My Thoughts at 46 and 49

Thoughts at different points in life

Why me? No Particular Reason, I Suppose

A Journey of forty six action-packed years

This is me-well, obviously, it can't be anyone else. Can it? I grew up in a coal town with a lot of coal for company. We even tried brushing our teeth with coal powder as kids! Gradually, as I had to move out to get some education, I went to a hostel in a city, with hardly any "urban" qualities. But as far as prisons go, it was a comfortable one, and we could (had to?) play some games. So I played cricket.

Growing up, I don't really know how I got through some exams, and I was an engineer-MBA, a deadly combination. But working with an ad agency, I figured out that I liked neither engineering, nor corporate lifestyle, nor even advertising. So I became a market researcher next, and another one of those coincidences saw me in a Ph.D. program, doing a doctorate in management. No one employs Ph.Ds but academia, so I had to teach. Surprisingly, I found myself liking it. And have been in it ever since.

Recently, I read an amazing book called A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, and am impressed by the insignificance of all life forms in the scheme of things. I firmly believe in this, sometimes believe the world is a joke and someone is constantly laughing, maybe rolling on the cosmic floor holding his belly, watching all the fun.

I am impressed by some artists, like Guru Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Wodehouse and Sanjeev Kumar. I like to read, play golf and occasionally write too. Currently, I direct a B-school running an MBA program, and try to figure out the myriad rules that govern us-it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

Rajendra Nargundkar

 This is another  take 3 years later, and I am forty nine. I am still directing a B school, located in India's geographical centre, and enjoying the challenges that it keeps throwing at me. I look at every assignment as a Brand-building case study. You have resources- faculty, students and yourself, to work with- assuming finances are available. You have only a few years to do this in-build a brand, otherwise competitors get a leg up. As far as B schools go, competition is already hot, and foreign entrants are likely anytime now. IIMs are increasing in number-7 new ones are slated to start in another year.

So motivating all the human resources to give off their best in class and beyond is the challenge. The second one, is making sure that the world finds out about some of these things you are trying to do. Institutional PR, through websites, literature, and physical meetings with corporates, recruiters, alumni, and other members of the public/society are all a part of this.  Alumni relations are a particularly powerful means of communicating with well-wishers. Third party websites such as pagalguy are also viewed by most students wishing to pursue an MBA, and can help (or hurt) perceptions about a B school.