What’s happening to Indian cricket?
Why our players have to fight through media? That too about the game strategy? Why all of a sudden senior players are looking so bad and non-performing?
Blame this on coach. The job of coach is to take the team together, like a business leader. This is not happening in first place.
Suddenly, media is asking for heads. And cricket Pundits asking for Sachin should retire. If my memory serves me correct, team management asked Sachin to play one day, he was earlier considering not playing them in Australia, I remember reading headlines like this. And all of a sudden he is looking so bad that he can’t even be considered as a player who contributed to game of cricket. He is a bad player?
Oh come on.
Every player has some special skills and he will contribute to the game accordingly. You can’t expect everyone is alike. Why there is no other Sachin then?
When we will start looking cricket as just a professional game?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Adaptation versus Rigidity: Kingfisher Airlines
What makes one company succeed, while another, in the same operating environment, falter? Sometimes, luck plays a role but in most cases in business history, the difference between survival and extinction is more about discipline versus excess, adaptation versus rigidity. Just look at the divergent stories of Kodak and Fujifilm—both legendary firms in the film business. While Fuji realised its days were numbered and managed to reinvent itself by launching new—yet unrelated—business lines in things like cosmetics and optical films for LCD flat-panel screens, Kodak is a shadow of its former self because it couldn’t articulate a strategy beyond images.
In India, a similar tale of contrasting approaches—and fortunes—can be seen in the airline industry. While Kingfisher airlines cannot be relegated to the dustheap of airline history as yet, its abysmal performance in the last few years makes it stand out in stark contrast to IndiGo—India’s most profitable airline. Why did one soar and the other plummet?
One answer has to do with Kingfisher’s schizophrenic approach to a business model. Kingfisher was launched as an all-economy, single-class configuration aircraft with food and entertainment systems. After about a year of operations, the airline suddenly shifted its focus to luxury.
On the other hand, IndiGo preferred to wait and have a solid business plan in place. Its plan was to stick to operating a single configuration aircraft, providing point-to-point connectivity. The airline launched with one aircraft and had a plan to add an aircraft every six weeks, giving them enough time to stabilize
An experienced and professional team in the cockpit is a basic requirement for any airline to be able to withstand stormy skies. Yet, things went out of control further because Kingfisher never had a professional airline management in place. IndiGo’s approach was more measured and professional. It’s first CEO, Bruce Ashby, was in India 18months before the launch, and an experienced team at the management/board level has been key reason of IndiGo's success.
Another difference between IndiGo and Kingfisher is in the former’s ability to strike savvy deals—especially for its aircraft. The 100 Airbus aircraft deal signed in 2005 was a game changer as they managed to get an exceptional price and gave them the strategic ability to leverage it significantly.
Some companies just fail to learn—either from the examples that its peers may have set for the industry, or from its own past mistakes. Now, Kingfisher has decided to change its model yet again—discontinuing its Kingfisher Red brand and completely converting its fleet to a dual class, full-service configuration.
The positioning of the Kingfisher airlines was also a problem since beginning. The image was aligned to the ‘Life Size’ image of its promoter, Vijay Mallya. Where as it should be like focusing on the operation make it work before taking next step. You can’t expand business without putting the operation in place.
This raises the question in mind, how important the management is? Why management has to have a clear strategy and focus on operational efficiency. And how it is important to have a management which understands the business?
Business is all about having the killer focus on business!!
In India, a similar tale of contrasting approaches—and fortunes—can be seen in the airline industry. While Kingfisher airlines cannot be relegated to the dustheap of airline history as yet, its abysmal performance in the last few years makes it stand out in stark contrast to IndiGo—India’s most profitable airline. Why did one soar and the other plummet?
One answer has to do with Kingfisher’s schizophrenic approach to a business model. Kingfisher was launched as an all-economy, single-class configuration aircraft with food and entertainment systems. After about a year of operations, the airline suddenly shifted its focus to luxury.
On the other hand, IndiGo preferred to wait and have a solid business plan in place. Its plan was to stick to operating a single configuration aircraft, providing point-to-point connectivity. The airline launched with one aircraft and had a plan to add an aircraft every six weeks, giving them enough time to stabilize
An experienced and professional team in the cockpit is a basic requirement for any airline to be able to withstand stormy skies. Yet, things went out of control further because Kingfisher never had a professional airline management in place. IndiGo’s approach was more measured and professional. It’s first CEO, Bruce Ashby, was in India 18months before the launch, and an experienced team at the management/board level has been key reason of IndiGo's success.
Another difference between IndiGo and Kingfisher is in the former’s ability to strike savvy deals—especially for its aircraft. The 100 Airbus aircraft deal signed in 2005 was a game changer as they managed to get an exceptional price and gave them the strategic ability to leverage it significantly.
Some companies just fail to learn—either from the examples that its peers may have set for the industry, or from its own past mistakes. Now, Kingfisher has decided to change its model yet again—discontinuing its Kingfisher Red brand and completely converting its fleet to a dual class, full-service configuration.
The positioning of the Kingfisher airlines was also a problem since beginning. The image was aligned to the ‘Life Size’ image of its promoter, Vijay Mallya. Where as it should be like focusing on the operation make it work before taking next step. You can’t expand business without putting the operation in place.
This raises the question in mind, how important the management is? Why management has to have a clear strategy and focus on operational efficiency. And how it is important to have a management which understands the business?
Business is all about having the killer focus on business!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sarvam Dev Mayam Jagat: (This world is full of God)
This weekend; I was back to reading Bhagavad-Gita, which I used to do regularly earlier. I always turn to this epic whenever I feel low and need inspiration.
I started thinking, whatever we think is my/our achievement, does it really so? What is really our part in what we are today?
Actually speaking, if we start thinking that I am just an actor in the larger play of this whole world, it gives us maturity and a mindset to accept the things as is. Whatever happens in this world is pre-destined, good or bad, happy or sad; it was supposed to be in that way.
But, our mind starts thinking that whatever I am today is because of me and I am the super power, we feel we are successful because of my hard work, because of my intelligent; actually speaking; it was pre-destined that you are supposed to be successful and you did!
Bhagavad-Gita says, 9,17;
pitaham asya jagato mata dhata pitamahah
vedyam pavitram omkara rk sama yajur eva ca
Translation:I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas.
In this one verse, the role of superpower has been explained. Before we start feeling pride when we achieve something, we need to understand that there is a superpower behind everything and it controls the every single detail of what’s happening in this world.
The entire cosmic manifestations, moving and nonmoving, are manifested by different activities of super energy. In the material existence we create different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but super power’s marginal energy; under the creation of prakriti some of them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator, etc., but actually they are parts and parcels of that super power.
It was a really refreshing weekend, completely away from business numbers, sales targets, delivery headaches and but just to think about my favorite book and think on how insignificant I am in this universal manifestation of god!
It gave me a great motivation to go there and give my best in whatever I do, it slowed me down to think and it gave me that spiritual energy and momentary mental peace.
I started thinking, whatever we think is my/our achievement, does it really so? What is really our part in what we are today?
Actually speaking, if we start thinking that I am just an actor in the larger play of this whole world, it gives us maturity and a mindset to accept the things as is. Whatever happens in this world is pre-destined, good or bad, happy or sad; it was supposed to be in that way.
But, our mind starts thinking that whatever I am today is because of me and I am the super power, we feel we are successful because of my hard work, because of my intelligent; actually speaking; it was pre-destined that you are supposed to be successful and you did!
Bhagavad-Gita says, 9,17;
pitaham asya jagato mata dhata pitamahah
vedyam pavitram omkara rk sama yajur eva ca
Translation:I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas.
In this one verse, the role of superpower has been explained. Before we start feeling pride when we achieve something, we need to understand that there is a superpower behind everything and it controls the every single detail of what’s happening in this world.
The entire cosmic manifestations, moving and nonmoving, are manifested by different activities of super energy. In the material existence we create different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but super power’s marginal energy; under the creation of prakriti some of them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator, etc., but actually they are parts and parcels of that super power.
It was a really refreshing weekend, completely away from business numbers, sales targets, delivery headaches and but just to think about my favorite book and think on how insignificant I am in this universal manifestation of god!
It gave me a great motivation to go there and give my best in whatever I do, it slowed me down to think and it gave me that spiritual energy and momentary mental peace.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Out of phone!
I am out of phone, since last 5 hours. And there is only one thought in my mind, how much I have been depending on that small instrument!!
iOS is not re-installing on my iPhone and I kept on trying to install, without success. I did some research and reading on internet, but none of the articles gave any direction.
The new technology has given us great access to information all the times, ability to connect to the world and know. And I am been connected to internet just to substitute my phone off-time.
Actually, phone is no more an instrument it was meant to, to get-receive the phone calls. It has been converted in to an instrument which keeps you hooked up, or wired up!! This is why per minute usage of each subscriber of all major telecom companies have increased much. Plus, there is a clear business model to sell more data services than voice.
Look at Bharati Airtel, how successfully Airtel have expanded in to Africa and mad Zen Telecom a profitable enterprise. It was an interesting business model and they have successfully put together the revenue and cost structure in place.
An interesting comparison here is Telenor. Telenor has been successful elsewhere in the World, wherever it entered. Except India; where Uninor has not been profitable so far and there seems to be some issues with that operation. Recent cancellation of 2G spectrum allocated to Uninor has put that business in to tighter spot. Its global experience seems not helping Telenor.
Question back is, how much we are depending on gadgets?
iOS is not re-installing on my iPhone and I kept on trying to install, without success. I did some research and reading on internet, but none of the articles gave any direction.
The new technology has given us great access to information all the times, ability to connect to the world and know. And I am been connected to internet just to substitute my phone off-time.
Actually, phone is no more an instrument it was meant to, to get-receive the phone calls. It has been converted in to an instrument which keeps you hooked up, or wired up!! This is why per minute usage of each subscriber of all major telecom companies have increased much. Plus, there is a clear business model to sell more data services than voice.
Look at Bharati Airtel, how successfully Airtel have expanded in to Africa and mad Zen Telecom a profitable enterprise. It was an interesting business model and they have successfully put together the revenue and cost structure in place.
An interesting comparison here is Telenor. Telenor has been successful elsewhere in the World, wherever it entered. Except India; where Uninor has not been profitable so far and there seems to be some issues with that operation. Recent cancellation of 2G spectrum allocated to Uninor has put that business in to tighter spot. Its global experience seems not helping Telenor.
Question back is, how much we are depending on gadgets?
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Indian Post Office
The old format of Post Office, that office which we have grown up seeing is fading fast.
The post office has been changing for several years now. It first got the strategy consultants McKinsey to work out a vision and road map towards reinvention, essential when the letter, the heart of the traditional post office, is rapidly disappearing. The department now has a new logo that signals that post office interiors have a new format, with prescribed appropriate furniture — and, critically, computers. It is on its way to connecting all “departmental” post offices through a core banking solution.
The strategic plan for Postal department to generate additional revenue has different plans.
One of the interesting things it started is to branch out in to life Insurance, in rural areas. Just like LIC but so far it is restricting itself to rural areas, with better and attractive return plans. There is much been invested in to training and other initial logistics without much hype. If done correctly, it will obviously generate huge revenue.
Recent to this is Department of Postal has decided to start a Bank of its own. The post office savings bank has huge deposits (totalling Rs 3.7 lakh crore at end-2009-10, nearly half of banking leader SBI’s) but also makes huge losses (net deficit 94 per cent of revenue in an exceptional pay commission award-burdened year, and 61 per cent in the more normal previous year, 2008-09).
It can be said that the post office savings bank does not get depositors out of its own effort. They walk in because of better (administered) returns and tax advantages. That is why collections fluctuate according to whether banks’ deposit rates appear more or less attractive at a given moment. This happens because, while banks and the entire financial sector have moved to market-determined rates which fluctuate according to the signals of monetary policy, small savings rates have been kept stable so as to encourage steady savings by common people.
The most important aspect is the leadership. Can Post Bank get the kind of leadership private banking has? Can Department of Post build kind of management like MNC banks have?
I think, it has clear advantage in terms of brand recall and the trust. Over the years Indian Post has been part of our common life and known for better returns. If done correctly, the bank promoted by Indian Post will have a very clear advantage.
It is a clear change time in Indian Post.
The post office has been changing for several years now. It first got the strategy consultants McKinsey to work out a vision and road map towards reinvention, essential when the letter, the heart of the traditional post office, is rapidly disappearing. The department now has a new logo that signals that post office interiors have a new format, with prescribed appropriate furniture — and, critically, computers. It is on its way to connecting all “departmental” post offices through a core banking solution.
The strategic plan for Postal department to generate additional revenue has different plans.
One of the interesting things it started is to branch out in to life Insurance, in rural areas. Just like LIC but so far it is restricting itself to rural areas, with better and attractive return plans. There is much been invested in to training and other initial logistics without much hype. If done correctly, it will obviously generate huge revenue.
Recent to this is Department of Postal has decided to start a Bank of its own. The post office savings bank has huge deposits (totalling Rs 3.7 lakh crore at end-2009-10, nearly half of banking leader SBI’s) but also makes huge losses (net deficit 94 per cent of revenue in an exceptional pay commission award-burdened year, and 61 per cent in the more normal previous year, 2008-09).
It can be said that the post office savings bank does not get depositors out of its own effort. They walk in because of better (administered) returns and tax advantages. That is why collections fluctuate according to whether banks’ deposit rates appear more or less attractive at a given moment. This happens because, while banks and the entire financial sector have moved to market-determined rates which fluctuate according to the signals of monetary policy, small savings rates have been kept stable so as to encourage steady savings by common people.
The most important aspect is the leadership. Can Post Bank get the kind of leadership private banking has? Can Department of Post build kind of management like MNC banks have?
I think, it has clear advantage in terms of brand recall and the trust. Over the years Indian Post has been part of our common life and known for better returns. If done correctly, the bank promoted by Indian Post will have a very clear advantage.
It is a clear change time in Indian Post.
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