Subhakar Rao the CEO of Bangalore-based Champions Group’s talks about how innovative and robust rewards and recognition mechanism has contributed to negligible attrition, very high performance and rapid growth of the 1,500-employee group.

1. Volume 8 | Issue 10 | Double Issue: October - November 2011
Br
Marketers have
nd a
to engage deeply
in
at every level to
g
become more
n s h ip
effective tio
la
r re
P ro
Six top CMOs
Sa
me
le
s
duct desig
Custo
on future of
a rc h
marketing
se
M a r k e t re
n
Focus
Rewards &
Recognition’s next
big challenges CampusCapers
How Champions Group Lucky Ali’s
has taken it to the lecture to
next level IIMB students

2. 8 12
Trends Innovation
Excerpts of Planning
Commission’s
Approach Paper to
12th Five Year Plan
on India’s road to
Top ad trends from Consumer perception Governance trends with
innovation
Spikes Asia 2011 of CSR Neeraj Monga of Veritas
Investment Research Corp
13 26 36 34
LeadershipMantra RememberingJobs NetworkPower CaseStudy
What is making India Steve Jobs was his Accenture’s experiment Giving parents their due.
tick today first customer with Vaahini Interview with Chairman
Steve Towers Subhakar Rao
38 40 43 44
CampusCapers UncommonHero AuthorSpeak Sponsored CaseStudy
Lucky Ali’s ‘gyan’ on life Shantilal Muttha’s Total Customer In Leather with Tally
business of giving Value Management
Suhrudha Kulkarni Gautam Mahajan
45 46 48
JargonBuster Bookshelf Offbeat
‘Creative’ effect of LSD
Stock markets don’t trust Apple
Sap Labs creates network supports
art of giving
Game for ‘Ice cream Sandwich’?
Some music on Delhi Metro, please?
Locavore movement Paid tweeting, anyone?

3. CaseStudy - Champions Group
And the award goes to
the parents of ….
The Bangalore-based Champions Group’s
innovative and robust rewards and recognition
mechanism has contributed to negligible attrition,
very high performance and rapid growth of
the 1,500-employee group. In a chat with
ManagementNext, chairman Subhakar Rao talks
about what inspired him, how he manages to run
the R&R process effectively with a dash of zest and
how the diverse group has benefited immensely.
Y
ou mentioned how your mom's awards have not only brought pride showed up at work the very next
words were the inspiration for among the parents but also intense day after his father died and when I
your unique R&R effort… commitment to the enterprise. showed concern he said, “My father
My mom used to say, “The real pride would expect me to be at work. My
of a parent is not when their son or I had a situation where one of our dad was ailing badly when we did the
daughter is born, but when THEY get employees, whom we call ‘Champions’ Champion Parents Award recognition
recognized in public for their kids' and he died a very peaceful death a
accomplishments.” I was inspired by couple of months after that with happy
these words during my tenth class I believe, our HR memories.”
and went on to top the school, college teams with a couple
and then got into business. It dawned of dedicated web and How can we say your R&R is
on me when she died a couple of video editors, help us innovative?
years ago that I couldn’t get her to be
get at least another
recognized in public but the least I can We commissioned a customized bus
do is to carry her wishes forward by
20 percent more from from Dilip Chhabria called Champion
recognizing our employees’ parents. our 1,500 employees Cruiser (www.championcruiser.com)
without breaking which is a luxury bus with a bed, six
Thus came to life our monthly the bank 180 degree flat relaxing luxury chairs,
Champion Parents Awards. The a couple of large screen LCD TV
34 ManagementNext | October - November 2011

4. sets. We use this to take R&R to our only help us recognize a couple
employees’ homes. This ultra-luxury of parents a month, but also help A customized bus from
vehicle picks the employees’ families us recognize our top performing Dilip Chhabria called
over a weekend and takes them to employees often (monthly, not once
Champion Cruiser
places of their choice. a quarter or year). You can see more
information about Champion Parents
which is a luxury bus
We personalize printed birthday cards, awards at www.championsgroup.in/ with a bed, six 180
anniversary banners, mugs, caps, championparents degree flat relaxing
T-shirts, diaries, among others. We luxury chairs, a couple
also have programs involving our What is the secret behind the of large screen LCD
employee kids. Stuff like this helps us success of any vibrant R&R TV sets. We use this
connect with parents and the younger system?
to take R&R to our
generations in the families and makes
it an extended family. We are asking R&R success is about consistent
employees’ homes.
our managers to take top performer motivation. Just as you take bath This ultra-luxury vehicle
families for lunches or dinners at everyday, rewards and recognition has picks the employees’
unique restaurants. to be often to succeed. Today, you can families over a
personalize most of the stuff and the weekend and takes
We have R&R functions every month value goes through the roof when you
them to places of
at each of the three buildings of do that.
their choice
our companies. These events not
The secret behind any R&R success is
recognition in public – the outcome is
the start of each year and achieve
a positively energized workforce that
“There is no greater those by doing something every
produces far better results. It makes
joy to me than day of the year.
business sense too.
seeing my children
successful. Tears of • Make the workplace fun always
Manifesto
with a little weirdness.
joy trickled down from
my eyes, and words • Deliver ROI to customers, vendors
• Be passionate, practice giving
just wouldn’t flow out and partners every day, every way.
accolades, apologize wisely to
of me as I was dumb patch things up, and be gracious.
• Dig for gold in each of your team
stuck to see me being members every day.
honored because of my • Create at least one positive
daughter’s success. I • Winning is a good habit. experience every quarter and
have not seen or heard Celebrating in style often is even share it with the team.
of corporate companies better.
• Honor and respect your parents.
honoring parents for
• Be in a continuous education Make them proud and happy.
nurturing their children.
program to give birth to a new
Thank you so much. “ “You” every year. • Be Innovative and fast at trying
- Angeline D’Souza new solutions/processes. Pass
• Write your goals and plan well at the Innovation Test every year.
October - November 2011 | ManagementNext 35