Taking Bangladesh’s organic tea international

MTI was retained by Teatulia, the fast-growing niche organic tea brand in the USA & UK, to chart their strategic direction and to provide implementation support. Teatulia recently launched its first Tea Bar near Covent Garden, London as a part of their growth strategy
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Fashion-able Growth - for an apparel multinational

MTI delivers strategic insights on restructuring for MAS Slimline Unichela – enhancing operational effectiveness
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Enabling India’s Enterprise Digitalization

Tata Tele Business Services retained MTI Consulting for the second phase of their business strategy. - based on MTI’s 8S ® model, working collaboratively with their management team.
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Enabling Rwanda’s socio-economic development

The MTI-enabled Strategic Plan of the Rwandan Telecom and Energy Regulator (RURA) has now been published, which is strategically linked to Rwanda’s Vision 2050
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Strategizing Social Impact in Bhutan

MTI developed five Strategic Initiatives for Tarayana foundation which will assist them to continue building a happy and a prosperous Bhutan
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Export Strategy to realize Pakistan’s potential

MTI Consulting worked with the Pakistani government under the auspices of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, in an endeavor to reform the national export strategy, structure and processes
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Driving human performance through strategy

Toyota embarks on a journey to implement MTI's comprehensive competency model
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Media & Thought Leadership

Media Releases Strategic Reflection Strategic Insights

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Time -bound, custom-designed organizations

Today’s global challenges (be it governance, political or social) need organisations that are:
• Custom-designed for a specific impact-deliverable
• For a limited period of time, to deliver the impact and then disband

Otherwise, you end up building super-sized, bureaucratic and stubbornly entrenched organisations, who then ‘invent’ ways to justify their existence.

Think of the UN, Commonwealth, Political Parties, Government Ministries (to name a random few) –they should operate like producing a movie, bring the best of talent and technology together, create the impact and then disband.

The Ceremonial Addiction

Consider the amount of human energy that politicians (and even some Corporate Leaders) ‘spend’ on ceremonies and events of all sorts.

Not just the time at the event, the preparations, energies that get drained at the events and its after-effects on productivity.

Arguably, the time spent by them is not their time –it is funded by the public (or the consumer in the case of a business), in expectation of serving them. It carries a very high opportunity cost.

At the end of each such event, ask how it changes the life of the people (especially those at the bottom of the pyramid), the consumer or the minority shareholders.

Organisational Politics –the elephant in the room

Happens when organisational decisions lack objectivity and are made with ulterior motives, such as self-interest, favouritism, discrimination, egoboosting, people-pleasing, envy etc.

It’s a major value-destroyer of businesses, albeit silently. As Peter Drucker said “Culture can have Strategy for Breakfast”

▪The corporate behaviourthat you see is a highly ‘made-up’ tip of the iceberg. Beneath is a complex web of relationships, attitudes, biases and in some cases corrupt practices.

More academic and research pursuits (to study its impact) should be encouraged. Also, more open discussions within organisations.

Wannabe nations must dig deeper than the ‘looks’ they try to emulate

Dubai, London, New York, Singapore –have developed into globally competitive cities by optimising a multinational workforce.

Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai –have developed into globally competitive cities by optimising a local workforce.

Their respective countries enable them with a good educational ecosystem, rule of law, effective governance, and stable policies.

A crisis is an opportune window to make radical reforms –to institutionalise these enablers (above). Do it before crisis-fatigue and lethargy set in.

Sri Lanka should focus on highly customisedFDI propositions

Global FDI flows in 2022 was approx. $ 1.3 trillion. It is a large and complex domain, where global demand and supply chains determine investment decision.

By contrast, Sri Lanka’s FDIs (approx. $ 1billion per annum) is miniscule and a relatively simple proposition –given location, environment, and capabilities.

Therefore, don’t try to ‘boil the ocean’ –with grand, overarching campaigns and initiatives.

Just focus on a highly targeted niche –where the Investor needs and Sri Lanka’s Value Proposition converges (the Ikigai).

Pick the best prospects (based on above) and offer highly customized value propositions.

Minimum room rates: another ‘organic’ push?

Dispassionately justify why a Tourist should pay significantly more vs. current pricing and competition -especially for discretionary leisure travel?

The dynamics of demand and supply (the invisible hand) will, in most cases, take care of pricing. Is there really a need for ‘Big Brother’ intervention?

Is there an evidence-based case, with risk / price sensitivity analysis, to justify the increase (without a drop in footfall)?

If yes (to above), why the reluctance to increase room rates? After all, it will mean additional revenue! If no, who will underwrite the potential losses?

Why you need a haircut –even if you’re bald

You have borrowed (at high interest costs) to excessively spend on initiatives –that give low or no returns. Most of them have low or no salvage value.

Your institutional lenders are under the illusion (at least in their books) that you will pay them back. Hence, they are ‘accounted’ for as assets.

Of course, as an institutional lender, almost 90% of what you so generously lend, is that of small-time deposit holders.

Now that you can no longer ‘bank’ on dud assets, you have to confront reality –who will carry the can?

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

Before privatising SOEs

What’s the core issue with the SOE? –loss-making or not maximising market profitability?

What’s the opportunity at stake? –quantify via a long term cashflow forecast, comparing it to market/business potential.

What’s the root cause? –is it with the business model/strategy or the execution of it? ( customised to each SOE)

How should the SOE be turned around? –evaluate multiple routes via cost benefit analysis to the people (the ultimate owners)

Privatisationis one option, but should not be the starting point. Neither stick with State ownership/management because it’s the status quo. Think laterally

The CEO’s toolbox

To perform any job, be it a Carpenter or a CEO, you need a set of tools and of course the competencies on how to use the tools.

Strategy -conceptualise‘Master Strokes’ to protect and grow the business

Structure -creating internal ecosystems and defining jobs to be done

Resourcing -attracting and optimising high value-adding talent, beyond conventional payrolls

Systems -value-adding workflows to ensure operational efficiencies

Performance Management-setting targets and trackers for work deliverables and linking rewards/recognition to it.

Engagement -creating a conducive climate to optimise human performance.

Knowing which tools to use when, i.e., situational prudence, is key.

What should be Sri Lanka’s value proposition to the world?

Large enough local market consumption?

Access to a fast growing sub-continent?

Large scale, low cost labour force?

Highly technically skilled workforce?

Strategic maritime and aerospace location?

Ease of doing business, policy consistency and credible governance?

Pick the focus (from above), then develop domain specific value propositions.

MTI’s book on ‘Strategic
Publications’ first published in 2015, with thousands of copies reaching corporate executives.

Read the full column on DailyFT

Insights articles based on MTI's research and experience benefiting from our experience of working on assignments in 51 countries over the last 26 years. Below are a few featured articles.

MTI applies Strategic Analytics to Cricket in Sri Lanka

MTI shares global learnings on responding to tough times

Why Start-ups don’t become Grown-ups?: MTI

“Sri Lanka will see more mid-cap M&A deals”

“Sri Lanka’s infrastructure growth ideal for REITs”

MTI’s business review of 2018 and outlook for 2019

“Loss-making SOEs should be re-structured on ‘Resultant’ approach”

MTI Consulting launches CEO Survey for 2019

MTI’s effectiveness advisory for both sides of political divide

Taking Bangladesh’s organic tea international