Beyond the bottom line …

I am hired as an expert in a consulting assignment to work with the business manager and help him improve his EBITDA and impact the bottom line.

While I start my data analysis and quickly identify key improvement themes that will help improve the operational efficiency, build strategies where the value enabling tasks can be digitized and move some of the processes  to low cost channels and effectively use the power of outsourcing and impact the margins there is much more one should do.

My conversation with a Sr. Vice President brought in a 360 degree transformation to the whole art and science of operational excellence. No doubt that the cost optimization drives, business efficiency projects and process excellence are the keys which all business houses have successfully deployed and tasted the results there are a hand full of organization which go beyond these initiatives and move towards employee ENGAGEMENT…. EMPOWERMENT … and EXECTUION …

During my HP days I had a chance to work with the best of the CXO’s and Directors, each one is a gem in the crown of the Sr. Management who was on a path less travelled to meet the goals set and demonstrated unclenching behavioural anchors and maintained composure during the most stressful days and the only and only point each one of them articulated clearly and echoed in every talk is a threefold model of Engagement… Empowerment… and Execution.

One of the directors of HP who did play a role of my mentor and coach for my tenure in HP made a point very clear… Execution is not a leadership trait, it’s a basic essential that is required in each and every employee hired in the organization, every employee should exactly know what the output he/she generates is. … WOW… a good learning… all the books I had read on execution talked more from a leadership end … here is something new I discovered … He went on adding and giving example on how execution can be seen in every walk of our life and every member of the society, the world is a well-oiled engine and everyone is able to deliver … your spouse prepares a bed tea and wakes you up is only because the milkman delivers the milk on time… that’s execution… she prepares the kids to school and drops them to the school bus… that’s execution… the school van picks up kids on time and drops them to school and brings them back home on time… that’s execution… open your eyes and see … you will see execution in every walk of life … this is a basic essential …

Why do we fail to execute if this is so basic trait…?

When I popped up this question to him he said… my friend.., you can successfully execute if you are empowered to… what your spouse can do… your maid cannot unless she is empowered… WOW.. now see the connection… execution is linked to empowerment…

Nonetheless, he went on to add… it’s not only empowerment … you may empower your maid to dress up your kids and ensure they reach the school bus at the gate and this may slip … it may not happen daily… or your will face issues here… now this is linked to Engagement…

How are you engaging with your maid and make her feel responsible and take the ownership…

My conversation went on and on with a lot of examples and real life situations that can be easily understood … I am convinced… and I still face a challenge keeping my team motivated enough and engaged …

Now there are a lot of factors that impact this concept in the corporate world… as we grow the leadership sessions, trainings and talks revolve more on understanding the finances and the financial ratios… the additions and subtractions… gains … profits and losses… etc… and in a five day leadership training there will be a couple of workshops for half a day on employee engagement … personal branding etc… I am not complaining … there are trainers who do stress at every point that you should keep people engaged and empowered but I have not seen it really happening at all levels…  

Real, tangible, quantitative data confirms that happy and engaged employees lead to greater profits and higher stock prices, a friend of mine used to work for NETAPP and this company has a very simple practice of engaging employee and empowering them with a reward program called as “CIO FOR A DAY” where the CIO goes to each and every employee after the annual results are posted and thanks them for the good work they have done. He carries real examples and appreciation emails and tells them how much it matters for him and the team.

People quit managers and not companies is a quote everyone is aware about and very less effort is put in to really build the human capital. It’s not only the leadership talks or shows that matter what really matters is have you touched everyone in the organization.  A CEO of a large company makes a very impressive speech … but this does not reach as a benefit the end employee who is just a few years of experience in the company and doing the real execution … may be testing, coding, building, designing etc… as you grow up the management ladder you are but nothing building strategies and seeing the plans come thru.

While you can be successful in engaging the employee… but I have not seen any behaviour demonstrating empowerment. Decision making can happen only if you are empowered, your spouse can take a decision to perform a task later or forgo to cut down the time to prepare the kids to reach the school van is your maid performing the same set of activities empowered to do so…

Empowerment can come only and only if you can willing to take the responsibility and are accountable for the actions, I have seen only in few occasions the Sr. Manager and AVPs although entitled hold back to sign off for various reasons and pass the buck on … is this a trait you have anchored into your behaviour right from your child days… I believe so… fall back on the families of people who you have seen making decisions… forget good or bad … but they make decisions and you can relate them roots into their childhood … culture they are brought up in or education…

Well… there is a long long way for the Indian corporate to go and understand how to really engage and empower which in turn improves execution that leads to customer satisfaction and repeat business or more business.

In principle and theory everyone agrees to but the very human nature that is filled with insecurities and commitments will fancy on titles like VP, AVP, Sr. Manager, GM, MD etc… and lacks the ability to engage and empower fails to execute and one fine day will stand at the bottom … and will continue to see the bottom-line number diminish ….