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In a recent issue of The Economist a column by Bartleby on management writing alludes to a lack of focus in recent books, on people who run actual companies and take actual decisions. He has a point. While a lot of the books are from an academic or observational standpoint, those written by management practitioners often tend to be either memoirs or to-do manuals with a limited focus.
Catalyse: Power up your People Ecosystem by Krish Shankar, however, goes beyond this trend and focuses on the central nervous system of management science – the people ecosystem. He applies both current theory and practical experience to draw a path for getting the best out of the future.
It is evident the author is a lifelong student and an innovative practitioner who is passionate about sharing and creating value. Having spent two decades with Unilever before working with leaders in IT and telecom, the two fastest evolving industry segments over the last 15 years, he has been both in the trenches and the towers with companies that succeeded through people.
Set in a unique and user-friendly style, the basic intent of the book is transformative. Fifteen chapters from introduction to conclusion are named very appropriately after iconic songs that you have heard and hummed for decades. Each depicts a stage in the transformative journey, from questions that are Blowin’ In The Wind, to travelling The Long And Winding Road to achieve optimum outcomes. A pictorial at the start of each chapter lays out the complexities in an easy to absorb and retain format. View it once again after you’ve been through the chapter and everything falls into place nicely.
Key, however, are content, context and continuity. Every topic is framed lucidly, constructed with theory, explained with specific examples – usually by its expert practitioner who is quoted extensively, along with an execution template linked to outcomes. Take employer brand building which goes from defining unique differentiating attributes, then your brand personality, emotional benefits and finally the functional benefits as the EVP. To shed further light, there is Anuradha Razdan, CHRO of HUL, telling you how the company thought through the critical steps.
Definitely more than a clever ad-line or positioning banner. So, no quick-fix solutions which is important because as Bartleby goes on to state in his article, many current readers of management books are looking for a solution they can order online today and have delivered tomorrow!
Similarly, the chapter on culture starts with an elegant definition. “Clearly observable or experienced behaviours, consistent over time.” After a detailed set of steps with context, we have Anand Kripalu, the former CEO of Diageo, take us through highlights of its culture transformation from the USL days, to achieving 40 per cent diversity in the exe-com, a remarkable feat in that industry.
There’s the core of motivation and finding purpose from Leena Nair, now the CEO of Chanel, a trailblazer if there ever was one and the power of coming together, from Nestle after the Maggi fiasco - a comeback of epic proportions.
Same goes for other hot-button topics that focus on people and will be key to future success for any organisation – attracting talent, developing leadership, ensuring diversity or creating purpose. What stands out in this little book that packs in a lot are the author’s passion and the broad sweep of organisations that he has observed closely, starting with the unique companies he has worked with. HUL, the powerhouse of continuous management learning, Airtel, which went through phases of identity transformation, from being the legatee of a government utility to an infrastructure company, to a consumer company, to an essential service, even while growing exponentially both numerically and geographically. Finally, now Infosys with its marquee status in one of the toughest talent marketplaces in the world today. All were started in different eras and went through key transformative journeys to retain their leadership status. Then the legion of new-age companies whose innovations have been studied and highlighted, from Amazon to Zara and our own trail-blazers such as Indigo, Swiggy and Oyo.
Left to themselves, corporate strategies could be very Darwinian, aiming for survival of the fittest. Approached with empathy and rigour you could endeavour to carry everyone along and end up achieving greatest good with the greatest numbers. As technology changes, the landscape and workplace demands and dynamics evolve, and it needs continuous learning, continuous effort, and a “human touch” as the catalyst to enable transformation. Even Springsteen would surely approve.
(The reviewer is Director, Edge Executive Search, a recruitment agency for senior and mid-level professionals
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