Dabawalas: Lessons for building lasting success based on values

Businesses go through dramatic twists and turns. Some survive, while quite a few fall by the way-side. Corporate heads grapple with this and are keen to find a sustainable model for making organisations last.

Dabawalas, the story of Mumbai?s ubiquitous homemade food delivery men stands in sharp contrast. A 115-year-old business enterprise, run by semi-literate group of people, that has sustained itself through the vicissitudes of change presents a role model. Through a dialogue between four characters, the book brings to the fore key characteristics of successful organisations ? values, decentralised decision-making, continuous value addition to customer care and many more.

Besides this, the book includes take-aways for leaders and managers to imbibe for building lasting success based on values.

About The Author
Shrinivas Pandit is a leadership counsellor and author. His clients include Dian Graha Elektrika, an Indonesian marketing corporation in Jakarta; Biocon Group, Bangalore; Inter University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA) Pune; NABARD, Mumbai; Education Department, Government of Maharashtra. His areas of specialisation include building organisational culture, leadership development, transforming attitudes through innovative workshops on team management, career counselling, motivation, time management, quality of life and result orientation. Mr Pandit headed the Human Resources Divisions of Blue Star, Hardillia Chemicals, Johnson & Johnson before retiring from

Siemens as Executive Vice President. He is a graduate in Economics and Law. From the London School of Economics, he obtained a post graduate Diploma in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Personnel & Development (IPD), UK. He has authored two books : Thought Leaders: Source Code for Exceptional Managers and Entrepreneurs and Design your Career: For Prosperity in the Dejobbed Economy. Mr. Pandit conducts unique seminars on "Thought Leadership" based on his studies of Indian Leaders. He can be reached at shrinpandit@hotmail.com.

Table Of Contents

• Preface: The Story behind a Durable Business Success
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1.Food prepared with affection at home provides divine contentment.
• Chapter 2.If you change just enough, you achieve embracive happiness
• Chapter 3.When you move beyond the fear of new entrants and competition; You feel free with belief in God that he will provide new customers
• Chapter 4.Search what is durable in times of major change; It provides the wildest of business opportunities.
• Chapter 5.Decentralise to empower and deliver with excellence; Ensure that the cost of change is least to the customer.
• Chapter 6.Savour the old but enjoy the changing
• Chapter 7.Sprinters@bottomofpyramid.com
• Chapter 8.The harder you hold on loyally to old customers with a dependable delivery service, it provides lasting business
• Chapter 9.Lifelong devotional commitment to timely deliverables brings Royal recognition and increase in business.
• Chapter 10.At the prince?s wedding, affection mysteriously leads to bonding and contentment; Its ethos is local but broad banding is global.
• Chapter 11.The success secret of any business is to make its service segment humane.
• Chapter 12.I am eager to share the story with all.
• Appendix
• Epilogue ....The take home packet is bountiful and reassuring