GET MORE FROM LESS

While writing the last post, I remembered one more incident which I thought to share with you all. It was in March 2008, the stage was set for a annual review of all the work we did last year. Though I was a guest to the event, I was to take charge of one business. I was expected to understand the dynamics of this new business and know the team.

We had a surprise visit by a senior member from the management. This guy was supposed to talk abut the goals for coming year and share his vision of the business. Then came the presentation and on the first slide has these four words: "GET MORE FROM LESS" and for next two hours was discussion on the coming tough times in financial sector in India and around the world.

As senior managers, we were asked to prepare for an economic slowdown, credit crunch, increase in lending rates, attrition and no new manpower and so on. However, the challange was no to let the share value go down, profitibality go down. The whole exercise was to get more productivity and profitibility from less people and less resources. This ment more work for us, less time for ourselves and family, less salary hikes, less bouns, less promotion, may be more layoffs.

Now when I look back to the discussion, I ask myself what is wrong to "LIVE MORE FROM LESS"? Though the businesses won't let you do that. They will bomb you with thousands of ADs in TV, Newspaper, Internet. They will tell you that, your life will change when you buy their brand. You will feel better with their brands and not a small brand or non-brand (Though manufactured in same factory) good. These companies want consumers to spend more, buy new goods so that their business can run. They ask their employees to GET MORE FROM LESS and want consumers to SPEND MORE GET MORE.

The whole experiment with downshifting your life is to LIVE MORE FROM LESS. You can enjoy your life, have more time and freedom with less resources and consumer goods also. If can get the same thing, but a non-branded or not an established brand with less...WHY NOT?

So LIVE MORE FROM LESS...