Ravi's Question

Last week I bumped into my school friend Ravi at a get-together.  He had an interesting incident to narrate, which apparently was a self-revelation for himself. 

Ravi was waiting in the queue at the boarding gate for the flight departing to Bangalore. 

To while away his time he was gazing at the queue at the next counter which was for the flight departing to Delhi.

A smartly dressed young man – probably in his mid-twenties – suddenly turned around in the other queue and gave a nod and a familiar smile to Ravi. 

Ravi was momentarily confused.  Who was this person who gave him a knowing smile?  Was it one of Ravi’s ex-students?  (Ravi used to teach at a management school a few years ago on a part time basis over weekends purely as a hobby).

Or did that person recognize Ravi from the various culinary articles that Ravi wrote in an on-line magazine? (Ravi prided himself on his exotic culinary skills)

Or perhaps he had attended one of the music programs where Ravi plays the drums? (Ravi has developed a fascination for drums and occasionally plays during weekends in an amateur rock band)

“The way he smiled at me it was apparent that he was impressed by me and of what I am as a person. So in what circumstances would this person have known about me?” wondered Ravi.

And then it hit him. 

Not once had Ravi even considered the possibility that this young man who smiled at him could have met Ravi at the bank that Ravi works in - and that he was probably impressed by Ravi's flawless professional reputation in banking circles.

The fact is that for the past few years, Ravi has been consciously forging an identity - and searching for meaning - beyond just his corporate career. All of Ravi’s world now is about following his genuine passions and activities - which are all outside the office.  His banking career is doing well - but on auto-pilot : he does everything in the bank very clinically and professionally – but without the passion he used to show some years ago.

Whenever he thinks of anything that touches his soul or his aspirations/ dreams, he thinks only from the context of his passions outside work - almost as if there is nothing more he can expect in terms of genuine fulfillment from his corporate career. Hence he is increasingly reluctant to play the corporate game for survival.

Ravi then suddenly stopped talking, looked at me and said : "I wonder how many of our class mates feel the same way. Do you feel that way too?”

On how I unwittingly helped build a school roof

Just saw this Kalyan Jewellery ad which has Amitabh Bacchan in the role of a rural school teacher seeking help from his ex-student to get the school roof fixed.

Reminded me of the incident last week when I unwittingly helped contribute to building a roof over a school in rural Konkan.

What happened was this.  I was searching for the Dadar-Matunga cultural centre where the famous Shruti Sadolikar was performing, and asked a passerby for directions.

"Just take a right at the junction, and the building is the 2nd on your right" he told me.

I took the right and there was the board proudly saying "Dadar-Matunga Cultural centre".  I promptly went into the building, where I was greeted by a small reception committee all of whom were flaunting very large and colourful badges that important committee members usually like to wear.

I did not know why they were so enthusiastic on seeing me so I quickly told them that I have come to listen to the music program, and not to perform.  At that their joy further increased, and I was escorted to the reception table where I bought a ticket.

While I was waiting for the auditorium doors to open, one of the badge wearing gentleman came up to me and started a conversation:

He : "Thank you very much for attending this music program"

I : "Not at all.  In fact I was looking forward to this program since quite some time".

He : "Yes, we need the encouragement of patrons like you to help re-build the school roof.  Were you a student in that school?"

I : "umm.....errrrr"

He : And we find nowadays very few patrons like you supporting new and upcoming music talent".

Shruti Sadolikar is by no means a new and upcoming talent.  I took a quick look at the ticket.  Then I noticed that the ticket mentioned the venue as the "Yashwantrao Chavan Cultural centre" and the performing artiste as some Vasant Deshpande.

I had got into the wrong building.

I made a smooth and low profile exit somehow managing to avoid the reception committee. Shruti Sadolikar was just about to begin her alaap when I entered the Dadar Matunga auditorium situated in a narrow lane next to the Chavan hall.

Reflections On Guru Purnima Day

One goes to a Guru to learn skills – it could be a hobby like music, or it could be about professional skills.  But a real Guru in the process of imparting these skills also transforms the Shishya’s (student’s) character and outlook on life.

Finding a real Guru is a serious challenge.  One may pursue a life-time seeking a Guru and yet not find one.  Sometimes the Guru that you seek may be sitting right next to you - but yet you may not recognise him as one.  This is because a real Guru does not market himself as a Guru and seek disciples.  Disciples have to seek him out and implore him to accept them as a disciple.

It takes time and devotion to develop a Guru-Shishya bond.  Real Guru’s rarely open up quickly and shower their bounty on a new disciple.  Rather they test them with tit-bits over a period of time, and only when they feel that the Shishya is ready for wisdom and transformation does he open up.  Lucky is the Shishya who is able to spend a sufficiently long enough time with his Guru to experience the transformational experience.

At some point of time, the Guru himself will inform the Shishya that it is time he sought a new Guru.  At that time, the Shishya should graciously and humbly accept the suggestion and seek a new Guru.  When he finally finds a new Guru, the old Guru continues to remain a Guru and a friend.

Running & Walking

I know there is this big movement which is seriously promoting Running.  Every other friend or colleague of mine seems to be seriously into Running - and they exhort others to run too.

It is almost as if people who don't run don't know what is good for them.

I used to run ages ago.  Now I walk.  It is more "me" - and it has taken me ages to figure this out.

Regional Roles : Managing the Balancing Act

A Regional role – where a person oversees a practice area or a client relationship over a large geography – is an aspired role in today's corporate world. A regional role enables a person to work across different cultures across a large geography, and provides wide net-working opportunities.  Not surprisingly, a regional role - because of its high visibility - is often seen as a stepping stone to “higher” things – a global role, or a role in the corporate headquarters.

However, a regional role comes with its own set of unique challenges – a reason why not every person in a regional role is able to do full justice to his role.  Here are the lessons I learnt from hard experience as to why a “rookie” person often stumbles in a regional role : 

1.       Trying to force the direction without aligning with the local Line manager : A regional role typically is a staff role, and they need to work closely with the line managers who hold the P&L responsibility (and who therefore wield actual control) in the various countries comprising the region.  Regional people are therefore required to use their influencing powers - a mix of charm and active persuasion to accomplish their objectives.  The mistake an inexperienced regional person makes is in trying to aggressively push through his objectives without ensuring that the line manager is aligned.

2        Losing touch with the team in the various geographies : A regional person cannot be everywhere – so there are periods when he is not “visible” to the team he is expected to work with in the various countries.  The regional person therefore has to go out of the way to maintain touch over phone and video conferencing so that the personal connect does not get lost.  Being in touch with the challenges on the ground, and maintaining his relevance for the local teams scattered across the region is the critical factor - and this cannot be achieved just over email. 

3.       Getting his role mixed-up : The role of a regional person is to help his team in the various countries to achieve the P&L.  P&L is sacrosanct in today’s corporate world.  The trap that a rookie regional person gets into is assuming that his role is in driving top-line, and therefore becoming a number-chaser with the various local teams.  Local teams typically have their hands full fending off the revenue pressure from the local country head – and the last thing they want is someone from a distance asking why the numbers have not been achieved.  They need help from the regional person in terms of emotional support, sourcing relevant expertise, experience and client connections to help win business – and not merely additional pressure.  The local teams should see the regional person as an ally and friend – a person who eases their pain and opens doors – and not as a number chaser who merely mouths help without really rolling up his sleeves.

4.       Projecting a wrong perception of whose priorities is he pushing : The regional person needs to be extra careful in not being perceived as pushing the agenda – or working in the interests of - a particular sub-region or country - usually the country or sub-region that he is based in. Typically as the regional person is based in a country that is usually a “heavy weight” in terms of its contribution to the region, by default the regional person ends up getting closer to the teams and leaders of the host country and subscribing to their views.  A regional person has to clearly come across as a neutral person who acts in the larger interests of the organization and client–  in terms of either the time and attention he devotes to each sub-region or the way he influences allocation of resources – or else the regional role would degenerate into a largely ceremonial role for the "other" countries.

With adequate sensitivity and maturity, a regional role provides immense satisfaction and scope for the growth for the individual.  Regional roles when well handled can also provide a lot of satisfaction and career growth.  The individual can take pride and satisfaction in making a real difference in influencing a diverse region with differing priorities to align and work in the common interests of clients. 

Disclaimer : These are my own views - and not necessarily that of organisations that I have worked with.

Survey Interviewing - What We Don't Talk About

Standardising how interviewers administer a questionnaire face-to-face to a respondent is one of the key aspects that we Market Researchers like to emphasise. Hence we hold elaborate briefing and training sessions for our interviewers on how to administer a questionnaire, and then try to enforce standardisation and interviewer integrity through elaborate quality monitoring systems.

In the whole process what we forget - or do not like to talk about - is that the responses we get to a question in a face-to-face interview is also based on the personality of the interviewer.  An enthusiastic and charming interviewer gets a different response as compared to an interviewer who lacks self-confidence or is introverted. Based on my observations in the field, an enthusiastic or charming interviewer gets higher number of spontaneous brand recalls and greater depth of responses to open-ended questions. And, of course, self-confident interviewers also tend to get easier access into higher social class areas.

The Art of Interviewing has therefore similarities to the Art of Selling. No matter how uniformly salesmen have been trained, there are salesmen who - by the force of their personality - get a different response from their customers, and therefore get different results.

The "personality factor" of the interviewer becomes a major issue in Continuous Tracking studies where maintaining interviewer consistency over long durations of the track is critical.  Drop-out rate of interviewers is rising at alarming rates, thanks largely to poor remuneration, low status and mounting refusal rates.  In tracking studies when there is such a high churn rate it becomes a huge challenge, as every time an interviewer is replaced it results in data fluctuation because of the "personality" factor - no matter how well the new substitute interviewer has been trained.  These kind of data fluctuations are euphemistically called "sampling error" and is not linked to any real market place events ("real" fluctuations).

With higher interviewer churn, a greater and greater proportion of the Face-to-Face Tracking data fluctuations will be interviewer related, and not due to market events.  And despite longer and longer "rolling periods" to neutralise the variations, the data in Tracking studies will only continue to fluctuate even more due to interviewer churn. This will pose a formidable challenge to the Researcher - as not only would his research and interpretative skills be tested, but also his client handling skills to ensure that the client does not lose faith in the data and - more critically - in the philosophy of the Continuous Tracking system.

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The opinions expressed here are my own - and not necessarily that of the organisations I have worked for

Vada Pav & Strategic Thinking

Paresh Bhai looked at his investment with satisfaction. His investment in the Ganesh fast food outlet was a master-stroke. Its location next to the Sulabh Sauchalya (Public Toilets) was a major strategic advantage as he had shrewdly observed that people after a visit to the Sulabh Sauchalya wanted to fill up their stomach, and nothing better than an affordable Vada-Pav snacking joint right on its door steps.

Recently to cater to the health conscious he has also stationed a banana seller outside the Sulabh Sauchalya - and that too does brisk business from the many customers visiting the Sauchalya.  Why, there are some people who first have a snack, then go to the Sulabh Sauchalya, and then have a banana.  So it is good business.



He was only unhappy about one thing.  His partner Mishraji who runs the fast-food joint, has spelt the outlet name incorrectly in English (the Hindi is correct).  It is not "Ganesh Sneks" - but should have been "Ganesh Snakes" - he will tell Mishraji to correct that.

A Greenhorn On A Mumbai Local

1. He keeps waiting on the platform hoping that the next train will be less crowded and he will be able to at least get a foothold.  
2. Entering a compartment he finds a seat with only 3 people sitting on it, and is too embarrassed to ask them to squeeze and make space for a 4th person.
3. While traveling from Andheri to Goregaon at peak hour in the evening, he boards a Virar train, and then wonders why there is so much hostility towards him when he tries to get off at Goregaon
4. He is the guy who keeps asking everyone in the compartment "Andheri station Kaunsa side pe ayega?" (From which side of the compartment should I alight at Andheri station?)

Waiting For The Next Mahatma

My recent visit to Bangkok proved what I had suspected for long - that the lack of civic discipline and disrespect for civil order is peculiar to Indian culture.  I was amazed at the way commuters on the Bangkok metro queued up and got into the metro in an organised, unhurried, civil manner despite the stations being as crowded as a Mumbai station.  In Mumbai, that happens only if there are uniformed security people enforcing order.

It set me thinking.  It is not as if the Indian gene is prone to dis-order or loves to break rules.  In fact the Indian psyche too used to be obedient and subservient to laws.  We too liked civic order and self-discipline - that was the only reason why the British could rule India with so few people for centuries.

I think the Indian respect for civil order and discipline actually started crumbling during the 1920s and the 1930s during the Non-cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements in connection with our Freedom Struggle. It suddenly became fashionable and patriotric to break laws. And of course if it served purely selfish motives then so much the better. The individual thus lost his respect for laws.

India is the only country where a traffic cop (when he feels magnanimous) can wave you through a red traffic signal.

It took a great Mahatma to give Indians the courage to break laws, and defy the rulers.  Unfortunately we keep  breaking laws with impunity long after the British have left the country.

I wait for the day when another great Mahatma will emerge who will re-kindle the Indian's respect - and desire - to have order and self-discipline in our lives.

The Pride from Corporate T-shirts

Corporate T-shirts are the least understood and biggest source of employee pride and identity. Unfortunately, not many organisations understand the power of the corporate T-shirt and therefore don't leverage it effectively.  I treasure the T-shirts of whichever organisation I have worked for over my career, and wear it with pride.

When I left TNS about 5 years ago, I had a handful of almost new TNS T-shirts that I very carefully moth-balled with the hope that I will get to use them sometime in the future.  

4 months ago when I rejoined TNS, I looked forward to wearing those old (but still almost brand new) T-shirts again. 

It was only then that I realised that the TNS logo had changed in the meantime. See if you can spot the difference (the new one is on the right).

So effectively I cannot "publicly" wear my T-shirts with the old logo anymore - or so my PR person tells me. In fact she was amused that I have at all so carefully preserved those T-shirts.

I am in the process of re-building my T-shirt collection with the new logo - and I hope to wear them with pride for a long time to come.

My Dashing George Clooney Looks Dashed

The Pretty Young Thing (PYT) at the check-in counter at the Dubai airport puckered her lips and said :"Sorry sir, you have almost 3 kg excess check-in baggage".

And then she gave me a bright smile and said : "But there is something about you that reminds me of someone - so I will make an exception in your case and not charge you anything".

I always knew it.  My natural grey hair fashioned in the George Clooney Style always works its charm. The security cameras at the check-in counter picked up the following vision of a Ram Mohan Rao beaming at the PYT, exuding his full George Clooney magnetic personality on her.

And then she said :"Oh yes, I know ..... you remind me of my dad".

The security cameras next picked up this vision of the distraught traveller:

I saw a half smile fleetingly pass over the PYT's face.

I would give anything to figure out how many potential George Clooneys has she crushed with this devastating line......

The Boat In The Middle Of The Ocean

On the night flight from Hong Kong to KL, the ocean below was filled with thousands and thousands of fishing boats - their lights twinkling off the seas.

They were like fire-flies on a dark night. Inanimate shiny objects as seen from high up in the sky.

And then I felt a strange sense of disconnect.  I had to remind myself that the boats contained people - like me. Real people with families and hopes and anxieties.  People who struggle and sacrifice - people who are separated from their wife and children by thousands of miles of ocean.

And then I tried to imagine the face of the father that that particular twinkling boat might carry.  And the boat over there in the distance - so isolated from the rest of the boats - what would be the dreams of the families of the fisherman in that boat?

It is strange what distance - either real or virtual - can do to one's perspective.  Elevation brings along a certain arrogance.

I said to myself I would one day spend time in a small boat in the middle of the ocean and experience the connection that I temporarily lost.

The Vanishing Thali

I noticed a surprising change about Mumbai since my last stint here years ago - something has completely vanished from the menu of Mumbai restaurants.

Today I felt very hungry and wanted to have a Thali (a platter offering a variety of dishes).  I went hunting at all the Udupi restaurants all over Mumbai for a thali - but everywhere I got the same response. "Sorry sir, we don't offer the thali anymore - we stopped it years ago.  You can have dosas, or roti-sabjis" was the standard response everywhere.  Apparently the changing tastes of the Mumbai consumer, and the lower margins on the thali for the restaurateur (I suspect more the latter) have been the reasons for the thali vanishing from the Mumbai restaurant menu.

Desperate for a thali I traveled for an hour, and went to the place that was my haunt during my bachelor days decades ago - the Rama Nayak "Boarding" restaurant in a dilapidated building overlooking Matunga East station.  It was still the same - very crowded, big queues, with the same delicious limited thali on offer, and with the same quaint notice boards advising its patrons to wash their hands before eating, to maintain silence, and to take rest after the meal.

The basic limited thali cost Rs 64, and they give coupons of Rs 12 each - with each coupon you can buy "extras" i.e. extra rice cup or 2 chappatis or a cup of curds.

It was heavenly.  And the green rasam was marvelous - and I kept asking for refills (that is one of the only items that is unlimited).  I of course kept a wary eye on the big notice in front of me that pointed out that if I wasted the rasam then I will be fined Rs 13.

In the meantime the thali in front of me quickly vanished - the best restaurant meal I have had in a long time - and that too for only Rs 100 with all the extras.

Considering the queues at this place, it is a mystery to me as to why all the other restaurants have stopped offering the thali.  It is very unfair - especially on guys like me who are big fans of the Thali - we can't keep traveling all the way to Matunga just to have a thali.

Anyway, I am grateful for small mercies - long may the Ram Nayak Thali live.

Contentment : Gangadhar's Story

Getting into an auto-rickshaw today morning, I was pleasantly surprised when the auto driver wished me a courteous "Good morning" with a bright smile, and enquired how my day was shaping up.

Having been a heavy user of autos for the last couple of months, I was quite taken aback - this is not something one expects from stressed Mumbai auto drivers.

He had a sense of tranquility and dignity written all over him.  My curiosity was triggered and I asked him to narrate his story.  Here it is in his own words:

"My name is Gangadhar, aged 57 years.  I have been driving an auto for the last 35 years in Mumbai.  I do not own this auto - I rent it on a daily basis as I want to get away from the hassle of ownership.  I am thus spared of the hassle of repairs and maintenance as the owner takes care of it.

I stay in a chawl (traditional shared dwellings) in Badlapur which is about 1.5 hours train ride from Ghatkoper where my auto owner stays.  I take a train to commute from my house.

Till about 5 years ago, I used to work 12 - 14 hours a day in order to save up to buy my 1 room in the chawl, and for my daughter's wedding.

Since past few years I work only half days, and return home by 1.30 pm.  I work half days not because I cannot still work full days, but because what I earn working half day (about Rs 400) is adequate for me and wife to lead a comfortable life.

I now want to lead a good life, and seek pleasantness in my life.  I avoid arguments with my passengers even if they are nasty.  If I behave politely with them and keep smiling, they normally are also polite to me.

I now find time to do what I love doing - and I consider myself lucky that I am able to do what I have been wanting to do since a long time."

Sox Compliance

Every time my laundry comes out of the washing machine, I have a huge challenge matching up the various pairs of socks.  There are socks of various patterns, designs, and colours - but none of them seem to form a pair.  As a result I keep buying new pairs, but the problem only compounds when they too get into the washing machine ......

Dressing up to go to work is therefore a huge challenge.

When I joined TNS I had to sign a lengthy declaration that I will be SOX compliant.  But the challenge at home with Socks is bigger, and it will need a person of your versatility and intelligence, Vandana, to sort out this mess I have got into.

2 more months to go ........

House Hunting In Mumbai

“No problems sir – I will get you a very good apartment near your office – just give me a couple of days” said the broker.

The first apartment he took me to turned out to be a complete disaster.  It was in a dilapidated old building and there was no lift to get to the 3^rd floor.  Climbing the worn-out, dimly lit stairs made me claustrophobic.

“Sorry I don’t want to stay in a heritage building” I told the broker.

The sarcasm was lost on him – “sir, this is an excellent building, and just walking distance from your office” he said with a sad nod of his head.

The next apartment had a lift, but from the bedroom window I could reach out and touch the metro rail.  Every minute a metro train whizzed past rattling the apartment. 

“Sir, excellently located apartment, you can reach any part of Mumbai by using this Metro” he said. 

I looked out of the window and marveled at the engineers who had managed to build the gleaming new metro rail just an arms length away from the 3rd floor of a residential building.

“…and, you will soon get used to the sound, sir”  he said.  By now he was able to read my thoughts, and pre-empt my every negative comment.

“No, it is not the sound I am bothered about, it is the manner in which the building shakes when the train passes” I told him. 

The next apartment had a lift, had bright large windows, and was in a quiet neighbourhood. 

“Any problems with this flat sir” the broker asked me in a very solicitous tone.

“This flat is good, but  the toilets are not well maintained."

"But sir this apartment is so so good - you will never get such an apartment for your budget in Mumbai" he said with anguish.

He is putting me on the defensive.  "It is my wife - she is especially concerned about the toilets” I told him.

He rolled his eyes heaven-wards.  I was becoming an impossible to please client.

“I will not compromise on the toilets” I repeated.

“Sir, I will need to get the help of other brokers to check whether there is anything available that will meet your needs” he said, and started calling up other brokers.

2 weeks later and after seeing some 20 houses, I finally liked a house.

I was talking to the land-lord and finalizing the terms, when the broker got a call on his phone.  He went to the next room to take the call.

It was obviously another broker calling him to check whether the deal is finally through. 

I heard the broker replying on the phone “Jee, toilet aadmi ko makaan passand aaya”  (Yes, the toilet man finally liked a house).