World Colleges Information

So you have landed that dream job. Before you realise, life at work is a nev-er-ending game of squash.Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned professional, the workplace will beget challeng-es without a stop. As weird as this may sound, challenges drive businesses. If not for challenges what is the need to employ so many people to handle things? Isn’t fixing or taking care of problems the reason why you were hired in the first place? It is every worker’s responsibility to deal with problems that are specific to his/her area of operation.

The first and foremost thing to remember is that challenges are not pests, they are just veiled opportunities. How you rise from the challenges thrown at you is a demonstration of your merit. Every stage of your lifecycle at the workplace will bring its set of responsibilities, pressures and challenges alongside perks, fun and status.

The NEW TO THE WORKPLACE challenge

Fitting in: A new job be it at any stage of your career cycle is a challenge. Fitting in to a new work culture can at times be frus-trating especially if you are moving from a casual work environ-ment to an ultra-formal one. Everything including your dressing,tone and communication style will need to be worked up on to fit in with the rest of the organisation.

Being visible and being heard: Avoid being that person who hides behind the desk and communicates with everyone over emails or phone calls. Nothing can beat a vibrant and vivacious presence when it comes to the work place. Make every effort to be visible where it counts. It will take time to gain the confi-dence of colleagues so listen before suggesting changes. Treat your colleagues and superiors to creative and practical solutions.Accept mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes at one point or the other. Accept them. Never at-tempt to offer excuses or cover up. Find solutions and fix the issue as soon as possible.

Managing time: Work to a pre-established schedule. Get to work on time.Managing time is the first step to produc-tive and efficient working. Ask for support if necessary.

The CO-WORKER challenge

The world has all kinds and so does your work place. How-ever, there are some colleagues who spell trouble. They can lower productivity, create un-pleasant work situations, be gossipmongers, whiners, sabo-teurs, backstabbers or bullies.While they cannot be avoided,they can be dealt with. Firmly,confidently and politely ex-plain the problem or situation they are causing. Resolve is-sues with them in private. If they do not back off, bring it to the notice of your supervisor.

The EVERY DAY challenge

Every day at work can bring a new crisis or two. Crisis can happen at good or bad times.Being ready, open, positive,bold and creative are the key to getting through any crisis.The businesses or markets we operate in can throw all kinds of challenges – competition,negative feedback, negative PR, bad output, inferior qual-ity, missed deadlines, deficient production lines, shoddy tim-ing, inept advertising, wrong decisions, expensive mistakes,pet ideas and many more. In-tervene creatively and boldly.Shying away at the time of cri-sis is a sign of weakness. Treat every crisis as an opportunity to rise.

The ETHICS ANDINTEGRITY challenge

The ethics and integrity you bring to work is a showcase of the core of your personality.Always stick to the highest standard. Stay clear of those who ask you to compromise your integrity. Refuse to en-tertain requests that make you uncomfortable.

The BOSS challenge

The Boss Challenge stems from different working and personality style of two peo-ple. Issues with the boss can be emotionally and physi-cally draining. Figure out the reasons behind the issues be-tween the two of you. Look at the problem from both your and your boss’s perspectives.Involve your boss in sorting things out amicably.

The HARASSMENT/DISCRIMINATIONchallenge

Harassment and discrimi-nation are illegal and take many forms – from asking you to fetch coffee for a superior to sexual favours. Whatever the form of harassment or dis-crimination, there is absolutely no need to put up with it. Be upfront about what is not ac-ceptable to you. Deal with the person creating the problem calmly and bravely. Take it up "confidently and politely explain the problem or situation they are causing" with your HR department or seek legal help if necessary.

The CAREER ADVANCEMENT challenge

Being passed over for pro-motion is bad news. But be gracious about it and take it up with your boss in private. Find out why your promotion was denied. Document your suc-cesses in the current position on a continuous basis so that you have supporting material handy for an impromptu meet-ing. Make your boss under-stand that you are looking to move up the corporate ladder and take up different and more challenging roles. Be proactive and ask for more projects and responsibilities. Improve your skills if needed.

Top commandments for dealing with challenges at the workplace successfully

• tick to your work schedule.
• Be dependable. Try not to take time off often.
• Know the company rules and procedures and follow them.
• Dress appropriately. Always come to work clean and well-groomed.
• Never indulge in gossip, backstabbing or harassing colleagues.
• Be mature and professional with people. Avoid questionable activities that could lead to misconduct issues.
• Follow the proper chain of command.
• Be good at what you do. Keep yourself updated.
• Be calm, focussed and self-disciplined. Have a good work ethic.

• Be flexible, positive and friendly yet assertive.
• Keep your body language, verbal expressions and tone in check.
• Keep personal life out of work.
• Network. Be a team player.
• Take responsibility for your decisions and actions. Admit your mistakes and fix them.
•  Offer value-based and requirement-specific feedback.
•  Be open to learning.
•  Treat everyone equally and with respect.
•  Accept feedback gracefully and work on your shortcomings.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

‘People make the atmosphere’, some-one is to have once famously commented. That is the unfiltered truth. People do make up the atmosphere at the workplace. Everyone is differ-ent, which pretty much adds up to the dynamics of the work-place.

While one may nurture the vision of a workplace that is about achievements, suc-cesses, challenges, growth and fun, it would be worthwhile to get an idea of the kind of people one interacts with on a daily basis. This is important because the office is almost like a second home. And like with family, we can’t choose the people we get to interact/work with.

So who are these people? What are they like? How would it be working with them? What are the best ways to deal with them for a harmonious work-ing relationship? There are some really interesting types of people. There are a dozen. Although the grouping is arbitrary, it will be fun to know the type of the person in the next cubicle.

The Leader/Motivator

Always the first to talk, these personalities love every-thing that comes from being at the forefront. They will be the first to grab a marker and rush to the white board at a meeting. They are also great at planning and getting things ex-ecuted. They love their chairs.They inspire others to follow a path of success. They are com-fortable in their own skin and are calm, organised and well-meaning. Truly a lovable lot. You can please a leader only by being disciplined and being good at what you do. Nothing else is going to work with this type.

The Know-it-all

The Know-it-all is actu-ally a bit of a dangerous per-sonality if you are going to be dependent on this one for your information feeds. The Know-it-all pretends to know everything about everything but in reality wouldn’t know much about anything. These people are also over-confident and believe that they simply cannot be wrong. Such people can be seen passing irrelevant comments or providing trivial data in a group discussion. They like everyone to believe that they are superior by pos-session of knowledge about a wide variety of things. Be-ing direct with them is neces-sary. Make them repeat what they have just said and give them jobs that can be tracked constantly and easily.

The Flaw Picker

While a flaw picker can be annoying to work with, they make great employees or bosses. They have an extraor-dinary eye for detail and don’t miss much even in a labyrinth of data. They mean well and have an utter dislike for errors which is a great trait but can come across as mean and ar-rogant because of the way they work or spot flaws in everyone else’s work. They can be safely entrusted with jobs that require attention to detail.

The Office Clown

The Office Clown is blessed with an amazing sense of hu-mour. They can find something comic to say or do at every in-stance or with anyone irrespec-tive of who they are. They are excellent company at lunch and cooler breaks and help keep the mood at work buoyant.

It is important to understand that the Office Clown is just a happy soul and does not mean to belittle you by joking about you or your actions. They love to evoke laughter and that is what gives them the kick to go ahead and finish their tasks at work. Entertain the clown but be intelligent enough to know where you need to make him/her stop.

The Super-Agreeable

The Super-Agreeable are sweet and like to be known so. You can get these people to concur with you on anything simply and quickly but getting things delivered from them is a task. These people need constant cajoling, supervision and inspiration to get going.

Making them understand the importance of the job they have been given and the deadline are vital.

The Chronic Complainer

The complainer sees the negative side to everything. Complaining is their method of avoiding conflict, relieving stress and seeking attention, but the attitude can be morale damaging. Be empathetic, but do not try to solve their prob-lem for them.

The Boss’s Pet

They get promotions eas-ily, they also get glowing rec-ommendations from their boss if they ever leave the job. But even a glowing recommenda-tion is not going to help them if they keep up with the brown-nosing everywhere. Every boss has the perfect idea of who is brownnosing him/her, how and why. But they also need a pet and hence they entertain them.

The Social Pariah

Social pariah’s have very disturbing habits that make the other person dealing with them very uncomfortable. They may also pass inappropriate com-ments in a group. They could be scratching or pulling, dig-ging their noses or doing such insufferable things publicly that you will not want to be seen being friendly with a so-cial pariah. You might think it damages your personality but no, you are responsible for your behaviour alone, not theirs.

The Quiet One

This is the shy one in a meeting.

Typically sits in the last row and will not raise any points. They are quiet be-cause they feel that they have nothing funny or entertaining to add to a conversation. But the quiet one is worth paying attention to. Below their shy nature will be a bouquet of in-telligence that you can tap use-fully. They need a little prod-ding off and on but it will be worth the effort to get them to speak. Communicating openly and honestly with them can help them open up. Make them understand that they are a vital link in the team.

The Gossip Artist

This is the person that does extra time at the lunch room, rest room, coffee machine and the cooler. They love company and will speak to anything that has ears. Their day can never be complete without gossiping about someone else at work. Be very careful with this kind. Hanging out with them can sorely damage your repu-tation.

The Office Bully

Bullies are of different types – some shout, some abuse physically or verbally, some micromanage or even make disparaging comments about the other person. Their attitude is their misplaced zeal to get work done. They do more damage to their underlings’ ca-pability by bullying since the subordinates will be more con-cerned about finishing off jobs to protect themselves from the bully rather than working on creative and better solutions to a problem. With a bully, you need to stand up for yourself.Be firm and confident when dealing with a bully, but never stoop to their level.

The Backstabber

The Backstabber is nice to you, ensures that you discuss your ideas with them and then runs off with them. They steal your ideas and present them to the boss as theirs and win appreciation without a hint of remorse. These people also tell on you or your mistakes and have the innate ability to make you look bad.

They become mean if ap-proached about the subject but it is essential to deal with a backstabber at the first instance itself. Otherwise the backstab-ber will make merry at your expense. Dealing with a back-stabber can be physically and emotionally draining.

Since working with a back-stabber is very tricky, keep your boss in the loop of any significant developments or mistakes you may have made at work. Make sure your boss and co-workers hear it from you first so that you can reap or repair on time.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

Managers today have to handle challenges that are drastically different from what the previ-ous generation did. The roles and responsibilities of man-agers have undergone a sea change.

The previous model was structured in such a way that if managers organised and managed things efficiently,success would be theirs. How-ever, today the market is more competitive and complex and managers have had to embrace change and take ownership of the organisation.

Entrepreneurial Managership

The earlier breed of man-agers were averse to risk tak-ing but the current breed are bold, daring and ready to take risks. In a market that’s rapidly changing, the key to stay afloat and ahead of the competition is to move faster. Decisions have to be made faster to capitalise on opportunities that come their way.

What are the kinds of skills that an entrepreneurial man-ager would have to posess? Firstly, he or she must be able to spot new business opportu-nities before they become ob-vious to everyone else. Once this is done, they should have the capability to effectively communicate and market these ideas to the key stakeholders. Post this, they must be able to lead the theme and make the most of these opportunities.

Managers as Facilitators Not Controllers

The previous models of management worked on the premise of hired hands who were  directed and controlled.However, today the role of the management has shifted to be-coming facilitators.   They do not merely allocate resources but bring the right resources togetherand not only engage them in planning the work but also co-ordinating the execu-tion. They monitor the prog-ress of projects but this is not a mere one-way process of giv-ing orders but also nurturing employee strength and ideas.

Treat Your Employees as Valuable Assets

The old school of manage-ment never really gave em-ployees their fair due. Today,the manager’s job includes constantly motivating and mentoring employees so that they deliver a good perfor-mance. The skills and strength that each resource brings must be optimised and aligned to achieve business goals.

Managing Change Within The Organization

Changes in the economy,changes in the management or competitor moves could entail organisational changes. How-ever, this is a very sensitive is-sue and if not handled proper-ly, the organisation could stand to lose heavily. Firstly, when change comes, make a check list of people who would be di-rectly or indirectly affected by it. Spend time with them show-ing them the need for change and help them understand it. A good way to draw them in is to get them involved in the plan-ning and implementation of the change. As far as possible when it comes to handling sen-sitive aspects of organisational change, do not opt for imper-sonal emails, go with face-to-face communication.

Innovation, The Key to Mov-ing Ahead

Holding a monopoly prod-uct or standing on a steady market share thanks to cus-tomer loyalty is a thing of the past. Today’s customers are fickle and the next value add or innovation on a competi-tor’s product or service could pull you down. Management therefore has to push innova-tion either in the look and feel of the product or service or in the marketing.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

Mrs. K. Rajeshwari is a person who quite efficiently and fearlessly dons many hats at the same time. She’s currently Professor and Head of Department- Marketing and Retail Varsity at Chennai Business School. She’s one of the few persons who have dabbled in both marketing and teaching rather successfully, an experience that helps her effortlessly blend academics with mar-keting in the real world for her students.

Prior to taking up teaching as a full-time profession she has led corporate sales and marketing divisions at Unilever, Cavinkare and Nippon Paint in her 14 years in the cor-porate world. Well-known both in the corporate and teaching circles, Rajeshwari has her hands full juggling her various responsibilities with pa-nache – she is also a wife, mother, author, film-maker, visiting faculty at IITs and IIMs, blogger, Executive committee member of the Chennai IIM Ahmedabad chapter, columnist, speaker at vari-ous forums and, a marathon runner.

She has been recipient of the Women Achiev-er awards 2011, 2012- ACCEL Frontline, EWIT Organisations - 2011. She holds a degree in en-gineering from College Of Engineering, Guindy and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Her book “MY LIFE MY CHOICE” on mid-life career choices was well-received.

She lives in Chennai with her entrepreneur husband and son.

From the interview

How do rate the Indian FMCG market vis-a-vis that of the western world?

Depending on the nature of categories, levels of penetra-tion and competition clutter, varies. For example, soaps, tea, etc. are highly mature and hence have high competition. Hair colours, face masks, etc. have low penetration. Hence there is more opportunity for new players in these kinds of categories. The kind of mar-keting efforts within categories of similar penetration are not very different between West and here.

Do you see a new trend in the market? What is the trend-ing marketing technique in the FMCG sector?

More use of social media as a promotional tool. Also newer products are being launched in almost every category indi-cating higher levels of experi-mentation by consumers.

Can FMCG sector make it happen in the social network-ing sphere India?

Of course - there is al-ready evidence of this through brands like Walls ice cream, Sunsilk, etc. They can be used for awareness creation and loyalty programs.

Is the economy with respect to South India in a receptive space for ultra-luxury prod-ucts?

The South Indian consumer is generally more rational in decision making. Hence ultra-luxury products will appeal only if combined with strong functional benefits.

Which would you describe as your dream launch markets for FMCG brands?

Tamilnadu – with its high consumer literacy and media reach. Kerala for its distribu-tion/ accessibility.

What are the 2 rules you stand by in the FMCG market-ing?

Always focus on product benefit delivery. Always make unique products.

Can you tell us about one incident where launching a certain brand proved to be a challenge bigger than expect-ed?

In rural Karnataka, when we tried to launch Brooke Bond A1 Vitaminised tea, we had to do village mapping for distribution as well as come up with innovative rural promo-tional plans since media reach >was very low. We did film fes-tivals, local folk lore, etc.

In your opinion, how has the rules in the market place changed from say, 10 years ago?

Media penetration has en-abled brand awareness lev-els to go up significantly.

Data availability and hence feedback and analysis have become faster.

In your observation, what is the leading cause of changes/modifications being made to a brand?
Consumer or competition?

It should be consumer, ide-ally. In actuality, it is competi-tion. Most brands are still reac-tive not proactive.

Your take on brands with a social proposition. Is there a difference in their growth compared to brands that don’t involve in CSR claims? Does the product lose out in the face of social proposition?

CSR Claims work only for those brands that have estab-lished equity already. The so-cial proposition enhances the brand value.

How do you think the role of marketing and marketers has changed over the years in FMCG marketing?

Marketeers have to be very digital savvy for analysis and using social media. They have to be able to handle complex decision making at higher speeds than before.

While the whole FMCG business is supposed to be con-sumer centric, how devoted are companies and brands to ‘serv-ing’ the customer?

Good brands do ‘serve’ the consumer through their quality, consistency, availabil-ity and VFM proposition. No brand that doesn’t perceive to serve the consumer can suc-ceed in the long run.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

By his own admis-sion, Dinesh Vic-tor would not stand out in a crowd. This marathon runner, travel buff and chess enthusiast may look like a man of few words but is extremely articulate and communicative when talk-ing about the spirit of entre-preneurship and his venture, SIP Academy India Pvt. Ltd., which was established in 2003. The company works in the area of developing children’s mental abilities through Aba-cus & Brain Gym programme and other programmes suchas AMAL, MIKIDS, Global Art and VISTA. The company is spread wide in 225 cities across 18 states. More than 300,000 children have gradu-ated since 2003 enhancing their life skills.

Dinesh Victor is a Chemi-cal Engineer from Indian In-stitute of Technology, Bombay(1992) and also holds a man-agement degree in Market-ing from the prestigious In-dian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (1994). Hailing from a typical middle-class South Indian family he was a keen student and till date val-ues education as one of the most important things that can help excel in life. He started his corporate career as a Product Manager with Godrej’s FMCG division and was instrumental in the launch of Godrej hair dye sachet, which built a mar-ket share of 15 per cent with-in a year of launch. As Area Sales manager with the same company in Chennai, Victor increased business by 30 percent. The finance sector soon beckoned him; he worked for ANZ Grindlays and Standard Chartered Banks.

In 2003, he says, he wasbitten by the ‘entrepreneurship bug’. He started Genius Edu-cation and Learning Systems(GELS) with a few friends, where he built 75 franchisee centre operations in four states.

With SIP Academy, howev-er, Victor says he has found his calling, since it not only gives the entrepreneur in him wings, but also satisfies his urge to do something where social devel-opment is concerned. SIP also supports women to become economically independent by taking up SIP franchises. Becoming an entrepreneur is a decision he says he has never regretted.

Interview

How do you see the current opportunities in franchising in the education sector?

The current opportunities in franchising is varied. From food outlets, wedding planners to beauty salons, there is a va-riety of choices for any bud-ding entrepreneur to choose. Franchising in the Education sector has many segments right from pre-school to school, af-ter school and also post school. Then again there are finishing schools, computer training institutes, English language training, etc. SIP Academy is largely in the After School market. There are many oppor-tunities for good quality fran-chisors and franchisees though one must agree that the market looks quite crowded especially in the metros.

How different is it from say, a decade ago?

Very different. Earlier the typical Indian thinking was to get a job and make a career. Franchising was not a major business 10 years ago. Most of the After School franchisees started around 10- 12 years ago starting with the Abacus pro-gramme that grew very rapid-ly. Today you have a wide vari-ety of educational programmes which are being franchised.

How do you rate franchis-ing as a business opportunity in India? What is the biggest driver in business in this cat-egory?

Franchising is still a very large under-served business segment in India. As capital is scarce franchising will always be a good option in a develop-ing economy. The concept of sharing the risk and reward is the key to driving franchising.

In the education sector, what is a franchisor-franchi-see relationship like? Is it dif-ferent from other categories?

In my view it should not be very different from any ser-vice franchisee. A franchisee-franchisor relationship is like a relationship between busi-ness partners. Education needs a long term outlook and per-sonal involvement in the early period. However that would be
true of others also I guess.

Which is the most lucrative age group for a business to ca-ter to in the education sector?Why?

All segments have their market. Though usually par-ents of children in the 10-12 classes have a tendency to pay more and hence it would be the most lucrative is my guess.

How did you arrive at fran-chising as a business model for SIP Academy?

It was the industry model across the world by SIP and other Abacus Companies. So we just adapted it to Indian conditions.

Have you modified or changed your offering to your business partners? Can you site the reasons behind such moves.

Yes, we tweaked it a bit to make it more balanced for both franchisor and franchisee as we felt the current model used by others was not franchisee friendly.

We made it balanced to make it more in line with our focus on quality and also make it a win-win for both.

While there could be many strategies that work for fran-chising in the education sec-tor, what in your experience doesn’t work?

I would say that growth without a proper focus on quality doesn’t work.

What is the backbone of a great franchise?

Committed corporate team to cater to the franchisee and treating them as entrepre-neurs. Providing them the sup-port they require. Continous Training & Development pro-grammes, Marketing support, for that matter going with them for a business opportunity.

What are the challenges that can be faced by a franchi-see in this business?

Not too many – marketing can be a challenge but I guess proper cash flow and financial planning also could be an is-sue.

How optimistic are you about this business model in the education sector in the long run?

In our segment (after school) this is the only way to succeed. I am pretty optimistic about this.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

MBA is an aptitude. It is a taste for business, a liking towards tak-ing the call and controlling the outcome through the applica-tion of knowledge and reliable procedures. After politicians, MBAs could well be the group of people who run the world and its economics.

MBA has been the choice of post graduate degree for a very large percentage of stu-dents in the undergraduate lev-el across India, a percentage no other post graduate degree can easily lay claim to. One would be surprised at the number of IITians crossing over into IIMs gates every year! While hold-ing a Masters in Business Ad-ministration is a definite route to better employment, it would be worthwhile to understand the investment an MBA is.

The degree is no less than four years of your commitment and effort – 2 years in training for entrance exams and 2 years in class if you are talking full-time. With part-time, online or distance programmes, the timeframe may be a little less,but the commitment and effort remain the same.

Few truths every MBA aspirant thinks he knows but doesn’t

MBA is only a tool that can take you closer to your goal. It is not a job guarantee, even if your B-school guarantees placement. You are on your own.

It increases your potential to succeed. The degree by itself cannot help if you do not strive for excellence every moment of the way – whether you are a student or Vice-President with a famous MNC.

MBA is only a foundation, building a career out of it is up to the degree holder.

It isn’t about completing the course work and graduating from class. It is a continuous journey in knowledge and skill acquisition.

Just because you hold an MBA, nothing will seek you –neither job, nor hike, nor pro-motion. You need to seek what you want.

An MBA is a means, not an end. You decide how far you take it.

However, there are a few things MBA can do to you

Brings you perspective

Life can feel like a race at times and multiple responsibil-ities can cloud your judgement preventing you from seeing where you are going. Getting into an MBA programme will put you in proximity with the like-minded. The experience of having like-minded people to share ideas with can open up a whole different world to you.

Helps you network

If anything, MBA is the biggest paid networking you are ever going to do. Make the best use of your time in a B-school. The connections you make will be worth their weight in gold once you move into the corporate world.

Use your years at the B-school hus-tling, building your network. Even two decades down the road, you can be sure your net-working effort is going to pay off.

Presents a great learning opportunity

The knowledge you gather through the course of your time in a B-school is going to be your ultimate companion in the years to come. Great teach-ers and colleagues are an MBA student’s biggest blessing. Getting to learn from some of the brightest minds in the field is not a destiny reserved for all.

Gives you focus

The structure of an MBA programme is so drawn up to help you narrow down what you want to be in the world of management. Your focus on where you what to go is a direct by-product of what you learn and, the knowledge and skill base you develop over the years at school.

Opens up career possibilities

Having an MBA can help you get noticed by your em-ployer more easily. Once you prove that your MBA tangibly differentiates you from the rest of the competition, you can be sure of getting into your dream organisation.

Who should get an MBA

MBA is not for everyone.

You should decide on an MBA only if you like the idea of run-ning a business (at any/differ-ent levels), like being in lead-ership roles, intend to use your degree and learning for career enhancement or if you intend to change careers.

Alongside finding your rea-son to do an MBA, you should also gain a complete under-standing of what it would take to get an MBA. Early plan-ning is vital to getting you into the programme in addition to keeping you focussed on com-pleting the programme. That would include

• Educational qualifica-tion: While any undergraduate degree can qualify you to ap-ply for an MBA in India, the requirement may not be the same if you intend to apply to foreign universities. Check with the various universities and prepare accordingly. Pre-pare alongside for the entrance examinations of different insti-tutes as well.
• Financial planning: Define how or who is going to pay for your MBA – do you have a fund in place or would you be taking student loans. Also fig-ure out how and in what time frame you intend to make good that expenditure.
•  Experience: Some uni-versities/programmes demand a prior work experience of a minimum of 2 years. Others don’t. Work experience can greatly enhance your learning ability in class and also help you appreciate what is being taught. Getting yourself a job for a couple of years prior to your MBA can also help you stabilize your finances for the years you are going to be out of work.

• Programme type: Not ev-eryone is cut out for a two year programme. Not everyone needs a two year programme. There are different kinds for programmes available for one to choose from depending on what one is willing to invest– time wise, money wise and effort wise. The programmes vary widely from two-year programmes to one year programmes, executive MBA programmes, weekend pro-grammes, online programmes, distance education programmes, contact programmes and so on. Although every pro-gramme has its pros and cons, the pro or con depends on what you want out of it. Consider carefully before you set foot into one.
• Go online: There are plenty of courses by sought after professors and universi-ties available online. Most of the time, they will be part of the in-class experience of that professor/university. Signing up for a couple of these pro-grammes will give you a fair idea of what to expect in class in general, the amount of com-mitment and work that is ex-pected of you, etc. Most of the online courses are free.

Post MBA

Post MBA is the begin-ning of your career or your second career as the case may be. Your success will be determined by what you do once you’re out in the real world. A certain conditioning of the mind is essential so that you can absorb things as they happen to you. Post MBA is not a one-time thing.It is the rest of your lifetime.

Everything changes once you have earned your degree– your perspective, the job market, people’s perception of you, your own perception of you and your skillset. How you work all these different elements together will define your success in the real world.

Working the mind: Being a student is a different mind-set from that of being at a job. You will be expected to fall in line with the culture of the or-ganisation – that means adapt-ing your behaviour, tone and dressing style to suit the corpo-rate environment. You need to train your mind to be punctual about all kinds of timelines –from getting in and out of of-fice to project deadlines.

Facing reality:At case-study sessions in class, youmight have played the role of a CEO or Vice-President and made big decisions for the company in the case. However, as an employee, your situation will be miles away from that. The reach of your role will be limited. Very limited. You need to live that reality and then chisel your way up.

Dealing with change: Ev-erything changes - the free-dom, the people, the culture. It is easy for someone fresh of B-school to be disillusioned at their first jobs. They may find the change overwhelming. But what you need to know is, that is the way things are going to be. This is your present and fu-ture. Network with colleagues, go out with them, take part in outside-the-job team activi-ties – not just projects. Deal-ing with change as soon and as easily as you can is vital to you proving yourself at your new job.

Being open to learning: An MBA degree does not mark the end to your learning. Post MBA is the time to keep an open mind. While there will be a great deal of enthusiasm in you to apply all that you’ve learnt to the projects you han-dle, that is not going to happen in real life. You will be contin-uously exposed to a great deal of fresh and stale ideas, things that work and don’t work. Be a sponge and absorb as you go. What you learn at every job is going to help you in your next.

The fall side of MBA

An MBA can give you a false sense of security. You might have spent your time in class honing your analytical skills and being told that you are amazing and bril-liant and a natural leader, but all that will be challenged in the real world by people and business problems. Suddenly you will face issues that were not addressed in any of your books. Being confronted with problems you cannot solve will confuse and humble you. Your perseverance will see you through, sometimes the same may cause you to fail.

But you will learn to fail and accept that you are no God. You might start seeing that your hard-earned degree is not delivering what is expected of it. Problem is, your boss will see it too. It can be discourag-ing and demoralising. Because of this, 80% of MBAs end up changing their jobs within two years of earning their degree. You will be engaged in mak-ing more presentations than any actual decision making in the initial stages of your ca-reer. This will be a huge blow for MBA pass-outs who hadthe pride of being labelled as thought leaders and decision makers in their class.

Having responsibilities without decision-making priv-ileges can make you uneasy and exasperated.

On a slightly better note, your MBA increases your ca-reer flexibility and can earn you a fatter paycheck in due course. But your immediate ac-tion plan, no matter what your current position – physically and mentally at your job is to stay business savvy, be updat-ed, be open to learning, work on your soft skills, step readily out of your comfort zone, hone your leadership skills, work and party hard, network with peers, stay in touch with your B-school friends and men-tors, go to business meets and connect with others outside of your current circle, find a men-tor or mentors in the corporate world, find a hobby or a pas-time activity involving like-minded fellows inside or out-side of work, keep your friends closer, take short breaks (there is no point killing yourself with work), and, last but not the least, let go of your percep-tion of success.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

Emerging strung out from his frivolously fast, free, and fabu-lous college years, 22-year old graduate, Vinay Oberoi knew it was about time. Time to get down to business, time to map his fu-ture, his career, his life! Find-ing himself at the crossroad of a lifetime he exclaims, “the only thing that I am sure of at this junction is that I want the best white collared corporate opportunity when I start my career. Though I know Mas-ters in Business Administra-tion (MBA) is an option, I am not sure if it is the right one.”

Youngsters like Vinay and gazillion more like him, have questions today, questions whether an MBA degree is just a trend or a trifle, a gloom or doom. Such are the accusa-tions thrown at this post gradu-ation specialization. MBA is commonly misconstrued as just another designer course, an overpriced flashy degree, one without anything real-time credibility. But having the best in the business falsifying these baseless claims and the elitist institutes in the country offering the course, we home worked the do’s and don’ts, if’s and buts’ and pros and cons of a full-fledged MBA course, hop-ing to soothe your dilemmas and steer you into the direction of your corporate dream.

Why a Masters in Business Administration:

Post the glory phase of un-der graduation days, it’s time to put on your thinking hat and start weighing options to choose a Masters degree. At this crossroad, course-plotting your career, talent and educa-tion in the right route is es-sential, and possibly the most crucial academic investment a student or a professional will ever have to make.

Over the past decade, MBA has proved to be a sure shot ticket to an exceptionally booming corporate and busi-ness career. For the ones look-ing to hone their entrepreneur-ial and business skills before venturing into the world of white collared jobs, a Masters in Business Administration is the exactly what you will need to put you there. Pondering as to why you should invest two years and a lump of your bank balance on a course when you already have all the talent, tact and aptitude to be the right corporate contestant? Here is why:

Channelising your skills:

Though you might be ex-ceptionally equipped with the gift of the gab and leadership quality, it is extremely essen-tial to speak the right kind of business language when you enter the field. Polishing your corporate communication skills is one of the most vital aspect the MBA promises to cater, all this along with fixing your body language and boost-ing your on-field confidence.

Mastering every facet:

The course is fashioned to equip its aspirants with every facet of the business world, providing a complete analysis and understanding of every corporate quarter. The list of areas addressed at your busi-ness school will be: Accounting, Human resources, Marketing, Operations Management, Production & Manufacturing Accounts Micro and macro economics

Though there are various news horizons in the market today, the above options re-main the core facet that will be catered to if you choose an MBA degree. For ones with inclination towards numbers, a specialization in accounts or finance or both will be the best option. And for the charmers who can engage a room full of business folks with you flair for talking, Human resource or marketing specialization will be just what the doctor or-dered. The flexibility of mix-ing and matching two or more specialization is a definite perk. Also, having the first half, that is, first of the two-year course to decide what you really want to specialize in is one of the main additional benefit this course has to offer.

Interesting new specializations that are picking popularity among as-pirants these days are MBA in education, engineering, media, telecommunication, criminal justice, global management, health care, hospitality and tourism, sports and technology management.

How to pick the best!

Once you are headstrong about going the MBA route, it is essential to determine when and where to get yourself the paramount quality of B- school education. Between India and abroad, if former is your pref-erence, looking at Top 10 B-schools in the country should be first on your to-do list. The next clause on your checklist should be to narrow the time zone down, while some opt to take a break and gain some work experience before they dive into the study pool again,other choose to wrap their edu-cational phase at one straight stretch. Either ways, if in In-dia, here is the list of b-schools for MBA, that has consistently managed to bag the top ten slots in the past decade.

The IIMs (Indian Institute of management), a cluster of 13 public and autonomous schools for management stud-ies and research in India. These institutes offer PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Manage-ment, a diploma equivalent to MBA.

The IIT SoMs (Indian In-stitute of Technology School of Management), a manage-ment department / school of the reputable IIT (Indian In-stitute of Technology). This management wing is available at Kharagpur, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Roorkee and Kanpur.

FMS (Faculty of Manage-ment Studies, Delhi) under the Delhi University’s tutelage, this institute is one of the old-est and most acclaimed Busi-ness schools in the country.

XLRI (Xavier Labour Re-lation Institute), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. With its first batch of professor’s trained from Stanford Graduate School of business, this school is defi-nitely crème de la crème of all the B-schools in the country.

IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade), Delhi is a self-governing / autonomous public business school set up by the government of India. One of the first among the top ten in-stitutes to provide MBA in In-ternational Business.

SPJIMR (S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research), Mumbai, Maharashtra offers two diploma degrees equiva-lent to that of MBA.

JBIMs (Jamnalal Bajaj in-stitute of Management stud-ies), Mumbai, Maharashtra. Established in collaboration with Stanford University, it is popular for being exceptional in management education in context to the Indian market.

TAPMI (T. A. Pai Man-agement Institute), Manipal, Karnataka. It is the second management institute in the country to be given the global accreditation by AACSB (As-sociation to Advance Colle-giate Schools of Business).

SIBM (Symbiosis Institute of Business Management), Pune, Maharashtra.

NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Stud-ies), Mumbai, Maharashtra. The institute proudly flaunts a five star and ‘A’ grade from NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and UGC (University Grants Commission) respectively.

How to save a seat!

Now that the target is set, it’s time to prep and gear to hit the bull’s-eye. As far as eligibility is concerned, a ba-sic bachelor’s degree or dis-cipline equivalent from any Indian university or All India Council of Technical Educa-tion (AICTE) as eligible for pursuing one’s post gradua-tion would suffice.

It doesn’t always have to be an engineer-ing degree, which is a very commonplace misconception among youngsters these days. Also, MBA immediately af-ter graduation or after gaining work experience can be either done directly at the campus full-time or by means of corre-spondence, which would mean pursing the course via part-time, long distance or online.

Though most of the sought after B-schools in town have their own set of admission pattern, all of them follow a common two-leg process. Though one will have to read and research more on specific admission patterns for specific institutes, the universally com-mon model for admission is- first, the written admission exam and second, the person-ality assessment test. Written admission exam consists of multiple-choice test in Maths- quantitative ability and data interpretation, language – ver-bal ability and reading, logi-cal reasoning and general and business awareness. Candi-dates who have passed the written test will then be called in for the second phase, the personality assessment test. This test consists of a round of group discussion and personal interview. Group discussion is to analyze the candidate’s performance while discuss-ing relevant current issues in a group, among peers and under pressure, which is evaluated by a panel of judges. The personal interview round is one-on-one interaction with a panel of business specialist.

The most generic test rec-ognized by highest number of elite b-schools in the country like IIMs, IITs, TAPAI - Ma-nipal, IMI - Delhi, NIM - Ah-madabad, MDI Gurgaon, IIFM– Bhopal and more is CAT (Common Admission Test).

These tests are held annually, starting with an advertisement notification by august of every year, followed by application submission deadline by 2nd week of October, main written test on 2nd week of December (held across different centers all over the country) followed by interview scheduled either for in February or March.

Scope and opportunity, once a graduate!

Apart from the academic promises and the assurance that an MBA grad will come out on the other end a skilled and sculpted business person-nel, there are certain perks and promises that only a MBA graduate enjoys in the business world.

In an interview set-up, the foremost is an edge and preference for an MBA grad over other candidates who lack the specialization. A candidate flaunting an enviable MBA de-gree from a top-notch B-school in the country is always the employer’s first choice. The reason, the candidate is already equipped, skilled, trained, groomed and ready to take on the business world without any extensive training or invest-ment required from the em-ployer’s side.

Also, fresh out of college MBA students are the only candidates considered for middle level or higher level entry a corporate set-up, every-one else has to start at the base. This is apart from a hefty pack-age, which is almost always a surety for an MBA graduate. The statistics are very compel-ling, according the folks who manage GMAT internationally, the remuneration package wit-nesses a whopping 50 percent hike for the candidate post an MBA degree, that’s like nearly doubling your moolah!

For the ones, looking to leave the nest and start afresh abroad, a MBA degree is your ticket, as they are head hunted from industries from all over the world and from every sec-tor internationally. The next best thing would definitely have to be the possibility to professionally network while in college, as studying at a prestigious b-school guaran-tees exposure to the best in the business, helping you to build your contact base for future ca-reer and job reference and ap-plication. With direct access to the finest business profession-als in the market you would be able to kick start your career way before you even have your foot out of college.

The final verdict

Guaranteed to make you more attractive to your future employers, the return on in-vestment on an MBA degree, time and monetary -wise is ab-solutely worthwhile. So, for all those curious business minds who have a knack for leader-ship and a business pulse to flaunt, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from a prominent institute promises an array of business and aca-demic options and the reason how it is the only way to go get yourself a ticket to the cor-porate paradise, donning that white collar, crisp and proud.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

It is said one can never be ready for the changing dynamics of the work place and its management. There is something new to be dealt with every day; be it employees, competition, mar-ket place, product, pricing, promotion, customers, legal issues or, feedback. Everyone that is part of an organisation have their hands full with one or, most of the time, many of these issues. Some deal with it on an ‘as-it-happens’ basis, others have a well-planned model that rings with their personal attitude, faith and respect towards work and work place. Having an established ritual of following certain principles in management, can boost your persona, relationship with co-workers and the business in the long run.

Being in business and be-ing a business leader are two different things. As is being the person that leads the latter kind of organisation. Manag-ers and business leaders who make things happen have a se-cret recipe that help them and in turn their organisations stay right on top through all kinds of weather. Whichever side the tide turns, some businesses will stay rooted and growing without a hint of distress. Such businesses are not just the re-sult of terrific business deci-sions but of people who con-tribute to them on an everyday basis. People who can anchor a business to steady growth also invest in best practices thereby keeping the employee-organisation relationship on a high. Their practises are their addictions. And at the end of the day, it is those addictions that make it possible to run efficiently and successfully a multi-tiered, multi-talented organisation where thousands of employees from different backgrounds check-in. A busi-ness is like the stock market– fall when its employees fail it and be all bullish when the employees are inspired. So what are these wining mantras great managers and CEOs follow? What lethal combination of ideas and hab-its do successful people have? We categorise these best prac-tices into ten.

Mantra 1:

Be audacious in your vision

Scarcity of vision is the first impediment to any business, not funding. In a country like ours, opportunities are aplenty. Exploring and exploiting the times with a great idea/vision is the key. Define what you are looking to be and where you want to be.

Best managed companies have no dearth of vision. They have an air of audacity about them that was missing from the business scene as less than a decade ago. Today, markets and consumers are open wide to acceptance of newer ideas, products and ser-vices. Investors are lapping up good opportunities driven by people with a great and thor-ough vision. If you are in busi-ness, ask why you are in busi-ness. If you are an employee in the business, ask why you are there. That is the only way you will arrive at what you goals are, where you want to be and how you are going to get there.

Mantra 2:

Say hello to your core competencies

Build your work around your core competency. Man has the innate urge to be Jack-of-all because we believe we are superior human beings of all times. Any organisation will expect you to be a Jack and you should be. However, the primary reason behind hiring you is your core competency. Spot your strength and flaunt it. Keep constantly working on it. Find newer ways to impro-vise every time. Be thorough. Be creative and go for the kill. Businesses that have leveraged their core strengths are the ones that have been able to scale up and exceed expectations on the balance sheets every year.

Mantra 3:

Make a great government

Great governance creates great employees.

Congratulations to you if you have established a great organisation that thinks on its feet when it comes to handling employee concerns. While every rule in the book need following in order to avoid confrontations or bias, adding a personal touch while dealing with people and treating every co-worker as an individual is the right thing to do if you want to keep your co-workers/employees close. Some of the finest managers stay on top by taking a step down to work hand-in-hand with their teams. The best loved and respected CEO doesn’t even summon his un-derling to his cabin, he appar-ently walks over into his for a discussion! Talk about a lesson in humility.

Mantra 4:

Awaken the leader

Employees are any organ-isation’s strength and invest-ment. You should allow that in-vestment on its way of natural progression.

Allow them the berth to grow. Choose, prune and train team members to take on higher positions. It not only boosts an employee’s confi-dence, it inculcates a spirit of competition and faith in the organisation. It allows the em-ployees to believe that the or-ganisation cares for them and their improvement and, also leads them to believe in them-selves because their manager/organisation believes in them. Step away from conven-tional methods of looking outside for replacements every time and awaken your underlings to assume leadership positions.

Mantra 5:

Pursue quality with zeal

Quality is a concept that pervades all sectors and each business. No matter how press-ing your deadlines, bat for quality. Value is created and measured by the quality of out-put produced. Quality of work is what will drive customers to your business, it is also what will make you a winner and dependable source in the eyes of your boss and underlings.

Mantra 6:

Revolutionise for your customers

Any business is customer dependent. Increase in the satisfaction index of your cus-tomers is directly proportional to business growth. Innovate to add value to your customers regularly. It not only helps you put competition far behind and earn better bonuses at work but inspire greater ideas for a bet-ter world.

Mantra 7:

Be the leader everyone aspires to be

The thing that has changed dramatically over the decade is a shift from ‘command and control’ to ‘collaboration and teamwork’. Around 80 to 90 percent of the job is how we work together toward com-mon goals, which requires a different skill set. A combina-tion of strategic thinking and tireless, relentless execution and extraordinary people skills are the make of managers who win the day. As a leader, cre-ate and inspire a culture of re-sponsibility within your team. Be the driver to that culture personally as well. People feel good when they establish what falls under their ring of responsibility. Give them op-portunities that will challenge them. Challenges make people grow. Credit them when things go well. Never steal their thun-der. Assume responsibility for your employees’ mistakes. Do-ing this allows your employees to innovate and, ultimately, to learn or grow. Workers who learn from their mistakes will grow to become better work-ers. As Peter Drucker said, “Leadership is doing the right things. Leadership also in-cludes enabling others to do right things.” Inspire disci-pline in the people you work with. Also be trustworthy and approachable.

Set realistic goals for the team. But also be that person who shoots for the moon. A manager who never punches above his weight can come across as lacking ambition. Take calculated risks backed by research and understanding of the market you operate in.

Inculcate the same in your un-derlings. Make sure everyone knows what’s expected and offer goal-specific feedback. A great conductor leads by blending into the background. If you are a great manager, your boss can tell, not just by the way your business unit is doing but also by the way your underlings hold you.

Mantra 8:

Acknowledge your own missteps

Everyone makes mistakes. Own up. Be big about your mistakes. Acknowledging your mistakes is also one of the tricks of the trade; it shows your underlings and co-work-ers how they should handle their mistakes. They will par-take in your mistake in their heads without your asking. They will work to ensure that such an event does not hap-pen again. Members of a good team will look out for one an-other. Maintain an open chan-nel of communication so that you can spot problems and fix them as soon as possible.

Mantra 9:

Listen

Listening is the mark of a great communicator. Listen to your co-workers carefully. Clarify what you are hearing so that everyone knows that they are understood perfectly. That way you can ensure that there is no room for error. Take an interest in your employees.

Every interaction with your underlings and co-workers need not be strictly business. Make an effort to know them – establish a per-sonal connection: ask after their well-being, tell them about yourself. Treat every-one equally – be they the of-fice boy or your boss, they are all human and deserve respect. A person is known by how he treats others.

Mantra 10:

Give back to the society

We are part of the society. We derive a lot from the so-ciety as business people who closely engage with it either as business owners or as em-ployees who help the business achieve its goals. Contributing to it also means contributing to our own growth. It is investing in ourselves and our tomorrow. Organisations have realised that enriching the environ-ment they operate in help their employees flourish along with the business. This is a dream scenario for any organisation.As a good employee and citi-zen one needs to partake in the organisation’s contribution to society. Support a cause you believe in, give it your time. Being involved with people and helping them will incul-cate in you a feeling of inclu-siveness. This is the new yoga for the soul. After every outing for a social benefit, you will come back inspired.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

Transformational Leader-ship is a type of leader-ship style where one or more persons engage with others in such a way that lead-ers and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Transformational leadership inspires positive changes in followers. Transformational leadership transforms people - both lead-ers and supporters, and helps organisations achieve break-through results.

Transformational leader-ship has proved to improve performance, morale, motiva-tion, and dedication of both leaders and their teams/follow-ers. The qualities that reflect off transformational leaders are endless energy, enthusiasm and passion for what they do. Transformational leaders are multi-dimensional personali-ties and, while positively driv-ing strategy, process, imple-mentation and growth, they lend equal focus to ensuring that every member of the team succeeds as well.

Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focussed on helping every member of the team win their place in the sun.

Why this particular leader-ship style is so needed in to-day’s organisations?

The market being subject to constant change, unpredict-ability is the only constant that companies are facing. Every industry faces challenges and opportunities of new technol-ogy, new markets and new competitors.

The increased complexity that business en-vironments operate in demand not a single leader but a grow-ing battalion of inspired men and women on a continuous basis. No single person can handle the demands a growing business in a growing econo-my/market places on him. It is not a question of time manage-ment alone but having a varied knowledge and skill package to meet an unforgiving mar-ket place head-on. The answer lies in transformational lead-ership which prescribes to the theory of creating leaders out of others and enabling them to run business units success-fully. Transformational leaders

who have identified this truth have created leaders around them who are much closer to where the change is happening so that they can anticipate and respond appropriately.

Organisations that stand for creativity and innovation and allow their employees to explore other realms and take calculated risks are winning it big. Transformational leaders are setting the trend of letting their underlings find innova-tive ways to solve problems, mentoring and hand-holding  them when necessary.

The four I’s of Transfor-mational Leadership

The key elements of trans-formational leadership, known  as the “4 I’s,” are as follows:

Idealized Influence

Transformational lead-ers are charismatic role mod-els who build confidence and trust. Followers trust and re-spect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.

Inspirational Motivation

Transformational lead-ers provide a clear and real-istic vision to a great future and communicate it clearly to their followers. They also help generate the same experience, passion and motivation in their followers.

Intellectual Stimulation

Transformational leaders encourage creativity in their followers by questioning com-mon assumptions and beliefs. They prod their followers to explore newer ways of doing things bringing them opportu-nities to learn.

Individual Consideration

Transformational leaders are mentors first. They offer individual support and encour-agement to each member of their team and maintain free and open lines of communication. They plan and aid ca-reer growth in their followers.

What a great transformational leadership does

Transformational leadership

•  creates greater alignment around strategic visions and missions
• directly impacts an increase in performance both of the organisation and employees
• drives higher levels of product innovation, increase in sales, market share, earnings and ROI
• generates greater unit cohesion, commitment, and lower attrition
• creates safer work environments
• invites disruptive innovation, encourages others to approach problems creatively rather than by procedure
• teaches how to take balanced risks
• communicates openly and without personal agenda
• inculcates a culture of transparency
• focuses on individual growth of every person in the team
• acts as the fulcrum of intellectual and emotional stimulation and inspiration.

Psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio is to have said, “research has shown that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of perfor-mance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders”

Checklist for the leader who is breaking into the league of transformational leaders:

• Given the unique challenges my organisation is fac-ing, how can I re-engage in making a contribution to my organisation?
• Do I have clear and stimulating goals for myself and every individual in my team?
• Do I engage and inspire others to perform as well as I do?
• Have I taken my team places they have never been intellectually?
• Have I made my team proactive by habit?
• Will I be leaving behind a legacy that is bigger than my achievements?
• How often am I engaging with my team in a way that builds the team’s creativity?
• How am I rewarding innovation on the part of the teams and people I work with, regardless of outcome?
• What are my core values? Does it reflect in my and my team’s performance?
• Am I being respectful and transparent in my transac-tions with others?
• Is every member in the team inspiring others in their journey at work?

Beware of the traps

When transformational leaders exude passion and confidence, it may be mistaken for truth and reality. Be sure to convey the right picture to followers.

A trans-formational leader needs to do things by foreseeing the outcome and not because they believe they are right. Many a time has a leader fallen because of their mis-placed enthusiasm. Being the logistical backbone to a lot of things including people, the load is never easy to carry and transformational leaders tend to focus on the big picture forgoing the details. Remember, the devil is in the details. Enthusiasm and charisma can take a beat-ing in the hands of rejection or refusal to change by up-per management. Be ready to bounce back.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

What used to be sold at $1 for a year’s subscription from the second year on has been sold at a whopping $19 billion. Facebook bought WhatsApp in a landmark $19 billion cash and stock deal ac-cording to joint statements is-sued by Mark Zuckerberg and Jan Koum. The deal puts the world’s largest social network at the heart of mobile messag-ing. The transaction break-up is $4 billion in cash, $12 bil-lion in stock and $3 billion in restricted stock that vests over several years with Allen & Co advising Facebook and Mor-gan Stanley, WhatsApp.

This is Facebook’s big-gest buy since Instagram ($1 billion) in mid-2012, paying $33 per user in comparison to WhatsApp’s $42 per user. What underscores the social network’s determination to win the market for personal messaging is that the What-sApp deal is worth more than hat it raised in its own IPO.

Who gets what

• Jan Koum owns 45% of WhatsApp which translates to $6.8 billion
• Brian Acton is worth at least $3 billion
• Venture capitalist Sequoia Capital, which invested in WhatsApp in February 2011 holds about $3 billion in stock post-deal.

What got Facebook onto WhatsApp

Although Facebook has messaging, it is in no way a comparison to what What-sApp had established in a short five years.

The deal provides Facebook access to new us-ers, especially teens who have been overtly favouring private messaging through WhatsApp and its rivals over mainstream social networks. WhatsApp has been scoring big by being a zero-fee international mes-saging service compared to the hugely expensive SMS plans worldwide. With WhatsApp, all that a customer needs is a phone connection with a data plan, the concept of which works well with all age groups, especially teens.

The other contributing factors being

Facebook’s inability to crack the messaging market like WhatsApp did and the fact that WhatsApp is leading users away from the social network

The explosion of the idea:WhatsApp has done for mes-saging what Skype did for voice and video calls.

WhatsApp is a leader in smartphone-based messaging apps. Has a majority user cum fan club spanning North Amer-ica, Asia and Europe.

450 million users in five years and adding around a mil-lion daily.

Made it big by sticking to its core functionality of mes-saging without gimmicks (of-fers, games, ads, or e-com-merce unlike competition)

It’s lean. In an industry first of sorts, WhatsApp makes it work with just 32 engineers and a support staff of even less number, yet manages to keep an uptime greater than 99.9%

The lesser known things about things at WhatsApp

• Jan Koum is a Ukrainian immi-grant and college drop out
• Brian Acton is Stanford alumnus and was a Yahoo employee when the two met

• The mentor (Acton) and the mentee (Koum) worked together at Yahoo for years; both were seeking to do more and ended up leaving Yahoo one after the other.
• The two bonded over skiing, soccer and ultimate Frisbee after Koum’s mother passed away.
• Soon after Yahoo, they ran into bad patches financially and even applied to Facebook inde-pendently only to be rejected.
• Jan Koum founded the ser-vice and ran several test runs in his friends circle before inviting Acton to be a part of what is today a Silicon Valley start-up fairy tale.
• Koum incorporated Whats App Inc. in California on 24 Feb 2009, his birthday.
• The name WhatsApp was chosen because it sounded like ‘what’s up’.
• WhatsApp started by being a status update app growing itself out into an instant messenger at a time Blckberry’s BBM was the only other free texting service.
• At its first public outing with WhatsApp 2.0, it was lapped up by over 250,000 users.
• Koum and Acton occasion-ally switched the app from “free” to “paid” so they wouldn’t grow too fast.
• Koum, Acton and venture capitalist Jim Goetz of Sequoia signed the agreement to sell their messaging phenomenon at the abandoned building which used to house North County Social Services, where Koum had once stood in line to collect food stamps as a migrant. The building is a short distance from the current WhatsApp HQ.

What got WhatsApp all the public love despite competi-tion?

Since its arrival, WhatsApp has remained the service that it set out to be – an instant mes-saging service that can serve across continents and plat-forms. That it persisted in its devotion to being clean and fast – no games, no e-commerce and no offers has been a great relief to the user who is inun-dated with all kinds of pop-ups while trying to connect to peo-ple on his contact list through other services. A user fee of $1 from the second year on (the first year’s user fee completely waived off) and, no fee what-soever per message – be it text, image or voice upload became a great crowd-puller. The as-surance of a message being de-livered on the receiver’s hand-set indicated by the double tick is next in line to the list of its best loved features as is also the fact that once a message has been delivered to a hand-set, it is deleted from What-sApp’s servers. Even better is the fact that they want to know as little about the user as pos-sible: WhatsApp does not col-lect personal information like the user’s name, gender, age or address. Registering for the service is through the user’s phone number and does not re-quire the annoying signing-in with a username and password every time one wants to use the service.

How Zuckerberg worked the deal

While Koum and Acton had consistently fought off all kinds of investors and sale bids over the years including Facebook’s (Sequoia Capital is their only other investor), Zuckerberg fi-nally got his foot in the door at a dinner with CEO Koum on February 9 where he proposed the deal. Ten days later, they were exchanging hand shakes.

                                  Other big and fun buys         

WhatsApp post marriage to Facebook

The deal allows WhatsApp independent operations in-cluding keeping its promise of being a free service. It also involves continuing its policy of no advertising (although there is public fear that it may not be the case). Neither Face-book nor WhatsApp has speci-fied how the former intends to recover the purchase cost. At the press meet Zuckerberg said the $1 user fee will remain the same and that the plan is to concentrate on growth.

There is wide spread spec-ulation as to how and when Facebook will earn back what it put into the buy. Truth is, ac-quisition of a high growth as-set like WhatsApp is not to fill a void, the game plan was to avoid becoming void. In other words, this acquisition was not about increasing revenue for Facebook, it was about surviv-ing the global shift to mobile.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

Personal brand is the sum total of all the characteristics that make you, you. It is your reputation and a little more. It is a mix of your many facets - mannerisms, posture,language, technical compe-tence, dressing, perfume, eti-quette, stride, ability, ability to demonstrate your abilities, social skills, relationship man-agement, attitude, principles... It is all that goes into the mak-ing of the person you are to the world or, the image that you project to the world – con-sciously and sub-consciously. It is what they have to say about you after you have left the room. What becomes of you in the eyes of everyone in that room depends on the im-pression you left behind – your brand image.

A personal brand is a prom-ise you hold out for your stake-holders; you are giving them something they can trust and value you for. The personal brand like any other mega brand in the market can be construed as having three parts– Purpose (of one’s existence), Strength (qualities that can be deployed to make the pur-pose come alive) and, Charac-ter (your integrity and moral code) or PSC.

Purpose is your vision for yourself and the impact you are creating in the outer world. It includes your goals, your in-terests and also what will give you joy.

Strength is the sum of all your natural abilities, your technical skillset, your people skills...

Character is your most deeply help values.

Like any brand, the higher your PSC rating the better your brand image. Your PSC is your secret code. The more astute and loftier your PSC values, the higher your chances of breaking into the league of per-sonal brand giants.

Getting into the skin of your dream personality

To get closer to owning your dream personality, you need to close the gap between your personal brand identity and personal brand image. In-troverts and those without clar-ity of life goals have a problem managing this gap. Extroverts manage to reduce the gap more easily. With an introvert, his real self or talent never comes out unless pushed, and this can misrepresent his brand image to others. Introvertedness is of-ten misconstrued as incompe-tence or as having shoddy per-sonal and professional goals. To own your dream personal-ity, you need to work on your-self. First and foremost, you need to catalogue some basics:

• a list of all that is important to you or vital to your existence
• a list of your strengths that can help you achieve the former
• a list of other stakeholders in your life
• a list of character traits and qualities your stakeholders value most in the world and in you
• a list of your best moments,joys and challenges and how you reacted in each of those scenarios.

A honest list can help point out and associate what qualities you need to imbibe to achieve your dream personality.

Building a personal brand

Building a personal brand is, how you manage to take what you have and do what you want with it. Building a personal brand image is taking the dream personality to the next level – public appearance. It is taking the dream personality for a walk in public, in full view of your colleagues, friends, and bosses.

Here are some tips to building a great and memorable personal brand.

Keep the character clean and polished

Dress appropriately

Be aware of your body language and keep its tone in check

Keep your language clean and words, to the point

Stay calm and efficient

Network and build a good rapport with all your stake-holders

Stay competent and update your skills

Display your talents

Make good use of situations without leaving behind dead bodies

Never agree to work against your conscience

Avoid being friends with people of negative character and or those with anti-social agendas.

Reality check: Brand Equity

In brand You terms, Brand Equity is anything that adds to or subtracts from your real or perceived value as a co-work-er, friend or family member. To understand your personal brand equity you must know your brand index – how each aspect of you is being per-ceived by the rest of the world.

Thus your brand index is a measure of the health of your personal brand in real time. Your brand index can help you identify problem areas and ad-dress them so that your brand equity remains stable over time.

Five steps to rebuild your per-sonal brand

Brand Audit: Talk to peo-ple who can be candid with you. Listen to what people re-ally have to say about you.

Acknowledge: Acknowl-edge your shortcomings and mistakes. Do not try to jus-tify yourself. Acknowledging is the first step to creating the need to change.

Making the change: Re-gard the opinions and decide whether you want to change. Figure out if you genuinely want to change and why, be-cause change is a long haul process.

Make a plan: Plan the ar-eas that needs change. Put ac-tions in to your words.

Accommodate failure and stay resilient: New behaviours take time and effort to perfect. What is necessary is to plan for the falls and also the rising from the falls. Don’t give in to pressures and revert to old methods of operation.

Setbacks and disappoint-ments are part of the learning process. They sub-consciously guide our growth and develop-ment into a better person and a better brand. They help us realise what we are and what we are capable of. That makes you more authentic and human which in turn helps you create for yourself enduring brand value.

Happy branding.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE

For 2014, it was pre-dicted that fashion will move beyond runways and spill over onto the streets. That is welcome fore-cast considering that not even half of what happens on the runway makes its way into wardrobes, even less so in In-dia. Runway fashion world-wide has remained restricted to the wardrobes of fashionistas, celebrities and the red-carpet. Fortunately, Spring/Summer 2014 is all about chic comfort. It is fashion for everyone. For once, the common man and woman can shed the runway taboo and actually flaunt what is ‘in’ this season.

SS 2014 seems to have gotten off on a good foot. As expected, soft colour and soft looks have started their reign. This season is also going to create history with the unstructured. ‘Fitted yet unstructured and asym-metrical’ will rule the season across categories. Time to stash away all the heavy blacks, scarlet reds and navy blues. Pastels in all hues of spring are fast cementing their place as the pick of the season. Pastels, unlike others, also allow for ex-perimenting with a wide variety of fabrics. One cannot go wrong with pastel and truly sky’s the limit on how pastel-spirited you want to get. To bring the pastel’s play to the fore, pick light, breezy, flowing fabrics that can tease the body and the eye alike. The best thing about pastels is that one can pick the colours that complement the person and wear it with whatever silhouette flatters and excites them.

This summer will also see a lot of transparent, wafty fabrics every-where – both for the torso and the legs. The ethereal lace is also mak-ing a comeback which can con-veniently complement the pastels without shouting out loud but sync-ing in creatively. Fashion labels are lapping up sheer for their shelves. It would be a great idea to invest in some masterpieces in sheer this season. This is also the time to get adventurous and try variations with transparency, may be even in patch-es. The finest designer pieces that have arrived on the shelves are a delicate mix of well-placed details, modest looks and a subtle play of hide and seek.

Styles that are making a come-back this time around in a solid way are checks, fringes, flares and pleats. Monochrome in tops, shirts, skirts, trousers and dresses are also finding their way into cubicles this season. It was a unanimous thumbs-up for black and white checks from fashion houses and designers alike. Checks make for the new ‘day-to-night’ dressing, in one minimalist stroke. Feminine grace took cen-tre stage worldwide when designs in checkered fabrics with pleats walked the ramp and soon after found their way down to the streets.

For the office

Pleats are the next big thing this season. After being shunned for a while, designers are beating an about turn show-ering love on pleats. Attempt the pleated look not just on skirts, but blouses and dresses as well. Skirts that accentuate the waist are also at the top of the charts. For men too pleats are recommended this season. Men are being advised the con-ventional yet decorous gentle-manly pleats on trousers.

For a day out with friends

Throw a biker jacket onto tees or even a casual evening dress and you can’t be wrong this season. Biker jackets are back and rocking. That is be-cause they add that touch of raw energy and strength into this season’s mild tones. Be brave, attempt something new and there is going to be no end to the compliments from others with or without biker jackets.

For formal evenings

For formal dos pick from pastel jackets and dresses and, generously-proportioned trousers that allow the leg to breathe. The figure hugging trousers are going away for a while. Experiment with flared tops sleeved or sleeveless, in pastels and brighter versions of the same. But flared tops with flared bottoms are a complete no-no.

At the beach

Go sheer, go lace - in all shades of pastel and white that "This summer will also see a lot of transparent, wafty fabrics everywhere both for the torso and the legs" can give the calm beachside a complex. A dash of summery floral prints to your hot pants, tees and dresses will not go unnoticed. Love length? Go for it girls with long flowing spaghetti tops (any length) that can float around your body.

For the night

Summer nights just got hotter. For big-night dressing, look no further than sequins, paillettes and lamé this spell. Jewel it up crazy for, there is no method to bling this season. Iridescent shimmer is the go to word. Haphazardly stitched crystals, the more the merrier, will define the nights. Ladies and gentlemen, pre-pare for one of the best seasons in fashion; fashion that a work-ing man/woman can under-stand, be inspired by and adapt to their wardrobe.

BUDDING MANAGERS

MARCH 2014 ISSUE