Lovely Talk on the 'Psychology of Winning' Denis Waitley

 It's a lovely talk on the psychology of winners - well prepared, well presented, with humour, stories, experiences, putting himself as an example and well delivered. I made a bunch of points from it but the key is these five principles he puts out. It's a 1987 talk and we can see the innocence of those days come through.

The five principles he talks about are 

1) Self awareness - seeing yourself through others eyes (would others like a partner like me, a team mate like me, a son like  me, an employee like me), break daily routines, meet new people.

2) Self esteem - that deep down feeling of worth/value (internalise your own standard, value, do not compare with others, don't fear rejection, treat failure as learning, learn to take compliments, project value, that feeling that there's no ceiling, take stock, monitor self talk, communicate value))

3) Positive self control - taking control on your life by the choices you make, there's no freedom without responsible action, winners make things happen, you become what you think about, decide to come through (not choke), focus on a fixed outcome, control your time) 

4) Positive self image - set goals because a goal is an image of you in that goal, your goal is how you see yourself, your self talk and self image is important, when you have targets it becomes your dominant thought, goals should be out of reach and not out of sight, get a little better every day, use positive talk like 'what to do instead of what not to do, set goals for all major areas, visualise, learn skills needed)

5) Positive self-expectancy - its self prophecy, you get what you expect, mind over muscle, menu etc, bring on extreme positive, look for opportunities in a crisis, maintain an upbeat outlook, associate with winners, expect the best from others)

A Most Unexpected Experience

Anjan called the  other day and said we could meet for lunch. Ram Jayam was in town and a few others would join - Ram, my brother, Vikram. Vidya, Vemuri, Vasu from Indian Express and Srikanth Tirumala. We were all chatting and suddenly Srikanth turns to me and says 'Hey Hari, I met this cousn of mine yesterday and he has a son named Harimohan. When I told him I knew a Harimohan he sauid he named him after a Hyderabad fast bowler Harimohan who also wrote the story for Golconda High School.'

I brushed him off. No way I said. You're joking.

I'll show you said Srikanth and sent me a forward and some pics. This was the text.   

"VN.Gopal named his son after up&coming Hyderabad Ranji Fast bowler HariMohan.             Happy to share Vangipuram HariMohan was also enthusiastic cricketer. Still playing small time cricket in Bay Area, California."

Gopal and Harimohan

And again - Father and son

I was still not believing him when Srikanth got Gopal on line and gave me the phone. Gopal sounded happy to be speaking to me. He played cricket as a youngster - cricket crazy he said. He would follow all league scores etc. He himself would play a lot of cricket even in Ramagundam where he worked for the FCI. He would bowl cutters and get many wickets. He remembered playing Kesoram Cements and getting them all out for 40.

'I watched your debut match at Sirpur Kagaznagar,' he said. 'You and Venkatapathi Raju made your debut.' 

That was a happy debut for me - I got five wickets - one and four. The second innings four was one of the best spells I ever bowled.

'I named my first son after Sandeep Patil,' said Gopal. 'He is now in Australia. And my second son was born around that time I saw this match. So I named him Harimohan.'

Hari looks like a happy, enthusiastic guy and I am sure he plays much better cricket than I do. I am so happy to be sharing my name with him anyway.

I am still not inclined to believe that Gopal named him 'after' me. But what a terrific story. I told Gopal to drop in at home sometime and we could catch up some more. He said he would.

I loved the story. I loved the way it came up. And I loved the connections. God does work in mysterious ways. Thanks Srikanth for adding a lovely moment to my life.  

How One Honest and Efficient Officer Can Turn Around a Government Organisation

This is the story of how one person changed the fortunes of an inefficient and corrupt government department - The Civil Supplies Corporation (CSC). Given charge of being Commissioner of Civil Supplies Department of Telangana, after  a fine performance as Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, C.V. Anand, IPS, was offered a post normally given to IAS officers. But the government was keen and felt he was the right person to do the job. After a short span of an year, he won the Award for Excellence from the government having brought in several measures that saved .Rs. 1408 directly and several more indirectly

When he took over the CSC, the fact sheet read like this - Large outstanding of material (paddy - rice), Outstanding dues (loans and moneys owed to the corporation), loss due to leakages (transport, procurement, gunny bags), millers domination, , low employee morale, corruption (FPS shops), financial mismanagement, cash credit stopped by the bank fro lack of stocks, Rs. 1640 Cr subsidy from Central Government was stopped due to procurement in excess of 25% levy in 2014-15, a Rs. 3288 crore deficit due to non-sanction from the state government (due to non-persuasion by the department). The corporations P&L looked abysmal. Tax payers money was going down the drain and in many cases was being used by unscrupulous elements in collusion with officials. In short, the Rs. 12,000 crore corporation was a royal mess.

To handle such inefficiency and corruption at such a large scale the officer needed the support of the government and he got it amply.

1. Set the agenda and send a clear message
C.V. Anand had to send a clear message that the department meant business. He needed to get the right team on the bus (Good to Great- Jim Collins) which he did and got the wrong people off the bus and sent them to the field. He led from the front, set clear goals, roles, evolved Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs),  recognised and rewarded those who did a good job and kept the team motivated. Promotions were given, recruitments done, transfers were made transparent, long standing deputations cancelled, political interference was reduced in transfers The message was clear - perform or perish - and he would spare no one.

His team now in place, he needed to attack the mischief makers. Other stakeholders included Rice Millers, Kerosene Dealers, Fair Price Shop Dealers, Transporters other than the Farmers and the End Consumers.

2. Changing the currency
To understand the way the Corporation works better, he changed the basic unit from Metric Tonnes (MTs) to Rupees. The message - the Corporation had to be run like a company. What was previously discussed in MTs now became Rupees and that helped bring focus to the medium of exchange and even the way performance could be measured. A column "in Rs. Crore' was added to every single report to see the financial implication of every decision and action.

3. Dealing with the Rice Millers
He sent a clear message to the Millers (o/s of 651 cr) - who get advances worth crores of rupees from the department to process paddy and deliver rice. The average outstanding, which should not exceed two months, was in many cases running into years - some were taking the paddy and directly exporting them as their own and paying the corporation as and when they wished. This non-supervision and non-recovery of rice due from millers on time caused a huge loss. When he took charge the outstanding was to the tune of 1.85 lakh MTs translating to Rs. 482 crore of the previous year and another Rs. 150 crore worth rice pertaining to the period  2010-15, which was not being recovered.
Some millers were returning substandard rice to the government having substituted the original paddy with low quality rice.

Gunny Sacks
Gunny sacks that were given to millers with paddy which are to be returned as per a complicated formula over 2 years as once used and twice used gunnies wit 40% depreciation each year, was not being returned. It was estimated that 5 crore gunny bags  were not returned which were worth about Rs. 66 crores. Transport of bags by road instead of rail brought down the cost by 6 crore.  Prices were not negotiated with millers for purchase of State  pool rice and fine rice for Hostels and Midday Meals, saving Rs. 62 cr. over the previous year.

All millers were asked to return the custom milled rice within two months and any one who defaulted was blacklisted. Four repeat offenders were arrested under preventive detention. Gunny bags sent to millers were recovered which earlier were recovered. Clear Standard Operating Procedures were issued to stop leakage and loss. This included measures like checking electricity meters for average consumption, giving color coded bags for packaging etc. Also allotment of paddy to millers was done on the basis of capacity and not on some whims and fancies.

4. Use of Technology to Monitor and Enforce
The department and the millers in place, it was time to monitor intelligence to help enforcement through use of technology. The department had GPS systems installed on the 1383 trucks with a geo fencing feature where any deviation in route (total 18000 routes) is alerted by sms to the top officials - Commissioner, Collector and District Managers. CCTVs were put in place at mandal level centres, godowns to ensure no pilferage was done. To watch all this in real time, a command and control room with an 18 and 8 feet screen was set up at the Hyderabad office to monitor transportation, and the CCTVs, live. A team watched the operations 24/7. Thus technology was used to increase surveillance, obtain first hand and real time information on where the material was and in what shape. An Online Payment Management System (OPMS) was used to pay Rs. 8100 crores to 11 lakh farmers straight into their Bank Accounts cutting out harassment by middlemen, and can be termed as the biggest welfare activity for them.

5. Use of Technology to Bind Team and Motivate and Appreciate
To enforce the agenda strictly, the entire team of Officers in districts were bought together through 15 Whatsapp groups. Officials used this app to report status on ground. All good work done by the CSOs was recognised and appreciated by name instantly by the Commissioner (Ken Blanchard - One Minute Manager, Whale Done). Awards were given and certificates and promotions recommended (Ken Blanchard - Gung Ho). This simple but little-used technique increased the morale of the officers on the field. Needless to say, it is a practice that consumes much time and speaks of how devoted the officer was and how he invested time in his people and backed them fully. The Millers were taken into confidence and were asked to suggest ways to further bring down leakage and pilferage.

6. Outsourced Teams to Help in IT, Enforcement, Technology, Finance
To bolster the efforts of his team, an IT team, an accounts team, an enforcement team and a technology team (quality) were hired on an outsourced basis. The outsourced teams, comprising of retired officers and others who were qualified, were given clear instructions to conduct raids, check and report malpractices and give no leeway for offenders. They were handpicked after personal interviews.

7. Financial Management and New Online Payment System
The department had not claimed dues, had not recovered material and on top of it, had paid an interest of Rs. 2100 crores. No proper audit had been done since 2011. This was addressed by the finance team. The accounts were audited after many years. Outstanding loans of Rs. 3500 crore were repaid, out of an outstanding amount of Rs. 6000 crores. An online payment system was developed for all financial transactions.

8. FPS Shops and ePoS Machines
ePoS machines were installed in 1545 FPS shops on a pilot basis which reduced leakages by Rs. 250 crore in one year. Now machines are being installed in all the 17200 FPS shops. This will reduce any mischief at the FPS shops. Also, FPS shops never showed any closing balance of rice and other essential commodities which after ePoS, will show at least 15% closing balance. Quality of rice is being ensured and to prevent any mischief, the colour of sacks containing rice for hostels and schools had been changed.

9. Launch of T Ration App
On September 8, 2017, the Department launched the T Ration app which is a boon for the beneficiaries of the ration cards or the PDS system. One can download the app on their smart phone and access details of ration shops, stocks, live activity, quotas, commodities availability, status of applications, loading and unloading details. Consumers can approach any ration shop in their district to take their ration (anywhere ration or portability concept). All shops were geo-tagged and CCTVs installed in godowns. It cannot get more transparent than that. The T Ration App also has 13 services for the officers to access and discharge their duties from anywhere - stock, live sales, receipt, seeding status etc can be accessed at the touch of a button. What was a nebulous business earlier has now become a transparent process which benefits both the corporation, the consumers and the dealers.

Savings and Recoveries After the Above Measures
The savings and recoveries in just one year of operations are estimated as follows - recovery of Custom Milled Rice dues Rs. 715 cr, Gunny bag dues Rs. 175 cr, Savings through negotiation with millers Rs. 62 cr, Savings through transportation Rs. 71 crore, Recovery of long pending dues from GoI Rs. 1946 cr, ePoS savings Rs.260 cr, Savings through other measures Rs. 270 cr. Of a total savings/recoveries estimated at Rs. 4208 cr, the department has in one year saved Rs. 1270 cr. The balance Rs. 2938 crore is likely to be recovered/saved soon.

The direct beneficiaries are clearly the end consumers - people who buy in FPS shops, the hostel and school meals and the farmers from whom the paddy was being procured. They were getting delayed, sub-standard material and artificial shortfalls were created which benefited the millers, transporters, officials, godowns and FPS owners who made merry at the tax payers expense. Now with the system in place and losses brought down by Rs. 1200 crores in one year, the Civil Supplies Department is on the way to a full recovery.

Systems In Place, Hard Work Done - Benefits of a Level 5 Leader
The biggest takeaway from this massive exercise is a great lesson in leadership and how it can cause such a huge impact in one year. To convert an complex Corporation like the CSC into a transparent one through use of technology and other monitoring measures is no joke. In fact it is exactly what Jim Collins talks about in his book 'Good to Great' (a book I recommended and CV immediately ordered it). The first prerequisite to transform a corporation from good to great is ) Level 5 leadership 2) getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off 3) confronting brutal facts while being clear of the final vision 4) a culture of discipline 5) clarity of the hedgehog concept and 6)technology accelerators. Almost all in place, or in process, and it is only one year into operation but the results are more than 10x. Fantastic.

It is no secret that the reforms will work for a while to come. The hard work has been done and needs to be sustained. Many of the reforms in IT, Enforcement, Finance and Technology can be taken forward (or can be withdrawn) based on the vision or the whims and fancies of the next official.

But what is heartening is to know that so much can be done with one person who wants to do good and who is driven by a purpose. CV's belief has always been this - "Government is a Trust, and the officers of the government are trustees. And both the trust and trustees are created for the benefit of the people.' CV clearly is a Level 5 leader - the kind who can transform organisations from Good to Great.

How one Level 5 leader can change the efficiency of an organisation, that too a government organisation, is a case study for all to look at - private sector or government. In fact two leaders of large private corporations that I met recently and shared this story with, asked if they could meet him and find out how he did it - I guess he should make a presentation on how he did it and release it as a case to study and follow.

His man management techniques are brilliant - lead from the front, use the window and mirror approach i.e. give credit to team and take all blame (Jim Collins), using appreciation and positive strokes instantly (Ken Blanchard), driven by purpose i.e. the cause (Simon Sinek) are all in place. If Google's 'way to build a perfect team' is considered - the impact they made, the meaning they have in the employees life, the structure (goal and role clarity), dependability and psychological safety are areas that need to be examined. An atmosphere of fairness and justice has been established and the team trusts him now as someone who will watch their back. His reputation precedes him and for him that bodes well.

'We can do wonders if we do an honest job,' he says. The evidence is clear as day light. Then we wonder - what are all the others doing. CV also gives full credit for the backing he got from the government and the CM in implementing the changes and measures that he did. If the Government wants to, it certainly can, because there are enough officers like CV who can do a wonderful job. CV has always made a difference to whatever job he has been entrusted - Lake Police at the Tank Bund, drunken driving and traffic enforcement, Cyberabad Women Safety - SHE teams+SHE shuttles and CCTVs, the notorious snake gang and now this. His room is full of awards and pictures with the President Dr. Abdul Kalam and others. Well done CV and hoping you will be entrusted with more such challenging assignments that will help society and the common man.  And I hope you will inspire more and more people in all walks of life to make a difference as you did and continue to do.

The Hitchhiker - The Capacity to Adapt to Life

It happened a month ago. I still cannot get my head around it. It was one that showed me up for how rigidly and how securely I had drawn the boundaries of my world around me.

I was to drive to Bangalore and I asked young Abhinay if he would like to travel with us since he goes to Bangalore often and since we had to discuss a few things. We could do it along the way and I'd have company too. Yes, he said, that's exactly the kind of a trip I want. No planning. In an hour's time I decided to shift the next morning's plan to this afternoon, a few hours from now. Yes, even better, he says. The more unplanned the better, the more chaotic the better. Perhaps I was like that when I was 21.

So off we went. We took off at 4 in the evening.

Abhinay was to stay with his cousin who is working in Bangalore. We reached the Hebbal flyover at 2355 and he gets off and says, my cousin has gone to Madikeri sir. I was wondering what he would do? If I was he would stress myself out by this turn of events. Where to sleep, why did he have to go, what to do, why did I take this journey etc etc. But Abhinay says, I will go to Madikeri. Like he was going to the neighbour's house. This is the middle of the night, how, I asked. I will find a way sir. As casually as that. He seemed to be enjoying the whole experience.

I told him to get to the bus stop on the Mysore road and he would find something to take him to Mysore and onwards. Sure sir and off he went with his back pack like he was strolling away to his home ten minutes away. The next I heard from him was an sms at 730 in the morning that said I am in Madikeri sir.

He took a bus to the bus stop on the Mysore Road. Then he another bus from there to Mysore at 0030 hrs which dropped him off at Mysore at 330 in the morning. Then he hitched a ride on a car from a sportsperson - maybe he was wearing a track suit for about 2 kms. Then he hitched a ride on a motorcycle and then another motorcycle for a distance of 10 kms. Then he hit gold when he got a ride from a businessman who was travelling to Madikeri in a car. The rule seems to be to take a ride to any point in any vehicle (I was careful not to go with any dangerous types sir) and keep making progress. Whether it is a moped or a sedan, a truck or a bus, it did not matter. All that mattered was that they were willing to give him a ride in the direction he wanted to go. I am also quite impressed by the people who gave him a ride at 3 in the morning - he does look harmless and friendly - but still.

At Madikeri he met his cousin and friends and they were all for doing the regular touristy spots. Life cannot be too easy for Abhinay so he asked them if they would go with him to Mandalapatti, a spot which is some 18 kms from Madikeri. (It's absolutely fantastic - check out the pictures on google). Now that looks easy but you can only get to Mandalapatti by jeep which costs some 1800 bucks and its quite a ride. Abhinay broke away from his cousin's group and decided to walk the 18 kms to Mandalapatti. I cannot believe how he does this - a bit like Shantaram when he does things you don't want him to. Along the way some people told him it was a tough walk and he could get caught in rain and that's the only time he had doubt. But then God disposes so he sent a jeep with four youngsters who were as curious as the others to see this lone boy walking along. They asked him and he told them and they shook their heads and said hop in bro and so he hopped in and off they went. They split paths at Mandalapatti and he walked about the place and without insurance from the gang as is his wont looks like, and voila, he finds them again and hitches a ride back. He catches unadventurous cousin and friends and they all drive back to Bangalore.

Next morning he gets off his cousin's pad and hits the road at 5 am. He gets a bike to give him a ride to Hebbal - the Hyderabad road. Then he hitches another bike ride to the airport from Hebbal. Now this is May and mid May, so the sun would have risen. Then another bike driven by one Srinivas which deposits him at Bagepally. Then comes along another bike that deposits him at Penukonda - a distance of 40 kms. From Penukonda to the outskirts of Anantapur he found a moped. Here the old man driving the moped gave him 50 rupees for safe keeping. The other gentlemen too have been extremely concerned about the boy and advised him on what to eat and drink and even to call them after he reaches home. Humanity seems to live in the villages.

From Anantapur he got a ride on an Eicher van for a distance of 30 kms. He dropped him off at Kallur toll gate. So far not a word from a single person about money - instead they are giving him money and advise. Then comes the Kwid car at Kallur with a well to do gent driving it and he drives him along till Marur toll gate. But get this - he is the only one who asks for money and pretty much demands it. 150 bucks he wants (Abhinay gave him 50 and got away). Now this is almost 2 pm or so I guess and he gets another ride on a bike till Beechpally which is after Kurnool.

The biggest heart comes with the truck driver Raja who is driving to Hyderabad from Madurai all by himself. He delivers Pepsi bottles. He picks the boy and off they go to a dhabha which is a truck driver's spot. Raja insists on paying for lunch (a different lunch with some name I forget but which Abhinay says is delicious) and Abhinay meets many of his truck driver friends. Amidst many stories and finally a big invitation to come and visit Madurai, Raja, father of two sons and a daughter ? who are studying professional courses, drops off Abhinay at LB Nagar at 10 pm. Then he is concerned and comes to the  bus stop to see him off and insists that he could come and drop him at home. Next day Abhinay is shocked to find an unknown number calling him at his office hours and when he returns the call he finds that it is a worried Raja who wanted to thank him and to bid farewell to him and extend his invitation to visit him in Madurai again. Wow.

Clearly the people at the bottom of the pile are seemingly more giving. The old man giving him money was incredible, considering that he was probably the poorest of all. Their concern for the boy is so obvious in their advise - in taking his number to call if he has reached home safe. Raja's final call. The KWID guy shows just how we think - smart - or stupid. But what a story.

The more I think of it the more the wonders of life seem to unfold if you dare to step off the beaten path. If you trust it, it will take care of you. But to trust you need a big heart, an innocent heart, a brave heart. And that seemingly seems to pick out the right people and place them in your path. What a lovely three days for the young boy - it gladdened my heart to merely hear it. I don't think I will ever have the courage to be like that, hanging on to the skirts of safety forever as I do, but the possibility seems so beautiful just to hear. It is this adaptability to the moment, to the unknown that puts life on the razor's edge, and makes it alive. And this adaptability could well be Abhinay's biggest strength as he goes forth seeking more from the adventure called life.

To more such stories, more such people. 

10x Your Performance - The Gap Miners Pvt Ltd Story

In a session three weeks ago Siddharth asked me if I could tell the team at Gap Miners something motivating. He was unhappy with the slow sales. I could sense his dejection. I also felt at the same time as I always do - that real motivation comes from providing some clarity, a feeling that one can do it. So we decided to dive headlong into the problem. Maybe it was time for a 10x solution.

The 10x Way
It primarily works like this. Reorganise existing resources and aim at 10x of a key performance indicator. Without additional resources, we should be able to 10x our performances

Process

• Decide - to achieve the 10x goal. Take it personally. Set your own goal 10x or more. Take full ownership.
• ·         Have clear goal - (number, position, status etc) and fix it. Keep a time frame in mind.
• ·         Don't accept any other outcome – achieve your goal exactly as you decided, nothing less.
• ·         Use only available resources 
•       To find a 10x solution, bring 100% focus of your thoughts. The goal should be all consuming and the number 1 priority. 
• Planning –  Assume the goal is achieved. Then walking backwards from the goal, check out every possibility that can obstruct the goal and make the process error-free. Plan until all possibilities have been covered (including contingencies for things beyond your control).
•         There are no excuses, blame. You are 100% responsible.
•         Implement – Follow your plan with great concentration and meticulous judgment, hold on to your plan through the tough phases. Execute diligently. Brick by brick
•       Believe – Hold on to the belief that you will make it through the difficulty and trouble, and keep progressing.
• ·         Achieve. Feel good within.
• Reset goal and aim for next 10x. 

First Session

In that first session we looked at the problem. The team was not getting enough offers (their site www.upto75.com is a deal site offering the best deals across 10 cities in India). The target was a hefty 160 offers a month. The actuals were 30 offers a month.
Red flag; When people see a big difference between the actuals and the targets it is bad for their self confidence. So we decided to set a target that they could achieve. The idea was to get everyone to commit a number and achieve it to improve confidence.
We asked everyone to commit their numbers for the week. Any number that they can confidently achieve. The total came to 15 offers for the week. We wrote down each one's commitment on the board.

The only condition was that the numbers were non-negotiable. All back up plans must be in place. The team had to deliver 15.

Week 1 - 10/15
To achieve target the team decided  to meet twice - once every morning before work and once after work. A 10 minute meeting to discuss status, plans and progress. A whats app group was created to update the rest of us about the progress. I sat through one meeting asking relevant questions (which offer, what backup etc). Every day after the meeting the convenor was to send a message - Meeting done. Status 5/15 or Committed 5 and Achieved 4 or something like that.

The team was asked to share inputs, ask tough questions and also encourage one another. The week ended at 10/15 which was an improvement over the past week at 8. We celebrated the effort and made a new commitment for next week.
The group energy was much higher. They liked the daily interactions and increased focus. They seemed more positive.
The next week's target was set by them at 25.

Week 2 - 21/25
This week we added a couple of improvisations. We first introduced a 'Star of the Week' concept. We also decided to celebrate each weekend. We looked at improving process - we asked the team to analyse the number of calls made by each one during the week. Calls were split into A (MoU awaited, B (proposal sent) and C (new calls). Clearly the more "A"s someone has, the more likelihood of converting them into offers. More Cs indicates low probability. They were asked to keep their list of 120 calls per week ready by Monday morning and the 20 calls a day ready every morning meet. The "A"s were highlighted. They were asked to commit a daily achievement and report status, end of day.

The whatsapp group started buzzing. It was good to see people reporting new offers.

This week ended on a high. Against the committed 25 we managed to do 21.

More importantly the graph showed a healthy trend, in one week we achieved 75% of what we had achieved last month, a 100% improvement over last week and most achieved their targets.

The team was charged enough to stay back on Saturday evening. we reviewed the numbers and clapped for the achievers - Sravani and Pavan. Venkat gave them a bonus of one leave for their performance. They were very happy.

Week 3 - 23/21
Week 3 was a challenge because we had only 4 working days with a holiday right in the middle. The team met and decided not to reduce the number they had achieved last week already. So the target was fixed at 21. Commitments were taken from all concerned. This time they were clearer and surer because they had a list of 80 calls to be made that week, the list of A.B,C and the names of possible offers.
Day 1 ended with 5/21, day 2 with 13/21, then the holiday came. The team was  confident that they would achieve 100% this time. The whatsapp group was buzzing. We now had an Enthusiasm Team in place - Akshay and Pavan. We decided to celebrate each offer.
Day 4 ended with 18/21. Day 5, the last day was a nail biting finish as we first achieved 21, then 23. We overshot our commitment, everyone had achieved their numbers, with less number of days we achieved what we did last week in 6. The group was ecstatic.

We met in the evening, Akshay was still at work finishing his quota. A round of burgers and soft drinks and we clapped for the performers. Siddharth and Sharmila starred for the week (with 4 apiece), Siddharth - star of the month (13) and Siddharth - star of the quarter (29).

A quick look at the quarter (109) - January (45), February (30) and March (64). In the past three weeks we had clocked 54 offers. There were smiles all around, a renewed confidence showed in their talk, their smiles. More importantly they were more assured and not insecure. Now they had all achieved their targets and we clapped for everyone of them.

For the coming week we decided to analyse the number of calls. We decided to identify 10 As (most had only 2-3) by Monday and develop the pipeline. The more As the better the conversion rate. By next week the team was to identify 5 As and the week after, 10As in every list. By third wek hopefully 15 "A"s.

Highlights

• Growth over last month was 113%. We have more than doubled this month.
• The 3 week performance was highest - even higher than a whole month (January) - 54 (3 weeks)/45 (Jan), 30 (Feb)
• We had more control over the process
• Team bonding, confidence and communication has improved which automatically improved their commitment
• Reward and recognition system was falling into place, we were recognising every achievement and progress

The next week is the beginning of a new month. The team has set a target of 25. We promised to get the 120 calls list ready, identify "A"s to be cultivated during the week (10 with a minimum of 5 for the next week). We will also complete calls analysis and get a better hang of it.

All salespeople were asked to think like CEOs of their space. We promised ourselves that if we touch 160 in 3 months, we will gift ourselves an outbound program.

Now to add further developments as the process unfolds. But the exercise till now has been quite encouraging and showing good results. Wait by for updates.

Week 4 ended April 8 (15/25)
As expected the team kind of took the foot off the pedal this week and I was wary of that. It happens sometimes in the confusion of achieving goals. You don't know how to deal with success. So the prescribed meetings did not take place, the tasks of identifying As did not happen and people were on leave or on work-from-home mode. As a result, the Tuesday meeting had to be cancelled due to low attendance and even the Wednesday meeting that was supposed to start at 930 started at 1030 with half the attendance. Talk of resisting your own good!

We had a meeting and I shared the 6 monthly analysis of calls and offers made by the team. Venkat and I had done this analysis on Tuesday evening. In six months it appeared that 18000 calls were made and 215 offers received - a conversion ratio of 1.18. We analysed everyone's offer/call conversion ratio and found that it varied from 0.64 to 3.38. In the last three weeks since we began the activity it was up to 1.78 as a group and individuals had doubled and tripled their averages. Clearly something was working.

This week we added this insight - by increasing the number of As in the pipeline (currently about 15 As/960 prospects to 90/960) we could increase the number of offers from the current 3-4 a week to 10-20 a week per individual.

• To identify 10 As for the week
• To have 5 As on their list by Saturday, 10 by next Saturday and 15 by the third week
• By this weekend we would have close to 40-45 As across all sales people which is up from 10 As (a healthy pipeline of clients who are interested in offers and have received our MoUs so we can upload the offers on the site) 

The team was cautioned about the dangers of complacency, about the dream of winning and what was required. Firstly to follow set routines, come with 10x ideas and implement fast. We decided to achieve the target come what may. As on date, with two more days to go the team has committed 13 by end of day of the target of 25 and to do 10 As out of 45.

The actuals for the week looked like this - 15 offers, from 413 (out of a possible total of 840 calls), 13 As (at MoU level), 123 Bs (at offer level) and 704 Cs (new calls).

Highlights:

• To recap - bring enthusiasm., enjoy work and achieve
• Commit numbers, have frequent meetings and update all details every morning and evening so everyone knows what they committed 
• Make lists of weekly 120 calls, identify potential A, B and C
• Get 15 As, 45 Bs and 60 Cs in final distribution

Next week's target is to achieve 25 offers, get 5As by Wednesday and 10 As by Saturday. We will start analysing calls to offers, offers conversion ratios, As to conversion ratios and other key parameters.

Insight" Even in a bad week with three top performers clocking zero sales, the team achieved 15 offers. Pavan is constantly achieving and over-achieving his numbers.

Week 5 ended April 15 (15/25)
The magic number of 25 was aspired for but we fell short by 10. However as a week one week performance indicator we are still way ahead from the 9.6 offers per week performance for January and February and up at 15.

Highlights

• Calls came down drastically which indicates improved efficiency (calls:offer ratio). As against a call average of 676 calls a week over a five month period which was generating 8-10 offers per week (9.6 offers a week), we managed to reach 15 offers a week with only 378 calls last week. Conversion ratio 3.97% (up from 1.42% for six month average) 
• Conversion rate (offers per call) per week went up from 0.98% over the last 20 weeks (5 months) to 3.62% in the past 5 weeks - an increase of 267%)) 
• The number of As (offers at MoU stage) have increased from 13 to 23 (increase of 76%)
• However the two week target of everyone getting 5 As by last weekend and 10 As by this weekend was not achieved. We are at 3 As per head. The team said that it was not a skill issue but a will issue. They promised to increase their effort and achieve 10 As by next week.
• The 5 week period (week ending March 18 to week ending April 15) generated 88 offers (averaging 17.6, 88/5) as against the 5 month period which has generated 172 offers over 23 weeks (averaging 7.47 offers a week, 162/23) indicating an increase of more than double (235%)

Next week targets

• Our monthly target of 90 for April is under threat with only 30 so far. The team however felt that they will share the burden and try and do 10 offers a piece in the next two weeks.
• The team also decided to look at their list of expired offers and renew the good ones and close out the useless ones. This would add to the offers tally. This would also be in addition to the new offers.
• The idea of improving As to 10 per head, or at least 5 per head was still being pursued. It is hypothesised that with about 50-70 As, our number of offers would increase drastically.

Team is gung ho though a bit nervous. Now to see what happens this coming week.  My suspicion is that if we get 50-60 As in the pipeline, then focus on renewing expired offers and not letting existing offers expire, our performance should improve.

Some Asides - Top Management's Alignment
The importance of the top management and its alignment to the cause is paramount.Too often top management is unhappy, resentful and even sees the team as an enemy. It is time to let go of those feelings and start working at it - together. It may require letting go of the past, of some ego.

One of the major keys is to keep the team excited. The best way to keep them excited is for them to see success and to recognise it. We gave them targets (set by themselves), got them to devise a system where their performances were under the scanner in a gentle, non-accusing manner and where each one pushed each one along. The results doubled.

The idea is to appreciate progress until they feel confident enough and are motivated enough by their own good work that they take more ownership and pride in their work. But its critical to nurture them until they feel confident and take pride.

One danger is if the top management gets impatient or feels that the team has not performed till now and is now taking ownership. "It's their job", "they were told and never did it till now" - could become ego issues. It's important to have everyone, especially the managers to be gentle with the process, to lead the effort towards achieving what they want the team to achieve. This would mean finding out their issues, guiding them when they are stuck, taking responsibility for their performance ("they were told but they did not do the work" - reflects on the manager) and gently nudging them to perform. Managers must find a way to make them perform.

Managers at the top must have a clear analysis of what is going on, know what they want, nudge the team in that direction, show them success and recognise it. Their job is to make the team perform - not find excuses as to why the team is not performing. Many times top managers blame one another, the team and behave as if the entire team is against them and of bad quality. We can never move forward with beliefs like that. Every person, handled in the right way will surprise us. The key is to know how.

As an aside we are having a meeting to align the top management on these principles.
1) Our job is to make the team perform
2) The team will perform well if they are high on energy and in good space.
3) We must believe that they are capable of great work and enable that.
4) People will do work when they suggest the way forward themselves - give them credit and let them take it forward
5) Appreciate progress, and do not compare current performance with your gold standard of performance (for eg. if their average is 10 and your standard is 50, and if they have done 12, please appreciate progress and don't look at the 38 that is lacking. From 12 they will be motivated to go to 14, then 16, 20, 30 etc if they are appreciated.)
6) Be easy on process (let them find a way), strict on effort and integrity
7) Facilitate performance, make it easy to perform, don't come in the way, find metrics, ways, processes, to keep them happy and excited.

Week 6 - ending April 22, 2016 (19/25)
We finished the week at 19/25 which was an improvement over the past two weeks though it fell short of the planned target. There is some irregular attendance due to leaves which is hampering the effort, and also the key people being busy with things like marriage (their own!). But over all we ended with 19 making it 49 for the month, with 20 As (as opposed to the target of 40 which is still  a far cry). This A business is mysterious and needs to be pursued with more rigor this week.

Two other ideas that we are pursuing need a push. One is the identification of 10 big accounts and their management for increasing revenue. For the first time revenue comes into the picture and will form part of the evaluation process. As a complementary plan to that we are also looking at a city based potential improvement plan which the executives are to come up with.

I am hoping to get this exercise going for another 6 weeks by which time we would have set the new processes into place and would have something substantial to show. Meanwhile we are still at 2.5 X which is not a bad place to be in after 6 weeks. The last three have been rather slow but we hope to pick up.

Targets for the coming week
1) 25 offers (or more, considering the shortfall we have had)
2) Improve As to 40 and beyond
3) Complete all pending renewals by weekend
4) Examine revenue and compare with the city-potential plan with 10 big accounts
5) Examine the feedback analysis from customers to see a pattern

The team has slacked off a bit and the pending jobs are increasing. It will require a pepping up and some close monitoring this week to get on track. In my view this will be a critical week.

Fabulous video - Never Give Up!

Lovely. That satisfaction in the end.
Never give up!
https://www.facebook.com/jordanyeohfitness/videos/1523355287688780/

Thanks fb!

Whoa! What an employer!

If you were looking for a story that made you go Wow! here is one. Savjibhai Dholakhia, Chairman of Hari-Krishna Exports, a diamond merchant from Surat, decided to give his employees a nice Diwali gift.

So he gifted 491 brand new Fiat Puntos to those of his employees who did not have a car, gifted away 200 flats to employees who did not have a house and gifted gold and diamond jewellery to 525 employees. The budget he'd set aside for this gesture to his employees was Rs. 50 crore.

Nice to be working in Hari-Krishna Exports I'd think. The employees were apparently speechless and shell shocked and stuff like that when they heard this story.

Forget the employees, I was too. Nice story. You can always expect miracles.

And Savjibhai, brilliant stuff. Check this link out for the story and picture.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/the-desi-oprah-who-gifted-200-homes-491-cars-for-diwali/20141020.htm

Sean Stephenson - The Prison of Your Mind

A powerful 10 minute TED talk. Gets over in two, or so it seems. Watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaRO5-V1uK0

The highlights.
 1) Lesson no 1 - Never believe a prediction that does not empower you
I cannot tell you how powerful this statement is. How many labels, predictions have we endured and got scared about when people threw bad stuff our way. Sean speaks of how doctors predicted he would die in 24 hours after he was born - now he says all those doctors are dead. (Even more relevant is a story that I heard on a TED X talk of three sisters who died one day before their midwife predicted they would die - the first at 16, the second at 22, and the third at 23 - of no known reasons. They just believed that prediction.)
He has a powerful belief that everyone is rooting for him to win, even if they don't know it yet.
He has chosen a life of strength. He knows one thing - that is being himself - and he does it well.

2) Lesson 2 - You are not your condition
Get out of whatever condition by adapting. Being stuck is refusal to adapt. When you adapt, life is a celebration. Everyone wants to be with the people who celebrate.
He feels his purpose on this planet is to rid this world of insecurity.
The key - everyone just wants to be loved.

3) Lesson 3 - The real prison is up here - in your mind.
Get out of that limiting, chattering mind. Choose to adapt, to be strong, to be empowered.

Sean Stephenson - How To Create Powerful Connections With Anyone

This talk could change the way you connect with people. Really.

Sean Stephenson is not your average motivational speaker. He is a giant among this sect of high energy, highly motivated, intelligent people who can transform lives. At three feet tall, confined to a wheel chair, Sean was diagnosed early with a brittle bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta and was expected to die early. But Sean survived, began giving motivational speeches when he was 17, worked with President Bill Clinton, got a degree in political science, wrote two books thus far, became a certified therapist. Currently he works as a therapist, motivational speaker and writes books. And he is such a delight.

Check him out in this 45 minute long video - he is a captivating speaker so you won't feel the time. He is a powerful speaker, so good that I remember most stuff he said from one viewing.
This is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc0hoPfawuU

For those who want a short cut, let me recap what he talks of in this video. One of the things Sean is big on is the difference between communication and connection. He believes communication is just transfer of data, there is no emotion, no feeling and no connection. The real difference in our lives comes when we make connections. Sean is a living example of how one can connect to people - absolute strangers to close friends and family. Watch the video and see how he has everyone eating out of his hand just by being himself, being authentic and being vulnerable. You know that he is a powerful man and it takes much wisdom and understanding to let go and be normal.

While talking of making connections, he gives the examples of three people he met in his life and who he thought were great at making connections. The first is Bill Clinton, then the Dalai Lama and then Richard Branson. Bill Clinton was so good at making connections with people because of four things - he'd remember every name and use it in a sentence back to you, he was a master at making eye contact and making the other person feel like he was the centre of the world, he would ask you your opinion and make you feel important and he would use the power of touch to acknowledge you as a person. All four - the names, eye contact, asking opinion and touch, make Bill Clinton so good with making connections.

The Dalai Lama is so wonderful because of the way he smiles - with his whole body. The second thing about him is the playfulness, one that comes out of deep wisdom. The third thing that the Dalai Lama does so well is to listen - with his whole body again.

Richard Branson, the third person on the list, is great at making genuine connections because of the way he uses his voice - voice modulation is an art he is great at, he asks questions of you and the third aspect is a humility that is disarming.

Sean feels that these people are what they are because they are not trying to prove. They are trying to improve. We can be that too if we stop trying to prove and look to improve.

Sean says that making a connection is about taking 50-50 responsibility. Its like a ping pong game where both have to play. Not one person. So you must be ready to share and you must request sharing too. Sean says nothing works like praise. And it does not harm your cause to be vulnerable.

For more from the person himself, click on the link.    

Vishen Lakhiani - Why Happiness Is the New Productivity

Suresh sent me this link. Its a speech by Vishen Lakhiani, promoter of Mind Valley, a company voted to be one of the 10 most coolest workplaces.

Vishen Lakhiani shares how his life changed with a change in his mindset thanks to a seminar he attended. Money started flowing in, clients started coming in, they started enjoying the job, work only 45 hours a week - it was abundance in every way.

He talks of going in a state of flow.

He quotes the definition of flow from Wikipedia as 'a mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what she or he is doing by a feeling of energy focus, full involvement and success in the process of the activity. It is a state of supreme creativity.' 
Vishen says being in the state of flow  has two components to it - the first is being happy in the now and the second is to have a vision of the future. It is a delicate balance between being happy in the now and having a great vision of the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ZFU4FoNvY

Vishen talks of the four states - negative spiral (not happy in the now and no vision of the future), current reality (happy now but no vision of future), stress (not happy and big vision of future) and ideal sate (happy now and grand vision of future).

Notice the moments when you are in a state of flow and keep yourself happy, says he. Make a conscious effort to be happy. Make it a practice to be happy. He calls it blissipline.

His company does some interesting things such as
1) Daily gratitude as a practice - they have a web site where one can share their gratitude
2) Awesomeness reports and meetings - where they share all successes of the previous week
3) Share profits with the employees - increase ownership in the real terms
4) Sweet sugar love machine - they share praise
5) 45 hour rule - no employee should work longer than 45 hours a week, which includes 5 hours of self-improvement work
6) Weekly sharing and training
7) Group meditation - every Tuesday
8) Company sponsored parties
9) Positive stamina - remember the good
10) Experiences and Connections - encourage these

Not bad at all. Worth emulating. Happiness my friend, is the new productivity. I agree. The video is about 40 minutes. But watch it, it could change your life. Be in a state of flow.

A Nice Link - 7 Ways Successful And Fulfilled People Think Differently

Interesting link.
The 7 Ways for those in a hurry

1) Be Curious
2) Make friends with stress
3) See chain reactions (or make connections between random incidents)
4) Ask more questions than give answers
5) Contribute before gaining
6) Schedule time for nothing
7) Value experiences over objects

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237866

How to Add Meaning to Your Life - An Inspirational Tale

Reading yesterday's 'Hindu' I found this inspiring story of 56 year old L. Kanaga Subramani, a bus conductor in Tamil Nadu's State Transport Corporation, who operates on the Mettupalayam - Udhagamandalam route. When the bus stops en route for a break Subramani wishes his passengers, takes a couple of minutes of their time and recites a Thirukkural couplet. He then proceeds to explain the meaning of the couplet, leaving the passengers something positive to chew upon. Road safety, cleanliness, tree plantation, blood donation and environment protection are some of the topics he speaks upon. And then he gifts a Thirrukkural to anyone celebrating a birthday (he has been giving away one Thirukkural everyday for the past 10 years). In the absence of someone with a birthday Subramani chooses to gift it to a teacher, a student or a police officer.

Motivated by a sarcastic passenger on his bus who saw a couplet and reacted - 'Do the driver and conductor know its meaning?' - Subramani decided to read and recite Thirukkural to his passengers everyday. He also organises literary and musical events for prisoners at the Coimbatore Central prison through his Trust Senthamizh Arakattalai, rehabilitated elderly prisoners, gives pep talks in the women's prison and sings old film songs for them.

It is heartwarming to see how much meaning we can add to our lives if we only wish and make a difference to all those around us. It is never about our education, our standing, our wealth - it is all about our will. For a bus conductor to have a Trust to take up these activities, to gift Thirukkurals everyday is no joke. But Subramani has connected to a higher purpose in his life, that of making a difference to people around, in his own small way. It is clear that life is all about what we make of it.

What I found most interesting is that Subramani attributes this streak to his teacher Arpudharaj who fed and clothed him during difficult times and told him to do something for society. No good deed goes waste and Arpudharaj sir must feel as proud of his ward who has made as much out of his life and more than a big businessman or a sportsman and more. It underlines the deep impact teachers have on us and how they can change our lives. To connect then to a higher purpose and take our life to another level is the lesson that Subramani taught me and I am grateful to him for that. Well done Subramani, and keep at it. Nice article by Akila Kannadasan. Now to read the Thirukkural.

The Derek Redmond Olympic Race - Motivational Stuff

Manoj Tiwari, the promising young Indian batsman, who has long languished in the reserves seized his chance with both hands by scoring a hundred against the West Indies a couple of days ago, when he got his shot at number 3. For too long Manoj played low down in the order in the short version of the game and battled on gamely for the team's cause, but never made enough runs to prove to himself and his mates what he is capable of. His hundred came at a good time and showed how he persevered through all these years. Reading his interview yesterday where he mentioned he was inspired by Derek Redmond's Olympic story of 1992, I revisited one of those wonderful moments sports brings out in people.

The Redmond story is all over the net. Redmond was a British 400 m runner who won gold medals for 4x400 m relay at the Commonwealth games, European Championships and the World Championships. But the moment he gave to the world, to Tiwari and all of us, was at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona when he tore his hamstring while running the 400 m. Down on the track as if he was 'shot', Redmond got up and hobbled through the pain barrier on one leg almost and completed almost a full lap that remained to a standing ovation. It is an act that is remembered by the Celebrate Humanity series of the International Olympic Committee, in VISA's commercial for the Olympic spirit and Nike's courage series.

You can watch it on youtube at this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFKpZnok10s

Going through the pain barrier is a story every sportsman is aware of. One remembers Anil Kumble, a fighter if there was one, playing a test match and bowling with his jaw strapped up against the West Indies (and getting Brian Lara out!), Viv Richards batting on one leg and scoring a big hundred and carrying his team to victory, Shivlal Yadav batting with a fractured foot and saving a match for India against Australia, Dean Jones fighting cramps and heat exhaustion and batting through vomiting and getting a double hundred at Chennai - there are I am sure many more inspirational stories out there. A torn hamstring goes off with a twang, like the string in a bow breaking, and you feel all loose and cannot stand. I have had this experience while playing an Inter University game for Osmania in 1991. Thankfully Redmond's spirit was around and I hobbled through and completed my quota because we were short of bowlers (also got a wicket), once again in Mumbai during the Times Shield Championships for IDBI versus Bharat Petroleum (this time 3 wickets and a catch, all hobbling on one leg). We lost the first game and won the second. But at that moment, something seizes you, the big stage, the fact that you are perhaps letting the team down and handicapping it by going out and leaving hem to play with ten. Suffice to say that in both games my skippers asked me if I could stand on the ground and bowl from two steps, that is all.

For Redmond to have the hamstring break at that speed must have been something else. In the video he says he thought he had been 'shot'. Derek Redmond's story does not fully end there. After an injury ridden career in athletics, a couple of years after the Barcelona event, Redmond was told by a surgeon that he would not be able to run or play any sport for his country again. Redmond who had given up athletics turned his attention to other sports and represented the Great Britain basketball team, a photo of which he sent to the surgeon (so much for doctors). He also played professional rugby with the intention of representing his country and also raced motorcycles in the Endurance Championship. Apparently he also completes a Rubik's cube on stage during his motivational speeches to show that nothing is impossible. Currently he gives motivational speeches around the world.

Steve Jobs Speech at Stanford in 2005

This is a link to the speech that Steve Jobs had given at the Stanford University in 2005. It appears on you tube on TED talks. It is certainly worth listening to:

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html