They're acknowledged worldwide as some of the brainiest people on this planet. They appear in boardrooms, as well as comic strips around the world.
They're the alumni of the various Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in India, and they're getting together for a PanIIT Global Conference 2006 with the theme "Inspire to Involve and Transform India".
There's no doubt that most of these alumni of various IIT are in a position to make a difference to this country, what's amazing is their constant endeavors to do so!
The 3-day conference has a diverse variety of relevant sessions planned - including those that help understand the Indian economy, infrastructure, outlook, as well as specific areas for growth including energy, environment, bio-technology, and information technology - with a perspective on how IITians can make a difference both starting from the grassroots level and heading for the top audiences/industries.
Read more about the conference here, or keep watching this space.
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Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Talent? What Talent!?
At the ICCO Global Summit 2006, one of the sessions was "Talent: Our Greatest Asset". The Speaker was Jeffrey Fuller of Mercer HR Consulting, and the Chairperson (though I expected him to do a session as Speaker) was Bill Rylance - Asia-Pacific President & CEO of PR firm Burson-Marsteller.
My homework on Jeffrey Fuller told me we'd get a great global perspective on talent issues and management. And that this talk will not only touch upon human insights, but be backed by logical, scientific thinking as well.
My homework was correct, I wasn't disappointed, and neither was the audience, by the sense I got in the hall. Jeffrey had covered most of the issues to do with talent.
Then Bill Rylance asked his first question. And gave the whole subject another angle, which may have been at the back of a lot of minds, but hadn't ever been put so bluntly before.
As masterful as he is known to be, Bill Rylance pulled an ace out of his perceptive hat, and kind of said "all this is very well, to take care of people and their issues - but how do you deal with the fact that more often than not the root cause of all the problems and issues facing a company, is actually a bad boss?!"
And with that single statement, he made a point that talent becomes irrelevant, when bosses become terrible!
A silent hush ran through the audience, and I am sure everyone thought of their own boss immediately, and how almost every problem they faced, could be traced back to him or her!
It is true, and I am sure you all agree that the culture, the emotions, the workstyle of an organisation all depends upon the management and the environment it creates.
Good management, can nurture people and create positive productive, healthy believers.
Slack management, can create confusion, promote laziness and lower productivity, and at best mediocre performance.
Terrible management, will create chaos, hostility, lowered production, and many clusters of discontent!
In my seventeen years, I have had the honour and privilege of working with some of the finest bosses in the country - Sajid Peerbhoy, Abhinav Dhar, Nakul Chopra, Nirvik Singh, Arvind Wable, Nitish Mukherjee and Sanjeev Bhargava are the ones I can thank for nurturing and helping me grow - emotionally, as well as intellectually. Sure, we had minor issues like in every relationship, but we're all still friends today.
And having not been obsessed with 'boss problems' of my own, I had the luxury of noticing other people's bosses around me - in different business divisions, in client offices, in partner agencies, and even boss's bosses! There were a few good ones I came across - Ravi Kant (Tata Motors), Anil Kapoor (FCB), Sanjeev Chaddha (Pepsi), Marise Kumar (Whirlpool) and Prema Sagar (Burson-Marsteller) are the ones I'd rank as great bosses and people to work with.
You can always get a sense from body language of Bosses, as to how good or bad they'll be. As well as know from the body language of those around them. Relaxed and good people, always have relaxed and good people around them - and together they do a great job growing themselves, growing their companies.
So while we must do all we can to manage our people well like Jeffrey suggested, the fact is as Bill pointed out - if we really want to do justice to our talent, we need to begin at the top!
My homework on Jeffrey Fuller told me we'd get a great global perspective on talent issues and management. And that this talk will not only touch upon human insights, but be backed by logical, scientific thinking as well.
My homework was correct, I wasn't disappointed, and neither was the audience, by the sense I got in the hall. Jeffrey had covered most of the issues to do with talent.
Then Bill Rylance asked his first question. And gave the whole subject another angle, which may have been at the back of a lot of minds, but hadn't ever been put so bluntly before.
As masterful as he is known to be, Bill Rylance pulled an ace out of his perceptive hat, and kind of said "all this is very well, to take care of people and their issues - but how do you deal with the fact that more often than not the root cause of all the problems and issues facing a company, is actually a bad boss?!"
And with that single statement, he made a point that talent becomes irrelevant, when bosses become terrible!
A silent hush ran through the audience, and I am sure everyone thought of their own boss immediately, and how almost every problem they faced, could be traced back to him or her!
It is true, and I am sure you all agree that the culture, the emotions, the workstyle of an organisation all depends upon the management and the environment it creates.
Good management, can nurture people and create positive productive, healthy believers.
Slack management, can create confusion, promote laziness and lower productivity, and at best mediocre performance.
Terrible management, will create chaos, hostility, lowered production, and many clusters of discontent!
In my seventeen years, I have had the honour and privilege of working with some of the finest bosses in the country - Sajid Peerbhoy, Abhinav Dhar, Nakul Chopra, Nirvik Singh, Arvind Wable, Nitish Mukherjee and Sanjeev Bhargava are the ones I can thank for nurturing and helping me grow - emotionally, as well as intellectually. Sure, we had minor issues like in every relationship, but we're all still friends today.
And having not been obsessed with 'boss problems' of my own, I had the luxury of noticing other people's bosses around me - in different business divisions, in client offices, in partner agencies, and even boss's bosses! There were a few good ones I came across - Ravi Kant (Tata Motors), Anil Kapoor (FCB), Sanjeev Chaddha (Pepsi), Marise Kumar (Whirlpool) and Prema Sagar (Burson-Marsteller) are the ones I'd rank as great bosses and people to work with.
You can always get a sense from body language of Bosses, as to how good or bad they'll be. As well as know from the body language of those around them. Relaxed and good people, always have relaxed and good people around them - and together they do a great job growing themselves, growing their companies.
So while we must do all we can to manage our people well like Jeffrey suggested, the fact is as Bill pointed out - if we really want to do justice to our talent, we need to begin at the top!
.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Changing Face of India
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) at the ICCO Global Summit 2006 held in New Delhi this October, started the session "The Changing Face of India" by mis-pronouncing the name of one of India's most respected journalists - TN Ninan (Pronounced Tee En Nine-un, not Neenaan as the lady announced).
While Ninan rightly expressed his irritation, I couldn't help but smile at the symbolism of the incident:
Firstly, it reminds us that despite the years of cultural assimilation and progress, India is still a very culturally diverse country - there is no "typical Indian" and most Indians know very little about, and what makes the person in front of them tick!
And as communication consultants, when you add the factor of a constantly evolving economy to this constantly stirring society, it is most likely that the moment you reach within an arm's length of understanding your consumer, he's going to do a character twist and wriggle out of your mental grasp!
The second symbolism I felt, was even though we all consider Ninan to be 'famous' journalist, he's actually not that familiar a name among the general audience.
And in that reflects another truth of the new India today, which is similar to the rest of the developing world: Media is evolving, the erstwhile giants of print and television have a much lesser impact on society than before, and they have to compete with upstarts like the internet, and surprisingly even the resurgent radio!
Thirdly, the way Ninan reacted, also reflected the changing face of India - he was quick to ask aloud "who the hell is Neenan!??" and then he went on to ignore the MC as she tried to wrap up the session at the end of its allotted time, taking his time to make the points he had to.
The new Indian doesn't give a damn about the voice of authority (no pun intended), is not afraid to raise issues that could even affront someone in power, is ready to stand up and defend their individuality, and will do whatever it takes to get their voice heard!
As I started chewing on the symbolism, my thoughts were further fed by R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director of Tata Sons - one of the most respected companies in India. He pointed out that India's consumption pattern resembles that of developed nations. And urbanisation is on a fast track that not only connects large cities, but is making inroads into rural India as well.
If you ask what are Indians spending on? Well, Mobile Phones, Televisions, Cars, and Computers are some of the products harvesting the seeds of this increased spending.
They're all tools of communication, getting around, and connecting people. And Indians are seeking out these in large numbers - not just the standard vanilla variety, but in the form of individually customised sundaes! Mobile phones that do a lot of things in a lot of languages, not just televisions but interactive televisions, and all kinds of cars for different occasions.
The point is, the changing face of India is culturally diverse and constantly diversifying, attention spans are fleeting and flying all over the media space, and of course media isn't only "the media" anymore.
That's what I took out from this session at the Summit. The rest of the presentations in this session were just feel good presentations for Indian audiences, and provided fascinating (and inviting) facts for the foreigners.
To know more about India and all the fact and figures, check out India Brand Equity Foundation or Confederation of Indian Industry
.
While Ninan rightly expressed his irritation, I couldn't help but smile at the symbolism of the incident:
Firstly, it reminds us that despite the years of cultural assimilation and progress, India is still a very culturally diverse country - there is no "typical Indian" and most Indians know very little about, and what makes the person in front of them tick!
And as communication consultants, when you add the factor of a constantly evolving economy to this constantly stirring society, it is most likely that the moment you reach within an arm's length of understanding your consumer, he's going to do a character twist and wriggle out of your mental grasp!
The second symbolism I felt, was even though we all consider Ninan to be 'famous' journalist, he's actually not that familiar a name among the general audience.
And in that reflects another truth of the new India today, which is similar to the rest of the developing world: Media is evolving, the erstwhile giants of print and television have a much lesser impact on society than before, and they have to compete with upstarts like the internet, and surprisingly even the resurgent radio!
Thirdly, the way Ninan reacted, also reflected the changing face of India - he was quick to ask aloud "who the hell is Neenan!??" and then he went on to ignore the MC as she tried to wrap up the session at the end of its allotted time, taking his time to make the points he had to.
The new Indian doesn't give a damn about the voice of authority (no pun intended), is not afraid to raise issues that could even affront someone in power, is ready to stand up and defend their individuality, and will do whatever it takes to get their voice heard!
As I started chewing on the symbolism, my thoughts were further fed by R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director of Tata Sons - one of the most respected companies in India. He pointed out that India's consumption pattern resembles that of developed nations. And urbanisation is on a fast track that not only connects large cities, but is making inroads into rural India as well.
If you ask what are Indians spending on? Well, Mobile Phones, Televisions, Cars, and Computers are some of the products harvesting the seeds of this increased spending.
They're all tools of communication, getting around, and connecting people. And Indians are seeking out these in large numbers - not just the standard vanilla variety, but in the form of individually customised sundaes! Mobile phones that do a lot of things in a lot of languages, not just televisions but interactive televisions, and all kinds of cars for different occasions.
The point is, the changing face of India is culturally diverse and constantly diversifying, attention spans are fleeting and flying all over the media space, and of course media isn't only "the media" anymore.
That's what I took out from this session at the Summit. The rest of the presentations in this session were just feel good presentations for Indian audiences, and provided fascinating (and inviting) facts for the foreigners.
To know more about India and all the fact and figures, check out India Brand Equity Foundation or Confederation of Indian Industry
.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Forget Best Practices, Think Next Practices!
Next Practices - How cool a phrase is that! Well the first time I heard it, it was in the context of ICCO - the International Communications Consultancy Organisation, and the theme for the ICCO Global Summit 2006.
That was early this year… the Summit is now concluded… and all the speakers and delegates have gone home.
In the mean time I not only got involved with creating communication for the Summit (full disclosure here) I also attended it as a paying Delegate.
But whatever I say here is purely from the perspective of someone who paid good money to get something in return. Here’s what I got.
Next Practices – yup! I discovered what they’re all about. And I also learnt a lot about next markets, next consumers, and next opportunities – but not necessarily from the speakers.
Well like all conferences I’ve attended, some speakers were brilliant, and some were complete boors! Some made a lot of people see sense, and some made a lot of people snore.
Allow me to elaborate:
If you are a person like me with your ear to the ground, and a finger on the pulse of consumers and media – there were few surprises at the Summit.
But then, not everyone is like me, so I saw plenty of jaws drop and heads shake in awe at the insights and perspectives that were shared.
The ones who stood out (even for me) among the lot of speakers were: Harold Burson, Louis Capozzi, Paul Taaffe, Aedhmar Hynes, Jairam Ramesh, Esther Dyson, and Christopher Graves.
The ones I wanted to hear some more were: Paul Holmes, Tarun Das, Bill Rylance, Doug Hauger and Jean-Leopold Schuybroek.
The ones who had something potent to share, but didn't get due justice were: Yann Risz and Advait Kurlekar (I'll explain how and why in subsequent posts).
The top prize for sheer attitude and energy would be shared between: Christopher Graves, Simon Quarendon, and TN Ninan.
Among the extra curricular sessions: I’d say the most mind opening session was the one with Jamling Norgay!
The second day was better than the first, even though every session on the first day ended bang on time… hey hang on a bit..! That’s why the second day was better – the first day so cut and dried on time, it became boring, and there was hardly any interaction! It’s on the second day when the process took a beating, and everyone asked questions, that the Summit actually became more enjoyable!!
Overall, I’d say the Summit was a success, not just in terms of attendance, but also in terms of learning.
While Simon Quarendon dished out some amazing stats in his vote of thanks to prove the attendance bit, my following posts will give you a session-by-session run down on the learning at ICCO Global Summit 2006!
Stay tuned… Next Practices & Co… Coming up… next!
That was early this year… the Summit is now concluded… and all the speakers and delegates have gone home.
In the mean time I not only got involved with creating communication for the Summit (full disclosure here) I also attended it as a paying Delegate.
But whatever I say here is purely from the perspective of someone who paid good money to get something in return. Here’s what I got.
Next Practices – yup! I discovered what they’re all about. And I also learnt a lot about next markets, next consumers, and next opportunities – but not necessarily from the speakers.
Well like all conferences I’ve attended, some speakers were brilliant, and some were complete boors! Some made a lot of people see sense, and some made a lot of people snore.
Allow me to elaborate:
If you are a person like me with your ear to the ground, and a finger on the pulse of consumers and media – there were few surprises at the Summit.
But then, not everyone is like me, so I saw plenty of jaws drop and heads shake in awe at the insights and perspectives that were shared.
The ones who stood out (even for me) among the lot of speakers were: Harold Burson, Louis Capozzi, Paul Taaffe, Aedhmar Hynes, Jairam Ramesh, Esther Dyson, and Christopher Graves.
The ones I wanted to hear some more were: Paul Holmes, Tarun Das, Bill Rylance, Doug Hauger and Jean-Leopold Schuybroek.
The ones who had something potent to share, but didn't get due justice were: Yann Risz and Advait Kurlekar (I'll explain how and why in subsequent posts).
The top prize for sheer attitude and energy would be shared between: Christopher Graves, Simon Quarendon, and TN Ninan.
Among the extra curricular sessions: I’d say the most mind opening session was the one with Jamling Norgay!
The second day was better than the first, even though every session on the first day ended bang on time… hey hang on a bit..! That’s why the second day was better – the first day so cut and dried on time, it became boring, and there was hardly any interaction! It’s on the second day when the process took a beating, and everyone asked questions, that the Summit actually became more enjoyable!!
Overall, I’d say the Summit was a success, not just in terms of attendance, but also in terms of learning.
While Simon Quarendon dished out some amazing stats in his vote of thanks to prove the attendance bit, my following posts will give you a session-by-session run down on the learning at ICCO Global Summit 2006!
Stay tuned… Next Practices & Co… Coming up… next!
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