Blast from the Past

“Life gives us brief moments with another...but sometimes in those brief moment we get memories that last a life time...”

We all have been through several phases in our lives and witnessed a variety of experiences and emotions. The feeling of nostalgia always comes to the fore when we meet old friends and individuals with whom we have spent unforgettable moments. This one is dedicated to the “Fabulous Five” from the 2003-05 PGDBM (Marketing) batch of Wigan and Leigh College.

It was August 2003, I had several apprehensions before joining the B-school since it was not one of the highly ranked institutions. However my mother convinced me to join the institution, since she had different thoughts in mind, and believed that education coupled with ability matters for success! So I took her advice and enrolled for the PGDBM (Marketing) course. Besides the institution, I was also concerned about the level of seriousness of other students who had taken-up the course there. I could never have ever imagined that those 2 years of my life would change me as a person, forever, and get me acquainted to four exceedingly important people, with whom I would share some of the most exciting and treasured moments of life!

Let me introduce you to the “Viva Girls” (the group was called various names in college by others!). The group comprised of (in alphabetical order) – a. Khubi b. Pradnya c. Pritee d. Sejal e. Shweta. Five contrastingly different personalities, who did not know how close they would get as time would pass. I knew Sejal since our GNIIT days and had in fact coaxed her to join the college. However at that point, the level of closeness was not to the extent that it was to be, in times to come. Khubi and Pritee had also opted for Marketing as their specialization, so I was introduced to them during the initial days. Pradnya joined college a few days after classes started; hence I got acquainted to her a little later. I did form various perceptions about each of them initially, let me share them in this space (forgive me guys!!!). These were perceptions which underwent a dramatic change after a year or so -

Khubi – Married! Voh bhi Gujju! And in a B-school! Huh!!
Pradnya – Was she a student or a “visiting” faculty. Can’t remember when I saw her last in college! Princess of Gayab-land!
Pritee – Is she a South India Haryanvi? What’s with that interesting accent when she talks!
Sejal – Ah! One person I know….what the heck is she doing with those HR “kids”?

These perceptions were formed after my initial observations and interactions with the girls.

I found the first semester quite difficult to manage, since there was lots of pressure. Also at that point of time I had an attitude that my purpose of being in the institution was not to socialize, but complete the course with utter-seriousness. After the first semester was complete, I heaved a sigh of relief and thought to myself – 'Just another 1.5 years and I am out of here!'

The second semester was smoother, with most of us getting used to the hectic routine and having stable friend-circles. In the third semester we were supposed to disintegrate into groups based on our respective specializations. The female presence was fairly low in the Marketing specialization, with just 6 girls opting for it from a batch of around 25. Out of this, 2 girls rarely attended college; consequently there was a natural affinity among the other 4. Pradnya (who had opted for International Business) also attended several common lectures with us, that’s how the number increased to 5. The 5 of us used to form a group every time it was required for a project or presentation and that’s how the camaraderie started. The group was fairly vibrant and after spending a year (Sem 1 & 2) with them, I had loosened up quite a bit. I also had a better understanding of each of their temperaments. All of them had a childish streak and enjoyed going places and having a good time. They were easy-going, but also very serious about academics, the perfect blend! 1 of the 5 of us was always among the Top 3 in class, and overall we performed quite well in college in all areas, be it academics or volunteering/participating in events. The institution gave all of us a platform to mature as individuals and evolve gradually to realize our complete potential. I recall that every time a lecture was cancelled we made the optimum use of it by making adhoc plans. Also when we used to have 2-3 days at our disposal, we always planned trips/get-togethers within or outside Mumbai. We visited Lonawala (twice), Matheran, Goa (the best trip ever!!!) between 2004-2006.

Planning and preparing for projects/presentations was fun! There were lots of debates and different view-points. Each of us complemented the other with our unique nature/traits and that’s what made us click as a group; however the fundamentals were always strong! I don’t know whether they ever realized that how much I had learnt from each of them. I admired each of them for different reasons and the qualities they possessed. I would like to highlight some of them here -

Khubi – I adored her for her spirit. In spite of being married at a young age and having some level of restrictions - she dared to complete the course, work at various organizations and perform well in studies. This girl (previously from Ahmedabad) had guts and a will to do something in life, in spite of all obstacles. She could never accompany us for the overnight trips due to family constraints, but did join us for most of the other local get-togethers. I have learnt from her that one needs to have the power to dream and live that dream! Her dedication towards the group (in spite of being married) was shown through various instances, for which I respect her to a great degree! She was 'prim and proper' and the fashion-icon of the group.

Pradnya – Her dedication and commitment was truly phenomenal. I remember, it was our third semester and we were supposed to complete a project on Supply Chain Management. We came up with various concepts for the assignment and finally found the winner in the last one. However this was done just 3-4 days before the submission. The presentation of the project was on a Monday and we had a huge back-log a day before the same. Pritee was already down with flu and we really needed Pradnya to make it to my place to complete the presentation with the rest of us. However Pradnya was down with Malaria and our spirits were dampened. She took medication and decided to travel all the way from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai to complete work on the presentation. Hats Off!!! Amidst tough competition, especially from some groups from the Finance team, we managed to get the highest rating for this project! I have learnt that one needs to have the “Never say die!” attitude, from her. Also I found her to be one of the most caring and selfless individuals in the group. She was my support system during our time together.

Pritee – I found her to be the most flamboyant, carefree and experimental individual of the group. I was inspired by her zest for life and ‘bindaas’ attitude. Also, she was one of the sharper ones in the group who had the ability to think beyond the normal. She was the only out-of-towner from our girl-gang and stayed in a hostel. I admired her for the fact that in spite of having all the independence in the world, she was a diligent and serious student and a family-girl at heart. I remember that on one occasion she was having a hard time with her health condition. She was taken to the hospital on one night and came back to college the next morning to give an exam and score the highest marks in that particular subject. Impressive indeed! She was fun-loving and free-willed but also intense where serious issues were concerned. She had big aspirations in life!

Sejal – This girl was phenomenal! She had various health issues throughout life and fought them off. She was the “Notes Master”. I recall everyone in our class used to surround her just before exams for lecture notes. Also, she was the most co-operative one during projects. Any work assigned to her would always be completed in time. She knew her capabilities and potential, inside-out, and aimed accordingly. Also, she was one of the most entertaining individuals of the group. Without her presence any get-together would be high and dry. She was the girl who always laughed and made others laugh, in spite of all her troubles!

It’s been 3.5 years since we left college, and all of us are on different paths (2 of them in different countries) now. However we all are in touch and enjoy every minute we spend with each other on the phone or messenger. I still remember most of the memorable moments and they still bring a smile to my face. Truly, those 2 years were the best days of my life!

Who’s the Boss???

Considering the fact that most of us spend well over 40 hours a week at our workplace, we can indeed consider our 'Office' as our second home. In fact the time spent at a workplace, and the experiences there greatly influence moods and behavior, even after we leave our office premises. How often do we end up having arguments or fights with our family members or friends after a bad day at work? Also every time we are appreciated for our performance, it inflates our ego and gives us the feeling similar to that of standing proudly at the peak of Mount Everest, without actually climbing it! And when we are rewarded for the efforts put in, I’m sure most of us would have felt like Leonardo DiCaprio – standing on the top of the office building (rather than Titanic) and screaming out loud – “I’m the King of the World!” It is indeed quite interesting to analyze the effects corporate life can have on the human psychology. Experiences in the corporate world significantly mould our personalities and expose us to different dimensions of life. I reckon it would have been exciting and a special experience for all of us when we had our first official meeting or our first official dinner party at a swanky restaurant or took our first company-sponsored flight for a meeting/project. Being a novel experience, we all would have surely gone back and shared the interesting moments with our friends and families, with sheer excitement. For several people, like me, corporate life has been an exciting journey with varied experiences with people, places and work-culture.

One of the most influential individuals in our corporate lives is our dearest 'BOSS', who not only manages us but also plays a key role in influencing our Road to Success or Failure. I have had the privilege of working with 5 bosses (2 – during MBA internships and 3 – post MBA) in all, throughout my career. Having worked in the IT industry, which is ruled by folks from Southern India, I have always ended-up having an appa/amma as my boss. I would like to share my experiences with two of my ex-bosses, whom I adore for different reasons. Since no one is perfect in this world, I would only highlight their positive traits in this space -

Boss 1: He seemed quite authoritative, intelligent and smart, when I started working with him. What I really liked about him and had learnt from him, was the 'Art of being Organized'. He was always burdened with work and used to receive at least one email per minute. But the way he used to manage work-related content and deal with people was indeed impressive. If you brought up some event which occurred several years back, you could be rest assured that he would have all the email-communication and documents to refresh his and your memory. No doubt, he was quite forgetful due to the tremendous work-load and quantum of responsibility, but on the whole he was generally IN-CONTROL. Also his communication skills were impeccable; very professional and crisp. I also adored him for his confidence-level; had barely seen him stammer or give a long-nervous pause during discussions with clients or internal meetings.

Boss 2: The first thought that came to mind, when I heard about her educational and professional background was - 'Brilliant'. I found her to be extremely professional in her work-related dealings. She seemed to be one of those ‘no-nonsense’ types, who strictly adhered to corporate norms. What took me by surprise was her humility, in spite of being at a senior position. She wasn’t commanding and never made her reportees feel that she is the BOSS! She had confidence in people with ability and always egged them on to take challenging opportunities and initiatives. Working under her was one of the most enriching experiences I have had till date. I strongly believe that – “With Great Power come Great Responsibility”. I guess she was a proponent of this thought and I realized this after I stopped reporting to her. In spite of a scenario where I had a new Reporting Manager, she continued guiding me and her other reportees through challenging times and even went out of her way to help in several complex situations. I ‘truly truly’ appreciate people who have a selfless attitude, and her behavior reflected the trait to an extent.

After working with both of them i.e. Boss 1 & Boss 2 (besides the other 3), I am attempting to draw a ‘high-level’ picture on what I think an ideal boss/manager should be like. I’m sure most of us would have the opportunity to be one in the future, as we continue our journey in the corporate world and grow in our respective careers. I feel an ideal manager should think like a parent and judge the psyche of his/her reportees. It’s a challenging job to deal with individuals with varied personalities and skill-sets. The first step in my opinion would be to judge the proficiency and motivation-level of reportees, so that he/she can be managed in an optimum manner. There will always be cases where – “The only time some people work like a horse is when the boss rides them”. Hence focusing on such individuals would entail, as a part and parcel of being a manager. Ensuring that the right people are on the right job is not only an HR function, but also the responsibility of managers who allocate work to people working under them, in the organizational hierarchy. Some people are highly motivated and adept at work, whereas there are others who need constant mentoring and guidance to be brought up to the desired level.

Breaking the ice and being friendly (not over-friendly!), so that reportees find their managers more approachable, and there are no communication gaps or inhibitions in expressing thoughts and ideas, should be one of the other initial steps which should be taken by a manager. An individual should look at his/her manager as a ‘mentor’ who can guide him/her to evolve and grow in their careers. Managers need to provide their reportees the liberty to work without constant interruptions, so that the best quality output is generated. Appreciating and rewarding individuals for good performance would help in motivating the morale and drawing out the best quality work on most occasions. Ultimately, every individual should look up to their manager as a leader who unites his/her group to achieve a common goal, and that is taking the organization to GREATER HEIGHTS!

Mumbai Meri Jaan!

We have been constantly hearing the words “The Mumbai Spirit” during the media coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks. Fairly clichéd term, isn’t it? But since it has been used every time a calamity has hit Mumbai, there must be some relevance to it. Recently while I was on my way to work, I started pondering about what differentiates Mumbai from other cities in India. Being brought up in the city and being a true Mumbaite, I surely have a deep emotional attachment, no doubt. But that does not make me biased when I compare Mumbai with other cities that I have visited within India. I am in love with the city, but I also hate it due to various reasons!

In my opinion, the one main reason which differentiates Mumbai from all other cities is due to the degree of FREEDOM that the city imparts to its people. I know you might wonder that we all are FREE anyways! But the kind of freedom that you witness here is different. It’s not just the freedom to live life the way you want to, but also the freedom to undertake challenging opportunities, the freedom to enjoy at any hour of the day – whether day or night - irrespective of age and gender, the freedom to express and get noticed for the same, the freedom to evolve as an individual.

The city is a land of opportunities, which attracts people from every nook and corner of India to earn a livelihood. It provides ample opportunities to every strata of the society to fulfill endeavors, whether it’s a 'bhaiya' from UP who opens-up a paan-beedi stall or a small-time model who aspires to shake hands with Shahrukh Khan someday! I recently realized that our vegetable vendor, who used to have a small set-up outside a grocery store, has now rented-out a shop and has a couple of helping hands too! I wondered as to how this transformation occurred, until I had spent some 5 minutes at his shop, sipped coconut water and observed how he dealt with his customers. His marketing tactics and networking capabilities were phenomenal! He even ensured that I left the shop with a well-designed pamphlet displaying his contact details for home-delivery. That is when I realized how the small-time vendor was gradually moving from rags-to-riches!

Another noticeable feature of the city has been its ability to support the requirements of every citizen, whether rich or poor. So you have the option of having a wholesome meal of a diet vada-pav (potato patty encapsulated in a brown bun with a tangy sauce, the patty is made using the same process which is followed at McDonalds!) and sweet butter-milk in a sealed pack, available outside most railway stations, all for a mere Rs. 13; or you have the option of having a lavish buffet at the Lotus Café at J.W. Marriott, if you have a thicker wallet. These options are available at every nook and corner of the city and not just the shopping-areas which are thronged by people. Similarly for traveling within the city, an average middle-class man could easily travel a distance of 30 kilometers to reach his work-place, by the popular 'Mumbai local' train, spending just around Rs. 7, if he does not have the big bucks to procure his own vehicle.

The city has always been applauded for its resilience and guts. In fact, people here never have inhibitions returning back to work the next day, after bomb-blasts, or floods which hit Mumbai almost every year in monsoons. I clearly recall, I was supposed to join my first employer (post-MBA) a day after the famous floods had hit us in 2005. Being my first job, I did not want to create a bad impression by not showing up, especially since my boss knew that I was staying barely a couple of kilometers from the office. I took a cab and reached office at dot 9.30 a.m. As suspected, the office reception just had a couple of security officials who informed me that no one had turned-up. However when I informed them that it was my first day at work and was supposed to join the Management Solutions team, they stopped me from leaving, made a call and then asked me to wait. The HR personnel, who had interviewed me, appeared a couple of minutes later with a smile and escorted me inside. She told me that since she knew that I was expected to join on that particular day, she decided to turn-up to ensure that I am not all-lost. She had walked back from Worli to Chembur (well over 15 kms!) the previous day due to unavailability of transportation. I stared at her in awe when I heard this!

No doubt, infrastructure issues and lack of sustained development to support the heavy population density have hindered the city's growth. However there are high hopes with several projects being undertaken by the authorities to improve the condition (Bandra-Worli sea-link, Mumbai Metro, Proposed airport at Panvel, et al). I am not sure whether the authorities have accounted for the massive influx of people which occurs every day. All said and done the city will always be vibrant and 'bindaas', which moves at a pace at which no other city does. It is a city you love to hate, but hate to leave!

Blame-Game!

Recently another catastrophe hit Mumbai, not the usual bomb-blasts or floods but an all out attack against the city. It’s quite shameful that the word “usual” has to be used for occurrence of ghastly acts. This just epitomizes the mind-set of people in the financial capital of the country, who have gradually gotten accustomed to such acts happening now and again. The media went overboard with their coverage, bringing out every small detail in the open during the 60 long hours, which have perhaps written a new chapter in Mumbai’s history. This time Indians all across the world, and particularly in Mumbai, were enraged to the core, and this anger and frustration was given substantial visibility through all forms of media. Politicians have been rightly blamed by every Indian for not being able to stop the recurrence of such acts, and not having the appropriate government machinery and proactive measures in place to deal with such events. In fact the absolute negligence on their part in spite of receiving several warnings has added fuel to the raging fire.

No doubt such a revolt against politicians by all Indian citizens is justified, but I somehow believe that issues facing not only Mumbai but also our country are beyond this attack and all the other devastations put together. These issues have to be looked at the grass root level and resolved over a period of time. The major issue facing us in my opinion is the mind-set of people in this country. Ultimately it’s the people who decide the fate and future of any country. What is worrying is the fact that it’s not just the older generation whose mind-set creates problems but also the present generation which is considered far more educated and progressive.

I remember speaking to one of my friend who visited Malaysia for an official trip. She told me that on one particular day while she was site-seeing, she bought a candy bar, opened the wrapper, had the candy and threw the wrapper on the road. An old Malaysian lady saw this and picked the wrapper in front of her and disposed it in an adjacent garbage-bin. She felt quite ashamed and henceforth abstained from such acts while she was in the country. Well, I am sure once she would have been back to India she would have continued with her old ways. We, even the highly educated lot, have gotten so used to such acts like throwing items on the road, as though our country is a BIG LARGE dust-bin. I wonder how many people would litter their homes rather than using a dust-bin. From what I gather, these acts not only show lack of civic sense but also utter disrespect for our city and country. What’s the point of chanting “Jai Hind” and “Jai Maharashtra”, when this is the level of respect we have for our land during our normal routines.

We all know that one of the biggest problems which have always faced our country has been the issue of Population Explosion. This has been a major topic covered during academics, where the economic effects of having a large uncontrollable growth of population have been covered in detail. I recall a discussion with one of my friends who insisted that post marriage she would like to have two children. I asked her to state the reason for having this number in mind, and the response I received was that it’s a norm and the first child may require company. I was quite flabbergasted by this response. Do the people in our country not realize how this uncontrollable population of ours is impeding our progress? When we are aware that this has been the single largest problem, then how can the present generation justify such thoughts? Don’t we think about the state of our country and how adding more people to the abundance can further slow-down our growth? Can’t we promote the concept of adoption, when the orphanages in the country are spilling-over with children waiting to be adopted by a family who can provide a stable and secure future? If China can take aggressive measures to control population growth, why can’t we do the same? Have the authorities thought of the resources and infrastructure we need to have in place considering the present growth rate?

Well I’m sure, people may wonder that what civilized behavior and population growth have to do with the terror attacks. The point that I am trying to drive here is the level of respect and concern that the people of this country have for our land and its people. This general attitude has resulted in absolute negligence on the part of every citizen who could have prevented the attacks from occurring, whether it was the intelligence agencies or the politicians!

Another problem which exists and would continue to exist is that - with politics being considered a defamed profession, the youth of this country would never look at it as a lucrative career-option. We do not have the brilliant young minds, be it from IIT’s or from the IIM’s, participating in drawing out a progress plan for India. Most of them would definitely prefer a high six-figure salary and a comfortable lifestyle by taking-up a white-collar job abroad. In such circumstances the legacy of Indian politics has a bleak future. Why do the people of this country blindly vote for the government and not demand having higher-caliber talented individuals for key positions?

When we say that our politicians have failed us, I do agree with the same; but what have we done for this country besides focusing on our families and individual lives? Indians have inherently developed a sense a belonging only towards their families and social circles, and we are unable to think beyond this. Religious and cultural diversity does not put us in the center-stage of greatness! If every Indian thinks first about the country, the city and then their near and dear ones then I’m sure most of our issues would be resolved in times to come. Just contributing in minor ways in our daily lives would be sufficient to term us as “Responsible Citizens” of this country, a country, which has tremendous potential. Let’s work towards it!