Crying? It's time to kick-it-off!

'What's on TV?', wife asked.
'Dust', the husband said and then the fight started.... I began my speech with this PJ.

It was a presentation in front of about hundred strong audience attended by president of the company along-with management team of it's business units (BU).

Presentation began with chief of one of the business units appreciating each and every employee from a pilot for their wholehearted involvement. In about four months time the process and machine's performance effectiveness improved from 65 percent to 90 percent. After him, his team began sharing experiences.

"Seventh month in a row, machine hasn't broken down yet", said the mechanical maintenance supervisor.

"And the machine will 'tell' us well in advance before breaking down", said the operator. "Post implementing the TPM¹, it 'speaks' to us as a child does to the mother".

"It's rare to see this kind of culture and sense of pride in their work": The finance head of the company couldn't resist temptation to voice his observations after watching their enthusiasm and before-after pictures of achievements.

Can money buy such a kind of engagement and satisfaction?

Message of the proceedings was loud and clear to the audience: Although Google might be a knowledge bank with sea of literature on technicalities of TPM there to be read and researched, generating such a kind of positive attitude and sustaining the corresponding improvement culture is a different ballgame altogether: The one of soft dimensions of TPM: The Kaizen culture that needs to be experienced to be believed.

This was a story of a TPM pilot and a couple of it's support functions covering about fifty grass-root level employees from a continuous process plant. The change had begun with their top management team going to shopfloor to find opportunities for improvements (OFI) and implement changes, the Kaizens. Doing this on behalf of the employees was to take the 3D (Dirty-Danger-Difficult) realities on the floor head-on and demonstrate leadership commitment.

Unlike the man in the PJ 'showing' dust on TV, that's the way to get others to proactively "see" dust on their machine and prevent it from entering it's bearing as also from breaking it down. That's the kind of behavior expected from managers expecting a deep rooted change in their employees.

And when people in power do so, their subordinates change the very definition of problem: There is nothing called 'problem'. It's just the absence of an idea to find solution just like there's nothing called 'darkness', it's just the absence of light. 

And when they focus on solutions rather than 'crying' of problems they 'see' more and more OFI possibilities (Kaizen-Teian). That's the beginning of a change in culture.

If you want to experience such an improvement culture then it's high time to be ruthless with self and ask:

How many times do I practise it myself rather than 'telling' others to behave?

How many times do I 'catch' others to give positive strokes (recognition) for having tried to make a difference?

How many times do I procrastinate like that character in cartoon saying: I definitely want to praise your hard work but I just can't find the right words!

It's time to enable self and then others!
It's time to kick-it-off!!
It's time to do-it-now!!!

Footnote-1: TPM means Total Productive Maintenance or Total Productive Management as some like to call it.

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder: Please do consider leaving a comment or sharing this post.

Talent-Is-Latent: Enable It!

Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers 

In-big-problem? Wear-hats-to-solve-it!

Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !! 
Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 
Does recognition really matter 
IQ-EQ-or-SQ: What-is-more-important?
Do you know a Best-Career-Plan 
Take your career in fast lane! 
Succession-Plans In Fast Lane!  
Treat Root-causes, Not Symptoms ! 
Nauseous Communication Gaps 
Do You Cleanup-After-Crisis 
Raam or Krishna-Shyam: Tell me Hey Raam! 
Will It Work Here?  
Some Moron ! Some Great !!!   
That's How Morons Work
You seem Reasonable if you appear Un-reasonable 
Smart-Moron Who Breaks Your Glass  
WOW Work-Culture: By Telling or Selling 
Suggestions On-Sale, None-To-Buy 
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
Tolerate Once, Twice, Thrice? 
Make checklists your friends  
Make It Simpler, Rest Will Follow 
How To Make A Difference 
Big-Be Or Bug-Be ! 
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality! 
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers

Conscious Of Self-Esteem

"Hey, you ciant piark yer kyar thiees waye, kay?" Owner of neighboring parking slot in my society had picked up American accent.

Perhaps he recently had a week's stint somewhere there. A week ago I'd heard him saying, "Why can't you park your car this way?"

Do you find some people picking up a local slang, be it from a developed destination like in above case or from a rural-interior one from an under-developed geography?

Good if the purpose of such a behavior is to improve grammatical delivery. Or good if a newly learnt short-form is by design to add to personal vocabulary in order to increase productivity.

In both such cases the change might be good if it offers some corresponding functional benefit.

In case of 'American-accent' the change occurred over the week appears more to impress the 'foreign-return' stamp than any value-addition to herself or to the listener. In fact to the listener it was a non-value because the accent was difficult to comprehend. The behavior appears to be purely aesthetic.

In the latter case, corresponding person doesn't seem to be conscious of her self-esteem. She is allowing (rather choosing) it to get deteriorated inadvertently though.

Agreed that under some circumstances one does need to behave "Like Romans in Rome". But carrying Rome lock-stock-and-barrel back to your native place may not be a good idea.

It's like sacrificing your own identity merely to conform to others' expectations or purely to impress others. It's like refusing to take stock of "who you really are and are capable of doing". It's like lack of self-confidence or lack of belief in the self.

Lesson

It's fine if a change in behavior and in turn in personality is for the good or for the better. Alternatively if the change in personality leads to deterioration of current level of performance of the self or that of the others then it's a No.. No!

On this first day of the year, let me thank the year gone by for having given me so many opportunities such as above to learn from. Thank you the year to help me to reinforce as well as to enhance my self-esteem and to help me get ready to embrace the New-Year with newer zeal.

IQ-EQ-or-SQ: What-is-more-important? 
Talent-Is-Latent: Enable It! 
Take your career in fast lane!
Do you exercise your choice meaningfully
Do You Ask Right Questions?  
Do You Force Customers To Quit
Less-With-More Because More-Is-Sore
Should one care for value? 
Talk In Order To Listen!  
Aesthetics Spills-Over Function, Want Spills-Over Need (Part-2)
Functional-Aesthetics 

Why Do People Go To Temples

"I feel relaxed there".
"I get peace there".
"I go there to connect to God".

Above kind of responses are not uncommon to a question "Why Do People Go To Temples".

Typically, someone goes to a temple.
Closes her eyes.
Meditates on (chants) a Mantra or a prayer.
Experiences that distractions disappear.

Actually meditation done there helps to concentrate on breath. Hence it becomes more rhythmic.
The resulting feel-good effect there helps to connect with one's inner 'self'. 

Then why isn't the same phenomenon possible everywhere else other than the temple itself?

A reason may be we don't choose to make it possible at the place/s of our choice. Some make it impossible for their own selves to believe in doing so. We force it on our own selves to believe that the God¹ is present residing in the sculpted idol inside the temple. Or that the God¹ is in the stone neatly installed under a tree where people visit with flowers to worship.

In some cases the story might be that some saint had meditated there in past. So the story-teller begins worshipping the site at times for vested interests of playing politics or making business out of it. Story-teller's disciples continue it. Thereafter passer-bys join the queue and make it bigger. Eventually a temple gets constructed at the site. More the passer-bys, more the story-tellers! And more visitors  get added to the passer-bys that leave their trails and tails.

Actually, some benefit does occur in the process. At least some people do visit such places with 'belief' and some with blind 'faith' though. But their good intentioned meditation (even that of a goon visiting) must be helping them clean up their auras that in turn must be leaving trails of positive energy at 'the site'. It is resonance of such positive energies that surely must be accelerating cleaning up of the aura of other visitors.

So, why do I visit such places although I do so rarely. I do visit them irrespective of their origin of place, caste, creed, nationality. It is for the benefit of the possibility of positive auras accumulated there.

But before exercising that option I do consider practising it at my current place of 'being' myself in real-time anytime for any amount of time without waiting for a Muhurta or an agent to advocate doing so.

Footnote:
1/ God I believe is some omnipresent subtle energy of highest nature and level. It chooses to manifest itself in various forms and shapes that an ordinary may be able to (but doesn't) see, touch and feel in the material world around and in the nature itself. God exists there-and-then in the form of 'that' helping person/soul when one gets or gives a Hearty-and/or-Soulful experience in a given moment or situation .

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

कधीतरी सापडेल का शोधता-शोधता ?
I am afraid ! What do I do !!
Fearful-Of-Death-of-Birth
Do you exercise your choice meaningfully
Do You Ask Right Questions ? 
Overworked? Tension? CPU of the mind hung-up?
No Time? Micro-Meditate ! 
Talk In Order To Listen ! 
Eternally Happy !
What You See Isn't What's Made
Am I 'Short-sighted' or 'Long-sighted'? 
Deity is in the eyes of the beholder
Forgive Or Don't? 
Simplicity Of Theory Of Relativity
The Business Of Businesses
Experienced A Delightful Payment !
Beware Of Political-Presentations

Macro-Micro Syndrome

"You are too much into detailing."

Many might have heard this, mostly from bosses. Sometimes same bosses are heard saying, "you lack meticulous execution."

They tend to use former one if and when their macro vision is reasonably in control. They use the latter if macro vision goes out of gear. That's exactly isn't desirable: Choosing one over the other as a matter of convenience.

Generally for any success to be sustainable, both the macro and the micro are supposed to be complementary to each other. It's difficult for one to stand the test of time without support of the other.

It's difficult to reach a desired destination within a desired time with optimum efforts in absence of having a plan and a design in the first place. Nor is it easy to reach there without taking each step meticulously.

"When batting, I was only focused on the next ball — not on the scorecard", said cricketer Rohit Sharma on notching up the highest-ever individual score in one-day international cricket hitting a breathtaking 264 runs against Sri Lanka in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

The late JRD Tata had made commitment to make improvements even on cups and saucers used on his own airlines while on flight number 109 in 1955. 

Does it mean JRD and Rohit were too much into detailing: the micros? 

Does it mean they weren't focused on macros: their goal, target or performance level? 

They very much were!

In fact every successful person always has clarity on her vision and goal before setting out to execute it. It's just that thereafter they meticulously plan for resources and execute each step each day (Nichijo-Kanri as they say in Japanese Management parlance) inching towards their goal rather than bothering about the goal itself at each and every step.

Without detailed checking of condition and level of oil and water, condition of stepney, etc. setting out in a vehicle to reach a destination is not only foolish but is risky as well. Former is about setting the process right to get the result. The latter is about expecting result without putting in adequate efforts.

Former, the micro detailing, is about calculating and safeguarding against the probable risk factors in order to reduce their impact and the risk of failure, if any, while enabling to achieve the macro goals.

Hope meticulous execution doesn't conveniently get ridiculed for it's so-called 'detailing' nor does a typical macro visioning strategy get ridiculed for it's powerful imagination as "Daydreaming".

Also read a few relevant blog-posts hereunder: Please do consider leaving a comment or sharing this post.

Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 

Old-Problems, New-Reasons !

Ant Knocks Elephant Down 
Will It Work Here?
Can-changing-thoughts-change-nation?
In-big-problem-wear-hats-to-solve-it 
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
WOW Work-Culture: By Telling or Selling 
IQ-EQ-or-SQ: What-is-more-important 
Talent-Is-Latent: Enable It! 
Judge If It's Paralysis-By-Analysis 
Will It Work Here? 
Suggestions On-Sale, None-To-Buy 
Does recognition really matter 
Who Comes First: Consumer Or Customer ? 
Treat Root-causes, Not Symptoms ! 
ABCD of India Shining 
Do You Ask Right Questions?
Am I 'Short-sighted' or 'Long-sighted'? 

Who Comes First: Consumer Or Customer ? 

Suggestions On-Sale, None-To-Buy

Comprehensive-Strategic-Audits

Why do strategies fail

Sometimes we get so obsessed with formulation of long-term strategy that we fail to see dangers closing-in around in immediate term.

Sometimes we fail to take course-corrective actions, PEST & SWOT analysis as they say, demanded by changes in the environment in VUCA¹ business-world.

Obsession of long-term thoughts prevents us from engaging into immediate-term actions although they are a must-do actions. We engage ourselves into good-to-do or want-to-do actions. Sometimes out of enthusiasm, sometimes inadvertently though.

Must-do actions are about giving first-aid in order to get immediate relief from a problem as well as preventing recurrence of it.

One can prevent recurrence by keeping a daily vigil on the lessons learnt.

Good-to-do actions are about preventing ocurrence itself of an undesired situation.

Want-to-do actions are about all those sundry ones of least or no consequence to the goal at all.

Secret of successful implementation of strategy lies not only in not allowing thought processes to get de-focused but also in balancing the Must-do, Good-to-do and Want-to-do actions in right proportions thereof.

It's about keeping one eye on long-range vision and the other on shorter-range planning and actions.
It's about keeping one eye on strategy, the other on tactics.
It's about keeping one eye on telescope, the other on microscope.

Footnote-1: VUCA is a Military term that characterises Volatilie Uncertain Complex Ambiguous environment in a war situation.

Also read a few relevant blog-posts hereunder: Please do consider leaving a comment or sharing this post.

Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 

Old-Problems, New-Reasons !

Ant Knocks Elephant Down 
Will It Work Here?Can-changing-thoughts-change-nation?In-big-problem-wear-hats-to-solve-itRidiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-cultureWOW Work-Culture: By Telling or SellingIQ-EQ-or-SQ: What-is-more-importantTalent-Is-Latent: Enable It!Judge If It's Paralysis-By-AnalysisWill It Work Here?Suggestions On-Sale, None-To-BuyDoes recognition really matterWho Comes First: Consumer Or Customer ?Treat Root-causes, Not Symptoms !ABCD of India ShiningDo You Ask Right Questions?Am I 'Short-sighted' or 'Long-sighted'?

Who Comes First: Consumer Or Customer ? 

Suggestions On-Sale, None-To-Buy

Comprehensive-Strategic-Audits

Old-Problems, New-Reasons !

There is a vast difference between the two phrases; 

One; Old-Problems-New-Reasons and, 

Two; Old-Problems-Old-Causes or Old-Problems-New-Causes.

Former reflects upon the attitude towards solving problems. 

The latter pertains to the approach towards solving problems.

Same pothole on same footpath, same time of the day, but on a different day ... a different pedestrian falls and gets injured! 

Same municipal officer gives a different reason for the same (fall in the pothole) problem instead of uprooting its causes! This reflects upon the attitude towards solving problems. 

Take another recurring problem: 

Bottleneck due to garbage thrown around the same spot (Gemba) on road causing traffic jam almost every day. 

'Crying' people, both the affected (customers) as well as the problem-solvers (from supplier-side), react with different excuses in order to 'reason out' the same old problem although it recurs due to same old causes.

Problem-solvers with positive approach, instead, dive deep in order to objectively analyse and quickly act upon the corresponding findings. They don't rest until they find out the causes of the recurrence of old causes or occurrence of new causes, if any. 

They ask 'why' the cause recurred .. 'why' it got repeated. 

They do this why-why until the root causes are unearthed and eliminated. This approach is about taking a corrective action, which is supposed to prevent recurrence of the problem. 

Preventive approach to dive deep into locating additional opportunities elsewhere in order to prevent occurrence itself of similar problems due to similar causes is called as proactivity! Problem-solvers with positive attitude and proactive approach do this!

Presumption in the latter exercise is that the proactivity of previous researchers might have had limitations in adequately predicting occurrence of the problems, the failure modes thereof as well as possible errors.

Both the proactive and preventive approaches warrant the problem solvers: One, to be time bound in executing appropriate actions and two, to review them in order to prevent those causes from recurring by installing error-proof (Pokayoke Kaizen) mechanisms; both with a sense of urgency!

Isn't it good then not to be among the people giving New-Reasons for Old-Problems with Old-Causes: the Foolish Behaviour quadrant!

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Prevention: The Best Cure! ... Is it really so?
Treat Root-causes, Not Symptoms !
When Safety Becomes Sorry 
Drove To Hell ... Almost !  
WOW Work-Culture: By Telling or Selling 
Take Habits For A Ride 
How Many Times Do You Wash Hands
In a Problem?: No Problem ! Dwell A While !!
Part-1
In-big-problem? Wear-hats-to-solve-it! Part-2
How To Make A Difference
Big-Be Or Bug-Be !
A Ride To Hell
Make checklists your friends
Nauseous Communication Gaps
Do You Cleanup-After-Crisis
Raam or Krishna-Shyam: Tell me Hey Raam!
Will It Work Here? 
That's How Morons Work
You seem Reasonable if you appear Un-reasonable
Smart-Moron Who Breaks Your Glass 
Wish To Be Planet-Friendly?: Save! 
Waste-to-eat-sea-to-drink
Don't Save Water on Holi-day
Be Shame-less Or Water-less

Cons In The Market

The cell number as in attached screenshot called me today. The conversation went on as follows.

"Calling from ICICI verification department.
You're holding credit card. ICICI has stopped reward scheme. So you will be issued a fresh credit-card that you'll receive in a couple of weeks OK?"

I asked him how could ICICI make such a change unilaterally? That too merely on phone? ICICI should've sent at least a mail to me, I told him.

I warned him off taking this up with their consumer department if he sends credit-card without following some adequate procedure.

Immediately on this communication the caller disconnected phone.

His behavior reinforced my suspicion about the caller being a con-marketeer.

An example of over-smartness used for Market Penetration with wrong ethics, at wrong place with wrong person. It's worth learning how innovatively he used a close-ended question ending saying "OK?"

I may be wrong though. So in order to verify/validate my contention, I forwarded this letter to their customer.care department.

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Do you keep curing your brand ? 
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality ! 
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers
Do You Force Customers To Quit
Do you exercise your choice meaningfully 
Do You Ask Right Questions ?