Linchpin Labs

Today every company talks about Culture. What does it mean, in reality? or in simple words?  This is what it is, 'what would your people do when you leave them alone'.  Here are some examples.   Are they trying new ideas?  Are they thinking about providing superior customer experience? Are they showing up on time? Are they honoring the commitments? and many more! Inspiration Ben Horowitz - Cofounder - a16z http://a16z.com/2017/03/04/culture-and-revolution-ben-horowitz-toussaint-louverture/

DevOps, the most pronounced word for making releases faster in all software companies. In fact, it is part of Agile!  It is well known that Development + Operations form the DevOps. But it originates from manufacturing industry; where Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt, conceived and popularized the concept ‘Theory Of Constraints’ to make smooth flow of work.  For DevOps, Gene Kim popularized the concept with his books ‘The Phoenix Project’ and ‘The DevOps Handbook’.  While, everyone thinking and discussing on DevOps, this post would visualize the nut and bolts of DevOps.  Remember this analogy! Manufacturing => Theory of Constraints : IT => DevOps More details on DevOps @  http://eepurl.com/cHnqAb  & https://elink.io/p/devops-exclusive

Everyone talks about being Agile. Not just Agile in a project but making the entire business agile. This post would demystify ‘Business Agility’ in simple terms. 

Today, everyone talks about going Digital. Renowned strategy and customer experience consulting firms have renewed themselves as Digital Transformation agency. Softskill trainers have become Digital marketing consultants. Large industrial conglomerates have become Digital industrial company by a creating a platform for Digital aficionados to develop custom apps. New roles such as Chief Digital Officer, Data scientist, Experience designer, Digital evangelist and many more are evolving. What are these roles to do with? Where should I start my Digital journey?  Here is a very simple framework! Remember! To keep up the Brand promise, always deliver 1. Speed (Adopt Agile & DevOps) 2. Accuracy & Authenticity ( Create Cognitive / Sentient Systems) 3. Codify ‘Trust' Courtesy to 1. Book titled 'Disrupting Digital Business' - Ray 'R' Wang 2. Book titled 'Leading Digital' - Diddier Bonnet 3. eBook titled 'Digitally Rem...

In this article, we see about some of the proven selling techniques developed and adopted by Elmer Wheeler and how it has been applied in selling various goods. The techniques mentioned here are referred from Elmer Wheeler’s book titled ‘Tested sentences that sell’. Mr. Wheeler’s purpose in this book to help the salesman by showing him how to add powerful sales words and techniques so that he will always have complete command over any selling situation. The insights he shares and describes are the result of his 10 year study of and thinking about what successful salesmen, of all kinds are saying and doing to make more sales. The rules shared here are based on ‘5 Wheelerpoints’; it is explained to you in relation to whatever you are selling. 5 Wheelerpoints are Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle. Don’t write – Telegraph Say it with Flowers Don’t ask if – ask which! Watch your bark! Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle The ‘sizzle’ is the biggest selling point ...

In this article, we brief on what the architect of disruptive innovation Clayton Christensen explained in his seminal work called disruptive theory. This contains the edited excerpts of ‘ What is disruptive innovation ’ article published in Harvard Business Review. We also considered the tools, frameworks and concepts from Blue Ocean Strategy developed by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, as we feel that the Indian companies adopt the essence of both the Disruptive Innovation and Blue Ocean Strategy ideas. Clayton clarifies Disruption is a process where by a smaller company with fewer resources is able to successfully challenge established incumbent businesses. Specifically, as incumbents focus on improving their product and services for the most demanding customers, new entrants prove disruptive by successfully targeting those overlooked segments and by delivering more suitable functionality frequently at lower price. And any product or service to be considered as disruptive in...

After listening to the keynote from Mr. B. Santhanam (Managing Director) of Saint Gobain India @ The Gateway Hotel, Chennai on Project Management Conference yesterday (26th July 2014), I realized it is essential to document his views and insights on project management. Start with the end in mind. Give the specifications right. No multitasking. No jugaad. Also, segregate the duties and teams. Make top management out of project management. Because they change the specifications. Learn to say 'No' to top management Review, Review, Review against deadlines. Set clear expectations. Note: Study the comparison between 10 Large Infrastructure Projects in China and 10 Large Infrastructure Projects in India. Because China deliver the projects faster without any apparent knowledge like us. So learning from China is essential.  ********** The essence from Mr. Prakash Iyer, author of the books 'The Habit of Winning' and 'The Secret of Leadership...

No more push sales would present my views on how customer demographics changes in the recent years and what types of customer crunching and sales sentences to be used are explained in the form of powerpoint presentation. No more push of sales!

This is the write-up to express the joy of an individual who aspires to become a great leader, visionary, strategist, role model, myth breaker, revolutionist for automobile era in emerging and global markets, invigorator, live-wire and a wise man like Mr. Carlos Ghosn – Chairman  & CEO – Renault Nissan Alliance. (Pronounced as ‘Ghon’) A Dream! 17 th July 2013, a great day in my life! Perhaps, a dream comes true moment! Mr. Carlos Ghosn, visited our Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India Pvt Ltd, (RNTBCI) Chennai facility and addressed the employees through the ‘Townhall’ meeting. RNTBCI, Mahindra City premises were all-set-ready for the arrival of their Chairman & CEO. The surroundings of Ascendas IT Park @ Mahindra City evidenced a tight security arrangements. Fortuitous! Select employees were invited to attend the ‘Townhall’ with Mr. Ghosn; I was fortunate to be there to listen to a cross cultural leader; who was born to Lebanise...

Blue Ocean Strategy - world's best strategic thinking tools that helps you to achieve the success in business! No senior executive across the globe be without knowing the essence of BOS! This deck attached is my preparation to my acquaintance and friends reference! Blue Ocean Strategy - Demystified!

Before we get into the topic ‘the purpose of QA’, we would like to admit that there are countless articles and books are been published to demystify the role of quality folks in every project and in every department of the organization. However, this is an attempt from our perspectives to find the answer and emphasis our propositions on what could be the role that a QA team must play in the organization. The Mantra! ‘ Practice the Prescriptive’ is the motto or mantra of QA facilitators. Many a times, there exist difference of opinions and altercations between the customer facing folks and QA folks are due to non-compliance to processes or standards. In most cases, project teams would focus only on fulfilling the customer requirements and expectations by skipping the processes and would not consider the quality of deliverable. In order to ensure a high quality and on time delivery of the product, project teams must be adopting ‘ Ambidexterity ’.    Let us iden...

1.    ‘Analytics’ On Artificial Intelligence 2.    Brimming’ Big Data’ & ‘Balanced Scorecard’ 3.    Crunching ‘Capability Maturity Model’ & Co-Creation 4.    Dreadful ‘Draconian’ Measures 5.    Eccentric ‘Execution’ 6.    Flabbergasted 'Future Of Work' 7.    Grudging ‘Ground Rules’ 8.    Hunting & Haunting ‘Histogram’ 9.    Informal ‘Innovations’ 10. Jettisoned Jargons Of ‘Jboss’ 11. Kama on ‘Kano Model’ & ‘Kansei Engineering’ 12. Love ‘Lean’ 13. Mesmerizing ‘Management’ Metaphors 14. Nagging & Nudging ‘New Initiatives’  And ‘Non-Linear’ Models 15. ‘Organic’ Organizations And ‘Operations’ 16. Plasmic ‘Protocols’ 17. Quenching ‘Quality’ 18. Rapid ‘Revenue Recognit...

Have you ever wondered, in any field or sport, what differentiates the ordinary and the extra-ordinary, the leader and the follower, the linchpin and the layman, the achiever and the superstar, the ship and the sink, the best and the rest. Finding an answer to these terms will explore the ‘Secret of the C-Suite’. Its well known that, the world of corporate is going through a profound change and surviving and sustaining in a time of extra-ordinary economic uncertainty and exceptional turbulence even after multibillion dollar bailout from government to companies impacted by ‘The Great’ recession during 2008-2009 (i.e) the challenges of changes are myriad. Companies face intense competition on market share rivalry, increased cost, decreased margins, threat of new entrants as substitutes and etc., Companies may lay down lucrative business models and strategy to avoid being getting into a sea of red ink and finding the blue ocean. However, Invincible and blue chip companies are the one...