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𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵: 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗗𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 ♻
Today, India is discussing two (2) different news. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for offshore wind energy projects at a total outlay of Rs. 7453 Crores, including an outlay of Rs. 6853 Crores for installation and commissioning of 1 GW of offshore wind energy projects (500 MW each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu), and grant of Rs. 600 Crores for up-gradation of two ports to meet logistics requirements for offshore wind energy projects. The successful commissioning of these offshore wind projects will produce renewable electricity of about 3.72 billion units annually, which will result in the annual reduction of 2.98 million tons of CO2 equivalent emission for a period of 25 years.
Earlier today, the Hon’ble PM inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University at Rajgir in Bihar, close to its ancient remnants. He also planted a sapling as he inaugurated the campus. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several distinguished individuals, including heads of missions from 17 countries. The campus is designed as a ‘Net Zero’ Green Campus, making it self-sustaining with the help of solar plants, domestic and drinking water treatment plants, a water recycling plant for reusing wastewater, 100 acres of water bodies, and numerous other environment-friendly facilities.
The common thread in both the news illustrated above, is the focus on a bright future for the people – education and environment – technology being an enabler. Contemplating these events of hope, the sight of a thermal power plant emitting harmful gases to the environment flashed, captured while visiting the city of Jhansi, more than a decade ago on an official assignment. It again reminds us of an urgent need to take urgent steps to abate the harmful impacts of the pollution by fossil by implementing suitable De-SOx or FGD, Decarbonisation measures, etc.
Incidentally, June 18 is a day of remembrance for Jhansi (and Bharat), famous for being the princely state whose legendaryQueen Laxmi Bai, dressed as a man, got killed in the combat while leading the war for independence against the British empire 166 years ago. Some believe that the Rani (Queen) did not want the British forces to capture her body and told hermit to burn it. She, among others, inspired generations of freedom fighters whose resolute struggles led to India’s independence.
The contemporary challenges facing us are diverse, and we, the society and our leadership, must strive for a sustainable habitat, cleaner air, and healthy living conditions for progenies. This will be our real tribute the ‘Rani’ 👸
Credits to Owners
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👑 Leadership 🌟 – My 2 Cents
We often come across discussions about leadership skills among budding professionals. However, it is more critical for senior professionals as they do influence their juniors.
I would like to share my bit of understanding in this regard especially for professionals entering the public domain. Though my view is predominantly shaped and influenced as and for engineers, I believe the same would be apt for others as well. This is primarily because behavioural traits are profession agnostic to a large extent.
Taking the Ownership and exhibiting Empathy – are two (2) most important attributes for anyone to grow as a leader in their chosen field of life.
Owning the responsibility is foremost prerequisite to see and execute the tasks as envisaged. Ownership simply means taking the charge of the situation as and when it occurs and then the magic starts. It is always preferred that a professional ‘consistently exceeds the requirement of the job’ than assessed as someone who just ‘consistently meets the requirement of the job’ or even ‘sometimes exceeds the requirement of the job’ and accordingly gets evaluated in the performance appraisal. The urge to consistently exceed the requirement set forth would certainly come from the ownership trait.
Another equally important attribute is empathy i.e., the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This brings to the fore the emotional quotient of the professionals in appreciating the other’s point of view. Once we are aware of the situation of our counterpart (be it junior, peer or superior; associate or customer, etc.), it becomes easier to converge and agree for action in order to achieve larger goal.
Ownership and empathy complement each other and reinforce the leadership skills and guide professionals in achieving success in their chosen career.
This post is in sheer appreciation for two of my valued colleagues who demonstrated the above-mentioned attributes in an assignment today.
Best wishes!! Vinit K Verma GIRIJESH PRASAD
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🏭 Peer Learning – A Critical Aspect in Learning Journey
🕯Learning is not just about certifications; it basically is about being better than before.
🕯An important aspect of the learning journey is ‘peer learning’ and it is equally relevant either in formal educational classes or training sessions.
🕯Adequate cohort strength and multi-faceted discussions, including on social media platforms like WhatsApp, bring opportunities for everyone to accumulate knowledge as much as possible.
🕯Various classwork or syndicate groups help to carry out various assignments during the program channelize the collective wisdom of the group for the benefit of everyone.
🕯In the post-Covid19 world, we see a hybrid/ blend of physical and virtual interventions. When planned meticulously, they leave no room for any regret concerning the delivery and grasp of the program topics.
Anything you like to add….
Should Prices Rise? ⏫ – An Unpopular Opinion
Yesterday, it has been reported that India’s retail inflation has eased to a 3-month low of 5.02% in September from 6.83% in August. Food inflation has also declined due to easing of vegetable prices and is a welcome sign.
Bharat i.e., India measures inflation as Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used indicator of inflation, is a measure of price change (usually every month) at the retail level based on 260 commodities, including few services. Wholesale Price Index (WPI), a basket of 697 items, is another measure of inflation (started from January 1942) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was using it for formulating the monetary policy until 2014. A base year is used to compare the rate measures.
The inflation target is set by the Government of India in consultation with the RBI once in 5 years. The prevalent inflation target (CPI) is 4%, with a ±2% tolerance band i.e., 2% – 6%. Over a period of 65 years from 1958 till 2022, Bharat i.e., India witnessed inflation of 0% in 2 years, negative in 2 years and >15% in 3 years.
Does this mean, we need to have zero or negative inflation? The answer is a firm ‘no’ and anything which signals this brings a worrisome scenario of gloom. In this context, it would be pertinent to mention a quote from the 6-May-2023 statement of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of Federl Reserve of the United State of America (USA) as: “The probability of an unwelcome substantial fall in inflation, though minor, exceeds that of a
pickup in inflation from its already low level.”
The scariest episode of ‘deflation’ in world’s history is known as ‘the Great Depression’ which lasted for 10 years from 1929 to 1939. A depression is an economic collapse, a social catastrophe.
1960’s India witnessed 2 wars (1962 & 1965) and 2 droughts (1965 & 1966) which spiked the inflation but was eased in 1968-69 due to bumper crop and Green revolution initiatives. 1975-76 saw the government resorting to stringent credit curbs causing widespread resentment in the industry which was already short of funds for maintaining its business as usual. The final data for this duration was an almost zero inflation. This led to the government to publicly state that priority and core sectors would not suffer from paucity of funds for legitimate purposes.
The current geopolitical scenario has the potential to disrupt the economy again. We hope this macroeconomics indicator remains good on this front and monetary policy of RBI responds suitably.
Further read:
1. https://lnkd.in/dX6UWxzc
2. https://lnkd.in/d7_tzbaW
3. https://lnkd.in/djEN5Qzu
4. https://lnkd.in/dHNyYAEg
5. https://lnkd.in/dmSeTrug
6. https://lnkd.in/dMn5R4ib
Be more polite as you grow in life!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Around a decade ago, I got into an argument with my superior over whether to follow an instruction which was strictly not in my area of responsibility. If i remember correctly, perhaps, it pertained to preparing a document which otherwise should have been prepared by another department. The difference of opinion led to a heated argument between the two of us and I got a very nuanced and polite response: “I will do it if you don’t, as I have committed to our superior.”
For a while, I felt like a victory. The moment later, I realized the blasphemous act I had just committed by not only not accepting to do the task but to raise my voice at the epitome of politeness the person he was. Realizing it, I went to his chamber where he started to prepare the document.
I apologized for my uncourteous demeanour and offered to finish the task as needed.
The piece of advice I received at that moment changed the course of my life thereafter. He said: “Be more polite as you grow in life.”
I will always remember that one incident and the lesson learned. I try to follow the advice of being polite as ‘universal truth’ and not pollute my mind with whatever success I got.
What are some effective conflict resolution techniques for general managers? ✏️
Managers are basically desired to get the task managed by the people they work with. It is obvious to have conflicts in the workplace – be it between the colleagues, different departments, between customer-vendor and so on.
We are aware of the most common set of negotiation strategies in conflict resolution, known as the Thomas-Kilmann model.
Let us discuss the ‘ABCDE’ of the commonly used conflict management techniques by the business managers as deliberated below:
1. Accommodate: Many times, vendors comply with the demand of customer, thus accommodate the requirements if not significant in nature and ensure conflict does not arise.
2. Balance: Sometimes, it is important to give equal weightage to both the parties and both might be correct in their viewpoints. In such a situation, both parties compromise on their respective stand.
3. Compete: Not a very sought-after method, but managers use it to get the work done. It may result in one party giving up on its stand might not be a happy situation.
4. Defer: If a clear resolution is not in sight or the parties need time to cool off, avoiding any conflict for the time being is a better option. Critics can call this an Ostrich approach as well. Remember, we can cross the bridge when it comes.
5. Engage: A win-win situation wherein the conflicting parties resolve to achieve a bigger goal by collaborating. A reporting manager and her subordinate can collaborate to deliver faster results and get appreciation together.
What is your suggested technique?
🎯 I believe in Myself, Not in Your Opinions
Just came across a news article stating opinion of Nick Allan, CEO of firm Control Risks, reproduced as: “Companies considering India as an investment destination are concerned over long-term outlook of the India-China relationship, besides factors such as competitiveness, the Centre-state polity, societal conflicts, short-term infrastructure and skill availability.”
It reminded me of an anecdotal experience from around 2018 of a discussion with a company from an Asian country for a Product having application in Flue Gas Desulphurization. The company had a limited range of offerings. When asked for the sequence of product development, they said that it was in licensing arrangement (seems, gone sour later) with a European company. Incidentally, we had earlier received a firm denial from the same European company that they did not want to share the technology to anyone.
It is not uncommon for companies from Americas & Europe, the so-called ‘developed’ world, to remain skeptical about their partnerships especially regarding sharing technology with the companies from the global south countries. There may be reasons for such skepticisms, but I would like to state here that India does provide adequate platform to overseas companies for protecting their techno-commercial interests. Resolutions of Cairn Energy, Vodafone disputes and recent historic agreement between Air India and Boeing for 200 aircrafts, showcase India’s evolving regulatory framework and reemphasis for global trust on contracts with Indian businesses.
Recently, in a report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India has moved up to 10th rank in terms of business environment for 2023-27, from the 14th rank in 2018-22. It is a continuous process and shall remain so for India’s transition to a mature market from emerging one.
India needs global investments to boost her manufacturing & technological industry for uplifting living standard of over 1.3 billion population -need of the hour -given the importance companies accord to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). United Nations’ chief has also said recently: “The SDGs need a global rescue plan.” Industrialized nations must do their part.
Nevertheless, it is also important that Indian companies must also join hands in exploring new advancements not only in terms of operations but also for the research and development. MOUs and Partnerships agreements entered by and among Indian Public Sector companies like BHEL, Coal India, ONGC, NLC, IGL, NTPC, NPCIL etc. to embark on a journey exploring applications of the emerging & critical technologies. ‘REVO’, is one such example wherein two Indian auto majors Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are collaborating for the development and production of Electric Vehicles (EV). UPI is our pride and hope to see the list growing bigger and better.
May Lord Ganesha’s blessings always be with us. Happy Vinayak Chaturthi!
Image: Braj Singh
Happy Krishna Janmashtami – A Day to Remember the One Who Stood by the Virtue
Desmond Tutu, the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize awardee, became the first Black person to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa on this day i.e., September 7 in the year 1986. He was awarded the prize for his firm opposition to the apartheid. Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, was elected to the office in April 1994 marking the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
It may be coincidental that today we are remembering Lord Krishna, who lifelong struggled against injustices and strived to ensure triumph of virtue. Krishna, a synonym for black, was the name given to the master strategist who was adept equally at playing flute and planning war moves. He was at ease both in shepherding the cow herd and in taking to the task the mischievous elements. A lot has been written and said about Krishna which need no repetition here. The effort is to just emphasize that perseverance to do something leads to the success in way that it becomes legend for the generations to come.
In the same breath, we can also pause and rethink our reverence for white and dismay at black. Again, a lot is being discussed across the geographies and cultures to treat everyone equally. We are now becoming aware of the sensitivity of the ‘fairness’ and appreciating the non-fair skin. Accepting and respecting people based on their action and not as per their birth, caste, creed, religion, race, colour is what we can offer to the Lord on today’s auspicious occasion of his birthday, popularly being celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami.
Image Credit: Ravi Ranjan
Collaborating: Conflict Strategies for Nice People
In 1958 Martin Luther King Jr. published “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story” expressing: “…the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people…”
This was true then and is true now and in the context of our discussion about workplace conflict. A ‘nice’ person valuing friendly relations with colleagues who never picks a fight, might be just as responsible for group dysfunction as her more combative teammates. Conflict is uncomfortable, but it is the source of true innovation and also a critical process in identifying and mitigating risks.
Teams need conflict to function effectively. Conflict allows the team to come to terms with difficult situations, synthesize diverse perspectives, and make sure solutions are well thought-out. The secret of having healthy conflict and maintaining your self-image as a nice person is all in the mindset and the delivery.
The article provides a few tips on improving the delivery by anyone in her role of adding value to the team not in how often you agree, but in how often you add unique value.
1. Use “and,” not “but.”: Invite and engage teammates in problem-solving, which is inherently collaborative instead of combative. Try seeking more points of view instead of taking ‘my way or highway’ route.
2. Use hypotheticals: Being contradicted does not feel very good. Instead, ask about assumed situations and get teammates to imagine. Try to jointly explore different scenarios to reach an agreement.
3. Ask about the impact: Directing a few open-ended questions to your teammate is also useful as it is considered open to ideas and being curious about the right approach.
4. Discuss the underlying issue: It is akin to Covey’s 5th habit (in a series of 7 habits) of highly effective people, seeking to understand first, before making yourself understood. It helps the situation move toward an amicable resolution. Many conflicts on a team spiral out of control because the parties involved aren’t on the same page.
5. Ask for help: Own the misunderstanding and seek team opinion. If something is really surprising to you, say so. A frivolous idea can be examined with a series of genuine, open questions to help steer the plan in the desired direction.
Conflict – presenting a different point of view even when it is uncomfortable – is critical to team effectiveness. Diversity of thinking on a team is the source of innovation and growth. It is also the path to identifying and mitigating risks. Use one of these techniques to make it a little easier, rather than shying away from conflicts.
The alternative is withholding your concerns, taking them up outside of the team, and slowly eroding trust and credibility. That’s not nice!
addition in an article by Liane Davey
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Constructive Feedback – A Prerequisite for Excellence
निंदक नियरे राखिए, ऑंगन कुटी छवाय। बिन पानी, साबुन बिना, निर्मल करे सुभाय।। — Kabir Das
Kabir Das, a 15th century Indian mystic poet and saint, emphasized the role of ‘critic’ in the development of human being. He states that we should invite our critic whose criticism guides us to work on the areas of improvement by the self only, without any external influence. Taking a cue from the great saying of Kabir Das, constructive criticism by mentor works as a feedback for the students and must be taken in the positive spirit only for self-development and not as an offence.
It is mentor’s responsibility to make her student better than before. Some of the points important for the students to note and internalize can be discussed as below:
-First Deserve, then Desire: There is nothing wrong in desiring anything, howsoever, impossible it may appear. It is, however, imperative to first work on the self to be ready for the same. Just wishful thinking would not take us any far. A concrete foundation is required to build a invincible fort of excellence. Dreams do not have any expiry date and we must have the courage to invest in our own self to improve.
-Life is about Celebration, not Regret: As is said, we must look at life with positivity and just a sphere of endless struggle. Life is all about success, failure, rejoice, sorrow, triumph, celebration and so on. Go with the flow, learn new skills and try to make it better every next moment. Our attempt should be to win over the difficult situations with a tact and have plan B for every plan A. Mentor’s words and experiences do come handy in such situations.
John C. Maxwell rightly says: “It’s said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others’ mistakes. But the wisest person of all learns from others’ successes.” This must be our mantra in life.
-Competency is required along with Eligibility: A perfect blend of talent, interest and of course, with the needed opportunity is a sure recipe for anyone to achieve excellence in life. Many times, it is seen that students (and senior professionals as well) get frustrated when they do not get through a job. It is important to work on improving the competency. The world is a realistic place and achieving success is relative to our peers and competitors.
गुरु कुम्हार शिष कुंभ है, गढि गढि काढैं खोट। अंतर हाथ सहार दै, बाहर बाहै चोट।। — Kabir Das
Another gem of Kabir just illustrated, lays down the role of Guru (Mentor), who like the Potter, carves the best out of her mentee (Pot) by curing the flaws of the disciple with utmost care by developing her with inner strength while critiquing (pounding the pot) from outside.
This summarizes the essence of the relationship between Mentor & Mentee. Look forward to constructive criticism…
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Rajesh Ranjan's Weblog 