My Enterprise Newspaper

My Enterprise Newspaper

GOAL : Architecting like Adi Shankaracharya ?

Events in life destined to happen in an interesting order and has hidden message in them.  You realize them only when you intrigue these. I felt this info is related to ME and not pertaining to any abstraction of roles I play– thus felt to update in all my 3 blogs.

Recently watched a movie on Adi Shankaracharya and prepared for TOGAF part-I exam.

Most number of architects in humanity is from INDIA and is from Hinduism. Hinduism is not a religion of one but is a continuum, where many have realized the god in themselves.  It is not one or two books but numerous artifacts written over centuries by these God-realised Yogis/Sadhus. Pre Adi Shankaracharya era these numerous artifacts were interpreted in as many number of ways causing confusion on what they ideally meant.

Adi Shankaracharya (in Film) looks at heap of Vedic documents in a cave of his guru and asks why they are in this state. Guru explains threat to them and inspite his noble and best efforts he couldn’t maintain these well and make them available to general public. People with no proper knowledge were taking not so correct interpretation of these texts were following few blind believes. Adi Shankaracharya embarks on his mission not only to re-engineer the artifacts but also make a continuum to dissipate correct information on what actually Hinduism core principles were. To him the prophesy was “bring his friends, family and community from cult behavior and establish a continuum to avoid the same beyond his life time”. He went onto bring Advaitam meaning of Hinduism, Defy many Blind-Believes in community by himself and establish Four Maths to sustain Hinduism’s true message come out for centuries. Can we do at least 1% what Adi Sankaracharya did centuries back. I feel I would be blessed even if we could do 0.1% of what we wish to do.

Challenge of current period is lack of time !? Advent of Internet and Web2.0 data has been ever increasing but when it comes to get right information we have the similar issue of having numerous interpretations but not sure if have the right answer required.

What is it to club these numerous artifacts being built/written through aspirants interpretation of the core epics along with these Epics. “Hindu Arch Repository”. Classify documents- what would be ABB, SBB? What’s the scope or enterprise ? What is the “Archtecture work” to start an TOGAF-ADM cycle. Is the answer is to have active blogs by categories like Karma, Yoga, Varnam, Varnasankaram, DHarmanm, Nyayam, Rules of Balyam-Komaryam-Bhramacharyam-GruhaPrasatham-Vanaprastham-Sanyasam etc.,

                                Goal is to enhance the Primal Vedic Literature(Literature its manifestation to Upanishads and its essence of these illustrated by Gita) through an state of art architecture (creating respository) using collaboration of aspirants/knowledge-seekers under guidance of Gurus – Thus provide mos accurate and relevant information.

Shareholder vs Stakeholder

Future of Indian IT Industry with growing Salaries and reduced billing rates lesser Dev projects due to “buy instead of build” strategy?

One of my favorite Leader has seems taken oath to find an answer on how to manage Indian IT which is caught between raising Cost (Employee Demands) , Reduced Bill rates due to competition, Decreased build needs with Buy strategy – Thus challenging the sustainability of Indian IT reign for/till next generation. While his thought is primarily to drive points like Company needs to be profitable end of day to sustain against acquisition or extinction. To do that we need to see how we be cost efficient, Value adding to customer to raise top-line and work through this Buy strategy of various industry through various differentiating roles.

Stepping back we will come through different perspective - One of the Ten Strategic thought or schools is “Organizational Purpose” as per management books. Tension on this is Profitability vs Responsibility. Perspective is pulled between shareholder and stakeholder. [[[Note not sure why people can’t catch a fact that shareholder is one party of many that constitutes stakeholders]]]

One more perspective - For initial few years of My company gone public in 2004, I wondered why it is not faring well compared to its next biggest IT company. Profit – was the unanimous answer then, as long as you are not most profitable you are not going to get better visibility and mileage than your competitor who is nowhere near your revenue (note NOT profit). I also felt my company was lacking marketing, but what marketing you need than your P/E ratio.

It is undisputed fact that we need to be Profitable to satisfy shareholder, but not at the cost of key stakeholder employees (or as they officially called as “associates” to make people feel that they are not COST to company but assets). It is pendulum though it might achieve profit for a while but would come back a blow to other side as attrition evident through recent Attrition rate of the other company which I envied all along. But I could see same situation round the corner to my company unless stringent steps are taken to do something rather than go on jolly ride for a while satisfying shareholders at cost of stakeholders (customers, Employees, Society etc.,).

Interestingly there are many views that Profits are proportional to market share

It’s easy to point the problems! So what’s the solution???

Ever understood why Japanese industries are far more successful than Corporate American peers post Second World War during 70’s. Industry after industry, including steel, watches, ship building, cameras, autos, and electronics, the Japanese were surpassing American and European companies. Initially one key factor Management Gurus felt was the cost structure is in advantage of Japan, but after detailed study it seemed that Japan’s cost structure is inferior to American. SO there is some beyond Cost which is behind the avalanche of Japanese success.

7S Model – Is the answer for this question (Link)

Hard Elements	Soft Elements
Strategy Structure Systems	Shared Values Skills Style Staff

• Strategy: the plan devised to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. (We will go into Porter and Blue Ocean Thoughts in detail later)

• Structure: the way the organization is structured and who reports to whom.

• Systems: the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in to get the job done.

• Shared Values: called "superordinate goals" when the model was first developed, these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work ethic.

• Style: the style of leadership adopted.

• Staff: the employees and their general capabilities.

• Skills: the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the company.

Though Americans had greater control on hard parameters and Japanese mastered on the soft parameters and the results speak. Shared Values: Great value on corporate culture, shared values and beliefs, and social cohesion in the workplace. Style: In Japan the task of management was seen as managing the whole complex of human needs, economic, social, psychological, and spiritual. Pascale also highlighted the difference between decision making styles; hierarchical in America, and consensus in Japan.

Many Management guru's are thinking that era of hierarchial management started after second world war is ended - I think key of current IT orgs change should be aligned to non-hierarchial model for it to sustain the gain momentum and not fall into any other industrial sector where process managment dominated innovation (innovation in tranditional industries are done mostly at R&D labs ?)

VALUES – The epicenter

I always wondered if companies’ values (should be shared) are epicenter contributing to centrifugal and centripetal binder for the wheel of success (Fortune?), is this values valued to the extent its required ? Not being critic, but I feel the Values are paper protected these days. Take for example “Respect for Individual” retrospect the same. What goals on this Value is cascaded to the middle management, except for profitability and Growth? I wondered can we get back the confidence of employees fear and resentment that hangs over many employees, still tender from years of layoffs, salary freezes, pay cuts, Promotion delay and furloughs. Liked the answers @ HBR blog . Forget gaining Trust work win-win

“The organization will provide interesting and challenging work. The individual will invest discretionary effort in the task and produce relevant results. When one or both sides of this equation are no longer possible (for whatever reasons) the relationship will end. So if the organization no longer has interesting or challenging work for the individual to do, or if the individual is no longer willing or able to engage in the work — to invest the levels of discretionary effort required for excellent results — it is in everyone's best interest to part ways.

This new equation has significant implications for our talent-management practices. To start:

• It reinforces the premium many organizations have wisely put on engagement.
• It calls for new approaches to performance management — ones that gauge the evolving needs of the task, as well as the individual's skills and contributions.
• It requires tighter integration of learning and work.
• It raises the need for on-boarding processes that are quick and efficient and exiting approaches that are nonjudgmental and designed to encourage the individual to return if appropriate work opportunities arise.”

HR has always been tactical in many ways needs to innovative in implementing this with consensus in phased manner.

(Thoughts are flowing and to be continued)

Cloud9 or Passing Cloud

Cloud Computing (CC) is perceived to be a most disruptive force in the IT industry today, the most evaluated technology as per Gartner 2009 and is at “peak inflated expectation” in Hype cycle 2010.

Simplest definition of it is “CC allows users to use only a web browser to receive computing services via internet, also enabling users only to pay for services they actually use”. CC concept is as old as free email services like Hotmail, Yahoo mail. Reincarnation of CC is driven by advances in Virtualization technologies (like VMWare Xen etc), Web Technologies and Infrastructure technologies. Virtualization has evolved from Consolidation through Agility to Alternate sourcing (CC).

Clouds could vaporize if Security (Not less secure than ‘on premise’ but risk is high), Performance (Bandwidth, Latency), Compliance (SOX, HIPPA etc regulations scope not addressing Cloud) and Availability (Inevitable outages and its costly alternatives) challenges are not addressed effectively. Cloud vendors are positioning TCO as value where as many customers are looking business agility as driver. Cloud is still maturing and it is gauged on three fronts Elasticity (Slow vs Brisk, Large vs Granular), Service (Standard vs Custom) and Market (Closed vs Open).

OLAP applications have been adopting CC comparatively well, architectures are still evolving to address transaction processing. SOA and Integration capabilities are deemed to be key foundational competencies required for IT to be successful at CC.

Lets see some stats:- Market for public cloud products and services is estimated at $16B in 2010 growing to $56B by 2014(IDC). Gartner predicts cloud market be $150B by 2014 and Merillynch estimates $160B by 2011. Various acquisitions to align. Microsoft, Yahoo is building massive data centers in Quincy, WA. Google which currently controls 2% of all servers in world (1 million servers) plans to have upwards of 10 million servers in the next 10 years. Quick moves and acquisitions happening to capture CC potential opportunity. Ubiquitous computing is reality with Mobile web set take over Desktop web by 2015. Many organizations already embarking some sort of virtualization or private clouds, including The Hartford, a key step in one among of three approaches towards CC.

Looking at these statistics and moves of major player’s it is promising that CC not just a passing “Cloud”, for sure it is going to rain if not pour and certainly play a disruptive force days to come. CC has lot of challenges yet for c-level management and vendors before jumping onto “Cloud” Nine.

Quiescent  or Preparing for takeoff  ?????

True Leader - QUalities of Leadership

Leaders and Leadership is one area always makes me think and ponder. Is just being a tough task master makes a good leader? I feel yes for moment and no the next. Admire a lot of qualities in people around with unique attributes worth inspiring. No one is perfect – but I have special respect for those leaders who know their gaps and constantly work on them and at end of it they are "modest and down to earth".People should talk about them much but not themselves. Below is good articulation of what makes a good leader. Always wondered why though I wanted to be a good leader but not a manager, I seem to have an answer “Past few months/years I am not sharing the same values of my Org”. As manager you need accept them as there is no way org accept yours ;-). I have constant battle in my mind can you be a leader without having power (Manager) – I feel yes most of the times.. It’s time to decide if my view changes.


You make a difference – You should believe that you can make a difference

Credibility Is the Foundation of Leadership - Team should believe in you, Do what you say, say what you do/did. You often hear Leaders (?) boast them doing something where actually they dint do it ?

Values Drive Commitment – You, Your Team and Your Org should share same values. Ringing some bells Friend

Focusing on the Future - Big dreams that resonate with others inspire and energize.

You Can’t Do It Alone - Leadership is a team sport, You cant do it alone and dint do it alone. Engage others in the cause. You need to enable others to be even better than they already are.

Trust Rules - Build mutual trust; you must trust others too.

Challenge Is the Crucible of Greatness - Change invariably involves challenge, and challenge tests you. It introduces you to yourself. It brings you face-to-face with your level of commitment, your grittiness, and your values. It reveals your mindset about change

You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All. You have to go first as a leader. That’s what it takes to get others to follow your lead.

The Best Leaders Are the Best Learners. Learning is the master skill of leadership. Leaders are constant improvement fanatics.

Leadership Is an Affair of the Heart. Leaders love what they’re doing and those they lead. Leaders make others feel great themselves and are gracious in showing their appreciation.

Link
 

“77% of leaders believe their employees are not giving 100%. Employees don’t seem to argue the point. 72% of employees admit that they in fact aren’t giving 100%.”

Working for the Appeaser. You’re given enjoyable assignments, you’re allowed to spend most of your time on work that plays to your strengths, your boss gives you lots of positive feedback, and your boss seems to care most about making sure you’re really happy.

Working for the Intimidator. You’re given seemingly impossible assignments; you don’t feel like you’ve got all the skills you need to complete those assignments; when your boss gives you feedback, it’s usually pretty harsh and critical; and your boss seems to care most about achieving his goals no matter who’s with him at the end.

Working for the Avoider. Your boss doesn’t really force too many assignments on you, you’re not really required to learn new skills, your boss lets you figure out for yourself how you’re doing, and your boss seems to care most about not getting in your way.

Working for the 100% Leader. You’re given really challenging assignments, you’re required to learn new skills even in areas you might not consider to be your natural strengths, your boss gives you lots of constructive and positive feedback, and your boss seems to care most about pushing you to maximize every ounce of your potential.

Link

Presentation Mantras - I should ever remember and Practice

Few I was told, learnt through few sites and



0) Think "What is It in For Me" from audience perspective
        - I always visualise presentations as Film(I am passionate hence so) and as any film, there should be good start , WoW factors in regular intervals, Solid Ending ;-)


1) Audience want to be entertained, want to learn, And most of all they want you to do well. Your mistakes done during presentaion wont prevent audience from those. Big mistake is you make before you even say a word that matters more. These include the mistakes of not having an interesting opinion, of not thinking clearly about your point, and of not planning ways to make those points relevant to your audience.

2) Performance skill, and performance means practice, practice & practice

3) If you can speak a truth most people are afraid to say, you’re a hero - Be honest , you would be interesting

4) Ability to think and refine rough ideas into clear ones is difference between you, JFK, MartinLutherKing - Not ability in public speaking.

5) Avoiding Boredom. A speaker must set the pace for the audience if he wants to keep their attention. … Think of your opening minute as a movie preview: fill it with drama, excitement, and highlights for why people should keep listening. Be confident in what you say and do. If your talk consists of several problems important to the audience, and you promise to release the tension created by those problems by solving each one, you’ll score big.