*Rajeev Suri's letter to Nokia employees*
The Nokia I grew up in is no more: *We need to ensure that our businesses are at the heart of everything we do. We do not want, and cannot afford, a large “corporate” structure, says Rajeev Suri. * *In order to most effectively seize these opportunities, each of our businesses will have its own unique strategy, and each will be optimized for success in its particular market. Our approach as a company will not be just about cost or just about innovation; or just about independence or just about synergies. Indeed, it will not be "just" about any one thing. Rather, it will be about how we create the conditions for every part of our company to succeed and maximize shareholder value. Where there are opportunities for the three businesses to work together, we will grab them. Think about HERE's location expertise being used in the 3D network modeling that was launched at Mobile World Congress. Data that is captured at the level of a specific network site, used to strengthen maps with additional real-time knowledge of place and context. Think about Networks, with its large patent portfolio, learning from some of Nokia's best-in-class practices for monetizing intellectual property. These possibilities are real, and we will surely find others. But we will not pursue shared activities for appearances only. There must be a real upside, and all of our three businesses must deliver strong performance in their own right. Each will have its own strategy and its own plan - and each will be accountable for delivering on that plan. Part of enabling each business to focus on innovation, on creating great products and services, and on delivering for customers will also be about removing unnecessary distractions. Where we can do so in a way that makes sense, we will share common infrastructure, back-office tools and processes, and other things that can be managed efficiently at a central level, while still meeting business requirements. But we will approach any changes in these areas prudently, as it makes no sense to miss a large potential upside in favor of a relatively small cost gain. What we need to let go and what we need to build... The Nokia <http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Nokia> that I grew up in, and that many of you grew up in, is no more. That is the simple reality. The company today is made of many parts, some of them only relatively recent additions, such as the former Navteq, and the networks businesses from Siemens and Motorola. And, of course, the D&S business that was so central for so long is now with Microsoft. Given this, we must set our sights solely on the future, and spend no time on trying to re-create what once was. We must have the courage to know what to leave behind; to know what we must change and renew. As we think about these issues, one of the most critical things we have to address is culture. We need shared values and common cultural threads, but we also need to be flexible enough to be different where it makes sense. Common elements, yes. One single monolithic approach applied across all of Nokia? Absolutely not. Of course, at the heart of most successful global companies is a strong focus on execution that is combined with fact-based decision-making and clear authority and accountability. We need that as well. When we agree to do something, we must do it; when we make a commitment, we must keep it. This does not mean, however, that we have any less passion for being innovative and entrepreneurial. After all, the most successful entrepreneurs typically have both the right ideas and the right execution. We need to understand that efficiency is a key enabler of growth, as the more efficient we are, the more we can invest in building new business and expanding existing ones. With strong execution as a foundation, it may well be that we take different approaches to culture within each business. HERE, with its potential for rapid growth; Technologies, with the need for disruptive innovation; and Networks, with the need to deliver growth and stable margins, are different businesses with different needs - and we need to respect that. We also need to ensure that our businesses are at the heart of everything we do. We do not want, and cannot afford, a large "corporate" structure. Our "group level" functions must be focused on helping our businesses succeed and removing roadblocks from their path. Where we go from here... As I look out to the next 100 days, I see five priority areas. The first is for me to take the opportunity to engage and understand. Over my time at Nokia I have held about a dozen different jobs, each one requiring new learning. I never want to be limited by what I know today, by what is familiar. I tend to gravitate to where the opportunities are, and where there is the most value to be created. As I know Networks extremely well, those of you in HERE and Technologies can expect that I will be asking a lot of questions, and for your full support. I need your help to ensure that I have a full understanding of your business, your customers, your products, and your services. * *The second priority is the development of a more granular and ambitious plan for the company to deliver on our strategy. We need to move fast to go from the high-level vision and strategy that we have today to detailed and credible execution plans. As part of this, Networks needs to turn its new strategy into a bolder* * financial plan; Technologies must prioritize its efforts while not missing a beat in leveraging our strong patent portfolio; and HERE must ensure that our heavy investment is set to deliver the right returns. My third priority is to develop and implement a "Nokia Business System" that can be applied consistently across the company, as well as to any possible future acquisitions. This system will include* * performance management, operational governance, talent development and rotation, focused M&A and integration practices, cost management models, and more. For this, we will draw on best practices across the company as well as creating some new ones. To be clear, this is not about removing ownership from the business units, but rather ensuring we have the capability to effectively optimize the company to support those businesses. Fourth is culture. As I mentioned above, this is a critical issue, and we need to move fast to align on the kind of culture we want in the future. We need to define what is common across the businesses and what is different. Before the end of the next 100 days, I want to see us have clarity across the entire company about our values and desired culture. Finally, we have our ongoing performance. We need to build the new, while also relentlessly driving our existing business every day. This is not the time for any of the businesses to miss their plan, as the world is watching us and trying to decide if we are up to the task ahead. Let's deliver the excellent results that make the answer to that question resoundingly clear. Setting the right ambition... I recently told a group of senior leaders that our ambition needed to be big. If I have learned anything in the past years, it is that if you set small goals, you get small results. If you set big goals, sometimes you are disappointed, but more often than not, you get big results. As we set off on this journey together, we need to have the ambition to become a truly great company. Great companies are innovative, that is for certain. But the best of them combine that innovation with superior execution. They do what they say they are going to do, and deliver superior results for their shareholders. They find new ways to delight their customers. They have passionate and committed employees who continue to learn and grow. They do good, not because they must, but because it is right. We need to come together to make this ambition a reality. I hope you are as excited as I am about this extraordinary opportunity. With thanks, Rajeev* -- <http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/worldmalayaliclub/> [image: Photo: The finest way to elevate your life is to develop your self.] *வாழிய செந்தமிழ்! வாழ்க நற்றமிழர்!* *வாழிய பாரதமணித் திருநாடு!* [image: gautam's Avatar] * Vanakkam Subbu* [image: gautam's Avatar] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
