Enigma Solution

We have problems. This is the most often heard statement when I deal with clients. This statement is then typically followed by a long tirade, this and that thing is not ok, so and so person is a nuisance etc. After listening for quite a while I find that most people still can't define the problem. They do however have a list of frustrations and complaints but not a problem. What then, can we call a problem? A problem is something that is stopping you from getting from point 'A' to point 'B'. (Points ‘A’ & ‘B’ could be anything. Maybe physical, financial or other targets, situations, a geographical location etc.) This presupposes that; You know where you are You know where you want to get to You have an idea what is blocking you from getting there or what is obstructing you. If you do not know where you are at this present time, nor where you want to go and what is obstructing you, then you certainly do not have a problem. Most people and organisations are purel...

The massive fiscal crisis in Greece and impending crisis in Portugal, and Spain got many people thinking. Their situation is very small as compared to the problems and sad state of management of the government in the developing world. All these are symptoms of dysfunctional and irresponsible governance. Everything with the government is so complex and huge that a brief article will not suffice. It’s not easy to prescribe a simple solution for complex problems that plague society; however here is some food for thought. The other day, there was an article in the newspapers. It seems that the government was in the process of installing biometric devices in all their offices. Primary reason was to ensure that government employees, teachers etc. attend their offices for the duration for which they are paid. This raises the question as to; why should the government deem these steps necessary? It makes for an interesting management case study, hence this article. What are biometric devices? T...

It is said that; 'As per all known laws of aerodynamics, considering the body shape, mass, design and frequency of flapping of the wings, the Bumble Bee cannot fly. However, since the Bumble Bee does not know anything about the subject of aerodynamics, it flies.' Surprisingly, knowledge is often a barrier. Some people know so much about certain things and what could go wrong that they get paralysed. Here are two examples from the lives of our father and uncle which shows that following their instincts and ignoring 'knowledge' can sometimes pay off. My father Man Singh ji along with my Uncle Manohar Singh ji had founded our organisation. Both brothers had been schooled only to the 4th grade in a large village in rural Myanmar. They could not study any further because of the advent of World War II in Burma. They emigrated to India in 1964 after the Burmese Govt nationalised all properties and businesses belonging to foreigners, rendering most Indians almost penniless. B...

Many responses came in after the article on Kaizen was written. An interesting one was; How did the Japanese devastated by a terrible war, come to challenge and overtake the Industrial leadership of Europe and America? Can it be only Kaizen? Can it work in India? A great number of books and material has been written by well respected people for a couple of decades on Japan and their unique culture and the Japanese Government support etc. SO I will keep try to keep my comments brief. The practices outlined in Kaizen did not originate in or are unique to Japan, they were however adopted and improved in Japan on a massive scale, with BELIEF & CONVICTION. Too much credit is given to the Japanese and too little to the Americans for not only Kaizen but also many technological and managerial innovations and practices. Japanese government and Industrial leaders copied and adapted the best practices of the American organisations to their culture. Starting afresh, without much of the legacy ...