| Recently, during a discussion with Suman, a | | | | work ina) renewable energy;b) promote |
| co-worker in the car while stuck in a traffic | | | | 'sustainable' organic agriculture;c) water |
| jam on the way to a client meeting in | | | | security;d) environment sensitive products' |
| Gurgaon, I shared the vision of transforming | | | | development and marketing;e) health - through |
| Srijan into a company in which all its | | | | preventive alternate medicine and |
| members collectively manage the growth, | | | | practices;f) micro-financeg) Consulting - to |
| direction, etc. In response, Suman said, we | | | | help Indian companies become efficient and |
| already have a good work environment within | | | | effective;h) EducationSrijan is already |
| the company; and why we should think of such | | | | working on building a 'consulting' division |
| measures at all?I tried but could not provide | | | | within our company through association with a |
| an answer; and asked him to allow me to write | | | | couple of highly-recognised management |
| down why, as I am better expressed that way. | | | | consultants, and began our first project in |
| On the way back, I did manage to provide an | | | | 'assessing water security' of villages in |
| answer, but decided that I would still write | | | | hilly regions of Uttaranchal.We are already |
| it, to share it across our company and | | | | working in the sector of micro-finance, |
| possibly consider publishing it in a | | | | though currently at a personal level. I |
| supportive media publication, to let the idea | | | | recently lent our domestic-help a few |
| rub-off on other companies as well.Unlearning | | | | ten-thousand rupees to enable purchasing land |
| the ways of the worldIn the last few years, I | | | | in his village, which would in the years to |
| have been deeply influenced by books such as | | | | come enable him to become independent and an |
| "Built to Last" and more recently by | | | | entrepreneur. Who knows, he may get to run a |
| "Maverick" and "Seven Day Weekend" by Ricardo | | | | Petrol pump one-day on this piece of land |
| Semler talking of his experiments with | | | | which is on the road leading to Chilka lake. |
| 'democracy at work' in his company Semco in | | | | The only condition remains that once he is |
| Brazil. I have also been influenced by the | | | | doing well for himself in the future, he |
| late Sh. P.L. Tandon, the first Indian | | | | would help others in-need and with an |
| chairman of HLL, and well-known economist, | | | | opportunity, become independent as |
| with whom I had several late evening | | | | well.Initiatives at SrijanSo, how does all |
| discussions on 'management' with the heart.To | | | | this relate to my discussion with my |
| add to all this, we have an advisor to our | | | | colleague, mentioned at the beginning? Well, |
| company who believes in complete transparency | | | | the only 'humane' and 'sustainable' way to |
| at the work place, as a basic tenet to | | | | grow and diversify into these areas, is by |
| 'building great companies' of the | | | | involving a group of inspired people to work |
| future.Through months and years of training, | | | | towards these 'shared common goals'. It makes |
| or may I say, 'questioning' and then | | | | this movement (or the company) much more |
| 'unlearning' the 'thought paradigms' and | | | | stable, sustainable and one that lasts.Such a |
| 'values' taught to us by society, have I now | | | | company could only provide a 'loving' and |
| begun to initiate processes which are | | | | 'balanced' environment, required for creating |
| transparent, idealistic, and really how, | | | | new brilliant ideas, which will give new |
| companies must run.Purpose of a | | | | direction and new areas of business and thus, |
| businessFirstly, each company must have a | | | | profits to the company; and a more equitable |
| reason to be in business. Earning as much | | | | society.The challenge is to find the right |
| money as possible', having the best car, | | | | kind of people. A company must share and |
| foreign trips, etc. for the promoter and his | | | | 'live' its culture rather than talk about it. |
| her family, could be the motivation. However, | | | | It is what one 'does' and not what one 'says' |
| this reason alone creates the insane world we | | | | that will help put in place such a culture.At |
| live in, with such huge inequities that | | | | Srijan, we have a good work environment. |
| 60%-70% of our population lives 'below | | | | Inspite, of being small, we are now able to |
| poverty line'. Now, I refuse to be drawn into | | | | afford better salaries for our people. We |
| the technicalities of the BPL category; | | | | have recently redesigned our office to |
| people, actually much more than the | | | | improve the environment and the ambiance, |
| percentage above, are struggling daily to | | | | thus making the work hours more comfortable. |
| meet their daily basic survival needs. This | | | | In order to bring in transparency in |
| is poverty; and I do not care if they earn | | | | management, weshare information on the |
| the US$2-3 subscribed as a benchmark by World | | | | company's billing to its customers, each |
| Bank or IMF to define the 'poverty line'.When | | | | other's salaries are known to all key people, |
| I formed Srijan, we did not have much of a | | | | including the normally hidden perks to the |
| reason, except generating financial security, | | | | top management. :-)Although, everyone does |
| so that I could be involved in areas of | | | | not have an opinion in all decisions, we |
| political reform in this country. Over the | | | | still ensure that everyone is consulted or |
| years of training and 'unlearning', it is now | | | | apprised before any major initiatives. All of |
| a personal dream to create a 'great company' | | | | us, in capacity as Account Managers, build |
| which works for a larger purpose than | | | | relationships with our customers. There are |
| fulfilling the gluttonous appetite of the | | | | 'strategic consultants' associated with us, |
| shareholders or promoters or even the | | | | who are encouraged to make project bids, |
| employees, for money.So what is Srijan's | | | | building customer relationships, deliver the |
| purpose?Srijan will work in areas of | | | | work - independently, without bothering with |
| 'national significance' such as those which | | | | the bureaucracy of control-based centralised |
| address the social needs of the people of the | | | | Project Management practices. Quality does |
| country, and in-turn the world at large.We | | | | not suffer at all. We trust that we are |
| believe that Information Technology and | | | | dealing with adults, who are aware of |
| Media, both of which culminate in the | | | | Srijan's 'quality practices' and the 'code of |
| Internet, has the power to transform lives of | | | | conduct'.This is not where it ends. We have a |
| millions, by giving them a voice, and an | | | | long-way to go in creating a company led by |
| opportunity to come together, share and learn | | | | its people. There is still a lot of |
| from each other. Srijan will continue to work | | | | unlearning to do, to create a truly great |
| at the forefront of this revolution.Over the | | | | company. However, our open and transparent |
| last few years, we have seen the power of | | | | management practices, often inspired by the |
| communities at work, where one person's | | | | leadership of our highly-charged advisors, |
| willingness to share his university project | | | | will ensure that new inspired initiatives |
| code, has culminated in an OS which has | | | | keep cropping up, leading us to new |
| challenged the might and monopoly of | | | | directions and new business initiatives |
| Microsoft, in a manner that no large | | | | within the company, which will help achieve |
| corporation in the world has been able to do. | | | | and expand our 'purpose'.Rahul Dewan |
| Linux, is getting mature, and its | | | | |
| acceptability increasing by the day. It has | | | | Managing Director |
| given birth to an Open Source movement which | | | | |
| is giving the power of choice, affordability | | | | Srijan Technologies Pvt. Ltd. |
| and security to the end-user. It is for the | | | | |
| first time, in the last 30 years or so, that | | | | Dewan is the Managing Director of Srijan |
| small businesses are being able to afford IT | | | | Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an IT company based |
| for increasing their business efficiency. | | | | in India. Under the guidance of J. Sen Gupta, |
| Small IT companies, such as ours, are being | | | | his mentor and a Management Consultant with |
| able to find a niche for themselves in the | | | | over 30 years in the industry in TQM and |
| product segment by adopting and learning | | | | Organisation Development, Rahul worked on |
| various Open Source products and implementing | | | | bringing democracy at his workplace as well. |
| them for customers. The sense of appreciation | | | | Initially, sharing revenue statements with |
| in most companies using open source products | | | | people at Srijan, was unimaginable, out of |
| is quite high, and sooner or later, they do | | | | apprehensions that they may either think the |
| contribute to the movement and the community | | | | company is not too profitable (we're doing |
| in effort, money or materials. Srijan remains | | | | very well now) or on the other extreme may |
| at the forefront of this movement, with its | | | | think, that they were earning much less than |
| specialisation in helping customers in the | | | | the company's earnings; however, none of this |
| Small-Medium Enterprises, Government, | | | | happened, and although people are more vocal |
| Education and Social sectors, use | | | | about their expectations and desires (this is |
| 'information' and 'knowledge' gainfully for | | | | exactly what we wanted to achieve), their is |
| their business/purpose | | | | a more loving environment we have been able |
| enhancement.Information Technology is only | | | | to create in the company. Sengupta, enthused |
| the beginning. At Srijan, we dream that in | | | | by the way Srijan is re-creating itself, has |
| the near future we shall be able to diversify | | | | recently agreed to join it full-time. |
| and create "successful business-models" and | | | | |