Brighter Work - Jan 2010 - Apr 2010 by Godrej

THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF GODREJ, VOL 9, NO. 1 & 2, JAN - APR 2010

BRIGHTER WORK KEEPING PEOPLE CHALLENGED, ENGAGED AND EXCITED.

The Year That Was ... - P. D. Lam What is Brighter Work? - Indrapal Singh

Finding the Purpose - Shweta Kumari Celebrations At Work - Hussain Plumber

56 8

The Art & Science of Work - Dr. Zubin R. Mulla

10 1112 13

Emotional Intelligence - Nirmala Mehendale Time To Re-design Work - Change Team

Brighter Work Leads to Transformative Change - Indrapal Singh

1617 18

The Unsung Heroes - Sana Anjum

20 21 22 2628 30 32 3334 3637 38

Not Just Jargon Empowerment Boundless Horizons - Vrunda Pathare Graphology - Khushroo Master Innovation in Brutal Markets and Beyond - Shweta, Godwin, Venkatesh & Rohan Quality Summit - 2009 - Ravi Rao

The Power of Small Changes - B. K. Rajkumar New Beyond Work I Choose to Climb - Cyrus Shroff

Gold for Mastery - Interview with Rajendra Panchpande Super Selling - Srinivasa Vidyasagar Vemuri

Know your Business Head Leading Lawkim - Interview of Xercsis Marker

In Memoriam - Dr. K. A. Palia

Saying thank you is Good - Rahila Athanikar What does Brighter Work mean to you?

Taking Work to the Next Level - Manoj Ganjawala

CONTENTS

The New Design Thinking - Jogy Abraham

GoJiyo - Parampal Singh Total Cost Management Initiative - Abhay Kulkarni

Star Kalakar - Falguni Turakhia

Work is Love Made Visible

Brighter Work is Good Work Successful brand building is about reducing the saying-doing gap as experienced by our customers. The promises made must be well delivered for strengthening Godrej Brand. It is through the work that gets done in the organisation that we deliver experiences that delight our customers. Such work is labelled by us as Brighter Work, an expression of our people. In the Theme section we provide multiple perspectives on what Brighter Work is

Anil Verma Head Edit Board

and how it relates to Brighter Living – the essence of the repositioned Godrej Brand. Mr. P. D. Lam in his inspiring message acknowledges the good work done across the

Nalini Kala Editing

business divisions and urges everyone to do better in the coming year by focusing on customer loyalty, continuous innovation, containing of costs and doing something which will give us the first mover advantage. CHANGE congratulates everyone for the great year that it was. Brighter Work happens at Godrej every day. A few examples of such work being performed as a team and individually are showcased in this issue. We have launched ‘GoJiyo’– a pioneering, interactive, net-enabled site which has created a buzz and is targeted at the youth…log in and experience it yourself! Motors run relentlessly if made with precision. Such motors are manufactured by our Lawkim business headed by Mr. Xercsis Marker. In his interview he tells us about how he leads the

Sana Anjum Editing

business in the challenging times…A must read. Aspi Bardy, a resident director of Godrej Malaysia passed away recently. Dr. K. A. Palia’s tribute to him highlights the valuable contributions made by him for the growth of G&B in markets abroad. We will Hardik Gandhi Design

all miss him. Mountaineering and Managing in a way deals with scaling of new heights. A tradition at Godrej. In ‘Beyond Work’ a pictorial essay by Cyrus Shroff presents the highlights of his successful climb of the Lampak peak in Garhwal region. Also in the Archives section there is an account of 1958 trek of Kaikhushroo Naoroji in the Sikkim region of the Himalayas. Besides these, we have interesting features on Graphology, Saying Thank You is good, Star Kalakar… Joy of work is captured in Khalil Gibral’s beautiful poem...Enjoy it. Sana Anjum has joined Team CHANGE. We welcome her. ‘Chunks of Change’ is the theme of our forthcoming issue. Do send us your contributions. Feedback as always is requested

Una Sathaye Design

to help us serve you better. Anupriya Kulkarni Design

Happy Reading!

Indrapal Singh Published by Indrapal Singh on behalf of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. Printed by Genius Printers Pvt. Ltd. For private circulation only. No part of the magazine can be reproduced in any form without due permission of editor. You can email your contributions and feedback to change@godrej.com or send it to The Editor, Plant 11, 2nd floor. Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., Pirojshanagar, Vikhroli (W), Mumbai 400 079.

Nariman Bacha Distribution

TEAM CHANGE

THE YEAR THAT WAS … AND GOING FORWARD

Dear Godrejites,

It was a good year, a truly memorable year. We were

dividends, in most of our Businesses. TEAM GODREJ

conscious of the economic turmoil and the uncertainty

bonded like never before, extending co-operation across

prevalent all round. We were not immune to the global

business lines, applauded each other’s successes

economic melt-down, and a substantial part of our efforts,

wherever and whenever achieved, steeped in that avowed

particularly in the export markets, were dramatically

belief that the interest of the Company was paramount.

curtailed. We were cautious in planning our strategies. We

Rarely have I witnessed such pride when one Business

were unshakeable in our beliefs that we shall succeed,

helped their colleagues secure an order, and the

come what may, and this became the cornerstone of our

appreciation between Businesses of the support received.

philosophy, and was the mantra which eventually saw us

It brought to the fore, the spirit and true essence of “ONE

through. There were a lot of upheavals but our Businesses

GODREJ”, and warmed my heart.

were mature enough to continuously change their strategies and adapt to newer and newer scenarios. Some

At the stroke of midnight on 31st March, 2010, we had

of our Businesses floundered. Some came out of the mire

performed a miracle and exceeded our wildest dreams.

with a flourish and thrived. Some others did not. We seized

The sales for the month of March alone were a record Rs.

every opportunity to grow, to cut costs, to increase our

727 crores. The growth in billed sales for the year was

profits. We had taken on the daunting challenge to

more than double-digits, and the Company’s billed sales

increase our profits by more than a 100 percent in a year

turnover embraced almost USD 1 billion, while our profits

which promised nothing, but an abundance of volatility. We

soared exponentially. Our Appliance, Interio, Security

knew that hell or high water, we would have to deliver.

Solutions

and

Locks

Divisions

turned

out

stellar

performances, while some others crawled through to

1 2

5mm

A lot of factors helped us. Intelligent sourcing in a market

profitability, whilst some of the Industrial Product

where most commodity prices moved southwards,

Businesses were a major disappointment. Our PES

contributed significantly to our bottom-line. Smart and

Division put in a superlative spurt in the concluding month

more efficient use of capital brought down our interest

of the year, and had a dream run. Though they did not

costs. Our ability to extract higher prices qua our plan,

achieve their sales plan, they staged a remarkable

increased substantially our Gross Contribution Margins,

turnaround and well exceeded their planned profits. Our

and our cost-cutting exercises across the board,

Tooling Division also dramatically swung the pendulum

undertaken

from a loss of Rs. 3 crores to a profit of Rs. 3 crores.

with

religious

fervour,

paid

handsome

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

But all this is history now. The new year has begun and we need to prove that we are on a path of Sustained Profitable Growth. Where do we go from here ? How do we build a foundation which will withstand the vagaries of a volatile and uncertain market ? How do we create customer loyalty and excitement ? What will put us on the cutting edge of continuous innovation ? With the slew of competition ever increasing, with avenues for cost-cutting gradually reducing, it is imperative that we approach the future with a new perspective, something different, something unique, something which gives us the first mover advantage, and keeps us ahead of the pack. I, however, have unshakeable faith in TEAM GODREJ, and am confident that they are both mature and motivated enough to deliver. I know it is not going to be a bed of roses. I know that we will have to battle for every inch of territory and fight doubly hard to hold on to it. But, at the end of the day, we are ready, we are the masters of our own destiny and we have the faith and the strength to come out with flying colours. We know there are myriads of obstacles. We are not deterred. It is only those who will risk going too far, who will possibly find out how far one can really go.

Warm Regards, P.D. Lam, Executive Director & President, G & B

BRIGHTER WORK LEADS TO TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE “The managers must deeply understand that the fundamental source of all well-being is work, meaningful work”.

deliver on the promise of Brighter Living, a

transformative change at Godrej is a must. This kind of deep change cannot happen at one go but must be realised through working diligently and over a period of time on the four building blocks of the change - the philosophy, the new mindset, new management systems & behaviours and daily work – Brighter Work. We have adopted the new philosophy, our managers are helping our people shape a new mindset and our managerial cadre are now sensitised and trained for adopting new behaviours which will facilitate transformative change. The last building block of transformative change is daily work - the work that gets done every day by thousands of people

People

across the organisation. So that the change manifests itself Daily Work Activities

fully as envisaged, Brighter Work must replace the work that routinely gets done. This new work must be `Brighter’ so that new experiences are created which are in sync with the ethos of Brighter Living - the essence of the repositioned

People

brand Godrej.

Managerial Behaviour & Management Systems

The articles that follow provide different perspectives on new work, Brighter Work that needs to happen across the

People

organisation.

New Mindset

Do reflect and internalise the key messages of these perspectives to redesign work system as a whole for

New Philosophy

demonstratively brighter outcomes. Our progress in this direction will perhaps be the sole determinant of the transformative change that we are seeking.

By Indrapal Singh 4

Model of transformative change

WHAT IS BRIGHTER WORK? Brighter Work essentially creates value and is meaningful for the performer. The value creation happens within a context in which the work is done. This context pertains to business and embodies both external and internal dimensions. Brighter Work must create experiences which delight the customer and engage, excite and challenge our people. Brighter Work can be best understood when it is viewed in conjunction with our brand values namely- Expression, Progression, Experience and Empathy.

EXPRESSION

Free and BeDhadak

EXPERIENCE

of the recipient of

are key elements of Brighter Work. People should

the work done should go beyond their expectations.

express themselves clearly and boldly through their

As a result the life should become more enjoyable. The

work as if it was a statement being made. It should

experiences should be newer, different and surprisingly

be relevant, original, impactful and innovative;

pleasant. Such experiences get created when work is

meant to delight the recipient. The managers must

performed efficiently, effectively and elegantly. This

allow people to offer their suggestions and ideas,

would mean doing the right work in an efficient manner

experiment to find newer solutions. People must

but in an elegant and graceful way hence surprisingly

learn to build on the ideas of their colleagues which

pleasant. All this calls for deeper understanding of the

will ultimately get us better results...

consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s psyche for developing solutions...

PROGRESSION

means

moving

EMPATHY

is at the very foundation of

ahead always. Brighter Work therefore should be

Brighter Work. Empathy manifests itself into an

progressive at its very core. It should be in sync with

in-depth knowledge of ever-changing needs of

the

and

consumers. Deeper empathy leads to newer insights

ever-changing standards. On the parameters of

which when built into the solutions, the work done and

quantity, quality, timeliness, cost and safety the work

delivered has a potential of becoming surprisingly

done should be judged as meeting/exceeding the

pleasant. Empathy enables people to communicate

requirements. Under this linkage the work done is

engagingly resulting in interactions that add amazing

constantly examined and improvised to a higher level

amount of goodness to the innovative solutions

of goodness...

offered. Working together creates satisfaction & joy...

newer

technologies,

best

practices

Work unit managers at mid-level are primarily responsible for making Brighter Work happen. These managers must deeply understand what is required to be done and then design the work to be done so that it reflects our new brand values. Such work is bound to delight our customers and keep our people challenged, engaged and excited. By Indrapal Singh 5

THE ART & SCIENCE OF WORK There is a necessity to re-kindle the spirit of pursuing perfection that characterises the passion of an artist and the curiosity of a scientist to our daily work, feels Zubin Mulla, Professor at TATA Institute of Social Sciences.

Imagine an individual completely immersed in non-leisure activity and not aware of the time passing by. Before you read on, make a vivid mental picture of the person you have thought of. What is the activity that the person is engaged in? Most likely, you have thought of an artist, a sportsman or a scientist. The uniqueness of these professions is that it is easy for us to imagine an artist completely engrossed in creating a work of art, a sportsman trying to perfect his technique, or a scientist totally consumed by the quest for the answer of a complicated problem. However, most of us earn our livelihood by engaging in jobs involving operating machines, balancing accounts, or “managing” other people! Individuals focused with a great talent of time management are able to purse their hobbies and interests after working hours. However, their work remains a means of livelihood and survival. The irony of the situation is that despite going through all the effort, we are often left with a feeling of emptiness and frustration with respect to what we have achieved at work. Some individuals respond to the frustration by putting in many more hours and efforts into their work while others alienate themselves completely from their work, by depending on non-work activities (such as family, friends, and hobbies) for fulfillment. Can we inject our work with the passion of an artist, a sportsman or a scientist? Is it possible for us somehow to look upon our work as an artist sees a work of art or as a scientist deals with an unfinished problem? For this, we will have to understand the spirit of the artist and the scientist. Work as art and the quest for quality 1

Art is defined as “an undertaking or activity enhanced by a high level of skill or refinement ” and the artist is driven by the pursuit of elegance, perfection, and aesthetics. Above all, the artist has a sense of ownership or pride in work since the work of art is seen as an extension of the artist’s own personality. Shouldn’t we try cultivating this pride and sense of ownership in our work? Why can’t we strive like the artist for perfection in whatever we do? Since time immemorial, artisans were concerned with the quality of their work and took pride in creating high quality products. With the advent of the factory system in the mid-1750s and its emphasis on mechanisation, quality was enforced through inspection. This robbed the creator of pride in the creation and work became a boring and tiresome task. It was only after the total quality

revolution spearheaded by Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Dr. Joseph Juran that companies once more attempted to restore pride in work. Work as science and the quest for process quality 2

Science is defined as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the state of knowing â&#x20AC;? and the scientist is driven by curiosity- the burning desire to understand the why and how of nature. The scientist is so completely absorbed by the need to understand that even food and rest have no attraction. Can we cultivate this sense of wonder and curiosity in our work? Can we encourage and nourish our inner desire to know why and how things work? As products became more complex, work evolved from the mere execution of set procedures to understanding the subtle relationships between input and output parameters and thereby enhancing quality and reducing cycle time. Bringing the art and science into your own work Having outlined the role of the manager, a significant part of the responsibility for brightening up ones work lies with the person engaged in the work. We need to awaken in ourselves the curiosity of the student-scientist and look upon our work as an emerging prototype. We need to revisit books and theories and apply it in our work and see how the latest knowledge in our field can be effectively harnessed to improve our work. We should always challenge our thinking with new ideas and learn from experiences of others. Similarly, we need to rekindle the spirit of pursuing perfection that characterises the artist and apply it to our daily work. We need to experience the pride and joy that comes from a job well done. For this, we may need to refocus our efforts on those details. Dr. Zubin R. Mulla is Assistant Professor at the School of Management and Labour Studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Some of his other writing can be accessed at www.zubinmulla.com. References 1

art. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved July 25, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/art

science. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved July 25, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is defined as the demonstrable ability to recognise and manage one’s own emotional impulses. People with high EI can communicate with others effectively, manage change well, solve problems, and use humour to build rapport in tense situations. They are good at persuasion, conflict resolution and

handling

difficult

conversations.

The five EI competencies that lead to workplace success are:

Self-awareness:

Self-awareness is the first component of EI. It means having a deep

understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives. Self-aware people are neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful. Rather, they are honest – with themselves and with others. They recognise how their feelings affect them, other people and their job performance. A self-aware person who knows that tight deadlines bring out the worst in him, plans his time carefully and gets his work done well in advance. A high EI person will be able to work with a demanding client by understanding the client’s impact on his mood and behaviour. And he will go one step further and convert even his anger into constructive energy.

Mastery

over

emotions:

Biological

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE “There is a definitive link between a company’s

impulses which drive emotions are of involuntary

Emotional

nature. We cannot do away with them – but can learn

employees”.

success Intelligence

and of

the its

to manage them. Mastery over emotions is an ongoing inner conversation which frees us from the tyranny of our feelings and enables us to act more mindfully. Imagine an executive who has just watched his team present a botched analysis to the senior management. In the gloom that follows, the executive might find himself tempted to pound on the table in anger or leap up or scream at the group. Or he might maintain a grim silence. But if he has mastery over his emotions then he would choose to act differently. He would pick his words carefully, acknowledging the team’s poor performance without rushing to any hasty judgement. He would then step back to consider the reasons for the failure. Are the reasons personal – a lack of effort? Are there any mitigating factors? What was the team’s role in the debacle? After considering these questions, he would call the team together, lay out the incident’s consequences, and offer his feelings about it. He would then present his analysis of the problem and a well-considered solution for the same.

Urge to achieve:

If there is one trait that

virtually all star performers have, it is motivation. They are driven to achieve beyond expectations – their own and everyone else’s. The key word here is ‘achieve’. Star performers have a deeply embedded intrinsic desire to achieve for the sake of achievement - a hallmark of higher EI. How do you identify star performers? The first sign is a passion for the work itself. They seek out creative challenges, love to learn, and take great pride in a job well done. They display an unflagging energy to do things better. They also question status quo and are eager to explore new ways of doing things differently. They are flexible to align their goals to the goals of the organisation, ever-ready to act on

opportunities

and

are

contagiously

optimistic.

Empathy:

Amongst all the dimensions of EI, empathy is

easily recognised. We have all felt the empathy of a sensitive teacher or friend; we have all been struck by its absence in an unfeeling coach or boss. It calls for a deep sense of understanding of others’ feelings and perspectives and showing an active interest in them. Empathy is particularly important today for three reasons: the increasing use of teams, the rapid pace of globalisation, and the growing need to retain talent. As empathy is about sensing what others need in order to grow, leaders need to cultivate empathy to appreciate their people. Hence empathy often is the `key’ emotion for valuing people accurately.

Social skill: Social skills are the sum total of all other dimensions of EI. Social skills mean the adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others. Such skills include influencing others using various meanscommunicating effectively, directing and guiding others for a catalytic change at workplace, resolving conflicts, nurturing relationships, fostering collaboration and cooperation amongst coworkers - for helping them achieve goals. The good news is that EI can be learned and enhanced. The process is not easy. It takes time and, most of all, commitment. But the benefits far outweigh the effort. The resultant Brighter Work is not easy to replicate.

By Nirmala Mehendale, Director, Mind Movers - HR Consultancy

Doing the same work day in and day TAKING WORK

out makes it drudgery or a boring chore. Its effects are not difficult to guess, viz. loss of interest, efficiency, boredomâ&#x20AC;Śloss of glow. However, bringing in a new perspective to work and transforming it

TO THE NEXT LEVEL

from merely a transactional operation to a more value-creating role makes a huge difference. New perspective necessitates sharing of the new vision, a goal which is all encompassing, which goes beyond the departmental objective and is totally aligned to the business and its goal. Let me to share two examples from my own experience:

Unified branding of furniture: The furniture business earlier had two brands, i.e. Perfect Home and Formula-S. While no doubt we were leaders in both Home and Institutional furniture, we could see additional benefits if we had a unified platform to communicate with our customers who anyway did not segregate the category into Home and Office. We moved from a departmental structure to the way our customer visualises the category and thus was born a unified brand called Interio. This unified entity offered brand promise aesthetics and expertise which were common to both Home & Office furniture. This common plank galvanised all team members across all functions to think, design, communicate and deliver what the brand promised, i.e. aesthetics & expertise.

Regional hubs for better logistics & distribution: The current way of distribution of finished goods is direct, i.e. straight from manufacturing plant or mother warehouse to final consuming branches/markets. This mode of direct dispatch is the most efficient way if we were to see it in a limited perspective of transportation cost. However, this cost perspective would be limiting in nature. The imminent legislation of Goods & Service Tax (GST) brings in a new opportunity whereby if we were to look at a plane higher, the entire supply chain could be made more effective by leveraging hub & spoke model. This model may increase cost of transportation marginally, but improves throughput and reduces inventory substantially thereby reducing total delivered cost. This transformation from a cost-model to throughput model delivers not only on cost but also in terms of faster realisation of cash. The above examples clearly show there is always a scope for raising the bar and taking work to a higher plane. While businesses certainly gain from these innovations but the biggest benefit we get is an enthused set of employees who look forward to contributing and adding value as they now see themselves as part of a bigger, new vision.

By Manoj Ganjawala, Godrej Commercial 1 10

5mm

The nature of work evolves as the context of business changes. To ride the wave of change, we must proactively initiate redesigning of the work so that we could have an edge in the market. Recent research shows that the nature of work being done and the way it is done, is a powerful competitive advantage vis-Ă -vis competitors. The reason for this being, it is nearly impossible for any firm to replicate different activities being performed the way they are being performed by the others. Thus, if activities are performed in a distinctive way by a firm and their resultant combination offers a unique value then these set of activities being performed become a competitive advantage which is very difficult to imitate. The triggers for redesigning work can come from many sources including the emerging new technology, especially Information Technology, ever-changing competitive scenario, management mandate demanding enhancements in the levels of output, productivity, quality, and service. Also, exploiting of emerging opportunities as well as coping well with continuous talent depletion could be the factors that need to be taken into account. At the work unit managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level, the process of redesigning work involves making a thorough diagnosis of the total amount of work being performed in the work unit. The work being performed is articulated in its totality and then analysed in-depth. The work is then broken down in discrete understandable and manageable work packages. Each of the packages is then carefully looked at in the context of the triggers of change listed earlier and is carefully assessed for its fit and goodness as relating to the

TIME TO

strategic context. As an outcome of this deep analysis, certain crucial choices are made for deciding on the core work that will be performed within the work unit and the non-core work that will be either outsourced or eliminated. The aim here is to

REDESIGN W ORK

become leaner and fitter by shedding the flab. The new core work may make existing business processes inadequate. Therefore, the business processes need to be reviewed and reconfigured for competitiveness. Also the core work is validated against the strategic opportunities that need to be addressed for future growth.

After this final alignment, this new core work becomes a mandate for the work unit manager. The work unit manager breaks up this work into different jobs keeping in view the availability of the talent and competencies. To challenge, engage and excite people, the jobs to be performed are enriched to the extent practically possible. Attempts are made to make the jobs more sophisticated in terms of task variety, skill utilisation and autonomy at work. The purpose being to make the jobs more relevant not only for the business context but also for the new generation. To conclude, if the work is redesigned following an approach described above and both external & internal compulsions are taken into account then it may be possible to meet the twin criteria of well designed work namely fitting of the people to the jobs and fitting of the jobs to the people. The end result, Brighter Work.

by Change Team 11

THE POWER OF SMALL CHANGES â&#x20AC;&#x153;Processes cannot be improved-in big or small ways- in isolation. It requires both the new culture and the new methodologiesâ&#x20AC;?.

Brighter Work essentially is the work that is improved continually. Everyone knows about it, everyone talks about it, but only a handful do it. Global competitiveness is characterised by relentless drive for customer delight, process orientation, continuous improvement, consensual decision making, cross-functional teamwork and ongoing productivity enhancements. The key belief that may lead us to greater competitiveness is that processes produce output hence, if you want better or more output then you must improve and change processes continually. Corollary to this belief is that if the output is defective or less, then it is an outcome of processes that are deficient and not the people managing the processes. The new mindset in our context is where people are thinking about and working upon ways to improve processes always â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in small or big ways. Variation in output is continually reduced; innovations - mostly local - are implemented for having robust and capable processes. Processes cannot be improved in isolation; it requires both the new culture and the new methodologies. The new culture is open, decisions are fact-based and improvements are made on the basis of detailed analysis and suggestions received from people concerned. As people are deeply involved, the resistance to change is lowered and learning on the job takes place resulting in an engaged workforce. The process improvement effort begins with defining the processes, feedback of customers, collection of data, analysis of the data, application of appropriate methodology, making changes, observing if the changes are giving the required quality of output and if yes, then standardising on the changes in the process. If the desired output is not obtained then, the improvement cycle is redeployed. Well conceived process improvement effort is accomplishment driven, creates value and aims to satisfy both internal and external customers. Resources are pooled from within and outside of the organisation and the work is carried out in teams. All work together in an involved manner to become increasingly proficient at making processes more capable. Systemic PI initiative once institutionalised leads to many benefits such as pride of work, ownership of work, reduced rework and cost, enhanced learning on the job and experiencing the joy of meeting stretched targets both for output and quality. All this leads to Brighter Work every day.

By B.K. Rajkumar, Business Excellence Cell 12

FINDING THE PURPOSE Finding a purpose can evoke a rhythm in your life and give meanings to your actions.

A dream at night “Sorry sir, the presentation isn’t opening but I can give a live demonstration! This machine will give you 150% efficiency…give me a moment it’s opening....”<CRACK sound> Hmm…this is a prototype Sir, real machine will be a masterpiece!” “I can finish my presentation in 10 mins.” Get lost! “Ok sir”. Thank God! It was a dream.

A day at work “I will do my best effort<<<but the designer needs to do his bit>>>” “I appreciate but it’s recession so less chances of promotion<<< I lost a year doing all that for nothing!>>>”

An evening Ahh... This Sunday party will be fun! A long due...it’s only wednesday. Three nights until I can sleep late into morning… I don’t know, if you can identify with these feelings but we do lose out on a lot of energy and zest while suffering from these feelings…

A reflection! As days are passing by, conflicts in my mind are increasing. We strive to pursue higher goals such as collective vision, continuous

change,

collective

wisdom

etc.

but

introspection

realise

the

pressures

everyday work steer us away from the pursuit of higher goals. Obsession with the short-term goals, results in neglect of opportunities. We tend to get stuck. These barriers make us lose the sense of direction…I guess we have to find a “PURPOSE” to get out of this mess. Purpose is the intent behind an action. It is synonymous with the goal. A purpose which is beyond climbing up the corporate ladder or accumulating wealth! A purpose that can evoke a rhythm in me and give meaning to my actions. I learnt on an ordinary day, what I experience in a second, creates my reaction for an hour. This keeps me deflected away from achievement of goals. The only thing which can bind my actions of minutes, hours, days and months, is constancy of Purpose. This only can help me channelise my energies to create a fulfilling and rewarding path for myself.

A dream on a day! Let’s create one Purpose, wherever we are, whatever we do...! Bit by bit, every day!

By Shweta Kumari, DI Group, Appliances 13 2

Beyond Work

dy to leave

m heavily loaded rea

At Base Camp the tea for the summit camp

Evenin g from o panoram ic ur Ba se Ca scene of the p mp eaks

to the south

.15

ay, at 10 On 23rd M 6181 mts

mit at the

the sum we reach

height of

I CHOOSE TO CLIMB Climbing mountains symbolises an innate urge to scale to greater heights. This urge is primal in its nature. So long as mountains are there, they will draw climbers; the adventurers. Cyrus Shroff of Godrej Construction went climbing the LAMPAK peaks in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas with his team of seven members. They successfully climbed the peak to the height of 6181 mts. The team maintains detailed records of their expedition from which we have culled out the highlights in a pictorial form for you to marvel at and enjoy.

A chat with Cyrus Shroff CHANGE: Why did you feel the need to go mountaineering considering you are living by the sea? Cyrus: As a child I used to accompany my uncle and my father in their treks into the hills. I was fascinated and attracted to the hills back then…which gradually turned into a lifelong love for climbing mountains…To become good at climbing mountains I have attended basic and advanced courses in mountaineering from the institutes in India and abroad. CHANGE: How do you think an expedition such as this helps you at work? Cyrus: Oh...it actually helps me a lot! It makes me more ambitious…helps me focus sharply…pushes me to learn new skills…I always return from the expedition with renewed energy and a stronger will to achieve more. With every expedition my ability to work hard, work in group, patience…gets enhanced. CHANGE: Describe to us in a sentence your adventure. Cyrus: A fascinating experience…! CHANGE: The next peak to climb is… Cyrus: My next expedition is to scale an unnamed, difficult to climb peak having a height of 6500metres in the Parvati valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Photography by Cyrus Shroff Godrej Construction

CELEBRATIONS AT WORK A

following

perform. It is then that we stop

recently

encounter: Three men are found

perceiving work as routine and work

contest in Vikhroli has heralded a

smashing

itself becomes fun!

new wave of talent recognition

story

relates

the

boulders

with

iron

organised

Star

Kalakar

initiatives in this direction.

hammers. When asked what they are doing, the first man says,

For example, in Shirwal, Appliance

"Breaking big rocks into little rocks."

manufacturing

The second man says, "Feeding my

opportunity

family." The third man says, "Building

upcountry location itself brings with it

managerial

a cathedral."

an element of challenge of operating

through a constant infusion of such

at a remote location. Our constant

initiatives; sometimes even involving

The third person in the above

endeavour is to fully harness the

their family members. Be it poster

context is actually the one who is

capabilities

competitions

having fun at work whereas the other

challenging their potential. This has

competitions

two are the ones doing the mundane

resulted in spectacular progress

themes,

daily chores.

shown by some of the workmen who

competitiveness.

have grown through the ranks and

This helps us in building team spirit

are

are shop floor supervisors and

and camaraderie which in turn

associated with departments as

brightens up our employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives

just

diverse as Stores, Logistics and

with

Human Resources!

workplace.

the meaning at work. At a core level

This is due to the work environment

A happy, enthused employee after

all human thoughts and actions are

and atmosphere. At Godrej, we

all, is a productive employee...as an

in constant search for meaning. This

experience this in different ways-

old adage goes!

applies to work as well and when we

celebrations, employee engagement

want to do meaningful work we are

activities, employee get-togethers

challenged to stretch our limits to

and recognition programmes. The

Many

employees

motivated

meaningful

work

today

interest

and

not

economic rewards. A number of

facility, working

our

team

the

At Shirwal, the challenge is to

engage the workforce, both in the

zeal

workmen

essay

revolving fosters

and

cadre

writing around spirit

enthusiasm

forces contribute to this search for

By Hussain Plumber, Godrej Appliances

Our workplaces are an inextricable part of our lives today. For some of us it is our identity as the ecosystem of one's workplace becomes central to an employee's

physical

emotional well-being . The Art of Living class at Shirwal in action.

1 16

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well

GOLD FOR MASTERY Rajendra Pachpande from Godrej

in Maharashtra. His parents have

him by his family without which he

Tooling has won the Gold Medal in

always been into agriculture. He

would not have succeeded.

the Machinist Trade category at the

completed

his

22nd

Distinction

and

CII

National

Work-Skills

ITI

training

Premier

Nisha always took care of the

jointly

Automobiles, Mumbai as a machinist

education of the children and the

organised by FTI and Ministry of

and moved to Godrej Tooling. His

household giving him space to

Labour and Employment.

family comprises of his wife-Nisha,

pursue his passion. His daughter,

daughter - Bhageshree and son -

Bhageshree is doing her Diploma in

Rajendra was born on 21 February,

Pranav. He takes great pride in the

Civil from VJTI and his son, Pranav is

1967. He hails from Buldana District

support and encouragement given to

doing his schooling.

Competition

this

March

joined

with

RAPID FIRE: Your daily routine… I am a vegetarian and a teetotaller and practice yoga every day. To enhance my knowledge I read ‘Trade Theory’ regularly. What does work mean to you.. To me work is ‘Bhagwan’. It is only work that gives meaning to my life. What drives you to pursue mastery in machining… I have deep confidence in myself and a strong determination to achieve. Pursuit of mastery gives me immense pleasure and pride. The Gold Medal makes me feel like a winner. How do you think the company can encourage more participation? We should have a company-wide competition and the winners should be sent to the next level. Resources and training should be provided to encourage development of higher levels of skills. Visits to other companies will help us learn their best practices. Next Milestone… My current trade is Milling. Next I aim to go for Turning or Die-Making. I would like to become a trainer so that I can train many machinists to higher level of skills.

“

Rajendra is Brighter Work personified.

”

17 2

THE UNSUNG HEROES The unsung heroes of Godrej or of the information age

collected professionalism that is to be admired and

are our telephone operators.

respected. They are the front-line unsung heroes of our organisation. They are the voice with a smile.

The Godrej board number- 67961800 stands as a bridge that facilitates us to get in touch with the outside world,

Unsung heroes by definition receive little recognition or

within the organisation and also most importantly be a

gratitude because they do the good work behind the

communication channel for our customers to get in touch

scenes. But we should not take them for granted or waste

with us.

their time unnecessarily.

Being a large organisation we have many customers trying

The little we can do is maybe we could thank them in

to get in touch with us for their queries, feedback,

person right now. It is a small but important way that we

suggestions, etc. When they dial in they are directed to the

can thank and praise our unsung heroes who are out there

specific division and the specific person by our telephone

dedicated to our needs.

operators. The warmth in the voice, the thorough knowledge and agility of action while assisting the external

Mr. Cyril Lobo, Team Leader, Telecom Department, Godrej

customer is a great brand building exercise.

& Boyce said, “Our team is extremely proactive and are excellent in their job. We have never faltered in our services

How often have you been made to hear more than a single

in last so many years. We are very prompt and efficient

ring before you have been connected to the call? In case

and our CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) is about 95% or

of an urgency, your telephone needs, information required

higher, consistently for the last twenty years. Our services

or an emergency, the expectation of the nameless

are well appreciated by both our internal as well as

operator at the other end of the phone is that they will set

external customers.”

the wheels in motion and give you the information, help or support you are looking for. The reassuring voice you hear when you dial for an operator’s assistance – a highly trained professional who deals with queries every second daily to make life more convenient and carefree for both the customers and us.

The Telecom department of Godrej has been performing very well which is depicted through the customer feedback data of the last three-six months reflecting the Telecom CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) above 93% i.e. excellent.

Their role is to stay calm, cool and collected and handle information needs in a professional manner. Imagine the

With only five telephone operators, they jointly handle

number of calls they handle. Imagine the stress.

somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 calls a day. They are the heroes behind the scene. They keep our

Your telephone operator is a voice with a smile. They can

customers happy and satisfied while handling the

be your neighbour, your bus companion, a mom, a dad, a

information needs and urgent queries of our employees.

friend, and your fellow shopper. Yet when these special

people put on the headset and plug into the phone system

Our heartfelt thanks to them for their great service to us

they get down to business with efficiency and a cool

with a smile.

Interview with the operators: What do you enjoy about your job?

calling Sa

vli

“I enjoy th e job – talkin variety in this g to peop le from different lo cation different la s, speaking nguages.”

liet

calling Ju

ople g with pe .” onnectin em th g in “I enjoy c nd help a g in id u and g

calling Pradnya

b; even riety in this jo “I enjoy the va queries e th e iv tit is repe if the activity are different.”

calling Anupam

calling Swapna

nt ting with differe “I enjoy connec job is is th t ou ab rt st pa people. The be ’ at ything `pending there’s never an call ch ea e us y beca the end of the da e th at ed os cl d an is responded to same time.”

“I enjoy the fa ct that every da y there is somet hing new to le arn and also the jo b demands handling toug h situation.”

Cyril Lobo, Team Leader By Sana Anjum, Corporate Communication 19 2

SUPER SELLING BRIGHTER RESULTS

Mr. Srinivasa Vidyasagar Vemuri works at Godrej Locks, Hyderabad Branch.

achieved his desired sales plans for 42 months without a break. We discovered the mantra of his success with him and according to him he aspires and strives to better himself day in and day out...

My mindset... It’s not about money but a hunger and thirst to excel and exhibit my talent to the best of my abilities, which keeps my spirits high. My motivation doesn’t draw for want of honour, laurels or recognition. I consciously strive to do my best. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda gives me tremendous inspiration, I try to follow his principles in my daily life.

Plan your work... I start my day at work, well before time. The first thing I do is to go through the sales figures and analyse, I concentrate more on the secondary sales than primary. I plan for range selling with a focus on depth and width. I ensure market visits at least four times a week, with a motto of grabbing shelf-space from the retail outlets. I aim at introducing new products by showing positive points of our products.

Building deep relationships is important...A set weekly and monthly target is given to Distributor Salesmen and they are rewarded with incentives on achieving them. I take special interest in Distributor Salesmen and keep myself approachable for them. I also monitor them at regular intervals to solve their issues–small and technical. I acknowledge their efforts; extend my greetings to them on their birthdays & festivals and extend help whenever required.

Sense of belongingness at work...I have tried to create a personalised bond with them which gives them a sense of belongingness to an extremely reputed company – GODREJ.

Importance of networking...At regular intervals we conduct Distributors Salesmen meet, Retailers meet, Retailers Salesmen meet, Carpenters meet…wherein more emphasis is given to B & C apart from A Class Towns. I keep myself abreast of the latest happenings by being in touch with my colleagues in the Branch at other places. I keep my eyes and ears open to determine our major and potential customers of our products.

How did all this translate...Strictly adhering and conducting myself to the above routine helped me to achieve my DS month after month for forty-two consecutive months.

My biggest strength...Finally, I take care of my family, as much as they take care of me as they are my biggest strength. By Srinivasa Vidyasagar Vemuri, Locks, Hyderabad. 20

5mm

Not Just Jargon

EMPOWERMENT Empowerment is an approach that enables people to make decisions about their work based on data and facts generated by them. Empowerment also enables people participate in the planning process of their business and their views are counted upon for making changes and choosing strategies affecting their areas of work and sometimes beyond... Thus, empowerment is a process that inspires people to take on responsibility for the work in terms of Quantity, Quality, Cost, Safetyâ&#x20AC;Śpowered by this sense of responsibility. They voluntarily take on challenges that stretch their conceptual and physical limits. To meet stretched challenges they yearn to learn new skills, think innovatively, work co-operatively in teams and find new ways of performing Brighter Work. Genuine participation is a requisite condition for meaningful empowerment. Empowerment also sensitises people to newer opportunities which they can explore without fear of reprisals. Thus, it enables people to express themselves creatively and productively in more ways than hither to imagined. Empowerment is not about abdication of responsibilityâ&#x20AC;Śit is in fact about being truly responsible in the sense it involves letting go off micro-managing and substituting it with Inspired leadership. People like to be lead. They want to know the direction they are headed, how well they are doing, what they ought to do to become better and so on. Empowerment is, therefore, an approach which removes the barriers that comes into the way of people approaching limits of their personal and organisational potential. Empowerment is for the brave hearts only.

By Sana Anjum, Corporate Communication 21

Know Your Business Head

LEADING LAWKIM

Xercsis Marker, the man who is ever ready to take on challenges and is committed, meticulous with a strong sense of financials. In a sincere and candid manner he answers all our questions about his early days, love for nature, challenges he faced while working for Lawkim, championing the Six Sigma methodology and his interests and hobbies. Read excerpts from interview.

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today, I run off to Panchgani at the soonest possible opportunity to relive my memories. I represented my school in cricket, hockey and table tennis and was active in drama, music and elocution as well. Afterwards, I went to the HR College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai and obtained B.Com (Hons) in 1978. CHANGE: Which were your favourite subjects? Any special college memories? My favourite subjects were Finance and Strategic Management. I completed CA, ICWA and Company Secretary courses from prestigious Institutions in India. My P.G. completed in 1986, I was already working while studying for the CS course. CHANGE: When did you join Lawkim? In September 1991 post brief stints (3 years each) at Toyo Engineering

India

Ltd,

Lakme

Ltd.

and

Boots

Pharmaceuticals Ltd. I was interviewed by Mr EJ Kalwachia. I told him that I had no experience in Indirect taxation and other plant related functions and he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;But there is always a time and opportunity to learn???â&#x20AC;?. That boosted my confidence and respect for Mr Kalwachia and Godrej. CHANGE: Tell us something about Lawkim. Lawkim was incorporated in 1960 by Mr. Lawyer & Mr. Currim, and hence derived its name. In 1977, its bankers approached Godrej for an acquisition. As motors are core to the compressors used in refrigerators, already a Godrej business, it became a strategic acquisition by Godrej. Lawkim operated from a small unit at Thane, and grew to set up a new plant at Shindewadi near Pune in 1992. Two dedicated CHANGE: Tell us about your childhood and schooling.

subcontracting units were also set up closer to Navi Mumbai.

Thereafter, which college did you go to? My primary schooling up to the 4th standard was at Villa

CHANGE: What was your first assignment for

Teresa High School, Mumbai and I completed Secondary

Lawkim?

Schooling at Billimoria High School, Panchgani, a

My first assignment was setting up of new systems and

Boarding School. I passed the SSC examination in 1974.

ensuring compliances at our Shindewadi Plant. I was

My schooling base groomed me to be self-disciplined,

involved in setting up of the Dadra unit in a free trade zone

independent and confident in my later years. Besides it

in 1996 to take advantage of incentives provided by the

also made me appreciate nature and its beauty and even

government for gaining cost advantage for our business.

23 2

CHANGE: How did your career progress at Lawkim? After joining as Manager - Finance, I went on to become GM - Finance and later, EVP - Finance & Commercial & Company Secretary. I was exposed to commercial and legal aspects of the business, in addition to daily interactions with commercial and technical people; I gained multiple perspectives on business. I realised the importance of experience at the grass roots, especially when driving things from the corporate level. CHANGE: Over the years, which aspects of working with Lawkim have you enjoyed the most? I have enjoyed working with Lawkim ever since I joined them. Handling varied challenges in the Motors and the Call Centre domestic and international businesses, (in Godrej Upstream Ltd where I was associated as a Director), managing people related issues, and subsequent amalgamation into Godrej & Boyce – several experiences full of learning and satisfaction. With the dynamic business environment, I continue to enjoy the challenge of doing new things all the time. CHANGE: When you were appointed ‘Vice President & Business Head’ in Oct 2008, what was your first reaction then? I was very thrilled at the fact that I would continue associating with Lawkim and be a part of Godrej. Recognition for having spent fruitful and exciting times was really cherished. CHANGE: What are the major challenges faced by you at Lawkim? The greatest challenge of the Motors business at Lawkim was to produce new products at competitive prices. Material costs account for 78% – 80% of the total cost. Copper and steel are the major materials and are susceptible to market fluctuations. Containing costs as planned becomes difficult. To address cost volatility effectively, we have to continuously think afresh and develop teams which are capable of looking ahead. CHANGE: How has the Lawkim business changed over the years? From being a manufacturer of hermetic motors for compressors, catering to three to four large OEM customers to having products for the open market including general purpose motors, HVAC motors for various applications; today we have in our range, small and medium sized frame motors for air-conditioning, refrigeration, motion handling, power generation and general purpose applications. CHANGE: Major future challenges you foresee. Our major focus is to provide competitiveness to our largest customer, Godrej Appliances, where we supply almost 60% of our output, through continuous R&D support, new improvements in technology; parallely serving other large external customers and remaining equally competitive in the balance 45% share. We’re looking at Improving the top-line, through new value-added products for the Domestic & International markets and the bottom line through cost rationalisation programmes, better buying of commodities, selecting the right product mix and controlling the larger fixed overheads cost through internally driven programmes like PMO, Kaizen and Six Sigma. All this will provide good support in our journey towards Business Excellence, where we shall be participating along with other business units over the next year.

5mm

CHANGE: Where do you see Lawkim headed over next 3 years? Our top-line growth in 09-10 over the full last year was 39% and 50% compared to the plan as we closed at Rs. 110 crores, the highest ever in last 8 years. Besides growing this further, our focus will be on cost competitiveness as it is demanded by our customers. We are also working on developing new technologies for the motor segment of our business. Our Calibration business is small at Rs.3.5 crores but has good potential for profitable growth as a service business. CHANGE: What advice would you give to today’s youngsters? My own personal experience has shown that the urge for knowledge coupled with sincerity and hard work can take anyone to greater heights. Therefore, our own basic culture and values imbibed in us by our parents, combined with education, should definitely make us proud and successful in our personal and professional lives. There is no quick fix to anything in life and we have to go through the entire experience ourselves. CHANGE: How does Lawkim engage with the essence of Godrej brand - Brighter Living? Energy efficiency and sustainability are very important for our business. We strive to develop and deliver motors which are energy efficient and thereby, contribute to brighter living. We work towards conserving the usage of non-ferrous materials to make our business sustainable besides creating a work environment which is progressive and engaging for our people. Our Community programmes at Shindewadi in Education, Health and Environment segments using the workmen village network enables us to percolate the message effectively all across. CHANGE: Tell us something about your family. My father served the Govt. for over 30 years and continued to provide consultancy services till his last day. My mother was a housewife - a guiding force in my life; sister went into social work. My wife Lily is associated with a Play Group for small children. My daughter Kaizeen is pursuing her B.A. in Psychology & intends specialising. Son Jeshad is in his 2nd year of Commerce and wants to study Business Management.

RAPID FIRE Your strengths – Committed, loyal, sincere, good visualiser, highly adaptable. Areas of improvement – Would want to be more innovative and patient at times. Hobbies – Driving, travelling. Whom do you admire – My Parents, Mr. JRD Tata and of course, my boss Mr. Vijay Crishna, with whom I have spent more than 15 years working and learning. Your favourite teacher – My School Principals who were my de-facto parents during my boarding school days. What kind of music do you like – Western Classical & Instrumental Music, Hindi – Mohammed Rafi. Passionate about – Seeking knowledge in non work-related areas and knowing people through interactions. Favourite food – Continental & Chinese. How do you de-stress – Walking, prayers, keeping to myself in open spaces, preferably in the hills. Favourite book – The Life, Work & Theories of Sigmund Freud. Any destination you’d like to visit again – Manali in India, the Alps in Switzerland. You dislike – Hypocrisy, ego, anger, laziness, lack of ambition and an unplanned approach to life. Social cause association – I make it a point to contribute financially within my means and teach for social causes. Brand Xercsis – Committed, sincere, ready to take on challenges in life.

BOUNDLESS HORIZONS A peek into Mr. Kaikhushroo Naoroji’s Diary.

The task of managing for growth and profits is very challenging in today’s uncertain and demanding times. Perhaps we could learn a few valuable lessons from mountaineering where challenges and uncertainties exist. We are bringing to you experiences of one of our business leaders from the past who pursued mountaineering as a passion. Godrej Archives brings forth the adventurous Green Lake (Sikkim) expedition that Kaikhushroo Naoroji undertook in the year 1958 through black & white photographs and his diary notes that he used to maintain during every expedition. A graduate from London School of Economics, Kaikhushroo (Kekoo) Naoroji joined Godrej as Export Director after a career in Indian Chemical Industries (ICI). While playing different roles of a loving husband, a doting father and a businessman, he also zealously pursued his passion for mountains. Around 1950s when Kekoo started exploring the Himalayas, Himalayan trekking was not as common as it is now. The Himalayas were untouched and not easily accessible in absence of network of roads. He was the member of the Himalayan Club of which he later also became the President. Through few snippets from the pages of Kekoo Naoroji’s Sikkim diary and few of his photographs let us experience the challenges and exhilaration of his Green Lake Trek (1958).

Kaikhushroo’s Sikkim Diary 26th October-25th November 1958

26th October - ……..Heavy cloud and drizzle not unpleasant for march but obscured views and definitely unpleasant at camp. Under the circumstances not unwise to have camped early specially as first camp. Tents are certainly not very good…....We are probably just over 10,000 feet and very likely snowing at Green Lake 4,934m and lower down…. 27th October - Rained during the night and all tents leaked..…Water got through into the Contina and the whole film and all pictures up to this point are undoubtedly ruined.…We are camped beside the Zeru Chu (river); guess 2 to 3 miles from snout….Route keeps changing due to slides andkeeps getting higher and longer..…Greater part of the route was through waterlogged bogs and involved continuous balancing on stones, rocks, thick and thin logs; one slip and you are sucked in up to the knees in mire with a “zwip” sound and need appreciable force to pull yourself out. …….What was not through bogs was steep ascents and descents through mullahs…Estimate we should be between 11,500 to 12,000 feet…….Cannot yet eat what I thought I would; intake so far poor but take milk and vitamins.

28th October- Dried out the camera with slow heat. However, shutter damaged and not working properly.…This is the time when you wonder at the sense of punishing yourself so and wishes for the end of the day and also the end of the trek…….Camped at about 2 o’clock but it seemed a much longer day. Was miserable, tired and cold (strong wind)….. 29th October- Slow uphill grind- gradual ascent but altitude. Clear day, mountains close by made the march bearable…..Expecting a long march, but little before midday Lachen men called a halt stating no water and firewood further up….Lachen men paid off. Then suddenly tragedy struck. Whilst lighting the kitchen fire the dry grass and dwarf rhododendron caught fire; our attempts to put it out were futile….Shifted camp to a safer spot and watched dejectedly our firewood supply go up in smoke…Sherpas collected enough for a roaring camp fire…Still it is a pity since it will take years for this valuable firewood to grow….…Decided to move camp to that point whilst some of us went further to investigate Green Lake. 30th October- Cold morning but sunny…The water I had discovered yesterday had all iced up….Went to Green Lake- there is no lake- it has all dried…Pasang discovered a pool on the glacier….The view from top of the moraine compensates for all the punishment taken so far. The giant Kangchenjunga 8,585m surrounded by its satellites forming a semicircle round you. Wherever you look there is beauty….Photographed and enjoyed the scene for an hour….this sight for the Gods. Nights are very cold- 5 to 10 below freezing. How the Lachen men endured this in the open is beyond me. Sleep fitful- may have to resort to sleeping pills higher up. Sleeping bags do not fit well into each other and not very comfortable. My fault for not trying out the equipment properly. 31st October- Rest, washing day and sorting out of stores in preparation for attempt to Nepal Gap. I shall be very happy if I can do it. Will be accompanied by three Sherpas. by Vrunda Pathare, Godrej Archives For further read, refer to the book in the Archives Himalayan Vignettes: The Garhwal and Sikkim Treks by Kekoo Naoroji, Published by The Himalayan Club, 2003.

IN MEMORIAM

ASPI KHURSHED BARDY 1935 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2009

Aspi Bardy, a resident director of Godrej (Malaysia) Sdn.

Bhd., died at his Mumbai home on 28th December, 2009. Right up to the end, he led an active life, although his health

had deteriorated during the last six months. A bachelor, he is survived by his mother Jerbai, sister Dhanoo, brother-in-law Homi Khushrokhan and their son and daughter. Born in erstwhile Bombay, Aspi Bardy graduated in Commerce and Law, and completed his Chartered Accountancy (like his father, sister and brother-in-law) in India.

Thereafter, he went to England to study

Management at the University of Manchester Business School. Later, he worked in England and in India, before joining Godrej & Boyce in July, 1964. Between him and his father the late Mr. Khurshed Jehangir Bardi (who was the Head of Finance & Accounting, prior to the late Mr. Nariman K. Dhabhar); they served the Company for an incredible eighty years! Aspi Bardy was a brilliant professional manager with an innate ability for clear and strategic thinking. He was an extremely candid and articulate communicator, and could have become a very good trial lawyer. His command over the written language was phenomenal, with an ability to use unusual and difficult words with facility. His letters with his big bold handwriting might even look menacing! But at heart, he was a simple man with a unique sense of humour. Aspi's energy was boundless, and it was a challenge to

1 28

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keep pace with him. He would not accept anything, even

to the support of NPG, Aspi’s firmness and effective

when it appeared obvious, and would question, cross

supervision of the project team led by Mr. E.J. Kalwachia,

question, and ‘show me how you do it’ to everything he

that this massive organisational and administrative change

noticed or was presented to him. It might have been

in management was successfully implemented. Aspi was

exasperating at times, but at the end of it, issues got

the first person I met in the Company, I found him bright

clarified, all learnt a lot more and often obvious was

and articulate; in fact he was one of the people who

proved incorrect.

recruited me.

Aspi was one of the Founders and a Director of the

In 1981, Aspi persuaded NPG to let me and Sheriar Irani

Company’s associated ventures in Malaysia, Singapore,

prepare an exhaustive report on the Financial and Tax

Indonesia (since divested), Vietnam and Oman.

Planning for the Company and its Shareholders, for a

actively supported the strategic initiatives of the late Mr.

review by our tax advisors and two independent experts.

Sohrabji P. Godrej (SPG), Mr. Naoroji P. Godrej (NPG) and Mr. Kaikhushru N. Naoroji:

After Aspi shifted his residence permanently to Malaysia, his role was restricted to the management of overseas

Internationalisation of the Company’s business. He

operations, but he continued to work closely with JNG

also worked very closely with Mr. Jamshyd N. Godrej

and with us in corporate finance. He also played a leading

(JNG) in establishing G & B’s ventures in Vietnam and

role in the establishment of our business venture in the

Oman.

Madras Export Processing Zone (SEZ). He was also very

Introduction of Mechanised Accounting.

close to Meheryar Unwalla and Abraham George, who

Professionalisation of the Finance and Accounting.

manage our overseas subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Pioneering

the

processes

which

brought

computerisation of payroll, inventory, invoicing and

During the last twenty years, he used to visit Vikhroli often,

accounting systems.

and whenever possible we would have lunch together to discuss common issues. I will remember Aspi as a good

In the sixties and early seventies, many large Indian

friend and a good human being. His death marked the

companies

passing of an era in our Company’s long history. We all

successfully,

did

not

which

implement

resulted

computerisation delays,

wasteful

expenditure, union resistance and confusion. It was due

have fond memories of our association with Aspi, and we will miss him dearly. By Dr. K. A. Palia, Executive Director - Finance, G & B 29 2

GRAPHOLOGY An insight on Handwriting Analysis by Khushroo B Master Yeh Likhai Kehti Hai …………

One of the greatest investments that parents do in their

In our life, we come face to face with testing and trying

lifetime is to ensure good, highly specialised education for

times almost daily and in today’s competitive world, only

their children. A considerable quantum of time, money and

the tough gets going. How mentally tough are you to face

energy is utilised in ensuring that the child is academically

these challenges? - Are you a fast, comprehensive thinker

thorough and secures a good grade/class when he/she

or a slow but methodical one? Are you diplomatic? Are you

completes education. Unfortunately, very little is invested in

analytical, detail-oriented, able to set and achieve tough

development of qualities and traits like confidence, self

goals? - These are some of the insights that can easily be

esteem, determination, optimism, sensitivity to criticism

obtained by an analysis of one’s handwriting.

etc. which can collectively be defined as ‘Personality’. When we learn to write, it takes us a lot of time to form the While academic qualifications can get us a job, it is our

curves and to get all the letters and connectors correctly

personality that determines how well we excel and

but as we advance in age, the flow of writing comes

succeed in a job. Handwriting is a simple and reliable tool

automatically. When we first learnt to write, we consciously

to understand the personality of the writer. Every time you

used all the energies at our disposal to form letters. Later

touch pen to paper – you are sub-consciously painting a

on, our sub-conscious mind took over and the writing just

picture of your personality. Every letter you write, every line

started flowing without any use of conscious energy. An

or curve you make, unfolds a story of your personality to

analysis of this writing reveals the personality of the writer.

the eyes of a handwriting analyst.

We write the way we think. By doing an alteration in the way we write - WE CAN ALTER THE WAY WE THINK. Handwriting, therefore, can be a simple but highly effective tool in not only understanding the personality of the writer but also enabling him/her to develop positive personality traits and suppress the negative ones. Simply changing the letter-forms in the handwriting can have a profound effect on the behavioural patterns of both children as well as adults. Most people would not believe when told that they can actually manage to control their anger by simply changing the way they write the letter ‘t’ and the way they dot their ‘i’ but if the same is practiced consciously and regularly over a period of time, it is bound to deliver positive and surprising results in the personality and behaviour patterns of the writer.

Few tips from Mr. Khushrao Master for some positive changes in your personality:

handwriting would go a long way to make the handwriting not only appear neat but also to promote positive personality traits. This would lead to moulding of the overall

a) Correcting fear of failure or low self esteem:

personality of the child during his/her crucial formative

The horizontal crossing of the letter “t” denotes this trait.

years.

The child who fears change and failure crosses his “t”

Appreciations received:

stems very low.

“It is a real eye opener to teachers who teach children the art of handwriting. Moulding all-round personality of the child becomes a much easier task.” The simple correction lies in crossing the “t” high on the

- Mrs. Evangeline Ranjan, Ex-principal of Udayachal

stem.

High School, Vikhroli, Mumbai. “Excellent handbook as a ready reference for handwriting interpretation… the contents are explicable and easy to

b) Correcting stubborn behavior:

understand and apply …reach out to more people…”

The tent-like “t and d” stems show this trait. The more

- Dr. Ambrish Bhatt, Scientist, Mumbai.

separated the stem, the more stubborn the writer is. “Every child should be made aware of this concept. I myself have changed my handwriting after reading your book. I have distributed quite a few copies to the parents.” The correction lies in changing over to simple straight

- Late Dr. I J Dagli of Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai.

stems for “d” and “t” instead of the tent-like, braced stem. Introductory

seminars

“Personality

Development

through Handwriting” conducted within and outside Godrej, have been well received by all the participants. The In case one writes with forked ovals (ovals which have a

seminars provide practical insights on Graphology, its uses

dash, line or circle within them) - correct the same at the

and application. Concepts covered during the seminar

earliest to clear and preferably closed ovals.

include:-

Forked ovals:

What is Handwriting Analysis

Closed ovals:

Some Facts, Scope and Uses

How does one analyse handwriting

There are several other simple changes in the handwriting

What is Grapho-Therapy

that are suggested in the book “Write your Alphabets

Practical Examples and Tips

Differently

and

SUCCEED”

which

has

been

well

appreciated by Academicians, Doctors, Consultants and

“Write your Alphabets Differently and SUCCEED” is a simple, effective & affordable guide which can be studied & applied by all

Practicing professionals and Managers. It is also being

for getting an advantage. The author, Khushroo B Master (Godrej

used as a guide by students in several progressive

Appliances – Finance) has been practicing graphology since the

educational institutions. Neat and tidy handwriting is often what is emphasised upon by parents and teachers. However, incorporation of a few important changes in the

last 18 years. Any queries on the subject / availability of the book may be addressed to hwanalysts@yahoo.co.in

By Khushroo Master, Godrej Appliances

THE NEW DESIGN THINKING A session on new design approach was taken by Professor Patrick Whitney and Professor Vijay Kumar of Illinois Institute of Technology.

Our team Interio had invited Professor Patrick Whiteny and Professor Vijay Kumar of Illinois Institute of Technology to address Interio’s senior managers, design and marketing teams. Professor Whitney is currently the Dean of the Institute of Design and Steelcase/Robert C. Pew Professor of Design & Prof Vijay Kumar is an Associate Professor at the Institute. Both of them are outstanding teachers and academicians, have conducted deep research, published extensively and have consulted with leading organisations in U.S and worldwide. Professor Whitney’s presentation elaborated on the evolution of design function from being "design for production" during 10s-30s to "design for marketing" during ‘30s – 60s and now to “design for users” in the recent years. This in a nutshell means “We know how to make anything, but we don’t know what to make notwithstanding ever-advancing technology…He stressed on the need to integrate three major innovation drivers namely technology (what is possible), design (what is desirable) and business (what is viable). Designers must go beyond functionality and strive to create platforms for experience based design… Prof Vijay Kumar supplemented the presentation by stressing on a need to create innovation platforms by not just having products but having services as well. I-pod’s case was presented as an example of recent DI in the music industry. He urged participants to work on different types of prototypes like communication, discovery, products etc. and have constant verification built into the development process. Cross functional teams ought to share the innovation space in the process as well. Lastly he gave valuable pointers for developing innovation culture in the organisation. E. Venkat, Head Design, Interio gave a presentation on the design process of the business and sort suggestions for making the process robust and effective. Professor Whitney advised that our approach should focus on how to help people lead a better life. Prototyping another modern tools must be used extensively. Mr. Anil Mathur made a presentation on the market segmentation carried out keeping in view new brand strategy. Case studies of “Urban sofa” and “Kreation steel wardrobe” were presented for inviting ideas, feedback and suggestions for improvement from the professors and the audience. Overall a session of immense value. By Jogy Abraham, Godrej Interio 32

INNOVATION IN BRUTAL MARKETS AND BEYOND Scott Anthony, Managing Director of Innosight Ventures, recently visited Godrej and gave key insights on Disruptive Innovation.

To enhance Innovation competency at Godrej Mr. Scott Anthony was th invited to speak to our senior management group on 11 February. Currently

Mr. Anthony is president of well-known Innovation Consultancy- Innosight and has worked with clients across industries and across geographical areas… He is the Lead Author of "The Innovator's Guide to Growth" and co-author of "Seeing Whats Next" with Professor Clayton Christensen. Mr. Anthony’s presentation highlighted the need for engaging in Disruptive Innovation practice for exploiting new opportunities for business growth. His findings were based on the research carried out and experiences of

The previous issue of CHANGE having the theme of `Innovation on Purpose’ was jointly released by Scott Anthony and Navroze Godrej.

successful innovators. Frameworks and tools were provided to enable managers begin their DI journey. Some of the key take-aways from the participants are: Rohan: My learnings from the presentation are-We must successfully involve people at grass root level and that the managers can develop their innovation competency

becoming

better

questioning,

observation,

experimentation and networking. Godwin: The thoughts that impressed me the most were- Transformation is the name of the game and not optimisation. We must learn to understand how customers solve their problem, find customers to target, make non-consumers consumers and always test, learn and adapt. Venky: My take-aways were-Change is the new constant, learning to give the customers only those things that they really need and nothing extra. Also, innovation skills must be continually learned and honed. Shweta: The insights I liked about the interaction are- In the DI journey the first approach is possibly a round one. Hence it is smart to start small, course correct…and then progress. Some of the common errors are to discard ideas which may pay off too early and to hang on longer than required to the ideas which may not pay off. Constrained situations are a breeding ground for innovative solutions. Broad based wide network of contact is essential to get varied perspectives into the box…Lastly effort should be made to institutionalise innovation in the DNA of our company. The presentation was outstanding and it was a great learning experience. By Shweta, Godwin, Venkatesh & Rohan- DI group, G & B 33

World within GoJiyo

GoJiyo is India’s first 3D virtual world which brings together online gaming, competition, social networking through voice also, in a one-of-its kind integrated, virtual experience!

With the launch of our new brand positioning, we are all about In GoJiyo... Be a different you Be dazzled Do something unique

Brighter Living for our consumers…people who are optimistic about the future…While the spirit of youth is all about progress and a bright-eyed view of the future, our businesses have yet to develop powerful innovations for them. Also, India’s youth are likely to be far more influential in the decisions taken for the purchase of various categories. Hence, it’s

Find new Friends

essential for us to look beyond our existing consumers and start talking to the youth through the prism of our brand and build relationships with them. Are tangible products the only way to have a dialogue or build relationships? Not necessarily...relationships with the youth can also be built on the basis of powerful non-product interactions like communication and activation. Taking this insight forward, we launched www.gojiyo.com on 21st March, 2010. GoJiyo is India’s first 3D virtual world that’s easily accessible through a broadband connection and almost any Internet

browser.

competition,

social

GoJiyo

brings

networking

together

through

one-of-its-kind integrated, virtual experience.

5mm

online

voice

gaming,

also,

Currently, at GoJiyo, you can zoom into the future or even teleport into the past. Solaria, the urban supercity is now a bustling region with avatars doing bungee jumps, sky diving, surfing & even enjoying beach parties. New additions are Noom & Mauryavaas. Noom is a deep space human settlement 300,000 miles away from Solaria. Mauryavaas is a glorious, ancient Indian kingdom set in 250 BC. Three more worlds- Snow Flash, Turqua and Re-janm will be launched shortly. Gojiyo has already been visited by more than 11,91,712 times by over 10,57,225 unique visitors and has 1,45,428 registered users. Typically these users log into the GoJiyo universe whopping 2.6 times! Work is on for in-world experiences for our Eon appliances, Security Solutions & Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basket. So, come on, dive in and join the GoJiyo tribe. Experience it for yourself. Spread the word among your friends and their friends. Tell us what you like about GoJiyo and what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Feedback will help us make GoJiyo an even richer experience. Explore. Experience. Enjoy. GoJiyo! Disclaimer: While the website is accessible, due to Corporate IT Security port settings, access to the 3D in-world experience is not yet possible from our internal network. To experience the same, please use an external broadband connection (data card or cable).

By Parampal Singh, Strategic Marketing Group, Godrej

35 2

QUALITY SUMMIT - 2009

Mr. Shyam Motwani (Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Locks) and Mr. Ravi B. Rao (G.M.QA, Godrej Locks) receiving the Commendation Certificate for Significant Achievement on the journey towards Business Excellence awarded by CII-Exim Bank Business Excellence Award Jury.

The theme for Quality Summit 2009 was 'QUALITY FOR A RESURGENT INDIA – Economy, Infrastructure and Governance'. More than 350 participants from different organisations participated. There were speakers from industry as well as from educational institutions. Mr. Jamshyd Godrej was the keynote speaker. Mr. K. N. Shenoy (Chairman, CII Institute of Quality) spoke about the five stages of decline if an organisation is not vigilant. Mr. Jamshyd Godrej (CMD – Godrej & Boyce) spoke about how businesses are getting complicated with demands on quality, energy conservation, safety and inclusiveness. There is a need to address all to succeed and success demands sustainability and innovation. A holistic solution such as the Business Excellence model could help business cope with the imperatives of the future. Our very own Mr. G Sunderraman explained the triangle of users with the sophisticated users lying at the top of the triangle, followed by the dominant majority of users, simple users and non-users- Disruptive Innovation addresses the last one. Mr. Arun Maira (Member – Planning Commission) talked about the 4 imperatives for the Architecture of Governance. The model for leadership should enable local people doing small and good things locally. Prof. Apte (IIT – Mumbai) explained the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). Dr. Surinder Kapur (Chairman – Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd.) expressed the need for clearly articulating the Vision, Mission and Values of the company. Mr. Pierre Cachet (CEO – EFQM) mentioned the changes in the EFQM model for Business Excellence introduced this year. There was a formal signing of the MoU between CII and EFQM for pursuing Business Excellence. The CII EXIM Bank Award for Business Excellence was won by Bosch, Bangalore for their Diesel Systems business. Godrej, Locks division won the Certificate for Commendation for Significant Achievement. Some of the other speakers were Mr. Vineeet Sharma (Executive Vice President – Max New York Life Insurance), Mr. G Jagannathan (Executive Vice President-TCS), Mr. Vikram Mehta (Chairman – Shell Group of Companies in India). Mr. Shashi Tharoor (the then Minister of State for External Affairs – Government of India) stressed the need for industry to pursue a noble cause, have good governance and identify quality solutions to age old national important issues. A great experience to cherish.

By Ravi Rao, Godrej Locks 36

5mm

TOTAL COST MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

Mr. Abhay Kulkarni receiving a plaque on behalf of PED and PES, for the initiative taken by them on Cost Management at the 2009 Cost Congress.

Post liberalization, the domestic Indian market has seen competition grow fiercer and the better cost managed companies have an edge. With the increasing pressure on all our businesses due to competition, economic scenario and uncertainty, becoming lean and cost effective has become critical for survival and growth. Total Cost Management (TCM) is a company-wide systematic and structured approach, which provides a holistic framework to control, reduce and eliminate costs, throughout the value chain. This process of managing the financial outcome of activities encompasses all operations, internal and external. Cost Management is a focus area for Godrej & Boyce as it must support the business units towards multiple improvements e.g. in ERP implementation in manufacturing or the process of inventory valuation, among others. CII (TCM division) has helped assess four of our businesses - Security Solutions, Material Handling, Precision Engineering and Process Equipment for maturity in Cost Management. Our strengths were highlighted and a road map was suggested for further improvement. At the recently held CII Cost Congress 2009 (Theme: Achieve World-class Excellence through TCM), we shared our experiences with almost 200 people from across the industries. All four businesses were recognised for their cost management initiatives by the Chief Guest Mr. Somnath, M.D., Metro Railways. We interacted and learned from several companies who are ahead of us on cost maturity e.g. Kirloskar Brothers Ltd., demonstrating the business strategy linkage to TCM and a top-down approach; Subros Ltd., where activity based costing is integrated with the ERP, and a well-defined structure for cost-driver analysis exists in addition to the subsequent identification of cost reduction projects. Going forward, we at Godrej are moving from Cost Accounting to Cost Management which is a business responsibility and each member of the business unit will have to play a critical role. The coordination between our business divisions and the CII team was facilitated by me. Also, a framework has been provided for action at the apex level. It is a beginning well made which needs to be taken forward fast.

By Abhay Kulkarni, Corporate Finance 37 2

SAYING THANK YOU IS GOOD Times passes by at such a fast pace that we hardly realise that the world around us is not as stationary as we may believe it is. How many times do we rush at the counter for that soda, or the office cafeteria or the movie ticket booking area in such a tearing hurry that once we have the desired object or solution in hand, we just turn around and rush. Maybe we could stay in for an extra moment and say ‘Thank You’ to the fellow human being who just made life a little pleasant. That little Thank You that you say may just make his or her day.

It feels good to be appreciated – for anything we do that we believe has helped someone or even for work that is expected out of us. Why is it that even for work expected out of us we feel we deserve a Thank You? Maybe because we are emotional beings at the end of the day and not just machines. Also because it’s important to people that they feel valid, important, and respected. A simple Thank You can strengthen relationships – personal as well as professional. In today’s world, we should remember to say thanks to those who help us move forward. It also goes a long way towards forging the relationships that can turn into opportunities. Saying Thank You is not only a matter of good manners between people, but also a deep expression of recognition of goodness. We may perhaps share the thanks with others who matter — the person’s boss, for example, or fellow project members. Maybe if the person we are thanking is a co-worker who helped with a project we are presenting, we might say to the assembled group “I’d like to say a special thanks to XYZ for working so hard to make this report real. She / he is the one who made the job possible.” Saying Thank You is maybe the least we can do to bring some shine to the lives of people without whom we may find it difficult to function. Thank the people in your life who add value, and make sure you spread a little good karma that way. Be kind and generous in your thanks, and the results will almost always be favourable. So how many times have you said Thank You this week?

By Rahila Athanikar 1 38

5mm

r Kalakar

The pioneering Godrej Star Kalakar Contest is designed as a platform for identifying and promoting talent in performing arts at G & B. Over 300 Godrejites participated enthusiastically across hierarchy, business units and locations. It gives an opportunity to display potential talent, a chance to get recognised and at the same time learning to compete in a healthy way. Intense competition across categories of Drama, Vocal and Instrumental Music & Dance was witnessed both in qualifying auditions and the semi-finals held in early December. These were judged by our internal panel of judges who chose the winners for the finals. Participants gave spectacular performances in the Grand Finale held on 23rd December 2009. The judges Dr. Vandana Katti (Vocal and Instrumental music), Mrs. Padmashree Kadam (Drama-Group and Solo) and Mrs. Kishu Pal (Dance-Group and Solo) had a tough time judging the talent. Mr. J. N. Godrej, Mrs. Pheroza J. Godrej, Mr. Naval Dastur and Mrs. Veera Dastur also graced the occasion and enjoyed it immensely. Everyone had a great time. Expression in its true form generates positive emotions which enables Brighter Work to happen. By Falguni Turakhia, Coporate HR 39 2

What does

BRIGHTER WORK

mean to you?

Brighter Work for me is: Performing socially relevant work for employees, their families and society in the context of Godrej, ceaselessly striving for excellence in value based ways of working- ethical, transparent and caring for both people and society. My work gives me a sense of immense pride and satisfaction. It keeps me deeply engaged, committed and focused through the day. Every day. Always inspiring me to give in a measure more than what I get- for which I feel blessed. Nariman Bacha, Bacha, Administration, Administration, Vikhroli. Vikhroli. -Nariman Brighter Work: Which delights me doing it, Which delights my customer & Which results in the brighter future of my organisation. Nishidh Jaysinh Gandhi, Appliances, Vikhroli.

Passionate working with positive & competitive bent of mind will lead to Brighter Work. Thoughts are converted to things.

Being positive & genuine, Making a difference to someone, Having a hearty laugh with a colleague, Taking that extra effort to meet deadlines, Empowerment & Transparency in all dealings, Challenges ...doing things differently, Gives purpose to your life!! Pallavi Joshi, Godrej Security Solutions, Vikhroli.

Naresh Tilwani, Appliances, ROA.

To IGNITE minds and INVENT ideas, TAKING risk and REFLECTING on mistakes, DELIGHTING customers and being a BEACON for others. Avelino D'Souza, Godrej Precision Systems, Vikhroli.

Disruptive Innovation-Quiz The quiz had 197 respondents and 125 all correct entries. Three lucky winners are: 1. Zainab J Bangdiwala VIKHROLI CORPORATE HR 2. Bibhu Prasad Parida VIKHROLI GODREJ TOOLING 3. Sachin A Phalle VIKHROLI GODREJ LAWKIM Watch out for the quiz on this edition soon on www.connect.godrej.com 40

WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE And what is it to work with love? It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth. It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house. It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.

It is to charge all things you fashion with a breadth of your own spirit, And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.

Work is love made Visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feels but half a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night. Khalil Gibran Author, The Prophet

Know Your Mangroves

THE INDIAN GREY MONGOOSE (HERPESTES EDWARDSII)

The Indian Grey Mongoose is a common animal in the Godrej Mangroves and occasionally found in the Hillside Colony area as well. It is a small long animal with a grizzled coat, small ears and a pointed nose. They have a reddish tint to their heads. Their tail length equals their body length and has dark red tip. The Grey Mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrub lands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows and thickets, among groves of trees and even in drains. They are active during the day time. It is very bold and inquisitive but seldom ventures far from cover. It climbs well. Usually found single or in pairs. It preys on rodents, snakes, birdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eggs and hatchlings, lizards and variety of invertebrates. The Mongoose produces a high-pitched noise, commonly known as giggling, during courtship and mating. The Mongoose, known as the worst enemy of snakes, was popularly used to fight and kill venomous snakes, including cobras. The bravery of the Mongoose in the face of a deadly snake is quite amazing. They can do this because of their agility and their thick coat of fur. In fact, they typically avoid the cobra and have no particular affinity for consuming its meat. Although the Mongoose is more than a match for the cobra, the viper is another story. For some reason the Mongoose does not build up immunity to the viperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s venom. Additionally, the viper is much faster than the cobra in its ability to strike. The Mongoose is a clever little creature with a deadly ability to look after itself in the wild. Let us respect and admire it for its power and beauty as well as for its important role in the ecology. Dr. Maya Mahajan, Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre. Photo Courtesy- P. R. Arun For more information, visit www.mangroves.godrej.com