All Posts By

Anil Sharma

May 07
1

Fighting COVID-19 With The Right Steps

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

 

 

The brunt of COVID-19 has not only affected individuals physically but also mentally. The moment one catches a fever, a sore throat, or gets tested positive, a vicious circle of uncertainty begins in the mind of the patient, and their family. 

 

The patient anticipates the outcomes of his condition and gets pent up with apprehension due to the unforeseen circumstances, and on seeking treatment with proactive diagnosis. They seek help from other individuals. While helping some of my fellow friends and patients out, I realize that the following steps can prove helpful in cases being cured:

 

  1. Prompt & Correct Diagnosis – taking the sequential steps
  2. Proactive call in seeking immediate physical steps – consultation and review
  3. Taking the prescribed medication, and arranging relevant resources, such as oxygen cylinders
  4. Thinking beyond today, to follow the next steps
  5. Dividing physical action and mental response while assisting people
  6. Exhibit compassion and amplify
  7. Know that if you approach people, they will make arrangements to help 
  8. Asking the right questions with regards to what can be done next?
  9. Stay virtually connected to people
  10. Limit your consumption of negative news, and unhelpful advice
  11. If things get out of your hand, seek help from a Mental Health Professional, as some are also offering counselling services on a pro bono basis
Oct 13
1

Leadership In Conflict To Harmony Management

By | Conflict Resolution, Leadership, Life, Reflection | No Comments

Culture & My observations: Culturally we in India want to talk less of conflicts and try to avoid it. Be it homes, offices, large organizations or even polity. The Conflict is put under the carpet and people generally want to avoid discussing it in open. The only exception is TV Debates where people go to the extent of abusing each other, but do nothing about a conflict situation. Culturally we are also soft, tolerant and intelligent which makes it difficult to first identify the conflict as objectively as it should be and then put it on the table to thrash it.

A typical western organization will do that. I have worked both in Indian organizations as well as multi-nationals have seen the contrast. I remember that we were having a meaningful but a loud discussion and leadership went awry if the teamwork is right. Well, teamwork was right, but the discussion was leading to the root cause.

What disturbs the Harmony in any organization?

  1. Lack of clarity of individual or functional goals: (which can be defined and measured) and for which person is accountable.  
  2. Dysfunctional Mechanism of Interdependence: Steven Covey in 7 habits of highly successful people talks about a migration from dependence to independence and interdependence to achieve not private victories but public victories. Now it is spoken about and high-level talk is done. Functionally it has to be brought down to interdependent goals, where there is a weight attached to my performance to my colleagues and vice –versa. Even a 360-degree appraisal could be subjective. 

Very few organizations are doing it successfully.

3. Territory Management: Humans by nature have learnt to capture physical territories to show strength and feel strong. That makes them inflexible, arrogant and not mindful of their roles all the times instead of their kingdom/queendoms.

4. Security: Somehow (as I discussed in my previous article) Scarcity mindset plays a part and we find ways to make each other uncomfortable within a given situation.

5. I know more than you Syndrome: I was talking to a Greek ex-colleague of mine over a cup of coffee who had travelled to India tens of times and worked with us for several years. We also travelled to many places around the world together and he will have one observation for all cities/countries we visited together including his own. For India, he had this one ‘

“If I give an Indian an idea, he will not take a minute to tell me he has another better. “ 

I will say the intellect and enthusiasm of a child with it does not leave us even after growing up and every time somebody gives me an idea, I still have to try hard to remember Nikos before I think of starting. I think the growth is in working together on some good ideas in direction of our goals and realizing that let’s optimize in direction of a common big cake rather than an individual small pie.

F) Working in Sylos even in environments having processes and systems but not integrated or linked in progression: Individual brilliance somehow thrives in most of organizations and penchant for it drives both the doer and the managements. 

The Solution: Is in the problem itself. The conflict has to be deliberated and not denied. Working together for more rather than competing at all times – public victories than private victories. Recognizing and creating winning teams and not just Winners. Some very matured organizations have been able to do that. Creative an individual and collective leadership and recognizing people’s contribution more than money. 

It’s true for families, its true for any pair of people working together to the largest organizations. I recognize what you do and I understand your frustration and I am willing to sort it with you.

Sep 07
1

Scarcity vs Abundance: Beyond The Expression

By | Gratitude, Life, Reflection | No Comments

Have you heard or experienced the following?

“The guy says something, thinks something, commits to something else and does totally different things. How to trust him?” Meaning, he is unpredictable or not trustworthy. That guy is too straight-forward! Implied, He is “Blunt or stupid,” and perhaps, lacks people skills.

Here is an insight into expressing and extending what the title suggests.

  1. Competitiveness vs Competence: Depends on where you are in the world what takes shape. In a competitive environment, to the advocates of Darwin theory, competitiveness shall take precedence over competence.
  2. Loyalty vs Competence: You bet loyalty wins 100% times over competence in any environment: Human beings are creatures looking for security, but in a world that we thrive in, there is a dearth of feeling secure.
  3. Rat Race: Is a connotation of people competing against each other in a given environment, prevalent more in the corporate sector, as well as across several other institutions. The agony is even if you win you are a rat at the end of the day! This primarily breeds insecurity, and births an environment that thrives on intimidation rather than cooperation.
  4. Carrot & Reward: Value System, Ethics, Survival. Well, I have seen all this in play on a daily basis for 25 years as an active observer in the corporate sector, and at times dealt with same whilst withholding the temptation to become a ‘rat’.

Whilst I was thinking about these specific pointers, the argument of ‘Scarcity vs Abundance’ came to my mind. 

We live in an environment where very less is available for more and everybody is looking for the best way to keep themselves floating because there will be 100s applications for any job, or perhaps, even thousands. Over-competent people fighting for odd jobs? Those who get those ‘Jobs’ have to do enough and persevere to keep floating.

Do not take me for wrong for jobs, its same for competing businesses and very proudly we hear people using SAAM, DAAM, DAND, BHED  (Collaboration, Money, Fear & Conflict) to get an order (be it big or small) or everything is fair in Love and War to justify wrong behaviours which are harmful to others. 

When we dig deeper we find that while the scarcity is genesis, it’s gone deeper that means have become ends and taking away the happiness of young kids, the security of experienced, but why? Because we forget to think of abundance. The abundance of resources and how to make the cake larger rather than fighting for pies. So, we rank pretty, poor on the basis of the happiness quotient worldwide. 

The behaviours which get encouraged, thus, are:

  1. Acquiring wealth
  2. Acquiring Power
  3. Acquiring it at any cost
  4. Jealousy 
  5. Conflict 

We can debate that because there is no population control and the government has not done much to create opportunities.

That’s a daily dialogue and political, media and household discourse of discussions leading to despondency over hope.

What could turn this around? I think ‘Gratitude’ as a collective consciousness and principle in society is what we need to pursue more as I see in other societies where the right values are propagated. I take responsibility and my happiness and sorrow do not depend on governments, the institution on granting me a job or not. I do not so link it to my lifestyle and what others can see, instead of on who I am and what makes me happy and my family’s togetherness or well being. 

COVID-times have made me believe that all of us can live with a succinct amount of resources. The car can be smaller, as most of them are not running. The cost of running the house is not so high.

Well, I also am fully reflective that its easy to talk this in a privileged position and space, on my laptop as I observe and read about the plight of migrant workers, many of whom died on the way in lack of food, water, shelter and physical strength. I am sure all of us have done some bit and there is so much more that can be done.

How about a change of thought because a mere thought essentially becomes things, becomes a reality.

How about, “Sab bindaas hai, aur jo nahin hai use kar denge!”  

Jul 06
0

Leadership In Times of Corona

By | Leadership | No Comments

Have been reading a lot of Leadership stuff last few days and have come across some great leaders working with me, on me last 25+ years. I also heard a lot of leaders talking about ‘Leadership Stuff’ in different webinars and articles of late. As I was reflecting on all this, I also went back to history on how leaderships have behaved in times like today. Why are these times difficult: the pandemic has not only broken back of health Infrastructures globally and invoked fear of death like never before across races, colours and continents, but also economically globally. So as the leaderships struggles to save its people, they have to keep a tab on that there is enough for everybody and stand guard to their internal and external security threats persisting in different parts of the world for different reasons territorially but similar in reasons causing them, which is insecurities of leaderships. I thought what will be true leaders doing today (without claiming to be the best exponent of leadership), they will be:

  1. Flexible and Agile: To react to the situations described all coming together and having the responsibility to create short term reactions and mid-term to long term combative actions for sustainable survival and growth on all fronts.
  2. Capacity To Deal With Complexity: As the situation warrants them to be dealing with people, things, unknown (the virus) the hunger and livelihoods.
  3. Compassion: To keep the main thing the main thing and the main thing will always revolve around people, their lives and their well being. It’s difficult and a tough call. I got many WhatsApp messages for the last 48 hours, how so healthy looking companies have let their people go, declare bankruptcy. Far too soon I felt and whilst the immediate gratification for most of them will be financial savings a lot of big names surprised though( if sustainability was a real problem), long term it will be on the survival of their very business.
  4. Passion: To keep and drive the purpose of the business forward and keep the CORE of it ie growth, people and sustainability all in mind while driving the same. I am seeing a lot of leadership around me driving that with great passion and compassion.
  5. Gratitude: To be able to create and propagate a meaningful agenda and being of service to people, organizations, societies and causes and remain humble and grateful for the same. I have been grateful to all my leaders to have taught me with the example of great ambassadors of gratitude and change.
  6. Valour: A lot of wars were fought and won by great Heroes purely because of their dare or valour. They embarked on battles and wars of great magnitude, locking horns with an enemy that was monstrous and many times bigger in size of armies and kingdoms. Sheer conviction and valour of great leaders have won those wars. As it has rightly been said, “An army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”
  7. GOAL: Set an Impossible goal for self and organization and work for it. That can create growth and keep you away from the negativity of thinking about challenges all the times around you. A Vaccum such a large goal creates will suck the organization for exponential growth. 
Jul 04
0

Emerging Global Supply Chain Order

By | Supply Chain | One Comment

Turbulence Worldwide: In recent history’s toughest times the countries, the regions, industries and lives have been impacted due to supply chain disruptions the world over. The COVID situation has proven that while cost economics and dynamics of buying and selling cost and resultant optimization of profit is though very important to running of businesses, the survival of businesses is far more important. And lack of availability of goods and services is the biggest nightmare for businesses and people affected by that. For most of the world, Asia and more so China is a faraway place. The logistics and planning inefficiencies anyway put some constraints even in normal circumstances, a complete disruption due to COVID 19 situation and emotional impact of that has created a global realization and sentiments of having local, regional supply chains. The reasons are actual issues due to distance, patriotic outburst as well as protectionism and economic factors. 

  • Best Supply Chain Practices Suggest: That in a global environment more than one supply source as a country /supplier are best practices. Regular evaluation and benchmarking on the total cost and make or buy is a continuous process which need be periodically done. Dependence on China largely has comforted countries and those responsible to be complacent and overlook the same.
  • Options – Looking forward There Are Seemingly The Following Options:
  1. Things Stay As They Are: Which will happen for some regions/countries due to their lack of ability to create an infrastructure. Emotional outbursts would be over and business goes as usual 
  2. Independent Supply Chain Hubs: There are a few capable and dynamic economies and regions like Eastern Europe, Latin America, Korea, Japan, South East Asia, India which could develop themselves into self-reliance /enablement by mutual engagement with rest of the world over 2 to 5 years
  3. Interdependent Supply Chain Optimized Model: This is the model where China should come forward and collaborate to participate and create regional spokes to its core. The transformation will be fast and it’s going to be a win: win for all. China tends to regain confidence as a collaborative entity and gain for such growth by the back end. The world will solve the inefficiencies of its supply chain for the long term.
  • What Could India Do?: I have written before on what India needs to do internally to optimize its workforce potential and resources and be very pro-active in doing it. At a regional/global level, India has to be flexible and agile both. It has to quickly identify areas where it can really be independent and go about doing it in close collaboration and support to local industry with respect to the policy as well as flexibility in approach to attract that more people want to remain and grow in those sectors locally.

The difficult part is areas wherein, India is dependent on China or other countries of the world not only on finished goods, sub-assemblies but also raw materials.

For those sectors, India as a country in general (about government and its policies) and Industry, in particular, has to look at creating new routes to the optimization of time, effort and cost to leverage from the existing and new policies and push for creating new ones, as well as pro-actively end up doing what it takes in their respective categories in next 6 to 12 months. It’s true that a robust supply chain shall take 2 to 5 years. If we, however, remain in that complacency, we will miss the opportunity. So what can be done in two years has to be done in 6 months. Entrepreneurs and Executives have to take the challenge and do it once to test themselves beyond the Gyan of knowing it and actually doing it. 

Jul 22
0

Outsourcing is faster and Flexible

By | Business | One Comment

I have worked for organizations that are hard core manufacturing organizations, the ones which are largely trading organizations and there are ones which are Research and Development organizations. I found that everywhere , I had to change my mind set and position supply chain differently though using fundamental principles of quality, cost and delivery in practice. Having said that I also find the organizations which have been largely trading and had some manufacturing abilities have been the smartest ones and lets examine Why ?  Read More

Jul 03
1

Always Always Follow Specifications While Buying

By | Business | One Comment

I remember having read about a Buyer who was a very good negotiator . So good that he could buy anything Cheapest and used to clinch deals on a daily basis . His job required him to do so and he was best at it and had a penchant to buy Cheap. Well he was lured by a hospitality company to join them because of his overall ability but during his interview he was told that this hospitality company wants him to choose him for his experience but wants to buy the best stuff, not really cheap. They wanted to create a chain of Restaurants which was to create a niche amongst the upper strata of society. Read More

Jun 20
1

Having World Class Supply Chain is not by Chance

By | Business | 2 Comments

Supply Chain has evolved worldwide as a specialists job over past two decades. There are people and organizations focused on giving it due importance and also reaping the benefits. A lot of credit must be given to Automobile Industry for really focusing early on its evolution and IT development across the world, that has facilitated its advancement leaps and bounds and evolving it as a discipline of experts. Having said there is another school of thought largely lead by Promoters and majority of Industries where Supply Chain/Purchasing is considered like a housewife’s job assuming any one can do that and it does not generate revenue and the assumption that Supply Chain is a cost Centre. Majority of Organizations, rather vast majority of them treat Supply Chain as Cost Centre and do not even define Cost Innovation/Optimization through Supply Chain as Profit Centres. Read More

Jun 09
2

Why China Remains Relevant and Where is India’s Opportunity

By | Business | 2 Comments

It’s about a decade and little more that I first time experienced China Phenomenon during a visit to South China in the famous Canton fair. Most of the progress or the Scale I saw was from sidelines  and just got impressed and came back to India with the same.

In 2007 when I landed up there for a long term (About 3 years assignment till 2010), that i went t through understanding of the capabilities, experiencing Strength of the culture, Speed at which things can happen or not and what makes China the world factory. The size and scale and ambition of the business has been truly Global, whilst keeping simple business thinking by the whole system. Truly it was the cheapest and most productive space to manufacture and with unparalleled supply chain along-with other advantages like lack of distraction from religion, Mult Party Political system etc. Etc. In 2008 , Labour Laws were introduced in China and the cost of labour acquisition started going up and then 2008 Global recession hit Chinese factories with some consequences.  Read More

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