Turn of the Q4

"Do you know what makes the Quarter 4 the most challenging ? " asked a fellow mate. We were friends for years now and every time we meet each of us ramble on quite a few topics. This time he poised this question as we sat by the beachside catching up on old times. Pluzzed at what he was getting at, I nodded my head in the negative, inviting him to enlighten me.

He quickly quipped - " its typically the brain time. Three quarters of the year is for the brawn. The fourth is what we call - leaders call". As he progressed with his accounts, watching waves on the yonder, I felt like Arjuna who was enlightened by the Lord.

"Do you not see the game ? How is Q4 universally the peak in performance ? It is this quarter where each contributor accounts for what he has done and does the balancing act." I pleaded ignorance and asked for examples to my line of Tractor Finance.

"Ok - let's begin defining contributors - sales, operations, credit, collections, audit teams. A common factor runs through all - productivity. Yet this is spoken of, in average terms. That is sum of units / files / money terms as the case may be, divided by 12, further divided by resources. This quarter 4 is the balancing time. All shortfalls of previous quarters are made up. To this effect manufacturers, dealers, customers are all aligned. It's like the climax of the movie. Watching the ending is indeed exciting..

Some focus on collections, some focus on getting the denominators higher, some work on changing the definition of productivity based on effort, while still others work on how to market their efforts the best."

The reality of what he spelled dawned on me. " So what's the problem ? " I asked naively. "This quarter is the pick of the seasons for Quality Checks / Root Cause / Fraud Analytics. " he continued ," If you actually review, there would cases which would have been declined and in some cases rejected, which would go through in Q4. This quarter will record the highest number of deviations, higher values being approved, unchartered waters being tested, process being cut short, yet performance is managed. "

"Isnt an account performing well the real yard stick ?" I asked shutting my inner conscience wanting my friend to delve deeper. He smiled. " You've become a sales guy at last !..... yet what I want you to appreciate my friend, the whole story dangles on relationship. People are important. The connect between dealer, customer and financier is critical, and who holds what cards determines the relationship. As long as you make the dealer dependent on you, he plays with you. As long the deal is the best offering the customer perceives value with you. Yet if you cannot ascertain what influences the other two, they will use you."

Before I could pose the next question, he continued " when will the corporate world exit the paper arithmetic ? Credit wants an installment quotient. Sales wants to exhibit a relative growth quotient. Collections wants to establish negotiation quotient. Operations wants to exhibit - resource to productive usage quotient. Everything is towards establishing a number base as a point of progress. So each resource works towards building these numbers... typically all quotients are aligned in Q4, and that's what makes it effective. "

" Market forces can influence up to a point. Beyond that the collective force is capable of scaling newer heights... compare every Q4 of every financial year....newer heights are scaled... change and expectation of achieving targets may be achieved, yet a new flavor is released ... the combination components change differently... yet the theory of "all the geographies cannot be bad all the time "- works. "

As I sat back reminiscing on what my friend rambled about, was a truth that we were meant to be like a cricket team. We lose some - win some... yet the ones that win would have collective contribution from fielding to bowling to batting and even the coaching and strategic planning. We were playing a 20-20 in Q4. The format changes.. approach changes... rules change... yet we can't be playing 20-20 through the year. When people and relationship equations change after an appraisal every year, it takes a while trudging, nursing, reviving hope, game techniques and strike every Q4. It was a pattern. A predictive one at that.... !

As I wait and watch for another morrow to begin, today has been well spent. Strategies were meant to cater to all agendas of every stakeholder. If a strategy didn't work, some stakeholder did not achieve his end. I needed to redress this stakeholder and try the game plan again with slight modifications... In most likelihood this Q4 will return - Victorious !!