Diary of a Rural Manager!

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 ...