Tag: Corporate Culture

Going Beyond Paper: The Power of Actions

Policies, suggestions, advices work when actions speak louder than words.

What is that one thing that surpasses or at least is equivalent to all advice that great mentors might give?

What is the number one thing someone offers without actually knowing that they are offering?

What is the perfect gift one can receive which can only be received when we actually start noticing it?

Well, before we get to this answer, let us take two scenarios from the same company:

  • Ashwin had a great habit of reading and watching ‘productive’ content. Instead of doomscrolling through social media in her free time, he would often read up on a variety of books. Right from books by gurus of corporate leadership, to psychologists who had laid out the science of human behaviour, to classics that gave insights about the larger questions about life. Even if he did doomscroll, his algorithm was all about leadership, management and productive. He always had a fun story to tell about virtually any topic of conversation, always had something to say and always had an opinion to offer. But somehow, with all his words, he had been in the same position at the company for years. He was ambitious but it seemed something was lacking.

What was lacking? Well, Amit seemed to have filled that lack.

  • Amit, in the same company had been promoted to a leadership position. He had dreamt about this for years, and it was his competence and his desire to learn and understand that had contributed to his rise. Amit hadn’t had a life where he had the leisure of free time. He grew up in a household with many people and limited resources. While his father would work hard to make ends meet, his mother would manage the house, look after Amit, his two siblings and his ageing grandparents. But through the hardships, Amit had observed his mother manage it all with smart work and grace; he had observed his father’s persistence and his excellent work ethic. Moreover, as he himself got a job at a relatively new company earlier, he had observed his then boss Vidya manage the budding business and the employees with great skill. He had also observed how his all three ‘role-models’ continued to be open to learning. And he made sure he implemented these lessons in his work. This is where he differed from Ashwin. Actions, over words.

Now, the answer to our earlier questions.

The one thing that surpasses or is equivalent to the advices of mentors, the number one thing someone offers without knowing that they are offering, and the thing which we receive only when we start noticing is model or exemplary behaviour. In simple words, when we observe someone practicing what they preach, we learn more effectively. When we want to give a word of advice to someone, practicing what we preach is the best thing to ‘show’ that advice. If we want to learn, we simply need to observe. If we want to teach, we simply need to do. Actions do indeed speak louder than words.

Books, suggestions, words of inspiration can teach well. But actions can teach too and sometimes better than words. When an employee observes their boss embodying the qualities of hard work, good management, competence, the employee automatically learns to do just that. When a child observes their parents living up to the ideals they teach, the child automatically learns to follow those ideals themselves. A woman on the bus was reading, and so was her 7-year-old in the seat beside her. A stranger sitting nearby asked how did she manage to inculcate this habit in her child. The woman replied “Kids learn what they see their parents doing.” This is not just about parents and children.

And this also isn’t just about a boss-employee, or a mentor-intern dynamic. There are times when we want to suggest something but we are afraid we will be called ‘preachy’ in a negative way. On the other side of it, there are indeed times when too much advice or words of even well-intentioned suggestions can feel like we are being lectured.

Sometimes actions do where words may leave this gap. Think all the times when an environment slogan worked on us (or did not) and when we saw someone pick up the litter and throw it in the dustbin themselves. Of the times when someone gave us a suggestion and when we saw the same person using the suggestion themselves and doing a great job with it. Of the times when policy wasn’t just printed on a paper but was lived by. Chances are, the latter parts of all these instances worked better for most of us.

Actions are the one thing that can teach without many words. Just observe and we can learn. Just be the example you would want others to follow and there will be no need to give any advice.   

Want to Innovate? Forget the Template!

We often come up with the best ideas when we have no one to follow.

Organisations and individuals often look up to success stories. Success stories inspire us. They provide guidance and templates to follow for future. But what if we told you that some of these success stories might be stopping innovation?

What if we told you that sometimes the only success story that can lead to innovation and new ideas is when the success story didn’t follow a different success story? Read on!

  • Sneha runs a successful start-up. Years ago, when cloud kitchens were not all rage, she started her business of delivering home-baked cakes based on custom orders. Today, amidst all the cloud kitchens, her business remains as successful and has a loyal set of clients and customers.
  • Naveen opened a bookstore in his small town. It was the only bookstore in the town back then that sold second-hand textbooks for college students. The other bookstores mostly sold books for a national and international readership. Naveen’s family had wondered if he squandered his prospects and whether he would ever get recognition or dealerships. Years later even as other booksellers realised the needs of college students over the years, the bookstore Naveen opened remains the most trusted one. 
  • Shayan is a successful graphic designer working in a big firm. He is successful because no one in his family is a graphic designer. Yes- that played a major role, apart from his own skills and competence, of course.

In all the three scenarios above, one thing stands out.

It is the absence of a template to follow.

Think about it. When we have success stories and role models around us, we tend to follow them. The stories inspire us and lives of role models guide us.  When we know ‘tried and tested’ formulas to anything, we tend to rely just on them. Almost naturally, we become a follower instead of an innovator.

But when we have no fixed and tested route, when we have no one to look towards for guidance, something magical happens:

We think. We innovate. We find ways to make our seemingly ‘odd’ venture a success. We have the will and we find ways to implement that will. Our path is full of surprises instead of roadblocks of caution. Along the way, we become leaders.

Alongside the success stories, there are failure stories that are although spoken of in hushed tones are also spread far and wide. Things we should avoid. Well meaning friends and family have cautionary tales:

‘If you do this, that might happen. Look what happened to…’

‘If you are not careful, you will end up doing…’

‘Don’t you know if you do this, that horrible thing will happen..’

But when we are the first ones to do something, no one to look up to, no ‘knowledge’ of failure, we have nothing to scare us. No cautionary tale. No tried and tested trade tricks to rely on. No unwritten rules, because you are yet to write the rules!

Sometimes, organisations end up doing things the ‘way they have been done’ since years. The processes aren’t new. So, how can we expect for a new outcome?

What if organisations instead were to start certain things from the scratch? Maybe rethink the process innovatively, and build the process from scratch. New process. New outcome.

Of course, tried and tested paths, processes that don’t need fixing, and age-old wisdom isn’t something to abandon. Not at all! But the next time your organisation struggles innovating, or you wonder how you will manage to do that thing you want to do, or when someone makes you wonder how you will manage to become successful with no models to look up, no templates to refer to, no guidance to follow, remember that maybe you are the one who will make the rules, set a template and guide others in future. Maybe you are meant to be the innovator. Maybe it’s time for a new process for a new outcome.

Whether it’s thinking about a personal venture, or just our day-to-day operations in our office, sometimes, the lack of a template to follow, the lack of a known path already made might be a ticket to innovation.

Relax! Let Time Decide Your Success

We often rely on external encouragement, rewards, appraisals, feedback to know how we are doing. But what if we just let time give us the answer? Read on.

Savi had always been a powerhouse of ideas. And ideas which she would implement with great gusto. She had an idea to open her own business and she had been successful with it. Within five years of opening up her ceramic’s dealership, she had procured prestigious client companies. But now she seemed she had hit a roadblock. She was wondering what the next move should be to make the company innovate better. Daily, she would brainstorm with her team, network with clients trying to understand their needs. Daily she would get a couple of new ideas to implement but she would feel like the ideas weren’t good enough.

Ruturaj had started a new job at a company. It wasn’t a new career for him but it was a new company culture he was dealing with. He was good at his job, but he felt he wasn’t doing enough. He showed up to work, gave his best, observed, asked, learnt what was to be learnt, integrated that learning, and repeated this productive cycle. The problem was that he wasn’t able to see this cycle as productive.  He felt his efforts were not enough.

What was going on here, in both these cases?

Some might say there was no immediate feedback available to Savi and Ruturaj. That is partly true. Some instant feedback- a quick review from her clients or other sources about whether Savi’s ideas were worth implementing or not, or a quick word from Ruturaj’s boss whether he was doing well or not may have helped.

But the problem is that sometimes it takes a while to get that feedback. Even if Savi’s clients found her ideas to be worthwhile, whether they were actually worthwhile will be known only over the months and years of implementing them. Even if Ruturaj’s boss appreciated his hard work and gave him a good appraisal, whether Ruturaj proves to be a good hire for the company will be known only over the months and years, with how Ruturaj handles new projects, manages crises and grows professionally.

Success and growth, especially professional, at times can only be gauged truly over a long period of time. Appraisals, reviews, awards, or even an instant appreciation are there, but ultimately it is time that decides what has worked or not worked.   

Success and growth, also requires you to have an optimum level of confidence, where you trust yourself enough to do your best, and yet remain open to course-corrections others might suggest. On the flipside, excessive self-criticism, to the extent that it stops you from trusting your own skills and competence is also not a good path to take. Like how in Savi’s case, she finds something always lacking in her ideas, or for Ruturaj who just doesn’t see how well he is settling in.

So, what can Savi and Ruturaj do?

Stop working, stop caring about reviews and feedback? Of course not.

Should they stress and work even more, feel all overwhelmed that there’s no way for them to know how they are doing? No. 

Well, the answer is neither this nor that, but ironically both! Savi and Ruturaj should continue to give their best. They should continue to learn, brainstorm, to ask, to work hard. What they don’t need to do is worry too much about how they are doing, especially if there’s no way for them to know after a certain point. What they need to do is just show up consistently, do the work that needs to be done in the best way they can. How they fare ultimately will be decided by time. As the Bhagvad Gita says, keep doing your karma and dharma (your work and your duty), without worrying about the fruit. We will see the fruits of our efforts only when the time is right, and that is in no one’s hands. And that is the relief all of us should feel.  

Two Perspectives about Getting on and off the Wrong Train

Life sometimes puts us on the ‘wrong train’. How to decide if we need to get off the train or just enjoy the view?

Life rarely goes as planned. Maybe you didn’t plan on the having the job you currently have, even five years ago. Sometimes, we chase after opportunities and sometimes, we are made to create opportunities for ourselves. We decide on one thing and another thing happens. There are two perspectives to these ideas about change (of life and plans of life for us) and growth.

The Cost of Change:

There’s a well-known Japanese proverb that goes:

“If you get on the wrong train, get off at the nearest station. The longer it takes you to get off, the more expensive the return trip will be.”

This can be applied to so many scenarios of life:

-Feel stuck in a job you don’t like? Quit before your mind gives in to the habit of comfortable misery. Get off the next station.

-Feel stuck on an idea you know doesn’t seem to be working out? Stop and check if you should put it on the side for now, quit or course correct. Decide the ‘station’ you want to get off and do that before the train rams into your sense of competence.

-If a project needs you to test something on a user, test on one user, in a controlled environment, so in case there’s a flaw, it doesn’t reach thousand users later. Decide if it works and make the required changes as early as you can. The more you stall, the more expensive the return ticket becomes. As the writer Steve Krug puts it, ‘the cost of change grows over time.’

The Suprises of a Journey:

On the other side of this coin about ‘getting off’ from the ‘wrong train’, there are countless writers and philosophers from across the world that remind us how it is the journey that is more important than the destination. One may get on the wrong train, one may not reach their originally planned destination. But they still get to take in new, undiscovered scenery. The ‘wrong’ train may eventually make us find new a destination we didn’t even know we needed.

This too can be applied to many scenarios in life:

-Stuck with a job which you didn’t plan on having? Might as well learn something about it now and try your best to do it well, with your full presence. We may know people professionally who didn’t plan on getting in a career they are in right now and somehow, managed to be at the top of that career they ‘originally’ hadn’t thought of choosing.

-Your initial idea has turned all topsy-turvy and you don’t know what to do with it now? Maybe there is a new direction your idea is meant to go in.

-Testing on a thousand users led to a different outcome than anticipated? Maybe think if the users can still benefit from this ‘new’ outcome.

Getting on a wrong train may either lead you away from your planned destination, or it may lead you to a destination you were more suitable to go in. Our decision then lies not in quitting, or staying but deciding the cost of staying on the ‘wrong’ train. And both decisions can be sensible ones depending on our situation. Some questions we may ask ourselves are:

  • Is the cost of change likely to make your life miserable?
  • What will you lose if you stay on the wrong train?
  • Is there something you may gain if you stay on the wrong train? 

These are the answers we need, which may help us decide whether to get off at the next station or enjoy the scenery. So dear reader, would you like a new ticket or would you like to get off at the next station?

From Old to New to Old: A Reminder About Being ‘Good’ At Our Jobs

Ashok had decided to start his own recruiting firm. He felt he had enough of experience working in the industry and now it was time to start something on his own.

Janki had been thinking about going back to her job as a programmer now that her child had grown up enough. Her industry had undergone massive shifts during her maternal sabbatical, and she had quite a task to do with all the upskilling and re-training that she was going to need.

Ajeet had been a successful architect, having made a name for himself for years, and with many famous projects to his name. But he had now decided to change tracks and start working at an NGO that provided vocational training to the underprivileged.

In all these different cases, there is one thing in common.

You may guess that all of them seem to be people going after their passion. But maybe Janki’s case is just that she wants to get back to working, passion or not, we do not know.

You may guess that all of them seem to be people who are starting something new. Maybe, but Ashok is starting a new recruiting company, but he isn’t unfamiliar with recruiting. Similarly, Janki isn’t completely unfamiliar with programming.

You may guess they are all taking a leap of faith in trying to do something out of their established lives. They are all seeking to venture out of their familiar zones. While that is true, there is one common thing that binds all these cases together, and that is they might take time to get ‘efficient’ at their new ventures.

In their old established jobs, they could put in 20% of effort and would be able to reap 80% of the outcomes. That 80/20 ratio of the Pareto Principle may go for a toss for these people as they undertake something new.

Like we said, they may need more time to get things done. To feel like they actually ‘achieved’ their dreams.

This is a thought a lot of us may have when we think of following what our heart tells us. The world around has trained us for instant gratification. We want instant results and instant effectiveness. We want the results of the Pareto Principle where 20% of our efforts are enough to get 80% of the results.

But the truth is that venturing out of our familiar comfort zones has an initial cost, and that is our time. Learning something new requires our time and we may not get immediately efficient at the task. In those moments, it is tempting to give it all up for the comfort of old efficiency. Ashok may need some time to understand how to manage an entire firm, formulate its policies from the scratch, manage personnel and he may be tempted to go back to his old job where he just had to follow his boss’s policies. Janki may need some time to upskill and understand the new developments in her industry and she may be tempted to go back to her life as a stay-at-home mother. Ajeet may need a lot of time to understand how an NGO works, and it maybe tempting to him to go back to his job as architect where his years of practice come to him automatically.

But what Ashok, Janki, Ajeet (and all of us!) should remember is that their ‘old’ old jobs also required years for them to gain mastery. It was years of experience and hard work that made them an efficient recruiter, earlier programmer and later mother and architect. Years of hands-on experience and hard work for them to achieve the 20/80.

Any new path, any stepping out of comfort zones may not give us instant results. Efficiency takes time to develop. Does that mean we give up?

Of course not!

When we begin something new, the path is rarely easy. In those moments, we might need to give more time to things. We may need to work overtime (and not be a clock-watcher at that!). An old task we have been doing for years may require less time than a new task we have just learnt. But just because we aren’t efficient now, doesn’t mean we cannot get efficient ever!

Getting ‘good’ at any new job, any new venture requires time. Instead of looking back at our old life, the path is to look forward, because soon, this ‘new’ will become ‘old’, meaning, efficiency will soon come to us!