Random Management Thoughts

Chandrayaan 1 puts India on a couple of maps

2008-11-12T19:53:00.003+05:30

Chandrayaan 1 will help create a brand in the segment India is trying to target – i.e., the satellite launch capability with clear positioning on technology, reliability & being the cheapest in the world is a real feather in the cap.

One may wonder if it has come in the right time. Yes, India has various other concerns which needs to be looked into domestically like poverty, education, etc. But looking at India from the view point of a capitalist - this will lead to more job creation & thus elevating people from poverty.

Also this puts India clearly in the league of countries with ICBM capabilities. That would make some neighbors to wake up & take notice to take India seriously in the geo-politics.

All in all 1 adds to Brand India - but definitely doesn't take it up drastically overall.

Success Story: Management Mantra

2008-08-28T18:48:00.003+05:30

Published in Hindustan Times dated 12th Aug 08.

Catch 22: Be Green OR Turn Green With Envy!

2008-06-20T23:08:00.003+05:30

The other day there were a bunch of people in a restaurant of ours (Kaati Zone) – they seem to have threatened my restaurant staff that we use too much of plastic, its polluting the earth and if we didn’t stop – serious action will be taken from the NGO the crowd seemed to represent! They created a scene – our customers were taken a back & then they went away saying that they will be back in sometime to check if we have changed & gone green!!!

This throws up a few questions. Starting from early in the morning - the toothbrush we use & the tube of paste are made of plastic! The pill and injection that we take when we are sick are packaged in plastic! Major portions of our mobile phones are made of plastic! Our laptops have plastic components! Our food & beverages are packed in plastics! Most things in life today are made of plastic or have a plastic component in it or is packaged in plastic! Plastic has kind of become Omni present in our everyday lives. We use so much of plastic without knowledge or giving it a thought! The whole world is so immersed in using plastic as its convenient, cheap, etc, that we seem to just take its ill effects for granted. But even for an aware individual who wants to make a difference today – does she/he have a choice!?! I don’t think so.

In a typical restaurant there is a certain amount of usage of plastics no doubt – it varies on the kind of food being served to the type of the restaurant to the people who run it to how successful the restaurant is as well. But what is the alternative – PAPER! Hey isn’t it made of trees as well. So if I move from plastics to paper doesn’t it mean that there will be more trees cut to make paper which will substitute plastic! Even though we can recycle paper – there is a limit to it & in the intermediate I feel that if we replaced all the plastic with paper today – there will be no tree left on earth!!! Catch 22!!! And yes it’s a serious dilemma for a restaurant – do I use paper – especially re-cycled paper – which costs more!!! Will the consumer pay for it? Yes, but a very small section of them. Then what about the others? So will an upcoming chain of restaurants be able to take a substantial financial burden to be on the right path by risking its own survival??? Some people may even say why bother when so many others who are more polluting are not even bothered!

There are many things a restaurant can do to be green like recycling of paper, reduction of usage of paper, energy conservation, water conservation, use locally grown produce, non-bleached napkins, recycled paper towels and toilet paper, print on recycled paper using bio degradable ink, use electronic media a lot like not printing, screen based ordering, e-correspondence, and e-forms. Restaurants can also use Green cleaning products, green transport, and do away with non-bio degradables like Styrofoam & plastic based products. We at Kaati Zone have taken a conscious decision to have a keen eye on conservation & being green. We have an eco friendly delivery system of cycles through which we deliver food orders to our customers at their desks or doorsteps. Our bulk delivery & logistics vehicles also use LPG which is less polluting & efficient fuel. We have a very stringent energy & water conservation system for all our restaurants as well as our office – small things like turning off the electrical device when its not in use is very seriously followed. We use white lighting & CFLs in our restaurants & office that conserves energy. Some of our employees evangelize Green Living & contribute their thought & efforts. But there is a long way to go in being a completely green restaurant chain & company, we are moving towards it & as we grow we hope to increasingly adapt ourselves & adopt technologies / practices that are greener. A green effort is always an owners pride & neighbors envy!

Authored by Subash J Bidare, Head of Marketing, Kaati Zone, East West Ethnic Foods.

What they don’t teach in B School? Part 6

2008-06-18T07:11:00.000+05:30

1. Creativity: As cluttered the world is today, with innumerable products & services being offered with little or no differentiation – this may probably a reflection of lack of innovation & creativity in today’s organizations. Creativity forms a very critical aspect of an organization’s & individuals’ sustainability and yes this is not taught in B Schools too.

These are some aspects that I felt were missing in B Schooling which is essential for taking people to their rightful place in the sun. Like Warren Buffett once said, “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong.”, My best wishes for getting your right things, right.

What they dont teach you in BSchool? Part 5

2008-06-16T14:38:00.000+05:30

1. Cross Cultural: In today’s organization it is very important that the managers are aware of different cultural sensitivities – this is necessitated due to the global nature of companies i.e., foreign operations, foreign talent working in domestic markets, etc have led the organization to take up a global stature. Because of this it is utterly important for a Manager to be sensitive about certain cross cultural issues as well as put it to use in the right direction.

What they dont teach you in BSchool? Part 4

2008-06-14T13:23:00.000+05:30

1. Emotions: This is another hurdle that Managers don’t learn to scale in a B School. In today’s work place there are many instances that can throw you off balance emotionally and if a manager is carried away by emotions - she/he is putting at risk the organization as well as herself/himself.

What they don’t teach in B School? Part 3

2008-06-13T20:11:00.000+05:30

1. Team Player Vs Selfish: Another aspect which is largely missing is that Managers don’t know when they have to play their selfish card & when they need to be a team player in an organization. Both are at different ends of the spectrum - it’s a hard choice to make at times, yet it’s a choice that needs to be made more often than not – as there are many issues where a manager has to take different positions of being selfish or being a team player in today’s organization to further her/his own goals and also that of the organization.

What they dont teach in BSchool? Part 2

2008-06-12T20:03:00.000+05:30

1. Office Politics: Here when I say office, it includes close vendors & agencies as well. What I have seen is that most Managers although are very good at their work – don’t always succeed in an organization. This is due to an inability to manage office politics in an effective way and therefore remove the impediments on their way to success.

What they dont teach in BSchool? Part 1

2008-06-11T10:37:00.000+05:30

Anybody who wants to be successful in her/his career would definitely consider an MBA as an option to reach her/his goals. But what’s surprising is that there are certain skills that are not taught in B Schools that turn out to be simple but make a big difference. These aspects may sound simple, but yes these are the aspects that I have more often than not seen being taught.

1. 1.Ambiguity: Today’s business world is full of uncertainties, so a manager has to make a living among these varying levels of ambiguities that exist in every aspect of our work & environment. Most managers lack the ability to handle ambiguity, this results in lack of focus & poor performance leading to stress. The corner stone of success for a Manager is to handle ambiguity & take their decisions based on partial information plus intuition - they need to know that they may go wrong – but should be willing to take a calculated risk & make course corrections based on results or additional information as & when its available.

Skin in Advertising: Does it sell? 3

2008-06-05T12:49:00.001+05:30

Then I wanted to buy the newspaper – not to mention that my CEO was interviewed by them & I wanted to see what was written – so began my search for the newspaper. At first it wasn’t available in poplar newsstands – after a bit of searching I found out that it was not for sale & they wouldn’t give it free to me either. I was shocked to figure out that I can pick it up only if I buy a copy of Times of India!!! Right thinking, given the market situation in Bangalore – Deccan Chronicle is a very late entrant into an entrenched market – give away the newspaper to every customer who buys Times of India as it is the largest selling in Bangalore, so that they get to see Deccan Chronicle & they may stand a chance to convert. Good thinking, but bad execution – as a customer I was willing to pay / buy the newspaper, but they forced me to buy a competitors newspaper instead & pushed theirs free along with it!!! After reading the newspaper it definitely wasn’t exceptionally addictive as claimed by the hoarding, which makes me wonder what was meant to be ‘addictive’ – the bare back girl or the newspaper!!!

So to sum it all up – Sex gets you eye balls – only. What you do after that is in your hands and if judiciously done will sure result in conversion and sales.

Skin in Advertising: Does it work? 2

2008-06-04T07:29:00.001+05:30

So success in phase one – you got the attention & hold it too. Next step? Did this attention actually convert to sales for the company??? Well the marketing guru did say that the potential consumer will be mighty impressed with the skimpily clad models, & will be inspired to buy your products. Alas there are many who reach this place but fail to go beyond! The attention getting strategy works well, but fails to ring in your cash registers.

Case in talk is the Deccan Chronicle out door campaign in Bangalore for their launch with a rather tasty pick of bare back models who could have as well been featured on Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back Video. I saw the hoarding – first to register was the girl – then the word ‘Addictive’ and then the brand. At first glance it looks like a no smoking ad – where in the rolled paper with the yellow in it looks like a cigarette. The hoarding did its job – got sticky eyes

Skin in Advertising: Does it work? 1

2008-06-03T17:03:00.002+05:30

We are today surrounded by so many ads that we miss to register a majority of them – so bad is the clutter. So what does advertising do – it creates awareness of the product / service & entices a potential consumer to try / use the product / service. Given the clutter - achieving the former becomes difficult – the latter is even more far fetched.

Enter marketing guru - “sex sells”. Let’s put some skimpily clad models to get the attention of the potential consumers & let’s cut through the clutter. A long pair of legs or a sexy bare back will catch & hold a guys attention than a puppy running around regardless of how cute it may be (Vodafone). Even the women folk are drawn to them as they covet having those goddess-like bodies.

Deccan Chronicle: Skin in Advertising - does it really work?

2008-06-02T22:56:00.002+05:30

2008-06-02T22:40:00.001+05:30

Interview with Subash Bidare for Page 3

2008-05-29T16:26:00.002+05:30

Interview with Subash Bidare for Page 3 (Nov 07)

SUBASH J BIDARE

(Alumnus Class of 1998 IBS BANGALORE..)

Regional Director South Asia & Country Manager India

MTI Consulting

IBSAF: Briefly tell us about yourself & your work?

Subash: Am currently the Country Manager of MTI Consulting – an international business strategy & marketing consulting firm with offices in 10 countries having done consulting work in more than 30 product/service categories across 32 countries. I was instrumental in setting up the Indian operations of MTI and am also a brand consulting specialist for the South Asia region. Currently MTI in India is working with clients like the Madura Garments of the Aditya Birla Group, Modi Group, Marico, Fashion brands like Satya Paul, Samsaara, etc.

Before MTI Consulting, I was with Vertebrand Management Consulting for five & half years – where I started as an Associate Consultant & when I left I was Sr Manager – Marketing Services. I started my career with Quality Research Group – into Consumer / Market Research, Consulting & Executive Coaching.

IBSAF: Tell us a bit about yourself and your family background

Subash: I was born in Hassan in Karnataka, studied & started working in Bangalore. I have lived in Delhi for a couple of years when in Vertebrand. In the last 2 years I have mostly lived out of my suitcase traveling across South Asia & Middle East on work.

My father is a banker, my mother is a homemaker, my sister is a Chartered Accountant and my brother in law is a doctor. I live with my parents in Bangalore (its more like my home is in Bangalore – I largely live in hotels, airports, flights, taxis & offices) & my sister + BIL live in London.

IBSAF: How has your career progressed after passing out of IBS (look back at your sojourn in IBS)

Subash: Career has progressed well – I stated in research, moved to brand consulting and then moved to strategy consulting at an international level. At each level it was a different experience & I have enjoyed every day of it. When I was in IBS – I was once told that I wouldn’t be a good consultant by a visiting professor who taught us Management Consulting. Here I am with 7 years in consulting.

IBSAF: With your kind of profile, you must be faced high pressure situation very often, How were able to overcome them?

Subash: High pressure situations are part of everyday life. You have to have a definite plan for everything & everything has to be done according to plan. At the end of it all your confidence in your abilities to pull things off is what makes the difference.

IBSAF: How do you balance work and family (time spent with your family)

Subash: I have been basically poor on this front. Over the last 5 years I have made very few friends – & struggled to keep the existing friendships… some how I haven’t been able to dedicate enough time towards this. On the other hand I have many many acquaintances – in fact far more people than I can handle.

Am still a bachelor – difficult for relationships to grow as most of the time I don’t have time or am not in town. My parents on one hand are happy that my work life is happening & on the other they are sad that they don’t get to see me at all. My mom once complained “You arrive late at night from a different city & will leave early in the morning to another city – why do you come home at all cant you get your laundry done in the hotels you stay?”. In another instance my boss quipped “How was your visit to Bangalore?”.

So if you asked me about balance – right question – but am the wrong person to answer it!

IBSAF: Why is your idea of relaxations(or de-stressing as it is called lately)

Subash: I let the stream off by traveling, trekking, partying… work hard – party harder is the way I look at it.

IBSAF: What has been your biggest lesson so far in life

Subash: Believe in yourself & your belief will make ANYTHING happen through smart work & conscious efforts.

IBSAF: Which is the Sector which can expect a big future apart from Finance and IT sector in India and globally? Can you share your vision of the future of our Country during the next decade?

Subash: In India I feel sectors like Tourism & Hospitality, Real Estate, Research & Development, Entertainment, etc are already up but still have a lot of stream left in them.

Coming to your second question – I think its better left to delinquent politicians & bureaucrats to make news headlines. I think the country will progress at an unprecedented rate & its upto all of us to take a piece of it.

IBSAF: How connected are you with you friends an batch mates at IBS

Subash: I am connected to my batch mates on email, phone & networking sites.

IBSAF: Your Advice to fellow alumni embarking upon their careers especially in your field

Subash: Smart work, logical thinking & a limitless mind will take you places in any field.

IBSAF: Quote : A few lines to your Juniors at IBSAF.

Subash: All IBS did was taught me how to think & aim for the sky. My message is think big – aim for the sky & nothing less – if you miss the sky at least you will end up hitting a lamp post.

http://www.ibsaf.org/ibsafworld/2008/march/IBSAF%20March_kala.pdf

India - a Challenging yet Rewarding Market - Subash Bidare

2008-05-29T15:56:00.002+05:30

"DESERVE BEFORE YOU DESIRE" by Dr Gopalakrishnan

2008-05-29T15:53:00.004+05:30

Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director - Tata Sons, may succeed Mr. Ratan Tata as Chairman of Tata sons Ltd., the holding company for many of the Tata blue chips like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Voltas etc. Possibly he will be the first Non - Tata person going to head the Tata Empire.

The below article is really interesting.
----

The grass isn't always greener on the other side!!

Move from one job to another, but only for the right reasons. It's yet another day at office. As I logged on to the marketing and advertising sites for the latest updates, as usual, I found the headlines dominated by 'who's'
moving from one company to another after a short stint', and I wondered, why are so many people leaving one job for another? Is it passé now to work with just one company for a sufficiently long period?

Whenever I ask this question to people who leave a company, the answers I get are: "Oh, I am getting a 200% hike in salary"; "Well I am jumping three levels in my designation"; "Well they are going to send me abroad in six
months".

Then, I look around at all the people who are considered successful today and who have reached the top - be it a media agency, an advertising agency or a company. I find that most of these people are the ones who stuck to the
company, ground their heels and worked their way to the top. And, as I look around for people who change their jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some level, in obscurity.

In this absolute ruthless, dynamic and competitive environment, there are still no - short cuts to success or to making money. The only thing that continues to pay, as earlier is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays!

Sometimes, immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay. Does this mean that one should stick to an organization and wait for the golden moment? Of course not. After, a long stint, there always comes a time
for moving in most organisations, but it is important to move for the right reasons, rather than the superficial ones, like money, designation or oversees trip.

Remember, no company recruits for charity. More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate to what the company offers it current employees, there is always an unseemly
bait attached. The result? You will, in the long term have reached the same level or may be lower levels
than what you would have in your current company.

A lot of people leave their organisations because they are 'unhappy'. What is this so called unhappiness? I have been working for donkey years and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work
environment - boss, rude colleagues, fussy clients etc.

Unhappiness in a work place, to a large extent, is transient. If you look hard enough, there is always something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly, do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense? If I think
hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is something you find with family, friends, may be a close circle of colleagues who have become friends. What you come to work for is to earn, build a reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for your work ethics, face challenges and get the job done.

So, the next time you are tempered to move on, as yourself why are you moving and what are you moving into?

Some questions are:
* Am I ready and capable of handling the new responsibility? If yes what could be the possible reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
* Who are the people who currently handle this responsibility in the current and new company? Am I good as the best among them?
* As the new job offer has a different profile, why have I not given the current company the option to offer me this profile?
* Why is the new company offering the new job? Do they want me for my skills, or is that ulterior motive?

An honest answer to these will eventually decide where you go in your career - to the top of the pile in the long term (at the cost of short - term blips) or to become another average employee who gets lost with the
time in wilderness?

"DESERVE BEFORE YOU DESIRE"

- Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons.

The Quintessential ‘6 to Success’

2008-05-28T22:58:00.003+05:30

The Quintessential ‘6 to Success’

Subash J Bidare, Head of Marketing, Kaati Zone – East West Ethnic Foods Pvt Ltd, belts-out the six to hit for success.

1. Dream: The need to have a vision – a dream is of paramount importance. This should not just be for you, but also for your organization / work. Always dream big – aim high, that way you will end up achieving something significant as a result of stretching yourself.

2. Plan: Always start with the end in mind. Have measurable milestones defined in intervals to reach your goals step by step. Don’t loose customer focus – always keep in mind what your output will be & how it will make a difference to your customers (co-workers/departments) life.

3. Lead: Inspire people around you, build a team, soil your hands, deliver – lead from the front & be a Connoisseur of talent. Communicate with your team, have open communication lines for all to reach you. Share success, plans, visions, pains, everything with your team. Never forget to communicate the macro picture to your team – its important for them to know the big picture where they fit in.

4. Systems & Processes: A process for everything & everything according to its process. I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough, but rest assured this will bring in leaps & bounds of efficiency & effectiveness to your & your organizations efforts. At the same time keep improving on the processes & keeping it relevant to achieve the end objectives is equally important or you risk bureaucracy, resentment & mediocrity.

5. Passion & Commitment: Be passionate & committed about what you do, your dreams & goals. Be determined to make a difference in whatever you do & don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Your ideas may look freaky at times to others, don’t loose heart, but always play on your strengths. Have your own style – do things differently – create an identity for yourself.

6. Grounded in reality: Always have an ear to the ground, do a rain check – assess your progress –measurement against objectives & goals you have set. Seek feedback & make course corrections. Learn from your own & others success & failures / mistakes.