Keep your windows open

A couple of months ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I just happened to open my bedroom window and was struck by the presence of a huge truck, partially loaded with household items ranging from wooden cupboard to sofa set to washing machine to what not. As I was preparing to leave, I could see a few men bringing a huge cot towards the truck, parked right in front of the gate leading to a block of apartments on the other side of the road. I watched the men as they skillfully loaded the cot and put it firmly in place. I was curious to see what was going to be the next item to be brought out and put inside. The next item turned out to be a mattress, and it was promptly followed by a chest of drawers and a table lamp. Suddenly, I got reminded that I had to recharge my mobile and left the place abruptly.


A week or two after that, I was standing in the balcony and hanging some clothes. And, when I just gave a casual glance towards the street below, I found it again. Yes. A huge truck had been parked outside the gate of our own apartment building. After checking out the uniforms of the guys getting in and out of the truck, I realized that the truck belonged to some other logistics provider. My mind started wandering and I started wondering about things like how frequently are these trucks used, how much it would probably cost to transport a full load of goods to the neighboring city and so on.   Then my mind went into the risks that are probably involved in driving these trucks, especially during the night and I returned from the balcony after completing my chores.

A few days later, there was a knock at the door and when I went and opened, I was surprised to see the postman with a big carton. I checked twice whether it was meant for me, as he read out my dad's name from the slip he was carrying. After convincing myself that the package was indeed meant for me, I asked how much I needed to pay for it. ''Its pre-paid'', was the quick response from the postman.  I gave a smile and a sigh of relief, as though I was getting it free, and took the carton into my drawing room. I could not resist even for a minute and quickly tore open the carton along the sides and peeped in to see what was inside. I found some blankets and came to know later on that they had been sent by my aunt. 

After contemplating on the two episodes involving the trucks and the carton episode, I got reminded  of a concept I had learnt in management - strategic window. Put in layman terms, Strategic Window is a temporary period where an organization's capabilities align with the market's requirements. As with the trucks, the logistics providers had been around for quite some time, but the increasingly floating nature of the population owing to a new wave of job opportunities in the IT sector in South Indian cities was resulting in a strategic window to be jumped into. Coming to the postal service, India Post is a massive organization with an unmatched network of offices. It has been around ever since the days of colonization, and, in the past decade, its top managers have been constantly on the look out for newer areas to diversify into. And, here was a strategic window opening in front of them. In India, in an era dominated by the twin revolutions of IT and Telecom, more than the need to send snail mails, there was a need to send goods, both small and big, safely, securely and swiftly across cities. And India Post had grabbed this opportunity with both hands to stay as relevant as it had ever been. 

Prima facie, the turn of events surrounding these changes may appear as mere coincidence. But, if we delve deeper, we would realize a hidden truth. Organizations that invest in building capabilities would invariably tend to find opportunities, that suit their capabilities, some time into the future, if not in the immediate present. At this point, the wise words of Louis Pasteur, the inimitable microbiologist come to my mind. He once said, "Did you ever observe to whom the accidents happen? Chance favors only the prepared mind."