Chairman’s Message
It gladdens my heart being able to wish you all, a great year ahead. A New Year provides an opportune time for us to thank all our friends, agents, associates and well wishers; who have stood with us in the ups and downs over the past twelve months. Whatever achievements we have made are because of the trust they have shown in us. I have seen some remarkable progress in the workmanship and confidence level of our own staff. We have made the communication stream clearer than ever, with our wonderful Lighthouse and websites. The enthusiasm shown by our sales team really warrants outstanding appreciation. I know they will emulate my own aspirations and dream big and act bigger in the coming year. Some wonderful strides were also taken by our IT team as they have developed innovative concepts which will be implemented soon. The guidance and leadership shown by our senior management team was truly remarkable. In summary, throughout CSS, we have seen great teamwork. Let us hope to achieve greater heights with our continuing enthusiastic efforts.
For this New Year, I would like to share a notion which I recently read. It’s all about keeping your own diary of events. Does this sound too simple? But if you ponder on this concept, you will come to realise that it really matters and will make a difference. Keep a diary and note events, both personal and professional. Whenever you feel something is worth writing down then just do that. At the end of each week, month and eventually the year, read what you have written. You will then be able to analyse what you have done and chart where you have reached in terms of achieving your goals. Such an assessment will sharpen your focus and enable you to be more targeted in the year ahead. Try this out in 2013, and experience some extra magic in 2014.
It is said that travel broadens the mind. What is certainly true is that, if we keep our eyes open and observe what is happening around us, we may realise the obvious is sometimes forgotten. My recent trip to Delhi put this concept unexpectedly to the test. I met a cabby who so enjoyed his work, he enthused me for the rest of the day.
It is really encouraging to know that our Lighthouse articles are being received well by the readers.
It is no understatement to say that the world is eagerly awaiting the 27th July when London opens the 2012 Olympic Games. It’s an occasion when nations come together with heart and soul, to display the talents they have been grooming over the past four years.
“I Have a Dream”, the 17-minute public speech, by Martin Luther King Jr., which was delivered on August 28th 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, has always been inspiring to me. It called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. The speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.
There’s a well known saying about “rising to the occasion.” No one really knows who started this expression but over the years it has been used to describe people from all walks of life including sports personalities, pop stars, and politicians and sometimes even you and me. However the important requirement for anyone to be able to “rise to the occasion” is the setting where everyone involved plays an integral part. This applies especially in sport. The roar of the crowd, the cheering supporters, inspires players to strive for even greater achievements. Support from the terraces is nearly as important as playing because it invigorates teams to succeed.
The last few months have proved to be really invigorating, for all of us, as we have had opportunities to participate and interact during the Exhibitions and conferences in shipping & logistics around the globe. We have enjoyed sharing news and views about changing business patterns and concepts. At CSS we had a beneficial and enjoyable time as we were able to combine some serious business discussions, amongst top and middle management, with convivial leisure activities.
A recent article, by a well known Indian business person, started me thinking about a particular aspect of office time management. How many spend time unnecessarily in the office after the normal working hours The author describes this trait as a typical Indian executive mentality undertaken to make others believe that they are hard workers. I believe the author is incorrect to pick on just Indian executives as in my opinion this is a widespread tendency amongst business executives regardless of their origin to subscribe to this attitude. This according to me is a wrong work culture as it has a negative impact not only on one’s work but also on his family life. If you spend time unnecessarily in the office, even after you finish your work, you miss the opportunity to enjoy the spice of life which lies outside the office world. You miss your family, your children and your friends. In this context “Variety is the spice of life”, takes on its full meaning. Time spent on entertainment, doing something different, definitely invigorates energy levels. One returns to work full of bounce and ready to give a refreshingly better performance. Another well known proverb also supports my view. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. We need to forsake such outdated ideas about working late in the office and replace them with a philosophy of working hard but playing harder.
At CSS we have always taken care to research meticulously the details and data which are needed for new programmes and systems to be incorporated within our company. This has to happen before any attempts are made to integrate new services or structures because, without this, any implementation is doomed to failure. Within the corporate world we have seen many ambitious projects being abandoned half way, which brings a huge loss within society. Our commitment, to always demand diligent research, has held us in good stead. As we face the future there needs to be a fool proof engagement of system study, for any campaign, in order to ensure success. We can be proud of our progressive approaches which have benefited our company and society.
There is a saying that when times are hard true friends recognise each other. During turbulent times of recession our friends have supported CSS making 2010 a wonderful year for our group. I would like to express my thanks to everyone in the knowledge that we have equally endeavoured to recognise and service your needs and hopefully exceeded your expectations. The relentless effort and enthusiasm shown by all our employees for achieving the goals, which help both you and CSS prosper, is to be applauded. I extend my thanks and congratulations to all the CSS team.
If we think about it, whatever is happening in our lives “Time” plays a pivotal factor. The concept of time is something we all accept but time doesn’t care about who is successful or who is not. Time gives equal opportunity to all. Our actions, decisions and as a consequence our lives all occupy only a brief space of time. Time is a very strict master. It doesn’t entertain excuses and it always keeps its urgency, with merciless progress.
