Skip to main content

Starting with top

It was a great statement conveyed with amazing simplicity. "The best way to clean a staircase is to start at the top" were the words conveyed in chaste Haryanavi by on of the industrialists I respect.

Yes, indeed he was referring to the management styles. He was talking over a drink well past midnight about the challenges he faced in his experience with many a professionals in the past.

I am reminded of the story in another context of another successful entrepreneur. He is disappointed that he is to deal with trivial issues of the organisation whereas he has hired a number of capable senior professionals. The answer was apparant in no time, when a call came in to check if a message can be sent to a business associate. The entrepreneur was furious - why do you have to call me on this small issue? I have hired you to manage this on your own and why even you have to deal with it as this could be dealt by a junior person and so on for next few minutes. I empathised with the entrepreneur and thought the he has a genuine problem. Before long I could not believe what I heard - but show me the draft before you send........

I could not believe this. Will he ever be able get rid of his frustration of dealing with trivial issues?

Staircase cleaning is not complete.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Unsaid speaks louder than words

The message was clear. US is facing a financial crisis. Americans need to contribute to get out of "conveniences". But the statements like "it will get worse before it gets better" without a timeline and references to a time of slavery etc are not comforting. American era may be ending faster than anticipated. Obama's inaugration speech was truly indicative of a man under pressure from the start. As any sportsman will confirm, it's all in the mind and followers just follow the leader and Obama has not set the bar high at all. My view is that it is heading south fast...... Contrast this with the situation in India. All that leaders are talking about is security and resolve to protect Indian at ANY COST. Economic issues are tackled with a view, yes it is a slowdown but we will still beONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. No talk of worsening things, less spending by government. News headlines are all talking about shrinking bottomlines for profit and NOT LOSS issues....

New addiction

The Golden Quadrilateral and more roads

Over the last couple of weeks I had a chance to travel by road in five north Indian states. What a pleasure? The road network is becoming really fantastic. I started on National Highway 8 and then on to NH 1, 21, 22, 70,72 and 88 apart from many state highways. It is not the roads only that impressed me but also the new flourishing enterprises it has generated alongwith is the key to the trip. Many a voillages and towns that were cut off from nearby larger places are now well connected. Movement of people and goods is leading to a greater economic involvement and is helping in the inclusive growth mantra. I was also witness to an amazing incident - towns of Rahon and Samrala are barely tens of kilometers apart but could take upto 5 hours by road a few years ago and now less than half an hour. I could see a stretch limousine (a genuine one and on top of it a Lexus) in a small village wedding in the prosperous "Doaba" region of Punjab. On being generously invited (despite being...