The Tata Imbroglio: VUCA Claims Its Latest Victim

The Tata Imbroglio: VUCA Claims Its Latest Victim

VUCA has claimed yet another victim in the form of the Tatas. Just as before every great change there is great chaos, the Tatas may emerge from this stronger and more adaptable. To expect that they must retain the same old values that got them here could get relegated to the category of `romantic fantasy`. After all, what got them here won't get them there.

Few days back, moving out of a cliche, there was genuine Breaking News. The Tatas did a typical Corporate America – they sacked Cyrus Mistry in a swift move and dropped a bombshell on the media. The announcement was LOUD AND CLEAR, very unlike the traditionally suave and soft approach they had taken thus far. Even the common man on the street, who has little or no knowledge of corporate boardroom battles, was taken aback by the news, not because yet another honcho had lost his seat, but because the Tatas, known for better things than mudslinging in public, had done it.

Generations spread over almost one-and-a-half centuries have grown up admiring the Tatas. The Tatas have always stood for words that define character - like trust, integrity, culture, employee friendliness and dignity. Yet, in a matter of minutes, `dignity` was perceived to have been thrown out of the window and the steel-to-salt conglomerate had become the butt of jokes on social media.

It is incredible that a group known for its tolerance had acted in a manner very unTata-like. As Harsh Goenka in his article in The Times Of India on October 28, 2016, titled `Recipe For Conflict: Mistrust, leadership style and ambition` says: “When Mistry was appointed as chairman four years ago, he was lauded by India Inc as someone who understood the group's culture and was ready to lead it into the 21^st century. But it now seems apparent that some of his recent decisions jeopardised what the board of directors considered its “long term interests”. A question that I find hard to answer is that even if his recent decisions went against the Tata heritage, why was it so imperative for the trusts to go against their own traditions and dismiss him so summarily?”

In this VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous – world, not just for individuals and families, even a hardened value- and culture-driven group like the Tatas is finding it difficult to hold on to tradition. This is almost like Test Cricket – the purest and most traditional form of the game – being forced to adapt to the dynamics of the 20-20 format. The Tatas, in a way have sounded the culture-shift bell, indicating that performance in this VUCA world has to take precedence over softer issues like caring, nurturing and mentoring.

We live in a world where no one is spared the performance stick – be it individuals, families or organisations. Ironically, while we have more convenience, that has added to the complexity; while there is lot of information, there is dearth of quality content; while there are many friends being made everyday, relationships are becoming more and more hollow. The external environment today has a far greater say in our lives than ever before. It's no longer about being able to keep one's counsel despite external circumstances. The mind is bombarded with so much information and irrelevant content today that it has severely dented the discriminative faculty. We live in a hyper technology-driven world, which is threatening the relevance of human emotions and one's intellectual width.

The rise in business options and opportunities has also resulted in immense bottomline pressure on companies. Even conglomerates like the Tatas, which set the corporate cultural tone in India, cannot remain immune from the economic and business dynamics. Long-held values are changing colour at the speed of light. Long-held beliefs are getting redefined or diluted. Earlier, it was about change. Now it is about constant change and continuous reinvention.

VUCA has claimed yet another victim in the form of the Tatas. Just as before every great change there is great chaos, the Tatas may emerge from this stronger and more adaptable. To expect that they must retain the same old values that got them here could get relegated to the category of `romantic fantasy`. After all, what got them here won't get them there. 

Leadership And The Reality of Illusion

Leadership And The Reality of Illusion

BIG IDEA: The `Consciousness Leader` is the next step
in the evolution of leadership in the 21^st century

Tagline: It is an interesting phenomenon that while the leader must grasp the illusory nature of his role to make it real for his people, many team members may operate from a `reality` that they can independently define their space and the leader can be `managed`. What is illusion and what is reality itself is debatable, but adopting an `illusion model` to leading makes leaders more adaptable to the variables and realities of human behaviour.

Leadership is a deep subject. There are many models that provide a framework for leaders to operate from. However, the real test lies in having the ability to move beyond the frameworks and operate real time amidst the complexity that people create.

Great leadership hardly flows from one's technical expertise. The technique to handle people rises way above technical skills. The best part about technical skills is its relatively static nature, but people throw up variables which can surprise the most competent leader in the world. The leader of course must display decent technical skills to earn the respect of his team, but it is people handling skills that tower above any other dynamics in a leadership role.

The toughest thing about handling people is that they cannot be conditioned beyond a certain timeframe. One of the great differences in training animals and people is that the former get conditioned and stay conditioned, whereas the latter have reasons to get conditioned, yet find ways to break free. Animals are instinctive; so when the instinct is reined in, they give in, but people carry instincts along with a host of ohere emotional dynamics like ego, rationality, sensitivity, aspiration, etc.

A leader has to deal with all this, besides his own personality, complexes and complexities. A leader must possess great self-awareness and also have the ability to navigate through complex personalities in his team. Unlike animals, who, once trained, revel in being obedient, human beings can break off long-held relationships in a matter of minutes. This could result from a bad experience, a misunderstood communication or withering trust.

Human beings function from a complex set of factors and are governed by an abstract yet fundamental phenomenon called Consciousness. The nature of consciousness is such that it makes people oscillate between reality and illusion. A leader's great challenge is to grasp this crucial dynamic in a team's psychology. People fundamentally don't like to be led, they like to lead. The team may perceive the leader's role to be illusory and their own perspectives to be real. This has a major bearing on how they behave and respond to a leader's presence and personality.

It is an interesting phenomenon that while the leader must grasp the illusory nature of his role to make it real for his people, many team members may operate from a `reality` that they can independently define their space and the leader can be `managed`. What is illusion and what is reality itself is debatable, but adopting an `illusion model` to leading makes leaders more adaptable to the variables and realities of human behaviour.

Context plays a very critical role in a leader's life. With diminishing age for leadership positions in teh corporate world, the lack of experience can be made up only through well-built perspectives and a spiritual-intellectual approach to the role. It will help leaders to internalise the ephemeral nature of life, which will play out in their interactions with team members. No behaviour or relationship is permanent and no emotional connection beyond reach.

A leader must work not just on his competencies, but also on his consciousness. A leader's life is defined by the extent of complexity he has to handle. Complexity can become overbearing and at times impossible to manage. It is therefore imperative for a leader to be both a learner as well as a meditator. He must not just meditate on leadership strategies, but also practice meditation as a habit, as that will create within him magnificent detachment combined with emotional engagement with his team. Meditation will help him balance the illusory and reality forces that will confront him frequently and substantially. Meditation will help him come to terms with the `illusion of reality` as well as the `reality of illusion`.

Elevating leadership to a level of consciousness will make the leader approach the role with spontaneity and tenacity. A leader must `belong` and not just `be`. For this, it is imperative that he masters the art of adapting to people's behaviors and their varying levels of consciousness. A leader therefore has to manage the `clash of consciousness` and not just the clash of temperaments.

The `Consciousness Leader` is the next step in the evolution of leadership in the 21^st century.

The Contemplative Calcuttan

The Contemplative Calcuttan

Kolkata prides itself on its arts, literature and culture. It has made slowness into a fine art of sorts, providing people that extra breathing space to contemplate on the finer and subtler aspects of living. In comparison to the fast-paced metros, it comes across as lazy and laid-back. But if we were to look at it from another perspective, what really have the so-called developed metros achieved in terms of lifestyle barring more stress and distress? Kolkata, at least on the outside, offers a picture of contemplation and a resolve to stay peaceful.

“Even the buildings seem to be in suspended animation,” I commented to my relatives as I stared outside from their seventh floor apartment in Kolkata. Every visit to the City of Joy makes you wonder at the reluctant pace at which the city is still coming to terms with liberalisation. As the nation commemorates twenty five years of liberalisation, Kolkata seems static and contented in its own space and time, as if liberalisation is fast spreading its tentacles in a far distant land.

The city though has not been able to escape the effects of liberalisation. There is visibly better infrastructure, more options for eating and entertainment. But it does not escape anyone's notice that the old Calcutta is still determined to hold on to its legacy – the rickety yellow Ambassador taxi, the still-reckless-though-broken mini bus, the slow-moving tram and the pioneering metro combine to put together a unique symphony of sorts. However, I did notice that hand-pulled rickshaws were out of sight.

Kolkata holds a special place in my life as I spent an impactful part of my childhood there. At a young age it deeply ingrained in me the impressions that stay with you for a lifetime. Every visit there fills me with nostalgia, memories and cravings for the only kind of sweets available on Planet Earth. Not to mention the amazing Bengali samosa (singada), puchka (gol gappa or pani puri for the rest of India, depending on where you live) and the `cutting chai` in the small earthen pot. And all these come at a cost which will make your jaws shake in `happy horror`.

A recent visit to Motilal Nehru Raod, where I spent two critical years of my life with my uncle's family, filled me with a sense of deep nostalgia. While a redeveloped building here and there had come up in the lane, memories sped back to my childhood as I saw youngsters from another generation play cricket with the same gusto that we did. I wondered if anything had changed at all. The lane, its people, the surroundings all seemed blissfully contented in occupying a space in time which seemed not just reluctant, but resistant to go the modern way.

Kolkata prides itself on its arts, literature and culture. It has made slowness into a fine art of sorts, providing people that extra breathing space to contemplate on the finer and subtler aspects of living. In comparison to the fast-paced metros, it comes across as lazy and laid-back. But if we were to look at it from another perspective, what really have the so-called developed metros achieved in terms of lifestyle barring more stress and distress? Kolkata, at least on the outside, offers a picture of contemplation and a resolve to stay peaceful.

The city it appears to me is resolute about maintaining its solitude. While the rest of the country is busy planning the next big economic move, Calcutta is taking measured steps towards globalisation. For the outsider, it invokes both curiosity as well as contempt for its `laziness`. The `progressive` Indian accuses it of economic backwardness and industrial unfriendliness. But has anyone bothered to ask the `Contemplative Calcuttan` whether he would be ready to impart training in the nuances of the Bengali language, Rabindra Sangeet and Satyajit Ray films? The enthusiasm with which they pursue activities contemplative and intellectually enriching has to be seen to be believed. It's important purely from an evolutionary perspective to not just give Calcutta the benefit of doubt, but also acknowledge the unique strengths it offers to the Indian populace. The contribution of Bengalis to the national creative space is outstanding to say the least.

Oh! Calcutta, I know the `wrath of time` will with each passing day challenge your stubbornness to remain traditional and lure you into `development`, as can be seen from the way classical homes are getting clouded by the presence of modern buildings, but may you remain steadfast in holding on to what India and humanity need to preserve in your bosom. May you acquire only those modern traits that will uplift human consciousness and not increase human cravings.

The Contemplative Calcuttan after all epitomises not just the nature of a city and its people, it also offers hope of escapism into a zone of consciousness which connects you to `everything within the nothing`.

The Contemplative Calcuttan

The Contemplative Calcuttan

Kolkata prides itself on its arts, literature and culture. It has made slowness into a fine art of sorts, providing people that extra breathing space to contemplate on the finer and subtler aspects of living. In comparison to the fast-paced metros, it comes across as lazy and laid-back. But if we were to look at it from another perspective, what really have the so-called developed metros achieved in terms of lifestyle barring more stress and distress? Kolkata, at least on the outside, offers a picture of contemplation and a resolve to stay peaceful.

“Even the buildings seem to be in suspended animation,” I commented to my relatives as I stared outside from their seventh floor apartment in Kolkata. Every visit to the City of Joy makes you wonder at the reluctant pace at which the city is still coming to terms with liberalisation. As the nation commemorates twenty five years of liberalisation, Kolkata seems static and contented in its own space and time, as if liberalisation is fast spreading its tentacles in a far distant land.

The city though has not been able to escape the effects of liberalisation. There is visibly better infrastructure, more options for eating and entertainment. But it does not escape anyone's notice that the old Calcutta is still determined to hold on to its legacy – the rickety yellow Ambassador taxi, the still-reckless-though-broken mini bus, the slow-moving tram and the pioneering metro combine to put together a unique symphony of sorts. However, I did notice that hand-pulled rickshaws were out of sight.

Kolkata holds a special place in my life as I spent an impactful part of my childhood there. At a young age it deeply ingrained in me the impressions that stay with you for a lifetime. Every visit there fills me with nostalgia, memories and cravings for the only kind of sweets available on Planet Earth. Not to mention the amazing Bengali samosa (singada), puchka (gol gappa or pani puri for the rest of India, depending on where you live) and the `cutting chai` in the small earthen pot. And all these come at a cost which will make your jaws shake in `happy horror`.

A recent visit to Motilal Nehru Raod, where I spent two critical years of my life with my uncle's family, filled me with a sense of deep nostalgia. While a redeveloped building here and there had come up in the lane, memories sped back to my childhood as I saw youngsters from another generation play cricket with the same gusto that we did. I wondered if anything had changed at all. The lane, its people, the surroundings all seemed blissfully contented in occupying a space in time which seemed not just reluctant, but resistant to go the modern way.

Kolkata prides itself on its arts, literature and culture. It has made slowness into a fine art of sorts, providing people that extra breathing space to contemplate on the finer and subtler aspects of living. In comparison to the fast-paced metros, it comes across as lazy and laid-back. But if we were to look at it from another perspective, what really have the so-called developed metros achieved in terms of lifestyle barring more stress and distress? Kolkata, at least on the outside, offers a picture of contemplation and a resolve to stay peaceful.

The city it appears to me is resolute about maintaining its solitude. While the rest of the country is busy planning the next big economic move, Calcutta is taking measured steps towards globalisation. For the outsider, it invokes both curiosity as well as contempt for its `laziness`. The `progressive` Indian accuses it of economic backwardness and industrial unfriendliness. But has anyone bothered to ask the `Contemplative Calcuttan` whether he would be ready to impart training in the nuances of the Bengali language, Rabindra Sangeet and Satyajit Ray films? The enthusiasm with which they pursue activities contemplative and intellectually enriching has to be seen to be believed. It's important purely from an evolutionary perspective to not just give Calcutta the benefit of doubt, but also acknowledge the unique strengths it offers to the Indian populace. The contribution of Bengalis to the national creative space is outstanding to say the least.

Oh! Calcutta, I know the `wrath of time` will with each passing day challenge your stubbornness to remain traditional and lure you into `development`, as can be seen from the way classical homes are getting clouded by the presence of modern buildings, but may you remain steadfast in holding on to what India and humanity need to preserve in your bosom. May you acquire only those modern traits that will uplift human consciousness and not increase human cravings.

The Contemplative Calcuttan after all epitomises not just the nature of a city and its people, it also offers hope of escapism into a zone of consciousness which connects you to `everything within the nothing`.

10 Reasons Why Companies Must Train Their People

10 Reasons Why Companies Must Train Their People

Here are ten reasons why companies – small, medium and big – must focus on developing their people to create competence and thereby build performance excellence:

1. The only way to grow your business by growing your people. If you don't train, their minds will rust, and eventually, so will the business.

2. When people are trained, you make them competent. If they stay, they will perform, if they leave, they will propagate about you.

3. Training helps add to perspectives within the organisation. This leads to more ideas which keep the working ambience vibrant.

4. Training promotes more purposeful conversations, which lead to enhanced productivity.

5. Training makes people more organised and process oriented. That adds to organisational efficiency.

6. Training creates hunger for learning, which will lead to greater earning for the company and its people, for after all earning lies within l(earning). A learning culture will create a performance culture.

7. Training helps promote bonding and team work. When people work together, overall productivity multiplies. That is why companies must focus on both functional as well as behavioural training.

8. Training, coaching and mentoring promote better behaviours. This improves customer centricity. The only way to take care of your customers is to take care of your people.

9. Training, coaching and mentoring build better leaders. No organisation can progress without a strong leadership culture.

10. Training is the biggest retention tool. Its is also the greatest differentiator in the marketplace.

India @ `25`

India @ `25`

In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ and today our children are measuring us with TQ.

India is introspecting life after twenty five years of liberalisation, one of the momentous post-independence events. I was just 22 when PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister and Finance Minister respectively, announced economic reforms. The Congress-led government was forced to take the step due to the balance of payments crisis. What it meant politically was a break from the socialist stance and embracing capitalism. The Cold War had ended with the US, with whom India thus far had shared an ambivalent relationship, decisively winning it. Caplitalism had triumphed over communism. The USSR had broken up and the US emerged as a massive superpower.

What economic liberalisation meant for the lay man here was more television channels beyond the usual fare from Doordarshan, and international soft drinks and fashion brands enticing us with their flavours. My generation started to feel the change in the '80s itself as Disco music and Hollywood movies started to capture our imagination. There was a palpable cultural shift. Signs were clear that India was on the cusp of a change – a major change.

That major change was sealed in 1991, as India was forced to open itself up to foreign investments and thereby foreign competition. The comfort zone of being a closed, public-sector controlled economy was shaken at its roots. Nehruvian socialism was about to break its links with the past and a new kind of governance was thrust upon a reluctant country. The brands started to come in thick and fast.

Hindi movies started reflecting the change. They became grander. The nation was less angry and more anticipating now. The Rajesh Khannas and Amitabh Bachchans of Bollywood made a decisive way to the Madhuris and Shah Rukhs. No more of the lost and found, let's fight poverty and injustice types of plots. It was a bolder and more expressive India with Madhuri Dixit having the nation on its toes with her `revealing` ek, do, teen number in the film Tezaab. She symbolised an India that was prepared to shed its inhibitions big time.

Economic liberalisation changed the meaning and value of money. When Manoj Kumar raised a rant against inflation in the 1974 film Roti, Kapada aur Makaan, nobody could have visualised the rising inflation levels the country is living with since 1991. Be it the basic necessities of life, property prices or cost of entertainment, everything has been on a constant upswing. Yet, the middle class has seized upon the opportunity to live a life of its dreams – cars, homes, clothes, burgeoning income, etc.

As I push towards 47, besides the impact on the perception of money, I can see that the country has undergone a drastic cultural shift too. Economic liberalisation has not just transformed the value of money, it has altered cultural equations. It is redefining perspectives on traditional ideas of relationships, marriages and lifestyles.

Teenagers today, who were born in the `new` India, inheriting parents from the `old` India, celebrate life far more than people from my generation could have imagined. They have probably already used up the `celebration quota` allotted to us at birth. Many of them are uncluttered and live life to the fullest. The shift in the way India lived pre-1991 and now can be seen by simply visiting any academic institution today. The way we operated as students seems like we belonged to an archaic generation.

In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection (how funny that when it comes to phones today, you have to be specific) and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and today our children are measuring us with TQ (Technology Quotient). Unfortunately, many from my generation, myself included, fell way short in IQ and are trying to improve their TQ score.

As India is now caught up between two generations with dramatically different paradigms, it is interesting how our lives are parallely panning out. We always chased, but our children have attracted. We inherited values, they have redefined choices. We stuck to relationships, they have no qualms to move on if need be. We saved money as we thought it was scarce; they spend it unabashedly as they are confident of creating more. We waited for the country to change, they are changing the country. We listened to our parents, they are questioning us. We laughed at ourselves, they are laughing at us – so in that sense we are aligned. We dreamt of going abroad, our children can now far more easily access different countries. We were fascinated by Hollywood – held it in awe - they are seeing `Hollywood in Bollywood` now.

We live in a society where technology is constantly redefining our relevance by the minute and challenging us to constantly add value. We created technology for our convenience, but now it is threatening our relevance. Robots, a fantasy for our generation, are now about to enter our homes and take over their functioning. These are very interesting times where ideas are getting realigned before they get debated. There is something happening all the time – whatsapp messages, construction, shopping, celebration, etc.

Twenty five years on, India has changed beyond recognition. The biggest change is that the party that ushered in liberalisation is struggling to reinvent itself. Population, which was a major liability pre-1991, is now an asset. India, because of its economic potential, is now the cynosure of the world's eyes. The Narendra Modi-led government was voted into power in 2014 on the back of huge expectations. It is trying to make India a major political and economic force. But socially, the divide between the rich and the poor has widened. It is creating its own complications, testing the democratic and secular fabric of the nation all the time.

In terms of daily life in India, my generation, conditioned by its pre-1991 upbringing, is trying to implement a parenting style dictated by the demands of the post-1991 generation. It is a tough balancing act. That in a nutshell is India @ 25.