Mantras for Cultural Transformation

Suresh Narayanan, MD Nestlé India has a simple mantra:
1. Be Fast - Be empowered & take a few risks
2. Get Focused- Know what you do well & not ape what others are doing
3. Be Flexible - In terms of market outcome, future MS & evolution
He believes by unleashing these three behaviors into the business, it can be run better & can come up with newer, more compelling business models for the future.

Insight
Behaviours are useful tools for cultural transformation in an organisation as they are observable and measurable. Being aligned to the organizational vision, they also help to institute a mindset change.

Innovation Has Many Faces

Do we have original innovation in India? Snapdeal’s Kunal Behl, when asked this question, says innovations in India are unique to the country's challenges. To prove his point, he cites the instance of innovations made around digital payments, supply chain and platforms to cater to the multilingual nature of our country.

Insight
Innovation has many dimensions. An innovative product or service does not necessarily have to be globally unique or globally applicable. More important, focus on innovation should be around making social and environmental context specific systems and processes more efficient.

How to Make Life Easier

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey runs two companies and has an 18-hour workday. He says, a consistent schedule and work structure helps him achieve this. Most of his work is focused on:
1. Reviewing the product team
2. Recruiting
3. Follow-up meetings to check on their weekly progress

Insight
Time cannot be managed, more correctly, you manage yourself. Long hours don't translate into more productivity - a consistent schedule and structure does. This makes life easier for both for the leader, as well as  those who execute his vision.

When Profession Becomes Slavery

“If your profession doesn't give you a chance to evolve as a human being, then it is a burden or a curse for life. It should be able engage you intellectually. I think if your work doesn't help you grow as a person, it is slavery.“ - Irrfan Khan, Actor

Insight
When your work stops becoming engaging and emotionally satisfying, it is time to have a rethink about your future. Time to break free, to have a fresh purpose in life.

The Periodic Stock Take

“The important things in my life are my relationships and well-being, where I am going as a human being in my development mentally, emotionally and physically” - Cameron Diaz, Actress

Insight
The ebb and flow of our relationships and fortunes have an effect on our emotional and physical well-being and can either grow, or hinder our mental development. Are the changes transient, or are they permanent?  Are they controllable, or are they uncontrollable?
Taking time-off for a periodic stocktaking can prove useful.