Leaders in organisations are required to make decisions all the time. Superior performance at the organisation/team/individual level does not require being correct all the time, which is impossible, rather managing a "good batting average." Good decision making is rooted in the analysis of data, the creation of models and meta models on the computer and in the mind (intuition and abstractions), embracing ambiguity (making good assumptions), getting experience to talk (having experts on the team) and some risk taking . It's a wonder, given the complexity of the Universe and the limitations of tools and techniques, that leaders not only make great decisions but are able to make them at all! Alas, the human brain is wired to do extra-ordinary things.
Leaders are typically confronted with choices where they must choose/decide between options/features/attributes seemingly available. Good Leaders are able to choose the seemingly correct choice when confronted with an "X or Y" situation. Great leaders, however, are able to turn the "X or Y" into an "X and Y" scenario.
I have observed, some have researched, that most people's brains are wired for 'or', and only a minority for 'and'. Through childhood, school, college and in jobs, we are conditioned to decision trees where we must give up something to get something. We must choose one. We lost, along the way, our ability to demand both (and all three, all four...) and the ability to find the ways to have the cake and eat it too. Great leaders, however, are able to. They want both. Theirs is, what I call the – 'And Brain'.
The 'Or Brain' chooses. The Or Brain's paradigm is one of 'or'- profits or market-share, relationship- based or task-based, long term or the short term, big picture or details oriented, being passionate or being dispassionate, empowerment or controls, flat structure or hierarchy or stable organisations. To be or not to be is the quintessential dilemma.
The 'And Brain', however, keeps two seemly opposite ideas simultaneously in the brain and not be dysfunctional. The And Brain is able to address the contradictions. Infact, it uses the tension between the contradictions for creative solutions. The And Brain can co-exist both…passion and dispassion, confidence and humility, big picture and detail, relationship and task, technology orientation and business acumen…seemingly "opposing" forces or facets which are easily reconciled.
Jim Collins ("Good to Great") calls it the "tyranny of Or versus the power of And". Recently, in the Harvard Business Review in an article titled "How Successful Leaders Think" by Roger Martin, this phenomenon was articulated. The article pointed out "that humans, unlike animals, have an opposable thumb, wherein the fingers and the thumb oppose each other, thereby allowing humans to do what animals are unable to." It was noticed that successful leaders exhibited an opposable mind. They have the predisposition to hold two opposing ideas in their heads at the same time. And then, without settling for one alternative or the other, they are able to creatively resolve the tension between those two ideas by generating a new one that has elements of both. This process of consideration and synthesis is called "Integrative thinking."
I find it possible to try and get people in organisations flirt with this concept and then get pleasantly surprised with the outcomes. It takes thinking, persistence and faith. The reactions change over time. At first, when asked to accomplish both objectives, peoples' initial reactions are "Boss wants more, he is unreasonable, doesn't he understand, what's new..." Over time, leaders show people the innovative solutions which resolve the inherent contradictions and achieve dual goals. People begin to become believers. Over time with continued success at finding these solutions they start to get converted to this powerful paradigm. Huge opportunities open up, massive resources are saved, extraordinary results manifest and a certain confidence emerges. Soon they too become 'unreasonable' themselves, realising that being reasonable allows one to do only reasonably well!
Welcome to the unreasonable world of And.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Critical Imperatives for the next frontier
The world economy at large is in the midst of difficult times. The recession is deep and widespread and seems like that it is not about to relent anytime soon. While India isn’t as badly hit as USA and some western countries, it is gloomy out here as well.
Times like these can turn out to be a great boon if used to our advantage. It is in times like these that companies put greater controls in place, great talent is readily available and selectively hired, cost rationalization is undertaken, bench-time is used for creation of IP and products, competitors go out of business and operations are streamlined. We are trying too.
It’s a time when we embrace the ambiguity and the opportunity rapidly, and re-purpose and reorient ourselves, and be more sensitive to the context than ever before. In summary, as individuals and as an organization we must be responsive to change.
Here are the top THREE imperatives:
Change I: From being Brand Led to being Sales Driven:
QAI has been a brand led organization. Each one of us contributed in no small measure to the creation of highly respected brand in our space. The brand has had the power to pull customers in. It has enabled us to charge a premium. We have been called to the “party” most of the times. We have lost a few and won many. Thanks to our sales team we have fought many a battle, many hard ones and many not so hard.
NOW we need to transform into being a “sales” driven organization. In such organizations sales people are hunters, sales targets are tracked monthly, incentives are in place, people have a sense of urgency in meeting the numbers, low performers are coached and eventually if necessary urged to find a more rewarding place. Markets are analyzed and systematically penetrated. With goals, dates and targets…
As QAI we may be the tiger in the marketplace…but lets remember…In the forest the deer wakes up and worries that if it doesn’t run fast enough it will get eaten by the tiger. The Tiger wakes up and also worries that if it doesn’t run fast enough it will go hungry.
Change II: From being Strategy Stalwarts to being Finance Focused:
Strategy has been QAI's forte. Strategy is all about where we compete (areas and lines of business) and how we compete (value capture mechanisms, value delivery etc) We have a great business model, great portfolio, great brand, great team, great partnerships, great timing, great talent acquisition, great history and a great purpose for existence.
We must now change to build in the controls, collect the money, disallow client cancellations, not tolerate individual demands, negotiate right, discount only that much, and know the numbers.
It is said that the Top-line is vanity, Profits is sanity but it's the Cash that’s reality and King. The cash in the bank, keeps the organizations going, and is critical in such times. Financial metrics become key for managing survival and growth.
Selling a deal and celebrating is one part. Collecting the cash is when the deal is actually worth anything.
We are taking many steps in addressing the financial controls, augmenting the bandwidth, moving towards sanity and reality. Policies are being drafted.
Your contribution and participation is seeked.
Change III: From being Individual Thought Leaders to also being Organizational and Business Leaders:
Most in QAI are thought leaders, effective consultants and trainers. It is who we are. Some at QAI are far more than this.
Here’s a thought for those who aren’t.
The organizations...QAI and Client would increasingly require a greater participation and empathy in its business mission, an understanding of the bigger picture …a greater engagement. Especially in times like these, it may no longer be adequate to deliver great consulting for the attainment of a specific goal…although that’s what the contract requires. Organizations and CEOs want business improvements, they need hard advice on all matters, and they need our programs to have lasting impact and our improvements to shore up the bottom lines. They want solutions even though they might be signing up for an offering.
Fortunately we have both the talent and the deliverables, the various practices and the IP. Every sign up can be a massive follow on opportunity, much greater than the sign up amount.
Similarly the internal organization wants us be and do more than show up for consulting days and do a terrific billable day. It needs your time and attention for creating IP, it needs your assistance for organization building, it needs every non billable day not to go waste, it needs presence in the office and participation, your leadership coaching to new joinees. It needs you to “sell” yourselves to various Practice groups and make your contribution valuable. To acquire customers.
I will repeat once again what we have heard so often….when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I seek your participation and enrollment for this one year to reinvent ourselves, create a stronger, and better QAI. It cannot be done by a few. It can be done if we all participate. This is a call to action.
Let’s do it.
Times like these can turn out to be a great boon if used to our advantage. It is in times like these that companies put greater controls in place, great talent is readily available and selectively hired, cost rationalization is undertaken, bench-time is used for creation of IP and products, competitors go out of business and operations are streamlined. We are trying too.
It’s a time when we embrace the ambiguity and the opportunity rapidly, and re-purpose and reorient ourselves, and be more sensitive to the context than ever before. In summary, as individuals and as an organization we must be responsive to change.
Here are the top THREE imperatives:
Change I: From being Brand Led to being Sales Driven:
QAI has been a brand led organization. Each one of us contributed in no small measure to the creation of highly respected brand in our space. The brand has had the power to pull customers in. It has enabled us to charge a premium. We have been called to the “party” most of the times. We have lost a few and won many. Thanks to our sales team we have fought many a battle, many hard ones and many not so hard.
NOW we need to transform into being a “sales” driven organization. In such organizations sales people are hunters, sales targets are tracked monthly, incentives are in place, people have a sense of urgency in meeting the numbers, low performers are coached and eventually if necessary urged to find a more rewarding place. Markets are analyzed and systematically penetrated. With goals, dates and targets…
As QAI we may be the tiger in the marketplace…but lets remember…In the forest the deer wakes up and worries that if it doesn’t run fast enough it will get eaten by the tiger. The Tiger wakes up and also worries that if it doesn’t run fast enough it will go hungry.
Change II: From being Strategy Stalwarts to being Finance Focused:
Strategy has been QAI's forte. Strategy is all about where we compete (areas and lines of business) and how we compete (value capture mechanisms, value delivery etc) We have a great business model, great portfolio, great brand, great team, great partnerships, great timing, great talent acquisition, great history and a great purpose for existence.
We must now change to build in the controls, collect the money, disallow client cancellations, not tolerate individual demands, negotiate right, discount only that much, and know the numbers.
It is said that the Top-line is vanity, Profits is sanity but it's the Cash that’s reality and King. The cash in the bank, keeps the organizations going, and is critical in such times. Financial metrics become key for managing survival and growth.
Selling a deal and celebrating is one part. Collecting the cash is when the deal is actually worth anything.
We are taking many steps in addressing the financial controls, augmenting the bandwidth, moving towards sanity and reality. Policies are being drafted.
Your contribution and participation is seeked.
Change III: From being Individual Thought Leaders to also being Organizational and Business Leaders:
Most in QAI are thought leaders, effective consultants and trainers. It is who we are. Some at QAI are far more than this.
Here’s a thought for those who aren’t.
The organizations...QAI and Client would increasingly require a greater participation and empathy in its business mission, an understanding of the bigger picture …a greater engagement. Especially in times like these, it may no longer be adequate to deliver great consulting for the attainment of a specific goal…although that’s what the contract requires. Organizations and CEOs want business improvements, they need hard advice on all matters, and they need our programs to have lasting impact and our improvements to shore up the bottom lines. They want solutions even though they might be signing up for an offering.
Fortunately we have both the talent and the deliverables, the various practices and the IP. Every sign up can be a massive follow on opportunity, much greater than the sign up amount.
Similarly the internal organization wants us be and do more than show up for consulting days and do a terrific billable day. It needs your time and attention for creating IP, it needs your assistance for organization building, it needs every non billable day not to go waste, it needs presence in the office and participation, your leadership coaching to new joinees. It needs you to “sell” yourselves to various Practice groups and make your contribution valuable. To acquire customers.
I will repeat once again what we have heard so often….when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I seek your participation and enrollment for this one year to reinvent ourselves, create a stronger, and better QAI. It cannot be done by a few. It can be done if we all participate. This is a call to action.
Let’s do it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Robin Sharma and QAI
Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year!. I hope we have a great year ahead.
The last year was amongst the worst ones for India (although there were some bright spots.)
I know of people who know of people who lost dear ones to terrorism in Mumbai. The incident was a tragic one and a watershed event. Something has changed since and I hope the change will be substantial enough to make some difference to our lives.
The coming year is also going to be challenging for most organizations across the world. The world is in the midst of a deep economic recession. Most I speak to are talking of the bloodbath. I meet people who have been laid- off. I have met companies who are implementing massive efficiency programs. I hope this situation improves soon.
As we look back and look ahead on Jan 01, 2009, I thought I would share a few thoughts I believe in and feel strongly about. These will keep us enthusiastic, wonder struck, engaged, hopeful and in pursuit of happiness and in pursuit of excellence. The following 13 tenets have been taken from Robin Sharma’s Guide to Greatness Part 1 and 2. There many others …grab the books if you relate to these.
Best wishes again, for the year.
Navyug
1. The Power of Simple.
"A simple message that everyone is a leader - no matter what they do or who they are. Adopt simple ideas and tools (that actually work) to help people and organizations get to world-class. And living a simple life. Simple, is so powerful. Success will come from Simplicity!"
2. Be So Good That They Can't Ignore You.
"Life favors the devoted. The more you give to life, the more life sends back. It's just not possible for you to be great at what you do, always reaching for brilliance and standing for excellence and not win in the end. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it!"
3. Be Unreasonable.
"Don’t be so scared of failure a that you fail to dream. Don't be so reasonable and practical and sensible that you refuse to seize glorious opportunities when they show up. Push the envelope. And know that every outstanding piece of human progress was achieved through the heroic efforts of someone who was told that their idea was impossible to realize. The unreasonable souls fight the urge to be ordinary!"
4. Are You Jokeable?
"The best among us don't take themselves too seriously (no one else will take you seriously if you take yourself too seriously). They do their best and then let go, letting life do the rest. Life has its own intelligence. So be jokeable. Relax. Yes, go for world class. But blend that drive with a sense of amusement. Hold on to life with a loose grip. And know that life was never meant to be an ordeal. It was meant to be pure joy!"
5. Stop Trying So Hard.
"It is important to let life lead you. If you have tried everything possible to realize an outcome and it just hasn't worked out as planned, stop trying so hard. Maybe nothing's wrong. Maybe the timing is not right. Maybe what you wanted is not in your best interests. And once you let go of what you thought was best, space is created for something even better to arrive. Because every ending ushers in a brand new beginning. Life will always lead you to a place that's better!"
6. Your Team's Only As Good As You.
"Your team will never be greater than you are. You set the standard to which all can rise. Each finger affects the strength of the hand. Forget blaming others- that's just excusing yourself. And it all starts with your inner world. You can't help in the building of an excellent organization until you commit to becoming an excellent person. External leadership begins with internal mastery!"
7. You'll Know When You Know.
"No one gets to world class without a relentless devotion to not giving up. All acts of heroism were accomplished by human beings who refused to lose. They just wouldn't let go- no matter how bad or impossible things looked. But sometimes, you just get to a point where you just know it's time to change strategy. It's not about losing hope. It's about trusting life. You just know. Trusting that there's something better waiting for you. Do your best and let life do the rest!"
8. Be Unpopular. Leadership Isn't a Popularity Contest.
"Businesses that try to be all things to all people end up being nothing to anyone. You need to stand for something. You need to play ferociously. Passionately. Emotionally. To get to world class. Or don't play at all. Great leaders fearlessly make tough calls. They speak their truth. They run their own race, making the right decisions and worrying little about public opinion. They are courage in action. Extraordinary leadership is a balance between being tender yet tough, compassionate yet courageous, part saint and part warrior, friendly yet firm. Being a leader isn't about being liked. It's about doing what's right!"
9. Whatever Happened To Commitment?
"We live in a world seduced by the easy. Nothing comes for free. There are no free lunches. The best things in life require sacrifice and devotion. Each of us must pay the price. And the more we pay, the more we will receive. Great lives just don't occur out of the blue. They are crafted and built, block by block, day by day. Give your best and the best will come to you. Guaranteed!"
10. Live An Intense Life.
"Live like there is no tomorrow, achieve the best within yourself and love like you really mean it. Do your part to elevate the world. Live with intensity. Sure we need to enjoy the journey, tread lightly and balance our courage with striking kindness. But do it all with rare passion, with bravery and with a sparkle in your eye. Do it with intensity. All of the great ones do!"
11. Getting What You Want While Loving What You Have.
"Enjoy the view from where you are at. Savor how far you have come. Be grateful for where you are along the journey that is your life. Live in the moment. But also remember that with the gifts that reside within you come great responsibilities. We must continually walk toward our fears and make more of our lives. We must constantly play a bigger game and use our creative talents to do, be ad see more. So love what you have. And then go for what you want. Enjoy the climb up the mountain. But never take your eyes off the summit!"
12. Do You Play?
"As adults, we stop playing once we assume the responsibilities of life. It doesn't have to be that way. Make the time to play. Find the time to be a little reckless and silly. Be imaginative at work and bring curiosity back to your days. Get back to that sense of wonder you knew when life was all about make-believe, riding your bike and enjoy every second of this journey called living. Adults are nothing more than deteriorated children!"
13. Revere Great Design.
"Human beings need mystery to be happy in life. If life is bland, we experience no joy. Good design adds to that mystery. It makes life interesting. It connects the artist that resides within each of us. It surprises us. "
The last year was amongst the worst ones for India (although there were some bright spots.)
I know of people who know of people who lost dear ones to terrorism in Mumbai. The incident was a tragic one and a watershed event. Something has changed since and I hope the change will be substantial enough to make some difference to our lives.
The coming year is also going to be challenging for most organizations across the world. The world is in the midst of a deep economic recession. Most I speak to are talking of the bloodbath. I meet people who have been laid- off. I have met companies who are implementing massive efficiency programs. I hope this situation improves soon.
As we look back and look ahead on Jan 01, 2009, I thought I would share a few thoughts I believe in and feel strongly about. These will keep us enthusiastic, wonder struck, engaged, hopeful and in pursuit of happiness and in pursuit of excellence. The following 13 tenets have been taken from Robin Sharma’s Guide to Greatness Part 1 and 2. There many others …grab the books if you relate to these.
Best wishes again, for the year.
Navyug
1. The Power of Simple.
"A simple message that everyone is a leader - no matter what they do or who they are. Adopt simple ideas and tools (that actually work) to help people and organizations get to world-class. And living a simple life. Simple, is so powerful. Success will come from Simplicity!"
2. Be So Good That They Can't Ignore You.
"Life favors the devoted. The more you give to life, the more life sends back. It's just not possible for you to be great at what you do, always reaching for brilliance and standing for excellence and not win in the end. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it!"
3. Be Unreasonable.
"Don’t be so scared of failure a that you fail to dream. Don't be so reasonable and practical and sensible that you refuse to seize glorious opportunities when they show up. Push the envelope. And know that every outstanding piece of human progress was achieved through the heroic efforts of someone who was told that their idea was impossible to realize. The unreasonable souls fight the urge to be ordinary!"
4. Are You Jokeable?
"The best among us don't take themselves too seriously (no one else will take you seriously if you take yourself too seriously). They do their best and then let go, letting life do the rest. Life has its own intelligence. So be jokeable. Relax. Yes, go for world class. But blend that drive with a sense of amusement. Hold on to life with a loose grip. And know that life was never meant to be an ordeal. It was meant to be pure joy!"
5. Stop Trying So Hard.
"It is important to let life lead you. If you have tried everything possible to realize an outcome and it just hasn't worked out as planned, stop trying so hard. Maybe nothing's wrong. Maybe the timing is not right. Maybe what you wanted is not in your best interests. And once you let go of what you thought was best, space is created for something even better to arrive. Because every ending ushers in a brand new beginning. Life will always lead you to a place that's better!"
6. Your Team's Only As Good As You.
"Your team will never be greater than you are. You set the standard to which all can rise. Each finger affects the strength of the hand. Forget blaming others- that's just excusing yourself. And it all starts with your inner world. You can't help in the building of an excellent organization until you commit to becoming an excellent person. External leadership begins with internal mastery!"
7. You'll Know When You Know.
"No one gets to world class without a relentless devotion to not giving up. All acts of heroism were accomplished by human beings who refused to lose. They just wouldn't let go- no matter how bad or impossible things looked. But sometimes, you just get to a point where you just know it's time to change strategy. It's not about losing hope. It's about trusting life. You just know. Trusting that there's something better waiting for you. Do your best and let life do the rest!"
8. Be Unpopular. Leadership Isn't a Popularity Contest.
"Businesses that try to be all things to all people end up being nothing to anyone. You need to stand for something. You need to play ferociously. Passionately. Emotionally. To get to world class. Or don't play at all. Great leaders fearlessly make tough calls. They speak their truth. They run their own race, making the right decisions and worrying little about public opinion. They are courage in action. Extraordinary leadership is a balance between being tender yet tough, compassionate yet courageous, part saint and part warrior, friendly yet firm. Being a leader isn't about being liked. It's about doing what's right!"
9. Whatever Happened To Commitment?
"We live in a world seduced by the easy. Nothing comes for free. There are no free lunches. The best things in life require sacrifice and devotion. Each of us must pay the price. And the more we pay, the more we will receive. Great lives just don't occur out of the blue. They are crafted and built, block by block, day by day. Give your best and the best will come to you. Guaranteed!"
10. Live An Intense Life.
"Live like there is no tomorrow, achieve the best within yourself and love like you really mean it. Do your part to elevate the world. Live with intensity. Sure we need to enjoy the journey, tread lightly and balance our courage with striking kindness. But do it all with rare passion, with bravery and with a sparkle in your eye. Do it with intensity. All of the great ones do!"
11. Getting What You Want While Loving What You Have.
"Enjoy the view from where you are at. Savor how far you have come. Be grateful for where you are along the journey that is your life. Live in the moment. But also remember that with the gifts that reside within you come great responsibilities. We must continually walk toward our fears and make more of our lives. We must constantly play a bigger game and use our creative talents to do, be ad see more. So love what you have. And then go for what you want. Enjoy the climb up the mountain. But never take your eyes off the summit!"
12. Do You Play?
"As adults, we stop playing once we assume the responsibilities of life. It doesn't have to be that way. Make the time to play. Find the time to be a little reckless and silly. Be imaginative at work and bring curiosity back to your days. Get back to that sense of wonder you knew when life was all about make-believe, riding your bike and enjoy every second of this journey called living. Adults are nothing more than deteriorated children!"
13. Revere Great Design.
"Human beings need mystery to be happy in life. If life is bland, we experience no joy. Good design adds to that mystery. It makes life interesting. It connects the artist that resides within each of us. It surprises us. "
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Play the Game
We are told to take our Profession seriously, to take our Work seriously, to take our Boss seriously, to take our Career graph seriously and the Brand that we are working for, seriously. I cant disagree. I used capitals for all the “sacred cows” in the previous sentence. Its good advice. Only, its incomplete.
Now suppose that your Job was actually a game..a sport…perhaps chess, perhaps cricket or any other? Imagine if you were to get out of bed everyday and longed to get to the arena to whack the ball out of the stadium. Imagine, after having tried one’s best, if it didnt work out the way we would have hoped, we went home and slept peacefully saying "its only a game". Picture all getting together to intimidate the competition, team meetings full of plotting and scheming. Try thinking like Andy Grove of Intel, who used to say to his troops "its nothing personal, just go out and kill them!". Imagine if work was so much fun and inclusive that one didnt have to agonize over work-life balance: when work was life and life was a great life. Imagine if you could take a day off just to get better at the game.
Many years ago, I noticed that the publication Business World had a byline which said "Play the Game". It struck a chord and has stayed with me ever since. Isnt all that we do everyday and embroiled in, not "sport"? And if it doesnt feel like sport, are we perhaps in the wrong job, wrong profession?
Decide, if you want to be a Tendulkar or a Harsha Bhogle on the team. Both are very good at their jobs and we can see that both enjoy their work immensely. While the world needs both the Tendulkars and the Harshas I tell our new hires at QAI that we need the Tendulkars (whom we watch) and its he whom we respect. That we already have a Harsha (whom we hear) in the team. And that they need to go out and get some runs on the board (or wickets). That its infinitely more difficult to be a player in the middle, than commenting from the stands. Earn our respect, get out there yes, its a tough organisation to work for. And yet at the end of the day, remember its only a game. Tomorrow, we get another shot.
Lets try and view our job as a sport…If we are lucky, our sport will also have Purpose and make the experience even more satisfying. If we are not that fortunate, then lets work really hard to get real lucky.
To me, if my job had all the elements of a sport and also Purpose I would be really thrilled.
It does, and I am.
What about you?
Now suppose that your Job was actually a game..a sport…perhaps chess, perhaps cricket or any other? Imagine if you were to get out of bed everyday and longed to get to the arena to whack the ball out of the stadium. Imagine, after having tried one’s best, if it didnt work out the way we would have hoped, we went home and slept peacefully saying "its only a game". Picture all getting together to intimidate the competition, team meetings full of plotting and scheming. Try thinking like Andy Grove of Intel, who used to say to his troops "its nothing personal, just go out and kill them!". Imagine if work was so much fun and inclusive that one didnt have to agonize over work-life balance: when work was life and life was a great life. Imagine if you could take a day off just to get better at the game.
Many years ago, I noticed that the publication Business World had a byline which said "Play the Game". It struck a chord and has stayed with me ever since. Isnt all that we do everyday and embroiled in, not "sport"? And if it doesnt feel like sport, are we perhaps in the wrong job, wrong profession?
Decide, if you want to be a Tendulkar or a Harsha Bhogle on the team. Both are very good at their jobs and we can see that both enjoy their work immensely. While the world needs both the Tendulkars and the Harshas I tell our new hires at QAI that we need the Tendulkars (whom we watch) and its he whom we respect. That we already have a Harsha (whom we hear) in the team. And that they need to go out and get some runs on the board (or wickets). That its infinitely more difficult to be a player in the middle, than commenting from the stands. Earn our respect, get out there yes, its a tough organisation to work for. And yet at the end of the day, remember its only a game. Tomorrow, we get another shot.
Lets try and view our job as a sport…If we are lucky, our sport will also have Purpose and make the experience even more satisfying. If we are not that fortunate, then lets work really hard to get real lucky.
To me, if my job had all the elements of a sport and also Purpose I would be really thrilled.
It does, and I am.
What about you?
Monday, December 3, 2007
QAI...More "Girl" In Character!
Today is QAI's birthday...Dec 03 is when QAI was technically born.
QAI is a teenager, fourteen years old. If we look closely we will find it every bit one. Perhaps, the kind we would like our teenage kids to be.
One that we have ALL, as "parents" of this entity and brand, nurtured so assiduously, closely, personally and emotionally. One where values and prudence have taken priority over expediency and several tempting short-cuts.
QAI is a "trophy child".. which parents so proudly and fondly show off on their in the living room...all the silverware that talks about the child's every achievement in every area it chose to engage in. We can look back and take pride in all that all of us achieved and the foundation that we now stand on. Now the great future beckons.
The teenager is also going through growing pains. Like any teenager this one too now is not an adult neither a child. ....QAI compares itself to the Mckinseys and the KPMGs and beats one good and proper, and yet forgets that they are over 50 years old....and have their strengths. How does one match the success of the past with the teenage fantasies of the future. How can it break through and realize its potential. How well will it do in the large, brutal, but opportunity laden world out there?
We know where are going, are confident and yet seek our identity. One which will surpass even the original vision.
And as several of us in our heady days of youth said "we will change the world". And we are.
How do we let go and have our teenager fly and yet be rooted to the ground?
How do we give it freedom and yet guard it from the dangers that can take it to the wrong path?
We must introspect today and also celebrate.
We "must be careful what we wish since it will surely come true" (Emerson).
Happy wishing.
QAI is a teenager, fourteen years old. If we look closely we will find it every bit one. Perhaps, the kind we would like our teenage kids to be.
One that we have ALL, as "parents" of this entity and brand, nurtured so assiduously, closely, personally and emotionally. One where values and prudence have taken priority over expediency and several tempting short-cuts.
QAI is a "trophy child".. which parents so proudly and fondly show off on their in the living room...all the silverware that talks about the child's every achievement in every area it chose to engage in. We can look back and take pride in all that all of us achieved and the foundation that we now stand on. Now the great future beckons.
The teenager is also going through growing pains. Like any teenager this one too now is not an adult neither a child. ....QAI compares itself to the Mckinseys and the KPMGs and beats one good and proper, and yet forgets that they are over 50 years old....and have their strengths. How does one match the success of the past with the teenage fantasies of the future. How can it break through and realize its potential. How well will it do in the large, brutal, but opportunity laden world out there?
We know where are going, are confident and yet seek our identity. One which will surpass even the original vision.
And as several of us in our heady days of youth said "we will change the world". And we are.
How do we let go and have our teenager fly and yet be rooted to the ground?
How do we give it freedom and yet guard it from the dangers that can take it to the wrong path?
We must introspect today and also celebrate.
We "must be careful what we wish since it will surely come true" (Emerson).
Happy wishing.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The Now Big Thing Not New Big Thing - e-Learning
The basic fact that is driving and will drive the e-Learning market is the positive economics of the e-Learning solutions. The Indian IT industry is a 40 billion dollar industry and e-Learning is the only way to address this growing IT population. As they say "e-Learning is not the next big thing; it is the now big thing", says Navyug Mohnot, the CEO of QAI.
We are a consulting firm with a wide portfolio of learning products. Our knowledge offerings are aimed at providing a complete solution to the client.
Also, our unique advantage lies in the fact that we are not just a training provider. We are not just an e-Learning factory. We are a consulting firm, rooted in making organisational improvements happen and transforming knowledge into learning that is eventually translated into behaviours.
QAI is a leading global consulting organisation addressing 'Operational Excellence' in IT, BPO and Knowledge intensive organisations.
QAI's regional bases across the globe in the US, Singapore, China, Malaysia, UK and India helps to distribute innovatively and manage engagements across multiple locations.
The e-Learning market is sitting at the cusp, waiting to explode. The timing, model and the value proposition is just right. The Indian market is warming up to the concept and very soon, e-Learning would become the answer to all the woes of all IT HR managers
The company was founded in the United States 23 years ago, while QAI India was set up as the regional hub for the Asia Pacific in 1993. EdistaLearning, the core product is targeted at the core problems facing the ICT industry today :Just in time, high quality training and massive attrition. e-Learning is the order of the day,
with intense requirement of on-boarding, deployment and up-skilling
of the thousands of recruits that get hired per quarter. While quoting the popular view on e-Learning, Navyug says, "We need to bring learning to people instead of bringing people to learning" and that is what EdistaLearning does. The competitive advantage of EdistaLearning is the unique synergy of QAI's consulting and training experience and expert content from gurus like Dr. Roger Pressman. Also, companies offering e-Learning on C, C++, Oracle etc. are in plenty, but to provide domains of Software Engineering and Quality Management is unique and unparalleled.
Due to the individual nature of our offerings, we don't face the force of competition. Our services are uniquely positioned in the market.
An organisation such as Infosys has announced to hire 28,000 employees in this year. They would all need to be trained. This is because most companies today are troubled by the growing attrition and feel the need for constant engagement of the employee through various avenues including e-Learning.
In my opinion, the IT and the BPO sectors would consume huge market share of the e-Learning industry in the near future.
The underlying issue that the e-Learning industry faces is that in conventional mindset, e-Learning does not have as much credibility
as classroom training. Also, it doesnot hold the same amount of
weight age as an instructor led programme. This can be overcome by internationally recognised certifications or by a blended learning programme.
The e-Learning market is sitting at the cusp, waiting to explode. The timing, model and the value proposition is just right. The Indian market is warming up to the concept and very soon, e-Learning would become the answer to all the woes of all IT HR managers.
Currently, blended learning is the highlight of the day. With the backing of the experience of having trained over 75,000 professionals in the instructor led mode and expert content from international gurus for our e-Learning courses, we are doing pretty well as a training provider.
QAI facilitates enhanced competitiveness through multi-faceted interventions leading to Business Improvement through Consulting, Training, People, Process and Operational Assessments, Benchmarking, Certification, Conferences, Resource provisioning through Quality Outsourcing and e-Learning through QAI eSchool.
Over the years, my critical learning has been that we as individuals, as an organisation and as an industry, need to have the ability to constantly and relentlessly keep learning because the world around us changes everyday.e-Learning will be an integral element in the training processes of every organisation and it will be the most powerful tool to effectively on-board, induct and train the thousands of people who get hired every quarter.
Our intent is to take Software Engineering and Quality Management education to every desktop and unleash the creation of a massive workforce to meet India's 80 billion target.
We are a consulting firm with a wide portfolio of learning products. Our knowledge offerings are aimed at providing a complete solution to the client.
Also, our unique advantage lies in the fact that we are not just a training provider. We are not just an e-Learning factory. We are a consulting firm, rooted in making organisational improvements happen and transforming knowledge into learning that is eventually translated into behaviours.
QAI is a leading global consulting organisation addressing 'Operational Excellence' in IT, BPO and Knowledge intensive organisations.
QAI's regional bases across the globe in the US, Singapore, China, Malaysia, UK and India helps to distribute innovatively and manage engagements across multiple locations.
The e-Learning market is sitting at the cusp, waiting to explode. The timing, model and the value proposition is just right. The Indian market is warming up to the concept and very soon, e-Learning would become the answer to all the woes of all IT HR managers
The company was founded in the United States 23 years ago, while QAI India was set up as the regional hub for the Asia Pacific in 1993. EdistaLearning, the core product is targeted at the core problems facing the ICT industry today :Just in time, high quality training and massive attrition. e-Learning is the order of the day,
with intense requirement of on-boarding, deployment and up-skilling
of the thousands of recruits that get hired per quarter. While quoting the popular view on e-Learning, Navyug says, "We need to bring learning to people instead of bringing people to learning" and that is what EdistaLearning does. The competitive advantage of EdistaLearning is the unique synergy of QAI's consulting and training experience and expert content from gurus like Dr. Roger Pressman. Also, companies offering e-Learning on C, C++, Oracle etc. are in plenty, but to provide domains of Software Engineering and Quality Management is unique and unparalleled.
Due to the individual nature of our offerings, we don't face the force of competition. Our services are uniquely positioned in the market.
An organisation such as Infosys has announced to hire 28,000 employees in this year. They would all need to be trained. This is because most companies today are troubled by the growing attrition and feel the need for constant engagement of the employee through various avenues including e-Learning.
In my opinion, the IT and the BPO sectors would consume huge market share of the e-Learning industry in the near future.
The underlying issue that the e-Learning industry faces is that in conventional mindset, e-Learning does not have as much credibility
as classroom training. Also, it doesnot hold the same amount of
weight age as an instructor led programme. This can be overcome by internationally recognised certifications or by a blended learning programme.
The e-Learning market is sitting at the cusp, waiting to explode. The timing, model and the value proposition is just right. The Indian market is warming up to the concept and very soon, e-Learning would become the answer to all the woes of all IT HR managers.
Currently, blended learning is the highlight of the day. With the backing of the experience of having trained over 75,000 professionals in the instructor led mode and expert content from international gurus for our e-Learning courses, we are doing pretty well as a training provider.
QAI facilitates enhanced competitiveness through multi-faceted interventions leading to Business Improvement through Consulting, Training, People, Process and Operational Assessments, Benchmarking, Certification, Conferences, Resource provisioning through Quality Outsourcing and e-Learning through QAI eSchool.
Over the years, my critical learning has been that we as individuals, as an organisation and as an industry, need to have the ability to constantly and relentlessly keep learning because the world around us changes everyday.e-Learning will be an integral element in the training processes of every organisation and it will be the most powerful tool to effectively on-board, induct and train the thousands of people who get hired every quarter.
Our intent is to take Software Engineering and Quality Management education to every desktop and unleash the creation of a massive workforce to meet India's 80 billion target.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
The Leader Judges the Leaders: QAI and Indiatimes
Indiatimes (the digital media piece of the Times of India Group) has enlisted QAI to research, design, evaluate a series of Awards for the BPO industry, the first of its kind in India. The awards include:
- Company of the Year
- CEO of the Year
- Emerging Company of the Year
- Most Significant Contributor to BPO Industry
- Operational Excellence and Quality Award
- Most Admired Company to Work for
- Technology Award of the Year
- BPO Innovator of the Year
- Professional Excellence Award
and the NASSCOM-QAI CBTL/CBQA Professional of the Year.
CEO committee, Jury for this includes ( Mr. Pramod Bhasin, President and CEO, Genpact, Mr. Raman Kumar, Chairman and CEO, Cbay systems, Mr. Atul Kunwar, CEO, Transworks, Mr. Dan Sandhu, CEO-Offshore business, Vertex....)
QAI has over the years been recognizing Leadership in the IT industry through the QAIs Best of the Best Awards- In Software Testing and Software Project Management.
The Testing conference starts in five days and we have documented Best Practices from ALL the industry vying for OUR awards. The total number of submissions received: 202! TWO HUNDRED AND TWO>
Look out for all the Economic Times Advertisements for the BPO awards. Pls visit the website www.bpoindustryawards.indiatimes.com. Pls see the great branding we are getting and pls view the great work done by the Team in the design and development of the concept of the awards.(view the app forms and download and read)
While we wait to recognize the Leaders outside a quick mention of the Leaders inside. Although, when we have great people doing great work we don’t make a great fuss. Nevertheless:
Shreekant, Vineet and Biren provided us with inputs and Aditya, Neeti, Chetan and Dibyendu and Aravinda subsequently have managed to put together a high quality set of documents. In Indiatimes words- "the docs are fabulous". Thanks all.
Now the BIG task of evaluating the entries across categories...when the applications come in.
The Leader judges the Leaders.
- Company of the Year
- CEO of the Year
- Emerging Company of the Year
- Most Significant Contributor to BPO Industry
- Operational Excellence and Quality Award
- Most Admired Company to Work for
- Technology Award of the Year
- BPO Innovator of the Year
- Professional Excellence Award
and the NASSCOM-QAI CBTL/CBQA Professional of the Year.
CEO committee, Jury for this includes ( Mr. Pramod Bhasin, President and CEO, Genpact, Mr. Raman Kumar, Chairman and CEO, Cbay systems, Mr. Atul Kunwar, CEO, Transworks, Mr. Dan Sandhu, CEO-Offshore business, Vertex....)
QAI has over the years been recognizing Leadership in the IT industry through the QAIs Best of the Best Awards- In Software Testing and Software Project Management.
The Testing conference starts in five days and we have documented Best Practices from ALL the industry vying for OUR awards. The total number of submissions received: 202! TWO HUNDRED AND TWO>
Look out for all the Economic Times Advertisements for the BPO awards. Pls visit the website www.bpoindustryawards.indiatimes.com. Pls see the great branding we are getting and pls view the great work done by the Team in the design and development of the concept of the awards.(view the app forms and download and read)
While we wait to recognize the Leaders outside a quick mention of the Leaders inside. Although, when we have great people doing great work we don’t make a great fuss. Nevertheless:
Shreekant, Vineet and Biren provided us with inputs and Aditya, Neeti, Chetan and Dibyendu and Aravinda subsequently have managed to put together a high quality set of documents. In Indiatimes words- "the docs are fabulous". Thanks all.
Now the BIG task of evaluating the entries across categories...when the applications come in.
The Leader judges the Leaders.
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