Friday, September 29, 2006

Lord Krishna Vs. Corporate Organizations

Dear Readers,

I am an MBA working with the strategy group of a company with nearly BUSD 10 turnover. This introduction I feel was necessary to communicate to you that I am very much a part of the world and situation I am about to discuss now.

Karma - to put it simply is the concept of self - realization. It is based on the logic of taking actions without looking at the outcome. The advantages of following this logic can be many. But the biggest advantage as I see it is that as you have no fear of loss or no distraction of the vision of victory you therefore give your sincere and best effort to the cause at hand.

But this advantage is what has prompted me to jot down my thoughts. In the corporate world, that I belong to, everything is result oriented. Every activity that you undertake, every initiative that you implement, every project that you execute is based on results. Even our own performance in the organizations has to be result oriented (Read KRAs / KPAs) and not task oriented.

Let me elaborate a bit more. All the stakeholders right from the Equity investors, lenders, Management, employees, Suppliers, business partners, stock markets, competitors and even the consumers look at the bottomline and topline of the organization. Would you invest or buy shares in an organization running into losses??? Lets look at a more specific example. In Mergers & Acquisitions the heart (disounting synergies and core competencies) lies in Valuation. No matter what route you take DCF or Multiples you look at the future results (read Cash flows) of the target company. Would you acquire a company with negative future cash flows?? Or Still better. Would you acquire a company without even looking at future results??? Wouldn't it be insane to do anything like that. Won't any company who adopts such kind of measure is sure to end up being takenover by someone who believes in taking actions with an eye for results.
Now, Just try and imagine that you are an investor who is ready to invest your entire life's savings in an organization and you have come across an Organization with a Management Philosophy like - "We are in the business of achieving Moksha. Our aim is to ONLY implement / execute our actions to the best of our abilities and sincereity. Increase in sales, profts and return to investors are not the things that can deviate us from our aim ". What will you do?? - 1) invest, or 2) run away as far as possible, 3) send your CV to the HR Dept. .

Lets move on from organizations to individuals. In this time, of PEs/ VCs/ IBs etc, where the remunerations are making and breaking the records within the sameday, can you imagine yourself or anyone for that matter going for an interview and accepting the job offer without asking or negotiating for the CTC or without ckecing out the job content. In this case, both the CTC or the job profile are the results you look at. Your action over here is taking the interview and the result is getting the job with the right job profile and with the right package.

I can go on and on about this. But the point still remains - Karma they say takes you on to the road to Moksha (or Liberation). But for Karma you need to take actions without looking at the results. But no Corporate entity (individual or Organization) has the liberty and the right to take actions without focussing on the results (Remember - The aim of an organization is to maiximize the returns to its various stakeholders). So, what does that mean - The Concepts of Karma / Moksha are fundamentally against the concept of the Corporate world???? And, can there ever be a merger (no acquisitions over here) of the Corporate World Philosophy to Lord Krishna's Philosophy??

I invite your comments on this.

The Struggle of love..

Am struggling to bathe in the raindrops
Falling on my soul…
I see you in the weeping clouds…
I see you in the rain …
Though, the tears of GOD…. Has given me a reason to smile
But … Am not happy .. Am Sad….

Am struggling to live our memories
Running through my heart …
I see you in my eyes ...
I see you in my soul …
Though, your memory … Has given me a reason to smile
But … Am not happy .. Am Sad….

Am struggling to steal you from the heavens
Hiding you inside …
I see you in MY Truth …
I see you in HIS lies…
Though, our child in my arms ... Has given me a reason to smile
But … Am not happy .. Am Sad….

Am struggling to understand this marriage of love and pain
Deciding the fate of our lives …
I see God’s Love …
I see Devil’s Ploy…
Though, The love that I have received ...Has given me a reason to smile
But … Am not happy .. Am Sad….

Am struggling to wake you from your sleep
Brought on to you from the skies …
I see you MY Angel …
I see you MY Wife…
Though, the hope of meeting you on the other side ...Has given me a reason to smile
But … Am not happy .. Am Sad….

Am struggling NOT to question the ways of My Lord
Running my life ….
I see HIS victory…
I see HIS loss….
How can I be happy? .. How can I smile??
When all your love.. brings only.. agony, pain & cries...
--- Vinny (28.09.06)