Business Excellence
Shared through a case study and based on the Malcolm Baldrige (USA) Model of Business Excellence, offered is a highly interactive and participative learning experience. Spread over 8 sessions of two and half hours each, excluding the first introductory session of 45 minutes duration, subjects covered under the exercise are: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer Focus; Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management; Workforce Focus; Process management; and Business Results.

Participants are expected to put in all about 75 hours of preparatory work to effectively cover the course.

Tata Glimpses
Recognized for its values, ethos and conduct, Tata is certainly the most respected corporation in India and is admired throughout the corporate world. The session, while tracing the over 140 years old philosophical roots of the Tata Group comprising over ninety companies, addresses the six attributes which makes Tata ‘different’. The attributes covered in the session are: adherence to values and ethics; commitment to the nation; social concern and responsibility; respect for employees and human dignity; responsible pricing and, pursuit of excellence. Having served Tata for over 42 years, the session is laced with personal anecdotes and inspiring moments covering companies and personalities from the Group’s history.
(Duration: 2 hours)

Corporate Values and Governance
The session addresses the need, importance and relevance of corporate values and ethical and responsible corporate governance. Shared are also some personal experiences as the Managing Director / Jt. Managing Director of three Tata companies and the gains of having adopted and followed ethical and responsible conduct. This particular session does not deal with ‘legal compliance’ which, however, can be either combined or addressed separately.
The author has had the honour of making the presentation before an elite audience at the Conference of International Association for Human Values in the European Parliament, Brussels in 2007.
(Duration: 75 minutes)

Corporate Statesmanship
Given the pressures of globalization, responsible corporate behavior and conduct are critical for success and calls for a proper understanding of the larger purpose of business and effective practice of corporate statesmanship. The session deals with the four pillars, as perceived by the author, of corporate statesmanship: serving the interests of all stakeholders and not just stock holders; cooperation and not just competition; purpose and not just profit; and, inclusive growth and not just exclusive prosperity. Invited by the Zermatt Foundation, the author had the honour of making the presentation before an elite audience in Zermatt, Switzerland, in early June, 2010.
(Duration: 1 hour)

To Have Nothing is to Have Everything
In this presentation is compared the ‘base’ and ‘noble’ egos of an individual and a corporation. Through examples, the session demonstrates what an enlightened, ethical and unselfish organization can accomplish through its contribution to general well being and the world.
The author has had the honour of making the presentation in the European Parliament, Brussels in December 2006 when he was conferred the first Ethics in Business Award instituted by the International Association for Human Values.

(Duration: 75 minutes)

Corporate Sustainability
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Corporate Sustainability is a concept and approach now being seriously adopted by responsible business. Addressed in the session are responsibilities of business towards society and community and the experience of Tata who are considered a ‘benchmark’ in the practice of CSR.
(Duration: 90 minutes)

Business Strategy – People’s Perspective
The success of any corporate strategy requires the full involvement and active participation of everyone in the company. While covering, in a simple way, the purpose and nature of strategy, the focus of this presentation is on the relevance and importance of participation of the entire workforce, effective communication, sharing of information, empowering the team, understanding customers and competition, and essential qualities in an individual and attributes of a company’s environment for successful strategy execution.
(Duration: 90 minutes)

Role of HR
Addressed in this session is the ‘true’ purpose of HR in an organization, which is far beyond setting processes and having benchmarks for talent identification, recruitment and management, training and development, incentives and emolument packages, performance management, etc. The objective is to look at people far beyond their role as a ‘resource’ and value and build them as true and real assets of the company.
(Duration: 75 minutes)

Managing Business
While sharing a simple definition of business, the areas covered briefly in this presentation are corporate reputation, internal and external processes and the meaning and relevance of Values.
(Duration: 90 minutes)

Teachers: Keepers of Trust, Custodians of Substance
This presentation defines the true role of a teacher in the face of challenges posed by modern living and the erosion of personal values. The emphasis is on rekindling and reviving the ‘nobility’ aspect of the profession.
(Duration: 45 minutes)

Innovation through Ethics
This session deals with the definition of ‘innovation’ and ‘ethics’ and the need and benefits of an ethical approach to innovation in the political, social and economic (business) fields.
(Duration: 75 minutes)

Ethics in Public Service
A presentation specially created in response to an invitation from the Mumbai Police, it deals with the importance and relevance of ethical conduct in public service and its impact on society.
(Duration: 45 minutes)

Excellence: An Endless Journey
Stressed in the session is the importance of having a positive VISION of the future and the need to embark on a journey of excellence in approach and practices for meeting the expectations and needs of all stakeholders. Also covered in the session are the dangers of ‘arriving’ and why it is necessary to forever continue to strive for excellence by setting audacious goals.
(Duration: 90 minutes)

Numbers vs. Ethics – The Corporate Game
The corporate obsession with ‘numbers’ at the cost of ethics has invariably contributed to their downfall. Laced with personal experiences of the author, the message attempted in this session is that while ‘numbers’ are no doubt important, the means to achieving them are equally if not more important, and that success achieved through ethical practices not only creates thriving companies but builds great institutions.
(Duration: 75 minutes)

Energy Through Synergy
Companies in the modern world must think beyond their borders. International markets demand a varied approach to doing business. Diversity, while posing hurdles, can actually contribute greatly to achieving positive results if harnessed effectively. In this presentation, an attempt is made to highlight the opportunity and strengths emanating from diversity and how these can contribute to the success of a company.
(Duration: 75 minutes)

Corporate Culture
Corporate Culture is and will be the one single differentiator between successful and not so successful companies in the future. In this presentation are shared views of scholars such as Edgar Schein, James O'Toole, David Lapin and others on the subject and what the author, based on his personal experience, has described as the 7 pillars of corporate culture. Management, the author believes, is a spiritual concept, and culture reflects actions based on pervasive thought as prevailing and experienced in any organization.
(Duration 2 hours)

Management, Leadership, Ethics
Even in the corporate context, ‘management’ is defined in various ways by different people as is also the case with ‘leadership’. This presentation addresses the true meaning of management which is primarily to balance the interests of all stakeholders. Similarly, the real responsibility of leadership is to create and nurture a culture that affords sustainable success. Discussed in the presentation are 7 pillars of culture that leaders would do well to remember on their journey to their own and their organization’s success. The author believes that management is a ‘spiritual concept’ and ethical conduct is paramount. Shared through the presentation are personal experiences of ethical behavior and the rewards gained from such conduct.
(Duration: 2 hours)