Category: Mirror -My Reflections

When Roger Federer caresses a down-the-line forehand winner to wrong-foot his opponents, or Lionel Messi chips the ball over the hapless goalkeeper with poetic precision, or Virat Kohli threads a cover drive between the two fielders placed precisely to prevent it, we are witnessing not just the skill but a kind of effortless brilliance that defines the champion. Their actions seem to defy physics and human limits, for it is executed with such grace to make it look effortless. Mastery …

We are all familiar with hierarchy and the sticks and carrot approach used to enforce order. However, in successful organisations there is an effective bottoms-up communication method that keeps the higher ranks in check and ensures the interest of the lower ranks is not ignored. It is interesting to see that the bottoms-up approach evolved very early in human history to enable the objective of cooperative ventures to be realised. The acronym STOP, i.e. Steps To Overcome Powerful uses five …

The APE I Wrestle 12 09 2025 After-Sales experience is a well-known concept in the commercial world, but in my personal life I have to confront an APE, After Purchase Experience.  My problem is of a compulsive buyer unable to resist bargains. My two weaknesses: inexpensive clothes and often expensive books give me very different After Purchase Experience (APE). After buying clothes, I feel stupid and have a sense of remorse which is rarely the case when I buy books. …

Family: A Fading Idea? I am fortunate to have the happy experience of living in a joint family for the first three decades of my life, a nuclear family for next three, and currently living with our lovely daughter-in-law and son. Given my enriching family-life experience, I am quite stunned to see the social challenge surrounding us: of 80+ aged seniors living alone, working couples stressfully juggling work and care for their young children, married couples evaluating the affordability of …

After a two-decades stint in a large corporate, followed by a decade in academics coupled with advising businesses as Director on their board or consultant, I turned entrepreneur with my new venture -CimplyFive. With a little more than passion in my kitty, I went through all the stages of romance, in my entrepreneurial journey. There was the exciting courtship, followed by blissful honeymoon, leading to the advent of anxiously awaited but demanding customers. I exited the business handing it over …

Companies today dominate the business world and corporate honchos like Elon Musk and the AAs sit at the apex of our society’s decision-making table. Their prominence gives them an influence that extends far beyond their business, and often they influence emerging social and political issues. Given this importance, a pertinent question to ask is what makes a business successful? I see businesses as a potent blend of passion, relationships, intellect, and resources. Start-ups that dominate our media today show how …

Messi’s dribbling skills, Rishab Pant’s hook shot, Michael Jacksons moon walk to name a few leaves me spell bound. Excellence in any field, be it sports, art or vocation, draws my admiration for it illustrates the best of human nature. I am a passionate student of methods to attain excellence, driven by my yet unattained desire for personal excellence. This search led me to the E.G.O. principle for building a practice for attaining excellence. This principle is not just applicable …

Creating An Ownership Culture 05 09 2025 Ever wondered why the ownership spirit is not more widespread in organisations? Puzzled by the high ownership shown by relatively junior staff positions like the CEO’s secretary or driver in contrast to the attitude of many senior managers? Financial benefits alone do not seem to create ownership. But what else does? My four decades plus experience made me realise that ownership has two distinct elements, the rights and the responsibilities. On the rights …

Differentiating between a customer, consumer and client took me a while as they are often used interchangeably. I now clearly see that professionals like lawyers and doctors have clients they service, consumables like eatables and cosmetics are sold to consumers, and “useables” like clothes and furniture purchased by customers. Other than owners and lenders, only customers, used in the broader sense to cover both consumers and clients, provide a business money. In contrast, all other stakeholders be it employees, vendors, …

11. My Best Commercial Lesson My best commercial lesson learnt is from the Roman philosopher Cicero’s book On Duties written to educate his son on essentials for a happy life. Writing on ethics of commercial practices, Cicero narrates a debate between Greek philosophers, Diogenes the master and his pupil Antipater. Their debate centers on a sellers’ duty that I find valid even after 2,000 years. In the first instance, a grain merchant’s ship is sailing to the famine affected island …

I am a budget conscious buyer who looks at the price tag more than once before buying. However, there are situations in which price recedes in my buying decisions. On reflection, I feel that I am not alone in this as I have seen even the shrewdest buyers ignore price in these seven situations. Can this awareness benefit us? While this knowledge may not make us shrewd buyers, a sincere hope is for some noticeable change.    …

Long being envious of swimmers gliding through water, the last two years of my attempts to learn swimming has remained an attempt only. Given my early morning preoccupation with gym and TT, and my love for long walks in the evening, finding time to swim is a challenge. Or is this lack of time due to absence of talent? Analyzing my swimming pool experience, I see swimmers at different stages of learning: novice learners like me, the accomplished artist, the …