Aarumbh:We build Confidence

Influence without Authority

"Managing pricing challenges in the Indian market, I recall my German boss’s funny quips on the stark contrast between any customer and an Indian customer. He would say they are a different breed 😊. This isn't just about value selling. The struggle was real during the early days of cloud transformation (2015-2019) when pricing fixed by our US headquarters put us at a disadvantage against competitors.

Dalai Lama for me is one of the best examples of "Influence without authority'. His influence without formal authority showcases the power of ideas, values, and personal character in shaping the opinions and actions of others. It’s a lot relevant in Business.

As a regional leader for India Consulting, pricing was a constant hurdle. Leadership made it clear that discounts weren't an option and positioning value was the only way. Instead of succumbing, my current co-founder, Nagabhushana Urala K (then head of global delivery) and I, along with my Manager (APAC head), took it as a challenge. Thorough research on competition, business, and pricing allowed us to find our sweet spot (Focus). We presented a simulation of the future business outlook and the impact of our proposed pricing & new Business mix on the region's P&L. This was a case of 'Influence without Authority,' where we had no control over pricing (determined by market and dictated by HQ), but our approach to influence the Leadership made a significant impact on business with a special pricing policy for a definitive period.

Of course if we had charisma like Dalai Lama the job is easier. However being a normal soul had to take the harder route 😊. Here are a few of my key learnings when you want to 'Influence without Authority', for normal souls -

Timing of the Ask:

a. Assess urgency and time available.

b. Gauge the person's readiness to pay attention.

c. Consider the climate and find ways to make it favorable.

Right Way to Ask:

a. Avoid being too persuasive or assertive.

b. Strike a balance between persuasive and energizing communication.

c. Use language like "Imagine, together we can, I believe" to paint a realistic picture.

Do Your Homework:

a. Support your ask with facts and data.

b. Avoid half-truths, inflated numbers, unnecessary urgency, and anxiety.

Prepare for Resistance:

a. Approach resistance with curiosity, not anger.

b. Encourage the other party to explain their perspective.

c. Provide freedom of choice.

Ask the Magic Question:

a. Pose the question, "What would it take to...?"

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Happy New Year!!

May your Christmas be as bright as Rudolph's nose and your New Year's resolutions last longer than your leftovers!

Aarumbh: We build Confidence

Aarumbh: We Build Confidence

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Managing Self
Pursuit of Excellence
By Nagabhushan Urala
Many of us wonder what is this pursuit of excellence and how does one really go about achieving excellence? Many times we know we are doing our best and that does not seem enough. It creates confusion about our ability to excel especially when others seem to be doing much better than us.
Key thing to remember about excellence is that it has nothing to do with others. It’s about oneself. It’s about going inside ourselves and asking us if we are content with what we have done or doing. If we are content, then that is the end of excellence. If there is some discontent then there is room to excel. Excellence is not an end point. It is a journey. I don’t remember who it is (Picasso or Michelangelo) – When the great artist was asked by royal dignitary about which was his best piece of art, the artist is reported to have thought for a while and then responded very humbly – “It is yet to come” .
When Rabindranath Tagore was about to die, a friend came to see him just two days before his death. He said, “Yours has been a very successful life. There is nothing to worry about or to regret now.” They had been friends since their childhood and now both of them were old. He said, “You can die peacefully. I did not attain anything in this life, I have wasted it, and so I will not die peacefully. You have sung so many songs!”
The old friend said, “You were given the Nobel Prize; honors have been showered on you, you can die peacefully. Of course I will die without peace, but you can thank God while saying good-bye to the world.”
Rabindranath listened to what his friend was saying. Then he said, “Well, I have not been able to sing the song which I wanted to sing, it is still within me like a seed. These six thousand songs are the unsuccessful efforts to sing that one song. Many times I have tried to sing that one song which is in me like a seed, but I have failed every time. You may have liked those songs, but they are the stories of my failure. My song has not been sung yet. I have not sung it yet, and God has come to take me away. I was just tuning my instruments; with great difficulty I was able to tune my sitar…All people thought I was singing. No, I was tuning my instruments. Now I have become mature enough, the instruments are ready, my spirit is ready, now the moment of singing has come, but now it is time to go. …………..”
One might argue why talk about Tagore, Picasso, Sachin Tendulkar, Roger Federer. They are all extra ordinary people. Those examples don’t apply to us because we are all ordinary people. It’s not true. Seed of the extra-ordinary is in the ordinary. All legends were born just like you and me. But they cultivated the discipline of probing their discontent and worked on it regularly, constantly. Then eventually became a legend one day. People often make the mistake of imitating a legend or an expert. It does not work. But following the process they took to become a legend can hopefully get us there. As Oscar Wilde said “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”.
Spend some time daily going inside yourself. Begin by poking at the discontent. Dig deeper. Listen to the song inside. Work towards tuning it. Discontent with yourself should not make you unhappy. It should lead you to the path of excellence.

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LEARN – TRANSFORM - EXCEL