Building an Effective Winning Culture

Towards building an Effective Winning Culture.

Strategy is key, simply said it defines your playing field: What you will do; and What you will Not do, to differentiate yourself. Strategy is not to be widely shared; it is the privy of a few. For cascade, it is on a need-to-know basis. Worse still, do not share in in media: the public do not care a fig (not even a retail shareholder), and your competitors will get an unfair advantage. Strategy is about being clear on Where to Win, and your Right to Win. Share Mission and Common Goals always. Do plan for 30 minutes but execute the rest of the time. A clear mind on Strategy sees far ahead. If you have many arrows in the quiver, it is an insurance not a precise solution. Be a sniper shot, not machine gun your way out of trouble. Have a bias for Action.

Much fuss is made on Role Models. I worked for a company that had a certain ‘role model’ which was great in the heydays but lost its relevance over the years. Leadership style is about flexing one’s style mostly adapting to the internal and external environment. Do not follow anyone else. I do not believe in heroes and Role Models. Do not put others on a pedestal. We are all humans; we all have failings and human fallibilities. Accept that as a reality. Focus on Results, not on an individual’s contribution or management style. Seek relevant action, rather than an appropriate behaviour. Of course, ensure that ethics and code of conduct and human dignity is not compromised in any way.

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Avoid the flavour of the year, they will come and go. I cannot even say old wine in New Bottle. I used to have a chart on how that depicted how since 1900 the changes in technology, society, and the ‘mantra’ of the day. I have seen many of them: Quality, Benchmarking, Japanese tools, Six sigma, and the dominant ‘leadership style’ of the day. Do not follow and so-called modern cures, that promises to fix all! I have consulted with many Consultants during my career. They have a knack for looking back and offering models to the past. I dare say, I have not met one who has been accurate about the future. More recently during the pandemic many self-styled ‘crystal ball’ gazers stepped in to share the scenario of the months ahead. Alas, they were all proved wrong. I would like to believe that even the saying “amongst the blind, the one eyed is king” is not applicable to these futuristic pandits. They live in their own illusion of the future world. At all times work with facts, ensure continual sense making of the internal and external environment. Include as many perspectives as one can. Trust your intuition but only after you have gathered all the facts. Always, do what is right. Keep Changing, Modifying, till something works.

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It is impossible for employees to have shared beliefs, and which is highly questionable. One must not attempt to work with that. Rather, demand Right Behaviours at work. Behaviours that are aligned with Shared Values and Shared Purpose. I am very biased around working with Personal Purpose. My own purpose has evolved every ten years. At present my purpose is: To follow my own light; Help others discover/follow theirs. We should engage in conversations to determine if the personal purpose of the individual is aligned to the organisational purpose; if the personal values are aligned to organisational values, and if the personal possibilities are aligned to organisational possibilities. This will, in my view ensure a great dialogue and offer meaningful engagement.

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Much is written about how to treat employees. I would say treat individuals with your own personal sense making and intuition rather than through some HR framework /Organisational Behavioural tool, etc. Do not use psychometrics to label people. Humans are not causal beings. They have resonances and evocations, repulsions, and compulsions. Man is this and that and more, my learned Guru would say (Pulin Garg). ?He is a diamond and has many facets. He is one of infinite possibilities. Value people for their expertise and dignify them as people. Use every opportunity, every meeting, every engagement to grow both the relationship and axis for task. Offer value in each engagement. Do not just review the milestones but be involved in helping put up the structures and infrastructure. Be ready to roll up one’s sleeve and get on with the task when it does not move ahead. Always recognise, reward, and provide feedback instantly – do not wait for some ceremonial appraisal period. When you see it Say it! Work on Now – seize this moment. Focus on what value is being created, not on promissory notes of ‘future deliverables’ that are pie in the skies. Check if there is a plan, or is it just a wish, worse still a phantasy. Always assess the commitment of the individual. Go to the busiest desk and ask for help. The one who has the spare time, leave him alone. Reward people, even by giving them challenging work. They love it! Provided you reward them as well. Make sure you are careful in make sure you demonstrate ‘challenge of the idea’, not ‘challenge of the person’. I said before, we are humans, we all make mistakes. Own up to your mistakes, say you were wrong! You will be loved if you show you are vulnerable. My own experience of showing vulnerability has ended up with people thinking I have been very courageous. Do not work with models or theories: they are good to understand and offer frameworks, but you cannot lead with a framework. You lead only with Purpose. Have your fingers on the pulse, a ear to the ground, stay open and easy to approach. Keep your office door open at all times. Allow people to walk in. Add people to your team who enjoy ‘passing the ball’ and are brilliant, but not those who wish to take unilateral shots to the goal by themselves. Allow people to take initiative, celebrate them, and ask all to follow, and take similar initiatives as well. Hire people who know more than you and those you would love to spend time with even after work, sipping tea. Nice people are a premium. Hire widely, avoid any tight competency frameworks: they get you more of the same. Be comfortable in confronting.

Share your reflections please.