The Education EQUATION

Shweta, a working mother is always running against the clock to do her bit so that her son gets all he wants to excel in what he chooses to. Talking to her, some parts of our conversation kept echoing in my head.

"I never feel stretched with my work, because at the end i know i'm doing it for the betterment of my family."

"The last time i felt sad was when i could not afford to send my son for an international school league camp on animation. It was expensive and we could not afford it."

"Neither me nor my husband hold our hands back when it comes to developmental needs and resources for our son. But then, everything is getting so expensive, i wonder, how would things be by the time our son reaches college. Will we be able to afford a good standard of living & a good college for him. That is why, we decided to have no more children, we want to give our best to him."

It's not for any other reason but the very helplessness of Shweta as a parent that makes me think, is it fair! May be her expectations are nothing less than the best for her child, may be she doesn't want to compromise on anything to do with her child's development, may be she wants to do what is right for her child. Since when have these become unreasonable expectations….Guess the time has come to look around us and evaluate whether parents really have the right to do what is right for their child.

One of my academic teacher friends mentioned this recently, "I wish for a day when good education will have least to do with the money paid." It's ironic but true that the education cess you pay in every bill for is not enough to ensure a good standard of education in our country at a reasonable price. I feel it is right of a parent to know the return in quality for his hard earned money when he pays for her child's education.

Article published in Interface: "Consumer is constantly evaluating"

While a complete understanding of the consumer is difficult, practices based on key insights can add great value to a brand. I share anecdotes, my own experiences and learning about consumer behavior in this article. It pays off to treat the consumer as a Martian, drop assumptions and listen carefully. Probing with open-ended questions, leads toin-depth consumer understanding. It is important to set up the hypothesis clearly & validate it with a number before moving to the next step. The decoding of this insight in a simple sentence leads to an actionable insight. The key for the Brand then is to stay consistent.

Imagine if we were to have Martians visiting earth & if you were the designated host. What are the first few questions you would ask? - You may want to know what language they speak? ; Is there an interpreter? ; What do they eat? ; Do they breathe oxygen? ; Are they friendly? ; Is it safe to be around them? ; How do they live in their own world? ; You would observe their habits and behaviors. It is this approach that I try to follow while trying to understand consumers.Ψ. Approaching customers as Martians; has helped keep my curiosity high and shed assumptions.

I was 25 years young, three years out of B-School, brimming with confidence when I joined the marketing team at Apollo Tyres. Apollo was about to start a defining journey towards international markets, largely dependent on the success of the Passenger Car Radial (PCR) portfolio. Refer Figure A1. I had two months to propose a new PCR Brand. Like me, there were more members assigned with the same task. We were given freedom to make our own research plan.

Figure. A1

I studied industry data to get the basic information I needed and here is what I gathered. (indicative in nature)-Refer Table. A2. PCR is Passenger Car Radial or Car tyre. YOY is Year on year.

Table.A2

Existing then market share for Apollo	Less than 5%
PCR portfolio	Tube type Tyres (90%), Tubeless (5%), Performance (.08%)
PCR growth YOY	25%
Tubeless Tyres growth YOY	50%+
BIG PCR markets	Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore (north as a region)
Big Tubeless Tyre markets	Chennai, Bangalore (south as a region)

The major pie of the PCR was the tube type (TT) tyre, a fiercely competitive market, with big marketing spends, highly incentivized distribution network & consumer promos. The established players enjoyed strong consumer pull. So, when my colleagues were fighting for Mumbai & Delhi, i requested for Chennai as I saw opportunity in the latest & fastest growing segment. On my way to Chennai, I was anxious; I wasn’t sure whether I had done the right thing, as the entire TL was just 5% of total PCR. I started observing Tyre retail points to understand what was selling & why. I found that customers bought basis a couple of dominant factors,
a) Original fitment: These tyres come fitted on the car at the time of purchase
b) Promotions/discounts: Consumer Promos, Dealer discounts

“Something was amiss, is that it?” I thought to myself, this meant, “launch a new brand of tyres with a focus on getting Original equipment (OE) fitment & run a promotion at retailers to push the brand”. This meant, high credit period for the OE, low profitability for Apollo & a “me ran too” approach in the Multi Brand retail outlets. Something was not right. I decided to meet customers, one on one. It was 2004, the year of cars like Ford IKON, Hyundai Accent, Mitsubishi Lancer & so on. I had some open-ended discussions with consumers about their lifestyle, preferences, & favorite brands followed by their current car & the reasons they chose it. Most of them were driving the new sedans, knew about Tubeless & some had them on their cars. There was a similarity; they had chosen these cars for their high performance in terms of engine, speed & safety (Refer Table. 1 D).

Table 1D

Queries	Key sentences	Insights from probing
How was “choosing the car” experience	“I liked the overdrive, low engine noise & the mileage”, “I had just come back from Singapore & didn’t want to compromise in my choice of car”	Quieter car on highway at higher Speeds & good mileage Updated to latest
Have you taken any accessories for your car till now, how did you go about it	“Alloy wheels enhance the looks & improve mileage”, “Wider Tubeless Tyres improve the grip & keep me safe if there’s a puncture on highway”	Performance which stands out Safety on high speeds (sharp turns & puncture on high speed)
Rate Performance(P) & safety(S)	(P): Speed, BHP, 0 to 100 KPH (S): ABS, Airbags	(P)- speed, acceleration (S)- braking, accidental

I probed, layer-by-layer, asking customers to share their thoughts about the accessories they bought or were looking for. The need to compliment their car came up, for high performance accessories with added safety features. Some of these were Alloys, Tyre pressure sensors, wider tyres for added grip & Auto Cop. I checked the sales figures for these cars & augmented it with some growth percentage & the time when they would be due for a tyre replacement. Refer Table.1C
Table 1C

Proportion of new age cars sold as part of total cars	10%
Growth rate YOY on new age sedans	30%+ (almost double of the other categories)
Accessories sought by this customer	Alloys, Wider tyres, Auto cop
Guiding insight	Accessories for my latest sedan should also be latest in technology & performance
Total PCR (no. of tyres in replacement)	10,00,000 units
Tubeless Tyre	4.5% i.e. 45,000 units
Customers looking for performance	1,50,000 (15%)
Customers looking for safety	4,50,000 (45%)

Customers with new sedans & Customers looking for safety as an important parameter added to 45% of the category between them.

From Table.1D, I got key insights on updated customers looking for high performance with safety, common in their fear of accidents at high speeds. This was a strong platform to build to assure the consumer of a better performance coupled with superior safety at higher speeds & I could decode 400 hours of listening to consumers in one single line on a tissue paper as I sipped filter coffee in a restaurant on mount road, “Safety + Performance @ high speeds”. This became the actionable insight.

Fig. 1E

We launched Acelere, “Go Tubeless- Acelere H-Rated Technotread”(Fig.1E); meant safety even at high speeds (H Rated tyre- speed>240 kms/hr) with superior performance (Tread grip-Technotread). Acelere went on to become one of the largest selling PCR brands, also catapulted Apollo to a new-age international player beyond its Truck Tyre image. Apollo is one of the leading PCR players in the country now.

Ψ. In hindsight the choice of Chennai (read geography) is crucial, as is starting with a set of hypothesis & interacting with consumers with open-ended discussions. It has paid off to ask “how, why, how was the experience, what did you feel, why did you choose” to get to the root of a behavior or preference. I learnt the importance of putting figures behind consumer insights to validate feasibility.

Ψ. It’s crucial to decode the core insight into a simple & actionable sentence, which may be translated into the core benefit or positioning. In case of Acelere, the customer’s aspiration was to find the latest accessory, but when peeled further, the key insight was to have Safety & Performance at high speeds.

A similar “Customer preference” challenge came my way in 2008; I had joined Kidzee as Business Head. Kidzee in spite of having a large number of Preschools was not a preferred brand. The key indicators were enrollment & the fees. I went across cities to meet parents, and also visited competitors. There was a particular group of parents at Bangalore, a mix of housewives, Bank executives & IT folks, this in hindsight were pivotal to Kidzee’s future. I asked parents to share concerns for their child, followed by dreams. Next, I asked about what they liked about their child’s preschool followed by what they thought was the role of Preschool in their child’s development. I also cued them to talk about Fees, facilities, infrastructure & so on.

Figure.B1

While they interacted, I noticed
a) Mothers were more active in the discussion as it progressed than fathers
b) There was a consistent voice from the group about how their child has some peculiar habits & how they were always concerned about his/her well being
c) A continuous urge among parents for “individual attention” for the child

This was followed up with in-depth interviews with the parents in pair, i.e. mother & father. There were some key statements (KS) which, emerged when I went through the focused discussion pointers (DP), leading to the two defining insights
DP 1. What are your dreams for your child’s future?
KS 1. Want my child to pursue his/her own interests, want to provide all resources
DP 2. What are your concerns for your child?
KS 1. Would my child get personalized attention in the school?
KS 2. My child is different from other children, I worry about he/she being cloned

The key insight, “My child is unique, my child’s preschool should acknowledge & focus on getting the best out of my child”.

I realized so as to why Kidzee didn’t have customer preference. We worked with Shinning’s Shombit Sengupta, creating a complete new brand identity for Kidzee based on this insight, followed by a TV commercial & a print campaign, leading to a complete turnaround of the Brand. Kidzee grew phenomenally, beating all records in three-digit percentage, becoming one of the most successful preschool Brands in the next one year.

Ψ. I learnt the importance of in-depth interviews with broader discussion pointers & found that; powerful insights emerge from unaided & uninterrupted experience sharing by the customer. Cues: “what happened next?” or “how did you feel then?”


Ψ. It’s rewarding to have your brand positioned on a key insight deep rooted in customer’s concern. Kidzee was repositioned to “Growing your unique child”.

Tata Sky led some product innovation basis their understanding of housewives by “listening”, understanding concerns, barriers & aspirations. Housewives aspire to be new age women, confident in socializing like workingwomen but struggle with time & the hesitation to take the first step. Active English helped them overcome barriers & be socially confident. Another example from Tata Sky is PLUS, which gives the flexibility to record & view your favorite program as per your own convenience. So while others follow, Tata sky Ψ. listens to the consumer, understands concerns & aspirations, leads innovations by meeting these expectations consistently.

Anna Hazzare’s fight against corruption found supporters across the nation. Hazzare came up with a fighting plan to get the Lok adalat bill. Here’s an excerpt from the newspapers, "In this fight against corruption, India has won, not Anna. You have shown we are united. But the fight must continue." Hazzare warned he would be back if the law to combat corruption in public life is not passed by August 15. Ψ. He listened to the consumer carefully, understood their concerns, & came up with a solution. Consumers hence created this brand “Anna Hazzare’s fight against corruption”. Indigo Airlines is another example. Punctuality has been a common unmet need & though it’s highly valued by Business fliers, no Budget Airline has addressed it in a consistent manner. Ψ. Indigo has been consistently punctual. Senior professionals choose Indigo’s Economy over the Business Class of other Airlines. No lounge, No frills, Paid food, but consistent on time performance. Indigo has been the fastest to break even. No wonders that they are expanding the fleet.

Ψ. It’s imperative to be consistent with the customer, or else one may easily be lost in the crowd. Brands gain in equity with consistent delivery of its promise over time as the Consumer is constantly evaluating.

About the Author: Nitin Pandey is a Business Head with a Social Mission organization at Gurgaon. This article has been based on the Author’s personal experience while in different roles in Marketing, Leading a SBU, & from his observations of brands as a Consumer & Consultant. Nitin is also a Strategy Consultant & Advisor in some organizations & engages as a visiting faculty with leading B-Schools. Among others, his areas of expertise are Consumer Behavior & Brand Management.

Balance in your life

Got this Speech recently by Bryan Dyson (CEO of Coca Cola) from a friend.

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five
balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health,
friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the
air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.

If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - family, health, friends and
spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they
will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even
shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand
that and strive for Balance in your life."

Makes me really think hard about the kind of life most of us lead.
It's like a mirage, going from one prize to the next without a sense of
where does it really stop, it's an endless race which is won by none.
Typically for a young executive or a fresher joining work, one of the first
area which gets neglected is health, as youth normally is more ambitious,
and driven to excel quicker, beat the rest, get more! this more most of the time
translates into more stress, more late hours, more partying, more fatigue,
more burn. The second in line of suffering is the family, since these "newly
found independence" and "own money" youngsters graduate in hierarchy,
they now start spending their time and money with their peer group,
they slowly drift away from their parents and extended
family.

By the time these youngsters get married, they are running the race for
the next promotion, salary hike, buying a house, the next car, they hardly
get time for their own soul and spirit, they hardly stop and ask the question,
"what do i really want?" & hence the spirit goes for a toss. Closely followed are
the lost friends as these hunger to become bigger,more famous makes this
successful corporate a loner at the top. Imagine, where did it all start, from
a young executive close to his family,sincere about making it big in his work
and making it count to someone who's ready to leave everything behind
for the sake of a never ending corporate mirage. Makes me really think hard,
are we really getting the plot right?
are we missing the crucial areas for something which is transcending & volatile.

Active Parenting - Quantiy v/s Quality time!

19th Feb'11 marks a significant step towards some serious value add to XSEED Preschool parents. XSEED Preschool (XPS) PVC team put up a special session for the preschool parents with Dr. Rachna Singh, a parent psychologist. Just the effort of putting up this session amidst all the annual function preparation & time crunch faced by the mentors & the acting Principal Anjana makes me sit up and applaud. Kudos!

On my way to XPS, a lot of thoughts played on my mind. How will the session go? Will the expert connect? How many parents will turn up? The first sight of many vehicles parked just outside the park view campus relaxed me on some counts. While i stepped in the XPS premises, the new security guard made an impression by doing a thorough job & sanitizing my hands. I noticed Miloni, Bobby and Anindita among children just about begining a story telling session. Soon after i walked to the community centre and took a seat behind. With close to 25 engrossed parents, the session had begun.

Anjana had clearly done a lot of research on the expert, Rachna Singh a seasoned psychologist from Escorts Heart Hospital & Artemis came across as hands on and made a solid connect with the parents throughout. The session started with a settling in drill for all parents followed by an informal interaction with parents around their concerns. Next, it dwelved into various parenting styles, the changing environment & culminated with some fabulous role plays from parents.

I'm sharing some key statements and moments here in no necassary sequence.

a)What has changed today compared to the times when we were growing up!
-Joint family is amiss todaywhile we grew up with chacha chachis and bhaiya, didis, our children don't have the extended family support
-children are perpetually busy with electronic gadgets and hardly seen in outdoors with nature like our times
- Children have too many choices on their behest today, right from what do they eat, to clothes, to toys & so on so forth
-Father today needs to be a friend compared to an authoritarian cum FYI character in yester times
- Going out for a meal used to be a big occassion, once a month at best compared to now when we almost take our children out to malls almost every weekend

b) Some common parent concerns & suggested tips by the expert
- If not given what he wants, my child revolts, holds his breath, cries incessantly, throws things. What do i do?
Tip- Use diversion as a tactic, be assertive, take a time out.
-I have twins, one is demanding and the other is equally giving? there is a clear imbalance. what do i do?
Tip- Talk to both your children and discuss with instances and role model the behaviour you would like to inculcate in your young one
-My son is obsessed with cars/cranes. Is there something wrong
Tip-Nothing at all, just be observant, its a fad which may change with times to come
-My child doesn't share his toys even with his best friend whereas his best friend shares his.what do i do?
Tip- Have a discussion with your child and help him realise that his behaviour is unruly and how his friend may also behave similarly and they both would then miss out on a good time together if he doesn't share his toys.
-My son imitates some of the cartoon characters and hits and throws things. what do i do?
Tip-Don't pay too much attention nor react while your child imitates. also, moderate you child's media habits.

c)Some very powerful statements
- Treat your child like an adult
- Your child is a reflection of your own behaviour
- Consistency in parenting styles between the two parents and over a period is crucial for your child's overall growth
- Conflicting parenting attitudes between husband and wife can result into a confused child
- It's important to have both, Quantity as well as Quality time
- It's important to have a separate time between you and your spouse without the child
-The first 3 months after the delivery of your child should always be prioritized with the mother in centre. Only when a mother is in her best emotional health can she raise a child well.

d) Some interesting moments
- Anuj's portrayal of a 4 year old
- Mothers definitely were attentive, but some great and active participation from fathers in the group
- Overall a highly interactive session

My personal key takeaway was
"Consistency in parenting attitude & styles is crucial to a child's overall growth"

Great initiative Anjana, Shafi, Amrinder, Ajit & the entire XPS team at PVC.

a child's imagination

Today by far was a special day.What made it special was a visit to a special abode, some very special company & a magnificent realization. Imagine a place just 15 minutes away from the city hustle bustle, quiet & inhabited by some animals in need of support and shelter. I reached Jeevashram a little earlier, i could notice the focus of the team on genuine care and upkeep of the resident animals. Jeevashram is a 10 minutes drive from NH8, EXIT no. 19 and falls in rajokri. While i waited for the XSEED Preschool children and mentors to arrive, reading through the mission of Jeevashram kept me occupied. Jeevashram means "refuge for animals", like the name suggests it works for animal welfare and also has a veterinary hospital.

After a while i saw some young and bright faces approaching Jeevashram. Lead by their mentors and Principal, they immediatly caught everyones attention at jeevashram including the resident animals, doctors & volunteers. Among the mentors, Snigdha had led this entire initiative. Being an animal lover herself, she had propsed this field trip for children sometime back as she felt strongly about the fact that a focused interaction for children with animals at Jeevashram would be a great way to help children build lasting concepts about animals, especially pet animals.

After settling in initially, each mentor got children in a close huddle and we had three groups of children led by mentors & accompanied by the preschool support staff ready to go for a round of the place. The smile on children's face signalled excitment and anticipation of what lied ahead. Doggy, puppy, white puppy....and so on started the buzz among children. Peacock caught the imagination of a few, especially the way it walked with the neck going back and forward making it really facinating. Bunny, rabbit caught the eye of some whereas some children loved the cats and imitated with the sound of "meow". They next saw a donkey and some cows from a distance calling them out,with a "eureka" tone as if they discovered something live out of their books. The mentors were keeping a close vigil on each child, making it sure that children had their water bottles and rest in right time. Arti, Aditi, Sujata, Bobby, Shweta, led by Anjana & supported by Ajit made this experience enjoyable for each child.

While i could not help being happy & pensive at the same time, i imagined how would it look from a child's eyes, this truely was close to a fairy tale for the child. I realized the true value of experience and action in learning a concept. Just the fact that each child now saw these animals in a manner true to XSEED preschool philosophy made me realise the value of timing these field trips, closest to concept introduction so as to staying true to building lasting & strong concepts. Animal refuge, Jeevashram truely was a fairy tale of cats & puppies, rabbits & peacock for each XSEED preschool child. Today is special.....Thanks Snigdha!

Innovation for superior learning outcomes

Everytime i observe a classroom from a distance or closer, many thoughts
cross my imagination. How it used to be for me in the classroom, my favourite
subject, my favourite teacher.And then i realise that how it's so coincidental that
my favourite subject was always the one taught by my favourite teacher.May be, its not so coincidental afterall. I then thought of asking some friends about this and got the same answer, their favourite subject was the one taught by their favourite teacher.

The role of teacher is often thought in a set framework, but then is it really enough to operate in these set coordinates, that of syllabus, assessment, observation & so on. Perhaps these are very important parameters for effective teaching, but then, isn't it about the child, about learning. If we keep learning ahead of teaching, an imaginative teacher, is may be, more important in the classromm than anything else she may be. No formal grounding, degree or training can compensate for this crucial quality in a teacher.

If i was to be a child again i would like to be taught all my subjects by Sir. Eric, M'am. Manjula, & Thomas sir. They helped me learn different subjects in different classes, right from an early age to senior schooling. Now, when i look back and think, i realise that the biggest common virtue among them was "Imagination & Innovation". More than anything, they always used to introduce concepts in a new way every single time, answer a query with some great examples and on the spot innovation to build basic and lasting understanding. None of them ever seemed to have had a fix notion.

Among many such thoughts, three broad thoughts perhaps are the keystones which differentiate a good and an exceptional teacher.

1. Innovation while preparing for a class
Have noticed that this is most critical while introducing a new concept in the classroom. Difficulty levels go up inversely with the age of a child. Younger the child, the more difficult it is to effectively introduce a new concept. Imagine, introducing the concept of "wild animals" to a 2 year old. I remember observing the class of this young teacher and the experience left me stunned. This young girl welcomed the class & started by uncovering the cloth over a hand made forest, she called it "wild". Soon after, she started telling a story about the "wild" and one by one introduced a wild animal to children, with puppets, sounds, music, & pictures.Not only did she create some handmade props but also crafted a story carefully and prepared for hours to get best results in those 20 minutes of concept introduction. Innovation in advance while preparing for that crucial "concept introduction" adds immensly to learning effectiveness.

2. Innovation in the classroom
Got to read this wonderful mail recently from Calicut XSEED Preschool mentor, shamima. She's shared one of her class innovation in this mail.Am pasting the mail copy as it is here.

"we at XSEED Preschool calicut are happy to see the way our kids write. They try their level best to write in their own way n they manage to write it well, our only concern is their formation and handwriting which we are working on.
I would like to share with you that when we do the word wall we play a small game called ...Find who is hiding in...This happened when i was introducing the word bone and and i just told them hey there is a number name hiding there, and all of a sudden the kids got very excited and said its 'one' and one of them said its so easy just put a 'b' in front of one and we can write bone and since then whichever word we introduce the kids try to find who is hiding in, last week when we introduced the word machine a child said 'chin' is hiding in and now every single child in the class knows to write the word 'machine' without any mistake. This technique has helped us a lot in implementing word wall and sight reading has become much easier and a lot more fun for mentors and kids :)"

This is a classic case of impromptu innovation in the classroom. Some may argue that this is a matter of chance and may happen to any mentor anywhere. True perhaps, but then i believe that only when a mentor is alert about these opportunities and believes in continious improvement would she be able to exercise impromptu innovation in the classroom, makes all the difference.

3. Sharing & monitoring effective innovation
It's one thing to imagine & innovate and another to make it a habit. If shamima didn't share and document her innovation of "find who is hiding", none of us could have benefitted, including her ownself. Imagine to have a repository of "innovation for effective learning", with some detailed case studies like the one from shamim. I can't stop thinking of the power of such shared repository of effective innovation across XSEED preschool mentors. It would enable each mentor to "prepare" so much better for each new concept, each day & hence improve learning outcomes for each child. Keeping child at the centre of this innovation for effecive learning will ensure best experiences for each learner & mentor.

Look forward to your views on this.

leaders who lead me: Bull's eye, Step by step, Classic Hero, & the Control Freak

It's so clichéd’ and so much written about, but then in my limited understanding, I learnt that each leader I observed closely had her/his own style perhaps a little dominant over their own understanding and consciousness. It was a little easier hence, to observe patterns & put labels to some of these. Some of us may or may not fall in these divisions. It’s been sometime, a little over 10 years of observation on these defining leadership styles.

“Bull’s eye” type
This is the type who sets aggressive vision & objectives , enables the team with the right tool kit , helps the team to get the initially needed rhythm internally or externally & then monitors and reviews on key milestones & time lines. This species never struggles on clarity of goal or strategy, is hardly seen interfering in day to day business & is more skewed towards building the future growth engine/s for an organization. Ratan Tata, Rajeev Bajaj, Deepak Parekh typically fit the bill. These are the ones who become Iconic not only for their own organization but for the industry as well. They are typically able to attract the best talent & get the best out of them. Was privileged to work with this type right in the beginning of my career. The words this Bull’s eye type use the most are, “great, achieve timeline, result orientation, reward the achiever, focus on the results, and work backwards from the end”. Working with him, Not only did I over achieve my own ambitions, I also realized that process is the ladder to reach the rooftop, doesn’t matter whether it’s inclined or straight & who holds the ladder and who climbs, in the end what matters the most is reaching that rooftop in the given time without stepping on someone’s head or feet. Also it gave me a framework to think very basic & challenge the established, e.g. What if the quickest route was not that ladder! Being fresh out of campus I had my own notions about process, I was enlightened on the right balance to draw between results & processes.

A couple of quick ones just in case you are working with a bull’s eye type,
+s : Strategic mindset prepares the organization ahead in time, Non interfering and hence looked up to by the team for guidance on future, Are able to get the best out of people from various functions/teams
-s :Can be found wanting on patience with repeated failures, non achievement of goals, Impatient with results

”step by step” type
These are the types, who will go out of the way to achieve through a technically sound process, no matter what it takes. They swear by operational efficiency. They will never compromise on the quality in the process. Typically, you will find them driving TQM, best practices, organization-wide semantics on right from the dress code to the supply chain manual. They have been found most befitting in manufacturing organizations with a matrix structure. Tata steel's Muthuraman is a typical example. Have never worked for a “step by step” type directly but observed a senior R&D Head from a close proximity. What surprised me was the fact that I never saw this lady in her early 40’s being more upset then a time when a pre-defined step was compromised. She seemed alright & UN-flinched even if her team missed the results. Then, I realized, that Process adherence was the result to her, independent of the changing results targeted by the organization or related departments. Frequently used jargon, “six sigma, variance, accuracy, analytics, and continuous improvement”. Finance leaders or dept. heads are also this type in small or mid size organization. I sometimes find them to be the glorified account Auditors.

Are you working with this type? Do write in your own observations for my learning.
+s : Smooth operations even in a matrix structure, good cross functional teams' are able to co-exist, optimum expenses
-s : Lack of aggressive/explosive growth, Loss in market share in wake of delayed decision making

The classic HERO type
These are the types who would not only be seen formulating the strategy but would also be found leading by example. Sports embodies some of these kinds with the most recent being the young Dhoni. They have the ability to motivate the team & demand exceptional results. They are found approachable and accessible by one and sundry, someone who everyone looks towards while looking at his/her own career path. They inspire the best out of people. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela would be the pure HERO type examples. Perhaps, it’s too early to predict, but then, I have interacted for quite some time with an entrepreneur who’s recently started an automotive outfit & is this classic HERO types. He is someone who is never shy to ask for help from much younger and inexperienced team members, even from external experts or observers. In the last few years of operation, he is already become one of the players to watch in the segment & is now looking out to attract some fresh thinking & young talent.

From a close proximity, this is my reading of the HERO type,
+s : Ability to connect with a large team on a 1X1 basis, inspire the team to stretch beyond their best, Teams find them genuinely interested in making a positive difference in their lives & hence go out of the way to achieve the goal
-s : Are sometimes found wanting on emotional grounds, Rely overtly on passion and gut

The CONTROL FREAK type
This type start as result oriented individuals who are able to deploy the result areas but find it tough to disengage from the day to day process. They would jump from one process to another to another with great intentions of improving results. While doing this, they learn across functions and processes and become better in their experience to understand complex situations. In the process, they make themselves trouble shooting leaders and sooner than later start contributing to incremental improvements. As a bi-product they create their own clones in the organization, and suppress fresh thinking or an untried approach. Their enthusiastic "jumping from one task to another, one department to another kind of working style", results in multiple lines of communications to the same team, further adding to the frustration of the team managers, sometimes resulting in utter confusion between teams.
The problems become bigger when these leaders start taking decisions for the team Manager randomly making him feel cluelessly occupied and stupid. Essentially, they manage incremental improvements through personal interventions. Vijay Mallaya, Azeem Premji are extreme examples, but most of the leaders among corporate would fall in this group. I have had the opportunity of working with these types more than often & must say that I quit on them rather than the job. Each time, I worked with the Control Freak type, I learnt a new lesson about what not to do, what not to say, how to manipulate a discussion which could have been simple and straight but displeasing to this type.
Expect phrases like, “I don’t think so, don’t think you should be doing this, you should have come to me, you are not taking feedback, I’m telling you so”.

If you are working with a Control Freak type, all i would say is that avoid being confrontational & direct, get as much data as possible, run analytics every time you have a decision point & select your own team if you can. Of course, I offer you my luck!
Some typical Control freaks have….
+s : Sound understanding of business, develops trouble shooting abilities
-s : Random Intervention leading to incremental improvements instead of explosive growth, Inability to let alternate styles of operations thrive, incremental improvements through personal intervention

Clearly, all the four types exist and can be found across levels and industries. Bull’s-eye type is the rarest breed whereas Control freak type is in abundance. Bull’s-eye over the years have been able to attract the best talent and create maximum value in the shortest of times, whereas Control freak are on the other end of the spectrum & are typically found befitting the incremental leadership style. Where as Bull’s-eye can co-exist with almost all the other types, Control freaks may find it difficult to co-exist with Classic Hero or Bull’s-eye type. In my next notes, I would share my learning on how these different types have been able to co-manage & co-exist. Till then, hope you would watch & identify the Hero & Bull’s-eye type to work with & may be label some as the step by step & Control Freak type. Do write in with common characteristics in each of these types from your own observations.