Business Mandate March - April 2013

Gp Capt R Vijayakumar, VSM (Retd)

From the editorDear Members,

The month of February dawned with enjoyable weather, to cloudy skies and cool days was eventful with flurry of MMA activities.

Azim Jamal, the international bestselling author, delivered a talk on “Business, Balance & Beyond” for the benefit of MMA Members. The talk was extremely impressive … very inspiring and well attended. Balance is possibly the most elusive (and perhaps most necessary) aspect of a busy life; balance between ones priorities often falls victim to a shortage of time; Balance between commerce and the good earth often disappear in the rush for spoils. For the benefit of our members, the article written by Azim Jamal on “Purposeful Living the Corporate Sufi Way” is published in this issue. Please read on and enrich your journey!

Union Budget 2013 was one of the most anticipated budgets in recent years because of the timing; The words that pop right out at me when I think Budget 2013 are sensitivity and sensibility. The FM deserves to be complimented on presenting a forward looking budget in a difficult socio political environment. The well thought out proposal will go a long way in stimulating growth, boosting exports, strengthening infrastructure and opening up additional opportunities for employment. A sizeable allocation for the social and agricultural sector, which acts as the backbone, ensures that the urban and rural poor can look forward to a better tomorrow. Gender equity, gender discrimination and opportunity for women were the issues attracted the attention during the Budget speech of FM and also announced an exclusive public sector bank for women. Ideally, the bank should cultivate entrepreneurship and not remain a regular bank giving loans. The key to the success of women bank are an effective deployment strategy and its execution. The MMA Women Managers Convention on the theme “Beyond Equality” will also focus on these important issues concerning women.

Its time to don your best attire and interact with the women thought leaders, entrepreneurs and corporate executives at the MMA Women Managers Convention organised to

celebrate International Women’s Day. It is indeed once again my privilege to convey our best wishes to all our women members and delegates of the Women Managers Convention 2013 on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Thanks to MMA Women Managers’ Convention Committee headed by Dr Mrs Amita Bishnoi and Cerebrus Consultants, our Knowledge Partner, that the theme and speakers for the Convention have been finalized with great care, keeping in view the aspirations and expectations of our women delegates.

The aim of the MMA Women Managers Convention is to take women to the next level of thinking and discuss a very real dilemmas and choices she is faced with, day in and day out. It is meant to help more women realize their complete potential and go on to become successful managers and leaders. I can confidentially say that “They are the hope of tomorrow”.

Another milestone for the MMA team has been our entry on Facebook. We want to make your experience with us more interactive; Members will see MMA in social media as being their own. Inspire and be inspired log on to Facebook “Like” us and stay connected! Remember that it is not about being on social, it is about being social. I believe that apart from fulfilling our primal need of seeking and giving help, social networking sites also give a sense of belonging. One of the reasons, why sites like Facebook have been so successful is that they help us fight feeling of alienation and isolation in an increasingly disconnected society.

And last, but not the least, we dedicate this Women Managers Convention Special Issue to you, the Hi! Reader. Everything we do, we do it for you.

Happy Reading!

FUTURE TENSE OR FUTURE PERFECT?IS INDIA FUTURE - READY?

A summary of the Inaugural Address delivered by Mr B Muthuraman during the MMA Annual Convention 2013 on ‘Future Tense or Future Perfect? Is India Future - Ready?’ held on 2nd February 2013 at Chennai

Mr B Muthuraman Chairman, Tata International Ltd & Vice Chairman, Tata Steel Ltd

It is a great pleasure to be here in the Annual Convention of Madras Management Association which is one

of the oldest Management Associations of the country. You have an excellent array of speakers and program as well. I am delighted to share some of my thoughts on the subjects of the Annual Convention.

Whenever I am asked to talk about the future, whether it is for business, industrial organizations, for that matter, of a country which is the subject matter of today, I always have the story of Alice in Wonderland, which all of us have read; it is a story of our childhood which many of us would have forgotten! So I am going to remind you of that story to start with. One day Alice is walking in the forest. She has lost her way. Suddenly she finds herself in the cross section of several roads. She does not know which road to take. She looks up sees her pet cat sitting on top of a tree. She asks the cat, “Which road do you think I should take?” The cat responds to Alice by asking, “But Alice! Where do you want to go?” Alice looks up and says, “I really don’t know where I want to go!”, to which the cat says, “In such a case, it does not matter which road you take”. The moral of the story is simple; before you decide which road to take, or which strategy to adopt, you need to decide where you want to reach and what you want to do. You cannot go to Chennai Airport, buy a ticket for Mumbai and board a flight to Delhi! This is true of individuals, business organizations and this is also true of nations. Of course it is relatively simple for individuals even though most of us don’t practice it at all. It is a little more complex for business

organizations because it has got several factors. It is far more difficult for nations as nations comprise large population with diverse people; nations also have governance systems which are different from one another.

India is a complex country with varied culture, different religions and beliefs and it is a democratic country with different kinds of political parties with different agendas. But still we need to know and decide as to where we want to go before we decide which route to take. It is far more complex than what I am talking about! But it is good to do some simple thinking to arrive at some logical decisions as to which road to take to reach India’s future.

Where does India want to go and what does it want to do? Let me illustrate it this through another story. Of course, this is really not a story; this has actually happened. My good friend Mr. Arun Maira who was formerly with BCG before and currently with Planning Commission

is fond of narrating an incident in which he was involved in a session he had with the school children in Delhi. Around 50 to 60 children were assembled, half of whom from the elite schools of Delhi. The other half consisted of the road child children who were uncared for and who had never been to any school. Some NGOs had brought them to the session. Arun asked them a question: “ How many of you want to see India as the most admired and richest country among all nations?” Everyone raised his hands except one girl who was from one of the elite schools of Delhi. Arun asked her why she did not raise her hands. She said, “I don’t like your question Sir! I think it is this desire to be seen as superior to all is the problem of the world”. The moment she said that, lot of hands started coming down. Arun asked all of them another question; How many of you would like India to be a country in which everyone, rich and poor, has equal chance to succeed? This time all the 60 children raised their hands. The point that I am trying to make

2 BUSINESS MANDATE | MAR-APR 2013

FOUNTAINHEAD OF EXCELLENCE

here is that, what kind of India we want to be? We want to be the richest with lots of billionaires, or we want to give opportunities to everyone? Because the opening up of markets and the unleashing of free market economy 20 odd years ago have undoubtedly accelerated economic growth and the wealth has begun to be accumulated in this country. In fact, in one of the recent issues of Forbes Magazines forecast that by 2017, India will have the most number of billionaires in the world. But we need to ask ourselves, “Is this the India we want?” Or do we want an India where everyone is taken care of, everyone gets the equal opportunity, even if the growth rate is little bit slower, or do we want people to live in peace even if there are not too many billionaires around. How can we balance growth? It is not that we should not have growth; obviously we need to have growth. But how can we balance growth with equity? Let me come to India little later. I will come back to this theme after talking about the world. India is after all only one part of the world and so what happens to the world will definitely impact on India too and it is already impacting India.

During hundred years of this 20th century (1900-2000), global population has increased by something like four times, but the global GDP increased by little more than 20 times. This really means that enormous amount of wealth was created. This was at the back of two important factors. One was the abundance of natural resources and the relatively constant and even declining prices of natural resources like oil, minerals, energy and water. The second factor was the advent of free market capitalism. As far as the natural resources are concerned, the prices of various materials like iron ore, coal and oil in most part of the 20th century actually declined in real terms. This was true of oil also. As development and growth were concentrated in the less populous western world, there were no major issues of land and water. In fact the Commodity Price Index when measured by real terms, according to a McKensey Data, fell by almost half during the 20th century and I saw it in one of the graphs shown by Mr Kshirsagar. Most parts of the

successful western world during the last century practiced free market capitalism. There was of course, for long time, this ideological conflict between capitalism and socialism and everyone thought that it ended in 1989 with the fall of the Soviet Union. At least, most people in the world thought so. The 20th century was actually a great triumph for free market capitalism on electoral democracy till the year 2008 arrived. In fact after the Bert Stern’s collapse, the Financial Times said and I am quoting the same; “Remember March 14th 2008; it was the day, the dream of global free market capitalism died”. So in the wake of prolonged slow down and even recession, especially in the European Union and somewhat in the United States, the advocates of capitalism seem to be losing their faith. Now as we enter the early years of the 21st century, there are serious doubts on both these issues which propelled economic growth in the 20th century for 100 years viz. on natural resources as well on the free market capitalism.

Now, the era of abundant natural resources and low priced natural resources, I think is over. With furious economic growth in China and a solid, if not spectacular growth in India both of whom have some 40% of the world’s population, there is strain on natural resources such as oil, minerals, water and land. It is clear now that the economic growth of the 21st century is not going to be based on abundant supply of cheap natural resources. Growth will be based on conservation of natural resources and this is going to limit growth. But what about free market capitalism? It is this unregulated free markets that led to human greed which led to economic melt down that started in the middle of the year 2008. The world has not recovered from it. Europe is under prolonged stagnation; I don’t know for how many years and the US is battling as to how to come out of stagnation. It is the human behaviour and the conspicuous consumption beyond wealth creation which has caused this problem. We need to question whether human society and environments should be servants of economy or the economy must serve the human society and the

sustainability of environment. This is an important question that India needs to ask.

Now let me get back to India. We have democratic India since it was born 65 years ago and since 20 years ago, we embraced economic liberalization. Since 1991, how have we fared? The GDP of India has grown by five times from little over Rs. 10 lac crore to around Rs. 50 lac crore which is about a trillion dollars. The per capita income, in these 20 odd years, has grown by 400%. In the previous 20 years, it grew by 40%. The household savings have increased by around 12 times. The Foreign Direct Investments have increased by 250 times. The Forex reserves which was the fundamental root cause for liberalization, the force behind the liberalization has grown by around 30 times. Exports have increased by around 25 times. In 1999, we had half a million telephone subscribers; today we have around 900 million subscribers which is a stupendous increase, The air traffic has gone up by seven to eight times. All these statistics are indeed impressive. But what about some of the other indicators?

We have rampant corruption in this country; we are ranked as one of the most corrupt countries of the world. In fact, sometimes, some people think that doing business in some of the African countries is perhaps easier than doing business in India! There is widespread social unrest. We have all sorts of groups such as the Naxalism, the Maoism etc., impeding growth. Sometimes, our Parliaments are not functioning well. We still don’t have social equity. By equity and equality, I don’t mean equality of outcomes; outcomes can never be equal. I am talking about equality of opportunities. The result of a person’s life, in all its dimensions, ought to reflect his or her efforts and talents and not his or her background. Predetermined circumstances like gender, race, place of birth, family origin and the social group to which a person belongs to or born into, should not help determine whether people succeed economically or socially. But this is not the case in India; after so many years, both due to our own century- old caste systems and also due to the inequalities caused by the industrialization of the last 20 to 40 years. I think, this is



going to be biggest impediment to our equitable growth in the future.

Our health care systems are still not very good. Children dying of malnutrition are one of the highest in India. Our education system does not help basic aim of education which is to make people think and make people ask questions. So it is a bit of a mixed bag in the last 20 odd years – of a reasonably good economic success and a not-so-good social success. India, as many of us believe, has tremendous potential and opportunities for growth and prosperity. It has several factors in its favour; good demographic features, energetic population, innovative and energetic minds and many other positive factors. But the mere presence of opportunities is not a guarantee for success. It needs to overcome several challenges and only if you overcome these challenges, much of it is social, will we have India that is socially equitable is happy and at the same time prosperous.

What is the kind of growth that we want in India? The growth of the western world century was accompanied by the environmental footprints of many western countries far exceeding their geographical footprint. For example, the environmental footprint of the United States is 12 times its geographical footprint. Imagine, if all the countries of the world were to practice a similar growth pattern as that of the United States. There is a lesson in this for India. The growth of the western world was also accompanied by unequal income distribution as we have seen in India in the last 25 years. I think there

is a lesson for India in this for the future of India. Given its huge population and a historic tradition of social inequality it is almost axiomatic that India’s growth needs to be inclusive. In fact, the growth cannot happen in India unless social equality is restored. The growth of the western world was based on unregulated free market capitalism under elected democracies. India, at the time of its birth 65 years ago, chose democracy and we continue to cherish our democracy and I believe that we should never give it up. But the pitfalls of free market capitalism that we have witnessed in the recent past are also a lesson for India. India needs to find a better balance between democracy and regulated free market mechanism. India needs to find a path to grow through market reforms along with taking all the sections of the society in its growth path and taking environment into account and not go the way of the western world. This is the challenge for India

In overcoming these challenges, I also believe, the business organizations have a very major part to play. Business organizations need to themselves as partners in nation building and not merely exist for the sake of business. I know we talk about it often; but I don’t think, it has gone into the DNA of the business yet. Apart from taking into account the current reality, i.e. the scarcity and the higher prices of natural resources and their products will make growth difficult to come by. Therefore business organizations need to relook at themselves and their markets in a more creative and innovative way. Business needs to embrace societal

benefits and environmental protection as integral part of its business and not as an appendix to the business. Business needs to do and be seen to do much more for the society and take affirmative action as part of its business philosophy and not merely pay some lip service to it.

India’s growth, does, of course, lie in freeing the markets, in lowering interest rates, in containing inflation, in containing government’s fiscal deficits, in getting more foreign direct investments and improving factors of economy beyond reengineering of our businesses. But these are not simply the sufficient conditions for India’s growth. We need to improve the social equity and if we don’t improve the social equity and provide equal opportunities to people and make sure that business takes society as an integral part of its business, growth will not happen in this country.

Over the last, let’s say, thousand years, starting from religious leadership, we have had eras of military leadership, we have had eras of democratic leadership, and now I believe, simply because of the fact that the bulk of the wealth creation of the world happens in business, it is the business which needs to take on leadership. When I say that business needs to take on leadership, it cannot only run business. It needs to take on nation’s leadership. In order to do that, society is an important part of that leadership. So, I do believe, while India has a tremendous potential to grow and it has got lots of features and while we keep on batting for economic reforms such as lowering of interest rates, improving on infrastructure needs etc., though all of these is true and must be done, the most important part of growth of India, the growth of the huge population of India, lies in bringing social equality and social equity into the system.

That’s the message I wanted to give to this audience as the audience consists of a large number of business people and I am also from a business community. I have come to believe, over the last 40 years watching India with business eyes, that business, if it looks after economy alone, cannot help India’s growth. Business, if it looks at societal needs, can help India’s growth.



GOOD NAME AT WHAT COST?

“It is better to earn a bad name and live a good life, than to earn a good name and live a bad life,” proclaimed Avyakta.

Most of the girls turned towards each other and nodded in affirmation. An elongated pause followed. The beauty of a master communicator lies not just in his ability to pack his oration with words, but also in punctuating his delivery with the appropriate pauses. The mind of the receiver of the communication needs those momentary pauses for it to assimilate an idea and then internalise it. Pauses in the delivery of communication are the ‘think time’ you build into communication. Unless it is a spiritual discourse to a spiritually aligned audience, too many pauses will create scope for a slip in their concentration - their attention will shift to something else. Very few pauses will not create the context for the message to seep into the minds of the audience. There has to be a perfect integration of pauses and words. That’s why communication is both a science and an art.

Avyakta continued, “Somehow, from the beginning, reputation has been put above character in most of your minds. Character is ‘who you are’ and reputation is ‘what the world thinks of you’. You have been, time and again, asked to ensure that you earn a good name at school, a good name with your teachers, a good name in your neighbourhood, a good name with your relatives - a good name here, a good name there, a good name everywhere and every time. Such is the focus on earning a good name that the very first thought for most of you is - ‘what will the world think of me if I do this or don’t do it’, and not ‘what will I become or not become by doing this or not doing it’. Most of you are ‘other people conscious’. {Pause} Your

life is not lived through your spectacles, but through others’ spectacles. ‘How should the world see me?’ - the answer to this question defines the context of your life. Sometimes, it isn’t necessarily about earning a good name for yourself, but about earning a good name for your family, for your parents - what will the society say if I do this or don’t do it? In the entire process, most of you become puppets in the hands of the public. {Pause} You do things not because you want to do them, not because you are convinced about them, not even because you think they are right, but because they give you scope for enhancing your reputation. The potential possibility of a good name is very high. More than your desire for a good name, it is the fear of earning a bad name that drives most of your lives.”

Avyakta’s delivery was very fierce. A sense of social anger was finding expression through his voice. Most of the time, the passion to empower was radiating so strongly through his eyes that he didn’t even bat his eyelids during his oration. The strength in that voice could have come only from a heart that was weeping at this social slavery. Man has been turned against himself by making him ‘other people conscious’. His main focus is no longer on ‘who he is’ or ‘who he wishes to be’, but on earning ‘goodwill points’ by appearing to be good in the eyes of the world. Rather than being good, it has become imperative to appear good. Avyakta was fuming. “Something within me cries…” he asserted.

Avyakta was addressing a group of 600 outgoing students in a women’s college. Avyakta was convinced that we cannot awaken humanity unless we bring about a change in the mindset of the average

middle-class population. When you define, you confine. The average man has been given a definition to live up to. And sure enough, he has confined himself to this social definition. A definition for ‘man’, a definition for ‘woman’, a definition for ‘son’, one for ‘daughter’ and another for ‘daughter-in-law’, one for ‘North Indians’ and another for ‘South Indians’, one for ‘Brahmins’ and another for ‘Marwaris’… definitions and more definitions.

Avyakta emphasised, “Each one of you has been given a social checklist and you are expected to strictly adhere to this checklist. Your grandparents did, your parents did, so why would you rebel against it - this is the social expectation. Each of you has been parented to succumb to this social expectation. Even the slightest deviation from this social checklist will create a social hullabaloo. You will be branded selfish for your attempt to live beyond this social checklist. You will become a social outcast for living beyond the confines of your social definition. Hey girls, you are born in a culture where it is assumed that women are born for one singular purpose and that is to get married and be the backbone of the family. It’s not about you living a life beyond tears, but

Tear off the social checklist. Expand the definition of your life and stand above the crowd.



about living to see others smile. There’s nothing wrong in being expected to live a life that brings a smile to others, but why isn’t there much respect for your tears? Girls, you have to lift yourself by yourself. Freedom is not given; it is taken. You live only once as you, and if you miss this chance you will never have another opportunity to be yourself. Please, please do not miss yourself. Do not miss this change. Tear off the social checklist. Rise above the confines of social definition. Pathfinders are path breakers. Expand the definition of your life. Stand above the crowd. Live above the average man. Inspire future generations by the way you live your life. Let your life be a message to the next generation. Wake up!

Avyakta was not talking about being a rebel without a cause. He was not talking about being irresponsible with an ‘I don’t care’ attitude. He was not talking about being apathetic to the feelings and emotions of one’s family. He was not talking about tearing off a social checklist and in turn living a characterless life. He was not talking about a ‘me, mine and myself’ - an absolutely selfish - life.

Avyakta explained, “Even the epitome of compassion, Lord Mahavira, professed - ‘Live and let live’, not ‘Let live and live’. After all, if you yourself don’t know how to live, then how are you going to let others live? The messiah of love, Jesus

Christ, preached - ‘Love thy neighbour as you love thyself’. Even he put you ahead of your neighbour. Why? After all, if you don’t know how to love yourself, then how will you love your neighbour? How can a beggar help others to become rich? Which slave can liberate others? How can you give to this world something that you haven’t first gifted to yourself? As long as you are striving for the larger good, striving for personal good doesn’t make you selfish. You have the right to your fight in this planet. This earth is yours as well. This life is yours too. Use it. Don’t abuse it.”

Then, with a lot of compassion in his voice, Avyakta suggested, “If you do 100 things in life, do 80 things for the sake of the world, for the sake of the happiness of your family, for the sake of your parents’ gratification, for the sake of social fulfilment and for the sake of your environment. Do at least 20 things in life for your own sake. Put all the aspects of your life that are of consequence, that can have an effect on your life, into this 20 - like the education you want to pursue, the career you are passionate about, the marriage you wish to settle into, the city you choose to live in. In all these consequential aspects of life, don’t give in to the confines of social definition. Write your own definition of life. Create your own checklist. Don’t live by a social script. Write your own

script. In the other 80 inconsequential aspects of life, go with the world, by the world. If even after you do 80 things for the sake of the world and only 20 things for your own sake, the world still calls you selfish - so be it. It appears that you live in an unreasonable world. If in spite of your doing 80 things for them they are still not satisfied, then nothing is anyhow going to satisfy them. At least, satisfy yourself by doing those 20 things on your terms.”

Avyakta concluded, “Let me end where I began - It is better to earn a bad name and live a good life, than to earn a good name and live a bad life.”

Avyakta ended his speech and came down. There was absolute silence in the auditorium. The 600 girls seemed to be living by the Zen expression - speak only when you can improve upon silence. This wasn’t the time to acknowledge with words. The life they would go on to live would be their acknowledgement to Avyakta. Get ready to experience the new breed, the next generation of trailblazers. Their new philosophy - “Live - 20 and let live - 80.”

Realising the great hunger in the world for a new way of life, mahatria Ra, divined infinitheism, the path for anyone who ardently desires Most and more... He is also the chief editor of the magazine – infinithoughts.



(L to R) Panel of Judges: Ms Ponni Concessao, Mr M V Butchi, Ms D Vijayalakshmi and Dr Jayshree Suresh evaluating the Oral Presentation of 12th MMA Women Managers’ Competition held at MMA House

Registering Memo ries

Mr Shankar Jaganathan, Management Consultant addressing the members on ‘Viewing Contemporary Economy Issues through a Historic Lens’. Mr S Kannan, IRS, Additional Director General, Audit, Central Excise & Customs Chennai chairing the session

PURPOSEFUL LIVINGTHE CORPORATE SUFI WAYMr Azim Jamal International Bestselling Author, Corporate Sufi

T he Sufi philosophy affirms that we have all been born with a great gift, although most of us never open it

because we are distracted and tempted by dazzling toys and the complications of life, which are only temporary. We forget the real purpose of why we are here and what we need to accomplish.

The Corporate philosophy is similar. The more people focus on their natural strengths, the more excitement and joy they find in their work. The more you focus on employees and on building corporate strength, the more productivity is achieved. However, not all organizations recognize or understand how to champion this philosophy in the workplace.

The Corporate Sufi philosophy leverages your inherent talent or strengths—your gift to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

In this article we will explore the following:

• Youarebornforareason• FindingyourCalling• VisionandMissionstatement• BeingAuthentic• ImportanceofClarity• Lackofengagement• Whatapurposefullifelookslike`• SharedVision• Alignment• Obstaclesarepartofthejourney

You were born into this world for a reason.

You are here for a nobler purpose than just to eat, sleep, produce offspring, and die. You are here to make a difference. You are here to shine your light and leave the world in better shape then you received

it. You are here to display the gifts you have been blessed with. You are here to use those gifts to make a contribution and create significance.

You are a miracle! A unique, special and precious human being! There is no one like you in the entire world. No one can smile like you, think like you, walk like you, talk like you or serve like you. From billions of people who have come into this world, no one has been like you. You are special, precious and powerful.

You are a miracle, and you possess enormous power within, but you need to open your innate gift before you shine. William James, the father of modern psychology, said, “The average person rarely achieves but a small portion of his or her potential.” You may be scared to jump into your inner calling—but if you are stuck in the pond, you will never experience the bounty of the water in the ocean.

In Fihi Ma Fihi, Rumi, the Sufi giant, says, “You have a duty to perform. Do anything else, do a number of things, occupy your time fully, and yet, if you do not do this task, all your time will have been wasted.” In other words, you can do hundreds of things, but if you do not do this one thing that you have a duty to do, you have wasted your life. What is this one thing you must do?

You have been born with an innate gift. It is the one thing that allows you to live up to your highest potential. When you are using your gift, you are the best you can possibly be, free from fear and other constraints, and full of abundance and life. However, many people go through

life without realizing what their birth-day gift is, and many die without ever having opened it. It seems a terrible waste to go through life without opening your gift.

My cousin Asheef and his wife, Denise, were blessed with a baby boy recently. Denise, after being pregnant for nine months, underwent a C-section after 30 hours of labour in hospital before the baby was born. My wife, Farzana, my daughter, Sahar, and I went to see mother and child. While holding the baby, I noticed how alert he was, despite being less than a day old. His big eyes and expressions left me marveling at creation and how a baby comes into being from the mother’s womb and so full of potential even as early as day one on earth!

When you reflect on creation, witness the birth of a child, observe how the day turns into night and night into day or see the seasons changing, you begin to appreciate the miracle of life.

Finding your callingHow do you find your true calling and gift? If you feel it is not practical to find and utilize your gift because of so many outside constraints, then you are “dead” before you start. Which means you will never find it because you do not believe it is possible. Ask these questions:

• Whatmakesyoutick?•Whatkindofworkmakesyoulose

track of time?•Whatkindofworkwouldyoudo

if you won a $40-million lottery? How would it change your life?

•Whatwouldyoudaretodoifyou knew that you would not fail at it, no matter what?



• Where can you make the most difference?

• Onyourdeathbed,whatistheone regret you would have?

• Reflect on your funeral—what would you like people you care about to say about you?

These questions bring a deeper understanding and perspective about what is important to you.

Meditation is one powerful vehicle to connect to your inner self. Through this practice you gradually gain insight into your innate gifts. Keeping a daily journal heightens your awareness and brings clarity about who you are, not who you think you are. The cause that excites you the most will give you an indication of what you are passionate and care about.

I wrote this as part of my eulogy: “Azim was a loving father, son, husband and human being. He shined his light and inspired others to shine their light. He lived and worked to his full potential and made a positive difference to one and all, especially those who were less advantaged. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Amen.”

By being clear about what you aspire to be, it becomes easier to invite and attract the right circumstances to lead you to it. Looking back from your deathbed also puts things in perspective and attracts attention to your purpose in life and the accompanying gift you were born with.

“The sole purpose of education is to help you find out what you, with all your heart, must love to do,” wrote Jiddu Krishnamurti, India-born 20th-century philosopher.

The Sufis, a mystical branch of Islam, have a story about a man who lost his keys and searched for them in the street. A friend came by and helped him search. Finally, the friend asked, “Where were you when you lost your keys.”

“In the house,” replied the man.“Then why aren’t you looking for

them in the house?” asked the friend.“Because the light’s better in the

street,” came the reply.

You have to look for the key to purpose where it lies – within you – and not where it’s more convenient or less painful to look.

Your innate gifts are not outside you, but within you. You are the source.

What is the source of unease and unhappiness? For some, the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, health and education cause unease and unhappiness. Yet for many it is the self—selfishness, self-centeredness and ego—that causes these feelings.

What is the source of peace and tranquility? It is the self—selflessness, self-discipline and self-mastery. You are your own master and your own slave. You are your own source of happiness and your own source of misery.

Conquer your lower self and you open the door to peace, happiness and bliss.

Ultimately, the buck stops with you, for you and none other are the source.

Find your innate gift and use it to make the world a better place. There is nothing more important that you will do in your life.

Mission and Vision StatementA mission statement can help you to remove the dust from the mirror so you can see clearly. You must separate truth and reality from the illusionary. You need a great deal of courage to challenge your beliefs and reach out to reality. If you are too caught up with the mundane, illusionary things of life, it will be difficult to get clarity.

Whenever you are confused about a course of action you need to take, you can go back to your mission statement and find the clarity of purpose there.

When you’re guided by a vision and a mission statement, you no longer worry about whether you’re ahead of or behind your neighbor.

When you are clear about your vision, and believe in your ability, you invite help from the Universe. A thousand unseen hands come to your assistance. The universe conspires to help you.

So sing the song that you have come here to sing; do not just string and unstring your instrument. Work in areas of your calling. Keep your eye on your goal, and see how energized and motivated you become.

The ambition has to be larger than self and includes making a valuable contribution to the world we live in. This brings meaning to our work. The Aga Khan III affirms, “Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” When we are able to bring meaning to the work place, we create energy that taps into the universe.

What a Purposeful Life Looks Like“When love and skill work together,

expect a masterpiece,” wrote John Ruskin, the Victorian artist, scientist, poet, environmentalist, and philosopher.

All of nature is on call, operating in silence and yet on purpose. The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground. The acorn contains the design for the fully developed oak tree in all its mightiness. Where you find purpose and strong principles, there you find success and balance.

A ship would never sail without a destination. Similarly you can’t find Life Balance without having a clear objective. When you have purpose, you know where you are going, and you know why you want to go there. You are driven to get there. A sense of purpose creates energy, meaning, gumption, and love. You lose track of time doing things that have a solid purpose. You find enjoyment and make a difference to others.

Purposeful living enables you to know what’s really important in your life. Focusing on important things in life leads to balance. Focusing on unimportant things wastes time and energy and leads to imbalance.

You should not confuse important things with urgent things. In fact, there is an inverse relationship between what’s urgent and what’s important. What is important is generally not urgent. Things become urgent only if we have neglected to do them. Focusing on urgent things can lead to imbalance. Although many of us are aware of the differences between urgent and important, most of us are unaware of where our time disappears to. Awareness comes from keeping track of how we spend our time.



Being authenticAuthenticity is something so natural yet so difficult. On the surface it should be easy to be natural and spontaneous, to be yourself. However, most people struggle with being authentic.

There are three primary reasons for this:

• You have been conditioned sincechildhood—by parents, teachers and peers—so you have learned to comply instead of being yourself.

• You are fearful—you feel withinthat you are not good enough; therefore, if you become authentic, people will see your faults.

• You have a scarcity mentality—you feel that if you are authentic, people will know everything about you and take advantage of you.

If you let go of these inhibitions, you will bloom like a flower, shine like a star and fly like a bird—so naturally and effortlessly. Have you ever seen a flower struggle to bloom, a star struggle to shine or a bird struggle to fly? Of course not—they have no inhibitions to stop them from sharing their gifts.

When you come from a scarcity mentality, you worry about someone stealing your idea, money or material. You look at people as dishonest and selfish. This behaviour comes from not trusting, not giving and not being authentic.

You can change this paradigm by becoming more trusting, by giving people the benefit of the doubt and the best possible interpretation. In every situation, trust the fairness of the universe and practise the power of giving in deed, action and reflection.

People who really connect with others and make a significant difference are the ones who are authentic—natural, poised, spontaneous. They are comfortable in their own skin and are not worried about their limitations. Do not mistake this for not working on improving shortcomings. Far from it. However, these people come from a position of abundance and strength, not weakness. They come from a place of love, not fear. They are able to leave their past conditioning behind and move forward with grace and confidence.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, who took over the helm of the Aditya Birla Group at the tender age of 28 after his father passed away at a young age, was asked in a TV interview if he would want his children to take over from him. His reply was that he wanted his children to follow their heart and their passion, wherever that leads. This is despite the fact the group’s annual sales are US$30 billion and the children would have a great start in life if they joined the family business.

I failed all of my exams in Grade 12—got the worst possible results you can get. In A levels, or higher grades, I managed to get two E’s—the worst pass you can get. However, I did pretty well in accounting, ending up getting three professional accounting degrees and becoming a senior partner in an accounting firm. Today I don’t touch accounting, and I am far happier at what I do because it is authentic, it is me—even though it took me 43 years to figure out what that was! I found this gift of mine while volunteering my time working with Afghan refugees. I was lousy at science in school, good at accounting, but my true genius only came to light when I began to speak and write.

Rumi says, “Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and heartache disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us. We taste only sacredness.”

All human beings have great potential. The question every leader asks is “How do we tap into this enormous potential?”

A few years ago I was in Tajikistan, where I worked with a company that was struggling with both finances and motivating its staff. I was forewarned that the staff members did not have business sense because they had become accustomed to the Soviet system in which the state did everything. The private enterprise system was foreign to them.

My job was to motivate the staff, and I was given two full days to accomplish this. After flying to Tajikistan and getting a VIP welcome at the airport, I was brought back to reality when I travelled by jeep to the company’s headquarters. What was supposed to be a 12-hour drive in the mountains turned out to be a 19-hour commute with four flat tires and no real washrooms or restaurants along the way.

We reached our destination at 3 a.m. The view of the mountains was nothing short of spectacular. Getting out of the car high in the mountains, I was greeted by thousands of stars, each seemingly bigger than the earth. I was watching with my entire five-foot-seven-inch height. If I’d ever wanted to learn a lesson in humility, it was right there.

At 8 a.m. the CEO was knocking on my door, saying, “Hey, Mr. Motivator, please come and motivate my people.” I told the CEO that I was not doing that. He was surprised because that was the purpose of my engagement.

I told him that what I wanted to do was spend the first of my two days interviewing his top 25 people. He didn’t think that was going to help because they had no idea about business. I told him that didn’t matter because I needed to understand the challenges from their perspective before I could motivate them. I did not leave him much choice.

I spent the entire day interviewing his top 25 people, many of them with the help of a translator. I asked them three questions:

1. Do you have a clear idea of the vision and mission of your company?

2. What are the big roadblocks preventing you from working at your best?

3. If you were the CEO of the company, how would you run it differently?

As they responded, I made notes and ended up with about 30 pages. In the evening I asked the CEO to assemble these top 25 people at 8 a.m. the next day. He asked me when I was going to start motivating. I told him, “Sometime tomorrow.”

I woke up at 2 a.m. and summarized the 30 pages into 10 key areas, which I wrote on a whiteboard at 7 a.m. I went through these 10 points with the interviewees to confirm that I had captured the essence of what they had stated the previous day. They studied the list hard and confirmed that the points encapsulated our individual discussions.

From my interviews, I learned that no one had a clear picture of the vision and mission of the company. I decided to put



them into groups of four to brainstorm about where they would like to see the company in five years’ time. I gave them approximately 30 minutes to do this.

Subsequently, I had one member from each group present their findings. As we went through each presentation, they were not only able to articulate a powerful vision and mission but also came up with a logo and branding proposition. Incredible! I had never seen any group that I have dealt with come up with all of this in a matter of an hour and have consensus around it. This was a group that supposedly had no business background. Absolutely amazing!

This example illustrates two key points. First, we underestimate people’s capabilities. We all have innate gifts. Second, without clarity of purpose and direction, there is no motivation.

Importance of clarityIf you don’t have a clear sense of your purpose and goals, you cannot use your innate gift well.

A few years ago, Harris Interactive, the originators of the Harris Poll, polled 23,000 U.S. residents employed full-time in key industries and key functional areas. Among other things, they reported the following findings:

• Only1in5wasenthusiasticabout their team and organization’s goals.

- Only 1 in 5 had a clear “line of sight” linking their tasks and the team and organization’s goals.

• Only 15 percent felt their organization fully enabled them to execute key goals.

• Only 17 percent felt their organization fostered open communication that was respectful of different viewpoints.

• Only 10 percent felt their organization held people accountable.

• Only 20 percent fully trusted their organization.

In his excellent book The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey explains these findings as follows:

If, say, a soccer team had these same scores, only four of the eleven players on the field would know which goal is theirs. Only two of the eleven would care. Only two of eleven would know which position they play and exactly what they are supposed to do. And all but two players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent. Can you imagine the personal and organizational cost of failing to fully engage the passion, talent and intelligence of the workforce?

Is everyone aiming at the same goal? If not, there will be scattered energy. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, often shared with his teams the GE philosophy for the organization: either they were #1 or #2, or they would fix, close or sell. His blueprint for transforming GE’s performance was to keep it simple. That is the power of mission and focus.

A part of good leadership is to set a clear direction, find your employees’ innate gifts and encourage them to use those gifts. By doing this, you encourage

1 0 BUSINESS MANDATE | MAR-APR 2013


your employees to work to their potential. You may lose some employees when they realize they do not belong in your team—but better to get them off your team early rather than late.

It is important to have a common or shared vision. Once people buy into a vision, it is easier to implement. You need the contribution of everyone who is part of the vision.

Engaging the teamYou can set your goals using your own innate gift. However, you will need the support of others to realize your dreams. It is usually a team effort that achieves great success. Engaging others enables everyone to feel valued while contributing effectively.

Lack of engagement of key employees and lack of alignment, leading to the loss of the potential and power of these individuals, are debilitating problems.

We were doing a strategic planning session at a retreat for one of our clients when an executive from the finance department commented on how useful this was for him. When we asked him why, he said that during all the years he had worked for the organization, all he was exposed to was finance. This exercise helped him see a much bigger picture of the business and thus have a better understanding of the business as a whole.

For another client, the strategic planning exercise helped his team focus on key priorities and execution. Prior to this they were “all over the board,” with no sense of focus or direction. The exercise helped them strengthen their marketing ideas and resolve. They were able to identify methods of expanding their business, reaching clients they were not already serving.

While doing a strategic planning exercise, you will sometimes find personality clashes creeping in, when people try to protect their turf and ensure their priorities take precedence over others. When this happens, it is important to revisit the shared vision.

Capacity building begins with engagement of the team. The more engaged people are, the more they will

understand, contribute and tap into their creativity and innovation. You can then expect them to take initiative and share “outside the box” ideas. If you fail to engage them, they will be passive staff waiting for instructions before they commit to anything.

Your Shared Vision “The Passion of a shared vision empowers people to transcend beyond petty, negative interactions,” according to Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

When you have a shared vision there is harmony among members of your work team and of your family team. You waste less time arguing about where you are going, and you tend to pull together toward your mutual goals. All this helps with balancing your life, because it saves time and energy.

You do not live on an island. You have needs and responsibilities outside yourself. Therefore, having a shared vision at home and at work makes a lot of sense, and increases your chances of success.

All family members need to buy into the vision. Everyone should be on board, showing mutual respect and a commitment to help one another achieve their individual goals. The same goes for your work team. Without involvement, team members will make no commitment.

It is said that people decide with their heads but commit from their hearts. The problem with most businesses is that they don’t inspire much trust or commitment in the hearts of their employees because they don’t let employees share a vision. CEOs and their employees have problems finding a common sense of purpose. Too often, there’s little trust on either side.

Because they’re working toward goals they feel no stake in, junior-level employees feel that they have no control over their jobs. Several research studies have proved that the mere feeling of having control over your day makes you healthier. This feeling of lack of power plays havoc with the health of junior employees.

If you are a leader in a corporation and would like better productivity from your team, your best bet is to encourage

Life Balance for your team members. That means empowering them to capture their creativity, enabling them to perform better and for a longer duration.

Alignment between top, middle and “floor” teams

A corporation can set goals which are aligned to its brand. However, if there is no alignment between the top, middle and “floor” teams, the results will not be optimal.

One of the things I have noticed across the world in different corporations is the lack of alignment between top management, middle management and the “floor staff.”

For example, I had two full-day sessions with the top management of a reputable bank. It was great—they were enthusiastic, energetic and buoyant. I was impressed. At the end of the two days I had a dinner meeting with another client from a different business. The client shared with me an incident involving poor customer service that had happened to her that day in the bank I had just finished my sessions with. I was surprised that the negative encounter had taken place with a teller, but as I reflected on the previous two days’ sessions, it was clear to me that while the bank’s top management was doing great, morale on the floor was low. This was costing the client in terms of reputation and credibility. Alignment of all levels is crucial for achieving optimal results.

In some companies you find the CEO sprinting far ahead, while middle management constantly tries to catch up and the rest of the team is left in the dark. These are not ideal conditions for success. It is important to fully engage the middle management and the rest of the team.

In other companies I have noticed that inter-department synergy is missing. It is almost as if each department is an organization in itself and not connected to the other departments.

Alignment between personal, family and corporate missionsAligning personal, family and corporate missions also enhances your ability to implement your gift as well as inspiring others around to do the same.



Encouraging your family members to find their gifts by creating an environment in which they get a chance to find their passion is a wonderful gift you can give to them.

One of our clients hired us to help him and his family create a family vision and mission. After a few meetings with the couple and their two children, they came up with the following mission:

Our family displays unconditional love and trust. TRUST is an acronym for:

T: Trusting that all four of us mean well and wish the family to be a place of love and growth.

R: Respect one another at all times no matter what the circumstances.

U: Understanding each other’s needs.

S: Supporting one another at all times.

T: Time management so that we can achieve optimum use of our limited time.

It was an exhilarating exercise, and the children felt empowered and important to be part of it. Their problems did not just evaporate after the exercise. That would be too good to be true. However, the family is better equipped to deal with the problems now that they have a clear vision of what they want.

A family mission statement is a powerful way to invite clarity and unity in the family, just as clarity of a company’s mission creates motivation and focus for employees. Both can be aligned to your innate gift and greater purpose in life.

Alignment of ethics and principlesIt is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience, but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience. —Henry David Thoreau

Without principles you cannot sustain and leverage your gifts. Once you are grounded in principles, they become your foundation. They do not change with the tide even though everything else changes around you. Your principles remain intact and are the anchor of your ship.

Jimmy Carter said, “When I left the White House, I was in despair. I think everybody has to be prepared in life for failures or disappointments or frustrated dreams or even embarrassments. You have to accommodate changing times but

cling to unchanging principles. If you do have an extreme change in your life that is unpleasant, what are the principles that don’t change on which you can build a new life, a better life, a more adventurous life?”

This was a President who grew up in an isolated town of only few hundred people. No one in his family had finished high school, yet he studied nuclear physics, entered politics and became the 39th President of the United States.

Without a compass for truth, the external success is short-lived and does not help you to tap into your innate gift. The Corporate Sufi strives for material abundance, but not at the expense of principles, ethics and values.

Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off your goals.

Sufis believe that we should put all our efforts and concentration on the goal and not be distracted by obstacles. By so doing we will produce the energy needed to achieve our personal and corporate goals. Some corporations are not clear about their goals. Bill Gates’ vision of “information at your fingertips, with a computer on every desk and in every home” made him the richest man in the world. He then turned his attention to philanthropy. Google’s statement of philosophy lists ten things the company must be true to. It is clear and has brought Google success and also an opportunity to do charity.

1. Focus on the user and all else will follow

2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well

3. Fast is better than slow4. Democracy on the web works5. You don’t need to be at your desk

to need an answer6. You can make money without

doing evil7. There’s always more information

out there8. The need for information crosses

all boundaries9. You can be serious without a suit

10. Great just isn’t good enough.

Other companies go into business and are initially passionate about their vision, mission, and company values. There is a purpose that the company strives towards. As time goes on the focus shifts to meeting targets and it becomes all about numbers. The company loses sight of the “core” and that gets it into trouble.

By staying focused on our vision and purpose, we are able to achieve success despite facing obstacles. Remember: Obstacles are part of the journey of life. When we keep our eye on the goal, obstacles are not threats. In fact, they become opportunities to create breakthroughs. The energy will come from focusing on the vision, not on the obstacles. Every time one door closes, many other doors are opening. In life every setback presents opportunities. So, where are we going to keep our eyes? We need to keep them on the opportunities and on doors that are opening. In professional soccer, scoring a goal and winning the game is the objective. It requires getting past the opponent’s defenders (obstacles). If we focus on the goal, we will find a way to get past the defenders. Such is the case with corporate life. If we find that things are getting unmanageable, we can break our tasks into smaller pieces. Our goals can be semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, or weekly. We can even further break down our weekly goals into daily goals.

It is also important to align your actions with your goals. Look at your actions and you will know whether you have really been serious about these goals.

Begin today to align your daily actions with these goals!

The Author can be contacted at [email protected]



HOW DO WE MOVE THE NEEDLE ? – A POINT OF VIEWMs Sabitha RaoDirector Cerebrus Consultants

There is an India where women are respected, I am also sure that there is an India where this is not

true. I have seen both these coexist. At the workplace and on the streets of urban India, women go about their day to day lives, as students, office goers, mothers and caregivers, they are confident, but behind this seeming confidence have we missed something? Yes, men and women are surely different. These differences need to be respected and applauded.

Compartments Women lives play out in different compartments, some more equal than others. What are these compartments? Starting at home, the birth of a male child even in the most modern of homes is a cause for celebration. Planning and saving for the daughters marriage is the theme of many modern banking loan campaigns. Continuing from home to the work place, women are being educated in large numbers. They are typically school toppers, and pass out in significant numbers in engineering and medical school. In the rare environments of the top business schools or engineering colleges the numbers however tell a different story. They are not so promising. These compartments starting with the home and continuing to the workplace and society at large are the ”units” of change.. The needle has to be moved in these compartments simultaneously.

The Workplace – The Numbers Game There are many types of workplaces ranging from mega employers like the government, the banks, and the IT industry, to small companies with less than a hundred employees. Here the

definition of equal opportunity or equal pay plays out in different ways. Due to a combination of demographic imperatives, positive or affirmative action, “Corporate India” (largely urban) has surely changed. Women who chose to make careers not just jobs, have shown significant progress. We have examples everywhere, and while these women may still constitute a small percentage at the Board level, they constitute half of intake at entry levels. This is called progress. The recruitment needs of the information technology industry and the banking industry have helped. The numbers game is being played out. In the next two decades; it should show up in the number of women at senior levels.

The numbers do matter. While a critical mass has been achieved at the entry level, the challenge remains to sustain this. Women drop out at some key predictable inflection points, including after childbirth and interestingly enough at the fifteen to twenty year mark. Why? I have often wondered… The stress of managing a full fledged career, and absorbing most of the responsibilities at home may not be sustainable and takes its toll. At this stage, in all fairness, women are more likely to have a choice compared to their male counterparts. Taking a break is still not a very male option. Organizations have a long way to go to help in retention. While flexi options, extended leave, working from home are being experimented, these practices are hardly widespread and a grudging reluctance to accept them is quite common.

The Social SystemThe real action does however play out in society. Society is an umbrella term that includes all of us, our actions, our values,

our beliefs and our deep seated fears. Societies do not change fast and perhaps it will take generations to rise beyond equality and to move towards valuing the differences and mutual respect. Even today safety is not a given. The recent outrage due to the gang rape and death of a young full of potential young professional, was perhaps an outpouring of pent up, burning frustration.

Women Have A Voice, When They Have A ChoiceSo that begs the question as to where change should start? -- With reservations in elite colleges, with reserved seats on the managing boards of companies?

I strongly advocate that change should start at home. How do we liberate the millions of minds that do not respect or treat one half of Indians as free and equal? I have a few suggestions here. Respect for women should start through childhood education, along with other forms of social education including a sense of compassion; religious tolerance etc. It should be a continuing thread of education. Slow and steady wins the race. This cannot be done alone; we



have to engage the men. How? Who better than mothers to start this process, in getting boys to share regular housework and getting girls to fix the fuses and play football. Breaking stereotypes happens in early childhood, breaking the mould later is difficult. The institution of marriage is a significant milestone in the life of a woman. How about encouraging some freedom in choice of spouse and timing of children? Yes the biological clock does run out... But women know it and will deal with it if given a choice. Can confidence

be taught? Perhaps not…. but it can be encouraged. Self confidence is an amalgam of education, exposure and experiences. Financial independence is an indicator of self confidence. Self confidence in women is often mistaken for arrogance or aggression. Self confident women have a voice.

Fathers, grandfathers and husbands have a major role in shaping and forming mindsets .If they can take a lead, then step by step, family by family, girl child by girl

child, this change will surely occur and a force multiplier will take place. Is this a pipe dream? Are we in collective denial when we say that there has been progress that Indian women can stand shoulder to shoulder with Indian men?

I don’t believe so, in the years to come Indian women will assert themselves in larger numbers, if each of us is conscious about it and does just that little bit.



Survey Findings

CREATIVE ARTS FOR PEOPLE DEVELOPMENTMs Hemalatha SwaminathanCreative Arts Practitioner/Therapist Image Consultant & Coach

Power point presentations, some activities, Videos, One or Two-day workshops, have been the popular

approaches to people development for more than a decade. The trainer enlightens the participants with motivational quotes and videos which he may have never come across before and thus feels honored to have heard or seen them during the workshop. Such trainings satisfy the left brain of the participants as the expected behavior and the result of such behavior are clearly stated and the participants follow it methodically. The day ends well as long as everybody is high and motivated to give a great feedback to the trainer and the Management. This trend can continue and must continue as it has proven to be, commercially, the most viable manner to conduct trainings. However, I felt something was incomplete. At the end of a workshop on behavioral training, I would often feel that I had engaged only superficially with the participants. I had not gone deep into their psyche and into the triggers or intentions that brought about such behavior. I was left with a sense of ambiguity about the changes that the participants would make for themselves. But I had no alternative or so I thought. I began a search and research on alternative methods of engaging with people and facilitating development.

In Carl G. Jung (1875 to 1961), I found some answers. He was a Swiss Psychologist who practiced psychology by the book till he encountered Arts. He began painting much later in his career and realized that it brought to surface an awareness of his sub conscious intentions that manifested in his behavior. He emphasized on a deep connection between the mind and the body. Non verbal gestures, postures were manifestations of the experiences or beliefs that one had in the mind at the conscious and subconscious level. To move

forward, to create a balance, it is important to understand where these experiences and beliefs came from. Engaging in arts helps one explore these. Understanding the seat of our emotions helps us to be aware of these emotions and manage our emotions leading to better intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. He observed that the human race had begun to use more of its left brain than the right brain. We were engaging in logically and theoretically understanding the World around us and ignoring the world within us. To create a balance both these worlds have to develop, simultaneously. Creative Arts helps in understanding of self by activating the right brain. He believed in using arts to untap potential, to discover strengths, to go on a journey within oneself. He believed that True Development happened at a sub conscious level and to let that develop happen, it was important to let go, to be in the “here and Now”, and to give into the flow of that which is natural. It was important to be aware of what was happening within along with what was happening outside. ART has the power to access the subconscious rather the subconscious is best expressed through art. Hence engaging in Art is the way forward for Development of people, their skills and their relationships.

Following Jung were many other behavioral trainers, in the West, who were adopting the Creative Arts approach to help individuals make changes within and outside.

Colours, palettes, craft, collage, movement, dance, music, the training scenario is heading towards use of the right brain to understand oneself through movement and arts. The shift is the result of the need to move beyond external acquisition of skills to building one’s skills from within, as Steven Covey mentions in his “Seven Habits of highly effective

people” about the “inside-Out Approach”. Engaging in creative arts helps people understand themselves and be aware of every aspect of their being rather than look for quick-fix solutions to their conflicts.

In this article I would like to detail how creative arts lends itself to the field of training and the changes that I have witnessed in my journey from a Corporate Trainer to a Creative Arts Practitioner and Therapist, by sighting some examples of corporate clients who have experienced my creative arts workshops.

In an open workshop conducted by HALE HUMAN CAPITAL on Being an Effective Manager, the objective was to help participants understand their skills as leaders, followers and their role in a team.

The traditional approach has been Role Play wherein participants play certain roles based on a script. During the role play, behaviors are exhibited which are then discussed as a group. A summary of the skills is then projected for better understanding. This has been a very useful and time tested methodology in behavioral training. The participants also get an idea of appropriate and inappropriate behavior during the role play. As they have actually done it, there is all likelihood that they will remember it for long. What does go amiss here is whether participants understand their behavior, the intentions behind these behavior and how they would like to change this behavior.



A brief of how the creative arts approach enhances understanding of one’s behavior and the trigger to such behavior.

Observing group behavior: A movement activity was conducted to evaluate group behavior, their confidence, their level of participation and interaction with each other. I observed that the participants were reluctant to move and wanted to do some creative activity but sitting down. For any movement activity that I brought to them, they wanted to know theory, purpose, strategy and so on. Making a mistake was unacceptable to them. Some felt embarrassed to make a mistake. This group was using their right brain a lot and was reluctant to give into the power of the left brain and what it could teach them. As I had used movement, I was able to pick up a lot of non-verbal clues from their body language, eye contact, use of space, their proximity with each other etc. Laban’s Movement Analysis is a very useful tool in observing group behavior through movement.

Designing the program: The workshop was aimed at getting these participants out of their comfort zones to think and act creatively. However, they wanted a strategy in place to ensure they did the activity right. They were scared of making a mistake and wanted to complete it perfectly. What could be the beliefs behind seeking perfection? What were the means by which they were achieving this perfection? Could it be possible that perfection was a long-fetched dream and hence so important to them? The workshop began with a movement activity that helped participants explore these thoughts that meant so much to them, to get to the root of these beliefs that seemed to control their interactions with others, that seemed to limit their participation, that prevented them from making mistakes. A simple warm up had thrown open a sea of questions to ponder over about themselves. Some shared, some made notes but I sensed that some doors that they had locked, they were willing to open and explore.

Facilitating Understanding: This activity was for 90 minutes. Provided is a

brief of how the participants experienced it.

Activity: Walking around and stopping in front of a person. This person becomes the partner. Now lead him with your palm. I encouraged them to use space and levels. I then asked the other person to lead and the first person to follow. Then I asked the partners to decide who would lead and who would follow among themselves. They had to negotiate among themselves, non-verbally, and not talk. Then I made one person stand in the centre and spread both her hands, she had people following either arms. They stretched their hands out and in turn had followers on both sides. Thus the whole group moved as one unit leading and following at the same time.

Purpose: “Leading by palm” is a powerful movement activity that helps build concentration and focus. The act of leading and following and making decisions non-verbally for oneself and one’s partner stirs up emotions in oneself. Being aware of these emotions and relating them to real life experiences helps one understand his role in relationships as a leader, follower, team player etc.

My observations: I sensed the group was more involved in moving. They paid a lot of attention to their partner. There was a bond that was being created between the partners.

What they realized about themselves as they moved:

Response a) Few Participants: I was more comfortable leading.

Me: Were you comfortable leading here or are you always comfortable leading?

Answers from participants after deep thought:1. I am not answerable to anyone.

2. I have always lead in my life

3. I have never led in my life, so it was great to have led someone here

Response b) Few other participants: I was comfortable following.

Me: Could you explore that?Participants respond:

1. Leading is challenging.

2. I don’t like to be in limelight

3. Following is more important and task oriented

4. I never follow so for once it was good to let go and just follow

Response c) Few more participants: leading and following are 2 sides of the same coin.

Me: Are you comfortable doing both at work?

Participants respond:1. I lead when situation demands and

follow when situation demands

2. It is sometimes stressful to play both roles

3. While leading I was concerned about my followers and was ensuring their safety.

What followed was an in depth discussion on how they related their behavior at work to what they experienced now. What changes would they want to make in their behavior to achieve changes in themselves and their relationships.

Measuring effectiveness: Laban’s movement evaluation was used to measure the effectiveness of the activity. This was also done with a movement activity called “the diamond leader”. What I observed was:

1. Open body language- the posture of the participants was more confident, their eye contact was more, they were smiling at each other as they moved, their breathing was more relaxed. They had become comfortable in each other’s company and were more comfortable with what they did. They were allowing their natural movement in their body. As a Practitioner, it indicated to me that they were opening up to each other.

2. Large movements – In the beginning, the participants had used small movements, very unsure of themselves and their actions. Now the movements were larger giving an impression of feeling at ease in the space with the people around them. This also exhibited the confidence they felt in exploring their bodies.



difficult to trust, interact and build a genuine relationship with people. They could relate to some events in their life as reasons for these emotions.

The road ahead: It would have been a wonderful opportunity to work with these participants on a continual basis. The awareness that they had experienced in this workshop could have been further enhanced by constant engagement with creative arts. I observed that we could do more work on trust building and bonding. However, this was a one day workshop and so there was only so much that we could share and experience as a group. This is where the HR/Management can be more flexible in their approach to training and organize workshops that engage the participants on a continual basis rather than a one or two day affair. At work, it would create a positive environment for the employee when they get an opportunity to engage in Creative Arts and exercise their right brain. As a Creative Arts Practitioner, I have observed that employees feel more confident about their bodies, more relaxed in their minds, more flexible in their relationships and more focused as a leader when they constantly tap into the potential of their right brain.

I would also like to mention examples of how creative arts can be used in training college students. My experience in training research scholars at IIT, Madras was very satisfying and an immense proof of the power of movement and visual arts in enhancing people skills.

Some FAQ’s: The use of creative arts in self awareness and development is new to the corporate world and I often face a lot of questions. Here are some of the questions and my responses to them, in an effort to bring in more clarity on the subject.

1. Is it like a drama or dance class? In a class the techniques of the art form

would be taught to the participants. Whereas, in these workshops creative arts is used as a tool to understand oneself further, to explore one’s emotions and relate one’s behavior to experiences one has had. Also the Creative Arts Practitioner designs

the activity using the art form which she feels will most benefit the group or the individual. So, she may use movement for a purpose and visual art to achieve another purpose. For eg. At IIT Madras, I used a lot of visual art like painting, collage etc. as I observed the group was inclined to express better through this medium.

2. Is it just activities and debrief? The activities are primarily

customized to suit the needs of the group or the individual. In the discussion that follows, participants are encouraged to share their experiences while engaging with the art form and how they relate to it. The creative arts practitioner only facilitates the discussion and does not engage in theoretical discussion of the purpose of the activity etc. Nor does the practitioner judge the participants based on the experience they share.

3. Can people without any knowledge of art forms benefit from it?

Absolutely!! This is not about performing an art form but exploring oneself through art forms. Drama and movement have a very instant connect with our body and mind. Engaging with Art relieves us from stress and also brings about a self awareness that may be difficult to achieve through verbal process. The facilitator encourages natural movement in the participant rather than any perfect or orchestrated movement.

4. Why should it be on a continual basis? The purpose of engaging in Creative

Arts should be clear to the participant and the facilitator. This methodology should encourage participants to explore themselves and their relationships. It would be difficult to achieve the same in a one or two day workshop. To fulfill the purpose, it is important that the participants constantly attend the workshop and be aware of the changes that it brings for them. For eg. In a workshop at IIT Madras, the participants maintained a journal and penned their journey throughout the session for 12 weeks. On the last day, they shared this journey with others in movement.

3. Creative movements- This activity requires participants to come up with various movements. Contrary to the first activity where participants were reluctant to move differently, in this activity the group was moving as differently as possible. Some even came up with movements that amused others and they moved and laughed together. I observed that the barriers in movements and probably in the minds were melting. The flexibility that they were looking for in their role as a leader and team member had begun in their movements. How they looked didn’t matter anymore. They followed their leader with trust and led when their turn came.

4. Physical Strength- During the warm up and main activity, the participants had complained of pain in legs, head etc. I convinced them to continue with the activity accepting the pain as part of the process. All those pains seemed to have vanished during this activity. Once they began to enjoy the movement and the activity, their complaints had gone.

Feedback by the participants: We sat down to share our experiences.

a) Some of them mentioned that they had never felt so relaxed in a very long time. Engaging with their bodies had removed some mental pressures and relaxed their physique.

b) Some participants said that they felt they could lead more confidently as they did not fear making mistakes.

c) One participant shared that he realized that he was very dominating and that today he could sense the discomfort that his team could be feeling because of his overly dominating nature. He said that while following a palm, his partner was very caring and protective of him and that made him feel accepted. He stressed that he had never been so with his team and that he wished to be that way with his team, henceforth.

d) Some also shared that they could recognize patterns in their behaviour, while moving. For eg. Some found it



The participants used props, music and voice to exhibit their journey on the last day. I observed that their creative expression had improved immensely in these 12 weeks. The size of the group also affects the learning and sharing process. Depending on the needs of the group the facilitator decides the group size.

5. Does a participant have to engage in it lifelong?

The duration of engagement is determined by the need of the participant. I am working with an individual client for 2 years now. With IIT Madras, it was a 12 week session. The period of engagement is a mutual consent between the Practitioner and the participant.

6. How is it different from other approaches like NLP?

I have done my basic in NLP and from my knowledge I would like to share that NLP provides techniques to achieve certain goals while a

Creative Arts Practitioner provides an environment to engage in creative arts and explore one’s emotions.

7. Does the Creative Arts Practitioner need a qualification / certification to facilitate?

The practitioner has to be a certified Creative Arts therapist. The person should also have an interest and engagement with the art form that she uses. The certification is important to fulfill many criteria that a facilitator should remember while conducting a session. The ethics in this profession are also high. As the individuals or groups share many intimate details of themselves, the facilitator should conduct herself ethically.

8. What is the importance of discussion or process work?

The skill of the Practitioner lies not only in sharing the activity but in facilitating the experience of the participant. The discussion in the group also builds a feeling of trust

and companionship within the group. It promotes a sense of acceptance for each other and creates a safe space for participants to share and bond even after the sessions are over.

In Conclusion: Being relatively a new concept in training, the implementation of which requires certified practitioners, Creative Arts Approach may take long to establish itself. However its benefits being manifold for human development, the corporate can take time to understand and implement it for long term benefits of their employees.

References:A) “Riding the horse backward” by Arnold and Amy MindellB) “Carl Jung- Legacy and Influence” by Philosopher and author Robert Rowland Smith, philosopher Mark Vernon and Jung Biographer Gary Lachman.



For more clarifications on the topic, please visit www.4swithin.com

MAKE TEAMs Sharanya Padmanabhan ConsultantCerebrus Consultants

On the day I decided to write this article, I got lucky, in an unexpected way. My motherin-law was visiting from Mumbai, I had an outside-of-office exam to prepare for,

I was battling a throat infection and a work deadline was looming over my head. I was holding it together pretty well and therefore felt uniquely qualified to dole out advice. Advice that resembles that piece of jewellery you have been telling yourself you will wear someday. Looks good at first, but somehow you’re not sure if it’s for you!

Pay attention. Here goes!

Be a little incompetent sometimes.Exhaustion used to be a regular visitor in my life and home, until I discovered this one. I am going to assume that you don’t know how to be incompetent and tell you how. Every now and then, leave your kids’ toys on the floor, a few clothes un-ironed and forget to call the electrician to fix the bulb. Carry on with things. It won’t matter if the cushions aren’t always poofed. You will find that your family and friends will be sympathetic and help you more. Let them help you. Everyone needs a little help sometimes.

Be agreeable, but speak up.Try and agree with people who give you free advice. You can start practicing right now. You don’t need to act on it. But agreeing helps. And speaking up is not the converse of agreeing. It means saying things that are sharp and satisfying. If not being able to speak up seems like a lonely feeling, you will discover that at some point, most people have been there, done that, argued and moved on. If Sridevi in English-Vinglish reminded you of yourself, understand that asserting your needs will not hurt your family. Treat it like the bitter medicine you need to swallow to get better. Try not to have guilty secrets and don’t shed silent tears.

Have silly moments.Some days get too cluttered. And on some others, phone batteries die, the milk boils over and you lose your favourite hair band. At such times, nurturing your inner crazy works wonders. Waste time chatting, laughing and watching silly comedies. Celebrate your birthday even if it’s six months away. Learn to develop a propensity for silliness. Like friendship, silliness will keep you young. Maybe too young.

Recognise luck.Life’s outcomes, while not entirely random, have a huge amount of luck baked into them, said Michael Lewis. On days when you feel successful and life seems manageable and easy-somewhat, recognise that you have been lucky. Feel obliged and privileged. Help those who are not. Remember that you owe a great deal to the unlucky. And as life goes on, like this article, it will be easy to forget.

And if I could offer you more advice I would say love yourself, don’t expect things to make sense and most importantly, when in doubt, Make Tea.



MENTORING – A STRATEGIC INTERVENTION‘MAKING A DIFFERENCE’

In today’s fast paced, rapidly changing and dynamic environment it is imperative for organizations to invest in harnessing the talent within the organization for long term sustenance. The war for talent is creating challenges within organization not only to recruit new talent, but to retain talent.

A mentor provides you with wisdom, technical knowledge, assistance, support, empathy and respect throughout, and often beyond, your career. The objective is to enable mentees grow personally & professionally by passing on their ‘wisdom’. This word ‘wisdom’ refers to four critical elements – people who are wise & experienced; culturally sensitive; preach & practice the organizational values in their day to day work and willing to spare their valuable time to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximize their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.

“Mentoring” comes from the Greek word meaning ‘enduring’-- is defined as a sustained relationship between a youth and an adult. It is a process that always involves communication and is relationship based, but its precise definition is elusive. One definition of the many that have been proposed, is, “Mentoring is a strategic approach to developing an employee by pairing mentee with a more experienced employee who will teach, coach, counsel and energize the employee.”

Another definition, is, ‘Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the mentee).

Another definition – ‘Mentoring is usually a formal or informal relationship between two people-a senior mentor (usually outside the protégé’s chain of supervision) and a junior protégé. Mentoring has been identified as an important influence in professional development in both the public and private sector.’

To sum up, Mentoring is a nurturing process and a mentor can be a source of information and a thoughtful guide through the complexities of unspoken, but potentially career-enhancing / limiting organizational norms.

Mr A L Ravikanth Management Consultant & Corporate Trainer, ‘DIMENSIONS’

Mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. It is an effective way of helping people to progress in their careers and is becoming increasing popular as its potential is realized. It is a helping relationship based on mutual trust and respect for each other.

Corporates today are using mentoring as a strategic tool to harness the several benefits it provides:1. Increased employee performance2. Increased employee engagement3. Enhanced skills4. Employee development & retention5. Commitment to the organization6. Knowledge sharing7. Diversity enhancement8. Building Organizational Intelligence

The organization can run more effectively as employees impart best practices, share knowledge, and foster a collaborative environment.

Helps Organizations Helps Employees

Types of Mentoring:

• Retainhighperformers• Sustainhighlevelofmorale• Prepareforsuccession• Implementbestpractices• Orientnewemployeesfaster• Reducelearningtimeandcost• Fosteracollaborativeculture

• Developskillsandexpertisefaster• Shareknowledgeandresources• Collaboratecross-functionally• Becomebettercoachesandleaders• Followbestpractices• Reduceerrorandrework• Makeeachothergreat!

New-hire Mentorship:New-hire mentoring programs are set up to help new employees acclimate more quickly into the organization. In new-hire mentoring programs, newcomers to the organization (mentees) are paired with more experienced people (mentors) in order to obtain information, good examples, and advice as they advance. It has been claimed that new employees who are paired with a mentor are twice as likely to remain in their job than those who do not receive mentoring.



High-potential Mentorship:High-potential mentoring programs are used to groom up-and-coming employees deemed to have the potential to move up into leadership roles. Here the employee is paired with a senior level leader (or leaders) for a series of career-coaching interactions. These programs tend to be smaller than more general mentoring programs and mentees must be selected to participate.

Business Mentoring:The concept of mentoring has entered the business domain as well. This is different from being an apprentice, a business mentor provides guidance to a business owner or an entrepreneur on the entrepreneur’s business. An apprentice learns a trade by working on the job with the “employer”.

Reverse Mentoring:In the reverse mentoring situation, the mentee has more overall experience (typically as a result of age) than the mentor (who is typically younger), but the mentor has more knowledge in a particular area, and as such, reverses the typical constellation. Examples are when young internet or mobile savvy Millennial Generation teens train executives in using their high end Smart Phones. They in turn sometimes offer insight in business processes.

Mentoring TechniquesThe focus of mentoring is to develop the whole person and so the techniques are broad and require wisdom in order to be used appropriately. A 1995 study of mentoring techniques most commonly used in business, found that the five most commonly used techniques among mentors were:

1. Accompanying: making a commitment in a caring way, which involves taking part in the learning process side- by-side with the learner.

2. Sowing: mentors are often confronted with the difficulty of preparing the learner before he or she is ready to change. Sowing is necessary when you know that what you say may not be understood or even acceptable to learners at first but will make sense and have value to the mentee when the situation requires it.

3. Catalyzing: when change reaches a critical level of pressure, learning can escalate. Here the mentor chooses to plunge the learner right into change, provoking a different way of thinking, a change in identity or a re- ordering of values.

4. Showing: this is making something understandable, or using your own example to demonstrate a skill or activity. You show what you are talking about, you show by your own behavior.

5. Harvesting: here the mentor focuses on “picking the ripe fruit”: it is usually used to create awareness of what was learned by experience and to draw conclusions. The key questions here are: “What have you learned?”, “How useful is it?”.

Different techniques may be used by mentors according to the situation and the mindset of the mentee.

Pre-requisite for Mentoring:In my own experience, I have found that persons with a high ‘EQ – Emotional Quotient’ tend to make better Mentors. It is therefore, strongly recommended that ‘Emotional Intelligence Appraisal’ is done to assess their EQ, as one of the pre-requisites for choosing mentors.

Mentoring Programs:Formal mentoring programs offer employees the opportunity to participate in an organized mentoring program. Participants join as a mentor, mentee or both by completing a mentoring profile. Mentoring profiles are completed as written forms. Mentees are matched with a mentor by a program administrator or a mentoring committee, or may self-select a mentor depending on the program format.

Informal mentoring takes places in organizations that develop a culture of mentoring but do not have formal mentoring in place. These companies may provide some tools and resources and encourage managers to accept mentoring requests from more junior members of the organization.

Mentoring Objectives:• BeanInspiringandCompetentMentor

• UnderstandthePowerandPositiveConsequencesofMentoring

• DevelopMutuallyBeneficialExpectationsandObjectives

• UnderstandMenteeNeedsandHowtoAddressThem

• DetermineResponsibilitiesandGuidelines

• HoldProductiveDiscussionswithMentees

• DealwithMentoringChallengesintheOrganization

• Use Effective Communication and Listening Skills to Build Rapport

• UseQuestioningskillforuncoveringneeds&feedbackskills for objective assessment

Instituting a Mentoring Process into the Organization:If your organization truly believes in using ‘Mentoring’ as a strategic tool to harness available potential, here is a methodology that will enable you to get started.

The process involves 6 key steps:

STEP 1 – DEVELOPING THE MENTORING FRAMEWORK:

• DefiningPurpose,What&WhyMentoringatDaimler

• DefiningthebenefitsfortheMentor&Mentee

• DevelopingtheMentoringProcessFramework

• IdentifyingtheRoleofaMentor/Mentee&benefitsforthem

• DevelopingcriteriaforIdentifyingMentors&Mentees

• DevelopingTimelinesforReview,monitoring&evaluation

• DevelopingFormatstobeadoptedfortheMentoringProcess

• DraftingtheMentoringAgreement

• Designating one member of core team as the ‘Mentoring Program Manager’(MPM) – one point contact for all information dissemination



STEP 2 – IDENTIFYING MENTORS & MENTEES:• Aspercriterialaiddown

• Discussingandgettingtheirconsensusforparticipationinthementoring process

STEP 3 – PAIRING OF MENTORS & MENTEES:• Keytotheprogramis‘goodchemistry’intheMentoringpairs

• BoththeMentorortheMenteewillbeencouragedtospeak to the ‘Mentoring Program Manager’ as early as possible if they do not feel their pairing will work for them

Mentees are matched with mentors by a designated mentoring committee or mentoring administrator usually consisting of senior members of the Training, Learning and Development and Human Resources departments. The matching committee reviews the mentoring profiles and makes matches based on areas for development, mentor strengths, overall experience, skill set, location and objectives for the mentorship. Mentoring technology can be used to facilitate matches allowing mentees to search and select a mentor based on their own development needs and interests. This mentee-driven methodology increases the speed in which matches are created and reduces the amount of administrative time required to manage the program. The quality of matches increases as well with self-match programs because the greater the involvement of the mentee in the selection of their mentor, the better the outcome of the mentorship. There are a variety of online mentoring technology programs available that can be utilized to facilitate this mentee-driven matching process.

STEP 4 – PROGRAM DESIGNS FOR MENTORS & MENTEES:• DesigningtheMentoringSkillsProgram–2days

• DesigningtheMentoringOrientationProgram–1day

To ensure successful implementation of the mentoring process, it is imperative that Mentors go through a skills program that enhances their communication, listening, questioning, trust building, understanding empathy, Motivation, feedback and facilitating insight.

It is also necessary that Mentees go through an orientation program on the Mentoring process of the company and the specific benefits for them. This enables a good understanding of the process to be followed between the Mentor and the Mentee.

STEP 5 – EVALUATION FOR MENTORS & MENTEES:• Mentor-Mentee pairs are encouraged to complete their “Quarterly / Mid-Year Partnership Review”

• MentorsmakepresentationsontheirMentees

• MenteesprovidefeedbackontheirMentorstoMPM

• Year-EndPartnershipEvaluationsandProgramEvaluations

• CertificationofMentors

STEP 6 – MENTORING PROCESS MANUAL:

• Developinga‘MentoringProcessManual’forallfutureuseby Mentors within the company.

Few bonds in life are more influential than those between a young person and an adult. This bond is amplified in the three words – trust, transform & transcend.

As you begin your journey toward becoming a mentor, you will need to thoroughly understand the role of mentoring. Look at a role you are already familiar with. Most of us have had a supervisor, a boss or coach who has made a positive difference in our lives. Those people wore many hats. They acted as, delegators, role models, cheerleaders, policy enforcers, advocates, and friends. As a mentor you will wear these same hats.

Mentors understand the need to assume a number of different roles during the course of a mentoring relationship, but successful mentors also share the same basic qualities:

• Thepassiontoteach&helpothers

• Asinceredesiretobeinvolvedwithayoungperson.

• Respectforyoungpeople.

• Activelistener.

• ShowingEmpathy.

• Seeksolutionsandidentifyopportunities.

• Motivate&Inspire

• Give&Receivefeedback

• Beflexibleandopen.

As you and your mentee begin your relationship; exploring values, interests and goals, you will find yourself making a difference and having a positive effect on their life. What you may also be surprised to see is that you will be learning more about yourself, too. Mentoring doesn’t just affect the young person. Mentoring is a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Many mentors say that the rewards they gain are as substantial as those for their mentees.

Being a mentor enables them to:

• Celebratesuccessandhavefun.

• Achievepersonalgrowth,learnmoreaboutthemselves.

• Improve their self-esteem and feel they are making a difference.

• Gainabetterunderstandingofotherculturesanddevelopa greater appreciation for diversity.

• Feelmoreproductiveandhaveabetterattitudeatwork.

• Enhancetheirrelationshipswiththeirownchildrenand

• Becomemorematureandwiserinthelongrun

Good mentors are willing to take time to get to know their mentees, to learn new things that are important to the young person, and even to be changed by their relationship. Accept the challenges and rewards of mentoring a young person and experience the benefits that will last each of you a lifetime. Go ahead & get started today on this remarkable journey!

The Author can be contacted at [email protected]





Mr B Muthuraman, Chairman, Tata International Ltd & Vice Chairman, Tata Steel Ltd delivering the Inaugural Address during the Inaugural Session of MMA Annual Convention 2013

(L to R) Swami Bodhananda, Dr Nachiket Mor and Mr Ramesh Ramanathan during the Business Session on “Reinventing India – Responding to India’s Social Challenges”

The Winners of 16th MMA Competition for Tomorrow’s Managers along with the dignitaries during the Valedictory Session

(L to R) Mr Muralikrishna G K, Mr Pradipta K Mohapatra and Prof J Philip during the Business Session on “Role of the Individual in Transforming India to be “Future – Ready”

The Cheif Guest Mr R Seshasayee, Executive Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland Ltd delivering the Valedictory Address during the Valedictory Session

The Chief Guest Mr R Seshasayee presenting the ‘Best Young Manager Award for the year 2013’ to Ms Urmila Naidu of Cognizant Technology Solutions

MMA Annual Convention 2013 Future Tense o r Future Perfect?

IS INDIA FUTURE - READY?2 FEBRUARY 2013

(L to R) Ms Ireena Vittal, Mr Rajiv D Mittal, Mr M M Murugappan and Mr T T Srinivasaraghavan during the Business Session on “Addressing India’s Emerging Challenges –The Business Response”

Mr Alok Kshirsagar, Director (Senior Partner) McKinsey & Company delivering the Keynote Address



Mr Venky Rajgopal, President, MMA presenting a memento to Mr Srivats Ram, Convention Chairman during the Valedictory Session of MMA Annual Convention 2013

Dr Suresh Appavoo, Associate Professor of Education, Dominican University of California during the talk on “Management Education: From Predicament to Possibility”. Mr K Suresh, President & CEO, India Cements Capital Ltd chairing the Session

Gp Capt R Vijayakumar, VSM, Executive Director, MMA addressing the delegates on ‘Corporate Governance’ during the National Conference on ‘Governance and Development’ at Gandhi Gram Rural Institute, Dindugal

Mr Tomislav Delinic, Acting Resident Representative to India, KAS and his team interacting with Office-Bearers of MMA during their visit to MMA House on 13 February 2013

Mr Tomislav Delinic and his team interacting with the Members of MMA Managing Committee at a meeting held on 14 February 2013 at Hotel My Fortune, Chennai

Mr Tomislav Delinic and his team during the Video Discussion on ‘Fish’ facilitated by Ms Padmaja, Corporate Trainer held at ZEAL, Chennai

Registering Memo ries

Mr Srivats Ram, Sr Vice President, MMA presenting a memento to Mr Irial Finan, President, Bottling Investment Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, USA during the Presentation on “Opportunities & Challenges in Emerging Markets”

A cross section of delegates during the MMA Annual Convention 2013

Business Mandate March - April 2013

Documents

Transcript of Business Mandate March - April 2013