Sunday, January 10, 2010

Appreciation-Social Ability-Skill Building

Maltesh Patil, a fellow Sainik School mate, whom I never met at school, because, we both had different entry and exit years at school. The thread of being alumni of Sainik School, unites us like brothers, Once we met and have been brothers and extended we have a family, a community called Ajeets.

Maltesh Patil truely follows Spice telecom's advertisement slogan "Never Miss an Opportunity" to appreciate. Maltesh's congratulations message about my blog also mentions about some skills, which I have been fortunate to exhibit and share before an apreciative audience including Maltesh. Every skill needs apreciation, in fact, nothing better to inspire a performer like a honest appreciation from the participating audience. Any good performance is a reward for the time spent by the audience. Maltesh has been a regular one at most of my performances, be it singing, a trainig session or workshop or conducting a function. Never forgets to take an opportunity to appreciate, which is a great social ability. It is such natural social ability of people like Maltesh, Hunshyal Sir and many that has brought a community (Ajeets) of 3000+ people together and continues to keep it together. I will save the talk about Ajeets Community for another day,as it is closer to my heart and will need a bigger space/canvas.

Coming back to appreciation, building skills. I mentioned about me being son of a teacher of a Girls primary school, Gopika dance performances from the girls needed to be around a character Krishna, with a flute, standing on crossed legs. This is my first vivid memory of my stage performance. Such opportunities perhaps took away the fear associated with stage and performance.

Thanks Maltesh, you inspire me, every time you honestly appreciate. You do this to many more people, you have it in you naturally. You unite, Brother, Your this quality has done a lot good to the entire "Ajeet Community".

Maltesh, This one is for you.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Any Idea-Giri has some

What an Idea Sirji, must have just been a outcome, which finally became a great idea for advertising for Idea. The growth in the subscription base for mobile service operators in telecom hasbeen at its best. The services offered to subscriber base now accross India hardly has a differntiator apart from coverage, network and price. The advertising message for the mobile telecom services with huge bugets is about increasing subscription with repeat mind recall value. Airtel's jingle/music just did it, while Reliance has tried almost similar. You can recall only Titan, having done that before

Advertising is the business of ideas which are created succeed. Advertising combines a great business logic identified with the target customer sagment and delivers a message through the right media. Keeps repeating to catch attention and finally intention to purchase and keep the loyalty to get repeat purchase. Some advertising gurus have great ideas, some small ideas once will become great Ideas.
Ideas, many people have many ideas about ideas. Some produce great ideas, In my early days in Deccan Herald, one of my bosses, always pinned me down saying "Golden Idea", and put a Sportswear statement "Just Do it". I had suggested that ouskirts of cinema theatres could be a great place to sell annual publications "Prajavani-Deepwali Visheshanka", he said, "Golden Idea" you, "Just do it", he said, after every show, for a few days. I did. A great humbling experience to be outside a theatre and to sell magazines for a MBA graduate, with golden idea.
Few instances could discourage anyone in professional life to expressan idea.
To express an idea, "BE PREPARED TO BE REDICULED"
Got an Idea?
Let me introduce Giri here, how can I introduce him, he is well known already, May be I should say that I know him,
Giri Balasubramaniam, an ex-collegue, better known as Pick Brian, famous for his work in the field of quizzing, is a constant churner of creative ideas, especially in the field of knowledge enhancement. a good afternoon session wih him today was a kind of rejuvenator.
Giri and I enjoy a great relationship, he is nice person, who has one of the greatest quality of a leader-Listening. We engage in conversations and his ideas flow,

In days to come the young minds of India will benefit from few programmes of Giri and his outfit, "Greycaps" of knowledge enhancement and move towards enlightenment, towards the path of Winning, we all hope to get there.
Winning puts me into another orbit of thinking, Our defination of what constitutes a win, what is our goal, is the goal post stationary, I think, some parts of Giri's programmes will bring a clear view of our own thinking.

Giri, Please enrol me. I only hope you are not disqualifying me by my age, thinking, thought clarity is a demand for all ages.

Life taught me-My learnings in my words.

1. Handling and managing ambiguity is part of organisation and individual life.
2. Delegation-It is actually a self belief and trust beyond self, It is also the ability to build larger capacity.
3. Knowing where to start, stop, summarise and seeking opinion and soliciting consent
4. Processing Information: Wait to hear, Listen, before you say, "Yes, I know that", let the quality of information you receive and proces be enlightening to self.
5. Repeat: Keep asking-Not telling
6. Seperate issues and people, Find solutions to issues and people will show they can grow to work towards the solution.
7. Speaking up at critical times is important. It is a respect towards the team.
8. Agree and create a group culture, individual tantrums are immature.
9. Speak slowly, in short sentences and summarise to new audiences. It is not speed, or diction but the listeners understanding that matters. Most questions can be simply answered, don't complicate.
10. Decision taking or closing an issue is the most important quality. It takes maturity, courage to take a decision.