Message from Convocation Chief Guest

 Graduating students of Brand NMIMS Bangalore got some sage advice from Mr. Ganesh Shenoy, chief guest recently. 

Be resilient, he said, it will stand you in good stead. 

Spend at least 3-5 years in a company, as it takes time to understand the industry, and to develop expertise in any field.

Focus on self-development, in addition to the company's initiatives through H.R., or line managers.

Get familiar with digitization of the workplace, flexi or hybrid modes of work, and technology in general. Analytics and automation will increase, and you have to get used to it.

Track new businesses that are spawned by crises such as the pandemic. 

Have a business orientation in addition to a functional one. Only when the business grows, will you.

A transformational mindset will help you grow, and your organization to grow.

Making New Connections

 Of course, for a teacher, an obvious place to make connections is his/her students. And colleagues. The gang of ex-student friends keeps expanding, in my case, as I have more years under my belt (sometimes, it shows). 

But generally speaking, a sport can get you friends, or hobbies can. If you are online, or a blogger, you get invited into communities. I have made quite a few friends from a music group I joined a few years ago. If you write books, you have many readers, some of whom pop up unexpectedly. Ditto, if you write columns etc. Makes you feel like a celebrity at times! I have actually given autographs on my books- not as many as I would like to, though.😀

Travel is another way you get to meet people. I have met friends who are friends of friends, or spouses of friends. Sometimes had long conversations with them too. I also have parents of students who are friends online, though I haven't met all of them. Similarly, daughters/sons of friends too. All of these connections are enriching. I have met New Zealanders, Bangladeshis and Vietnamese in conference travel, and Cambodians, Japanese, and Koreans too, among others-Thais and Britishers, Indonesians for example.

Some friends are also global (USA, France, China, Sri Lanka, Austria, Australia...) and we have connected on fb regularly, and I have a window into their world. I know exactly what they think of Biden., Trump, or Trudeau, for example, and what their kids are up to (if they have kids). 

Amazing!

Sharu Rangnekar-A Tribute

 One of India's early management conultants, Sharu passed away recently (late 2020/Jan. 2021). I first saw him and heard him in 1982 when he came down for a session during orientation for us doing MBA, at IIM Bangalore. Many years later, we invited him to speak at IMT Nagpur where I was Director at the time.

He was older, but had not lost his sense of humour and emphasis on the essentials. What he reiterated, and has said in his books (In the Wonderland of Indian Managers and others), is two things-

In teaching/learning, video or visuals work better than text or PPTs. Second, humour always works. He was the epitome of both. His lectures included screening some excerpts from his videos, which he had made many moons ago (ahead of his time there), and his humour was classy.

He also came to Pune in 2012, to release my autobiography at Crossword, courtesy Smita Dabholkar Singh, my colleague who organised the event. He was his usual self, and did not pull any punches. The event was a success, mainly due to him.

One of a kind! 

Pics From Four IIMs

 I worked at three, and was a student at one. Here's a short tour of those four IIMs. I have visited Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy and Rohtak too, some before they had a campus. Udaipur is on my list for a visit.

Kozhikode, in my view the prettiest IIM campus.

Indore's not too bad, either..

These two are from Bangalore- looking out from g-10, my room, below, and a game of Frisbee Footer against the famous tank from 3 Idiots (shot here many years after we idiots left)

More from Indore, above.

Lucknow during a hailstorm, 2001 and Bangalore, recently on a visit.

NMIMS Bangalore Convocation Pics

 Some pics from the Virtual Ceremony held on Jan 23, 2021. Delayed by COVID. Brand Bangalore NMIMS.

The Chief Guest speaks.

The Vice Chancellor speaks.

and Yours Truly.

Registrar, Dr. Meena Chintamaneni (above), and our host and student Manuja Seth below.

A Virtual Convocation at NMIMS

 Technically, it's Graduation Day 2020. My first experience of a virtual one, like many firsts in the past year. We should have had the event in April 2020, but that was not possible. Circumstances have forced us to do it virtually. It will be held 23rd January 2021.

This year, it will be a relatively low key affair, but we have a very good Chief Guest whose address the students should look forward to. Mr. Ganesh Shenoy (pic below), has a lot of experience of FMCG or packaged goods industry in companies like Unilever and MTR Foods, where he is currently CFO. The Vice Chancellor Dr. Ramesh Bhat and Registrar will join from Mumbai.

                                           at a meeting with the Chief Guest to invite him (above)

Dadas of Indian Films- Bhagwan and Dada Kondke

 No, these are not mafia dons, nor are they the 'big brothers' of Bengal. They were two icons of films - Bhagwan Dada found fame in Hindi films, and Dada Kondke, in Marathi films. 

Both made superhit films and starred in them as heroes-unlikely ones. Not tall, fair or handsome as tradition required heroes to be then..think Dharmendra, or Dilip Kumar. Bhagwan Dada was actually portly, or rotund, and not what you would call handsome in the conventional sense. But he had a charm, and dancing technique and expressions that would put most actors/actresses to shame. He was and is a delight to watch, and it's tough to take your eyes off him in any of the songs from Albela- Geeta Bali (his heroine) adds to the charm in this case. Amitabh is said to have copied some of his dance steps, with success.

Dada Kondke holds the record, I believe, for nine silver jubilee films in a row. In Marathi. Pandu Havaldar onwards, he made a string of superhits, the envy of any film-maker. And starred in the, mostly wearing half-pants and looking like the Village Idiot. He revelled in double entendre, or double-meaning dialogue, and the audiences lapped them up. His songs were also on the same lines, as were the titles of many films. He forayed into Hindi films with Andheri Raat Mein, Diya Tere Haath mein, I think. That gives you the idea.

How to Write a Book

 If you want to write a book, learn from David Ogilvy, I would like to say, in one line. He is forthright, entertaining, and speaks straight from the gut. A joy to read!

I read Ogilvy on Advertising during my MBA in 1982 or so, and was impressed. Then, I read the older Confessions last week, and am even more impressed. He inspired me to take up a job in advertising after MBA. So I can claim to have done so. Even when I teach advertising, I use examples that he quotes. His one-liners (he's originally Scottish, I learnt) are a class apart- "The Consumer is not a moron. She's your wife" being my favourite.

If you have to read just one book on marketing, this would be my recommendation. Pick up Ogilvy's book, any of these two. You won't be disappointed. I also like his emphasis on research. That it came from working with and observing Dr. Gallup himself I did not know till last week.

Think of Yourself as...

 The COVID pandemic has taught us many things over 2020. Among other things, that a lot of work can happen online, if we have a decent internet connection and a device like a computer or a smartphone. But if you are still in a funk about all the restrictions it puts on your freedom to move around, travel, and so on, there is a solution.

Just think of yourself as an air-conditioner. Why? Because it has an air filter. Just as it filters the air supplied to its users in a car or home or office, you are sticking an air filter (mask) on your face and thus supplying filtered air to yourself and others you come in contact with. Isn't that a great thing to do? Many other germs that are potentially harmful also will get controlled, and that is good for everyone on the planet, especially those around you. Of course, air-conditioners don't wash their hands, but then, you can always teach them a thing or two, can't you, with your superior intelligence?

Online Initiatives From NMIMS Bangalore

 The pandemic has not dimmed the enthusiasm of our students at Bangalore. There is a spate of online events by different clubs and committees. Two of them are kicking off this weekend. The first is a TED-X talkathon on Saturday the 16th, and then a Strategy Conclave -online, of course- by the Strategy Club. 

Two of the speakers at the TED-x event - you may recognise at least one. Dalip Tahil, above.

From the Strategy Conclave- Prof. Harsh Vardhan, the mentor faculty, above, and a member of Paramarsh team, below at the event on Jan. 16th.

It is commendable that these students are able to organise events from multiple locations, while not being able to meet physically. Maybe this will facilitate future organization of such events and others too. Of course, personal meetings build a different sort of closeness and camaraderie and might be a different experience in some ways. But this is quite good, and the best possible alternative under the circumstances.

We also have another mega event, the Annual Convocation, happening online in the coming week. On the 23rd morning, to be precise. We all are looking forward to the much-delayed event. Again, a physical event would have been nice to have, but we have to move on, just as many other universities or institutions have. Mr. Ganesh Shenoy, CFO, MTR Foods, will be our Chief Guest at the Convocation.

ATH- Any Time Happiness

 If you have ever passed by a slum, you may have spotted happy kids, or even adults. I see happy people almost anywhere, on the streets, even the homeless, or extremely non-well to do people. So it should be obvious that happiness has little to do with material possessions, or your bank balance. It is possible to be happy, anytime, any place.

So why aren't we? Having aspirations is a good thing, it motivates you to do something. But if one can aspire without jealousy, it may be a happier state. You want to better yourself or your condition, but not compare with others while doing so. Unfortunately parents and teachers are always comparing. This can only lead to a false sense of superiority in some, and inferiority in others. 

I am afraid marketers are to be blamed too. The ads are also trying to give you quick-fixes to (mostly) non-existent problems. Deos, Face-washes and Fairness creams (or whatever they are now called). And many more categories of products. They are not-so-subtly telling you that you are not good enough (except Preity Zinta's husband, nobody is!). That if you buy me, you'll be OK. A recipe for unhappiness.

Since learning to ignore wrong advice from parents, teachers and ads is tough, most of us remain unhappy most of the time. 

Interesting Business Ideas - Virtual Holidays

 Do you really have to go somewhere to prove on social media that you went there? The short answer is No. Basically, you have to have a few pics of yourself superimposed on those sight-seeing marvels. That a company can do, apparently. I heard about this line of business (on social media, I think- ha, ha). 

For a price, you can visit Bhutan, Alaska, Bali, New Zealand, or whatever place catches your fancy on that day. The price may differ, depending on whether you are (virtually) visiting Bhedaghat with its wonderful Marble Rocks, or Gulmarg's ski slopes. Or Yash Chopra's favourite, Switzerland. If you are feeling like a foreign visit, you can choose between the Great Wall of China (ok, not now, maybe), or Disneyland in USA. Or Japan's Mount Fuji.

The simplicity of this idea is striking. Armchair travel, anyone?

Meeting a Bookworm

 I have a few bookworm friends. It's a great pleasure meeting them, and in Bangalore, I try to meet at Church Street, where you can worship books at at least 5 places of worship- bookstores, I mean. So it was that Anushka and I met at this interesting spot, which incidentally has been turned into a pedestrian zone and you can therefore see a lot of creative uses of the street by vendors, street musicians and so on. Here is photographic evidence of our meet..because when you get tired after book-shopping, you need a cup of tea to refresh yourself. So we tried some at Tea Villa. The crispy corn with water chestnuts was good too, and reminded me of Indore's Sayaji hotel. I must say she is a good photographer!

Why Bachelors Don't Eat Pomegranates

 Well, bachelors are a much-maligned lot, and I am not trying to defend them-after all, I was a bachelor once. Let's just say this is a more analytical piece about the behaviour of bachelors, than most.

Bachelors have no care in the world. School, homework and stuff like that does not bother them. Cooking used to bother them, but with Swiggys and Zomatoes of the world becoming the in-thing, that is a thing of the past. Most things that would keep a housewife tense, like cleaning the house, or washing clothes, bachelors have made their peace with. So the chances of anything upsetting their peaceful life are slim. With one exception. The choice of fruits.

A Guava you can cut and eat. A Banana simply needs peeling. So it's an Ok fruit, though the peeling is a bit of effort. An apple may be eaten by biting into it just as Adam and Eve did ages ago, without major consequences. An Orange also requires peeling, but the Nagpur variety is easy, like 2-minute noodles. It is with the pomegranate that problems arise. Bachelors usually are not used to the intricate complexities that removing close layers of skin that pomegranates present them with. A Papaya, they may be able to deal with, though there is some de-seeding required. It's a lot easier. Or even a cantaloupe - what we call Musk Melon. 

The difficulty levels with a Pomegranate are of a 10x magnitude, from a bachelor's viewpoint. His simple soul does not understand, therefore he takes sanyaas- from eating pomegranates, I mean. Hope you understand, and empathise.

So What is New?

 Mostly, it's a matter of perspective. Not much would change in a day. But just as books have chapters, we like to look at time in compartments. Calendars are on way to do it, and clocks are another. The stars were quite enough for our ancestors. They kept time by them.

Also, it gives us a chance to think about where we may be headed, in the next block of time-365 days approximately, in this case. Whole industries have been shaken up by the COVID pandemic, and countries too, in many cases. Some are on their way to recovery. It's not that we are new to man-made disasters..we have had plagues, cholera and lots of other killers-malaria, for example. Even though some of these are spread by rats or mosquitoes, we create conditions that help the spread.

If you want a one line summary of the learning from this pandemic, it could be -" Clean up your act, humans." In more ways than one, we have dirtied the planet, and ourselves. Soap is not going to cure all those ills, nor sanitisers. Unless we live sensibly (some sense has hopefully been forced on us), it will be another disaster, and then another. 

Here is hoping that we learn, and progress, as humans are meant to be (I think).