Ghostwriting

 If I were a ghostwriter, who could I write for? 

Based on their spoken language, most politicians could do with my services. 

Some academicians as well, because based on evidence from conferences or seminars, they don't seem to know where to stop.

Regulators from the education sector who speak as if they have changed the world. They haven't.

People who have conquered the world- not factually, but on Linkedin. I can always talk about how they did so, in the ghosted book.

Any more ideas, please let me know.

The Fine Art of Blogging

 I started blogging around 2008 or 09, with a push from Hari, who was already a blogger. Over the years, it has not dimmed- my enthusiasm for blogging, I mean.

I also have an increased readership among humans and bots, as a helpful reader pointed out when there was a sharp rise in viewership as per Google Analytics. Well, I don't mind it one bit/byte. (intended)

Ok, so this is my 200th blog post for 2025. And it's not even New Year's Eve. So I am going to enjoy this double century.. having once played cricket, I know it's value.

Thanks to all the readers- especially the human readers, for keeping me going by reading and occasionally commenting. I met one reader who told me she was unable to comment. Not being technically competent to solve that problem, I am happy that she reads the blog.

Hopefully interesting things will keep happening, and I will keep writing about them. Happy Reading, and writing, if you are also a writer.

As a bonus, you can take a look at the two latest interviews on my Youtube channel- links below. With Ananya Nandi De and Natasha Kothari.

https://youtu.be/AQwHBrxButc

https://youtu.be/Gpe3yD27_Lg

Creative Pursuits

 I always liked photography, as my parents introduced me to it. I have many memorable pics taken from places around the world. Some good, some that could have been better, but great memories usually.

Writing I got introduced to in college magazines as an occasional writer. I am proud of a piece I wrote about 100% attendance- a rule at IIM Bangalore. I titled it- "Of Godliness and 100% Attendance." A satirical piece, of course. It evolved into writing a lot for the wall magazine and Year Book, and later, books of two kinds. Technical, as in Marketing related, and an autobiography- self-published, unlike Chetan Bhagat's books. And of course, this blog..

I like punning too, and PJs. Many are spontaneous, and related to the conversation going on. I also ask questions on Facebook that test the creativity of friends, drawing them into answering the (sometimes silly) questions. My 'engagement' score is pretty high, I am sure.

A combo of all these is good for being social, at least on social media. 

Project Anopheles

 I am not sure this will take off, but if I do write something, I would like to do a complete series with Anopheles. She is a character I created (my claim to fame?) and was liked by many readers too, besides me. She is a female mosquito with a bite (a sting, actually), and has views about everything that she is not afraid to express. Almost like the females of our species, if you know what I mean. 

So, as a friend and former student told me, I may find my calling in writing another book after my retirement. So I am just putting my intent on record here, that if I do write a longish book again (my autobiography was the last one, many years ago), this is going to be it. There are a few existing episodes of my conversations with her, and I can always add Putin, Biden, the Gun lobby and create many more interesting episodes out of everyday happenings that we mostly fail to understand. 

Maybe I can write about nepotism, road-digging, and Metaverse too, not in any particular order. Covid too, maybe in passing. 

How Vocabulary Develops

 Right now, we all know what Remdesivir (or Dexamethasone) is, or what devices are used to measure Oxygen levels, or supply Oxygen to patients. Or have learnt that antibodies are good for us-they are not against our body. In other words, a lot of words about health or medicine.

In 2004, we were at IIM Bangalore for our batch (84) get-together, when I first heard the word Tsunami. It had started in Indonesia, and spread till India, causing huge damage. 

What I am trying to get at, is we get familiar with words that we need, more than others. If you are a writer, you may need a lot of words of all kinds. But for an average Joe (or Jane), we probably need a couple of hundred words for everyday use, and 2000 for non-everyday use. If you don't use it, you may lose it..the word!

But I do look up word meanings from Google (it has replaced maps, dictionaries, thesauruses among other things), and not just English words/phrases. It helps to make sure what I am saying is intelligible to most. I write a blog, you see, I have to be careful..

The Art of Writing a Blog

 I have seen a lot of ads on my social media pages that offer training on making films, giving speeches, and the like. This is not an attempt to enter into that territory, but just to make some confessions. I used to read a lot of blogs, regularly. Now, that regularity is reduced. No wonder, because anyone reading anything regularly is now an exception more than a rule. But I wanted to simply share my thoughts about writing. A blog is only one part of it. If you think you have something to say, you say it. Not always true. You may be an introvert, wonder if the boss (or anyone else) will like what you are going to say, and NOT say it.

But social media in general, and blogs in particular, allow you to write down your thoughts about various things. In my case, my thoughts about books, films (when I was still watching), people (students, colleagues, bosses!), TV anchors, Air hostesses, and of course, management education. And, of course, funny stuff, witticisms, or PJs included-that, some say, is my forte. Well, it's a natural talent, so I won't deny it. 

But my point was this..that you can pretty much write in any style (it's the closest thing to a democracy), and about what pleases you most. I have always admired those who can write long pieces, for example. Mostly, I cannot. Some are good with words, some others with visuals, and some equally facile with both. I use visuals to enhance the written word, if at all. Many of my posts are all-text. 

Readership, you can let it build naturally, and also help people find you through promotion on other media that you use. People can subscribe to your blog if you use a mainline blogging platform, and write regularly. 

How to Write a Book

 Like everything else, you should want to write one, and badly. Motivation internally arising is what leads you into the exercise, in my view. For instance, a strong urge to simplify the concepts of Marketing Research had me motivated enough to pen my first book- on Marketing Research, now in its fourth edition and used by many B schools or research scholars. I wrote it in the style I taught- lots of examples, including cases written by past students. I might as well say that I am against the current trend to not use packaged software which is simple to use, and teach programming all over again to unsuspecting kids (of all ages).

The rest falls into place, unless it's fiction that you are trying to write. That I don't have any advice on, since I haven't tried writing it. Maybe other writers can offer some. The second genre I have tried is non-fiction, or autobiographical. I first wrote this autobiography around 2009, and it was entirely planned, written and (self) published within 8-9 months. Pothi was the platform I used, and my daughter did the cover design. Writing came easy, because all I had to do was pick on incidents from my own life, or events as they unfolded. 

Both types have found readers, and I got some feedback from readers, most of it positive. I also wrote a couple of other books- on Services Marketing with cases written by IIMK students, and one on Brand Management with Bhagyalakshmi Venkatesh, a friend and ex-colleague. More recently, a collated book of cases on Digital Marketing was published with Romi Sainy and me editing some original Indian cases sourced from both our alumni.

Pic from the launch of my autobiography, above. The publisher, Jaya Jha, and Sharu Rangnekar who launched the book, are with me.

Puns and Me

 I am not sure when I got punny. Was it before or after I got funny? IDK. But I did!

Writing is a passion, since at least my MBA days. I wrote for Mural, our wall mag, and was also editor of most student magazines along with Dash during those two years. The 1982-84 yearbook, comprising our take on all 120 (or what remained of these) folks, spicy and funny at the same time, was our Magnum Opus. 

Anyway, to get back, punning became a habit (some might say a nasty habit). The puns just seemed to flow. On the positive side, they indicate that the brain is still functioning, even after 60 years of almost continuous use. Unlike some parts of the body, which are partly paralysed. The negative depends on the reaction of the victims. But then, it teaches them that Life is a sinusoidal curve, with ups and downs. What made me happy a couple of days ago, was this punny note on a present from two students who got Golf lessons from me. 

I am equally happy with the Golfy gift inside as I am with the goofy puns..just my type!

Obituary- Trial Version of Mine

He was..the tense is important. We wouldn't want him mucking around forever, would we?

We wouldn't say his life was totally wasted, maybe just a few bits and pieces,..

He did come with blessings like progressive parents, not a silver spoon though. Had to work to get a few degrees and a couple of scholarships. One that let him see the world beyond the country of his birth. One could say he made good use of it, learning some skills, and making new friends.

Now, that's one thing he gets credit for. Making friends. He made lots of them, from those he played Bridge with in childhood, to those he studied with, and among his colleagues. Amazingly, in this day and age when friendships don't last long, some of his lasted decades. Particularly with his former students and colleagues. Of course, he had to learn how to use technology, to be in touch with them (his daughters helped him out). And spend real time too, when he could meet up. He liked to travel.

One of his passions was music, and the second, writing. In a way, they kept him going in all circumstances- good, bad and ugly (yeah, there always are a few of those, and chai helps get you centred, like in his case, sometimes). Photography too. He was creative, and used those writing skills acquired through college and school to good use. Reading must have helped (he started with comics, children's stories, adult fiction, mystery mostly, and graduated to non-fiction)! And his wife and two daughters, who were a source of his energy, and peace, at the same time.

Teaching in the routine sense was futile, according to him, but experimenting with it was his interest. He managed to write a couple of original text books, and students helped him out with case studies out of their work-bless them, he used to say!

He faced a couple of black flag demonstrations during his lifetime from people who were aggrieved that they never got the Nice DP Award that he had instituted, and that became such a coveted prize.

He had a stint or two in administration too, and tried using these to build bridges with his colleagues. He was blessed with many who were happy to give their best, and make him look good. His Golf wasn't exemplary, but among friends in beautiful surroundings, he got a Hole-in-one, not once, but twice.

Productivity and Managing Your Time

Some things can't be rushed. A baby has to be nurtured/incubated for around nine months in the womb. But most other things can take different amounts of time. One way to do it is to practice until you are good at something, so it takes less time. The other major thing one can try is to avoid (big) time-wasters- I mean, pick a few, if you cannot avaoid all of them, but pick those which take relatively less time.

This post is actually triggered by a question from Writabrita Ray, my recent student. She asked me how I manage to pack in so many things in my day. One way might be to sleep four hours a day (like Mr. Modi?), but I can't do that. I need my quota. But the waking hours can be distributed according to what you like to do plus what you have to.

Travel is sometimes optional, but I like to travel because it is always a new experience. I do look for opportunities to meet people during travel (again, that is optional). I have met several ex-students, colleagues and friends/relatives in my travels- in the U.S, too, and in Indian cities, and in Singapore (there's nothing like a real meeting!). It also gives me a chance to take pictures, and pick up books- I am a book store addict! For some of my own books (like Marketing Research), I have made students work-I use their cases, with credit to them. That saves me time, and gets the work done. So share the work load- in legit ways- and be more productive.

Writing, I have been doing since I was an editor of a wall magazine during my MBA, and I started off with reports on campus events ( I still have the originals, ink on paper) and reviewing films. We also wrote small pieces about our classmates for the Year Book. Blogging came naturally, and book-writing, not so naturally, as it is hard work. Hearing someone say they read it, is priceless though.

Ok, so the point is, I guess, you do more of what you like, some of what you have to, and avoid time-wasters. I control my TV time (almost nil these days), phone time (likewise), and find that I have plenty of time left to do what I really like doing! Karaoke partying is one of those. I also find social media, with its 2-way communication, more energising than TV-watching. It's also a great source of ideas, like the one for this post-and fun!

Ambition

I was impressed by the play Julius Caesar which I studied in school-mainly, I was impressed by his ambition.

So I decided to be ambitious, like Big Bro Julius.

And got into studying like crazy, and maxed all my subjects in school. Almost topped my class in the board exams too.

After going into college, this translated into trying to watch all the (Hindi) films in town..and almost did that in the five years I was there. In my MBA days, looking at all the other smart and ambitious people that surrounded me, I decided to go slow, and concentrated on reading non-text books- Like PG Wodehouse and others.

During my stint in the U.S., my ambition changed to travelling to all the States that united to form the USA...well, I travelled to around 40 of the fifty states. Threw in a few European countries too, on a Eurail Pass.

Coming back to India, I concentrated on writing, mostly, and managed to write a couple of-horror of horrors- text books! That some people actually read them is a tribute to their patience. Blogging followed, naturally, thanks to being egged on by my BIL. That some people actually read them never ceases to amaze me.

Looking at every Tom, Dick and Harry writing his autobiography, I grew ambitious, and wrote My Experiments with Half-truths. Somewhere in between all this, I played Golf (starting at Harihar, continuing at Nagpur), and also created a small Golf course at IMT Nagpur.

Now, my ambition is scaled down, to meeting nice people, looking at Nice DPs (and awarding the good ones), and some good food and drink (like Vietnamese coffee), books, occasional travel, films, music (retro), watching my students do well in life..

Also visited the famous Saraafa in Indore, among other things..had been a long-time ambition.

Write, Left and Centre

I am no Leftist..Nor a Rightist. I am a Writist! Yeah, just coined the word.

I write, and I have not left it for a long time, nor do I plan to.

What's right, and what's not, is tough to say. It depends on whether you approach it from the Left or the Right..

But write about it, and you find that the Centre could be the way to go. Not because the Buddha advocated it, after being enlightened. But because it seems like the right thing.

So, right away, take up writing..and see yourself leaning in, from both the Left and the Right.

There are always two (or more) sides to a story. And more than one may be right. Right?

Writing a Book Versus Reading One

Above-my autobiography (the second edition). Pothi.com is the publisher, and it's sold through the Flipkarts of the world.

Reading a book is far easier than writing one. But I have somehow written more than one. But when someone casually says, "Any new book?" to me today, I wonder how I wrote any of those.

My first was a text book. I had just begun teaching Marketing Research in Indian B Schools, and was struck by the need for one which used computerised data analysis rather than just theory. So I wrote one, with help from students of Kirloskar Institute, and staff there. Now, there will be a 4th edition this year, with cases written by IIM Indore students-coming soon.

Then, a Services Marketing text was born while I worked at IIM Kozhikode. The third was a book on International Marketing, and the fourth, my autobiography, which was published in the Print-on-demand mode by pothi, an innovation in India at the time.

Then came a book with Bhagyalakshmi Venkatesh, on Brand Management, a limited edition for IMT Distance Learning program.

Now there are plans for an edited book on Digital Marketing Cases from India. Some of my alumni friends from IMT Nagpur and elsewhere have contributed.

Being Resolute

Making resolutions is easy. Being resolute is not. So I shall only focus on being resolute. And not make resolutions- though we may be nearing New Year.

But what should I be resolute about? That's where I find myself wavering, just a bit. Should I be strict with my students? I was told by someone recently that I was too lenient. And I thought I was strict..this really needs resolving.

Should I spend more time on research? travel? writing? reading? social media? watching movies? reviewing them? watching TV? conversation? setting goals? achieving them? Some of these will resolve themselves naturally given my taste for some and distaste for others. But I must be resolute, whichever way things pan out. THAT I am very clear about.

The Role of Empathy

I first learned of empathy in my MBA Psychology/OB class. It is in simple terms, an ability to see things from another's perspective, not your own. It is quite a powerful concept. In any customer-facing situation, it is important. Not making him wait, or making his wait painless, removing drudgery from the tasks he has to perform, making him feel important (he pays the bill, remember?), are all a part of it. But in medicine, it's a life-saver, even if not literally.

The in-patient system at most Indian hospitals is such that the doctor rarely sees his patient, except in the Operation Theatre. His visits are unpredictable, and few. Mostly, the duty doctors and nurses and staff are the people who take care of the patient. Therefore, this front-line staff needs to have empathy, and can make a difference if they do.

A lot of parents need it too, judging by the Kota (coaching class) enrollments and suicides. Having unrealistic expectations from your kid can kill him- no kidding! Just let the kid discover himself. Give him the opportunities, but leave him to decide if he likes to follow a particular career.

A forced career-fit may result in an OK or mediocre careerist, but the world may lose out on excellence in some other field. The struggling poet/artist may not be struggling, he may simply be enjoying his life doing what he likes. What explains the many engineers, doctors and MBAs writing novels, for instance? Or turning entrepreneurs in unrelated areas? Or teaching?

Writing Case Studies- Some Tricks

I often get asked in faculty development programs or elsewhere, about how one can write a case study. Sometimes, even why one should use one at all in teaching management. The usual excuse is that students elsewhere are not very high IQ like in the IIMs, and therefore will not read/understand them. Or that the university system does not allow them to be used etc. My take is that internal exam and everyday teaching is under your control (the teacher's) and you should use whatever method is effective. Students will also generally find cases more effective and fun than lectures. You can supplement that with tips on tackling university exams if you like.

The other question, how to write one and why to write one, is best answered by someone who has done this. My own experience at IIML, IIMK, Kirloskar Institute and elsewhere shows that you can write effective cases in India in two ways. One, use public domain or secondary data. You can fictionalise it if you want- give a new name to the company.

Second, go to small companies or start-ups who are more willing to share information rather than large companies who are generally reluctant to do so. Some will, most won't. Go through a contact if possible-makes life easier.

Lastly, student projects can be turned into cases if you make the effort. I have several to prove the point, done at IIMK and Kirloskar Institute. The pleasure of using your own case study in class, makes the effort worthwhile, even if you don't publish it.