Most of the persons put the front cover page photo of the
book but I like the back cover photo more. This line explains the Business in
the simplest way! The 3B Framework includes ‘Belief’ that determines the
choices and decisions of customers and why business should be done? ‘Behaviour’
which is an expression of belief determines how business should be done? And
‘Business’ what is ultimately done. The string that connects these three dots
is Sutra. Hence,
Business Sutra!
There are simple stories from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist
mythologies to explain and for better understanding of the management fundas
used in successful running of a small scale enterprises to corporate businesses. The
write up includes mythology, management fundas and examples which are
interesting but the illustrations drawn by the author himself are even more
interesting! Illustrations are simple, clear and elucidating. This is the best
illustration I like–
The best story I like from this book is –
Over two thousand years ago, Alexander, the young
Macedonian, after having conquered the Persian Empire,
reached the banks of the river Indus. There he found a person whom he later
identified as a gymnosophist : a naked thinker, sitting on a rock staring into
space. Alexander asked him what he was doing. The gymnosophist replied,
“Experiencing nothingness. What about you?” Alexander said he was conquering
the world. Both laughed. Each one thought the other was a fool.
But while the gymnosophist would have allowed Alexander to
stay the fool and discover wisdom eventually, at his own pace, on his own
terms, Alexander would have wanted the gymnosophist to change, not waste his
life without a goal, for the gymnosophist believed that we live infinite lives while
Alexander believed we live only one.
What ever Alexander achieves in his one life is his total
achievement and his is under constant pressure to achieve more and more where
as what ever gymnosophist achieve during infinite lives will always be zero.
The best example I really like is as follows:-
Sameer who works in the corporate communications division
has to make a report on corporate social responsibility. The lady who head the
department, Rita, who majored in social service at a reputed university say,
“Here, it is not about helping people but meeting a target so that the company
can tell its shareholders and the media that they have changed the world and
contributed to the well-being of society. They hope this will help improve
their brand image. Nobody will say this as they are trained to be politically
correct in public by their media team. There is no feeling, no empathy, just
excel sheets. But at least something is happening at the ground level where the
situation is rather dismal, that is why I am sticking around.” Sameer also
participated in a meeting where there was a discussion as to what would be more
impactful : providing latrines in villages, or laptops? The majority voted in
favour of laptops.
Because of increased professionalism, removal of emotions
while target achieving and not giving proper attention to human side of
development is the weakness in western model whose solution can be found out deep
rooted in Indian mythological stories.
Before I wind up this post I would like to thank Blogadda
Team once again!
Dear Readers, would you like to borrow this book from me or to buy it from
bookstore? ;)
