THE COGNITIVE RESPONSE TO ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Science has offered already so much to human lives. Technology like Functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery has enabled us to look through the brain and find how it responds while dealing with a major organizational change. The basal ganglia of the human brain are primarily concerned with controlling our day-to-day activities. It is often seen that works that are performed on a repeated basis utilize less mental energy and consciousness. However, while diverting our thoughts towards the change, our brain responds differently. Therefore, in certain decisions, our mind feels right or may feel wrong.

Changes that are associated with facts out of our comfort zone are stimulated by the section of our brain called the prefrontal cortex. This region is responsible for controlling both insight and impulse. In simple terms, it simulates the brain nerves in response to fear, wonder, anxiety or despair.

When the mind is dealing with changes that are complicated and unfamiliar, the nerves of this region are strongly affected knocking all negative feelings and bringing feelings of sadness, depression or anger into the minds of team members. However, it is strange that science has helped us to respond to any change, good or bad, helping people around the world to assemble themselves and coordinate with the changes. Let us find out how:

Any introductory change comes in two forms – one that can be put to good use and the other is the reverse image if that is not the case. This takes a lot of complicated mental activities to shift from basic thoughts moving into a new or complicated concept under the basal ganglia of the brain. Thus, science will help to focus on the motive behind the change and make it more familiar than threatening.

Changes cannot be forced but only introduced. The response can both be favourable and negative. While the changes are introduced, the human brain shows tremendous mental activity to develop insight and then build complex connections. A rush of neurotransmitters like adrenaline boosts positivity associated with any experience.

The brain can digest only one change at a time. The sense of complexity can deflect the working of the brain towards one goal. Science has helped to establish a comprehensive outlook of any changes made so that they can easily be understood and absorbed. The prefrontal cortex can signal danger in case of unrealistic expectations. It then switched to high alert mode indicating the science of deception so that our brain can balance with extreme anxiety.

The centre of our conscious thought is closely associated with the emotion-generating amygdala. Many a time decisions are based on emotions than logic. Sometimes, it might not come out of our conscious-driven mind or with logical reasoning. Emotional choices can be justified only emotionally and they can be more appealing when presented in the right manner to connect to the audience’s emotions.

Paying attention involves chemical and physical changes in the brain and as the brain is remodelling its thought processes, the density of attention can get affected by different experiences over a specific time. Changes that were repetitively made catch high attention density and encourages peoples’ mind for a long time behavioral change. New ideas can grab attention when presented in new packaging ways such as through a game, a metaphor, an image etc.

When the organization is constantly evolving, our minds come under pressure to digest various phases of instability inside it. It is the role of the leader to make the correct use of science and establish stability, detailing any success or challenges associated with it. People look for future vision coupled with the right use of language. As the mind is open to accepting suggestions and implementing changes, the brain waves cannot accept many nonsensical languages or close gestures. Therefore, wars must be emotionally charged with a clear vision and it is to be carefully assessed that we speak what we see and believe.

In the dorsal portion of the anterior cortex of the brain is the neural region that responds to suffering and pain. Any change that reacts to produce physical change must be ruled out. The new changes in leadership goals and fundamentals must synchronize between inclusive and collaborative relationships. Share work experience establishes mutual trust and connectivity for the success of an organization.

Santosh Sahu worked with a corporation and used Maulik Shah’s warehouses. Mr Sahu and Mr Shah discovered that agri-warehousing is specialised. The industry suffered from poor confidence and below-standard services, so the visionaries founded Go Green, a warehousing firm, to deliver personalised services, generate trust/transparency, and grow fast by involving management owners.

In 2018, Go Green Warehouses began offering integrated commodity management solutions. The company’s skilled personnel provide postharvest services to stakeholders across the agro-value chain. Its strategically planned, electronically connected sites, innovative procedures, and stakeholder dedication allow the company to handle businesses of all sizes. Go Green Warehouses are changing warehousing and logistics for agricultural enterprises. Initially, bank institutions and start-up banks were inclined towards the formers industry players that created obstacles for the company to be empanelled. As technology is vital, the company has 1200+ warehouses in 25 states with over Rs. 8000 crore worth of commodities.

Start-up Banks/Institutions were likened to former players where the company like Go Green Warehouses encountered several obstacles to obtaining empanelled to start a firm. Go Green Warehouses competed with 15+-yearold companies for top talent. The company also trained freshers to build it. The capital was one of the challenges that the company faced. Mr Sahu saw cash flow concerns force many ambitious plans to be scrapped.

Post-pandemic, warehouses are in high demand. Institutional investors worldwide are watching the Indian warehousing business. This industry is growing rapidly. After the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce companies have increased their use of warehouse facilities as demand for commodities has skyrocketed. The pandemic has increased cold chain warehousing space for organised food distribution. So, the warehouse business has become a resilient asset class and continues to rise in the real estate sector. For automation and efficiency, the warehouse invests heavily in technology. In addition, warehouse development is cost-effective. The low-cost boosts occupancy. Hence, warehouse investments are safer.

As a leader, Mr Sahu thinks one must suffer to inspire colleagues to keep the company successful. Go Green Warehouses help firms address industry issues of transparency and trust by being dependable service provider. The company started the process in 2018, hoping to focus on specific Indian geography, but clients have responded well to the new firm. As a result, the company is now in 25 states with 450+ stores and 3500+ customers.

Go Green Warehouses’ objective is to serve farmers and be India’s agricultural storage leader. Its team uses creative methods to contact growers and FPOs with high-quality products and improve buyer ties with their warehouses to establish farm product markets.

Mr Santosh describes his unique business model: “the company tackle customers’ largest issues from farm to fork. It serves farmers who grow the grain and consumers like processors, retailers, importers, exporters, etc., who use the product.”

In 2018, Go Green Warehouses began offering integrated commodity management solutions. Its personnel provide postharvest services to stakeholders across the agro value chain. The company is changing logistics and warehousing for nonagricultural enterprises. It offers:

• Preservation and Storage

• Primary Processing (Sorting, Cleaning, Grading)

• Quality Testing and Assaying solutions

• Commodity Finance Facilitation

• Farmer support Services

• Inspection and Audit Services

• Last-mile Farmers Finance and Market Linkage Solution

Monthly service additions on the consumption and production sides of the value chain have grown the Go Green Warehouses initiative horizontally and vertically. Its backward integration through micro-warehouses-based collecting centres allows direct procurement from farmers and FPOs.

Mistrust spreads like wildfire in relationships. Mr Sahu believes unresolved doubt becomes suspicion, and the latter is an unproven belief. To build trust and awareness, Go Green Warehouses interact across markets. Honesty and integrity have always mattered to the company. Mr Santosh thinks the customers trust his company because it strictly follows the 8 pillars of trust, which every employee understands daily. The trust pillars are:

1. Clarity: People distrust ambiguity.

2. Compassion: Caring people inspire trust.

3. Character: Righteous people stand out.

4. Competence: Customers trust relevant and capable people.

5. Commitment: Perseverance inspires.

6. Connection: Friends are followed, bought from, and surrounded.

7. Contribution: Results are instantly noticed.

8. Consistency: People like small things done consistently.

If one looks attentively, one will see that the warehouse industry only handles bulk projects because of the profit margin; else, they would struggle to live. Go Green Warehouses has a microsite team. Hence, the company go closer to the farmer instead of asking farmers to deliver the produce 150 km to our warehouse. It has also built up a solar centre at the farm gate levels using the windows and link to the pilot so the transition can happen if someone wants to store produce for a while.

Most businesses depend on customers because they pay for the business’s products. Mr Sahu believes that managing customers well can lead to repeat business. Hence, happy customers recommend Go Green Warehouses to other buyers, increasing sales. The CEO also believes that brands, especially consumer-centric ones like Go Green Warehouses, should stay connected.

The company’s CRM applications and relationship managers enable tailored central office engagements and personal encounters with customers. Go Green Warehouses find customers face-to-face and via phone or social media). The company appreciates its clients and solicits feedback from top management and others.

The company sell products in four steps- Initiate, Communicate, Validate and Commit. It communicates and makes business proposals. Go Green Warehouses on-board customers after 40–50 meetings before closing the deal. Besides, customers seek trustworthy companies. After the first visit, the company build trust through smart and persistent communication.

To simplify transactions, Go Green Warehouses will automate warehouse activities, including 100% digital customer services. The company want to be the highly preferred agri-warehousing company in three years and attain 70-80 Lakh MT storage volume at peak with a CM portfolio of at least Rs. 15000 Cr in two years. Go Green Warehouses aim to work in all major ports, processing clusters, and commodity aggregation centres worldwide. It covers India and other countries where CM and warehousing are necessary. The company’s micro warehousing programs target villages, while dark store operations, cold chain logistics and 3PL target cities.

When the customers do deals with Go Green Warehouses, they see a dynamic, dependable, skilled, and experienced Service Provider who understands agro value chains and their needs better than anyone in the sector to build suitable offerings for every need.

Mr Santosh is learning as a first-generation entrepreneur. He believes successful entrepreneurs are patient and persistent while creating a plan for their customers and employees. He also adds that any large-scale change effort teaches for life. Mr Sahu’s five major lessons in his journey are:

• Constant growth requires severe prioritisation

• Diversify, trust, and communicate.

• Ask anyone for aid.

• Engage customers regardless of business development.

• Learn: Failure is the finest teacher.

Mr Santosh wanted a self-sufficient team. He believes that a competitive founder makes his company more competitive and aggressive. In addition, he has seen many data-driven companies make metrics-based judgements. Mr Sahu is improving his and his team’s skills while making his company competitive and trusted. Go Green Warehouses’ culture has changed the most. Mr Santosh endeavours to shift the company’s mind-set for continual feedback and progress, which his team needs. For team growth, he will spend more time with each member. In addition, he will carefully organise the top 50 employees’ careers to advance ownership. He is also working on technology enablement inside and out that will double the company’s market profitability and share. As the company grows, he wants to invest in start-ups to keep learning.

Mr Sahu says, “Start-ups should avoid investment early on since cash flow is crucial. The capital should be used for expansion, not firm maintenance. Team, technology and time are the key assets that must be used well. Lastly, Company growth requires patience and persistence.”