A few years ago, here in India, the “low cost” airline made headlines every day. Here was a new business with ripe pickings, everyone said as one company after another joined the fray. They based their investments on a growing population with high aspirations. The first time flier increased by leaps and bounds. Many a story went around about how the hick behaved on his/her first flight. The traffic at the airports for domestic flights ballooned month after month.- and I am not just talking of the motor traffic which led to perpetual jams outside these airports. Everyone seemed to be happy- the airlines, the passengers and the Government which got its share of the kitty through taxes.

A few years later, we find that most of these “low cost” airlines are either folding up, have been bought out or are merely limping on. “Where India’s airlines went wrong” in the Economic Times is informative and thought provoking if you are involved in business strategy.

Business is not about looking only at the rosy side of the picture. To remain profitable over the long run calls for extensive spade work in studying the business model and market projections carefully. A few mistakes in misreading the market potential- not in terms of revenues alone but in terms of overall profitability- can effectively kill the business. In the airlines story in India, the passenger traffic has actually increased compared to earlier projections but the costs - expected and unforeseen- have both risen far more to make some of these airlines nonviable.

Sadly for these low cost airlines, they appear to be “low cost” no more.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 215 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

The Fourth of July is a day of celebration in the United States because that is the day the US achieved Independence in 1776. For me too it’s a day of celebration. It was on this day 5 years ago that I took what for me was a momentous decision- to quit smoking. It was by no means easy since I had been a smoker for 35 years.

I remember the scene vividly. It was 2.00 p.m. on July 4, 2003 when I smoked my last cigarette. I made up my mind. I had to kick this addiction of many, many years. I threw away that last butt and walked into the Tobacco Cessation Clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences at Bangalore.

Dr. Divakar is no longer there. He moved to the UK after a few years. I am sure he would be delighted to know that I haven’t smoked a single cigarette since that meeting with him.

I took a lot of help from QuitNet- which I would heartily recommend as a powerful support site for those who wish to kick the habit.

By the way, QuitNet informs me that it is now 1827 days since I have stayed quit. I am glad I did because of the many harmful effects of smoking.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 214 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

The entrance examination (called CAT) to the Indian Institutes of Management is considered to be one of the most competitive of its kind in the world. Each year thousands of aspiring Indians try to get admission to the prestigious IIMs. The reason is obvious- on graduation they are assured of plum jobs in some of the world’s leading corporations.

In this context, the career choice made by Kaushalendra on passing out from IIM Ahmedabad, often rated the best IIM of the lot is quite astounding. He has started selling vegetables off a cart in the sweltering heat of his hometown- Patna in Bihar.  His dream is to make his home state a vegetable hub.

Very few have the passion to make such unconventional choices. He says it was his childhood dream to contribute to the development of rural Bihar. He foresees that with better planning and management the best of vegetables can be grown and marketed profitably in this region.

The sheer novelty of it all has naturally attracted a lot of media attention. See the Times Now coverage of his post-MBA career choice- which is unusual to say the least, here.

Here’s wishing Kaushalendra the very best in his new venture. It would be interesting to track his progress as he follows his dream.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 213 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

As a business executive are you facing problems of doing business in India due to demands made by corrupt officials? As a citizen, is it becoming impossible to get what you are supposed to be getting anyway without having to pay a bribe? I am sadly not surprised at all to read that India’s poorest paid over Rs. 800 crore as bribes. This to get basic services one would expect as citizens of a democratic nation. The India Corruption Study makes for sad reading.

Unfortunately we have had a long history of corruption in India. The equation is simple. Most politicians get elected by buying votes. They then in turn take bribes to recover their investments. The aim is to make as much money as possible whilst in power. This has a cascading effect on bureaucrats- many of whom have “bought” their positions or have ” bought” their locations of posting. They too have only one aim, it seems. Get as much as they can as they seem to be beyond the law.

Interestingly, the Lok Ayukta, appointed by the Government seeks to bring to task corrupt officials. But it is disappointing to read that not much can be done against them. The Deccan Herald has a story of 10 “Babus” or bureaucrats being caught with Rs. 20 crores unaccounted assets.

These officials include N K Baladeva Krishna, IAS; Shiva Prakash, deputy commissioner of commercial tax; Narase Gowda, joint commissioner of commercial taxes; Amanulla Sharief, assistant commissioner of commercial tax; Khayum Ali, additional director of mines and geology; Mehboob Khan and Keshavamurthy, district registrars; H T Mahalingaiah, taluk executive officer; M Ramakrishnaiah, deputy superintendent of police, CoD and C R Bellari, executive engineer, PWD.

Shiva Prakash has property worth over Rs. 4.5 crores. His sister who has passed VII Std runs a travel agency with 102 cars.  Despite this, the Lok Ayukta says according to Government rules they cannot be suspended. Most likely nothing will happen to them.

I wonder what kind of bosses these people are. Do they expect their subordinates to be corrupt too and give them their share of the take? I wonder what kind of family values these people propagate. Do their wives, children and other family members cheerfully live off the takings? At mosque, temple or church, do they even occasionally get a twinge of conscience that their wealth is ill gotten?

Are they totally impervious to the fact that in today’s connected world their deeds or misdeeds will be known from Hawaii to Yokohama? They cannot be suspended but they can be shamed.

Small drops make an ocean. Resolve to do what you can in your individual capacity to put down corruption.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 212 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

Mobile handsets are perhaps one of the most sought after consumer goods in India today. There is one to suit every need and every pocket. Leading the way, by far, is Nokia with about 62 % of the market share. Over the last decade or so, Nokia - the world’s largest handset maker- has become one of India’s biggest brands. It was rated the most trusted brand in the Economic Times Brand Equity Survey.

In this context, it is interesting to read an interview in the Economic Times with Nokia’s President & CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. He talks of future trends, how consumers determine product features, Nokia’s positive experience in assembling operations in India and how segmentation is essential to stay profitable even in a high growth market.

Hear it from the Nokia chief and stay connected.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 211  of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

To move away from the large corporation you founded and nurtured over the years to a future in philantrophy is a challenge that very few people would choose to take. Yet, one of the biggest names in business has just done so. He is William Henry Gates III, known the world over simply as Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft and estimated to be the third richest person in the world.

He has decided to move his focus away from the company he co-founded way back in 1975 with Paul Allen to concentrate on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

On June 27, Bill stepped down as the CEO of Microsoft, the job now going to Steve Ballmer. In a teary farewell at the Company’s headquarters in Richmond, Gates told the assembled employees that there won’t be a day in his life when he won’t be thinking of Microsoft. He remains the non-executive Chairman of Microsoft and the largest single share holder.

There is much for him to rejoice about- if one considers what a giant the company he co-founded when he dropped out of Harvard has turned to be. His charisma and his vision for Microsoft were two factors that were instrumental in driving year on year growth for that organisation over several decades.

I am sure Gates will bring the same amount of passion and energy in his new area of interest. Working to provide health care and education to alleviate poverty around the world is a noble endeavour. If founding Microsoft was in a sense a pioneering move, would this be one too?  Over the years will his move be emulated by other business tycoons?

Will they, like Bill Gates, seek fulfillment out of doing good for others after they have done good for themselves?

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 210  of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

In a recent conversation, an employee complained bitterly to me about how frustrated he was in an organisation he had joined with a lot of enthusiasm- a little less than a year ago.  He mentioned that in reality that organisation was very, very different from the one he imagined it to be. He regretted having given up his previous job and was already looking out frantically for a change.

When I asked him what efforts he had made to find out about the organisation before he joined, he revealed a somewhat naive disposition. ” I thought there was no need to check” he said ” The company is well known and has been around for many years”.

Sometimes you may feel let down by organisations. There could be a large gap between what you expected and what you found over time. Why does this happen? In some cases you may not at all be responsible- the “good” employer is acquired by another organisation which has values you are not willing to back. You join as part of a team engaged to carry out a particular project - but a few months later the project itself is shelved by the organisation. These are known to happen and will perhaps always be the case.

Apart from finding out as much as you can about the organisation by reading and research, try to talk to people there. Talking to current and past employees of the organisation gives you very valuable insights. Unless you know that you can absolutely trust the comments of a current employee, take feedback from them with a pinch of salt. Many after all have referral programs where employees are rewarded for bringing in more people. They may exaggerate virtues not only to sell you the job but also to reassure themselves that they are on to a good thing.

The best feedback perhaps comes from people who worked in that organisation for a reasonable time but do not work there any longer. Here too be aware that individual experiences can vary. Just as perspectives do from person to person. Don’t ask the obvious. Asking the right questions about the areas where you may have some misgivings can make these interactions more valuable. Nevertheless, these insights you get can be a vital input before you decide.

So the next time you plan to make a move, ask yourself if you really know what you are in for.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 209 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

Thanks to Marci Alboher’s Shifting Careers blog in the New York Times, I came across Venkat Rao’s Ribbonfarm.com. I liked the simple yet very effective drawings that Venkat puts up to illustrate his points. The one regarding the evolution of work-life patterns is worth seeing.

I guess the extent to which we allow either the “work” aspects or the “life” aspects to dominate our lives is really left up to us. I say so because the mythical balance can come about only through making the right choices to meet our needs. I realize too that this balance changes dynamically at different stages of our career/life. What was awfully important to me 25 years ago, doesn’t seem to be a major draw just now. Likewise, what I looked at with scorn 25 years ago is, I am afraid, becoming awfully important to me now.

Like I hope to do, plan to visit Ribbonfarm.com from time to time to catch up with Venkat’s thoughts….and drawings.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 208 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

To many of us who grew up in the first thirty years of India’s independence, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was a major hero. We mourn his passing away at the ripe old age of 94. He was the Chief of Army Staff during the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and led India to its greatest military victory after Independence. This war resulted in the creation of a new nation- Bangla Desh.

A grateful nation made him a Field Marshal in 1973 but Sam Manekshaw was always called “Sam Bahadur” with love and respect because he was the epitome of the Gorkha Officer. He was the first Indian to command a Gorkha regiment in the Indian Army. He won the Military Cross for bravery during the Burma Campaign in the Second World War. At the time of the traumatic 1962 debacle against the Chinese, Sam Manekshaw was considered one of the best Generals and one of the few who had the courage to stand up to his political masters.

Sam Manekshaw was a born leader. Here is an extract from “Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw ,Soldiering With Dignity” by Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh. ” The North Eastern Frontier Agency, now called Arunachal Pradesh, was where we suffered our worst defeat, and it was to 4 Corps that providence ironically decreed and Army Headquarters ordered Sam Manekshaw to succeed Lieutenant General B M Kaul, the man who had almost ruined his professional career. He took over 4 Corps on 28th November 1962 on promotion to lieutenant general, and the same day addressed a conference of what must surely have been a very shaken group of staff officers. He entered the room with his usual jaunty step, looked as if he were meeting each eye trained on him and said, ‘Gentleman, I have arrived! There will be no more withdrawals in 4 Corps, thank you;’ and walked out. But the charisma that surrounds the man had preceded him and soldier and officer alike knew the ‘chosen one’ had arrived and henceforth all would be well. It was as if the dark and oppressive atmosphere had suddenly been lightened and Sam was the bearer of the light.

In another incident when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked him if he was going to Dacca to accept the surrender of the Pakistani Army there, he said that was the job of Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Arora, GOC-in-C,   Eastern Command who was the local commander and the honour should go to him.

Field Marshal Manekshaw was perhaps the last of a dying breed of professional soldiers. He personified gallantry and leadership.If you feel for him, like I do, please light a candle for him at IBNLive.com.

Good bye, Sam Bahadur. The nation grieves for you.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 207 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success

For an economy to develop, one would expect employment to grow not just in the larger cities but in smaller towns as well. A constraint in many big cities has been the scarcity of skilled people- across different types of jobs. Some organisations have taken the plunge by going to smaller towns and opening up employment opportunities - not just for the men there but for women as well.

I was delighted to read in Business Today about a rising new workforce in India- young women taking up employment for the first time in such large numbers. In ” Dream Factories” , Nitya Vardarajan writes about how many young women in Sriperumbudur in the state of Tamil Nadu in India are finding employment. Not in traditional areas but in the many new telecom and electronics factories that have sprung up to form a strong manufacturing hub.

Many of these factories have a large proportion of women in their workforce. The Nokia plant here, for example, has 70 % of the workforce being women. Other big names with assembly facilities in the area include Motorola, Dell, Samsung and Flextronics. It would appear that apart from being more dexterous ( which is very important in such jobs) these young women are highly committed and quick to learn. They do not have a tradition of working in factories yet they seem to have picked up the requisite skills successfully.

In a somewhat poignant remark, T. Claimans, Senior Manager, HR & General Administration (GA), Samsung India Electronics is quoted as saying ” These days, fathers (in the region) depend more on their daughters rather than sons to sustain their families”.

Yet another insight to a changing India.

You can subscribe to the A-Step-A-Day series using RSS at http://bprao.wordpress.com/category/a-step-a-day/feed

This is Post No: 206 of the “A Step A Day” series : To provide perspective and provoke thought to facilitate self-development across a wide spectrum of issues- big and small- crucial for executive success