On Sundays, I used to frequently visit, a roadside tea vendor – more popularly known here as KITLEE –near the renowned institution for management education – Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. One fine Sunday morning, as usual I went there to have a cup of tea. And there was a little different scène. Instead of one, there were now two tea stalls. Another makeshift shop had come up on the other side of the road due to some reason, owned by the same vendor having shop on the opposite side. A young boy, who would be of around 12-14 years, was handling this shop, while the main shop was still there with the same vendor.
Without much thought and just out of sheer curiosity, I walked over to the new kitlee and sipped the aromatic contents from a rather ordinary cup. After which, I fumbled for some change to be pay to that boy, when he asked me to come over to his shop every time I visit the place. I just stared at his innocent face and wondered what he meant. To which he elaborated that, now he is competing with the main shop and he desires to generate more revenue than the guy right opposite him.
I was amazed. A boy who has hardly got any education, talks about competition and revenue generation at the age of 12 and that too against the owner who was in the business for past 15 or more years. It just forced me to think, that I, after completing my formal school education, am standing in front of a 12 year old boy from humble background who is talking to me about revenue and competition, forget talking who is actually implementing it.
I just looked upon the buildings of IIMA with strange and mixed feelings. I was wondering, is it the power of the environment in which the boy works and his attitude and capability, which has brought in him the real entrepreneurial skills. The boy may not understand the details of management but he has definitely grasped the essentials.
This incident strengthened my belief that it is all about attitude, and mindset of an individual that matters. In addition, if proper environment is provided such individuals can come out with most amazing results.
Someone has rightly said – "Hire attitude, train skills". "If you can just hire the right people at the outset and pepper them with right corporate culture, you are going to turn out a lot of entrepreneurs".
Without much thought and just out of sheer curiosity, I walked over to the new kitlee and sipped the aromatic contents from a rather ordinary cup. After which, I fumbled for some change to be pay to that boy, when he asked me to come over to his shop every time I visit the place. I just stared at his innocent face and wondered what he meant. To which he elaborated that, now he is competing with the main shop and he desires to generate more revenue than the guy right opposite him.
I was amazed. A boy who has hardly got any education, talks about competition and revenue generation at the age of 12 and that too against the owner who was in the business for past 15 or more years. It just forced me to think, that I, after completing my formal school education, am standing in front of a 12 year old boy from humble background who is talking to me about revenue and competition, forget talking who is actually implementing it.
I just looked upon the buildings of IIMA with strange and mixed feelings. I was wondering, is it the power of the environment in which the boy works and his attitude and capability, which has brought in him the real entrepreneurial skills. The boy may not understand the details of management but he has definitely grasped the essentials.
This incident strengthened my belief that it is all about attitude, and mindset of an individual that matters. In addition, if proper environment is provided such individuals can come out with most amazing results.
Someone has rightly said – "Hire attitude, train skills". "If you can just hire the right people at the outset and pepper them with right corporate culture, you are going to turn out a lot of entrepreneurs".
