Experiential Learning of a Business Consultant

My Consulting Experience with Bramma

Resistance to Change!

When we analyze the major roles of a consultant, every management book speaks the same language that consultants are organizational change agents! It also mentions that change is not an easy phenomenon to happen where lots of obstacles and hurdles are there on the way of change, which is to be cleared by a consultant. Among all obstacles, EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE to change acts as the major challenge in organizational change management as far as consultant is concerned, according to conventional management books. But here, I would like to share my personal experience in SME consulting arena, which speaks a slightly different story comparing to the conventional theories!

I do agree with the fact that employee resistance is a major challenge I faced in organizational change management process.  But when I analyze the consequences and level of impact in the change management process, I rate EMPLOYER RESISTANCE TO CHANGE as the most difficult and alarming constraint I ever faced in the process. It is quite surprising to see employer resist themselves in the change process. I am sure that it may not be the same scenario in large scale business, but in the case of SME, where 99% enterprises are promoter driven business, it is much visible. Let’s go deep into some real case examples.

As far as every change process is concerned, change should start from top to bottom. So, organizational change should start from organizational structure and management style. We used to analyze irregularities and interlinked communication process in organizations while conducting initial process study in an organization. Then we suggest structure revamp and try to bring professionals in the organization in order to drive the process. Most of the companies lack professionalism which pulls them back in the growth process, and that’s why professionals are much required on a long term basis. But as I mentioned earlier, here we face the major challenge, the EMPLOYER RESISTANCE TO CHANGE!

Most of the employers fail to assimilate the change happening in the management style. They are not able to gel with the new people come aboard.  Issues start from the point where they fail to understand the new roles and a consultant struggles to act as a lubricator here! A consultant needs to be diplomatic in such situations, but in some cases, we had to put our foot down where we see things move in the opposite direction.

For e.g.  In a company we brought a new professional as Head - Sales, and he was assigned to streamline the sales activities which were on a pathetic stage till then. Sales people were not following the reporting system and also they failed to generate the desired outcome. The new person implemented some reporting system and also he started tracking the system very strictly. But all of a sudden the key person started involving in the process and he started violating the system by himself. Communication process went scattered where he started spying and receiving communications from the employees directly where the Head was missing many! As a result of frustration, Head resigned the job and went out of the organization.

This is a simple example but we faced even extreme circumstances where the employer himself asked us to frame strategies to terminate new comer professional, only because he was not able to gel with him!

There are plenty of such cases available in our case files. But what could be the reasons? We tried to analyze the reasons and find out major reasons for such cases,

• ·         Most of the employer lack a well defined organizational vision
• ·         They fail to delegate authorities to employees
• ·         They fail to develop trust factor in their people and system
• ·         They fail to come out of self entrepreneurship to entrepreneurship

People force is the major driving force in every organization. It is a must that you have quality manpower in the front to lead the process, when an organization is looking for growth or business development with a professional approach. Nowadays it is not that difficult to get quality manpower in SME, as many of them are willing to work in Kerala. But the real challenge is to sustain them with the organization in a long run. It is purely depended upon how employer treats them and maintains them, without disturbing the new environment. And for that an entrepreneur should have good vision and broaden mindset to accept changes, unless the scenario never changes!

-          Deepesh M

Manager – Consulting

Bramma Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Mob: 9847896265

Phone: 0484 2705535

MARKET STRATEGY

How to Structure Your Market Strategy Report?

Type of Strategy: (mention the character of the strategy)

 For example strategy can be ‘Kiosk in the public’.

Why this Strategy: (explain the logical reasoning behind this strategy, like its objective and major benefits).

In this, we can mention our major objectives that we are aiming to achieve through this strategy. For example, if our strategy is to set ‘kiosk in a crowded place just before the inaugural day of the company’, the objective can be mentioned like ‘Give good awareness among local customers about our company’s products or services. Through this strategy we can easily grab the attention of our targeted customers.’

How it works: (Give every details of this particular strategy. Ask all possible questions that can arise and give answers to it).

If we are planning to set a kiosk, you have to give answers to the following questions. If we can brief this strategy with one or two sentences, that would be great. All the activity which is mentioned here should substantiate our objective. We can take the above example to brief this part.

1)   How should be the kiosk? The size and the design of the kiosk should be mentioned here.

2)  Where to set the kiosk? Mention the suitable places which are appropriate for placing the kiosk, like shopping malls or some public areas (Private bus stand, ground etc).

3)  When to set kiosk? Mention the appropriate time for setting the kiosk. For example, we can say that kiosk operation should be started just five days before the inauguration day and should be ended just before the inauguration day.

4)   How long should it operate? We can mention operating time of this kiosk, like kiosk should be operated for continuous five days and the timing would be 4 pm to 7.30 pm in everyday.

5)  What all should be done in the Kiosk? Mention the major activities which we are planning to conduct in the kiosk. Like

One game called ‘Throw and win’: From 4.30 to 5 PM - Mention why this event?

Brochure distribution: Mention how to do it. How much brochure we need to distribute? etc.

Member prize coupon filling: Explain the processes and procedures of the same

6)   Manpower needed: Specify the manpower which will be needed for operating this Kiosk

Output to be expected: (Mention the expected output after implementing this strategy)

In the above case, we can mention the output expected as, Brand awareness level will be increased and through this we will be achieving 10% of additional sales in the month of November and December.

Budget: (Find out the approximate amount of budget, if we are able to split the expense part that will be good)

Marketing Expense
Particulars	Amount(Rs)
Electrical equipments rent	3,000
Coordinators wages	3,000
Space Rent	6,000
Stage/Kiosk	10,000
Expense for conducting games	5,000
Brochure expense	20,000
Total expense	47,000

Marketing calendar: After preparing the entire strategy we need to set a marketing calendar. It should give an overview of all the strategy which mentioned in the report and most importantly we need to set priorities for each strategy. For example, sometimes two strategies may not be suitable to implement simultaneously because of various reasons. So we need to set a priority based calendar, which will explain the appropriate time to implement a particular strategy.

Marketing calendar
Strategies	Period	Quick Over view	Expense (Approx)

- Mr. Vinu Narayanan

  Asst. Manager - Consulting
  Bramma Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
  Mob: 09847795311
  Phone: 0484 2705535

Mantras for Business Success

6  MANTRAS for SUCCESS in BUSINESS

1. Get your head in the game: As the leader of your company, you need to portray a winning state of mind and radiate positive energy. This is relatively easy to preach, but in live interactions, meetings and events, there’s no substitute for having your game face on. A good attitude is transmittable and inspires others. If you need to fake it until you make it, so be it. 

2. Narrow your objectives: Most of the entrepreneurs are constantly distracted by the newest shiny things. By nature, entrepreneurs seem to be idea people, so you’re good at identifying opportunities and finding ways to take advantage of them. That means it’s equally important to figure out which opportunities are irrelevant, and to ignore them completely. Pick up every shiny thing and you've got a collector’s nest, not a successful company. 

3. Steady your reactions: Steady as it goes. This is always of the most priority for essential entrepreneurial qualities. Passion, fire, and drive are at the core of many entrepreneurs. We all need those things. But it can be easy to let these attributes excessively influence your reactions to day-to-day events. Abrupt reactions and decisions that aren't well thought-out don’t do you or your company any good. To prevent them, try to plan proactively and keep the big picture in mind. 

4. Know and stick to your moral compass: It's easy to get influenced by great opportunities or quick fixes. Set yourself and your company up for success by knowing your boundaries. What are you willing to do to achieve your objectives, and where do you draw the line? This is one area where going outside of your comfort zone will do nothing but get you in hot water. 

5. Perception is King: Your reputation is here to stay. Protect your personal reputation and brand, as well as that of your company, by building an image that's meant to last.  

6. Get your fight on:  The best athlete doesn't always win. The one with the most fight and determination always wins out. Someone else may be bigger, faster, or temporarily ahead of the pack, but you will come out on top if you fight smart and stick it out. 

Need some more inspiration? Dream big. Be disruptive. Color outside the lines. Decide what these phrases mean to you, or create some of your own mantras that will keep your compass pointing north.

Work Culture @ Bramma Learning Solutions

Top 10 mistakes by businessmen in Kerala

In Kerala  small business entrepreneurs face lots of challenges. These challenges make them stuck in mud and provide bigger hurdles in their way forward. Let's look into the major mistakes done by the businessmen in Kerala.

This particular segment is taken from the Cleveland blog and is definitely useful for our business circumstances too. Bramma-the best management consulting firm in Kerala brings you the best articles like this!

1. Lack of planning: Without a plan, there's no road map that bridges good times and bad. Too often, day-to-day distractions take away from a small-business owner's ability to access new opportunities.

2. Not seeking help: Business owners tend to not develop an advisory board or a relationship with a mentor or not invest in professional services.

3. Hiring family and friends: They're an obvious choice, but too often they become a drain on the business. Owners tend to take an entirely different approach with them than when addressing challenges involving a non-family member.

4. Lack of access to capital: Cash flow is king. Not incorporating a funding strategy in your overall plan -- whether it's traditional or nontraditional financing -- often creates a ripple effect of problems. Making decisions based on lack of capital tends to have adverse effects.

5. Being in business with partners with different values: It's not just about asking obvious questions like who is going to be the customer and how the business will be marketed. Business partners need to question leadership styles and have an understanding of what's expected of each other.

6. Relying too heavily on a few clients: Diversify your portfolio.

7. Lack of market research: Whether it's a corner restaurant, a new product release or a professional service, you have to know where your customers are. Depending on the outcome, a marketing plan could be a mix of networking, traditional media and social media -- or it could mean focusing primarily on one channel.

8. Trust: Business owners fall prey to both sides of this equation. They either trust too much or too little in employees, clients and vendors. Contracts are binding and failing to do your due diligence based on somebody's word often leads to despair.

9. Admitting that they're wrong: Pride won't tell you. Employees won't speak up, and confidants sometimes won't acknowledge it. But you have to own up to what you don't know and hire and respect employees for their expertise.

10. Not anticipating failure: Entrepreneurs are natural risk takers and optimists. Too often they don't spend enough time exploring the "what ifs."