'India has to be viewed as a continent and not as a country...

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By THF Team , October 13, 2011 40Share

Mr. Harsh Chopra Mr. Harsh Chopra (Country Manager & Founding Partner, Adizes Institute, India) talks to Srishti Malasi about how lack of internal alignment can result in organisational disintegration, and explains how Adizes methodology could facilitate an ideal work environment. He will be presiding over the webcast on Internal Organisational Disintegration at www.thfdigital.com on Oct. 20, 2011.

Q- How would the webcast on Internal Organisational Disintegration benefit people; and who should participate in this event? Adizes Group has concluded from its study of thousands of organisations worldwide that a significant amount of energy of organisations is dissipated in Internal Marketing this means internal politics, bureaucracy and cross functional friction thereby reducing the energy available to address external customer needs. Adizes Institute has developed a structured methodology over the last 30 years which cuts down this internal noise and develops a culture of mutual trust and respect by aligning the key decision makers. This has enormous implications for organisations which witness a quantum improvement in performance. The book by Dr.Adizes Mastering Change which has been translated in 30 languages explains how this can be done in simple terms. CEOs, Business Heads and HR Heads should participate in this event. Those companies which have just been merged or acquired suffer an internal paralysis for the first few months when employees waste their time in speculation and rumours. In the best of companies there is a flight of talent as cultural incompatibility takes its toll. Family concerns in which the next generation is being groomed but the older professionals do not accept them is another example of companies who will benefit from this webinar. Then there are large family run conglomerates where an unofficial organisation structure exists within the official organisation structure and professionals hired from outside tear their hair out trying to figure out the real power structure. Another case is that of companies who have scaled up fast and now brought in a set of professional managers who are a different breed from the old timers who have worked with the founder during his formative years. Inevitably a turf war breaks out between the old guard and the laptop wielding new professionals with MBAs from prestigious schools. In such cases the CEO does not know how to address this internal paralysis or even where to start, and he often abdicates the entire responsibility for internal integration and assigns it to HR and shifts his focus other more pressing matters.

Q- Corporate India works on dynamics that are very different from those of the western world. What specific strategies have you formulated keeping the Indian market in mind? Work culture varies dramatically across countries. In Japan the work style is consensus driven and they carry everyone along, although the decision making process is slow. Japanese nod politely and smile no matter what the speaker says. They take a long time to come to a consensus but then implementation is fast. Italians are aggressive, passionate and articulate and meetings appear chaotic to an outsider. In Russia executives never publicly question anyone in authority. In Israel authority gets challenged and everything is questioned. Scandinavians work well in teams and are united on most issues. American culture promotes individualism and the export of American management practices come loaded with cultural nuances and a touch of arrogance. American management practices, like American fast food, cannot be cut and pasted in all countries. India is diverse and has to be treated as a continent, not a country. In general Indian managers are articulate, open to new ideas, comfortable with complexity and able to handle uncertainty but poor in teamwork and integration. Internal organisational alignment is poor and especially family managed companies are riddled with internal dissention and split vertically based on personal loyalties to different members of the ruling clan. Even at the country level Indias biggest challenge is internal disintegration. The overwhelming majority of problems are internal not external as our political leadership would like to have us believe. India has one of the most over-regulated economies in the world with excessive Government controls which have sapped the vitality of the nation and stifled entrepreneurship. The path breaking IFC report Doing Business in 2010 which compares regulations in 183 countries has documented how India ranks when it comes to starting a business, dealing with construction permits, paying taxes and enforcing contracts. Excessive regulations have also resulted in large scale corruption. This has reached endemic proportions and corroded the very foundations of civil society to the point that you cannot run a business without managing the regulatory system. Q- A chemical engineer by qualification, and having been the CEO of organisations like Intertek, Rayban and Baush & Lomb India, what prompted you to switch to management consulting and management education in this niche area ? After 30 years of doing budget versus actuals in an operational role across diverse industries, when I met Dr.Ichak Adizes last year in Chennai over lunch, I was convinced that this a natural fit for me and one that will be professionally rewarding. Q- What is your personal leadership style, and who is your ideal leader ? I follow the employee empowerment and engagement philosophy and delegate almost to the point of abdication. This is probably a reaction to my belief that Indian companies are overmanaged. I admire several Indian corporate leaders. Ratan Tata for his value systems and vision in creating a cohesive conglomerate despite its diversity. Kishore Biyani for kick starting a retail revolution in the country.

Q- Are you good at maintaining a work-life balance? How do you de-stress yourself amidst a demanding work schedule? I love reading, travelling and trekking and believe in maintaining a work-life balance. I have taken a conscious decision to prioritise family commitments and health even at the cost of career or business growth once I crossed 50 in age. Q- Do you think that as enterprises are busy cashing in on the growing Indian economy, they are ignoring vital issues pertaining to internal management? Yes, absolutely! Most companies are simply unaware of the potential that can be unleashed by releasing the energy and resources that are consumed in internal organisational conflict. It is only by building a culture of mutual trust and respect inside the organisation that this energy can be released to address external customer issues. India has to be viewed as a continent and not as a country...