Talent is the most important resource for companies in the knowledge industry. The challenge is to hire high-quality people and to make sure they get the right environment, encouragement, resources, direction, and freedom. The difference between the productivity of an excellent software engineer and an average software engineer can be an order of magnitude. With that kind of ROI, it always makes sense to have few outstanding people rather than an army of average ones. Adequate investment in people enables the management to set aggressive delivery and growth targets and meet them successfully.

	Going By The Book
	An Idea Of A Gem
	The Market Lies Elsewhere

The next step is to ensure that the team has access to the same set (quality and quantity) of tools and resources that their global peers enjoy. Also, outstanding people need to be treated differently. They need to be given a clean, transparent, and open management.

The appraisal and reward system needs to be well-defined, fair, and honest. Further, appraisal and review should be a continuous process and not a mere once-a-year affair. For example, in our company, we encourage innovation through a unique patent award program.

A critical part of the people philosophy is to conduct the business in the most ethical way. A leader should honour his words and treat his customers, employees, and vendors the same way he would like himself to be treated. People want to be associated with an ethical and clean organisation.

Most importantly, managers and leaders need to lead by example. No management philosophy can produce the desired result if the team sees difference between the words and the implementation.