Living it Up in Paradise Plaza, Kandivili (East), Mumbai

I have found some of the most profound business principles in the way we lead our daily lives. This story is one such example.

This is the story of Paradise Plaza (PP), a typical society in Kandivili, a rapidly growing suburb in Mumbai, and its Residents Association. It is a wonderful study in how the principles of a successful startup were practiced in a non business environment. And it shows how a start up can differentiate itself from others through managerial expertise. Today, although, PP is no different from most of the other societies, the apartments sell at a premium.

When the first few residents of PP met one Sunday morning, to form the association, high real estate prices was certainly not on the agenda. The group that day was a fair representation of cosmopolitan Mumbai. A couple of Tamilian software engineers, Dubai returned Malayalee manager, Gujrati stockbroker, Bengali executives, Maharashtrian  Chartered Accountant, retired Parsi bachelor and a Punjabi Chef. This diverse group was united by one common desire – to live like a pan Indian, modern, urban society.

There were two gentlemen, Mr. Bhowlaker a practicing Chartered Accountant and Mr. Mistry a retired bureaucrat, who had definite but different ideas on the subject.

Mistry wanted the Association to focus on efficient management of regular functions and a code of good neighbourly conduct. This code was about laying down rules on issues like volume control of music and TVs, watering plants and washing verandahs without inconveniencing others and so on. He believed that efficient management and great systems were all that were required to build a great community.

Bhowlaker, however, had a different idea. He agreed with Mistry on efficient management and good neighbourly conduct but did not believe that was all. He wanted a further discussion on how people wanted to live their lives in PP. Someone spoke of having a modern approach to garbage disposal. There were suggestions on celebrating various festivals in the society to reflect the multi-cultural nature of the residents. A large number mooted parties for every occasion…Bhowlaker summed up these suggestions in a little speech that had everyone clapping and surprisingly, pumping elbows as well! He seemed to have inspired a normally boring and fractious event like a Society meeting into a pledge for a greater cause. He had articulated the Vision.

The Vision and Buy-in 

‘Friends, and I hope I can call you that from now, I can hear in each one of your suggestions and ideas, an echo of a common desire. We have such rushed and hectic lives today that our homes have to be the daily havens that we return to. To re energise, rejuvenate, relax and provide fresh inspiration. Yes, we all have wonderful families and our DVDs and music and whatever other personal passions. We have the choice of course, to smile politely at each other in the lift, nod as we walk past each other never coming in the way or being together OR believe that each one of us can make the others life more interesting and enjoyable, do things together and become friends. I believe you are choosing the other option. This little society of ours is a microcosm of our country. Let us show that we can all live together enjoyably and be a true representation of Modern India. Let PP, in Khandivili East show the way to other societies.” Mistry’s was the only murmur of dissent, drowned out in the euphoria of the speech.

Bhowlaker was elected President unanimously. His first act was to appoint Mistry as the Treasurer. Mistry, who had earlier already offered his services to the Society, could find no way of wriggling out of the situation. In all fairness, once he got past the discomfort of having to play second fiddle, he was a great CFO for the Society. Bhowlaker had effectively tackled dissidence and transformed it into a ‘buy in’. The rest of the Association structure was quite unique..

The Organisation Structure

There was the Health and Sanitation in Charge. She was responsible for garbage disposal, pest control, vaccination information, water purity control, yoga and meditation sessions…

The VFM in Charge was the chief negotiator for the Society. He was responsible for setting up the entire group of vendors who would be allowed to provide service inside. Along with laundry, cable, DVDs he also negotiated a fixed rate with taxis for various destinations, set up home deliveries with various suppliers and even arranged for fresh fish and vegetables.

Besides these, there were other portfolios to take care of maintenance, security, legal affairs, dealings with the builder and so on. However, the most sought after portfolio was the Festivals in Charge. Bhowlaker retained a close interest and active participation in this portfolio. The society agreed on a list of festivals and a budget was set aside for each one of them. The calendar was so drawn up that there was something to celebrate together almost every month. This portfolio also had the largest number of sub committees. Each festival became the responsibility of one person and ethnic familiarity with the festival was a key criteria.. This structure demonstrated the ideal way to form project groups – teams of people with requisite skills given operational responsibility and independence.

Leadership 

Bhowlaker provided the energy whenever required to keep this band motivated and enthused. PP was always buzzing with activity. As more people moved in they got caught up in the general excitement and added their enthusiasm and energy into the movement. The group managed to get over disagreements and ego issues by always reminding each other that they were trying to create a true ‘Paradise Plaza’.

The ‘Big’ Idea and its implementation 

The Festivals Group faced the biggest challenge. Not only did it require enormous amounts of energy and time but also funds and organizational capability. It is the manner in which they addressed this issue that has made PP a truly outstanding example of building an organisation.

The parallels between the Society and a business startup are quite revealing.

• A successful startup needs a vision, a leader to drive that vision and a committed team to get it off the block. Human beings are inspired much more by a vision that is larger than just their physical or economic requirements. For the residents of PP, wanting to create a modern urban Society was inspiring. Inspiration releases energy which translates into will to act and push beyond the seemingly impossible. Without this spirit, startups are destined to mediocrity or failure. Possibly one of the reasons why organizations like Apple, Microsoft were so successful in the beginning.
• Bhowlaker demonstrates great political acumen, a required leadership quality, in appointing Mistry in a crucial position. It is a masterstroke that helps him control dissent and demonstrate to the group at large that the Society’s goals are more important than individual egos.
• A startup requires the right structures to be able to sustain it. ‘Right’ is determined by the vision and actual process requirements. The Society by adopting unique job definitions within portfolios and a huge push behind the Festivals Group demonstrates precisely that. An advertising agency wanting to position itself as ‘strategic’ but without resources behind planners, research, tools and disciplines that the entire agency uses, strategic focus on clients marketing issues, etc. is bound to fail.
• The vision, structure, leadership and the original spirit of the startup team go a long way in setting the culture of an organization. The culture promotes behaviour that helps the vision to be realized and reinforces in the stakeholders their own sense of belonging and uniqueness. It acts as glue and also expels those that do not fit in. It is, in a sense, the DNA of the organization. The PP Society has already sown the seeds of a cosmopolitan, modern, fun loving, innovative and open culture.