We are professionals. I work in an office and in a large
setup. I know what it is to make an organization move and I know how the inter-politics
work. And thanks to a lot of wisdom gained I assume I might be smart enough to
understand a little about how the market dynamics are.
Earlier when I would speak to an entrepreneur, I used to be
a little … haughty… I guess. I probably thought that the entrepreneur would
never know the real way a large organization works and the thinking we put into
a product. I thought that we are as a tribe smarter than what he is. But over
the years I have learnt to respect the wisdom of the businessman. Whatever
little he knows has greater value than whatever much I might know. I realized that
finally that is the guy who takes the risk fundamentally. He is typically
closer to his customer and while he may not have any theoretical construct he
makes up for it by having passion, drive and of course the associated headache.
So I find it funny when someone like him comes to take
advice from me. I think there is an interesting creative tension happening. He knows
his beans but at the same time he also knows that the guy on the other side has
some secret sauce that he is eager to learn from. There are systems and
processes that a big firm guy knows that an entrepreneur never is exposed to. Or
basically learns the hard way. They struggle with this construct. Managing systems
and processes while growing crazily is a
marathon task. Typically systems are put in place once the growth rate
slows down. Because while you are growing there is no use of a system. A system
would make you slower and less responsive to change and adaptation.
So when talking to a entrepreneur my premise is simple – he is
always right. He will know more than you and will always be better informed.
Even if he isn’t. Its actually not as complicated as it sounds. It’s basically
the frame of mind I put myself in when I am talking to him. This way I don’t get
too arrogant while talking to him and genuinely start listening to him. Because
there are so many times that the guy must be actually doing things without even
knowing he is doing it. Only when you
think in this manner can you really understand and dig for clues as regards his
behavior. Only then can you have a conversation that is enriching to both. And
advice is never what he should do – but it is always what I see with my limited
vision. Things that have helped me in my daily life and from that it is up to
him on what he wants to take. It is essentially the same thing when you talk to
anyone else. You have to essentially talk your experience without really
thinking that the same is simply transferable.
I love these businessmen who have set up their own
businesses. They have a way of doing things that have got them this far. I love
to see them think and see them wondering about change. Some are constantly
looking to change and some are constantly trying to maintain status quo. If anything
I get a great deal of learning from talking to them. They probably don’t know but
I too look up to them in some way. Finally I too take risks on the job, large
ones but I know that my risks are not threatening. Sometimes these guys have to
take risks that will forever change their lives and possibly take them to a
newer orbit.
Hence the premise is always simple – you are right. Now let’s
see where we can go from here. Its funny how this has happened over a period of
time in my life. When did I swallow my arrogance and when did I decide to move
my thinking. Possibly it happened when I realized that I don’t know more than I
know and that not all that you know is right. But chuck that.
Coming back, I have also learnt that theoretical constructs
are still very valid to anyone. The more I have understood about them by teaching
and applying them the more I realize the wisdom in them. Even unstructured situations
and growth can be better managed and understood if you have a lens through
which you see them. There is wisdom that people have gathered over the years
and they come out in these theories that are being made. The trick is to catch
the theory, apply, seek for deviations and trust yourself enough to wonder why
the deviations occur when they shouldn’t.
I have applied certain theories more than others and more I apply
the more I see them (certain ones) as being right. it has improved my understanding
of them. The problem is when I have to explain them to the entrepreneur he
finds it difficult to catch them. In fact he tends to dismiss them as theories
so I have to do the difficult thing and don’t present to them as such. I have
to push them in different ways and lead to the same result. It’s a very
difficult job. An entrepreneur typically knows his current problem and whatever
you say he is constantly trying to find the solution to that problem. He is
hunting for solutions to the problem he sees and therefore quickly loses
interest if it does not fit or quickly catches a solution he sees a fit. They are
always thinking fast and I find it difficult to hold intense conversations with
them which require deep thinking about a particular issue. They are used to
fast processing…. Quick in quick out kind of processing. I think at first I would
try and catch them with a 100 different cases and possibly try to dazzle them
with knowledge. But that is of no use to him. So I talk to him, understand from
him and then try and just have a simple conversation using his examples and words.
This way we possibly reach a better solution that is truer to his real problem.
They learn more from heart to heart conversations than from
gyan distribution sessions. The gyan shit is needed for the MBA trying to look
smart but the real work is needed by the business man to stay alive, relevant
and promising. It’s the real thing man.
