Today I went for the Annual Sports Meet of my school. I studied in this school (Vivekananda Vidyalaya) till my 10th Class and passed out in 1995. Exactly 15 years back.. Time does fly..
While at some level I felt that the whole world has changed, another thought which crossed my mind was that nothing has really changed over these years. I saw some of my teachers. They were just the same, but for what time has done to their physical frames. A little grey hair, that additional ponch and a bespectacled face was all that had changed. But their calm intellect, their intelligent face, their inexhaustible patience and the glint in their eyes, when a old student like me walked up and spoke to them, was just the same.
The students were the same too. That little irreverence to the teachers, the know all attitude, the lazy stroll which they call as "March Past" and the joy in their eyes when they spend a day out with their friends, was just the same.
Probably the world actually never changes. What really changes is our own views, perceptions, attitudes and beliefs. It is this change that makes us see the world differently, each time. It is this change that makes us love what we had hated before and hate what we had loved before. Why is this truth, so difficult to realize?...
My thoughts were distracted, when someone walked near me and asked "Are you Rangarajan?"... That was my classmate in 5th standard. She had completely changed and I found it difficult to recollect her name.
She volunteerd "Jayashree"...
"Of course", I said, with a sheepish smile..
"Nothing has changed in you Ranga.. You are exactly the same, as I remember you from our fifth class".. said Jayashree..
" I am not sure, if I should take this as a compliment"..
"Of course, its a huge compliment. How many of us manage to stay the same?".. said she..
I felt good. What a good way to end the year.
Good bye 2010.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Nature's Response
A beautiful sunrise in Vizag, a picture I clicked during my recent visit to the port town.
While everything about the beach and the sunrise was so beautiful, I wouldn't say the same about everything around the beach. The dirt, the plastic covers, the Pepsi cans and ice-cream wrappers were spoiling the show.
That's when I came near this rocky spot on the beach and thought to myself that perhaps Nature is showing its middle finger to all of us, for all that we do to her...
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tupperware Tales
It was just past lunchtime at office and I had just finished my fill then. As I was tickling my laptop to life, from the brief slumber it might have enjoyed when I was away, I heard a voice from behind.
"Sir... Sir". I craned my neck behind to see a lady, about 40-45 yrs, standing behind the receptionist's desk. Since the receptionist had gone away for lunch, this lady was trying to attract my attention.
The lady, obviously didn't belong to our office. Her attire, poise and probably even the face, did not belong to our pseudo-sophisticated investment banking world.
I quickly took the role of the receptionist and asked what she wanted. She gave me her card and said that she is a distributor of Tupperware products and quickly reeled out her prepared script on how Tupperware is the best thing to have happened to mankind. I took her card and said if someone is interested, I will direct them to her.
I have seen many people react wildly when they get a unsolicited call or if they happen to meet someone like this lady. I will never belong to this camp. I never slam the phone down on calls from credit call agencies, from loan sprayers or from Mahindra Holidays. I never shut the door to eager salesmen who land up at your home on a hot Sunday and disturb your afternoon nap.
Who am I to shout at them? At best my right ends with refusing to accpet their offer. Have I myself not benefitted from kind souls, who had no obligation to hear me but chose to? What do I lose if I respect them as humans?
Next time when one of those hungry salesmen come to your house on a sunny day, offer them water. Their smile will take you a long way..
"Sir... Sir". I craned my neck behind to see a lady, about 40-45 yrs, standing behind the receptionist's desk. Since the receptionist had gone away for lunch, this lady was trying to attract my attention.
The lady, obviously didn't belong to our office. Her attire, poise and probably even the face, did not belong to our pseudo-sophisticated investment banking world.
I quickly took the role of the receptionist and asked what she wanted. She gave me her card and said that she is a distributor of Tupperware products and quickly reeled out her prepared script on how Tupperware is the best thing to have happened to mankind. I took her card and said if someone is interested, I will direct them to her.
I have seen many people react wildly when they get a unsolicited call or if they happen to meet someone like this lady. I will never belong to this camp. I never slam the phone down on calls from credit call agencies, from loan sprayers or from Mahindra Holidays. I never shut the door to eager salesmen who land up at your home on a hot Sunday and disturb your afternoon nap.
Who am I to shout at them? At best my right ends with refusing to accpet their offer. Have I myself not benefitted from kind souls, who had no obligation to hear me but chose to? What do I lose if I respect them as humans?
Next time when one of those hungry salesmen come to your house on a sunny day, offer them water. Their smile will take you a long way..
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Misguided Positioning
"Murali Medicals A/C" screamed a banner in front of my eyes. This set me into a trail of thoughts.. Ok another medical shop has come around in the neighborhood. That's ok, there seems to be a place for many more given the number of people I see queuing up in the doctor's clinics. What though puzzled me was the suffix they had added in the banner - "A/C".
I don't remember spending more than two minutes in a medical shop ever. There is a prescription, the guy behind the table is normally well aware of the positions of these medicines and he gathers them deftly. A bill is presented in the end and I walk back with my picks. The only reason I may end up spending more time is either when the shop is crowded or if the guy behind the table is incompetent. (I am assuming that the medical shop guy has mastered the art of deciphering the doctor's handwriting, which usually is a superhuman quality in itself). In both these cases, I am frustrated. Speaking for myself, in both these cases, whether there is a A/C or not, my frustration is not going to reduce.
Given this scenario, whats the use of having an advertisement which tries to build out a differentiation argument, based on a metric which is irrelevant. I understand that an A/C can keep the owner comfortable. Period. However, to try and build an argument of differentiation around it, is non-sensical.
Murali Medicals, is not alone in this madness. I see it all around. Misguided differentiation is actually omnipresent. I see hotels advertising that they are specialists in Tandoori and Chinese, I see airlines positioning themselves as low cost and full service, I see products/ services trying to achieve a position of being cheap and best. In my business school days, I have seen some of my classmates trying desperately to bring out their differentiation by including thoroughly non-sensical information in their CVs.
All these instances are sure-shot recipes of disaster. Firstly, identify and understand things that matter; Build competencies on these relevant metrics and then go ahead and confidently cement your positioning. Rise and shine.
I don't remember spending more than two minutes in a medical shop ever. There is a prescription, the guy behind the table is normally well aware of the positions of these medicines and he gathers them deftly. A bill is presented in the end and I walk back with my picks. The only reason I may end up spending more time is either when the shop is crowded or if the guy behind the table is incompetent. (I am assuming that the medical shop guy has mastered the art of deciphering the doctor's handwriting, which usually is a superhuman quality in itself). In both these cases, I am frustrated. Speaking for myself, in both these cases, whether there is a A/C or not, my frustration is not going to reduce.
Given this scenario, whats the use of having an advertisement which tries to build out a differentiation argument, based on a metric which is irrelevant. I understand that an A/C can keep the owner comfortable. Period. However, to try and build an argument of differentiation around it, is non-sensical.
Murali Medicals, is not alone in this madness. I see it all around. Misguided differentiation is actually omnipresent. I see hotels advertising that they are specialists in Tandoori and Chinese, I see airlines positioning themselves as low cost and full service, I see products/ services trying to achieve a position of being cheap and best. In my business school days, I have seen some of my classmates trying desperately to bring out their differentiation by including thoroughly non-sensical information in their CVs.
All these instances are sure-shot recipes of disaster. Firstly, identify and understand things that matter; Build competencies on these relevant metrics and then go ahead and confidently cement your positioning. Rise and shine.
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