One night in Bangalore...

After another exhilarating morning lecture session, we had the opportunity to visit Larsen and Toubro in the afternoon. It was here that we would experience the best lunch we’ve had since our arrival, the best site visit we’ve had throughout the trip, and the best management team in Mysore thus far, whose enthusiasm and dedication to their company were reflected by their products and employees.

Larsen and Toubro is a large firm with satellite locations throughout the world, offering products and services in the healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and engineering fields. Their products range from electricity meters to heart monitors and their services include a wide range of consulting services from mechanical contracting to building architecture. L&T was impressive both aesthetically and operationally, but what stood out to our group the most was the respect and honor that was given to us, a diverse visiting group of students from the United States. Signs, computer monitors, and LCD screens throughout the building stated, “Larsen and Toubro cordially welcomes the students from the University of Minnesota.” A small, simple, yet powerful statement that truly made our little group feel welcome in an unknown country. Until L&T, no other company had done that for us before.

At some point during the presentation, our tour guide mentioned that to date, L&T has never lost one single customer in its history. When asked about how they market their products and services, he simply stated that the majority of their business spread by word of mouth and that L&T did not invest significant resources into its marketing initiatives. Service was everything and L&T would go through any means necessary to ensure that their customers were happy. L&T even went as far as freely giving away patentable ideas to host companies without receiving any fees or royalties from patents filed. Was this really the case? Or was L&T just another company trying to make a favorable impression on students who might be on its business radar in the near future?

Perhaps it was the beautiful campus, or maybe it was the way all of the employees smiled at us while we walked by (we’ve all noticed that most of the locals here don’t like to smile or wave). Perhaps it was the energy of our charismatic tour guide or the gift (a carved wooden elephant) that was given to us as we left. Maybe it was even the fantastic chocolate cookies (the way to my heart is truly through my stomach, Cathy knows this better than anyone) that we happily munched on while we were sitting in the Q&A session. Whatever the reason, I was sold by L&T and thought about what steps I could take as a manager to proactively synergize the culture within my own company back home. L&T showed that the luxury of a truly positive workplace environment was very real, and within the grasp of those leaders who were willing to work for it. For the first time since I’ve been here, I was envious of an India based company environment. The question was not, “what can Indian companies do to be more like companies in the US?’ The question became, “what can US companies do to harbor a successful culture like L&T in India?”

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a very, very stubborn person. My stubbornness stems from being generally closed minded to new ideas and my selfish pride. I hate to admit it, but I’m a “glass is half empty” kind of guy and that is something I am working hard to change. This trip was no different and I can remember my feelings in the airport before we departed for this adventure. As a result, I feel a need to apologize to this country and this trip, for painting an initial negative image in my own mind and the people around me.

Adversity is a funny thing. It’s probably the worst feeling in the world when you have to deal with it, but you only appreciate the great things you have in life after you’ve conquered it. And throughout the process, you grow stronger. There is a great quote from Being Indian that defines why India is developing at such a rapid pace, “Even a middle class Indian struggles for such basics as electricity, water, transport, and medical care. The very poor, of course, survive the absence of all of these. This relentless grappling with adversity has bred by now an inventiveness and a will to survive that can only be called remarkable.” –Pavan Varma

India, like many other Asian nations, is becoming a modern day “Tortoise and Hare” story. Slow at first, underdog by appearance, yet resilient to the end. We’ll see how this story ends in another 10 years.

That evening, Gene generously offered to take Karl and I to Bangalore so that we could enjoy a nice dinner at the Oberoi hotel with his manager and Director of IT. It took us about 2 hours to drive the 150 km from Mysore to Bangalore and another full hour to travel 2 km downtown to the hotel once we were in Bangalore. To say that the traffic was bad is an understatement. The roads are so congested that people turn off their vehicles while waiting for stoplights. There is absolutely no space in between cars, buses, mopeds, and scooters. 2 lane roads turn into 5 lanes and there isn’t even enough space for pedestrians to walk between vehicles to get to the other side of the street! I am being completely serious when I say that other vehicles are 2 inches away from your own and you could easily read a newspaper over the shoulder of somebody sitting in the bus right next to you. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen any accidents yet.

The trip was definitely worth it. After feasting on a gourmet Thai dinner complete with Tom Yum soup, Thai spring rolls, grilled grouper, steamed red snapper, deep fried prawns in chili oil, assorted Thai curries and chicken Pad Thai, we ended the evening with a few glasses of single malt scotch and some very familiar Romeo Y Juileta No.2 cigars. As we sat around the dinner table enjoying each other’s company, the five of us reflected upon our experiences in Bangalore and solved all of the world’s problems…