Where is your “Rancho” ?

Does your organization or the strategic team has a “Rancho” in it ? If not, then this character, made famous by the film 3 Idiots, is your need of the hour. Sooner the better. A “Rancho” can transform and provide ballistics to a company in a way that no amount of resources may be able to do. Any company or organization today that does not recognize this is destined to lag behind.

Here is a look at who is a “Rancho”, why do you need one for your business and most importantly where to find him.

Most CEOs and business owners do “think” as and when the “time” permits. Or as and when the relentless 14-hour punishing work pace will “allow”. Our  rishis and yogis did not go to the mountains for white water rafting or a walk on the mall.  They needed solitude and complete detachment from daily routine to delve deep inside their sub-conscious to come up with eternal truths. In short, to rise above the obvious and beyond the established order.

Call it “lateral thinking”, out-of-the-box” strategizing or xyz, but it is a 24×7 commitment ( not a yearly spurt ) for your  “Rancho” – to think uncluttered from daily operations and take a holistic view.

Why do you need One ?

In fact,  you do not need one if you are happy being stagnant, love status quo & have shifted to spending more time on the Golf course than watching over your business.  You also don’t need one if  you believe in  the old adage that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.

But if above is not true, then you can ignore having a “Rancho” at a strategic level in your company at your own peril – regardless of the size of your company.

What will a “Rancho” do ?

• Challenge the Holy Cow : Strategic thinking is the mode of thought that dares to challenge the conventional wisdom ie it dares to question beliefs so deeply held by so many that they are considered almost sacred.
• Change Direction : He is your “Blue Ocean” strategist. With a single new idea or a single “blue ocean” strategy, a company can change course in a way that would not otherwise be possible. Thinking out of the box is an all too rare a quality, but when applied it can bring revolutionary leaps in every endeavor.
• Bring Realism : Even where the existing ways really are most appropriate, a “Rancho” can be a type of critic that can actually enhance their validity by forcing their proponents to justify them.
• The Subtle Watch : Every business enterprise needs someone who can hold the past, present and future in mind at the same time and can help create better decision making, planning and future roadmap. Someone who will have his ear to the ground for clues, often subtle, both internal and external to help guide future direction and to identify opportunities.
• The Peer CEO : Most importantly, he is the sounding board and the peer for the “lonely” CEO for brainstorming and exchange the flood of ideas stuffed into his mind by the daily challenges or by the many external “consultants”.

Who is a “Rancho” ?

The management jargon for the Rancho would be a “Strategic” or a “Lateral” thinker.  What are the characteristics of such a person ?

For one, everybody can NOT be a Rancho. Even if you were to become the President of USA, Prime Minister of India or Chairman of Coca Cola. The famous response of “oh, that vision thing” by the elder President Bush typifies this.

A “Rancho” is gifted with intellectual depth and does not see things as others do.  He is multi-dimensional having  developed a wider arc of vision by the journey of his life. A “Rancho” understands the business dimensions deeply and has entrepreneurial flair. Most importantly, he is a risk taker by nature and is a “disruptive” thinker. He loves to dream of newer patterns, of going where no one has gone before. He is curious like a cat.

How to find Him ?

For one, you could sing “Kahan Gaya Usae Dhoondo” song of  3 Idiots.

Easier said than done. First, you have to convince yourself that you need one.  That is the first line to cross.  Next step is to “just do it”  – in a time bound manner – like any other important business goal.

Here are some techniques.

• Keep your antenna up. You may have already met many such persons but your antenna did not catch it since you were NOT looking for that signal. When you see an opportunity, pursue that person, meet him offline.
• Head Hunt: If you hear about them or know about them, get them. Ask Kishore Bayani  on how he builds his team.  He goes out looking for talent. Not to “fill” a position.  Just the talent.  Position can be created for him.
• Seasoned Professionals : They have paid their dues. Senior professionals who have earned the respect of their peers in the market place, well known mentors and ex-entrepreneurs. Today they may be in a a corporate job,  planning their next venture or may even be working in a school in Leh. They are a rare breed.  Find the one with the traits of a “Rancho” and grab him.

In summary, you need to have someone in the “orchard” so that when that Apple falls, one can derive inspiration from Newton’s Law of the Motion and come up with one’s own Law. Critical part is your being conscious and your antenna being up. You are, then, sure to find your “Rancho”. And everybody else would know too as they see you trot along – happily humming  “All Izz Well, Bhaiyya, All Izz Well”.