Playing to win, How Strategy really works

Playing to Win, How Strategy Really Works by A G Lafley and Roger Martin

Harvard Business Publishing

You talk of mass market FMCG products in India, probably Unilever (formerly Hindustan Lever Limited) will come in your mind. But when you add quality to this mass market segment, no one can beat an organization like P&G particularly in markets such as US and China. The addition of Gillette have made the brand portfolio of P&G even stronger.

Strategy per se is one of the often most misused concept in business context. Every action plan as trivial as market visit can be put into words such as Lets have strategy for tomorrow’s market visit… However, while  everyone talks of the B-word, there are few organization capable of cultivating a strategic thinking and building culture. While traditional strategy implementation starts at top and get diffused at bottom, the story of P&G and its winning framework have been captured in a very lucid manner.

The simple framework of defining winning aspirations, where to play, How to win, Building core capabilities and management systems is defined with a strategic logic flow which is crucial in the current context where the challenge lies in putting different pieces together. The framework is explained in detail in context of P&G brands. Though the framework talks of basics such as understanding the customer and channels, building core capabilities – differentiation or cost leadership, managing systems, brand building and category development, in practical business scenario it is a humongous task and require discipline, skills, knowledge and investment.

From a respected legendary business leader A G Lafley along with the expertise of Roger Martin, the book reflects the thoughts of Peter Drucker as pivotal and makes it a must read for every student of strategy.

Best regards

Sunil Singh Rana

एक कोशिश तो बनती है!

जब जीवन की शाम ढल कर, तुझे रुकने को मजबूर करती है

तब आशा की एक किरण जलकर तुझसे यह कहती है

तुझ में भी जीवन बाकी है और एक कोशिश तो बनती है।

 

सरहद के पार रहनेवाले, हर शक्स ग़ैर नही होता है

उस पार भी उम्मीदें बस्ती है उस पार भी सपने रहते है

उस ग़ैर को भी गर अपनालें बस एक कोशिश तो बनती है।

 

हर बार लड़ा फिर भी हारा, तुझमें क्या उत्साह खलता है

संघर्ष तो फिर भी जारी रख, हर रात का चाँद भी ढलता है

अपने कर्मों का फल चखने की एक कोशिश तो बनती है।

 

अपने भी संग छोड़ चले और सफर तेरा अधूरा है

हर राह भी एकदम निर्जन हो और पथ पर घनघोर अंधेरा है

अपनी परछाईं को संग लेकर चलनेकी एक कोशिश तो बनती है।

 

तु कमज़ोर नही, तु सक्षम है, तेरा भी कुछ हक बनता है

तेरे भी कुछ अरमान है जिनको जीने का सपना है

उन सपनो को साकार करे चल एक कोशिश तो बनती है।

 

- सुनील सिंह राणा

 

Being Human

Hi,

Have composed few lines to sensitize other on "Being Human"...

BEiNG HUMAN

Crowded streets, chaotic traffic; hustling bodies and noisy malls;

Still we fail to see the pain and suffering of others even with open eye balls.

Moving past in speeding cars with scorching pace and no rewinds;

Still we fail to feel the grief of destitute who had been left behind.

We add new words in the dictionary and achievements to raise the toast;

Still we fail to utter a single word that we only tweet and post.

In a connected world it just takes a click to add a friend without walking a mile;

Still we fail to connect heart with our loved ones and bring a bouquet of smile.

We have evolved so much that we talk of freedom and equality of woman;

But still we are too far in the journey from human being to Being Human.

Sunil Singh Rana

Feeling Colours

Feeling Colours

I was deeply touched by a pic clicked by you in DNA dated 15^th Mar’14 titled Feeling Colours and penned down few lines with same title on the above image, though I am not regular one to write prose..

FEELING COLOURS

People have two eyes,

But only few have vision to see.

The world is bright and colourful,

But behind the cloak the sight is too bleak.

People camouflage which eyes deceive,

Ethereal beauty is what only you can feel,

Tear shed on both joy and happiness,

to cheat, the eyes have mastered the art.

Only you can feel the beauty of this world,

as you don't see from eyes but from your heart.

Sunil Singh Rana