Responsiveness - The key to your success!

Around this time last year, a professor from a prestigious research institute reached out to me, seeking a speaker for an upcoming symposium at their institution. I approached a senior colleague to deliver the technical talk, and he said he would check his availability.

However, a week passed without any response from him—neither a confirmation nor a decline—leaving me unable to update the professor about the speaking opportunity.

The professor expressed his frustration, saying, “I understand your colleague might be tied up with important work, but he could have at least returned my call once. After all, I am also a distinguished scientist at a renowned institute, not a junior staff member.”

His anguish resonated deeply, bringing to mind the timeless truth: "Nobody is too busy—it's always a matter of priorities." And what the professor wanted here was to feature in the priority list. But it couldn't happen in the given time.

As a result, my credibility took a hit, and my relationship with the professor ended on a sour note due to an internal stakeholder's lack of responsiveness.

What’s responsiveness?

In simple English, responsiveness is the quality of reacting swiftly and positively. When we respond promptly, it builds trust and shows that we’re dependable, whether as individuals or businesses. Being responsive also shapes the perception of competence, assurance, and reliability as it captures that we truly listen and connect with our customers, clients, or partners.

When responding to someone, it’s important to remember the “iron triangle” of Good, Fast, and Cheap. The tricky part? Out of the three attributes, only two can coexist at a given point in time; that essentially means if a service is good and fast, it cannot be cheap, and if it’s cheap and good, it cannot be fast. Also, if it’s cheap and fast, then there are chances that the service is poor.

While the first example can be termed as a failed case of responsiveness, a decade back, when I was serving as the Marketing Head at a state PSU, I had an experience that really stayed with me, quite different from the above instance.

A start-up founder approached me for an acre of land parcel in an industrial belt for his healthcare innovation business. He had already approached the Industrial Development office and couldn’t find out the coordinates of the concerned person, so he reached out to me.

After I showed him the exact location of the land and explained the project, he seemed pleased but then asked if I could offer him a discount.

I had to be honest with him: “Sir, I’m responsible for every rupee spent from the state exchequer. Unless the Board of Directors approves, I simply don’t have the authority to give you even a single rupee off. Even a sari shop salesman can offer discounts, but I can’t.”

He then asked, “What if the minister says so?”

I replied firmly, “I doubt the minister would, since he’s also accountable for the state’s revenue. But you’re welcome to meet him and try.”

 

A week later, he returned, ready to proceed with the land at the original price. From his expression, I sensed his meeting with the minister hadn’t changed much.

“I want to move forward with the plot,” he said, “but I need it quickly.”

“And the price?” I asked.

“I’m fine with your quoted rate,” he said. “But I need the land for my plant within a month.”

I assured him, “If your paperwork is complete and you have the cheque ready, you can get the allotment letter within 20 days.”

He looked surprised. “Really?”

“Yes,” I said, and took all his documents and the cheque.

At that time, I was also handling the head office responsibilities due to a senior officer’s resignation, which meant I didn’t have to wait for additional approvals. Because everything was in perfect order, the file was swiftly approved by the Chief Planner, CFO, and Managing Director—all within 15 days.

When I handed him the allotment letter in person instead of sending it by courier, he couldn’t believe it.

“I never expected to get this within a month. It’s a wonderful surprise to receive it in just 17 days.”

I smiled and said, “I don’t believe in overpromising and underdelivering. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised myself. But your paperwork was flawless, and that made all the difference.”

He thanked me warmly and left with a big smile—one of those moments that remind me why responsiveness and efficiency truly matter in business.

The very next day, the headlines in the city edition of the newspaper read: "Healthcare Start-up Secures LOA in a Record-Breaking 17 Days — A Testament to Ease of Doing Business." The founder credited me in his statement, saying, "While large corporations leverage their connections to get approvals within a month, this proves that small firms can also achieve swift approvals. The key lies in the officer’s responsiveness — that’s the real driver of Ease of Doing Business and business success."

Shortly after, I received a call from the Regional Officer at the Industrial Development Office.

"Sir, why are you stirring trouble? We know you have the autonomy to act quickly, but here, we must navigate bureaucratic channels. Allocating land to any company within a month is simply impossible."

I replied, "I understand your constraints, but rather than pointing fingers, appointing a nodal officer to address business queries would help. And, if any businessman reaches out to me, I have to resolve his concerns."

The officer responded, "We appreciate your proactive approach, but please advise businessmen not to quote our organisation in the media going forward. We are working on improving our responsiveness."

I never imagined that my prompt response to the founder then would set a benchmark for years, illustrating how responsiveness can create a long-lasting positive impact on your success. I only used the two attributes of the iron triangle with utmost sincerity, which created a benchmark in Ease of Doing Business.