Exam Time

Writing a paper and pencil exam. Without a word of preparation. Priceless.

Infosys encourages us to undertake a certification exam every 6 months. This exam can either be internal or external. You just accumulate more points when you take an external test.

By now, you know how we chai-buddies inspire each another as we consume awesome filter coffee and tea twice a day at Hatti-Kaapi. This is where crazy ideas are encouraged and exchanged. Some months ago, the brightest among our lot encouraged me to complete an external certification exam. After brief thought, I decided to listen to Mr. Bright and give it a twirl.

Another colleague handed over the exam material. It weighed 3 kg. Thrice I opened the first page only to fall asleep in 5 minutes. Next I glanced through the table of contents to fathom if I could 'reverse-engineer' the details. No luck there. I randomly picked pages for numerical problems. The 3 kg monster was pure theory.

4 months whirred by without a single word of preparation.

The exam day arrived last weekend. That morning, it took me 20 minutes to find two pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. There was no pencil box to put this stuff in, so Priya lent me a pouch that holds her cooling glasses. I also carried her old solar calculator from her B.Com days. The hall ticket was printed just 5 minutes before starting the car. When I finally took the test, answers were determined through logic gleaned from Calvin and Hobbes comic strips, 'strategic' sounding words, inky-pinky-ponky methods and pure coin tosses. In the past, I would spend the last 15 minutes of any exam in reviewing answers. This time, there was so such conflict. Masala Dosa at Adigas next door vs. 15 minutes for review? Coin tosses are not wasted on such obvious choices.

Looking back, I wouldn't have scripted this experience better. Lack of preparation for an exam was an unknown phenomenon for me until now. While never a topper, I would always finish near the top. Preparation was the key. (What choice - other than preparation - do you have when you belong to a traditional middle-class South Indian family where cousins get nothing less than multiple gold medals?) And now, with nothing to lose, the entire experience was such a rush of joy. Maybe that is why Anupam Kher's speech resonated so well last night.
 

So Mr. Bright, what's your next big idea?

Excellence

Infosys hosted its Annual Awards for Excellence (AFE) today. If there is ever a lesson you need on how a multi-country-multi-city-annual-corporate event must be conducted, this is it. Every step of the 2.5 hour event is amazingly choreographed, seamlessly integrated and flawlessly presented by Infoscions every step of the way.

 

All global Infosys locations participate simultaneously in the AFE. Hence, when award announcements are made for a project / unit that comprises of members working across several locations, the team members across these locations can walk up to the stage simultaneously to collect their awards. To me, it seems that we have not only pioneered the global delivery model but have also refined the global recognition model. The AFE celebrates the best of values that Infosys represents viz. Excellence.

 

We also invite an eminent personality as the Chief Guest for the AFE who represents excellence in his / her field of work. Anil Kumble has been here before and so has Barkha Dutt. Naseeruddin Shah was invited in 2010 while 2011 was the year of A.R. Rehman. Today, it was the versatile Anupam Kher.

 

When greats speak to you, what remain in your mind are their simple words and rustic wisdom. When you stop fearing failure, Mr. Kher said, you automatically start on a path to excellence. Learn to listen well and learn from others. And above all, an actor must always remember that he is no different than a carpenter. Both of them just execute things. But an actor lets things get to his head because he sees others write something about him. That reminded me so much about Naseeruddin Shah's speech about excellence a couple of years ago. We all start small. We just want to do the simple things right. Excellence comes much later.

 

Starting small. Listening. Staying true to yourself. Remaining grounded. That’s the path to excellence for you. How easy to remember. And how easily we forget….

Men Apart, Every Man an Emperor

It is not very often that I post blogs as frequently as a day apart, but today was no ordinary day. 5:30 PM is when one wants to pack up and look forward to going home. But some of us were sufficiently piqued to go to the Convention Centre at the Infosys campus to watch the Territorial Army Symphony Fusion Orchestra perform. (Note: I don’t ever think I can articulate the experience of being in the Infosys Convention Centre…. let’s just say that the sound system ,seating, video projection and the stage make up a truly world class auditorium.)

When Col. Deora, Commanding Officer of the Territorial Army (TA) came on stage to deliver the inaugural speech, he looked the part. Tall. Commanding. The ‘Army’ moustache. (Do I say that I was swayed into labeling him based on appearance? You bet!!!) What followed was a 5 minute lesson. On Leadership. Humility. Patriotism. And Public Speaking. I paraphrase… but the essence of his speech was thus: The TA is an all-volunteer force and the second line of defense after the Indian Army. Being a member of the TA cannot be a profession or a source of employment. In fact, you must already be employed elsewhere if you want to join us. You serve only when called. The front line soldiers of today’s battles are no longer the regular soldiers as we know them, but YOU, this multitude of professionals in the audience. The battles of the 21st century are not of matter but of mind. Gone are the days when armies move into a rich country to occupy it, and after establishing a beachhead, allow colonial structures to be developed. And we are here to talk to you, salute you and entertain you.

For a Commanding Officer to say that about us, I was amazed. Now, I am under no illusion that the software and consulting profession can match a soldier’s heroics. Soldiers fight battles. Or lose limbs. Or get hurt. We on the other hand shed our only drop of blood to that mandated medical test before getting a work permit.

Yet.... everything of what he said was true. The current crop of Indian professionals establish beachheads in new lands - with a difference. We go global not to colonize. But to co-opt. Co-exist. And co-create. Every time one of us travels overseas, (s)he does more than create a solution or offer a service. We represent our nation, and very often with dignity & pride. Understated yet efficient, we extend value and transform companies. At the same time, we do not gloss over our country’s limitations. We come back to inculcate the same global best practices that we have learnt on our journeys. And to make a difference at home.

The Territorial Army Fusion Band then took over. For the next 90 minutes, Infoscions were treated to a melody of instruments as varied as woodwinds, percussion, strings, brass, and pipe. Indian and Western tunes were played with flute, bagpipes, clarinet, drums, horns, trumpets, violins, saxophones, tabla and santoor. Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai was followed with Somewhere My Love. Then came the popular Nepali folk song Resham Firiri. It was only today that I learned Surangani is not a Goan song, but a Sinhalese original. When John Newton’s Amazing Grace came up, it was clear that wherever you are, redemption and forgiveness hold true. The Indian Territorial Army Song was a pleasure to listen. And when the Infosys song, This is My Infy, was played, it was nothing less than a standing ovation (this amateur video is the closest that there is of this song in the public domain).

But the heart tugging moments were truly the patriotic ones. Who can beat Lata in Aye Meri Watan Ki Logon? I swear that I tear up every time I watch or hear Sandese Aate Hain. How about Kandhon Se Milte Hain Kandhe? Or our eternal favorite, Saare Jahan Se Acha. Playing of the National Anthem completed a memorable evening.

Two things remain. Col. Deora’s exhortation to us at the end to never hesitate to go beyond the last mountain while we will take care of defending our land. And the banner that read Men Apart, Every Man an Emperor. “What manner of men are these?" asked Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery as he reflected on an elite fighting force, the Parachute Regiment. "They are, in fact, men apart, every man an emperor”. The Indian Territorial Army lives up to the same principles....

It was difficult not to have goosebumps or teary eyes at the end of it all. We take a bow, Dear Soldiers, to your Leadership, Patriotism...... and Humility. Jai Hind!!!

PS: If you know of better links to any of the above, please send them over. I will replace the current links.

Delivering the Goods in Online Grocery Business

I have referred earlier to my posts on the Infosys Supply Chain blog. One went up yesterday on Supply Chain Matters, an external blog dedicated to providing viewpoints & insights into all things supply chain.

CAUTION: To those of you who are thoroughly disinterested in reading such topics and have often threatened me in the past of dire consequences for posting such 'heavy' topics, well.... a few things might help:
- this is about online shopping
- this is about activities you undertake at least once every week
- this is about a few things that need to be done by your retailer so that you continue to be happy shopping

If you have changed your mind and want to read, please go here.

As about the rest.... you have not missed much :-)

How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?

I am on my way home. By the office bus that is always well-lit. That makes my journey very productive unlike spending a wasted hour in a dark cab. The bus ride is usually spent reading a book. Or an issue of Fortune. In rare moments of insanity, I venture into the Harvard Business Review & try my best to stay awake. Understanding HBR, of course, is light years away.

Speaking of light, I want to tell you about something very important & change the way you think. So I decide to write and open my laptop. The girl next to me looks irritated. “It is 8 PM for god’s sake”, her eyes are saying, “and this moron wants to work on his laptop?” I don’t blame her, but as I said, I am on this mission to change the way you think.

So answer this simple one for me. How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb???

A few of us were walking back to our desks after our break at the Hatti Kaapi counter in Infosys. These guys make great coffee. Drinking it stimulates your mind and opens the conversation in new directions. A friend is about to move into his home and wants the best place to buy light fixtures. I tell of a place in the Bangalore City Market, a second person pips in with ‘Delhi’ while a third says ‘Mumbai’ (I told you that the coffee makes you go in all directions). Before the owner can decide, I ask him whether he has decided on the the type of bulbs to buy. “CFL” he says. “That’s it?” I ask. His eyes narrow with “of course you idiot!!! What else is there?” It’s time for us to split but I am thinking “Boy, I need to teach him a lot in tomorrow’s Hatti Kaapi discussion”.

So answer this one for me folks. How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb???

I vividly remember the first instinct when I first read this joke 20 years ago. It was not the number that my instinct was after. Instead, the ‘logical’ part of my head was saying “No one screws in a light bulb dumbo. Light bulbs have a pin. You put the bulb in a holder and twist it such that it locks tight”. But since this was meant to be a joke, I ignored the grammar and went Ha-Ha-Ha at the answer. I finally discovered light in circa 2000-05 in the USA when I made my first bulb purchase. That was when I saw the light bulb with a screw head. And THAT explained the question in the joke....

Bulb with a pin
Source: http://www.bajajelectricals.com/

Bulb with a screw head
Source: http://www.bajajelectricals.com/

Now that we have established that light bulbs can really be screwed in, answer this one for me…. How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb???

But wait. Let me first nudge you towards four things that you do not know about light bulbs.

1. You really don’t know the right wattage, do you?

Take your simple CFL. It saves power. But do you honestly know whether it is the 11W or the 14W that works best for you? C’mon.. admit it…. you NEED that assuring label to say “11W = 40W” or “14W=70W” before you know what works best.

2. You really don’t know the width of the screw head, do you?

Congratulations!!! You have narrowed your choice to the right wattage. Now do you know the right width of the screw head? Most bulbs have at least 2 widths for the same wattage. If you are darned unlucky, you might even come across a CFL with a pin. The choice of your bulb is wholly dependent on the holder that you did not even bother to look / analyze when you first installed it in your home.

3. You really don’t know the effect of the fixture, do you?

Excellent!!! You have the right wattage with the right screw head. But why is your 14W lamp just right for your 10x10 bedroom and terrible for your 10x10 study? Dear Watson!!! It has everything to do with the glass of your fixture. Clear glasses transmit more light compared to semi-frosted ones that in turn spread more light than fully frosted pieces. And…. and…. the size of the opening of the fixture absolutely matters. The room looks dull if the opening is small and too bright when the aperture is wide.

4. You really can’t open the fixture and screw / twist the bulb on your own, can you?

You are a genius!!! You have the right bulb, screw head and fixture. But can you replace the bulb on your own? Do you have the right tools? And are your hands really steady when you try to extract that microscopic 3W bulb that you got conned into buying for your bathroom when your sweetheart cooed oh-it-is-so-beautiful-I-so-want-it? I am telling you.... falling for your wife’s charms is very dangerous, especially when they offer opinions on electric lamps.

So for the last time, answer this one for me…. How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb???

Here's the answer. There was a time when it was ONE. Buying a bulb was easy then. You bought ‘yellow light’ or ‘tube light’. Fixtures to cover these were rare inside your home. In other words, the lights were ‘naked’. Every room had just 2 lights. The tube with 40W and the yellow light ranging from 20W–60W based on room size. As a kid, you were proud of the fact that you knew what bulb was needed where, how much wattage it had, and how it must be twisted in.

But today, buying a bulb is complex. There is the manufacturer who must print the right label in the packaging. There is that store associate who provides his thoughtful wisdom on the right fixture. There is this electrician who puts it all together. There are at least 3 members of your family who offer counsel on whether the brightness of the lamp is OK. And when their verdict is a resounding No, there is now that YOU who must drive back to the store to get the right replacement.

Ladies & Gentlemen - it takes an army to screw in a light bulb. Let us be at peace with this illuminating fact and stop cracking those jokes. Amen!!!

More of my posts on the Infosys SCM Blog

Got a new post here on some of the trends in retail grocery. You could call it the effect of working with bananas, lobsters and chicken for sometime now. :D

I also have a few supply chain posts going at the same Infosys SCM blogsite. You already have seen this earlier. Its continuation can be found here and here.

This talks about how lean warehousing and agile development go together.

As always, would love your comments.

Farewell Mr. Murthy

Newspapers are talking about the N.R. Narayana Murthy era as he transitions out of Infosys on his 65th birthday today. Business channels are running his interviews alongside programs depicting the simple origins of this terrific company. Watching them, one gets the sense that here was an extraordinary leader & visionary who possessed great integrity & values to build Infosys into what it is today.

Much of what is said is true. Being a visionary leader with integrity did lay a rock solid foundation to success. However, remember that Leadership is a diffuse term as pointed out here and here.  And the human mind is not very expansive when it comes to retrospection. It prefers to look at a situation and draw succinct conclusions on why it is so. We are a countdown generation. 'Top 3 Reasons Why It Happened' is our i-Phone Playlist Favorite rather than 'How to Assimilate the Complex Interplay among Varied Dimensions & Levers to Determine Why It Happened'.

At the public farewell to Narayana Murthy yesterday in the Infy campus, I was privileged to witness some of this interplay that made NRN great. When speaker after speaker extolled the virtues of this man and regaled us with stories from the past, when videos depicted a measure of his persona and his phenomenal rise, and when NRN himself came on stage to exhort us to dream of a $60 billion and $600 billion Infosys - it became increasingly obvious that his success cannot be solely explained by the 'vision-leadership-integrity' triad.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO of Infosys says that the first call made to him that morning is from NRN at 6:10 to apprise him of some status, and NRN had preceded this call with an email at 5:43AM. Mind you, this is NRN's penultimate day. Bill Gates sends his wishes in a recorded clip and looks forward to working with NRN on philanthropic causes. Deepak Satwalekar, Independent Director of Infosys (and MD & CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance) mentions that here is a man who played with a straight bat and never preached what he did not practice. Dr. Rohan Murthy, his son, thanks us and former employees for the joy we brought to him, and indirectly to his family. KV Kamath, Independent Director (and incoming co-Chairman of Infosys), tells us how NRN had the ability to look at seemingly complex technology and provide insight on its relevance to the common man. And how he is always generous with his time and willing to mentor you and back you. 

As 2500+ Infoscions rise to applaud as NRN walks on stage - and a lot more watch the event  live on their desktops - he tells us that for him, the past is dead and gone. The past is only useful to draw lessons from and apply to the present in order to create a better future. "In God We Trust" he had once said, "but for everything else, we believe in data". Well, on Friday, data just flowed. He is confident that Infosys can add value for the next 200 years. We get a lesson on per capita revenue productivity and how we must look at competing developing countries like China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan that are 20% higher on this metric. He articulates the need for fast-track leadership programs to nurture and motivate top talent. Take quick decisions, remain humble and be kind to ex-employees who chase a different dream is his advice.

From this evening, certain memories will remain. Mrs. Sudha Murthy in a video talks about the Rs. 10,000 she had lent to start Infosys. We all know this. But did you know that she had actually saved Rs. 10,250 for emergency purposes? "Even then I did not give him all my savings. The other Rs. 250 went back into the emergency fund". In another segment, she adds that if ever a blood test would be taken of NRN, there would be no haemoglobin... only Infosys.... Infosys....

But to me, the pinnacle was an anecdote from Vallabh Bansali of Enam, the Lead Manager of the Infosys ADR in the 90s. During the roadshow in the US, Mr. Murthy does not attend the dinner meeting one night. Vallabh is told that he cannot make it. It is only several days later that the truth is known. Mr. Murthy was suffering from a bad tooth and in pain. But he did not want to search for a dentist in the US, go through the procedure and impact the roadshow. Therefore NRN does the right thing in the way only he can.... he spends the evening in his room.... to pull out the painful molar.... with his own hands. The roadshow is a success. 

Mr. Murthy - Dreamer, Leader, Visionary, Strategist, Master Tactician, Mentor, Human Being, and much much more - Thank You.

Building New - Together

Time for another book review. The Power of Co-Creation begins by analyzing the various co-creation engagements undertaken by Starbucks and Nike with their customers. The explanation of the collaborative design process through NikeId and the customer-experience focused Nike+ programs provide a sound foundation for the understanding of co-creation and its impact to the company's bottom line.

Venkat Ramaswamy & Francis Gouillart also articulate how value innovation can be enabled and sustained. It is made very clear that merely creating innovation teams or corporate intranets will not help. What is required is a framework comprising of engagement platforms (to capture the essence of customer & employee experiences) and extended customer-vendor networks. As you read further, you realize why the much ballyhooed innovation initiatives within organizations have failed over the years. Innovation is constant engagement, repeated hard work, incremental change (and NOT big bang as is often misunderstood) and highly inclusive. An organization that ignores any of these dimensions will simply just fail in its innovation journey.

The examples are rich and varied - Apple Stores & its i-Phone platform, SAP communities, Hindustan Unilever's Gang of Girls (Sunsilk shampoo), IBM, Toyota, ITC e-Choupal, Cisco, Infosys, Amazon Fresh, La Poste Retail of the French Postal Service, to name a few.

I did not glean much from the second half of the book where the authors explain how management processes within organization must also change for co-creation to succeed. The ideas outlined are excellent – co-creating management teams, co-creative engagement in operations, co-creation of strategy, and co-creating institutional change – however, the actions undertaken to enable management change through these ideas seemed to be no radically different than the ones explained in the first half. Would a sequel be in the offing to flesh this in more detail?

If Innovation is your journey, this book is a must-read. But make sure that you include a few others in your reading list as well.

My first official blog....

One thing that attracted me to Infosys was their expectation that I blog frequently on supply chain topics. Well... my first blog that came out over the weekend can be read here. Do let me know your thoughts.