The Hindu Business Line : Dreams and success

Most senior managers recognise that the process of strategic planning is no longer useful. It is fraught with politics and power games. It is too analytical and time-consuming, perhaps more suitable for a research-oriented environment than the fast-paced industry. The benefits flowing from a strategic planning exercise are rather incremental; whereas radical improvements are sine qua non for achieving success in the present dog-eat-dog competition. Often , the plan is unrealistic, because it is designed at a level, which is far removed from the front office and the factory shop floor. It is too compliant and inhibits initiative.

To stay successful

The business environment in the twenty-first century will not become less challenging. On the contrary, it will become more complex, more interconnected, and unpredictable. The last thing that a company wants in this scenario is a muddled and complicated strategic planning process that comes up with a bland and uninspiring picture of the future. To stay successful in this setting, companies need to develop dreams, design visions that motivate their employees and generate energy and commitment.

A vision must be much more than a mere verbal statement.. It must be “a dream with a deadline,” in the words of Jacques Horovitz. It must be grandiose and eloquent to attract attention, yet realistic and on the ground, so that it is capable of achievement. It must reflect the urgency and immediacy of action. A long distance goal has a tendency to keep receding. The vision must have a tool for measuring success, when it happens. It must contain means to reward people responsible for its execution. Every employee must be associated with the design and development of the corporate dream. Encouraging participation makes the vision that much more easy to execute than a top-down dictate.

It is not an easy exercise. Preparation of a pragmatic dream calls for selectivity, consistency, focus, and accountability. This warrants the capability to project an uncertain future with as much certainty and probability as possible and, then, work backwards to complete the dotted lines.

Discipline is a fundamental element in the execution of a dream. It is required to translate the corporate dream into action. The success of a dream depends on the kind of organisational design that will help in the execution of that dream. Structural modifications may assist to a certain extent, but they are usually too mechanistic and confine people into specific roles and pigeon-holes. In such cases, it is better to work with some given principles and procedures.

Three building blocks

While discipline is about ensuring that all the initiatives proceed in the right direction; and that the management walks the talk always and every time; yet, there are three other building blocks — Trust, Support, and Stretch — that are crucial for a flexible organisation.

Trust in fellow employees is higher than all other considerations. Trust expedites execution as it involves more people into the campaign. Further, trust creates a correlation between management and employees.

Support is about putting one’s money where one’s mouth is. It requires investing resources into what has been recognised as vital and essential to the execution of the dream. It includes identifying strong leaders to champion the initiatives. Finally, stretch is about exhorting and encouraging people to go beyond their comfort zones. It creates in them an urge to experiment and propose new ways of doing things, agreeing to, and then, achieving extraordinary goals.

(The author is a Chennai-based freelance writer.)