Is there something like Strength or Weakness?

Well weird question. Isn’t it??

I was also taught SWOT analysis in B-Schools. And we are trained to see in the frameworks of Strengths & Weaknesses.

“Everybody has some strength. We need to identify it and utilise it.” Isn’t it again the familiar sentences??

I also, used to quote the same wherever I got a chance. But, in reality never got the meaning of it. And I am sure, there must be couple of others (if not all), who are yet to get the meaning of it.

Well, when we talk about Strengths & Weaknesses, its always like

· Extrovertness

· People’s guy

· Bold

· Go-getter

· Multi Tasking

· .....................

· ......................

But, are these actually the Strengths?

Can extrovert person fit in everywhere? Can Bold person work or required in all the scenarios? What if everybody is Bold? Can it lead to non-productive ego tussles in the environment?

The idea, is there is nothing called Strength or Weakness. But, the Personality Attributes.

And in which scenario, the Personality Attribute is being used makes it Strength or Weakness.

Lets take the example of the person who is having irritating personality, for most of the humans. What will you call such an attribute? I am sure, most of us will choose it as Weakness. And I agree, in most of the scenarios, it will be a Weakness.

Now, there are situations, where we need to get work done from external peoples like vendors. And many a times, pleasing persons are not able to get the work done. So depute the irritating guy on vendor end, and many a times, you will see vendor, just to avoid contact with this person, gets the work done faster. I know, it may seem unethical. But, it happens

Similarly, introvert guy, is normally perceived as a weak person. But, when you need a R&D guy, whom you just shut in the lab and forget it , do you think extrovert guy can survive? In such scenario, extrovertness is weakness while introvertness is strength

Not making this article too long, I will repeat there is nothing called strength or weakness, but personality attribute. Its use in a particular scenario, makes it strength or weakness.

Newspaper Industry and DNA-India

THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY


The total number of registered newspapers, as on 31 March 2006 is 58,469.According to the National Readership Survey 2006,which takes a sample size of 2,84,373 house-to-house interviews to measure the media exposure and consumer product penetration in both urban and rural India – and of course the estimated readership of publications. The study covers 535 publications of which 230 are dailies and 305 are magazines. Some of the findings of the survey:
· The reach of the press medium (dailies and magazines combined) has increased from 216 million to 222 million over the last one year.
· As a proportion however, press reach has stabilized in urban India – at 45%. Press reach in rural India has also stayed the same at 19% -- needless to say, on a much larger population base. The number of readers in rural India (110 million) is now roughly equal to that in urban India (112 million).
· Dailies have driven this growth in the press medium, their reach rising as a proportion of all individuals aged 12 years and above – which is the universe defined for NRS – from 24% to 25%. Magazines have declined in reach from 9% to 8% over the last one year.
· The time spent reading has remained the same – at 39 minutes daily on an average per day over the last year. But there has been increase in urban India (from 41 to 44 minutes daily) and decrease in rural India (from 36 to 35 minutes daily).
· Press adds 7 million readers over the last year.
· Dailies continue to grow, adding 12.6 million readers from last year to reach 203.6 million while there has been a drop of 7.1 million magazine readers. It must be remembered that this refers only to mainstream magazines. A host of niche titles that continue to be launched regularly are not fielded and their collective readership estimate is outside the purview of the study.
· Over the last 3 years the number of readers of dailies and magazines put together among those aged 12 years and above has grown from 216 mn to 222 mn – a growth of almost 3% over last year.
·There is still significant scope for growth, as 359 million people who can read and understand any language do not read any publication. Of this 359 million, 68% read Hindi. It is not just affordability that is a constraint, since 20 million of these literate non-readers belong to the upscale SEC A and B segments.


About Daily News and Analysis (DNA)

Launched on July 30, 2005 in Mumbai, this English daily has already carved its niche in India’s financial capital, while editions from other cities are on the anvil. The very popular business section of the paper, DNA Money, has already broken ground in Indore as a standalone newspaper. Targeted at a young readership, DNA is the voice of Mumbai. Through news, views, analyses and interactivity, it provides readers with a composite picture of Mumbai and the world. Its interactive platforms seek to bring the reader and surfer at the centre of its news activity.
Diligent Media Corporation, which owns DNA (Daily News & Analysis), is a joint venture between two industry majors – the Dainik Bhaskar Group and Zee Group. With a reach of more than 120 countries and access to more than 250 million viewers globally, Zee TV has created strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian diaspora with presence in major global markets, including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the UK, the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. The Group has transformed itself into an integrated media conglomerate with operations spanning the entire media spectrum.


CIRCULATION DETAILS
Daily News & Analysis (DNA) continues to report strong growth in readership in Mumbai, if one compares the latest National Readership Survey (NRS) results for 2006 with the earlier Indian Readership Survey released in April.
The NRS numbers show that DNA’s readership has increased by 1,16,000 over the April IRS figures. This is the largest increase (29%) for any general English newspaper in Mumbai. Though the two surveys use different methods to arrive at readership figures, the broad trends are indicative of changing reader preferences, according to media experts.
The largest survey of its kind, NRS 2006 conducted 2,84,373 house-to-house interviews in rural and urban India, spanning over 1,300 towns. Carried out between February and May 2006, the survey looked at 535 publications, including 230 dailies and 305 magazines.
The Dainik Bhaskar group, one of the promoters of DNA, along with Zee, hit a new milestone by becoming only the second group in the country to cross the 2-crore readership mark.
In Mumbai metro, two new newspapers participated in the NRS for the first time, DNA and Hindustan Times (HT). While DNA registered a readership of 5,18,000, HT managed 3,60,000. The earlier IRS put the readership of the two at 4,02,000 and 2,85,000, respectively. Mumbai Mirror, also a new entrant and largely distributed free with The Times of India, registered a readership of 8,81,000, a rise from its 7,65,000 in IRS 2006.

Learning and Innovative organization

Global products, services, trades and quality claims made organization to think of the innovation. Increasing competition is one of the major reasons to rolling the wheel of innovation across world. Organizations nurturing innovation helps themselves to differentiate from the competitors.
But ultimately the conundrum that always been talked in corporate world is; what is required to make an organization as innovative organization? There are several things that are underlying below the name of successful innovative organization. There are certain characteristics which are attached with innovative organization (an organization which truly comes out with new values that can be in congruence with the ultimate goal of the organization). So what are the factors that organization should take care of for coming under the category of innovative organization?
Learning organization is the foundation block, which can build innovative organization. Learning organization is an entity whose focus of collective learning is far more productive than that of competitors’ focus. Here collective force is relatively more efficient to scan and learn the environmental & other related factors, which in turn affects the overall business and thereby gets upper hand over competitors. Learning organization is one which is characterized by collective learning, entrepreneurial culture, structured and organic approach and flexibility to commit worthy mistakes.
This foundation block (learning organization) is consisting of five major foundation stones.

Personal Mastery
Mental Model
Shared Vision
Team Learning
System Thinking

Personal mastery, is the discipline under which person belonging to organization is supposed to review his vision all the time from all the perspective, this is nothing but kind of self mentoring they do. This characteristic of the persons inside organization helps them to keep their vision alive and refreshed all the time; through their passion, ideas, knowledge and commitment. A mental model is second important support; it is nothing but the way person look at problems and situation at hand. With well focused and striking model one can take decision very fast but these decisions may not be the best. Here he may loose other possible and more efficient ways to solve the problem, since he may find these thoughts contrary to his mental model. This does not mean that mental model are not good; but at the same time one is supposed to refresh his mental model, by asking question on its feasibility part.

Next important thing that supports learning organization is shared vision. This is nothing but making people to work in congruence with the ultimate organization goal, by having shared vision. Individual or framed division may not lead to that much effective decision; which can be taken by having cross functional work across organization. Team learning also works on the same line as shared vision; the only difference is the learning takes place in team and thereby not leaving any stone unturned to arrive at solution. Ideally team player should possess complimentary skills, so that they won’t lose on any point. System thinking is a way which makes team members to think different part of system in interrelated form, rather than looking in causal form. System thinking makes them to think in holistic manner and hence make them aware of importance of each and every part. Process, enablers and culture are parts of business which plays very vital role when organizations undergo change process for innovation.

Each and every action, taken to make an organization innovative should be in congruence with the ultimate goal of an organization.

Pyramid-The Indian Perspective

I would like to give the Indian perspective to what Paul has talked about

With the rapid expansion and globalization of India's markets the consumer purchasing patterns and product preferences have seen a change.

The rich class is only 0.8 millions as opposed to 135.4 million households of poor and 41.3 millions households of aspirers. In the last decade there has been increasing focus on the rising Indian middle class but the deprived and aspirers are left out .Here we can see the huge potential at the bottom due to sheer size.

The above figure shows the shift in the pyramid over a span of 5 years. It clearly shows that the deprived class will decrease and there will be an increase in aspirers, middle class and rich class. This is due to increase in the income levels and development. Clearly this shows increase in the consumption market. A simple logic deduction is that instead of companies fighting with each other to get a piece of market pie, it seems sensible enough to invest in the development of the bottom of the pyramid so that the market pie itself increase and there is enough demand to be tapped .This exactly is where fortune really lies – at the bottom of the pyramid

INDIAN FURNITURE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

• INDUSTRY TRENDS
  
  The furniture industry in India is estimated to be worth Euro 5 Billion as on April 2007. Within this the wooden furniture accounts for Euro 750 million. Of this the imported furniture market is currently worth Euro 75 million and is growing at 50 - 60% each year.The furniture sector in India only makes a marginal contribution to the GDP,representing about 0.5 per cent of the total GDP. The major part of this industry is in the informal sector that is, about 85%. The remaining 15% is in the formal sector and is made up of manufactures and importers catering to the various segment of the industry.

FURNITURE PRODUCTION

It can be classified on the basis of:
Application:
It comprises mainly sofas, dining tables and seating, professional production is destined for offices and companies and the institutional furniture sector serves mainly hotels, schools and hospitals.
Types of Raw Material:
About 65% of the furniture produced in India is in wood, 25% in metal and the remaining 10% in plastic.

SEGMENTS:

Hotel Furniture

Home and Garden Furniture

Corporate/Office Furniture

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE AND DRESSING

Etiquette means manners……good manners. It’s a protocol or custom to behave. Etiquette means “the rules governing socially acceptable behavior.” Business Etiquette is defined as “the forms, manners and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in social relations, in a profession, or in official life.”
A good point to remember in business etiquette is everyone should be treated with equal courtesy and respect. Business etiquette should be a give and take, to help each other when help is needed and have consideration for others. Good manners and business etiquette have always been based on common sense and thoughtfulness.

Business dressing:

Successful business dressing is more than wearing the correct blue suit and white shirt or blouse to an interview. It requires ongoing, careful attention to a few simple rules of clothing and grooming. As rungs on the ladder of success get increasingly crowded, personal appearance takes on greater appearance. While books of advice on selecting the right color and cut of business clothing abound, attending to a few minor details can polish a person’s image.
The way you dress speaks volumes about who you are as a person and as a business communicator. Let's face it, clothes talk. Whenever you enter a room for the first time, it takes only a few seconds for people you've never met to form perceptions about you and your abilities. You don't have to utter a word; people peg you one way if you're dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, slacks and a sports coat, and yet another if you're wearing a bow tie and seersucker suit. Regardless of who you really are, your clothes and body language always speak first.