Diary of a Rural Manager!

This post is in the continuity of the personal-finance series where earlier blog post: Personal Finance - Investment  was published in May 2020. RBI published a very important ‘ Indian Household Finance Survey ’ in August 2017. The report highlighted that: The average Indian household holds 84% of its wealth in real estate and other physical goods, 11% in gold, and the residual 5% in financial assets. A disproportionately high share of wealth allocated to physical (i.e. non-financial) assets, such as gold.  Under-investment in long-term insurance and pension products. Households can move up between 0.4 pp (percentage points) and 1.6 pp by taking on insurance to avoid the burden of emergency credit associated with medical costs Disproportionally large reliance on unsecured debt, mostly from non-institutional sources (e.g. moneylenders). ...

Management is the noblest of professions only if it’s practiced well. There are deep rewards in building up people and businesses. I identify myself as a social intrapreneur based on the behavior traits and initiatives displayed. What I lack is the endurance to iterate and scale an impact model. I was a useful professional at what I do, and was able to contribute decently, but not the man who carried the team. That changed in Rajasthan as I explored potential inside me and gradually a spark to siege the initiative. Leadership at the top levels of not-for-profit organizations tends to steer towards monopolization and loyalty culture. And the time of the leaders is mostly consumed in raising funds rather than building robust programs. That is why leaders always try to handhold individuals who demonstrate an 'entrepreneurial mindset'. The answer to this particular problem is quite clear - to create intrapreneurs. This scenario gives ample place to managers who can manage as well ...

As reading and writing are essential to participating in society, a person has to be financially literate today to plan for the future. This is essential without indulging deep into technical and jargon-filled financial concepts. The ability to save and the power of compounding is not quickly understood by many people. Investment can be done in various asset classes like equities through mutual funds and stocks, Bonds through mutual funds, Gold, P2P crowd-lending, National Saving Certificate, Public Provident Fund, Fixed Deposits through Banks, NBFC (HDFC Ltd.), Post Office, Real Estate and Currency. I have started my career in the shadow of the 2008 financial crisis and have been at the receiving ends of the global recession of 2020 due to Covid-19. Both catastrophes have revealed that we could all benefit from a clearer understanding of how markets work. Let us look at the 2007-2010 period for the fall and rise of Sensex. The meltdown in the global financial system proved to be the...

Parts 0 ,  1 ,  2 , 3,  4 ,  5 , 6 , and 7 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. This is the last part of the Acumen Bootcamp series. I had completed all sessions of the bootcamp. And the interaction with people helped me to define what leadership is. Leadership is an influence. Leadership is born when competence meets character, practical skills meet moral imagination, and urgency meets action. I would recommend the article: Crucibles of Leadership. The last session was a reflection exercise by the participants and moderators on the whole 8-week journey. I was introduced to a rich network of social-sector leaders from across the world, a.k.a Community of Social Innovators. The decline of what sociologists call ‘secondary associations’, where people come together to search and inquire, is one of the processes of atomization that leads to people being isolated and facing this mass of information alone. I hope a new association can help me navig...

VCB-N has launched a series of Webinars on the COVID crises to offer a platform for learning and exchange about the current situation. This is the summary of the webinar on impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural value chains by VCB Network . Speakers: 1. Mr. Barua Kaushik, Country Director IFAD Cambodia & Mr. Fabrizio Bresciani, Regional Economist IFAD Rome - IFAD perspectives 2. Anirban Bhowmik, Country Director, Swisscontact, Bangladesh – the smallholder farmers and the informal sector perspectives in Bangladesh 3. Mr. Andrew Wilson, Regional Coordinator Market Systems, HELVETAS – The market perspective 4. Prof. Liu Yonggong, China Agricultural University (CAU)- The market perspective from China Summary: 1. The COVID crisis does negatively impact households in three inter-connected areas i) food security ii) income and iii) investment ability. In rural areas, the down-fall of prices has diminished the investment ability thus working capital of smallholder farme...

Parts  0 ,  1 ,  2 ,  4 ,  5 , and 6 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. The topic of the 7th session was on Adaptive Leadership. All organizations want individuals to be invested in the rat race. This always shows a better return on investment in salary.  And we are also engaged in the dance of email, instant messages, and meetings. But reflecting in the midst of action is an age-old wisdom, and it is really difficult to achieve.  The crux of the session was on reflection amid action and vice versa The Practice of Adaptive Leadership , a book written by Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz, was referred for detailed reading.  The best part in the summarized reading was our  Illusion of the Broken System : There is a myth that drives many change initiatives into the ground: that the organization needs to change because it is broken. The reality is that any social system (including an organiza...

Parts 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I approached our readings, 14 pages from ‘ On Identity by Amin Malouf , with great eagerness. Amin Maalouf,  born in Beirut, is a prolific writer of fiction, non-fiction, and operatic librettos. In 2010, he received the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature. The discussion was focusing on the issue of identity on a very basic level. The most marketable skill in leaders is the ability to abandon one's own identity and slip into someone else's. Most people have the privilege to associate with identities that can give them access to new opportunities through a network. This was the aspect that was visible in the group. Whatever people understand and enjoy in human products instantly becomes theirs, wherever they might have their origin. This is true in most cases. I stepped up and shared the experience that is related to imposed identities connected with stereotypes. Stereotyping and...

“The struggle of man against social media is the struggle of concentration against distraction.” Do you know ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)? I have most of the signs of this disorder that has increased from the last few years. But I am slowly turning the tides by changing the micro habits and following simple rules. 1. Know about Cal Newport’s prescriptions for creating 90 minute slots  for solid, uninterrupted work. Practice this by increasing gradually from 60 - 150 Minutes. While working on the desktop, allocate specific start and end time of the task and close all other windows. 2. Uninstall LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter from the smart phone. Login and Logout each time from the social media application on the desktop. This will lower the craving to stay connected all the time. 3. Do Not Disturb Mode: This starts by disabling WhatsApp/Telegram and text message notifications and sound. In the peak hours of work, there is need to avoid incomin...

I have the privilege to attend a webinar on 15th April, Wednesday Navigating Recovery Post COVID-19 for Consumer Food Brands organized by Ankur Capital . The panel had good expertise in FMCG and the food industry. They shared a more comprehensive range of challenges and issues faced by the consumer food brands amid lock-down. I will summarize the webinar in six points: 1. Managing human resources: The legal aspects of managing human movement was relatively easy for the firms. But, a lot of personal communication was established by the leadership team to establish trust between them and employees. There were a lot of queries on the risk involved as the mainstream media has heightened a sense of panic and anxiety. Communication with the employees and all key stakeholders is the key! 2. Organization culture: While business metrics are important, companies should adopt a people-first approach and ensure that the well-being of their employees and customers is the key. The whole cu...

Part 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 & of Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I approached two of our readings, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United States’ Declaration of Independence in the 5th week of Acumen. 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Democracy itself constitutes a human right, and therefore nation states not respecting democratic principles open themselves up to just conflict internally and externally. The Declaration emphasize on the rights of humans and create a document that forms a vision for utopia. Therefore, leaders with moral imagination has to step up, tune with one’s own moral compass, and make this as core of our future. 2. In post covid situation, life of most people is in turn-moil and pain. But, I am critical of analyzing United States’ Declaration of Independence at this juncture. This is a revolutionary rhetoric that can be easily hacked by the elements who want to destabilize the consensus for a emergency powers an...

Parts 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I was introduced to the Immunity to Change tool, which is adapted from the works of Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey . This tool has helped me to observe and interpret within myself (the system) and surfaces internal contradictions and (possibly faulty) operating assumptions taken as truths. There are four ways to analyze: Commitment, Doing / Not Doing, Hidden Competing Assessments, and Big Assumptions. For every commitment made, there is another commitment that prevents that change. This is a perfect example of the contradictions, like a driving vehicle with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. This is an intriguing exercise- to see a picture of oneself and work on the conflicting actions in our lives. I will end this with a quote by V. S. Naipaul on self-improvement: “The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.” ... Additional Motivation:

I attended a webinar on 4th April, Saturday Solving for agri procurement and market linkage in times of Covid organized by Hemendra Mathur , Gauri Sarin, Abhilash Thirupathy , Om Routray , Ashish Khetan and Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya . Agenda: The idea is to table the challenges and solutions in the context of upcoming Rabi harvest during and after the lock-down. The focus of discussion will be on post-harvest interventions needed from first mile including farm labor, harvesting, procurement, warehousing and cold chain. The stakeholders likely to join the call are mandi traders, farmer bodies, NBFCs, warehousing, cold chain, logistics companies, agri startups in the market linkage side, industry association etc. Speakers: Anil Kumar SG - Sammunati Jayant Chattarjee (Star Agri ), Pushpendra Singh (Farmer Leader), Khalid Hussain , ITC, Sachin Sharma ITC, Aleen Mukherjee (NCEDX), Aneesh Kumar ( NAFPO ) and Rahul Gupta , Avanti Microfinance Discussion: The focus of the call is...

Parts 0 , 1 , and 2 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. The sessions are really good so far. Individuals are more open to ideas and suggestions and want to demonstrate an interest in getting up to speed. I am sharing the task I performed this week. 1. Superpower: There is an article by Seth Godin: What is your superpower? When do you come alive? I have documented my superpowers below: a. I always document best practices and professional understanding on a topic through a blog. This has facilitated the creation of an institutional memory bank and drawing insights while walking on the road less traveled. b. I enjoy a diverse range of literature, blogs, cinema, and interacting with different social circles. This gives me a range of knowledge that extends far beyond my chosen profession. I assume that investment in specialization in one area alongside a vast body of knowledge can be a powerful driver of original thought. These superpowers have given me the ...

Parts  0 and 1  of the  Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here.  Creating systemic change always comes from moral leadership and self-discipline. Good discipline is a part of moral leadership that establishes structures, time management, task planning, and follow-up on action items. I am looking for a gradual change in thinking pattern, eventually decision-making, then vision, and then leadership. This week started with thought experiments and acting on micro-habitual changes. 1. Courageous Space: There is a concept of courageous space to be done in the pilot stage inside the cohort before rolling out in personal and professional space. The courageous pace gives me freedom to choose a specific issue, scrutinize a habit (self-discipline and exaggeration in my case), work on the habit in acts of courage, and ideally grow into competencies in the real world. I have set the following tasks for myself. Within Person: Delay in completing tasks d...

This will be the second post on skill development sector continuation of Youth Mobilization Process in Skill Development . Vocational orientation and counselling is the logical step post identification of youths in the mobilization process. This is the process in which training center match the youths’ initial vocational ideas with their skill sets, capacities, and interests. The counseling isn't a one-size fits all solution when it comes to skill development, livelihoods and career options. Understanding the the background of young job-seeker is of utmost importance to assist them in their search for meaningful careers. This is because for entry-level vocational courses, the candidates are a mixed group consisting of school dropouts, unemployed youth, and youth from socially and economically underprivileged background. The entry level job will be the first opportunity to test their caliber and earn decent livelihoods. Counselling helps in creating realistic aspiration and redu...

Part  0  of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. Task: Watch Acumen Manifesto and Behind the Manifesto . And reflect on your work and the audacious vision that you are building toward. The Acumen Manifesto reflects an attempt to explain the goals of Moral leadership, as well as the qualities inherent in the change makers. The story of Kenyan women contained pearls of wisdom. It was an informal education on how inspirations come in life, society, and career. The bootcamp is a virtual community coming from the areas of public policy, entrepreneurship, rights-based work, and technology. There is a deep intellectual capability in understanding where things are going wrong, a bleeding heart for empathy, and courage in building a strategy for change. The diverse mindset present here will help me to understand how to facilitate systems change and create more inclusive social systems through the use of market forces. I am hoping to understand how each leader is ...

I was gifted a copy of The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham  from boss today. The Intelligent Investor was first published in 1949, and is a widely acclaimed book on value investing. The share market is in doldrums and people are exploring for the stocks and sectors that are likely to lead the next bull run. I have neither clue to lap up falling stocks nor money to check unproven models only on hope. Hence, this book is a prudent gift in the next level of personal development. I will be investing next few months in reading of 'The Intelligent Investor' accrued with Safal Niveshak blog , discussing share market with colleagues and  looking for  stock tips . I hope this will give me insights on value proposition and investments. Thanks Manab for such a timely gift.

The number one piece of advice a consultant at World Bank gave to the next generation of development professionals was to invest in skills development and continuously up-skill. Yet, the path of There’s no harm in sharing our failures. The only thing at stake is our egos. But too much embrace to failure suggests a thwarted glory. I pitched my candidacy as a social intrapreneur for 2020 cohort of Acumen India Fellows program . I got rejection in the last stage of flagship program during December 2019. I am learning each day how to be unburdened by historical failure and not becoming ecstatic with a minor success. Acumen India launched virtual bootcamp in January 2020 going beyond the flagship Program. I got selected today for inaugural Acumen Leadership Bootcamp in India. The Bootcamp will be a 6 – 8 week cohort based learning program, with a combination of individual / paired assignments and group calls. I will be summarizing my cumulative experiences at the end of course from the n...

Skill Development program for youth involves a large set of processes among which prominent are: Mobilization of Youths, Counseling and Identification of Youths, Identification of Training Institutes, Management of ongoing training institute, Monitoring and Management of training, Liaisoning with potential employers, Post Placement follow up etc. providing skill training to youth living in rural areas Mobilization of Youths: Mobilization phase generally focuses on getting people to enroll. The target groups for skilling are candidates in the age group 18 – 35 years from rural poor households. For Training Institutes (PIAs), an inability to mobilize properly results in a failure to meet targets. Process of Mobilization: 1. Identification of Potential area, Target Audience, Nature of job affinity of the youth and willingness for migration by candidates 2. Identification of Pro Active people (Sarpanch/ primary school headmaster/ SHG members/ PRI members/ GPLF & CRP associated...

Mr Nishant Chavan has originally shared the list of websites for employment in the Development Sector. I had added few in the list. This list gives access to job portals that would lead to a better employment scenario and less search time for exploring job opportunities. 1. Database for NGOs / Development / Social Impact Sector 2. http://www.ngobox.org/joblisting.php 3. http://www.nextbillion.net/jobsfeed.aspx 4.  http://www.globalcharityjobs.com/Jobs_board 5. http://www.idealist.org/search/v2/?search_type=job  6. http://jobs.thegiin.org/jobs 7. http://www.iimjobs.com/k/ngo-jobs-133.html 8.  http://www.jobisjob.co.in/mumbai/ngo/jobs 9. http://www.jobsforgood.com/jobs.html 10. https://www.indeed.co.in/jobs?q=NGO&l=India 11.  http://www.careesma.in/jobs?q=ngo&lc=India 12.  http://www.devnetjobsindia.org 13. http://www.indevjobs.org/ 14. http://www.karmany.org/jobs 15. https://www.devex.com/en/jobs 16. http://www.thebetter...

There’s a new group of youths who are restless and constantly looking for challenging work in Non profit sector. So how can a candidate look for organizations that can utilize their skills for its benefit? I am sharing an updated list of top job sites by field and region. This post will be useful for aspiring candidates looking for a job in Non Profit, development, or humanitarian work. Charityjob (UK) Idealist (General + Global) Impact Pool (General + Global) ICT4DJobs (tech + Development) SID-W (Development) Humentum (Development) Devex (Development) GlobalJobs (Development) UNJobs (Development + Humanitarian) ReliefWeb (Humanitarian Assistance) ALNAP (Humanitarian) PCDN (Social Impact ) NGOJobBoard (US Nonprofit) NationalNonprofits (US nonprofit) NTEN (Nonprofit + Tech) RezScore (Nonprofit) Commongood (US Nonprofit) Chronicle of Philanthropy (Nonprofit) BOND (Europe) Eurojobs (Europe)  Third Sector Jobs (UK) CharityVillage (Canada ) Ethical Jobs (Austral...

Update 2026: The Database is updated and free to access.   Revised: Firms for Development Sector Professional  Information itself is big business, after all this is the age of big data. I had written before on the topic in  Job Search in Rural Management Domain . Due to the limited access to information and networks, youths from Tier 2 and 3 areas struggle to get good jobs in the development sector. Youths didn't know even the names of the organizations working in the ecosystem. It is best to choose target employers where one would like to work and focus your efforts on those jobs and employers while searching for jobs. This database is delivered as solutions to bridge recruitment gaps and tap non-profits, social enterprises, and other mission-driven organizations. With over INR 50,000 Crore was spent in 4 years alone in the CSR sector and huge public welfare implementation done by Government, there is an immense chance for jobs in diverse roles. I have a small exper...