Rebound

He sits looking at the sky searching for calm,
Even the morning breeze has lost its charm.

The dream is shattered once again,
Everything planned went haywire, yet again.

Every breath tires him,
Even the chirping birds seem to mock him.

But this isn't the first nor the last time,
Howsoever dark the night, the sun shall shine one more time.

It is the sweet taste of victory that he desires,
For which he has to continue to perspire.

One moment of glory shall wipe away all the pain,
And life will seem precious and happy once again.

So once again, rise and fight.
Take up the challenge with all your might.

Once again, rise and fight,
Quit not till you see the light...

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Ambassador Cars: 5 Management Lessons

No, I am no car freak. Nor do I have too much interest in cars. But may be, the demise of the Ambassador Car is a reason good enough to write something on it. So let us take a look at 5 management lessons that the Ambassador cars taught us:

1. Understand what the customer wants
   Every organisation needs to understand what the customer wants. In case of Ambassador, customers did not want a heavy, antique car, where seats resembled a sofa set.
2. Don't wait for the competition to eat away your market share
   Better, cannibalize your products with newer ones. We see that happening across industry segments - from cellular phones to cars. Newer products and variants are being launched at an unprecedented rate to save the market share.
3. Change with the times
   How often have we heard the cliche that "change is the only constant". If only Hindustan Motors had understood this, and made changes to the designs and features of the car, in all probability this article wouldn't have been written.
4. It is indeed sometimes too late to start
   Well, since childhood we have been taught that it's never too late to start. False.  Sometimes organisations wait for so long to bring about change or start something new that it is indeed too late. Hindustan Motors was too late in hiring new designers, new management, etc. May be, it is safer to stick to the saying, "A stitch in time saves nine". 
5. Accept that you have lost the war.For the past several years, market share had been declining and losses mounting. Several steps were taken, but none brought about any significant improvements, and the situation deteriorated even more. How tough it may be, one needs to face the reality and accept defeat so that more resources are not wasted fighting a lost war.

However, all said and done, it cannot be denied that Ambassador was once indeed one of the most loved vehicles in India. The white government vehicles with red beacons and yellow taxis used to stand apart and instill a sense of pride. And surely, The City of Joy would never have had the same charm without Ambassador cars...

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‘I quit’…. or, ‘Do I?’

Many a times we feel that life has become too difficult for us to handle… Not getting the perfect grades, having a troublesome boss, a relationship gone sour, some nagging health issue, not getting the perfect job, fight with best friends… these are some of the few reasons that make us conclude that “life is difficult”, and we act irrationally. In short, we lose hope and quit.

At times, even I used to think the same, until a person I met at a railway station and some thoughts from within changed it all!

The person I am referring to was no professor, no saint, and no, he wasn’t another common man! He was a mendicant. Yes, you read it right.

This person had some issues with his spinal cord, which did not allow him to stand up, sit straight or even bend properly. He was asking for alms by dragging himself and his bag throughout the length of the platform. When people refused him alms, he would quietly drag himself away. Those who were generous to him were greeted by a warm smile and blessings.

It was a pitiful site, and after watching him for over 15 minutes, I wondered, “Why do we get so desperate?” There are so many moments ranging from frustrations of a job and low grades in studies to fights with people whom we care about, that make us wonder how sad life is and what’s the point of it… Some people even take get depressed and take extreme steps like suicide. Put simply, we lose hope, and quit.

Think again friends, is life really so difficult for us that we need to indeed lose hope? The mendicant I was referring to had the simple option of quitting: he could have dragged himself to the edge of the platform and jumped in front of any train. Even he chose to fight and not lose hope or quit. May be, he thought life had something better in store for him.

Let us think the same. Why cannot we at least hope that things will get better and hence not yield? I am sure, in the past too, we each one of us has overcome situations which we thought were impossible to recover from. Let us take some inspiration from the difficult times we overcame and the mendicant. Let’s make a small promise to ourselves, that no matter how frustrated we become, we are not going to lose hope; and fight every issue with our best efforts. How so philosophical it may sound, just as a thirsty man is able to better understand the importance of water, we will indeed be able to appreciate the goodness of life and others only once we have seen a few not-so-nice moments and met some not-so-nice people.

Taking a leaf out of the famous saying by J. M. Keynes: “In the long run, we are all dead”; may be it would be apt to say “In the long run, we are all happy”.

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Interviews and Group Discussions: Things to keep in mind

Hello friends! In this post I have tried to point out some things that we need to keep in mind during interviews and Group Discussions.

Interviews

1.      In the “introduce yourself” question:

o   Give a brief overview and put forth points that interest the interviewers so that they come back to those points in the interview

o   Do not over emphasize on any one aspect like work, school, etc.

o   It’s now a trend to start off with the meaning of your name, place description, etc. Do this only if absolutely relevant and necessary

2.      Listen to and understand the question before answering

o   E.g. Facts about Indian Economy versus your opinion about Indian Economy

3.      Avoid using verbal fillers. How?

o   By practicing the answers

o   By keeping sentences short

o   By thinking before answering, and

o   Giving pauses instead of fillers

4.      Avoid using “I also” and “I think” repeatedly, especially during the introduce yourself question

5.      Do not jump to the answer immediately

o   Pause and think for a few seconds before answering

o   There is no harm in asking the interviewer some time to answer the question (depending on difficulty, technicality, etc)

6.      If there is a question that you don’t know the answer of

o   Do not beat around the bush 

o   Accept the fact and say that you will try to find about it

7.      Maintain eye contact with the panelists, but ensure that it does not seem that you are staring at them!

8.      Do not get aggressive when your views are being challenged in the interview

9.      Do not use facts and figures until and unless you are absolutely sure of the figures

10.   Use short sentences

11.   Last, but not the least, be confident!

Group Discussions

1.     Use the time given before the discussion productively

•  Make a note of important points
•   Avoid writing full sentences
•  Do not peep into your neighbour’s notebook!

2.     State facts and figures wherever possible

3.     Try to introduce or conclude, but only when you have enough matter and a good understanding of the topic

4.     Do not be aggressive

5.     Maintain a good body language: Avoid leaning too much or making too many hand movements

Hope the readers found the post useful.

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