A Common Vision: A Journey Towards Ethical Business Wisdom and Beyond

By B. Sham Moteelall

This book titled A Common Vision, is written with the intent that it could, directly or indirectly, benefi t many people on Planet Earth. The writing emphasizes, among other topics, mutual respect for all, regardless of origin, wealth, entitlements or status. It delves into various aspects of life with special emphasis on business leadership, management, and other entities. The realization must exist that continuous personal and leadership improvements are critical factors for current and future successes. Denial of such basic factors should not be an option.

The suggestions offered here are the results of many years of diverse experiences of the author during various modes of survival. It draws from experiences in a third world country to involvements in corporate business management and a host of additional scholastic and practical life experiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669873402

B. Sham Moteelall

Sham Moteelall was born and grew up on a family farm in Colonial British Guiana, South America. His ancestors emigrated there from India to work on British sugar plantations. He became a science teacher and in 1970, with two hundred dollars, he emigrated alone to the United States of America to attend college. He is now an agronomist and soil scientist and spent over forty years working for major global corporations. Currently he lives with his wife on their Minnesota farm, from where he manages his consulting business, LIFE Consulting LLC. His focus is on promoting a wholistic approach to sustainability and on global environmental concern. Apart from writing, business, teaching and farming, Sham is a motivational speaker. His messages not only focus on business issues, they include helping people at various levels to become the best they can be and to strive towards excellence for themselves, their families and their careers.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

I wrote A Common Vision with the intent that it could benefit, directly or indirectly, many people. Among other topics, it emphasizes mutual respect for all, regardless of origin, wealth, entitlement, or status. It delves into various aspects of life with special emphasis on business leadership, management, and other entities. We must realize that continuous personal and leadership improvements are critical factors for current and future success. Denying these basic factors should not be an option.

The suggestions offered here are the result of my many years of diverse experience during various modes of survival. I draw from experiences in a third-world country to involvements in corporate business management and a host of additional scholastic and practical life experiences.

This writing touches on integrity, ethics, dignity, and spirituality and on the awakenings of morality, with subtle denouncements of global immoralities. It addresses some key business and leadership principles, which are broken into twelve sections. Each section addresses the layers of business structures and the various processes in global business management. In this book, I humbly yet emphatically suggest additional and alternative methods of business operations and further discuss efficiency and waste reduction issues.

The intent of this book is to encourage people in businesses to reflect on their daily operations and to honestly compare their methods of operation to those of an imaginary ideal company. Further, all people should take inventory of themselves, sincerely judge their respective behaviors in all categories, and decide for themselves who they really are, how they are perceived by others, and the legacies they will leave of their earthly existences. The book includes secular, political, social, corporate, spiritual, cultural, and other aspects of human life and people’s associations with their daily environments.

A Common Vision is one person’s opinion; I have had decades of experience in diverse fields, but this book is neither a gospel nor an analysis of human behaviors. It deals with basic realities of life under various settings and circumstances. To simplify concepts and stories are strategically embedded for illustration and clarification. Some of these concepts and stories included are not original. It would be great to give credit to the originators, but to date, they could not be found. These are old illustrations from various cultures, and their lessons are from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Some are from much earlier times and from global sources. The messages, however, are still vital in today’s business world and in daily human life because life’s wisdom does not—and should not—change with time.

Reflections and suggestions here can be universal. People in all parts of the world should find value in this book. People in any type of business can find value here too, but they must have the desire to make the necessary improvements. Keep in mind that by continuing traditional practices, the results will continue to be the same. In a changing business environment, that can mean regression.

Not everything in this book will apply to everyone, but everyone will benefit from all that applies to them. My intent is to create awareness and to help people think and to question the directions of their daily marches. Businesses should do the same. If this book can create such awareness and help people in various ways to achieve goals, then it will have done its job and will have fulfilled its intended purpose. It should also help people to improve on their respective business practices. Most of all, it should help with self-improvement. Self-improvement is the one string that can ethically propel and elevate someone to heights not yet realized. This is not about perfection; it is about improvements.

A common vision means that in any undertaking, when people in a group setting or at home do not share in that ultimate vision, the results will be chaotic. Everyone needs to be on board and work relentlessly together with a common vision toward a successful outcome. This book emphasizes the concept of teamwork because that is the foundation of effective and efficient results. It can be applied in business, politics, community, church, family, the nation, and anywhere else where groups of people are charged and trusted to work together. This book encourages, justifies, and simplifies the need for any such processes. If an entity or an individual needs change and improvement in any mode of operation, the concepts offered here will serve as a guide to any such evolutionary process. For such processes to be effective, however, there must be a need.

A Common Vision goes beyond scholastic achievements. Such certifications alone do not guarantee long-term success for anyone. It deals with, among other things, habitual attitudes, effective communication, cultural issues, universal wisdom, and basic common sense. Most of all, it deals with systematic methods for dealing with and handling issues that can bring solutions and minimize conflicts under various circumstances. It defines a common vision.

Reading this book will not solve the world’s problems. It will not solve an individual’s issues and concerns. It will not create a better company. Reading this book will challenge the masses to look inward and to recognize that there is need for improvements. It offers choices and suggestions for improvements because there always is a need for change in any existing and future undertaking.

There are no limits. The only limits are whatever heights are perceived as achievable for the masses and whatever efforts are necessary for such achievements. This should be a fun process because it can bring a sense of accomplishment. It further repeats the true meaning of value and emphatically denounces thievery and greed.

As you read this book, decide for yourself what possibilities exist for you and your various circles, and decide how to rise to levels beyond your current expectations. All you need is the desire to do so, regardless of who you are or from where you originate. Self-improvement is an equal opportunity process.

CHAPTER 1

Start

Prior to any implementation, a process needs to start. What does start mean, and what is involved in that process? It depends on several factors.

Do you have a concept, an idea, a product, a vision, a theory, a hypothesis, or a plan, or are you wondering about the possibilities of how or where to begin? Do you want to start a business, improve a business, expand an existing business, or diversify your business? Maybe you want to write, or create an organization. Whatever your plan may be, just start. Some people say things like, I always wanted to do this, but I never got started. Here are a few things to consider about how to start something, such as a business. First, let us think of the acronym START and consider the following:

S

See the picture and visualize the final product.

Symbolize your mission.

Schedule it for implementation and completion.

Study the markets, the needs, and the customers.

Supply the needs that can bring value to the ultimate customers—the consumers.

Be sincere about the possibilities and benefits to yourself and others.

Maintain secrets regarding intellectual properties involved and other confidentialities.

Understand systems and technical support involved, as well as the big picture.

Socialize with people who may understand your vision and casually ask them questions.

Simplify the process.

T

It will take time to accomplish your vision.

Tenacity and dedication are required for the process in a timely manner; do you have the will?

Show transparency all the way through, and recognize if you need help.

Know if your undertaking will get you into trouble, legal or otherwise.

Determine if this process will feel like torture and how it may impact you and others.

Assemble a team, the proper personnel with a trusted and diverse workforce.

Tomorrow may never come.

Today is the day to get busy and get started.

A

Know if accuracy is measurable and how it will be measured.

Seek advice from others who share your vision.

Ask for help, but do not deviate from your vision because of what others might say.

Take an accounting to understand if you have the money and can justify the financial demands.

Decide with whom and what you will associate to ensure success.

Plan the administration, such as budgets, return on investment (ROI), legalities, management, and investments.

Consider whether you can license and legally adopt existing processes.

Know whether your team can apply such a common vision and believe in your visionary process.

R

Realize your capabilities and limitations and who will fill the various voids.

Know who will be responsible for certain segments of the process.

Relay the messages to the proper sources, and communicate your passion.

Relax and recharge (R & R) so that you do not push to the point where burnout happens.

Visualize the rewards, and celebrate any incremental accomplishments.

Reassure yourself by questioning your sanity, and be sure that the process is genuine.

Your only regret should be not going in search of your mission.

T

Plan for tomorrow (long-term planning), and save resources for future potential surprises.

Try and keep trying by accepting that mistakes are teaching moments.

Stay current with trends and anticipate future needs.

Be truthful and honest with yourself and others to maintain your credibility.

Devote total commitment to this process.

Practice time management and have a timetable to plan your work with intricate detail.

Think inside and outside the box, realizing the sky’s the limit, and thoughts are free.

Be thankful for everything and to everyone in your start circle.

Implementing and running a business can be a lot of work with unforeseen circumstances, but it also can be a lot of fun for those who have the vision, tenacity, and willpower to follow their dreams and make things happen. In the final analysis, there should be no regrets for trying. Many say should have, could have, or would have and continue to focus on the images in the rearview mirror. Maybe it is time to turn around and seize those opportunities that passed you by; it’s never too late to try. Learn from your mistakes so you do not repeat them. Mistakes and failures are part of life; use them as teaching moments. Then refocus with a better strategy, and keep moving forward. Do not quit because of a minor setback.

Do not listen to doubters. Those who cannot visualize success for themselves cannot see it for you. Follow your heart, and live your dreams. Associate with virtuous people who can take you to the pinnacle and who will catch you if you fall. Those people will lighten your load and help you shed all the baggage that has anchored you in stagnancy. They will help you regain your power and spread your wings so you can soar. They will unconditionally help you to grow and blossom. They will not judge you. Find those people. But first, take responsibility and start. Make the effort today because tomorrow never comes.

Because of the complexity of a flat global business environment, it is impossible to condense the various aspects of the business world into twelve sections, as mentioned in the introduction. There are, however, key components to starting and maintaining a successful business so that it becomes an example of what an enviable business should represent. This model puts profits as category number twelve, the logic being that if businesses can successfully follow the first eleven categories, profitability and rewards will follow. Be careful not to become greedy, as greed will destroy you. Greed causes human suffering. Be humble and thankful for the opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities.

Without people, there is no business. This book focuses heavily on human behavior in all aspects, including careers. Business decisions are made by people, and those in management and power positions must realize the implications of their business decisions. This is not a psychological analysis of people but merely observed behaviors and an attempt to understand why people behave in a certain manner under certain circumstances. I may offer solutions, but they are merely one person’s opinion and must be regarded as such. Keep your original beliefs in mind about when you first conceptualize the start of your visionary process.

I started this book by visualizing and inventing the perfect corporation. It is called Devine Logic Corporation, or DLC. The president and CEO is Mr. Almighty. He works among the staff to ensure their happiness. The COO is Ms. Profit, who controls the company’s operations by minimizing waste. The CFO is Mr. Blessings, and he guards and approves the company’s financial affairs. The senior vice president is Mr. Peter, the keeper of the gates, who ensures that only virtuous associates are recruited and may enter through the doors of DLC. The chief counsel is Ms. Integrity. She ethically enforces all the rules of DLC. The diverse management groups are called Angels, and they work and supervise with respect and dignity. The workers are virtuous and diverse, and they perform their respective duties with honesty and sincerity, which brings value to their customers and to one another. Finally, their chief consultant is Mr. Sagacity, whose business wisdom and common sense have not yet reached the earthly institutes of so-called higher learning.

At DLC, they all work and have fun together, and they all share a common vision. At DLC, their mission statement is, We share a common vision, rely on true images, and share mutual respect. With integrity and continuous improvements, we strive to bring unsurpassed value to all our associates, our community, and our customers.

The question is, how close is any existing company’s operations to those of DLC? The short answer is that none comes remotely close to that perfect model.

The second question is, how far away are existing companies from DLC? Companies and their philosophies can change, but to do so, there needs to be a desire. (This is not an intent to belittle any organization.) Numerous global companies, large and small, perform excellent services, but there is always room for improvement. Any company that wants to improve its process needs to start. On-going improvements should be the core of the mission statement, and they should share a credible vision, which should be adopted at all levels. The people must believe and trust in that vision.

Let us focus on some key points to help companies recognize that the eyes cannot see themselves, and even when looking in the mirror, there is a false image. That mirror image reflects the left as the right and the right as the left; it is not a true image. Companies need to know which images are true to them and then work relentlessly to create and maintain such sincere images—such images cannot be bought. They are not created, however, with matter; they have no physical forms. They are the indestructible images and holograms that can be modified to accommodate and reflect the changing times and technologies, yet maintaining structural integrity.

Those who cannot accept such changes can be in a mode of regression. For them, doom is inevitable. In the starting process, these mighty structural forms should be molded into the foundation from the start. Let the process start on sound footing, which will support the entire structure for a long time to come.

Listed below are the twelve categories we will discuss in chapters 2–13:

• People

• Customers

• Communications

• Products

• Goals

• Efficiency

• Diversity

• Process

• Structure

• Systems

• Community

• Profits

This basic dozen needs attention and should be monitored and refined, when necessary. It is not a one-stop shop, and these are not multiple choices. Each organization must look into the soul of what they represent and have the guts to face the real issues. Bandaging the wounds might stop the bleeding, but that could encourage serious infection. Healing and mending are beyond bandaging. Organizations that need to heal require proper medicines, adequately administered by specialists. Most importantly, they need to recognize their illnesses and the severity of such illnesses. Unhealthy organizations can transmit infections. If unnoticed or ignored, such infections will lead to eventual self-destruction for all involved.

How healthy is your existing company? Are you spreading the infections? Are you bandaging to minimize the bleeding? Are you focusing on short-term profits at the expense of long-term survival? Be honest with your answers because people’s lives depend on your business decisions.

In the beginning, this book was molded and cemented with hard work, human dignity, and wisdom beyond universities and skyscrapers. Its origin was in understanding the process of putting food on the table. Its end is in understanding that no matter how much food is available, it should never be wasted. Although the main focus is on business, its contents go far beyond that. This book deals with the inner souls of humanity and on helping people become the best they can be, regardless of who they are or from where they originate. It is about equal opportunity and working together, as practiced by Mr. Almighty, president and CEO of DLC. He understands such basics. Do you?

Although DLC is an imaginary company, I created it for the global business world to think about, to strive to draw closer to its perfection, and to demonstrate the possibilities that exist. After all, what decent customer would choose not to do business with such an ethical establishment? This is value, where the benefits outweigh the cost, and customers will realize what such value means to them.

That is how profits are realized and expenses can be minimized. Such concepts start by minimizing and eliminating waste. Waste, of all sorts, can be very costly and will directly impact the bottom line. Generally, most waste is caused by carelessness and bad judgment. Corporate waste must be eliminated. Frugality should be taught in business colleges by a professor whose name can be Mr. Sagacity.

This is where we start—where visions meet with dreams and execution is born. There will be growing pains, but the joy of watching a vision evolve into reality is priceless.

Create a process because processes crawl along the line with infinity, and that’s a long, long time. Just get started. Do it today. If you ever get discouraged, remember that the mighty rain forest started from a simple tree that sprouted from a tiny seed. Everything starts small, but in the right environment and with proper nurturing, the possibilities become endless. As the business grows, remember to be frugal, have the wisdom to eliminate waste, and bring unsurpassed value to yourself, your people, your customers, and your community.

Keep in mind that what you sow, so will you reap. In addition, sew your creative fabrics well. Planting wheat will not produce corn. Plant viable seeds in fertile soil, give them tender love and care, and watch them grow. One day, the tiny plants will flourish and return a bountiful harvest that might sustain you for a long time. In business, there will be hail, floods, drought, diseases, wind, and a host of adverse growing conditions. Businesses, like farming, need to survive all the disasters, yet celebrate the bountiful harvests. Finally, always remember who sends the rain and the sunshine for your gardens to grow, and be thankful for the things you might take for granted.

Now it is time to start. The road ahead might be rough and rocky; doubters may laugh at you. There will be anger and frustration. There will be limited resources. But believe in your dreams and your vision. March relentlessly into the sunshine toward a better path, and live to celebrate your success. Get started—or get out. Do not live your life with regrets because you failed to start. Find your inspiration and motivation in the right places, and choose to associate only with virtuous people who will build you up and not tear you down. Just do it. Get started.

CHAPTER 2

People

There are almost eight billion people on planet earth. It is estimated that by the year 2050, the global human population will increase to over nine billion. Each person is unique, yet genetically similar. Science claims that all human beings originated from a common ancestry. After thousands of years, people have evolved along various branches that stem from a common tree. That tree of life is supported by a massive genealogical root structure that holds the codes of life on earth. Genes, society, language, environment, geography, education, time, mentality, gender, race, sexuality, association, parenting, family, religion, finance, and various other factors have molded and placed each individual as a unique being, with many similar characteristics, surviving on any particular branch. All those uniquely similar yet different individuals are scattered across planet earth and are expected to have mutual understanding of each other. Each of those beings, however, has his or her individual agenda, and most believe that their mentalities and their agendas are the right ones. Does that mean that earth has eight billion right agendas? If not, who and what is wrong? Also, who is judging right and wrong?

When differences of opinion surface, emotions can escalate, and things quickly can spiral downward. Angry people can become irate. Irate nations can become hostile, which can escalate into wars. Companies and corporations are no different. Internal tensions within corporations can become counterproductive, causing a loss of their competitive advantages. Eventually, such a corporation could financially and mentally starve itself and self-destruct, only to become nourishment for its waiting competitors. Such things are possible because of unyielding human behaviors and differences of opinions. Shameful!

This is why corporations should work hard to create and maintain cultures of their own. That becomes a tall order for most companies.