The class was nostalgic, remembering the last couple of days of sessions of Operations Management with Prof Moradian. Today we were attending his last session of Operations Management. We all enjoyed each session, the quick wits and learnt a lot. We were attending his last session and thus all that was coming to an end for Operations Management.
That session was very special, I could still hear his one statement very clearly that – “…in your career whenever you have to take any decision, always do what is right for your company in long term…”.
When I recollect those words from Prof Moradian – “… do what is (make decisions which are) right for the company in perpetuity…” that makes a lot of sense to me. That one statement made me speak couple of tough truths in my career, but it feels good when you consider big picture vis-a-vis to your personal interests.
An organizations need to learn the art of balancing between the short term sustainability and the long term growth OR short term profit and long term uncertainty. In current economic scenario short term sustainability seems the way to survive, let alone long term growth or profit for that matter. Message seems clear to me – Do what is right for the company in perpetuity.
Actually this statement equally applies to each individual in life too – we should do whatever is right for us and others – IN PERPETUITY.
Related blogs –
Balancing Act – Professor Mankad shared this story of Balancing act with me earlier.
6 Comments
rummuser · January 6, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Easier said than done my friend.
KRD Pravin · January 9, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Agreed, but better done than regret… 🙂
rummuser · January 11, 2013 at 9:06 pm
The root cause of the problem is the shift in capitalism from creating wealth with some form of production of goods and services to making capital work through investments and loans. It is a much bigger malaise than most people believe in and the main reason that I left a very senior position in a multinational company was their shift from their former to the latter. I subsequently worked in Indian companies where the former was predominant and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I now gather that at least one of them is going the latter route. Sad.
kanika · April 15, 2013 at 5:01 pm
how would you define perpetuity here.. may be what we think is right, for us and others both, may not be same for others.. at times what we think and do is right falls flat on face as other do not agree with it.. how would you define what is right here then..
KRD Pravin · April 15, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Agreed with your point Kanika.
Please read –
http://business2buddha.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/no-judgement-its-all-about-perception/
However there are things which you cannot define as right e.g. bribing. We can again argue till cows come home, that corruption is fine if it is a matter of life and death. But that does not make a wrong – a right. Is not it?
Say, I do a market research and come to know that there is no market for “black coffee for at least next 5 years”. If I say this to my management “time is not right” (expected ROI is 3 years), management would close the project, I would be on road without a job. Should the after effect make me say – “we should try (for next 5 years or perhaps until I find another job)” just to save my job? This is where I am saying do what is right in perpetuity. Here perpetuity it seems is a 3 years period (what management wants to consider for RoI). Take this as an example to understand my above blog.
Also, when in conflict what your conscience says is right – is right! At times it is not about head its about heart. This has been my experience.
kanika · April 16, 2013 at 1:08 am
well i agree.. I was told by someone long time back “what is right is right but wrong is also right”..
You know, in our world we have very few people who go with what their conscious says is right and the irony is that if we go by our individual principles & values, we are either not accepted by our own people (the so called society or community) and are left out or are given all the emotional gyaan..even if one tries to live by self, you have people stepping us down at each step..
It is a world of illusion..what goes around comes around 🙂