Sunday, June 30, 2013

178 Monday Musings: The conspiracy of coincidences

178 Monday Musings: The conspiracy of coincidences

I got introduced to this phrase the day before yesterday and ever since it has been swarming on my mind like a beehive. The basic premise of the phrase is that coincidences, particularly the positive ones, have their own algorithms. They are not isolated or random as they appear to be. When things happen in a way that everything falls in place or when people turn up to help and solve when you are stuck in the most unimaginable way or when breakthroughs fall in your lap or an unrelated chain of events creates ripples which land at your feet, one cannot help but smile at the conspiracy of coincidences. 

I have heard many recount how their project was stuck for long in either bureaucratic maze or resource crunch or a difficult roadblock and then suddenly someone appeared from nowhere and solved it for no apparent gain of his. The conspiracy of coincidence is the savior. 

There are times when you are nursing a dilemma that has become the sore of your soul and you meet someone at the airport or the train and the casual conversation meanders through banalities and reaches exactly at the doorstep of your dilemma. You find that the stranger has been through it or is going through it, and in the course of the conversation either gives you an insight which you were missing it all this while or a solution that your were blinded to or makes you feel puny in the petty way you were relating to the crisis. You are amazed at the conspiracy of coincidence. How did he know what your were thinking or going through?

You are reading a book, researching a subject, following an author and the new joinee at office seems to have researched the subject in a detail that you can't even imagine. He adds a new zing to your pursuit and makes you widen the audacity of your ambitions. You cannot thank the conspiracy of coincidence enough. 

You are nursing a relationship ache. If you are dramatic you will believe it is the end of the world, if your are a realist you will believe it was meant to happen and move ahead and if you are a pragmatist you will find the silver lining - in all possibilities there is a great chance that you are left disillusioned. Just when you are at the tethering end of the rope, dangling precariously from the precipice, you meet someone who is either so naive and happy that you feel guilty at your own corruption of soul and ask yourself 'did i give up a tad too early', or he is so optimistic that you tell yourself 'let me give happiness one more chance'. Either ways, you are thankful to the conspiracy of coincidence, which saved your soul.

I guess, the rainbow of life lends such conspiracies to make it more tolerable or enjoyable - the perspective however is yours.

Guru

Saturday, June 1, 2013

177 Monday Musings: Total Recall

177 Monday Musings: Total Recall

What makes companies recall leaders, either in management positions or on the board, after they have either retired or have been sacked before? Narayan Murthy, the venerated founder of the iconic software giant Infosys has been called back to be its executive Chairman. A few days ago, on the other side of the world P & G recalled A.G. Lafley as its chief executive officer after having retired from the company in 2009. The legendary Steve Jobs who was fired from the company he co founded, Apple, was called back to change its fortunes in 1997. Similarly Howard Schultz reentered Starbucks and created a success story. I am sure there are more, some which have worked spectacularly and some which have not. 

These are of course high profile examples that are being talked about in the press, but everyday in organisations this issue gets played out in dozens, and without much fanfare. At its heart, such recalls betray a fundamental question, are some people more indispensable than others? One might couch such recalls in sophisticated glibness, but it boils down to a plea-on-the-knees to such knights in shining armory, 'please-save-us'. Its nothing but an SOS!

Where does that leave the celebrated HR process called 'succession planning'? Can it be really planned? Does a process, fitted with objective talent assessments, development plans, shadow learning, coaching and the whole nine yard of it, guarantee success for the incumbent? Almost everyday, vacuum gets created when incumbents hang up their boots or are shown the door in everyday roles and one is left wondering, if the organisation got it wrong. As the downward slide begins, there is denial to begin with, artificial patience is discovered in the name of giving time, because no one wants to admit that they messed it up, and finally when the stink goes out to the neighborhood, a suitable explanation or scapegoat is found. 

But what if everyone genuine believed that the replacement was indeed capable to shoulder the responsibility, but the cookie crumbled in an entirely different way? What if a fool proof succession planning is actually a myth, a conceptual impossibility?

Yet another dimension to all of this is what is the message you are sending to different stakeholders. The customers, shareholders and the markets will be delighted because they draw comfort from familiarity and track record. But how do employees view this? Employees, usually at one or two levels below the incumbent might view this as the return of glass ceiling? They might view this as a delay in their own aspirations, which impacts their engagement and motivation. A sense of indispensability around one has the potential for alienating dozens. 

Guru