Message From MD – October 2018

Dear friends,
The first half of the current financial year is over. Where do we stand? It’s time for a serious introspection. Many factors never thought of, many incidents never happened in a lifetime, many new opportunities never heard of, many challenges which do not have a solution, many threats which need specific actions are the key players of the current era. How do we address them? Are we capable of addressing them with our current capabilities? Are we sure about the solutions and actions? These questions need very serious introspection. For us, the past six months were not at all depressive, nor desperate, but steady and future oriented. We can expect REAL BIG announcements in the coming days. So be ready for a big leap and be prepared to welcome the changes.

A lot has been accomplished by business leaders who turned right when told to turn left, who reached for the door instead of for the stars, who selected No. 2 when the selection committee unanimously recommended No. 1. This exemplifies the unconventional wisdom of true entrepreneurs. Sometimes, adopting radical simplicity can be the best approach to team creativity. Perhaps the best way to bolster innovation in team members is by drawing a circle around them, literally. It could well be that the best career decision we ever make is the decision to accept a pay cut or a denial of salary increment in favour of a boss upgrade. We may decide to go with people who are excellent at one thing rather than with a group of people who are good at everything. We may find effective leadership does not require gregariousness and charisma in the current scenario. Introverts can actually be better leaders than extraverts, especially when their team members are naturally proactive. We may seriously think decrease in workplace transparency can increase worker productivity. Many competitors drop out of the market. Too often, though, they come to the wrong conclusion. What should we do then? Whether we should advance or retreat? It’s time that we thought a little outside the box.

It’s a period of adversity on many fronts. Adversity in business can come in many forms: a difficult staff relationship, misunderstandings or misperceptions among a group, or conflicting objectives of different functions, unexpected obstacles, setbacks, failures, and disappointments. For us, the recent natural calamity in the form of an unprecedented flood, a shaky Kerala economy, customers from an increasingly globalized business world, technologies that are constantly changing, changing relationships between countries, especially when we address customers across the globe, etc. are the other contributors. Within such a dynamic environment, a curveball can come from anywhere: a portion of our customer’s income may suddenly dry up, belt-tightening layoffs may loom, or strategic plans that made sense years ago may need serious rejiggering to compete in an ever-mobile, internet-dependent new society.

Many of us respond with a knee-jerk reaction when adversity hits, but a more considered approach is better for a successful resolution. Friends, it’s going to be fine. Just relax. Exhale. Keep your eyes on the road and keep moving.

Regards,
Sunil Kumar