1381 tmtc newsletter aug21 02 - tmtctata.com
TRANSCRIPT
Many thoughts come to my mind as I pass on the baton at the Tata
Management Training Centre. During my time here, I have often said
to people that I thoroughly enjoy what I do and do not consider it to be
‘work’. In my mind, that is what defines the transformative nature of
TMTC, the first corporate university in the country and the second
oldest in the world. For JRD Tata to envision a leadership development
centre in 1947 when there were no management institutes in the
country was, I think, pathbreaking.
I trust you and your loved ones are doing well.
Dear Colleague,
The intellectual architecture of TMTC is equally supplemented by the
cultural architecture, which the team at embodies through building
trust, providing stewardship and impeccable execution. It was
therefore a privilege to be part of this team and to lead them. I am
genuinely grateful to each one of my team for their support and trust
in me in these six years. The transition from physical to digital this past
year was almost like changing the course of the river overnight. Team
TMTC rose to the occasion and did admirably over the lockdown to
demonstrate that learning is key to many things in the pandemic.
I believe it is essential for a person’s values to be so imbued that they’re
able to stand for what is right for the institution. Two incidents come to
my mind in this regard. In the first situation, a guest occupied a room
on the premises beyond the completion of the programme they
attended. Since the guest wasn’t on the premises but their luggage lay
in the room, I had given an executive order to remove their suitcase
and leave it with the administration. Gautam, a now retired butler, went
against this order and persuaded his manager as well, saying that they
would manage the situation to see that work and the stay of future
participants didn’t suffer. In the second incident, Sham, who is another
butler, was helping a faculty member arrange the furniture in a
classroom late at night to prepare for his session the next day. In the
process, the faculty member injured his toe. Sham swiftly took action
by offering first aid till he could reach out to his seniors. I marvel at this
sense of ownership, stewardship and extreme customer orientation. I
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
ContentsMessage from the Director
New Books in the TMTC Library
The Learning Post Quiz
Highlights from April - July
Leader Speak
Upcoming Programs
Insights & Perspectives
April - July 2021 BY TMTC
This journey has also enabled me to experiment and take risks. One
such initiative is called ‘Unconventional Learning’ where participants
and members of Team TMTC go to unfamiliar contexts to observe,
assimilate, learn and apply these learnings to their own context. We
once went to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and listened to the
officers talk about the work they do. Also present was the project
leader who had launched GSLV Mark 3 D2. One participant asked the
officers a question which seems very innocuous and familiar to us in
our day jobs: 'How do you set individual key result areas?’. There was
silence. No one responded. The person repeated the question. One
of the officers said, ‘I don’t really understand your question’. Several
participants immediately chimed in with a chorus of ‘Tell us, how do
believe a team is extremely good when someone who hasn’t
completed school education or taken a course on customer service
can think differently and have the self-assurance to execute a plan.
More recently, as we were all coming to terms with the ‘new normal’,
a lady programme co-ordinator faced challenges in the form of
several medical emergencies, one after the other. Her parents were
injured and needed care and her grandmother was hospitalized, and
she had to step in as a caregiver. This programme co-ordinator
continued on her post to see that the programme went on smoothly
during this particularly trying time for herself. I also noticed all her
colleagues stepping in to support her so that the reputation and
work of TMTC could be upheld. This attitude of service and
dedication to the institution is commendable.
The impact of our team’s dedication is palpable too. A few years ago,
a batch of IAS officers attended a programme at TMTC, wherein we
included feedback with a psychometric instrument. In a one-on-one
with one of the officers, I discussed his blind spots and watch-outs.
He listened to me attentively and took my feedback. Two years later,
he gave me a call inviting me to an event with a few days’ notice. He
said that he was launching a nation-wide initiative and that he
wanted me to be present at that launch. Additionally, he wanted me
to address the audience! What touched me was he publicly
acknowledged the role of what he learnt at TMTC in helping him
launch a project of national importance. The event was attended by
several ministers, international partners as well as the NITI Aayog
members. In my mind this defines the amazing platform TMTC is
and the transformative power of the classroom.
I will retire at the end of July 2021. Looking back, I think the changes I
have seen can be expressed in these words: previously when you
came to TMTC, it was a facility, but now TMTC comes to you, it is a
solution for you, your department and your company.
I am delighted Anand Shankar succeeds me in this learning mission. I
am glad that he brings both his experience and insights from
different worlds to TMTC. I want to thank you, for all your support
and partnering during my tenure at TMTC, for the last six years.
Along with colleagues at group HR and the team TMTC, we have
collaborated wonderfully. It has been a rewarding journey and truly
we have all achieve a lot together, including awards at international
forums for the business impact our programs create and our
innovations in learning. We have also learned a lot and raised the
bar. In closing, I recall a chat I once had with Prof. Das Narayandas of
Harvard Business School. Talking about the character and quality of
the staff at TMTC, I said that nothing has ever been lost at TMTC,
because the staff have impeccable honesty. Prof. Das remarked,
‘Emmanuel, you are right that nothing has been lost, but a lot has
been found’.
That is my wish for each one of you, that when you seek learning, you
find a lot.
you set individual key result areas?’. One of the senior members of
the space centre then responded thus: ‘You know, it takes all of us in
this room 7-10 years to design and develop a rocket and about 10
weeks to assemble it all together from different places. After those
years of preparation, it takes us only the first 20 seconds of the
launch to tell whether our outcome is a success or a failure. So you
see, there’s nothing individual about it. We are all in mission mode.’
This taught me that whatever work we do, we should look at it as a
mission rather than a ‘job’ or ‘career’.
With warm regards,
Director, TMTC
Group Human Resources
Emmanuel David
Highlights from April– JULY 2021
The continued focus of our companies on their capability building
initiatives, despite the challenges of recent times, has helped keep
TMTC’s virtual corridors buzzing with thought and activity! While our
program directors cogitated about the design of new learning
solutions, our daily team calls were animated by the planning for the
launch and delivery of over 30 interventions in the past 4 months!
Some of the highlights for us since April include the delivery of as
many as six batches of the TCS Emerging Leaders Seminar (a mini-
MBA style program for mid-management high potentials); several
batches of a virtual selling skills program, also for TCS; a program for
Tata Capital Housing Finance Ltd. to help enhance strategic
orientation across leadership levels; two open programs on Data
Analytics; a senior leadership development program for TACO; and a
unique workshop on mindfulness-based leadership. We also
launched “Blue Mint”, a learning journey for early-career talent that is
designed and delivered in partnership with London Business School.
We also began a much-awaited coaching certification journey for senior leaders from group companies. Designed in collaboration with a Master Coach, this journey will help the participants work towards their ACC certification from the ICF.
Our weekly “Learning Latitudes” webinars have continued to be well-
attended, with more than 7000 participants joining the 22 webinars of this period. Some of the popular sessions included a reverse mentoring conversation, the launch of “#Tata Stories – 40 Timeless tales to Inspire You”, the latest book by Mr. Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons Ltd. and a discussion on Innovation and Design Thinking by leading industry experts.
Our team also curated and hosted the #Tata Expressathon – a special TTU Roadshow series through May and June which featured a range of sessions on different facets of public speaking and communication. The sessions were delivered by an eclectic mix of expert speakers drawn from diverse fields including playback theatre, films and podcasting.
The series ended with a rousing finale – an Oxford-style debate that featured senior Tata leaders as speakers, and was moderated by Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons Ltd. In case you missed this, do look for the recording on TTU; as much as the subject was extremely topical and saw some very animated and passionate arguments – among the panelists, as well as in the form of audience participation! - this was a Masterclass on communication.
#Disover Your Tata, the July Roadshow on TTU which ended with a first-ever virtual tour of the Tata Central Archives, also got excellent participation going from our colleagues across group companies!
[If you would like to view a recording of Learning Latitudes or TTU Roadshow sessions, please log on to https://www.tmtctata.com ]
Upstream
by Dan Heath (2021)
The Power of Geography:
Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World
by Tim Marshall (2021)
The Ministry of Common Sense
by Martin Lindstrom
Code Breaker
by Walter Isaacson
HBR: Guide to Beating Burnout
by Harvard Business Review
The Conscientious Manager
by Phani Medicharla
New Books in the
TMTC Library(Please for a short description of these books)click here
Mahatma Gandhi’s room Gandhi Ashram, Sabarmati Ahmedabad, India
An “Unconventional Learning” session took TCSeLS participants on avirtual tour of the Gandhi Ashram
The Learning Post Quiz
Send your responses to [email protected], and win a gift!
(Hint: The answers to some questions can be found in the resources
shared in this issue)
1. Which Google product, based on digital olfaction technology,
uses sensors to distinguish between different kinds of smoke
to avoid false alarms from ringing in your home if all you are
doing is making toast or taking a hot shower?
3. Which industry leader personally financed the first Indian
team to the Antwerp Olympics in 1920 and was also the first
President of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA)?
2. One of the challenges in Omnichannel Marketing is that of
“marketing attribution”. What is that, and why is it a problem?
4. Danish toy company LEGO recently launched a special new
set called “Everyone Is Awesome”. What is this designed to
celebrate?
LEADER SPEAK
“Lifelong learning is full of joy,and so fulfilling!”
I learnt so much during the writing of these Tata stories. For each
story, I had to research several documents, mainly sourced from the
Tata Central Archives, and some books too, to establish all the facts,
and to dig out previously little-known events and anecdotes. This
process of research, which lasted several months, was a learning in
itself. It taught me so much more about the culture and the values of
the Tata Group, and how some of our core values had been nurtured
by our leaders, over the decades. For instance, reading the actual text
of a speech delivered by our Group’s founder Jamsetji Tata way back
in 1895 was such a revelation into how his mind worked.
Then, again, I learnt from posting these stories on Linkedin. Just four
years ago, at the age of 55 years, I did not have a presence at all on
Linkedin. But I thought to myself, in my current role, I need to use this
influential platform appropriately and powerfully. How can the Brand
Custodian of Tata not be present on this professional platform, when
Then, I also learnt from my conversations with many colleagues, even
as I gathered their own experiences, which went into some of these
stories. These interesting discussions with Tata veterans such as T.R.
Doongaji, Farokh Subedar, B.G. Dwarakanath and Rajendra Prasad
Narla gave me unique insights into the leaders that they had worked
with.
Last year, I wrote my fourth book, which has just been published.
Titled “#TataStories – 40 timeless tales to inspire you”, the book
narrates 40 inspiring stories from the rich history and heritage of the
Tata group. To begin with, I posted these stories on Linkedin, where
they drew excellent reader response.
the brand has to appeal and connect to today’s generation? So I
learnt the first steps on Linkedin from a much younger colleague at
Tata Sons, Haroon Bijli, who is a digital and social media expert. I still
recall the several learning sessions that he generously provided me,
as my reverse mentor. Three years later, when Linkedin selected me as
one of their Top Voices in India, I was immensely gratified that my
learning voyage had delivered some results.
And, finally, while writing this book, I also read a few academic papers
on business history and storytelling, to learn the most effective ways
of chronicling these stories into an immensely readable book that
can stand the test of time.
If you consider all the above, you can see at once that learning is not
unidimensional. Not at all. On the other hand, knowledge comes to
us through so many streams – including reading, research,
conversations, reverse mentoring, training programs, online courses,
attending relevant webinars, discussions with your team members
and with agency partners, interactions in social media and travel. This
is such a rich menu of choices, all we have to do is use those methods
of learning that work best for us, and our circumstances.
Lifelong learning is important to upskill ourselves, to ensure that our
skills remain relevant at all times. Learning ensures that we bring the
right perspectives into our workplaces, and, indeed, into our lives.
Learning keeps our mind active and vibrant, because there is no
better tonic for our brains than new knowledge.
May I end this brief note with a note of sincere thanks to Emmanuel
David (Emmy), who has recently retired from his role as Director of
TMTC. He championed and evangelized learning. It also gives me
great pleasure to welcome Anand Shankar, who takes over from
Emmy the leadership of TMTC, an Institution dedicated to lifelong
learning for all of us in the Tata group.
To all of you, my friends, happy learning!
But what does lifelong learning require? A few attributes, which I
think all of us can develop. First, the thirst to learn in our current
professional area, and to then apply these learnings to our careers
and lives. Second, the curiosity to learn from a range of subjects, even
if these learnings have no immediate or short-term relevance to what
we do at work. As Steve Jobs famously said, all the dots you discover
are quite likely to join in the future and will eventually benefit you.
Third, keeping aside the time and space for learning, which requires
some rigour in time management, but which is ultimately very
fulfilling. And, finally, looking at learning as a source of joy, which
breathes pure, fresh air into our hectic lives, ever so often.
Brand Custodian, Tata Sons
Harish Bhat,
Insights & Perspectives
How global companies can manage geopolitical risk
As political frictions inside and among regions heat up, the
likelihood increases that they will affect a global enterprise's
operations, performance, or people, write the authors of this July
2021 article in the McKinsey Quarterly. They go on to say that the
challenges that geopolitical risks create will get worse; according to
one report they quote, in the next two decades competition for
global influence is likely to reach its highest level since the Cold War.
The article also suggests a five-pronged approach that company
leaders can use to manage geopolitical risk. To read the full article,
click here
For some great reading suggestions about business books from
strategy+business, the online journal of the PWC network, click here
panacea, the big challenges to making it work; and some solutions.
In this Wharton School marketing professor Raghuram podcast,
Iyengar, one of the co-authors of the study, discusses the research
on how firms can harness the full benefits of omnichannel
marketing.
The Hazards of a “Nice” Company Culture
In far too many companies, there is the appearance of harmony and
alignment but in reality there's often dysfunction simmering
beneath the surface. The intention behind cultivating a nice culture
is often genuine. Leaders believe they're doing a good thing that will
motivate people and create inclusion. But often, it has the opposite
effect and the result is a lack of honest communication, intellectual
bravery, innovation, and accountability. To combat a culture marked
by toxic niceness, the author of this article of a June 2021 article in
the Harvard Business Review suggests leaders use four tactics. To
read more, click (Please note that a one-time subscription will be here
required, and will enable you to read up to 5 free articles each month
on this site)
The New Rules of B2B Lead Generation
Making decisions with data too often comes down to finding a
purpose for the data at hand — not finding the right data. If you
want to make good decisions with data, say the presenters of this
webinar by the MIT Sloan Management Review, start from the
decision you need to make and then ask which data you need to
make that decision. They go on to give examples of how data-driven
often means answering the wrong question and show how decision-
driven data analytics results in better decision-making. To watch the
webinar, click (Please note that a one-time subscription will be here
required, and will enable you to read up to 5 free articles each month
on this site)
Omnichannel marketing seems like a simple enough concept;
consumers like to shop online, offline, and across different channels,
so firms need to meet them wherever they are. But coming up with
an omnichannel marketing strategy is a lot more complicated than
just collecting cookies and tracking purchases. A recent study
published in the Journal of Marketing in collaboration with the
Marketing Science Institute explains why omnichannel is not a
How to Optimize Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy
Business Scents: The Rise of Digital Olfaction
Despite the economic and commercial importance of olfaction,
businesses have generally lacked robust tools to detect, measure,
and manage smells in a scientific way. This is now changing with the
emergence of two branches of digital olfaction technology: one
focused on the digital detection and analysis of different odors, and
the other on the digital transmission and re-creation of smells.
These technologies could potentially revolutionize a range of
industries, explain the authors of this May 2021 article in the MIT
Sloan Management Review. To learn more, click (Please note here
that a one-time subscription will be required, and will enable you to
read up to 5 free articles each month on this site)
Understanding Decision-Driven Analytics
Face-to-face meetings are back, but is that what clients are looking
for? Companies need to update their lead generation strategies to
make them more data-driven and more in line with potential clients'
preferences. To adapt, companies should follow a new B2B sales
playbook, say the authors of this June 2021 article in the Harvard
Business Review, which presents their 5 approaches to doing this.
He goes on to To learn more, read the full article (Please note here
that a one-time subscription will be required, and will enable you to
read up to 5 free articles each month on this site)
Designed to help develop the attributes required to lead diverse
teams
Leading Workplace Investigations
(6 September 2021 onwards)
Making Enterprise Risk Management Work for You
(30 August - 22 September 2021)
Participants will take back an appreciation of how risk
management can create value; develop an enterprise-level view
of risk; and acquire tools for risk management
Participants will learn to conduct effective internal investigations
based on the principles of natural justice.
Being an Authentic Leader
(6 September 2021 onwards)
Strategic Selling & Customer Management Skills
(13-24 September 2021)
Will enhance sales and customer management capability for the
digital era.
Designed to develop the skills and mindset crucial for partnering
with customers for success.
The Art of Business Story Telling
(11-13 October 2021 )
Participants will acquire communication skills to inspire, motivate,
and influence listeners.
Business Consulting Skills
(5-8 October 2021)
Upcoming Programs(For more information about any of these programs
please write to: )[email protected]