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October, 2002 |
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Last Word |
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Positive Thinking Niti The time is changing, and
they say each of the next day is going for the worst. The Nepali
business and industry is facing problems and every person you meet in
the fraternity depicts the situation as really grim. The security
situation here has been making the international community more worried,
and the Nepali businesses are hapless watchers of power wrangling,
individualism and complete lawlessness. You tend to agree that perhaps,
in the history of the modern business, these days have been the worst
ones. Against this background,
many survival strategy workshops are being held and some companies are
desperately seeking the options to survive and grow. The times are tough
and perhaps this is really an interesting opportunity to see how new
talents emerge. The easiest route to take for a professional is perhaps
to migrate to another country and take up a job there or do one or the
other business possible to do there. Though this may benefit the
individual, such escapism has harmed the Nepali society as our
entrepreneurial history tells us. Forty-five years back, Nepali
businessmen fled from the then Tibet, now part of China, and folded up
not only their businesses in Tibet but also closed many establishments
that they had in India. Nepali business community has been a stark
contrast to the historical Nepali image of a warrior community. Nepali
businessmen have always been timid and they close the shop as soon as
any danger looms in the distant horizon. Of course, this helps to make
short-term gains, but it does not contribute in the long-run to the
economy. It is also important to understand here that since the majority
of the trading community of Nepal are trans-border operators, they are
the leaders of this escapist mentality. It is important now for
the business community to think positively and see business in a much
longer perspective. A friend of mine who is an amazingly positive
thinker, reminds me, he will believe that Nepal is really in the problem
only when the Bhat-Bhateni supermarket is padlocked. The lesson to draw
is that there are enterprises that are surviving and are innovative
enough to survive. It is important for business managers and individual
entrepreneurs to realize that you achieve success when you can make
things happen despite all the adversities. Not all the companies are
suffering losses, there are companies that are growing even during these
days. They are facing the challenges well, and hopefully they will do
even better in the future. The issue is of the
mindset and perhaps that is one important thing that business and
industry need to consider. It is important for the business community to
have a positive thinking seriously. It has not got anything to do with
De Bono or any of the other practitioners of positive thinking. It may
be good to vent out the negativities, but what do you say when at every
cocktail the favorite topic is to declare that Nepal is doomed. The mindset change has to begin at the top and the message should trickle down the line. It is important for the managers, the company boards and entrepreneurs to bring a sense of urgency in thinking about their own strategies for the business they are in and the industry they belong to. Nepal had many opportunities for the business to capitalize on, but the opportunities were lost as the businesses kept themselves busy in government battering and association related electioneering. If the business and industry can emerge out of this situation with a positive perspective, the future will thank the present. |
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Cover Story
| Editorial | Business News | Biztoon
| Economy & Policy | No
Laughing Matters |
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Send your feedback to the editor: bizline@mos.com.np |
