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Sound Bites
Winner’s speak
Prof. Hemant Abhyankar (Director, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune)
– I thank Praj for instituting such wonderful awards. I am sure the enlightening
experience that the juries and others would be getting for years to come would go
a long way. Pramod has been a thought leader and I am sure this new concept would
also help the industries as well as the trusts, ngos and society to work in a direction
for the social cause.
Dr. KD Inamdar (Vice President - Effect Pigment Division, Sudarshan Chemical
Industries Limited) – I am very happy to receive this award and it
is indeed a big event for me. I thank Pramodji for instituting this award and giving
me and my organization recognition Sudarshan Chemicals. I thank my chairman Kishor
Rathi and Managing Director, Pradeep Rathi for their support for more than 35 years.
I am very honored that both of them are here. My chairman read an article on the
Praj Maha-Intrapreneur awards and sent me a cutting with a note saying “do apply
for this award, you will get it”. This award is a joint success of the 150 people
working in my team.
BG Deshmukh: I was feeling little uncomfortable when Praj approached
me for this award because for the 1st time the industrial sector has considered
a government officer to be worth of such recognition. So I feel very happy and privileged
that Praj has honored me with this award.
Jury Member speaks
Mukesh Malhotra (Managing Director, Weikfiled Products Co (I) P. Ltd)
– I would like to congratulate Pramod and the team at Praj for instituting such
a thought provoking awards for the Intrapreneurs. We (the panel of judges) have
individually spent more than 28 hours working hours in judging the candidates as
we were very interesting. We went through all their works and achievements they
have done. It took us a lot of time but the entire process was very educative process
and we have learnt a lot ourselves.
Kishor Rathi (Chairman, Sudarshan Chemicals) – The Praj Maha-Intrapreneur
is an extremely unique and well arranged program. Attending the function was a great
learning experience for us. I will be looking forward to attending this award function
every year.
Speech given by Uday Godbole – Category A winner of 2010 during the release of ‘Spirit
of Intrapreneurship’ Compendium On Tuesday, September 20, 2011
When I received the invitation to attend this Compendium, I realized that I am expected
to share with all of you my experience of participating in the PRAJ Maha Intrapreuership
Award, and not about my Professional experiences.
One thing is for sure – the PRAJ Award has been all about “FLASHBACKS”
for me. The process of participating in this award involved a journey into the past
10 years of my career. Speaking to you today again involves a look at the events
of the past one year – another small flashback! I have decided to break-up
this flashback into FOUR phases and to share with you my personal experiences in
each phase
Phase 1 – the decision to participate in this award.
Phase 2 – the process of data compilation.
Phase 3 – interacting with the esteemed selection Panel.
Phase 4 – winning the award.
Phase 1 – the decision to participate was not easy. The questions that came
to mind are – Am I really ready for this? Do I have the time and the inclination
to go through the process? Am I ready to face the disappointment of rejection? The
answer to each question was “YES” – but after a fairly long period
of deliberation. I realized that I needed to show the conviction to put myself up
for scrutiny. This in itself was a small personal gain for me.
Phase 2 – the process of participation was not easy either. Participating
in the PRAJ Award required me to view my career of the past 10 years in SIX different
dimensions – Leadership / Innovation & Risk taking /People Management
/ Strategy Formulation & Implementation / Business Processes / Results. I had
to be very precise and honest in making this self-evaluation. This again was a daunting
but rewarding process.
Phase 3 – it felt really good to be short-listed for the panel discussion.
For a change, I was the one to face the probing questions! Two specific queries
raised by the panelists come to mind:
a. You seem to be doing a great job here. But why are you in the same job for such
a long time? Is it an aversion to take risks? Answer: I took up this assignment
as the first employee of an unknown foreign company in India – what could
be a greater risk? Then why am I still here? Quite simply because even though I
am a professional Manager, I feel a strong sense of “ownership” about
this company. I remain highly motivated by continuously expanding my agenda and
by striving relentlessly to achieve it!
b. What will you do if you win this award? Answer: I honestly don’t know!
I mean, I would certainly bask in the glory for some time, but can I really put
the award to any other use? I decided then that if I did win, I would use the fresh
motivation to push me through another decade of high productivity!
Phase 4 – winning the award. It felt really good to have one’s efforts
scrutinized and recognized by an esteemed panel of knowledgeable people. It sort
of reinforces your self-belief and your self-esteem. An award that receives publicity
also brings pride and joy to your family, colleagues and well-wishers who have contributed
to your personal & professional journey. However, the icing on the cake here
is that you are required to undertake an educational programme to enhance your capabilities!
I believe that this is a master-stroke from the organizers. I shall forever be grateful
to PRAJ for inducing me to return to the Classroom for some fresh lessons in management!
To sum-up, my gains from this process were as follows –
1. Gaining the courage to place my record under scrutiny.
2. Undertaking a precise and honest self-evaluation.
3. Recharging my batteries for the next decade.
4. Undertaking a new field of study for self-development.
Having shared my experiences of participating in the PRAJ Maha- Intrapreneurship
Award, I would like to briefly touch upon some of my learnings in my professional
life for the benefit of the students in this audience.
My personal Management Philosophy could be encapsulated as under:
- Integrity in thought & action is the very basis of good corporate governance.
One should practice it all times without favor or fear.
- Shun the “Chalta Hai” attitude. Set demanding standards for yourself
and your team at all times.
- Have a clear vision, “own” it, effectively communicate that vision and
relentlessly drive it to completion.
- Be ready and willing to take the more difficult / risky route with a “long
term view” as against opting for the soft and easy way out of a difficult
situation.
- Aim for “continuous and rapid innovation” from every individual and
function in the organization. This is the organization’s ultimate competitive
advantage.
- Empower and develop people to deliver the desired results.
- Learn to be a simplifier, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, so as
to offer a solution that everybody can understand and accept.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the idea of launching
a “Compendium of Case Studies” for the future generation of Managers.
It would be my pleasure and privilege to share my experiences with the students
of SIBM through future interactions.
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