The Power of One

Charismatic leadership style with a human touch is a rarity. Seldom do we have the opportunity to experience this style in all its glory. Yet, here is one such story. What is amazing is their ability to give new "family additions" their space and allow them time to be ingrained into the company's culture. Nay ! This is not a blog on the great man or his achievements. This is about "People" being given importance above all !

A recent gathering at an offsite brought me proximate to this great man, and a glimpse of the adulation he commanded. Numerous instances and events recalled from the past and the near past, where the focus on the POWER of personal touch worked magic. The bonding of trust and faith were so deep, that mountains in the corporate world were moved to make the people around "Special" be it customers or employees.  

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/sbt-borrowers-stand-to-benefit-from-the-merger-with-sbi-says-md/article9008448.ece

I came across this link amongst various forwards. It talk of benefits, network, gain ! 

I have had my fair share of the banking world. Many of who have experienced State Bank of Travancore and its service to its customers, would readily agree, the customer is at a loss in this merger. SBT in its traditional avatar had the innate capability to make the customer feel "special". He was one of the early banks which understood the true meaning of "customizations" or "Personalizing" services. It was the "Friendly Neighbourhood" bank.

 Sadly today, many of my friends / colleagues / family / relatives have started migrating and closing these accounts which have been re-nomenclatured "SBI". Nope that was not mindset ! The service levels have dropped radically. Some of the old staff from SBT still continue, yet the soul that made us - the customers feel special, is missing !

Did it have something to do with the size of the bank ? Probably ! As size and services of SBI aligned itself to the new avataar, its power increased manifold, and the culture of SBI was pervasive ! This generally happens. Yet, if SBI had taken care of the cultures being retained even on merger, it probably would have been a WIN-WIN.

https://hbr.org/2010/07/stop-trying-to-delight-your-customers

So what are we getting at ? In the battle of using competitive strategies to woo customers and build relationships, the importance of the human link, attitude, perspective plays a very vital role.

As a customer of a bank, I would rather walk towards a bank where I could see and talk to some-one, rather than be led into an IVR. Yes, I am part of the millenial world ! The power of technology should certainly be used. Yet, the use / feel / results should be controlled well with a "Human" connect.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-diehl/when-it-comes-to-money-in_b_6466958.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-diehl/when-it-comes-to-money-in_b_6466958.html

This phenomenon has been felt by many organizations and has also been evidenced by many like me. To me, the power of this "Human" Connect was shown by Sri T T Srinivasa Raghavan, To be a leader by virtue of position is one thing. Yet to be considered and revered a leader with the "Power of Influence" is another. Here was a leader who showed the power of "Human connect" in a world wrought with technology, where success is determined by Market Share. Here is a leader who chalked a path that was determined by the number of lives he had touched, and how many of them he was able to continue retaining.

It would been very easy to metricize on the basis of numbers - Arrears, NPA, Market Share or Growth. Yet he chose to lead his team on a metric which determined how many customers were gained, and how many were retained. To be able to motivate a young team in the direction of customer retention, personalized service and Customer Service needs conviction. This conviction getting communicated as culture, and belief system, is the power of a Conscious One. A "One" that believes in people above anything else. The power of "Connect" in a "Human" World, where we still look to address challenges of various people, while still complying to regulations, policies, process and ever growing "tech" world.

A Salute to this visionary and his belief which stands before me, as I carry his torch of belief as my own with conviction and faith that wherever I am, I shall seek to reach out and touch the life of a fellow being !