'Where the hell is Bhatia?' - A simple way to showcase a beautiful campus!

Yes, I need to learn how to dance!

But I hope I could send out a bigger message than that on the video showcasing me dancing all over ISB Mohali Campus. The inspiration came in two forms - one was to simply submit a YouTube video as an assignment and make it viral. For this, we (Namit, Rajat, Muthu and I) thought of several ideas, such as promoting our team 'Punjab Hukums' for the ISL. But then that would require too much effort. Eventually Rajat got this bright idea of aping the famous 44 Million + viewed Where the hell is Matt? video.

The bigger idea was to portray our new ISB Mohali Campus. ISB has taken a big leap forward in education, by starting the Mohali Campus. The aim of this video was to show the campus from inside, in a quick and fun way.

I hope you enjoy the video as much as we did while creating it. This video is dedicated to the entire G4S Security , Sarovar Houskeeping and Dining, and all the other staff, which make our living at the campus, a delightful experience!

Back to basics with Action+Learning!

'Aspirations need to be higher than resources' - Sunil Bharti Mittal, at the Indian School of Business, 12th June 2012.


'Theory doesn't come to life until you try it out' - Professor Charles Fine of MIT, at the Indian School of business - 12th June 2012. 


Entrepreneurial students at ISB couldn't have wished for a luckier day than the 12th of June. The evening  started with an inspiring speech by Mr. Mittal at 6 : 15 pm, after which the focus shifted towards making the most of our ISB education, by focusing on the 'Action+Learning' technique.

Both Professor Fine and Professor Loredana Padurean of Lasell College have had tremendous experience in   fields of Supply Chain, Logistics, Manufacturing and Operations. At a packed venue, where students were inspired by the turning of events, Professor Padurean stated candidly - she was more interested in the 'people management' aspect of manufacturing and operations. 'There are more than 50 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in India, and I am here to understand how they work'.

We can be forgiven if we wondered, why is a Ph.D. from MIT, who had interned with the Switzerland Tourism and Hospitality board, interested in SME's in India? 'I interned at a big company', she said, 'and I learnt absolutely nothing. So I decided to go to work at the smallest and hardest to reach place to work- a Ski - resort, which had been bankrupt 5 times and was lying in a village with a population of 37.' She started running the resort, and in 18 months, she got her experience in action, learning and some glamour, since the World Trade Organization ,who wondered what on earth was she doing at a ski resort, invited her to give a presentation.

She couldn't stress more on the unimportance of a name, or size of the company. 'Just because the name of the company doesn't tell you much, doesn't mean you won't get Action+Learning'.

Prof. Fine continued. He said theory gives you insights on scientific data. 'If you are going to consider your MBA at ISB as 48 courses, you have just wasted your investment, as you are not going to learn anything'.  ' Do projects, Do ELPs! Get your hands dirty and work with the industry', he stressed.

He then focused on the theme of the talk - ' How to make the most of your MBA at ISB'. ' Courses are modules, organizational challenges don't come as a marketing problem, or a finance problem - they come as a dirty mix of all problems'. To make the most of our MBA, he stressed that we needed to 'integrate all the missing pieces' .

Prof. Fine, then started throwing light on the new Manufacturing specialization, which ISB was offering, at the Mohali campus. 'The manufacturing major aims to teach integration and connect all the dots.' He then spoke about the Manufacturing Pro Seminar, which would be mandatory for Manufacturing major students, from term 6 - 8. 'Its a simple plan, we will go to the factories as a group. We will tear everything apart to learn how the mechanism works, and then we will come back and study about what we saw. In other words, we will find ways to integrate pieces of education'.

Finally the focus shifted back to businesses. How do you create a cadre of professionals, to run an organization? The aim of the manufacturing and operations courses at ISB, is to find out the answer. Prof. Fine and Padurean have certainly created a buzz about the new courses being offered. In the end, the participants in the talk walked out, feeling they had just learnt a lot that day.

My Soapbox Speech!

A speech from the heart.



I thought I'd upload my GSB Soapbox Speech. I didn't follow it too much, because a speech maybe a good reference, but not the right way to engage with our class.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with my fellow candidates. We all have respect for each other, and I am sure we will help each other over the year's to come.

Special thanks to SEAL, and our volunteers. You went out of your way in ensuring this event was a success.

And finally, thank you all, fellow founders, for being patient and listening to all the presentations and QA sessions. It really motivates us to work harder.

Below is my speech.

My Dear Mohali Founders!

The American actor Milton Berle once said “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door!”

We all have accomplished a lot in life, before we came to ISB. We all have faced hardships, trials, tribulations and challenges. And with each challenge, we have grown smarter and stronger. To us challenges are nothing new. After all, we all are here with a desire to do!

This year is historical not only for us, but also for a business school that has grown so quickly. ISB made a bold decision when it decided to build a new campus. And we made a bolder decision of being part of this Founding Batch!

Just as a potter moulds the clay into the shape that he desires, we have been given an opportunity to mould a school into a personality that will live with it, for years to come.  ISB is a student driven school – we can see it in our everyday lives. Today the school is asking us to choose one of us, who will listen to all our concerns, understand what is required out of situations, and work with the entities in addressing those concerns.  This person should know how to get things done, must not hesitate in choosing the larger interests of all over personal ambitious and must constantly think of promoting the interest and activities @ ISB.

Since November 15^th, 2011, I have tried to contribute towards forming a strong community in Mohali in my own small ways. To learn how students and ISB Staff worked towards promoting and executing an event, I volunteered to help ISB during ‘Swavalamban 2011’ in December, 2011. The event was a huge success, and I learnt many nuances in event planning @ ISB.

Like most of us, I was thrilled on landing in Mohali on 13^th April. Since then, I have tried to interact with as many of us as possible and try to understand what we want from the year ahead at ISB.

1.       We all are here to ensure that ISB helps us in securing jobs which optimize our careers. Having made such a huge investment – both in time and money, it is quintessential that we charge ahead with our jobs, once we graduate.

We met the Co2012 batch during O week, and in one week, we learnt so much from them.

Wouldn’t it be better if these heroes guide us throughout the year at ISB, or even beyond?

Our year at Mohali seems to be flying ahead. One day it’s Metabical, the other day it’s Philboco. How are we supposed to find the time to identify what career is right for us?

Wouldn’t it be helpful if each one of us was assigned an alum who belonged to our same target industry who would guide us right from choosing the right electives, as well as giving us insights on the sector, functionality and company? This Student – Mentor Program will benefit all of us, and ensure we minimize the probability of changing jobs soon after ISB.

With this program, I am not reinventing the wheel. But at the same time, through CAS and AAC, we can work towards forming a total pool of alums that will have periodic, concise and effective interactions with us.

2.       Professional clubs are supposed to be the link between our academics and the industry. We all have similar ideas – We can arrange Speakers, companies, case competitions as well as conclaves.  I have three suggestions related to promoting Professional Clubs.

1.       Let us create a Professional Club showcase calendar. We should divide the next 10.5 to 11 months appropriately into promoting each club judiciously. Each promotional event should feature awareness creation about the Club, the related industry, organize competitive case competitions and invite leading experts of industries. These events should be covered elaborately by the Media and Communications club.

2.       We have 4 Centers of Excellence willing to support us. The Chairmen were kind enough to grace us with their presence and time on the very first day. We stand a clear advantage over other schools, because we are being directly supported by the industry – not just by passive support, but by active funding towards the common goal of promoting the 4 crucial foundations of India’s growth.  We are being closely watched, my fellow founders – without losing focus on the traditional clubs, let us also put special efforts in promoting the Healthcare, Manufacturing, Public Policy an Infrastructure clubs.

We can definitely request these esteemed achievers to help attract the right companies, speakers and thereby, the right publicity.  And let us not forget, these gentlemen have been entrepreneurs, we have inspiration all around us.

3.       With the Mohali campus, ISB has made a bold statement to the country – ISB means Business! The Governing Board at ISB has supported the creation and success of this campus early on. As the founding members, it is our responsibility to create an aura of professionalism and leadership for our new campus. How can we ensure that within our year at Mohali, we get this campus in the limelight?

Let us start small. We should begin creating a micro-site and ensuring that this site is updated with pictures and articles about the progress of the campus. Blogs and other social media tools should be utilized to the maximum in ensuring our presence in the digital space.

In reality, the events and activities we carry out around Chandigarh and Mohali will generate proportionate respect.  We would need the help of the members of the Net Impact club, classmates such as Saloni Bajaj and Archana Challa who have worked extensively in this sphere. Pro Bono work never goes unnoticed, and we should ensure appropriate media coverage for the same.

The activities we carry out may not bear fruits immediately, but will help future classes to build on the foundations we lay, in promoting our business school.

The fourth issue we shall approach is to increase the interaction between Mohali and Hyderabad campus. We all have proposed video recording of lectures, events and speaker sessions. This may help us know what is happening at both campuses. But does this really make the 770 of us unite?

We all know that the best way of knowing our class mates from Hyderabad is if we met some of them and personally interacted with them. And what better a chance to unite, then to unite over celebrating ISB, a school which unites all of us?

I propose we create an event – Let’s call it ISB Unites. Let’s work with the GSB of Hyderabad, and focus over inter campus social club events – be it sports, or drama, or dance! Let us follow an elimination strategy, where the winning teams get to fly across to the other campus, and compete with the finalists there. Let us split the events to be organized – half in Mohali and half in Hyderabad. I estimate around 50 of us flying to Hyderabad and 50 of Hyderabad coming to Mohali.

Let us not look at our campus as “Work in Progress” but as just “progress”. Yes, ISB is aware about the difficulties we face living in hotels which are ½ hr away from campus. We haven’t got an opportunity to really connect, because of not staying on campus. Let’s be honest, we will not be able to ensure completion of all campus amenities. But at the same time, we can definitely work with the school in ensuring the quick completion of our much needed Auditorium.  . We can also work with the Operations team, led by our dear General Bakhshi, in ensuring break out areas, where professional and social clubs can meet and interact. There are several teething troubles which arise from time to time, and we are not quite aware about how the situation will be once we move on to campus. But I am sure with periodic inputs and suggestions from all of us; we can work towards ensuring our campus is homely and beautiful.

With these plans I stand in front of you, my dear Founders.  We all have come here to achieve our dreams. Let us spare no effort in ensuring that they come true.

  

Our Dean Strongest

 Dean Ajit Rangnekar - The 'Distinguished Speaker' of the year!




Every Presidential candidate in Hyderabad and Mohali has put 'To facilitate speaker's series by inviting distinguished speakers' as one of their core or main agenda points. So much for differentiation :)


Last night, after dinner, as he sat with us at our hotel Mountview - generally chatting with us about issues of safety in Chandigarh, the Mohali Campus and other issues - Dean Ajit made me realize how far he goes out of his way to ensure ISB's students and professors are made comfortable. Like he puts it - the students are the customers and collaborators for brand ISB.

The Dean didn't need to be there - he had flown in just to talk to us in sections, about how we should approach the year ahead. For the Dean, such talks must be quite mechanical - after all, every year he has to probably carry on the same task. But yet, any listener wouldn't be forgiven to feel that this man has spoken to his or her heart.

The Dean is one of the most effective communicators I have seen. Toastmaster's Club members would have noted that when he speaks, he speaks in a slow and articulate manner - stressing on the right words and pausing just for the right time. I have also noted that no matter how prestigious or how small the occasion, he carries a small diary mentioning the points he needs to address. After all , our dear Dean is constantly giving speeches.

Dean Ajit has an amazing sense of humour. Last night, when one of us asked him about IT companies wanting to recruit from Mohali, he looked at her and in a serious, stern face started moving his neck in the classic Indian Bob way. For the first few seconds, we all thought he was being extremely serious, just when the corner of his lips broke into a slight smile, and then a loud gaiety laugh. I can only imagine how often he must be in stressful situations - B school rankings sometime mimic the Dean's blood pressure and react inversely I guess. A leader who can cheer his team up even in the time of crisis, is a leader to follow.

But most importantly, what I really need to learn to learn from him is humility. He has warned us, and warned us enough - about being courteous and polite to the staff. He is a family man, and stresses on the fact that we respect our upbringing when we follow the honour code. But the biggest lesson I learnt (thanks to Vatsala's observation skills) was when after his 'Pep Talk' with section I, when he had finished a presentation and drawn some figures on the white board, he went up to the board and erased it. When thought of philosophically, this man does his own work himself - he does not need a posse of followers. He is a finisher, he has the complete initiative-finitiative attribute ( takes something up, and completes it to to its logical end). And boy, we all know, he finishes it well!

My suggestion for all Professional and Social Clubs. Take advantage of the Dean's wisdom.  Dean Ajit has been head of PwC and PwC Consulting. He has had a work experience of more than 30 years.

If the Dean ever happened to read this blog, all I want to say is - Thank you Dean, for being the way you are. Keep Inspiring, and be omnipresent across campuses and in our hearts!

Abhay

Abhay

Giving identity to the ISB Mohali Campus

Giving identity to the ISB Mohali Campus




Let us address three issues when we discuss promoting 'ISB @ Mohali'.


1. Importance :- Having come across numerous instances when relatives, friends or acquaintances didn't know about ISB Mohali, we must ensure our founding batch creates enough awareness about the campus, its activities and of course, us.

The trick here is to promote the Mohali campus, to an extent where people fully recognize the 'One School - Two Campus' philosophy, without creating a sense of rivalry between Hyderabad and Mohali. Our campus should be the talk of North India, not just the town of Mohali or Chandigarh. What makes it easy is that ISB is known all over.

2. How do we go about doing it?


1. We should start by ensuring that we work closely with Media and Communications Team in ensuring that ISB @ Mohali is branded appropriately. There are several ways to go about it.

a. Revamp or recreate ISB Mohali sub page. Let it still be a part of www.isb.edu, but let it have a theme, possibly of a "New Tomorrow". On campus, let us do away with those traditional flexi-banners and standees ( which we came across when ISB was promoting the 'Effective Presentation Seminar' which was held in KC Royal Park.). We need to utilize the bare walls which are enclosed within the Bar Building ( the building which contains all the LT's, LRCs, Offices etc., and scale the posters proportionately.

b. Stage 2 can be implemented, once we get onto campus. We know that ISB Day is held on December 7th. We should create a series of events leading upto ISB day, which involves comprehensive coverage by the Media. I am sure all of us are creative enough to come up of different occasions and events where we can invite the media.

c.  Start promoting the 4 Centres of Excellence :- We may look at consulting, or finance or marketing post ISB. Lets face it - infrastructure, public policy, manufacturing and healthcare are hot sectors, and we can certainly capitalize on them, by ensuring maximum participation and involvement of our 4 sponsors of these centres. Any visit by either of the Chairmen of the companies, or someone like Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, should be promoted enough so that the newspapers carry articles. I request all my class mates, who have good contacts with the media to formally work with the Media and Communications Team.

d. Make Mohali campus accessible and friendly. :- We must enhance our ISB Ambassador Program (current batch students who volunteer to conduct campus tours to prospective students and families). A typical day at campus must include
i. Auditing a class
ii. General Presentation by the Admissions Team
iii. A free meal and a one hour campus session with any one of the ISB Ambassadors.

I had visited ISB for points i and ii, in September last year when I had applied, and was a bit disappointed about option iii not being available. Trust me, these small gestures towards prospective students really enhances the image of the school.

e. BLOG :- With so many creative writers among us, we must ensure a small pool of us form a part of the Blogging Team, whereby 6-7 of us (with diverse experience) can write about our daily lives, challenges, opportunities and fun. These blogs get a lot of coverage on sites such as PagalGuy and gmatclub.com. I like the CMU Tepper MBA Blog ( http://www.tepper.cmu.edu/mba/online-community/student-blogs/index.aspx) .

3. 200 odd different ideas. :- I am sure all of us can come up with many more ways and means of promoting our school. Feel free to tell me some of them :)

Abhay

The Student-Mentor Program

Student-Mentor Program :- A Low-down

There is a need to create a Student-Mentor Program. This concept is not new, and I am not reinventing the wheel, but just fixing it back for a smoother ride ahead.

A one year program is never going to give us sufficient time to think about the career ahead. In less than four weeks, we had our first mid-terms, and the dawn of the final exams for Term 1 is not too far away. Besides this, there are events, parties and ELPs to think about. How are we supposed to figure out the road ahead, post ISB?

The motivation :- It is surprising to know that a significant number of alums worked on their first job for less than a year, before leaving the company to join another one. While people leave jobs to take better ones, the fundamental question which bothers me is that why is it that they are leaving the first job in such a short time?

Is it because of a better pay package?

Is it because the first job is not in the sector they choose to pursue? 

Is the company not the right fit? 

Did they take the job under stress or pressure?

Moving jobs is a hassle. Just when you have settled down, its time to go again. You maybe compensated adequately in the next job, but you still need to re-establish work relationships. 

We should kick start the Mohali legacy, by ensuring most of us are well advised about the career we choose to pursue. Hence, the Student-Mentor Program.

The context :- Recruitment season usually begins by the year end. By end of Term 2, we should be ready to narrow down on the industry or functionality we aim to pursue. There are two problems to this issue

1. What happens to those of us who still haven't figured out what career is right for us?

2. Even if we have figured out our desired sector/functionality, are we fully aware about the skill-set and the economic conditions surrounding it?

The idea :- The idea is to link each one of us (initially Mohali Founders) to a mentor. The mentor will be an ISB alum, who belongs to the industry/functionality we have targeted while filling up the CAS Declaration form ( remember the 5 companies and roles?) during our admission. This mentor will be linked with us in the following manner

1. Advice us on the electives we should aim for, while we are at ISB, based on the career we plan to pursue.

2. Advice us on the companies/industry/functionality we aim for. The best people to advice us are those who have been part of the ISB journey and are very active in the industry. 

By advice I mean they would tell us about the current trends, soft-skills, technical background etc. required to get a buy in.

3. Interact with us, either by phone ( believe me, a phone conversation still makes a difference) or Skype or if we are fortunate, meet us. This human interaction would help them advise us on our personality. ( how should we talk, better communication skills etc.)

4. Finally, be a guide for life. I have yet to meet an alum who hasn't had time to help me out or to guide me to someone who solve my problem.

How it works :- This ambitious plan would require a joint operation from 

1. CAS :- For information sharing about student career profiles

2. AAC :- To approach alums and explain the entire concept. 

3. GSA :- To act as a facilitator in the entire process.

4. We the students :- ISB can only do so much. The rest depends on how proactive we are in seeking guidance from our mentor.

Possible issues :- 

1. This will be like the mentor-student 15 minute session during LDP 

Answer :- No it won't. LDP mentoring sessions were only based on the alums analysing our personality tests. In the Student-Mentor Program the alum will be aware about our career plans, as well as have information about our performance at school. They have been through the grind, and are aware about how our current performance would make us in the future.

2. I won't have time for another non-academic activity

On the contrary, we will. The initial information about our career will be filling up a concise form, indicating if we still plan to pursue our initial goals, or if we have changed our minds, or if we haven't figured things out. Following this, we can work with AAC in quickly linking us with the alum. Both alum and student will be briefed about the entire exercise. We shall implement time -bound operations, and ensure a bare minimum interaction time of half-hour every month. Of course, we can interact more with our mentors if desired. 

3. The alum will not be interested 

Every professional, working in a growing organization, is always on the lookout for the right people. I am quite confident that if an alum can't help, he or she will guide us to someone else, but make sure we are not left alone. 

Thus, the idea excites me. It will be immensely useful, if properly implemented. Of course, I maybe overlooking several things. Would definitely love to hear from you

-Abhay