Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My behavior wrt Facebook Status Updates

I've been spending considerable time on Facebook off late. Of course it's a reflection of my desire to connect and have conversations with more people.

I've tended to overlook status updates from people who post very frequently (let's say those who post 5 or more updates a day). And I think I respond more to status updates from people who post regularly but just once or twice a day.

I also respond more to people who write infrequent longer status updates. That's perhaps a result of my inclination to gobble up whatever reading material is at hand.

In all of this, of course, Facebook's internal display algorithms (and my notification preferences) play a role as well.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Conditions for magic

For magic to happen in business:
  • support is unconditional (though could be critical)
  • support is appreciated by the one receiving it
  • the one receiving support is moving and churning

Monday, November 28, 2011

Watching collisions from my window

Every day I hear people on bikes or cars crashing around a particular crossroad junction (which I can see from my window). At least 2 every day, if not more.

I can list many reasons for this phenomenon:
  1. Drivers do not follow driving rules
  2. Walkers do not practice traffic rules
  3. There are no traffic instructions around that junction
  4. People - drivers and pedestrians alike - do not have time to wait to slow down and manoeuvre
  5. Youngsters and rich men like to drive real fast so that their bikes and cars can emit 'fart-like' sounds and make people pay them some attention
  6. The space is densely populated
Now think about your office.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Campus Placements akin to Cattle Fairs

Satish Pradhan, Tata Sons HR Chief, echoed my long-held views about campus placements while addressing the annual business summit Confluence 2011 at IIM-A.

Just yesterday, before starting my session on Strategic Brand Management at Institute of Management, Nirma University, I shared my two bits with the second year students.

Who's going to come to your campus for placements? Most likely the organizations which want to recruit in large numbers. It is unlikely that a growing small or medium-sized organization which wants to hire one good young grad would visit campuses. But sure there are many many organizations which want one such good guy.

When we've got arguably the best search tools ever available to mankind why do students shrink from searching for the right job, the right organization? Never was connecting with people so easy. And almost all organizations which are doing some good work are available to be searched, to be contacted.

Opportunities galore. Are you ready to name what you want and go searching?

Friday, November 25, 2011

Sharad Pawars of business

I guess, if more politicians were accessible or if politicians were accessible more frequently, they would have very similar experiences.

If customers could find the top men of businesses, perhaps a lot of them would share the fate. In a country like ours, an unheard or unattended complaint is nothing but a slap which missed the target. If only marketers could appreciate this desperation and rage among consumers, and try to address that instead of releasing one 'beautiful' ad after another, instead of bothering about simply meeting targets and showing amazing numbers on the ppt, instead of worrying about shareholders' wealth every quarter.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Orifices

Nostrils let the air in. Mouth lets water and food in. Pores in our skin let the fluids and salts ooze out. You get the drift.

What lets the thoughts sneak into our head?

It would be easy to mix thoughts with air and let them sneak into the mind. Or perhaps mix them in a fruit salad and gulp them down. Does it happen that way? In some cases, may be. How else?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Campus placements

With networks like linkedin and facebook, is it that tough to get in touch with people who might be in a position to help you?

Is it tough for you to get a telephonic interview? Is it tough to see that the first conversation you have - though not formally called an interview - could just be one kind of interview.

Reading the first few pages of Steve Jobs' biography, I came across this incident. Still in his teens, Steve called up Mr. Bill Hewlett for some purpose, got chatting, talked for a while and ended up with a job at HP!

Sure while there are more networks and more information easily available, ironically there are more barriers now. Barriers which are meant to be broken with the very same information available. Just do it.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Keeping promises

Marketers are often chastised for not keeping promises. When they do keep them, we reward brands with great word of mouth.

As individuals we win the trust of our colleagues and friends by keeping our words, or rather, by delivering on our words.

What were the words you spoke to yourself? Where were the promises you made to yourself? How did you keep them? How confident you are and how much you trust your own abilities is just about that.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Campus Placements / Laziness

I've been listening to the stories of some about-to-graduate b-school students.

I sense when students pay the hefty fee for studying at these b-schools they buy not the 'education', they buy campus placements.

At another level, it seems money induces laziness. Just coz students have paid the fee doesn't mean that they don't have to put in the effort to bag the job they like and they deserve.

Also, who says that fresh management grads are meant only for the companies that visit the campus for recruitment. Why can't students voluntarily and individually approach the companies which they feel like working for.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A test ride review of Boxer BM150

Day before in the evening, I checked out the Boxer BM150 in person.

Was pretty excited with anticipation. But no sooner did I see the handlebar and the speedo-console, my excitement vanished. The build quality as judged from the handlebar is rather pathetic; I'm aware it's meant for the rural terrain. There are two aspects to build quality: symmetry/balance and the feeling of sturdiness. I found both lacking.

Paint-job is rather dull. Splendor looks better any day and perhaps also feels better.

I went for a short-ride any way. The bike is sprightly in its pick-up and that's the only good part. The sound is nothing spectacular. Yes, the seat's fairly broad and comfortable. And there's accessory for carrying heavy stuff.

Not very different from any 100cc bike for rural folks. But I'm sure everyone, whether urban or rural or wherever, want a great build.

On the new Bullet's thump

Just read this article 'Biting the Bullet' in BT dated 27th Nov 2011. Sharing the most interesting bit:
But the new engine, unlike the old, had hydraulic tappets, a new engine arrangement, new metal and fewer moving parts. Obviously it did not produce the vibrations and the beat of the old, but international experts were consulted and sound mapping carried out for over 1,000 hours to ensure it produced maximum rhythmic vibrations possible and a beat, which was 70 per cent of the amplitude of the original.
It further says:
After much testing, the silencer was extended to capture, to the extent possible, the throb of the old engine.
Now that's how we sustain a brand. Great job! Innovation in mechanics to please the senses in the same old ways. Lovely.

On the new Bullet's thump

Just read this article 'Biting the Bullet' in BT dated 27th Nov 2011. Sharing the most interesting bit:
But the new engine, unlike the old, had hydraulic tappets, a new engine arrangement, new metal and fewer moving parts. Obviously it did not produce the vibrations and the beat of the old, but international experts were consulted and sound mapping carried out for over 1,000 hours to ensure it produced maximum rhythmic vibrations possible and a beat, which was 70 per cent of the amplitude of the original.
It further says:
After much testing, the silencer was extended to capture, to the extent possible, the throb of the old engine.
Now that's how we sustain a brand. Great job! Innovation in mechanics to please the senses in the same old ways. Lovely.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Which batch are you from?

Almost every time I hear this word, I feel strange.

I found an interesting meaning of the word 'batch' on dictionary.com:

to group (items) for efficient processing

Were we educated? No, perhaps batched ;)

Market Forces force inequality

A lot of us agree that market forces should be allowed to shape the economy.

A lot of us also agree that marketing is the main function of any business.

We are unanimously in agreement that marketing is driven by perceptions. Perceptions lead people to pay a certain price for a certain product.

Effectively what we are saying is perceptions drive economy.

So if I perceive a certain product to be worth Rs1000 and its total cost (till the time of delivery to the customer and inclusive of post-purchase maintenance cost born by the company) is only Rs150, I am unknowingly ready to accord a profit of Rs850 to the company. There might be other companies offering the same at Rs250 but we might just not buy, believing or disbelieving whatever we have in mind.

Clearly, market forces do not favor equality or equal distribution of income.

If perceptions are what drive an economy, economics will always fall short - way way short - of giving any satisfactory explanation, forget any semblance of an accurate explanation, of the economy. And inequality in wealth distribution will always be a feature of the market-driven economics.

Dumbed?

The 'p' in 'dumped' just gets vertically flipped 180 degrees.

If you've felt sometimes that the more time you are spending working in a job, the dumber you are becoming, do not blame yourself. Better thing would be to read Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum Of Compulsory Schooling :)

Intelligent, full of common-sense, explosive and subversively delightful.