archents digital maturity compass

Deckline Leithao in conversation with Subbu Iyer

Conditioning Versus Controlling

What works better in the emerging context of global eceonomy - Conditioning or Contronlling? Be it at a personal level or the organizational level?

Let us first examine it at a personal level. When a person wants to gain control of oneself, it is always a losing battle. Because, you are telling the mind things to do against the impulses stored by the sense orgaans that dictate the working of the mind. So a conflict has been created. Under the circumstance, even if control works, it is for a very limited period. The minute the vigil of control is down, the mind will take over. In essence, one is making the mind ineffective, by taking control. Now the mind is responding to the entire body. Do you want to weaken it or shut it down because you want to control one sense?

The organization is very similar. Condition the mind to sense better and higher. Instead, if yu try to control the mind, you are shutting down the intellectual capital engine of the enterprise. A dramatic shift is required to exercise conditioning as opposed to control over an enterprise. This demands the creation and propogation of leadership that has the capability to sense and respond to a higher value in the cause of the organization.

The Power of the Mind

I had often wondered the term "Mind". It is not a body part that you can point a finger to and say, that is it. And on deeper introspection, gave the definition as - "the point where thought and action manifests as a design" is the Mind. Two things come out of this:
1. The Thoughts have to be sublime
2. The Design has to be first grade
When the above conditions are fulfilled, the mind produces brilliant design for the body to act upon.

I had met with a freak accident in the gym about a month ago. At first it was not diagnosed correctly but subsequent X-Rays revealed that it was a fracture of the metacarpel. I tried biting the pain and kept going back to the gym. I kept telling my "mind" that I was fine and getting better. And in about 4 weeks, I am almost there....I jumped without a constraint today. Despite the fact that there is still some pain left. The bones in the body heal by themselves and the mind makes them stronger providing the right exercise is what I understand.

I've also been inspired by nature and how we coordinate the five senses to make an intelligent being. That is what inspired me to create mindsie (read as mind's eye). Please review http://www.mindsie.com when you get a chance.

Human Capital Management

Talent should be fluid like water. Pure and refreshing. Flexible and assuming the shape of the container. But can the water help if the external variations such as temperature and polutants distort its state into ice or vapour? Talent is manifested in a person both overtly and covertly. The organization that succeeds in bringing forth the latent talent of its employees continuously that contributes to the Innovation and consequent growth will undoubtedly occupy the industry leader's position. Read my detailed white paper on Human Capital Management for a perspective on how this process can be undertaken effectively. Visit http://www.mindsie.com

Connecting Invention, Innovation and Improvisation

An enterprise runs on two wheels - Mind to Market (M2M) and Time to Market (T2M). The former is the Invention to Innovation Cycle while the latter is the Innovation to Improvisation cycle. Both are equally important but not one and the same. While the former is essential for growth, the latter is required for sustenance and competitiveness. You read it right - growth and competitiveness are not one and the same. The frame of reference for growth is leadership in an industry, that determines the profitability and the brand equity of an enterprise where as the sustenance or surviving conditions determine the existence of an enterprise when competing. Leadership rides the bicycle and determines the path to destination experiencing the changing landscape.

Enterprise Architecture

The word enterprise signifies the universe of a business. And its architecture therefore has to be universal in design. Why then do we hear the term enterprise architecture and referred or mis directed to a software or technical architecture (which incidentally is an element of the enterprise architecture)?
First of all, the term universe needs clarification. Everything that the business finds a "connection or relevance" to may be categorized as the universe of an enterprise. Customers (Internal and External) are the principal stakeholders of such a universe. A Business Enterprise is built for a customer and therefore, the business architecture design must first and foremost undertake the effort to fullfill a need and then create a demand in the minds of the customers. And as time goes by, this must be dynamically renewed.

Our Physical Universe is a literal example and source of inspiration. The five elements - Space (Strategy), Wind (Process that connects), Water (People's Capability & Capacity), Fire (Technology that enables) and Earth (Infrastructure that grows) when integrated produce and support life. Similarly the five senses coordinate the body Touch, Smell, Sight, Sound, Taste and the five parts of an enterprise which is Strategy (Business Vision), Process (Customer Focus), People (Capability & Capacity of the business for Change / Transformation), Technology (Business Applications & Enablers) and Infrastructure (Virtual & Physical Real Estate, Communications, Security and Networking) integrate to make a business run successfully.
Please visit http://www.mindsie.com/ to share a deeper understanding and echange of views to increase awareness and find the right practice of the enterprise architecture subject.