will trickle down. Maybe it is just the right time for some lift irrigation for the dried-up systems on top.

Good guys finish...

....Spiritual business is an interesting concept. Is what you do all day at work part of who you are? Is it possible to be a deceitful crook all week but a good person on the weekend?....

...In a competitive world, then, one with increasing light, the way to win is not to shave more corners or hide more behavior, because you're going against the grain, fighting the tide of increasing light. In fact, the opposite is true. Individuals and organizations that can compete on generosity and fairness repeatedly defeat those that only do it grudgingly.

Seth Godin

Musical inspiration..

Bought a music CD of Ghajini . A.R Rahman's inspired (and inspiring) music needs no introduction . While downloading the CD on iTunes I was pleasantly surprised to see the list of singers . He manages to bring together eclectic , new talent and create soulful music . While a lot of music directors prefer to rely on famous , proven signers it's heartening to see directors like Rahman who have the genius to compose great music and the confidence to give new talent an opportunity . Perhaps part of the freshness in his music stems from the fact that he inducts new singers to sing his compositions . 

Something perhaps for business leaders and managers to reflect on ? 

No fate but what we make

Vidharba - in a region known for extreme indebtedness ( the area is known for the suicides by farmers in the region ) , one village - Girata - has bucked the trend - standing on its own feet , being able to reject aid , and even contributing to the Prime Minister's relief fund .

A story of determination , collective efforts and smart work . Doubly inspirational coming from a region which in the recent years has been known for suicides by farmers in the region.

Definitions that limit

Last month I attended a seminar on digital marketing . The audience comprised of folks from IT companies , media professionals , consultants , entrepreneurs operating a business primarily through the internet ( e.g portals ) . There was no one ( excepting yours truly ) from the textile / clothing business .

A fortnight ago I had the pleasure of attending a brilliant seminar by Siyahi on 'The Narrative in Indian textiles ' . It was a veritable voyage of discovery of beautiful aspects of India's textile heritage ( will share some of the experiences and insights in subsequent posts ) . The audience composition here was art / textile historians , free lance designers , writers (on the subject of India's textile heritage ) , design school representatives , (few) architects . With the exception of a furnishing manufacturer there was no real representation of folks from the textile / clothing business .

Both seminars were terrific in terms of content . And were of relevance (now more than ever ) to business in the textile and clothing category.

(The example of the textile and clothing business is a case in point . The analogy applies to various industries and businesses )

It was not as though these were secret events known only to a few .Both seminars were promoted on-line / advertised , featured in some publications . It's quite possible that many saw it and dismissed it because it did not fit into the (narrow) definition of their business or industry + attending seminars etc is axed by most corporates in troubled times . In the process passing up opportunities for learning and creation that would have a real impact on their business .

Hypocricy

We live in an interactive world where feedback loops reinforce , shape behavior. If people praise behaviors they criticize vehemently (with good reason) in private then it is a disservice to the person and to the world . Criticizing in private and praising the same behavior is viewed by the doer as being worldly wise . It's not . It's being selfish and hypocritical.It denies the individual the opportunity for feedback and reflection ( and possibly change) . And it perpetuates the behavior . When this is done frequently by a critical mass / majority this contributes to the creation of an unhealthy culture (as in the context of an group, organization or country ).

If the relationship does not allow for constructive feedback then at least do not praise the behavior. Silence is a preferable alternative.

Option B

These are unprecedented times . Many companies and individuals find themselves in situations with no past reference points to serve as a compass or a 'how to survive this' guide . Navigating unchartered territory without a map is an adventure for a few and terrifying for most .

Companies predictably are looking at all ways to cut costs - ranging from ostentatious expenses that should have anyway been axed without waiting for a downturn to the fairly ridiculous e.g for how many hours in a day should the photocopier kept operational (in addition to figuring how to grow business the employees of this company would need to devise a complex schedule on how to use the photocopier while adhering to the diktat of senior managers and yet not compromise work ) . As a friend aptly said 'no one's thinking about the cost of time spent in these endless cost cutting meetings ' . 

Service/IT companies have people 'on the bench' , manufacturing companies are shutting factories for several days . Companies that are not laying off people but need to scale down output could look at creative ways to engage the resources and energy of their people in contributing to their organization and communities . 

e.g :

- Create cross functional teams to work on specific projects of relevance to the business

- Devote quality time to work on innovation

- Contribute time to teaching 

- Initiate drives to clean up specific areas

- Volunteer time to specific NGOs / initiatives - not in an aimless , meandering sort of way. But in a professional way with tangible , specific outcomes and timelines .

You get the drift . The possibilities are endless depending on the skills available and the unique challenges to which they can be constructively applied .

This is a win-win strategy for all involved - the employee , the company , the community and the wider world . For those who seek a business benefit to any action - your customers are likely to think better of you for making a positive contribution to your community .

These days the conversation inevitably veers towards the economic situation . Many seem to be in a race to make the most dire predictions . That way one can appear prescient few days , weeks , months later should events head in the direction of one's prediction . Instead of responding to the economic situation with a mix of fear , horror and panic there is the alternative of making the most of the challenging times .

Event after event shows us how interconnected the world is . Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not - we influence (if not create ) our world equally through action and inaction. 

When the history of business in this period is written what will it be ? 

a. Companies generally recoiled in horror , laid off people , cut salaries , reduced focus on innovation . Their employees felt unsure , reduced levels of trust in the management , stressed out. Having dried the innovation pipelines they had nothing new or meaningful to offer to their customers . Which in turn perpetuated the reduced sales and the gloomy outlook .

b. At least some companies had the courage to redefine their purpose , their relationships with the wider world of which they are a part . Having engaged their employees in meaningful initiatives they came out of the phase stronger , more confident . And in fact these companies not just survived the downturn . They were instrumental in catalyzing growth .

I'm hoping it will be option 'b' not just for a few - but many companies .

an avoidable drama

The recent episode of Jet Airways making an announcement to retrench 1100 employees and the reversal with the chairman stating that “The management will have to understand sometimes in a family there are disagreements but the father of the family decides.” had the weirdness one would normally associate with Ekta Kapoor serials . The drama was entirely avoidable .

Jet did not reach it's current employee numbers overnight . Neither were the recruitments done without the knowledge of Jet . When an organization faces challenging times(due to external factors or a crisis of it's own making) it's necessary to look at all aspects of the business to save costs . And not put people on the chopping block as the first measure . Even if retrenchment / retrenchment on this scale was the only way out there were far more humane ways to go about it .

After this episode Jet can probably add ' rebuild employee trust and morale' to it's to-do list.

One hopes that the Jet episode will be instructive for other companies who may be contemplating similar measures as the first course of action .

Talent does not always have a specific degree

In an earlier post I had written that talent has no gender . According to some companies talent comes with specific educational degrees (only). Anyone without those degrees is deemed unsuitable .

Picture this – a fashion clothing manufacturer which insists on hiring only engineers with a MBA  degree for customer service and sales positions . Not only are the recruitment criteria irrelevant . They are sometimes counter productive for the business .

To succeed in customer service/sales in the fashion business one must have an eye for detail , understand the product in detail , seek to innovate , have an interest in fashion , be people centric , willingness to learn , willingness to work on the shop floor / with the artisans (if not all then at least some of this attributes in varying degrees ). Does an engineering degree ensure these traits ?

Since the creation of SoulQuest I have had the opportunity to work with a very diverse group of people and companies across India . Talent abounds in the most unexpected places .

The dedicated sales girl in a handloom store who in a few visits understood our requirements and created relevant sample ranges on her own . Built a strong rapport to an extent where my colleagues go an extra mile to develop business to place to her . It was incredibly touching to see her follow up to service some enquiries (which she knew were important for us) while on her maternity leave . This is service that can’t be taught or forced.

An entrepreneur who (works with artisans) provides consistently high levels of quality and personalized service.

    A young girl with Higher Secondary Education who today effectively manages the administration of a start-up software company . She made the effort to learn whatever was needed , asked for additional responsibilities . Of course the organization supported her . But without her initiative it would not have been possible.

The examples could fill a book . The point is not that engineering or certain degrees are of no value . An arts graduate may be able to bring immense value to a software company and a biotech graduate may make a terrific designer. The point is that talent does not always come only with a uniform package of specific degrees.

This is even more relevant in a country like India where the educational system is quite rigid. Add to it the fact that career choices get determined at an age when (in most cases) the person makes choices from a limited understanding of possibilities . For many certain educational options are not available due to monetary constraints . But they have the attitude , talent and willingness to learn .Given this background - ill conceived recruitment criteria are a disservice to the business and every stake holder involved.

Oddly companies seem to look at non-linear profiles to recruit only when faced with a crisis of shortage of ‘suitable’ candidates .  It’s a reaction rather than a pro-active strategy .

Large corporates  tend to seek homogeneity of sorts – within a function , across the organization . In some it takes the form of documented recruitment criteria , in some it is informal e.g hire people who are likely to be in sync with the culture of not questioning the hierarchy etc . The end result is a group with an alarming resemblance to the agents in the Matrix movies .

To navigate through today’s world new (relevant) skills are vital – to understand the changing business landscape , innovate continuously and to build strong relationships.

It takes self-confident and strong leaders to redefine the business and invite the (relevant) diverse group of people on-board .

p.s - The very existence , shape and form of organizations is undergoing scrutiny and change in a world where groups come together and create something that would have been impossible for an organization to do / do at a comparable cost e.g Wikipedia , Flickr . More on that in a later post…

Handle with love

At SoulQuest hand-made products are a passion for us . This coupled with the exploration of India's textile heritage makes for a lot of 'aha!' moments at work. 

While maintaining a certain quality and look we experiment a fair amount to make product presentations creative , engaging and more importantly respectful of the product , people and everything that went into creating it . Few months ago we decided to stamp some of the exceptional hand made products with a stamp that says "Handle with love" . It was interesting to see the response it elicited within the extended SoulQuest community . Many loved it . Some were alarmed (what's the word love doing in a company's lexicon ? ). Spirited discussions ensued. Can't say that we have converted all the skeptics . The doors are open for an ongoing dialogue .

To our delight a Japanese retailer loved the idea and has requested to feature "Handle with Love" on their forthcoming garment collection . 

Business is essentially a human endeavor . A working person spends most of his waking hours at work . As consumers we experience the products and services created by businesses. Worldwide business is a force that wields far greater power than governments or any institution . In an essentially human endeavor that is today the most powerful force shaping the planet - does it make sense to pretend that emotions , values have no place ? To see business primarily as an aggregation of numbers ? This view of business in varying degrees is responsible to a large extent for the state of the planet and it's inhabitants . Sadly this 'view' is not just a view . It's the eyes through which many see i.e it's so deep rooted . Active acknowledgement and inclusion of emotions and values are essential to nurture creativity and intuition . The quantum leaps we need to make as a species are unlikely to come from a view of business where business is seen an end in itself  or an elaborate number game.

For many the sterile view of business is like 'The Emperor's New Clothes' . Not everyone though has the honesty and courage of the child in that fable . 

We can alter the view and role of business through actions and choices we make everyday as business people and consumers. Granted that the change is unlikely to happen overnight . But the current view of business too did not develop in a day .

Tread with courage .