Business and Philosophy

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The other day, at a get together, I overheard a friend's husband talking about it. It was an interesting conversation going on and I moved closer to be a part of it. Then the 'housewife' in me stopped me from doing that. It was not appropriate behaviour to barge or nudge into a discussion about work when I had quit my job twelve years back. It was also not so straight forward as there were more women in the crowd and I had to be a part of that, rather than hang around with the boys. I continued with my delicious meal and waited for the family to come to fetch me. Some of the snatched pieces of the conversation are here.

Why do companies make Mission statements and Vision statements ? Does any employee ever remember what is the 'Mission or Vision' statement is? But while working, we spend hours creating this. I remember, there were external consultants called to help us come to our Mission statement and vision statement. There were endless meetings, jargons used to say how your company was different or better. At times people said, the competition is not a benchmark for us. And lots more mumbo jumbo which would beat the hell out of the B school guys. We all had to show we were not just employees or mere good looking but intelligent too. The endless charts we filled and the diagrams we made to relearn our organizational role and responsibilities, were so crazy.

Apple makes phones and Samsung makes phones. There are no lines of buyers when a Samsung phone is launched. Samsung does make the best phones with world class technology. They have got some questions covered . For example:
Q.What are they in the business of?
Making mobile phones.
Q. How are they making these phones?
Using World class technology.
Q. Who are they making for?
The buyers
Q. Why are they making these phones?
Don't Know.
The 'What', 'How' and 'Who' very well answered but in the buyer's mind,  Samsung has not covered the 'Why'. Apple on the other hand tells consumers that they have the answer to 'Why' you should buy an Apple product. The offer the paradigm shift to their buyers. They make it easy and user friendly that anyone of any age can use their phones. (I do not use an Apple or a Samsung phone )

In the past, the Indian businessman never made these vision mission statements. He has been successful for centuries. There are certain communities in India who have been traditionally business communities like the Marwari, Sindhi, Punjabi and Gujarati. They have a way of doing business and most accounts are remembered by the owner by memory. Even when the business expands and more people are hired, the owner's takes all the major decisions. There are scenes even today in the Indian business scenario, where foreign consultants are hired and they recommend some things but the old Tau or Bapa is the final decision maker of what to implement. The success stories of the small Indian businesses are there for all to see. Our whole way of life in India is based on Indian Philosophy. In the West, it was always about achievements and what new success ladders  have you climbed. The Indian philosophy says Man is born and reborn. He keeps completing his Karma and moving to a new birth. The river Vaitarni is what a soul crosses to reach God. The Western religion  believes in a mythological river which people cross when they die to go to the gates of Heaven. The Indian philosophy believes in the cycle of Karma and rebirth. The Indian mentality is not driven by 'what I have  achieved but by 'why am I here? He keeps questioning himself, his actions and the puropose of it all. Many a times, our way of conducting our life and our business is very different. Lot of the Western management stuff does not work for us.

Kellogg's comes to India and says Indian breakfast is unhealthy. It fails. Now all advertising is about how it has the value of wheat and rice and it succeeds. Rice and wheat being staple Indian breakfast ingredients of Paratha, Idly, Dosa, Poha, Roti etc. Colgate comes to India and says we brush our teeth with Neem datun, salt and charcoal...how uncivilised. Now their research has proved to them and they have toothpaste with salt. Dove comes and criticises the 'chip chip' of our hair oil. Now all the beauty products have 'natural oils' in it. India has used natural oils for cooking and beauty from times immemorial. The thought process of the Indian philosophy is what has made India resilient to so many foreign invasions and  religious conversions. With this aural philosophy passing down generations for thousands of years in India, this is a hugely different market to crack for the Western mindset and set formulas may not work. Similarly, we don't need to follow all their best practices. 

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