Jhaveri Saheb Kahin

Much before the modern crop of writers like Devdutt Pattnaik started writing about the relevance of the Ancient Scriptures to business? management , I had the good fortune of these Pearls of Wisdom from the late Shri G P Jhaveri who was a Senior Director in a Packaging firm which my brother had co founded , and which I joined in the incipient stages way back in 1978. Much to my dear late Dad’s discomfiture, as I was at that time, post an MBA from IIMA, with the reputed TAS, after an earlier year with HUL! But then we Biharis are like that only as our Plan B always is, Dekhenge, Jhel Lenge!

Shri G P Jhaveri was based in Indore and Mumbai? and was a self made successful businessman? who from paper trading , not only integrated forward to Printing , but also designed and built high quality Flex printing machines which were prohibitively expensive to import ! Super inquisitive, a silent listener, sharp team builder and a focused relentless executor, all rolled into one;? a hard act to follow !

I used to visit the Tata Exports Dewas Leather factory near Indore often and hence got to know him well; when I decided to take the plunge with my brother and him in the startup ?business , he conveyed these Pearls of Wisdom to me ?over the most delicious Vegetarian Thali meals in his home!

1.Paisa Banao toh Hason Mut, Paisa Kho Toh Ro Mut ! he said Rajiv Bhai this? is the way of business , so take them in your stride;? more important than making money is to understand deeply what it is that you are doing which helps you generate profits , as also what puts you into losses ; and just stay focussed on doing the right things and avoid doing the wrong things

2. It is More Important to know What Not to Do than to Know What to Do; he said Rajiv Bhai? you will discover as you go along? that you have to be very careful re who you Partner with ( one bad Partner can lead to business disputes and even closure ) ;who not to do business with? ( as one unprincipled customer can impact your cash flow badly) ;who not to buy from ( as one bad supplier can send you worthless goods causing huge losses? ); who not to employ ( as one bad employee can cause immense harm), and so on ; once you realise who ?you should avoid dealing with , the rest is easy !

3.The Reasonable Man Adjusts to his Circumstances; the Unreasonable Man wants to Change Circumstances to Suit him ; so Progress depends on being? Unreasonable ! he said Rajiv Bhai you are a very nice person but remember that business is challenging ; no one will be reasonable to you; the customer , even if he is a friend , will always want better quality at a lower price due to competitive offerings ; the suppliers will always want a higher price and will if u don’t watch out, compromise on quality ; the workers and staff will want ever increasing salaries, bonuses and facilties ; and the govt will want ever increasing taxes ! so in turn , while? you must be ethically fair in your dealings , you have to have a very hard nose to drive the best possible bargain for your business in all commercial areas, else you will lose out to competition ; business is not for faint hearted !

4.Duniya ki Sab Nadi Apne Ghar ke Aage se Nahi Guzar Sakti ; he said Rajiv Bhai you will often face a situation? where a potential client and you like and respect each other but you do not land that client’s business ; pl remember that you cant get all? the good clients you want ; keep on at it without feeling rejected , but most importantly, take the best possible care of those who choose to give you their business ! Simply because if you don’t do that, someone else will !!

5.Maali Seeche Bagh Barahon Maheeney, Phool Khile Mausum Me ! he said Rajiv Bhai your prime task? is to make the best effort always like a gardener , but not keep looking on the horizon for the results ; results will come in their own time , if the inputs you have given to the business are all the best possible with your resources

It has been?? 45 years since the above Pearls of Wisdom were conveyed to me .In my varied career post IIMA from HUL to TAS to? startup Packaging Business, then back to Corporate with Pepsi, Escotel Mobile , TTSL and? then last 19 years?? founding a? Business? in Executive Search , these are the guidelines I have sought to follow ; and thanks to? the good? Lord and Shri Jhaveri, its been a pretty good ride! And continues to be !