Just as SEMANSHIP involves an understanding of wind and tides, of lieutenants' capabilities, of the crew's morale and of the seaworthiness of the vessel, chief executives have a deeper responsibility than just numbers. They must keep a weather eye on customers and markets, PRESERVING the best PRACTICES  in the company and having the RIGHT PEOPLE IN RIGHT PLACES. NOT THE short term goals. !!  What's your take?

Today we do not understand the language spoken by the birds; a day will come when we can communicate with birds. As a human race, we will be far wiser when we will start understanding the thought process of the birds.

When we learn a foreign language as a second language in school, college or in our professional career, we always learn the grammar; but when we learnt the mother tongue, we learnt the language and that’s it. The later method is more enjoyable and increases our affection towards learning the language.

Contradiction

Dear Organizations, at one hand u r expecting the sales growth this festive season and at other hand u r announcing block closures, retrenching the employees thus reducing the purchasing power of people. Is it not a contradiction?

Car Industry - India , Similarity with 1991 with 2013 and MSL's solution

"Between August 1989 and July 1991, the price of the 800 increased 65%,  from Rs. 1,00,680 to Rs. 1,66,629. Car prices had been revised upward seven times in that period for most models. (Please note seven times for the small period of 24 months).

Prices of raw materials and components also kept climbing , mainly because of increases in the administered prices of steel and aluminium and power, and strong inflationary trends.The cost of imports also increased , because of the devaluation of the rupee against the dollar by 18% in July 1991, the need to provide margin money by importers and a requirement to buy EXIM scrips for imports. High interest rate and tightening of money supply ( Same measures are taken by present Governor of RBI 2 days ago) pushed up the cost of the production and also affected the demand for car loans, the interest on which increased by about 10 %  in 1991-92. Reduced depreciation benefits on cars affected car purchases by companies and independent professionals.

Cars sales declined by 7 percent. While sales of other cars fell by 28 %, Maruti clocked a 6 % increase in the sales of its cars and increased its market share to 66 %. Maruti sales may also have turned negative since the sales of the Omni and the 1000 cc car were declining. However, we cut prices to maintain sales growth. The prices of the Omni, which had been raised by 8 % in December 1991, were reduced by 4 % in January 1992. Similarly, the price of the 1000 cc car was slashed by 6% in January 1992. The company still managed to make profit of Rs. 6.61 crore in 1991-92, though it was lower than the previous year's profit of Rs. 8.82 crore"

* Text in the bracket is my comment.
 FROM THE BOOK The Maruti Story By R C Bhargava with Seetha - COLLINS Business.

Retention is an issue ? No if --

What is that is required to retain the s/w engineers in an organization?

It is the same that is required to retain an employee in an engineering firm – Interest in people.

One needs to understand, interests of a person with whom you are interacting. It is a continual process. You cannot decide today that now you want someone to stay in the organization. To elaborate my point I will take help from an experience shared by Achyut Godbole.

He met one engineer at an airport and the engineer told him that he worked in the organization headed by Achyut Godbole for a period more than what he would have been, if at one point of time Achyut Godbole had not informally discussed with him about the passion of Karnatak music. The day when this informal discussion had taken place the engineer had the resignation in his drawer which he torn after the interaction with then CEO Mr. Achyut Godbole.

Someone may be passionate about photography, my friend Vinay is passionate about painting whereas another friend Sujit and his wife are passionate about Indian music, whereas my another friend Sunil is passionate about trekking.

 As a catalyst to retain these relationships with me and my circle or for that matter with the organization I have to be a thread between all these or have to be a canvass to get accommodated these different personalities. And in the process I will have to be colourful with THEIR colours. In short Jack of all and master of some.

Money is the 4^th or 5^th criteria considered by the people to be in the organization. What people seek is the family bonding (Extended family at work place). These things are all time tested. Why Shivaji Maharaj could retain people in spite of adverse conditions, because He used to take interest in the pain and pleasure of the people around him.

What is your take?