The Power of Practical Guidance: A Tribute to a Mentor and a Friend

This is one of the first in series of articles that I plan to share about the people who have influenced and mentored me in my life.

In today's fast-paced business environment, we often find ourselves searching for solutions in complex strategies or advanced technologies. Yet, sometimes, the most effective ideas are the simplest ones—ones that come not from textbooks but from lived experiences. I’m fortunate to have a friend and classmate who has been a continuous source of practical insights, helping me fine-tune the way I run my business. Every time he visits, he leaves me with actionable, real-world ideas that enhance productivity and efficiency.

While education in colleges and universities equips us with a theoretical foundation, it’s the practical knowledge passed on by experienced individuals that drives real change. My friend embodies this balance of experience and practicality. Here are a few valuable ideas that he has shared with me, which have made a significant difference in my day-to-day operations:

• Senior-Junior Knowledge Sharing Groups: Create a WhatsApp group consisting of both senior and junior technical staff. Each day, have senior team members post a question with optional answers. This encourages daily engagement and significantly improves the technical knowledge of junior staff. It’s a simple way to foster mentorship and continuous learning without any added infrastructure.

• Security Vigilance Verification: To ensure that night security personnel are alert, implement a system where they post time-stamped photos every hour in a common WhatsApp group. This small but effective measure can be monitored by the admin or timekeeper to ensure compliance and alertness.

• Daily Departmental Task Monitoring: In departmental WhatsApp groups, use a simple spreadsheet system where team members highlight completed tasks in green and incomplete ones in red. This color-coded method provides a visual snapshot of daily reporting and task completion, making it easy to monitor progress and ensure accountability.

On a lighter note, the copyright for these brilliant ideas lies entirely with my friend! Sanjay Yeole

Would like to share small banter that really made me took Sanjay very seriously as a good advisor and mentor. Sanjay had come to meet 4 years back in my office early morning just for a casual visit and I was upset and a bit frustrated with giving daily reminders to my team members for routine work. So here goes:-

Sanjay - Kya huwa chehra kyun latka huwa hai? (What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?)

Me (frustrated) - yaar roj sabko routine kaam ke reminder de deke pareshaan hoon. Kafi time ussi me jaata hai. Log apni jawabdari samajhte hi nahi hain. (Man, I’m tired of constantly reminding everyone about their routine tasks. A lot of my time goes into that. People just don’t take responsibility.)

Sanjay (Casually) - Dhandha kiska hai? (Whose business is it?)

Me - Mera (Mine)

Sanjay - To jawabdari bhi teri hi hai na.....(Then isn’t the responsibility yours?)

Both of us started laughing. Very casual banter but maybe I wanted to hear from somebody as close as Sanjay to make me realise why should I be frustrated or get angry for getting work done for my own organisation. Karna hai to karna hai...(What has to be done should be done without complaining)

These simple, practical ideas have made a tangible impact on our team's productivity and organization. It’s a reminder that we don’t always need complex systems or processes to drive improvement; sometimes, all it takes is the wisdom of a friend with the right experience.

So, here’s to all those friends and mentors who provide us with the invaluable gift of practical knowledge!

#Mentorship #PracticalIdeas #Productivity #BusinessStrategy #TeamManagement #ContinuousImprovement