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By:

Rahul Kulkarni

30 March 2025 at 3:32:54 pm

Why the Majority Doesn’t Matter

Most change fails not from resistance, but from weak coalition design. Even if you negotiate well, you can still fail for a boring reason: You built the wrong coalition. This week we step into the third act of this series: modernize without backlash. Most leaders walk into an MSME thinking change is a vote. If most people agree, you win. That’s corporate thinking. In legacy Indian SMEs, the majority is usually passive. The people who matter are the ones who can stop the flow.   Which Seat...

Why the Majority Doesn’t Matter

Most change fails not from resistance, but from weak coalition design. Even if you negotiate well, you can still fail for a boring reason: You built the wrong coalition. This week we step into the third act of this series: modernize without backlash. Most leaders walk into an MSME thinking change is a vote. If most people agree, you win. That’s corporate thinking. In legacy Indian SMEs, the majority is usually passive. The people who matter are the ones who can stop the flow.   Which Seat Inherited seat: you may have authority, but you still need backing beyond the family name. Hired seat: you may have ideas, but you don’t have a home team yet. Promoted seat: you may have relationships, but you don’t automatically have permission.   In cricket, you don’t win because you have 11 batsmen. You win because the field is set right for the plan. A bowler can be doing everything right and still leak runs if the field leaves gaps. Singles become boundaries. The team blames the bowler. But the real issue was field setting. That’s how change fails in MSMEs.   Veto Players A small blocking group can stall you even if everyone nods in meetings. They don’t argue. They sit at gates: - Money release - Purchase approvals - Dispatch control - Owner access They can delay, create exceptions, raise “data doubts,” or ask for “one more confirmation.” And then they do the most effective thing of all: quietly wait for your energy to fade.   Own Work In one assignment, I thought I had the room. People smiled, agreed, even said, “Very good”. Two weeks later, nothing had moved. Two gatekeepers kept adding small speed-breakers. Every objection sounded reasonable. Over a month, the pilot died … no drama, just suffocation. That’s when I learned: in MSMEs, you’re rarely battling resistance. You’re battling veto power.   Coalition Math Political scientist William Riker had a simple idea: you don’t need everyone, you need a coalition that’s just big enough to win and hold. In a company, that means: enough of the right people so the new way becomes unavoidable. And people don’t jump alone. Most switch only when they see others switching because nobody wants to be the first person who looks foolish. So, your job is not “get buy-in from 50 people”. Your job is: 1. Build a small winning coalition 2. Neutralise the blocking coalition 3. Make it visible so the passive majority follows Politics Drama Name the gates Write the 3–5 gates your change must pass through (money, approvals, dispatch, data). Then write who controls them in real life. Pick your first five supporters Not supporters in principle. People who will act. Five is enough to cover gates without becoming a crowd. Pay the coalition cost upfront Each supporter needs one thing to stay aligned: respect, safety, credit, clarity, control of exceptions. Ignore this, and support disappears the first time pressure comes. Neutralize blockers calmly You have three moves: Convert: give them a dignified role and protect the interest they fear losing. Bypass: redesign the workflow so their veto reduces. Contain: limit their veto to exceptions, not the main flow. What you should not do is start a public fight too early. That creates camps. Camps create long wars. Wars kill modernization.   Field Test Name your first five supporters for your next change. Against each name, write ONE concession they need to stay aligned. Example: “You chair the weekly ritual.” “Pilot data won’t be used for appraisal.” “You control exceptions, but exceptions must be logged.” “Your method becomes the base standard.” “Your role is made explicit.” If you can’t name five, you don’t have a coalition yet. You have a hope.   In MSMEs, the majority is tired, busy, and risk-sensitive. They won’t lead your change. They will join it when it feels safe and inevitable. So, stop trying to convince everyone. Set the field properly. Build alignment with five. Neutralise the two who can block.   (The writer is a co-founder at PPS Consulting. He is a business transformation consultant. He could be reached at rahul@ppsconsulting.biz.)

Architect of Social, Economic and Human Justice

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is widely celebrated as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. However, to confine his legacy solely within constitutional limits would be to overlook the vast depth of his intellectual brilliance and social contribution. He was not merely a legal luminary but a visionary nation-builder who believed that true democracy must be anchored not only in political rights, but equally in social equality and economic justice. At a time when many leaders were focused primarily on India’s political independence, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stood apart-deeply committed to securing dignity, equality, and freedom for millions who had long been denied their basic human rights.


Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life story is one of extraordinary perseverance and unwavering determination. During his academic journey at Columbia University and later at the London School of Economics, he endured severe financial hardships. Living on minimal sustenance and often going hungry, he nonetheless dedicated himself to rigorous study-spending up to eighteen hours a day immersed in learning. Even in such circumstances, he remained committed to his responsibilities, sending part of his limited funds back home to support his family.


His academic excellence earned widespread admiration. His mentor, Edwin R.A. Seligman, recognised his work on provincial finance as unparalleled in depth and insight. Years later, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen would acknowledge Ambedkar as a foundational influence on his own economic thought. What makes Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s journey truly remarkable is not merely the number of degrees he acquired, but the discipline and resilience he demonstrated. Without shortcuts or distractions, he completed a four-year academic program in just two years-a feat that reflects his exceptional focus and determination.


Water Policy

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision for water governance was both scientific and deeply humane. As Chairman of the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission, he advocated for a systematic and integrated approach to river valley development. Initiatives such as the Damodar Valley Project exemplified his forward-thinking vision of multi-purpose water management-supporting irrigation, generating hydroelectric power, and controlling floods simultaneously. Yet, his perspective on water extended far beyond infrastructure and economics. Through the historic Mahad Satyagraha, he transformed access to water into a matter of human dignity and civil rights. He firmly asserted that public water sources must be accessible to all, free from caste-based discrimination-thereby redefining water as not merely a resource, but a fundamental right essential to equality and self-respect.


An economist of global standing, Ambedkar combined intellectual rigor with a profound understanding of India’s socio-economic realities. In his seminal work, “The Problem of the Rupee,” he critically examined the instability of India’s monetary system and highlighted the urgent need for sound financial institutions and reforms. He advocated strongly for state-led industrialisation as a means to accelerate economic growth and reduce structural inequalities. His emphasis on land reforms aimed at equitable resource distribution, while his support for the public sector was intended to create opportunities for historically marginalised communities. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar consistently emphasised that political democracy without economic democracy would remain incomplete and fragile. For him, the right to vote held little significance without the assurance of livelihood, dignity, and opportunity.


Women’s Rights

Dr. Ambedkar’s contribution to women’s empowerment remains one of the most progressive aspects of his reformist vision. At a time when patriarchal structures dominated Indian society, he sought to bring about transformative change through legal frameworks. The Hindu Code Bill, though controversial, was a landmark effort to secure women’s rights in matters of property, inheritance, and marriage. He firmly believed that the progress of any society must be measured by the progress of its women. Today, the increasing presence of women in education, governance, and professional spheres reflects the seeds of change he sowed-though the journey toward full equality continues.


As Labour Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council,Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar introduced a series of landmark reforms that transformed India’s labour system. He was instrumental in establishing the 8-hour workday, advocating for minimum wages, maternity benefits, and the protection of workers’ rights through trade unions. For Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, labour was not merely a factor of production-it was a human force that deserved dignity, respect, and security. His policies laid the groundwork for a more humane and balanced industrial framework.


In an era marked by deep-rooted social inequality and untouchability, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar emerged as a fearless and uncompromising voice for the oppressed. He did not merely challenge injustice-he systematically dismantled its foundations through intellect, activism, and legislative reform. Despite immense personal hardships, he never allowed adversity to define or limit him. Instead, he transformed his struggles into a powerful force for collective empowerment and social transformation.


 (The writer is Principal of Podar International School, Ausa, Latur. Views personal.)

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