Dear friends,
This month, I realized how a small change in title and responsibility can bring about many changes in the working style.
As many of you are aware, I’ve consciously avoided being drawn to designations and instead focused on the substance of our work. That’s why I’ve opted for designations like ‘Strategy Lead’ or ‘Founder,’ aiming to steer clear of hierarchical labels that might inflate egos within our organization. Consequently, we’ve all been designated either as ‘Trainees’ or ‘Heads.’
In my role as a Strategy Lead, my primary focus has been on shaping our future direction and inspiring my colleagues to deliver results in the present. This month, there’s been awareness which is changing the way of thinking.
Last year, we set ambitious goals and announced them at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, we fell significantly short of these goals, indicating a lack of effective leadership. Taking complete ownership of our plans requires us to discard all excuses – be it market conditions, project delays, team member shortcomings, product failures, incorrect assessments, or distractions. While there might be numerous justifications for not meeting our commitments, they don’t offer solutions to our challenges. We all aim for significant accomplishments and must diligently pursue them. Neglecting small milestones makes it unfeasible to attain larger ones.
After reviewing these outcomes, it’s evident that my leadership skills are lacking and require enhancement. I’ve contemplated two potential solutions: either seeking a more seasoned leader to take charge, thereby strengthening our team, or dedicating more effort to refining my methods and capabilities. The simpler option might be to opt for the former, yet upon reflection, I’ve come to understand that we can’t delegate our aspirations. If we have dreams then it is our responsibility to make efforts towards making them come true.
We need to collaborate on our mindset, organization, and processes to reach our objectives. I’ve initiated efforts in several key areas:
- Ensuring transparency in the organization’s structure for all.
- Clarifying everyone’s priorities, responsibilities, and accountabilities.
- Aligning all rewards and incentives with our goals.
- Establishing appropriate benchmarks and devising methods for monitoring them.
- Work will have to be done when there is a need for a change of direction and effectiveness.
I plan to work on all these directions together with you, and the establishment will be completed this month. Simultaneously, I am actively engaged in the search for new board members and core team members to provide the necessary guidance.
Our focus is on achieving world-class investment through Project Kawok, and each of these components holds significant importance for potential investors.
Earlier this month, Himanshu and I had a productive meeting with the Guatemala team where we outlined targets for the upcoming year and devised investment plans. The project’s foundational engineering work is underway, and the team is dedicated to ensuring that we can finalize all major orders by October.
It is a matter of pride for us that Mr. Victor Alcantar took the reins of Project Leader. Victor is a native of Mexico and has experience in many different industries. I am confident that as our Guatemala team grows stronger, the project will gain further momentum.
The ancient Mayan culture of Guatemala bears striking resemblances to our own culture, and I believe that understanding the history and mindset of any place is essential. During my exploration, I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Monica Berger, who possessed a profound knowledge of the local culture. Under her guidance, I embarked on a journey to various historical sites, where we sought blessings from the indigenous priests. Mrs. Berger, who named her project “Kavok,” arranged a special ceremony, allowing us to seek blessings from the ancient spirits. The entire experience was exhilarating and left a lasting impression on me, especially the sacred ritual conducted in a significant cave. I am committed to ensuring that those who visit Guatemala also have the opportunity to partake in such unforgettable experiences.
For the last few months, Eduardo and I have been searching for our leader in the USA, so that we can establish the business here and bring our products, and test the market. After a lot of searching, we have Ted DeHaan joining us, and we are pleased that Ted has experience in both food service and flexible packaging, more importantly, he is a very kind and self-reliant individual. I am sure you will enjoy working with him.
By joining them, our team based in Portland is expanding, and we will gradually be able to further establish ourselves here.
How many targets have we all together set for this financial year? We all must base our actions on the organization’s goals and ensure that all goals are evaluated and assessed. When we all bring excellence to our work, then Pakka will automatically be able to achieve its goals.
With best wishes,
Yours,
Ved
