Communis January 2010

Transcription

COMMUNIS
A Business Communication Area Magazine
Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida
Vol. 1, No. 1; January 2010
An
Exclusive Interview
with
Richa Anirudh
• Men Make Speeches or
Speeches Men?
• Clear Mind Communicates
Clearly
a Sneak Peek
into Importance of
Soft Skills &
Recruiters
Choice...
• Tips on the Art of Public
Speaking
For Private Circulation Only
4
2010
22nd-23r d January, 2010
Venue : Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
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Marketing :
The Key to a Globally
Competitive Indian MSME
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Programme Schedule
22nd January 2010
Inaugural Session
Sh Dinsha J Patel, State Min. of MSME
Mr Jagdish Khattar, CMD, Carnation
Mr Dinesh Rai, Secretary, MSME
Dr H Chaturvedi, Director, BIMTECH
Mr Rajeev Karwal, Founder, Milagrow
Dr. William Harmon, Dean, Coles College of Business, USA
MSME
b. Business Support Organizations
Chambers of Commerce
d. Entrepreneurs Association
Industrial Associations
f. Financial and Insurance Institutions
Venture Capitalists and Private Equity firms h. Faculty and Research fellows
Vendors to Retail and manufacturing sectors j. Students
Service Providers in communications, Supply Chains, IT, ERP etc
Fees Structure (per participant)
Corporate /Delegates
SSI units & members of Chambers & Associations
Milagrow MSME Portal Member
Faculty/Alumni
Students
:
:
:
:
:
Rs. 6000
Rs. 4500
Rs. 3500
Rs. 3500
Rs. 2500
Registration
For Registration, please fill-in the Registration Form, and send it back along with a crossed
Demand Draft / Banker's Cheque in favour of 'Birla Institute of Management Technology'
payable at New Delhi. Please refer to the Form for confirming the registration fee amount for
your respective category. Registration on first come first serve basis. On-the-spot registration
will also be available. Delegates needing assistance in accommodation (on payment) may
contact the Summit Conveners for details.
For details, please contact:
Mr. Anshuman Srivastava
M.: +91-9873788681
E-mail : [email protected]
Birla Institute of Management Technology
Plot No-5, Knowledge Park-II, Institutional Area, Greater Noida - 201 306
Phone: +91-120-2323001- 10 Fax: +91-120-2323022 / 25
Website: www.bimtech.ac.in
Technical Session - 2 Competing Blindly versus Collaborative Competition
Session Chair - Mr Sunil Jain, Senior Associate Editor, Business Standard
Speakers
Mr Rakesh Malhotra, Founder, Luminous Power Technologies
Mr L.D. Mittal, Chairman, Sonalika Group
Mr Rajinder Gupta, CMD, Trident Group
Mr Anil Gupta, MD, Havell's Group
Panel Discussion Innovative Media Strategies for Competitive Advantage
Moderator - Mr. Anurag Batra, Chairman, E4M Group
Speakers
Mr Bhaskar Das, EVP, Times of India
Mr Ishan Raina, Chairman, OOH
Mr Sai Kumar, COO, TV18
Mr Barun Das, CEO, ZEE News
Mr Harish Bhatia, COO, My FM
Mr Sanjeev Kotnala, VP, Dainik Bhaskar
23rd January 2010
Technical Session - 3 Inclusive Marketing: The Rural Opportunity
Session Chair - Mr Pradeep Kashyap, CEO, MART
Speakers
Sh J.S. Mishra, CEO, KVIC
Mr. Atul Chaturvedi, COO, Idea Cellular, Delhi & Haryana Circle
Smt. Uma Swaminathan, MD, SEWA
Mr Sanjay Kapoor, Joint MD, Bharti Airtel
Mr. N.K. Chaudhary, CMD, Jaipur Rugs
Technical Session - 4 Social Media : Unprecedented Opportunities for MSME
Session Chair - Mr Rajeev Karwal, Founder, Milagrow
Speakers
Mr Ajit Balakrishnan, Founder, Rediff.com
Mr Sunil Rajshekhar, COO, Indiatimes
Mr Nikhil Rungta, HoM, Google
Technical Session - 5 Go-to-Market Strategies for MSME
Session Chair - Mr Kartik Raina, Ex-MD Unilever Bestfoods
Speakers
Mr Anil Dua, VP Mktg & Sales, Hero Honda
Mr Vineet Taneja, HoM, Nokia
Mr V. Ramachandran, Director - Marketing, LG
Mr. Venguswamy Ramaswamy (Swamy), Tata Consultancy Services,
Global Head-Small and Medium Business
A Talk on the Book : No Money Marketing
Ms Jessie Paul, Founder, Paul Writer Strategic Advisory
Confirmation awaited from speakers
Who should attend ?
a.
c.
e.
g.
i.
k.
Technical Session - 1 Trends and Opportunities for the MSME sector
Session Chair - Mr Parvir Kumar, Jt Secy, MSME
Speakers
Dr Suman K Berry, Director General, NCAER
Mr H.P. Kumar, Chairman, NSIC
Mr Partha Rakshit, MD, AC Nielsen
COMMUNIS
EDITORIAL
B
Vol. 1, No. 1; January 2010
usiness Communication course has been
there existent for long in almost all the
curricula, especially Management. At the
same time, there has also been a chronic shortage of
faculty in this area. To find more than two full-time
teachers of business communication in a business
school is quite rare even at IIMs. Five to six would be
truly exceptional. In fact, very few schools would have
even a full-fledged Department/Area of Business
Communication.
Editor
Dr. Mukesh Chaturvedi
Features Editors
Dr. Archana Shrivastava
Dr. Shalini Kalia
Design Editor
Prof. Sangeeta Shukla
Assistant Editors
Prof. Shylaja Iyengar
Ms. Nimisha Singh
Research Editors
Rohit Saha, PGDM (IB) - I
Deepika Setia, PGDM (IB) - II
Suhina Baveja, PGDM - I
Deepika Grover, PGDM (RM) - II
Nidhi Rai, PGDM (RM) - II
Shewta Agarwal, PGDM - I
Gargi Banerjee, PGDM - II
Abha Jain, PGDM (RM) - II
Published from:
Plot No. 5, Knowledge Park II,
Greater Noida (NCR), U.P.
e-mail: [email protected]
Printed by:
I'M Advertisers
C-33, Sector-10, Noida
E-mail: [email protected]
Note:- All articles given in the magazine
are based on the personal views of the
contributors. BIMTECH is not responsible
for the views expressed if contrary to any
particular person or entity. BIMTECH
shall not be liable for the inadequacy of
the information, any mistakes,
inaccuracies or improper display of
contents.
The number of faculty members in an Area also depends on the importance
and the activities of the Area. If ‘teaching’ is the only concern, then, may be,
even one faculty can manage it; but, if the Area is also engaged in training,
workshops, consulting, research, publications, conferences, seminars, etc.,
then there would be a need for many more.
The Business Communication Area at BIMTECH is, perhaps, the largest in the
country. The Area offers four courses to the first year students of all the four
different programs of the Institute: Business Communication I / II / III, and
Inter-cultural Business Communication. The first course covers Business
English skills in a training mode; the second covers the concepts of
communication in the business context in a teaching mode; and, the third
covers the application areas of business communication in a lab mode. The
fourth course provides the International Business students an insight into
cross-cultural business communication.
The Area offers executive development programs (MDPs) in the areas of
Organizational Communication, Cross-cultural Communication, Presentation
Skills, etc. The Area does in-company training in the areas of communication
skills for Effective Negotiation, Conflict Management, Customer
Relationships, etc. And, the Area also undertakes sponsored research and
consultancy in the area of Corporate Communications and Integrated
Marketing Communications.
"Communis", the Area Magazine, is perhaps, a first by any department of
any business school in India; a truly unique endeavour. "Communis" is a
medium to connect with the (business) communication world; a platform to
encourage and help develop (business) communication skills. That is why, it
has contributions from faculty, students and staff of BIMTECH.
Being the first time, and having no precedence, there are bound to be
glitches. Please feel free to suggest as well as to contribute to the columns.
It will not only help us improve, but also add value to it.
Happy Reading , and a very Happy New Year!
Mukesh Chaturvedi
Cover Design :
Soumeek Das, PGDM 2009-11
BIMTECH - January 2010
1
th
55
ILA National Conference
on
Library & Information Science
in the Digital Era
January 21-24, 2010
Venue : BIMTECH Campus, Greater Noida
Who should Participate
• Library and Information Professionals
• Knowledge Seeker and Leaders in Knowledge Industry
• ICT and knowledge Workers like Content Developers,
Web Designers, etc.
• Policy makers and Government Officials
• Educationists
• Information Providers and Vendors
• All stake holders in the knowledge industry
• Students and Research Scholars of LIS
Organized by
Indian Library Association
New Delhi
Registration & Accommodation
The registration fee covers conference kit, conference proceedings, meals
and tea. Confirmation of registration is possible only if the duly completed
registration form is received along with the registration fee.
Registration Fee
Working Professionals : Rs. 3,000
Retired Persons & Students : Rs. 2,000
Accommodation Charges
Guest House : Rs. 1,500
Hostel : Rs. 500
Accommodation can be made available on twin sharing basis, subject to
availability on first come first serve.
For Registration, please fill in the enclosed Registration Form, and send it
back along with a crossed Demand Draft in favour of "Birla Institute of
Management Technology" payable at Greater Noida.
Please details, please contact:
in association with
Ranganathan Society for Social Welfare
and
Library Development
Dr. Rishi Tiwari
Organizing Secretary
55th ILA National Conference
Conference Partners
ARMY INSTITUTE OF
MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY
GREATER NOIDA
Plot No-5, Knowledge Park-II, Institutional Area, Greater Noida - 201 306
Phone: +91-120-2323001- 10
Mob. : 9810583623, Fax: +91-120-2323022 / 25
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COMMUNIS
A Magazine by Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida
Look out for Tips on Business Communication Area
contents
January 2010
January 2010 // Vol. 1, No. 1
The first expression that comes to my mind on
hearing France is joie de vivre i.e. living life to the
fullest. It is a beautiful romantic place, an ideal
destination for trying out different cuisines.
06 Communication
The lifestyle of the French is different. They are
lazy when it comes to work. High street fashion,
clubbing, partying every night , enjoying music,
giving great importance to their festivals such as
Easter, reading books(novels) while traveling,
going on vacations, skiing, go-karting, playing
football are some of the very common practices
that the French are engaged in. The French highly
admire the Art work. They visit museums quite
often. They love to go .........
presentations
Annie Gupta
PGDM (IB) 2008- 10
BIMTECH student under exchange program at
Rouen Business School, France
issues faced in India
08 Cross-Cultural
Experience
04
09
13
18
30
Culture impacts Communication
Communication and Electronic Media
Elevating Yourself with Your Elevator Speech
Organizational Communication
Dress for Success
main feature
Interview 27
with TV Anchor
- Richa Anirudh
public speaking
16
28
33
36
I was very enthusiastic about the internship
opportunity and I wanted to stay actively involved. I
had the privilege to learn and work as a student
intern, with Harman International at Netherlands,
in Europe. Together with 5 other international
students, the internship has helped me greatly to
understand European business practices and to
improve my intercultural communication skills.
The Company, has their Marketing and consumer
office for EMEA+ at Amsterdam, thus has people
from all over Europe and Middle East working
together. I was exposed to a multicultural and
multi-religious environment and found that it is
easy for people from different countries, political
systems, cultures and religions to get along with
each other and reach common understanding on
many things. Fundamentally people all over the
world are willing to be friendly ....
Saumya Paliwal
PGDM (IB) 2008-10
Internship at Harman International, Netherlands
Tips on the Art of Public Speaking
Hello… helloo…!!!! - Etiquette
Speak Out... Speak Loud...
Men Make Speeches or Speeches Men?
31
vocabulary
37 The Wonderful World of Words
42 Buzz words @ Retail
interview skills
22
38
41
44
47
Tongue Which Can See
The Wonderful World of Words
23
25
Interviews: How to crack them?
FAQs for Interviews
Plagiarism
book review
Code Name 'Ginger'
46
Relevance of BEC Certification
case
20 Clear Mind Communicates Clearly
Interest Lost in Symbol
Culture
Impacts
Communication
G
lobalization is reshaping our modes of thinking and
ways of behaving and fostering national cultural
change. In the age of globalization national cultures,
regional cultures, organizational cultures, and so on do not
seem to only collide with each other; they are inspiring each
other, learning from each other, coexisting within each other,
and they are creating new cultures together.
There has been a trend in the industry to
establish partnership with local
companies as joint ventures often
collaborating with local companies. This
has led to rise of multicultural project
teams with teams from different
background and culture. Not only are
the teams multicultural, they are spread
geographically across different time
zones in different political settings.
Nations keen to advance their economic
standing encourage students to take
study programme abroad. These
students come from different cultural
and educational backgrounds. For many
students under exchange programme,
the expectation is that the learning and
teaching experience in the host
institution will be the same, however this
may not be true. Interaction with
students from foreign institutions has
brought out the fact that there are
complexities and benefits to be drawn
from student and teacher perspective.
According to Hosftede, cultures can be differentiated using four
dimensions- Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity and
Uncertainty Avoidance. Power Distance indicates the degree of
equality or inequality between people in the society.
Individualism focuses on individual or collective achievement
and interpersonal relationships. Masculinity ranking indicates
the level of gender differentiation and discrimination.
Uncertainty Avoidance indicates the level of tolerance for
uncertainty and ambiguity within the society. This also reflects
that the society is less rule oriented, more readily accepts
change and takes more risk.
Students coming from other nations have both hopes of
learning something new and understanding different points of
view as well as fear of being judged or miscommunications
arising out of cultural differences.
The cultural orientation develops
through the complex interaction of
values, attitudes and behaviors
displayed by its members as well as
influence from their surroundings. For
example, in France, accent,
communication style, behavior, body
language is influenced by
demographics. North of France has a
little influence of Belgium in terms of
food, music and language. Culture of
Southern France is very similar to
Mediterranean countries (like Italy,
Spain). People are very relaxed
compared to North. Culture of East of
France has an influence of Germany. In
the East, people talk in a different
language which is a mix of French and
German. People are not very friendly
and are narrow-minded. People in
Western part of France prefer wilderness
and are closer to nature because of being
close to ocean and mountains. They are
more direct in communication and give
a lot of importance to family values.
These values shape and affect the behavior which individuals
consider appropriate and effective in any given situation. In
addition to that, the continually changing patterns of individual
and group behavior eventually influence the society’s culture
and the cycle begins again.
Culture of Southern France is
very similar to Mediterranean
countries (like Italy, Spain).
People are very relaxed compared
to North. Culture of East of
France has an influence of
Germany. In the East, people
talk in a different language
which is a mix of French and
German. People are not very
friendly and are narrowminded. People in Western part
of France prefer wilderness and
are closer to nature because of
being close to ocean and
mountains.
To understand the differences between domestic and global
management, it is necessary to understand the ways in which
cultures around the world vary. It is important to define the
meaning of the term ‘culture’ before starting with intercultural
and multicultural issues. American Heritage Dictionary defines
culture as “the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns,
art, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work
and thought characteristic of a community or population”.
4
Culture exists at multiple levels in a society. It can be regional,
national, societal, ethnic, organizational or groups. Culture
shapes an individual’s personality. It affects everything we do:
the way we perceive and interact with the world, the way we
relate to one another, the way we cope up with our lives, the
way we resolve conflicting interests. The impact of culture is so
deep that it could result in a conflict if norms at any level
conflict.
Cultural differences are often a source of confusion but if
understood well, they could transform into strength. Dealing in
COMMUNIS
Cultural
Sensitivity
Ever observed this...while in Mumbai...Delhi...
and so on…Read on…
multicultural environment, it is imperative to understand the
impact of culture. Training and education standards and the
relative value of qualification can be very different in different
parts of the world. Language is a key issue affecting cross
cultural communication. In many situations, non-native
speakers are working in their second language with
consequential loss of effectiveness as well as increased risk of
mistakes or misunderstanding.
Students coming under exchange programme from such
cultural backgrounds, bring their own values and attitude and
work towards adjusting in a different academic culture, follow
rules and guidelines of the host institution, make new friends
and strike communication. English being a second language for
them along with a different accent raises communication
issues. From exchange student’s perspective issues range from
understanding the administrative system to adapting a different
learning culture, accepting academic conventions in host
institution while managing personal and study time. Sometimes
communication issues arise since students work in team where
they need to interact with other students to complete a task,
express their opinion and resolve conflict in the group.
Teaching staff has to deal with the language problem in the class
and accept that learning cultures differ across academic
borders. Establishing transparency i.e. presenting students with
rationale for tasks set and expectations raised in the completion
of task helps in motivating them. Also collaborative learning
with emphasis on effective communication skills works more
effectively in such situations.
On one hand diversity offers the advantage of increased
creativity, wider range of perspective, more ideas. On the other
hand it brings challenges arising out of cultural differences. The
key to success is to harness synergy through effective
Nimisha Singh
Lecturer
Business Communication Area
Scenario 1
Two guys are fighting, a third guy comes along, then a fourth,
and they start arguing about who's right.
You are in Kolkata.
Scenario 2
Two guys are fighting, a third guy comes along, sees them, and
walks on.
That's Mumbai.
Scenario 3
Two guys are fighting, a third guy comes along, and tries to
make peace. The first two get together and beat him up.
That's Delhi.
Scenario 4
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch. A guy comes
along and quietly opens a Tea-stall.
That's Ahmedabad.
Scenario 5
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes. He writes a
software program to stop the fight. But the fight doesn't stop
because of a bug in the program.
That's Bangalore.
Scenario 6
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch. A guy comes
along and quietly says that "AMMA" doesn't like all this
nonsense. Peace comes in.
That's Chennai.
Scenario 7
Two guys are fighting. Both of them take time out and call their
friends on mobile. Now, 50 guys are fighting.
You are DEFINITELY IN HARYANA!
Contributed by:
Mukesh Chaturvedi
Chairperson
5
Communication Issues
faced in India
- Experience sharing by exchange students
at BIMTECH from France
As French students, newly arrived in India,
we have faced some
various communication problems.
First of all, the difference of accents between French and Indian
people is important. That is why it is hard to understand each
other. We needed time to adapt to this new accent and it is
sometimes hard to be understood by Indians with our own
French accent.
To adapt ourselves here, we quickly understood that it was better
for us to speak in English without British or American accents that
we learnt at school. Indeed, it was better to adapt our accent to
the Indian pronunciation, especially with the “r”.
Furthermore at the beginning, we often had to ask people to
repeat two or three times. And when it got embarrassing it
happened that we had to say OK even if we didn’t understand.
Likewise, in the restaurants it happened that after ordering a dish
we got a different one because of misunderstood problems with
the waiter.
We every day face the difficulties generated by the accent but the
major issue is to communicate with non-English speaking
people. In fact, India is a country where not everybody speaks
English and on the other hand we do not speak Hindi. We have
faced different situations where it was difficult to be clear and to
converse. For instance, when we want to bargain a price with
rickshaws, it takes a long time and we often have to show
numbers with our hands, write them on the floor or use a mobile.
Moreover we use very simple English and easy sentences such as
“You, OK?” instead of “Do you agree with that?” to be correctly
understood.
Finally, we can now focus on a different aspect of the
communication with the cultural differences. We have noticed
that French people and Indian people do not communicate the
same way. As European we are focused on an unambiguous
communication in a very formal frame whereas Indians use more
the informal and oral communication. We often learnt critical
information only by talking with people instead of receiving
official information. For instance when we get some problems
with train schedules, most of the time we don’t know what is
going on until we ask somebody and after it is really hard to get
the right answer and to find the qualified person. In France we are
used to get information by formal ways, that is to say emails,
official announcements or paper information whereas here it’s
more by talking with classmates.
Finally all these situations helped us to develop our adaptation
skills. Moreover, Indian people are always ready to help us and
make those communication problems negligible and
insignificant.
- Anne Claire, Exchange Student, Rouen Business School, France
- Lauriane Bagnaud, Exchange Student, Rouen Business School, France
- Sarah Berger, Exchange Student, Euromed Ecole de Management, France
6
First of all, when I arrived in India the 3rd of September I was
completely lost, no repair, nothing to expect about the
country....
My first experience with an Indian happened when I came from
the airport of Delhi. I met a taxi’s driver who couldn’t speak very
well English; it was quite difficult to explain him where I wanted
to go.
Then the problem with the accent of Indian students and
teachers, I had to pay attention a lot, concentrate myself.
And also the body language:
• To say yes: They make a head gesture from the left to the right.
(atcha, chické)
• Check hands with girls: In France, we usually kiss girls to say
hello
Moreover, when you speak with conservative Indian students
you have to stay very polite with them, especially with girls,
usually in France if they are students I will speak to them with a
slang language.
At the beginning all this things was a culture shock for me, but
now step by step I feel more comfortable with them, it becomes
easier for me to understand them even if their accent stay strong.
In an other hand, when I travel I meet lots of Indian people. And
during our trips, sometimes Indian does not speak at all English
so we have to speak with our body language.
Meanwhile, now I am completely in love of that country. I try to
speak in Hindi, I have already learnt some expression like “aap
kaise hein?”, “Sab kuch milega”… and basic communication
words.
I can’t say more things about my problems of communication,
because actually I have adapted myself to this country very
quickly. And nothing has disturbed my own person except at the
beginning, the eyed contact with the Indian civilization. It was
stressful but now I get used to it.
- Hugo Benguesmia, Exchange Student, IFI, France
COMMUNIS
I arrived in India on september 2nd 2009. I can’t say that I was
really afraid about communication problems, mostly because I
knew that English was one of the official languages.
Actually, I might didn’t consider beyond the speaking language
the body language and gestures. Infact, this is probably this part
that was the most problematic. I have never really had any
English probleme into the campus with the students or the
teachers. However, I must admit that the accent is still hard to get
sometimes. The lectures can sometimes be quite difficult to
understand, depending from the teachers. I have then to do an
effort of concentration during the classes to be sure to understand
at least the outline of the course.
A part from the accent, I would say that sometimes I get a little bit
confused about the gestures, particularly when I ask a yes-or-no
question. I can’t be sure that I get a yes or a no because of the
head language. Infact, I had always been accustomed to the
French body language. The fact that Indian people don’t really
say yes or no but a kind of melt with a verbal yes and a negative
head gesture still makes me confused even after two months of
presence.
Otherwise, outside of the campus, I have encountered people
who pretends to understand what I say even when they don’t. As
a result, I don’t have two but only one hotel room, or a don’t get
the right food order in the restaurants. I’m never sure that what I
say is well understood by my interlocutors, maybe because they
don’t want to offend me.
Of course there I have faced the problem of being in front of nonenglish speakers. As an example, when I ask for any kind of
informations, like a street name, people answer to me in Hindi
knowing that I will not understand, but they will still do it by
politeness I guess. I try then to focus on their han languages to
understand a direction as an example.
I think that since I’m in India I focus more on my interlocutor’s
body language, and it makes me realize that in France we are
really not good at expressing ourselves this way.
Finally I don’t really feel like there is a communication barrier
between me and Indian people. Even when I can’t find any
english speaker, I manage to make myself understood, more or
less with difficulties.
However, I have noticed that my pronunciation of Hindi words
was really bad, particularly when I have to tell a place’s name to
the rickshaw drivers. They can sometimes understand something
completely different or even don’t know what I am talking about.
There is also another parameter which is the voice tone. I have
the Impression that Indian people talk quite loudly and fast,
which is why I can’t know if they understand that when I talk
louder I mean to express my unsatisfaction about something.
I like being confronted to a different way of communication,
certainly part of a different culture exposure.
- Alban Amar, Exchange Student, IFI, France
My first day in India
I arrived in India pretty late, around midnight with my french
friend Laurianne. We found the driver who was supposed to
bring us back to the campus after a good half an hour waiting
inside the airport. Finally in the car, we start talking to each other
and asking questions to the driver. We were very excited about
being here. His English was understandable but I realized that he
had a very strong accent. After an hour of driving, the driver
dropped me at the GN hostel, and for the first time in my life I was
alone with only Indian people. The person who was in charge of
showing me my room starts talking to me in English. But I
couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying. I really tried
my best. I finally gave up. I apologize and told him I couldn’t
understand him at all. I think he got a bit offended.
On campus
In the other hand, Communicating with students or teachers on
campus is very easy (compare of communicating with the locals
when we are travelling).
Students and teachers speak very well English. Only their accent
can make it sometimes difficult to understand. But in general
terms we all communicate to each other pretty well.
On the contrary, the guards almost don’t speak at all English.
They only know a few words in English such as “hello” or “good
morning”. That’s why I decided to learn some Hindi to make
myself a little bit more understandable. Now I am replying to
them in Hindi. “Namaste” was the first word I learned.
Tricks
When someone doesn’t speak well English, I start using the most
Basic English possible. I don’t do anymore constructed sentences
but I only pronounce the most important words. It works most of
the time. Sometimes I am even using my hands to explain myself.
Knowing some Hindi words can be very useful at that moment.
After a few days in India I learned that Indians are using 4000
different dialects which make their communication skills even
more incredible.
I am going to travel to the south of India for the first time in my life
this week, trying to use my Hindi to make me understandable.
PHIL MELENGE
Before going to India, I though communicating with Indians
wouldn’t be a problem because of the past history of the country
with the British. I though that most of the Indians would speak
English or at least understand it. I guess I was wrong.
Communication in India can be a very big issue for foreigners,
especially if they travel to the country-side in some remote areas.
- Guillume Picard, Exchange Student, Rouen Business School, France
The experiences shared by exchange students have been
produced here in the original form to preserve the linguistic
aspect in communication.
7
Cross-Cultural Experience
Internship at Harman International, The Netherlands
I
Cross-Cultural Experience
was very enthusiastic about the internship opportunity and I
wanted to stay actively involved. I had the privilege to learn and
work as a student intern, with Harman International at
Netherlands, in Europe. Together with 5 other international students,
the internship has helped me greatly to understand European
business practices and to improve my intercultural communication
skills.
The Company, has their Marketing and consumer office for EMEA+
at Amsterdam, thus has people from all over Europe and Middle East
working together. I was exposed to a multicultural and multi-religious
environment and found that it is easy for people from different
countries, political systems, cultures and religions to get along with
each other and reach common understanding on many things.
Fundamentally people all over the world are willing to be friendly to
each other. Taking into account the drive and motivation to engage
people from a range of cultures, company always made a point in
celebrating major German, French, Turkish and Indian festivals along
with regular Dutch ones.
The culture and lifestyle I encountered in Europe were quite
unfamiliar to me. My first impression of Netherlands was that it is less
crowded, calmer and not as energetic as Indian cities. I found the food
rather acceptable even though being a vegetarian. I highly appreciate
the kindness, professionalism and straightforwardness of Europeans.
When we think about differences in working life? "To me, the most
striking difference between lifestyles in India and Europe is that
Europeans have a better understanding of how to balance hard work
and the joy of life. Both aspects are equally important to them,"
One thing that I realized was, despite being basically reserved, the
Dutch have a manner of speaking that may startle you by its
directness. Holland (The Netherlands) has kept many traditional
aspects alive. For a small country, that is extremely tolerant and open
for many foreign influences, it offers a rich traditional culture with a
mix of culture from the natives of other countries especially Turkey
and France.
During Exchange Program at ESC Rouen, France
BIMTECH student under exchange program
at Rouen Business School, France
T
he first expression that comes to my mind on hearing France is
joie de vivre i.e. living life to the fullest. It is a beautiful
romantic place, an ideal destination for trying out different
cuisines.
The lifestyle of the French is different. They are lazy when it comes to
work. High street fashion, clubbing, partying every night , enjoying
music, giving great importance to their festivals such as Easter,
reading books(novels) while traveling, going on vacations, skiing, gokarting, playing football are some of the very common practices that
the French are engaged in. The French highly admire the Art work.
They visit museums quite often. They love to go for shopping.
During the ten-week period of study-intern, company gave us
academic training regarding the European economy and European
business culture in the first week. I traveled around three countries
along with other fellow interns 2 Dutch, 2 Chinese and 1 Italian for
better understanding of work. More importantly, I tried to know
various aspects of the society: went to the stores where local people
usually buy their daily necessities; took the buses and subway as most
Dutch do. I found that as long as one adopt an open and positive
attitude, it is not difficult to adapt to local life. Most of us speak fluent
English, but we want to have more direct communication with the
local people, so I also tried to learn some phrases of Dutch.
The French being highly fond of cuisines spend greater part of the day
in having their meals. Having Lunch and dinner with wine is a
customary practice.
We, as Indians should really be proud of our country and its culture
because people out there really appreciate and practice our tradition
which we take for granted, I am sharing this because I faced a very
interesting question by one of my Italian colleague during internship.
“Indians always say Hi or Hello on the phone, Why don't they say
Namaste??” to my surprise he explained me the meaning of Namaste
and told me he greets his folks with “Namaste” this is multi-culturist. I
liked his thought and definitely kept thinking about it entire day, well
to his question I said, because we are global Indians, we pick the best
from the world and Hi is just faster than a Namaste .But, I do say, Hello
followed by a Namaste!!
The experience in France has been great. The French people are very
helpful. They like to help you out in solving your problems. The
whole system is highly organized and systematic. People have
etiquettes. Great values such as offering seats to elders in the bus
(using public transport) , assembling in queues to get the work done
helps in the smooth flow of work being done. While driving people
there allow the pedestrians to walk through first and they actually wait
for them to pass. Honking on roads is a rare phenomenon in France.
Well , the main language being French, interacting with the natives
over there was at times a bit difficult.
The concept of maids and household helps is uncommon in France.
Even the old-aged have to do carry their luggage on their own while
traveling.
Since the age of smoking is 18 years, people is France do heavy
smoking.
dank u wel!
Annie
Saumya Paliwal
PGDM (IB) 2008-10
8
PGDM (IB) 2008-10
Communication and Electronic Media
In business, courtesy counts
a lot. One doesn’t know how
important the caller is for
company’s business. So,
every phone is received with
a standard sequence of
phrases and items. The
normal practice is to greet,
give the organization’s
name, and the receiver’s
name (which is, usually,
avoided). If the destinationreceiver is not available,
courtesy demands that a
message be taken.
T
he electronic media have made communication instant
and immediate across the world. The use of telephone,
voice mail, phone conferencing, video conferencing,
cell phone, and e-mail as preferred modes (channels) of
communication has greatly accelerated the decision making
process at all levels of transactions of all sorts. Their use
interconnects the sender and the receiver in a timeless and
space less web of communication. In a way, the on-line
message and its immediate feedback give distant
communication the force and advantages of face-to-face
communication.
In business, all the above mentioned electronic modes of
communication are used according to the need and purpose of
the communicator. E-mail, however, is the most commonly
used global medium of interaction today. Even within the same
organization, managers and executives prefer to e-mail the
message instead of calling up the person. E-mail
communication is direct. It is like chatting through computer,
except that it is not that instant.
Here, we will briefly discuss each mode of electronic
communication.
Phone and Phone Conferencing
In business, for immediate information and response, the
handiest mode of communication is telephone. Though
convenient for the caller, it is often viewed by the top manager
or a very senior executive as a source of interruption. Hence,
the phone is, usually, received by the office secretary. It is after
you have satisfied the secretary about the need and purpose of
your talking to the officer that you would be put through to the
concerned person, the ‘boss’.
Most organizations have a standard way of answering business
phone calls. The normal practice is to receive a call by greeting
the caller, then telling receiver’s (your) name, and department.
9
COMMUNIS
On picking up the phone, one should never say, “Yes, ... who is
it, ... what do you want?” Instead, the receiver sounds polite by
responding, “May I know who is calling? ...May I know it is in
what regard? ”
Now days, organizations have automatic exchanges that
facilitate direct connection with the destination; or, the
Interactive Voice Recorder (IVR) guides the caller to the
‘Extension’, or asks them to wait for the ‘Operator’. The
operator, usually begins by giving the organization’s name,
“MDI”, or would say, “Good Morning, BIMTECH!”.
In business, courtesy counts a lot. One doesn’t know how
important the caller is for company’s business. So, every phone
is received with a standard sequence of phrases and items. The
normal practice is to greet, give the organization’s name, and
the receiver’s name (which is, usually, avoided). If the
destination-receiver is not available, courtesy demands that a
message be taken. But, for that, one has to be ready and
equipped with pen/pencil and paper. If the call is reaching the
receiver directly, generally, the response is just the name of the
person, “Vinod”.
Telephonic conversation should be as long as is most essential.
If the other person gets rambling, the receiver may indicate that
they want to close the conversation by summarizing and giving
the intended action. The call must always be ended with some
expression of goodwill, like, “Thanks for calling.”, “Pleasure
talking.” , or “I will get back to you.”
Use of Voice Mail
Voice mail facility is generally provided as an operative feature
of an organization’s phone system. It is a means of digitally
recording messages that can be saved and forwarded, or
skipped and deleted. One may attend their calls when they are
free. All other times, when they are busy with meetings or work
outside office, one can also shift the calls to voice mail and
check the messages from any place, at any time.
The voice mail response should sound as natural as possible
and courteous. The caller should be able to recognize it as the
intended receiver’s voice. The recorded message may go like
this, “This is Pallavi Mehta, in the R & D. You may please leave
me a message at the second beep. I shall call you back. Thank
you.”
Conference Calls
Telephones and cell phones have a conferencing system that
allows several persons to talk with each other at the same point
of time. It is, now, commonly used by companies across the
globe.
Businesses conduct two types of call: one is, basically, oneway closed circuit radio, which allows employees and other
senior members of the organization to tune in and hear an
announcement; for example, daily, early morning project
progress reports, or plant production reports, and other
10
briefings are simultaneously heard by dozens of widely spread
persons on phone and/or public announcement system.
The other type of call is interactive. A number of persons can be
on the same conference call. In this system, one can listen as
well as talk. Through this system of conference call, different
members of a team working on a project together are able to
update themselves on the progress made by the team without
conducting meetings face-to-face that might involve movement
and other hassles.
This form of conference call is used by very large plants like
Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and TISCO Jamshedpur as a
routine communication channel for planning, updating,
coordinating and monitoring major/regular activities of the
organization without requiring the employees to travel long
distances for a meeting of few hours.
Through interactive conference call system, one interacts from
one’s own work location. And, that saves companies man hours
and transportation cost. Plus, the interaction is real-time, as and
when the need be.
Video Conferencing
Internet-enabled video-conferencing is an electronic version of
face-to-face communication. Business meetings, interviews
and other urgent interactions among several internationally
located individuals are effectively conducted without making
the participants move from their respective (office) locations.
Video conferencing helps share visual by the Internet exchange
of documents, pictures, figures, etc.
Cell Phone
Cell phone is a worldwide popular instrument of
communication. Its utility for business executives is greatly
enhanced by the introduction of General Packet Radio Services
(GPRS) technology. GPRS is a technology for the radio
transmission of small packets of data, especially between
mobile phone and the Internet. The mobile handsets enabled
with GPRS technology do the work of laptops/computers and
voice recorders. Hence, the business executives prefer to move
with a sleek cell phone in pocket to a heavy laptop on the
shoulder.
e-mail
e-mail is the most commonly used mode of
interaction among executives,
departments, and between company and
its customers/clients, distributors/retailers,
suppliers/vendors. It is, perhaps, the
quickest channel of written
communication to connect the other
person (receiver), like the telephone. Any
amount of information, documents, pictures, etc., can be sent
over to others as attachments.
Receiver’s e-mail Account
For e-mail connectivity, one needs to have just the e-mail
address of the intended receiver. Many persons have more than
one e-mail account – one official, the other personal. Therefore,
we should know the respective address to reach the receiver.
Besides, one has to be very careful in typing the address. For
example, in [email protected], if there is any
mistake, say space, spelling error or the full-stop missed, either
the address might not be accepted by the machine, or the mail
would not be delivered.
“Subject” Line
In an e-mail, the “Subject” line is the first thing that draws
attention of the receiver. Therefore, one needs to compose it as
precisely as possible. We need to think a lot to work out the
wordings of the subject line so that the title/context is quite
clear, and the reader gets the gist of the message. For example,
“Visit Postponed to Next Monday”, “Annual Report to be Ready
this Saturday”. Generally, the ‘Title Case’ is used to order and
structure the subject line, and colours may also be used to
attract and clarify it.
Sending Copies
The sender may need to send copies of their e-mail to several
persons at the same time. It may be simpler if the ‘Group e-mail
IDs’ are provided. For example, by writing “marketing” in the
‘To’ line, an e-mail can be sent to all the people in the Marketing
department/division. Usually, it is an internal facility.
Otherwise, and generally externally, the e-mail addresses of all
the intended receivers of the copy are to be given in the ‘Cc’
line. A ‘Blind Copy’ of the e-mail can also be sent to one or more
persons, without the knowledge of other receivers, in the ‘Bcc’
line.
It is better to keep e-mails brief so that they can be read without
having to scroll the screen. Moreover, many cell phones now
receive e-mails on the ‘Short Message Service’ (SMS) system.
Therefore, the most important points should be kept in the
opening one or two lines of the message.
In matters of (opening) salutation and (closing) subscription, an
e-mail is like a memo that needs neither salutation, nor a closing
subscription. However, if the two persons are communicating
first time and do not personally know each- other, the sender
may indicate their favourable disposition toward the
receiver/subject by using a friendly style. The following e-mail
written by the Vodafone Communication icon, Irrfan Khan, the
famous (Bollywood) actor is the right example of writing a
short, friendly, complete and clear e-mail message:
From: Irrfan [email protected]
From: Irrfan [email protected]
Subject: Re: From DAV Institute of Management, Faridabad
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 6:07 PM
thank you preity but i am not in Mumbai and is shooting in dholpur rajasthan till
22nd of this month and then in roorke till 21st april...
my address where you can send the invite is 172 – Yugdharma towers, opp.
Inorbit mall, Goregaon (West), Mumbai – 400062.
thanks,
irrfan
Here is another e-mail written by COO, Titan Industries to one
of his managers in a letter style.
Subject: RE: FW: An Appeal !
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 16:39:45 +0530
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
CC:[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Dear Abhinav,
Many thanks for your message. May I request that you be in touch with Joe
Chacko, he will be your single point of contact in Titan to resolve this matter.
He will also advise you whom you should meet, to obtain clarifications relating
to various areas highlighted by you.
We are committed to ensuring that you obtain a full and fair response.
Kind Regards,
Harish
The style of the above e-mail is business-like, formal and brief,
but not brusque. It is written with conversational ease, in a
patronizing tone. The closing sentence is to reassure Abhinav,
who had sent Harish Bhatt the following e-mail:
11
COMMUNIS
From: Abhinav Chaturvedi [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 12:10 AM
To: Harish Bhat
Cc: Joe Chacko
Dear Sir,
With reference to Mr. Joe Chako's mail of 19th July, please permit me to submit
the following to sort out the issue of clearence. Mr. Chacko asked me to get in
touch with RO N commercial. According to him, there was a mis-match of
Rs.38,000/- reported by RO N commercial to him for WOT-TDI Mall. As per his
advice, I was in touch with the commercial team at RO N from 19th itself.
However, on 27th July, I received a mail from Mrs. Manvi stating that there was
a shortage of Rs.1,50,350/-, seemingly holding against me. Further, there have
also been some stock reports sent to Mr. Aayush in RO N commercial by WOTTDI Mall between 31st May and 21st June with still some other figures.
In this regard, I have certain queries for which I have written a detailed mail to
Mrs. Manvi attaching the necessary documents to support it.
Hence, to bring to your notice the kind of ambiguity there is in the system, I
have sent you and Mr. Joe hard copies of the entire set, which should be
reaching in a day or two for your kind perusal.
I am deeply pained in informing you that it seems, there is a lot of afterthought
intended to implicate me.
I shall be very grateful if you could please advice me as to how I should pursue
the matter any further in such state of affairs.
With regards,
Abhinav Chaturvedi
Be Conversational
e-mail should be written the way we talk. This makes the
writing vivid. It should read like the sender (writer) and the
receiver (reader) are conversing face-to-face. Here is an
example of conversational style of writing an e-mail: from Joe to
Abhinav in response to Abhinav’s e-mail of 19th July given
below:
From: "Joe Chacko" <[email protected]>
To: "Abhinav Chaturvedi" <[email protected]>
CC: "Harish Bhat" < [email protected] >,"Suman Saha - (RON)"
<[email protected]>,"Krishnan Ramanathan (RSG)"
<[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:11:09 +0530
Hi Abhinav,
There has been stock mismatch worth Rs.38,000/- that has been reported by RO
N commercial for TDI mall, which is been looked into.
I too would not know under what head the amount of Rs.1947/- has been
credited to your account. I am surprised to hear from you that you have not
received any response to this effect from RON, despise your follow up. Would
like to know who from the region have you spoken to? Atleast Suman Saha,
Regional HR Manager confirms that you have not spoken with him.
I cannot give any timeline when your clearance will come thru, as it is was
clearly mentioned to you that the Clearance formalities needs to be completed
by you and you have not obtained clearance from from RO N Commercial. Pls
take this up with RON coleagues, as you need to get your clearance formalities
completed to settle your F&F.
Cc: Harish Bhat
Dear Sir,
Its been 3 weeks since I wrote to you about my clearence. On the 13th of July, I
received an amount of Rs.1947/- from Titan Industries Ltd. but am unable to
find out from RO under what head has this amount been credited to my
account.
Also, after putting a reminder on 9th july, till date I await for my clearance and
please pardon me by asking you for how long i will have to wait for it?
regards,
Abhinav
The opening phrase of Joe’s mail, “Hi Abhinav” sets the amiable
tone of the mail. Further, the use of passive voice by Joe does
not allow him to sound accusatory.
Lastly, to handle the situation as it is, Joe shares the chain of his
thoughts in a candid manner with Abhinav. Joe’s e-mail is
written in a style that makes the official communication
between a very senior executive and his junior business
manager a personal chat to resolve an issue.
In fact, the success and popularity of e-mail in the world of
global business and everyday life are because it has speed of a
telephone and crispness of a well written memo.
Regards,
Joe
From: Abhinav Chaturvedi [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 12:35 PM
To: Joe Chacko
12
Mukesh Chaturvedi
Chairperson
Elevating yourself
with your
Elevator Speech
D
o you have a sixteen second bite to persuade people to
remember you or choose you against your
competitors? If not then go ahead prepare one and be
ready to encash it whenever and wherever required. You never
know when and where you encounter a right person who can
become a source of your success. Opportunities now a days are
moving and residing at various unusual places where we have
never expected them to be. It might be an escalator of a mall, lift
of an office or corporate parties. In this highly competitive
world every one wants to promote or sell one’s ideas, products
or services. Ours is now technologically driven markets. There
is also no shortage of ways to promote our business,
associations, products and services. There are TV commercials,
web banners, telemarketing, bulk e-mails, etc. But do we dare
to forget the basic good old fashioned “word of mouth”
marketing? It may be good old-fashioned but the fact remains
that it works better than other forms of marketing. Nothing is
more powerful than words provided you deliver it wisely,
skillfully and concisely. Here comes the role of elevator speech,
sixteen second sound bite that does so much more than just tell
people you’re a professional organizer. And to develop an
elevator speech is perhaps the most critical skill that one can
develop for professional and personal advancements.
Sixteen seconds is the average time one spends riding on an
elevator. It’s also the time one needs to introduce oneself, one’s
organization and the nature of services one provides to the
people. While preparing an elevator speech always remember
that your main aim is to grab the attention of the stranger whom
you want to persuade to use your product, services or ideas. To
captivate your listeners you have to cast your occupation in
most ennobling light,. Every elevator speech contains name,
company’s name, benefits of your services, and description
about what you do and how you do and finally to involve the
listeners end with an open ended question. Your speech should
showcase your uniqueness. It should not concentrate on what
you do but on benefits that your product or services can provide
to them. Benefits include ways of helping others make money,
broaden market, help improving their quality, etc.
As a job-seeker also elevator speech well crafted and delivered
can help you get your dream job. You should have an art to
introduce yourself succinctly telling about your dreams, your
unique qualifications, and your skills. Sixteen seconds are
considered more than enough for your favourable first
impression, provided you deliver it in mnemonic way forcing
others to remember you.
Elevator speech is the demand of hour but it is useless to work
on this two or three minutes presentation if it is not perfectly
crafted. Prepare it before hand and memorize it. But see to it
that it sounds more natural and off-the-cuff. Finally don’t forget
to supplement your information with a piece of memento in a
form of business card, pen or leaflet holding your contact
information so that you remain visible to the stranger when ever
he/she thinks of networking with you.
So what are you waiting for? If you want yourself to be heard
and remembered by people start crafting and practicing your
elevator speech among your friends, in front of a mirror
continuously till you master this short form of oral
communication that can elevate you to the top of the world.
Use your sixteen seconds skillfully and get your message
across. Your elevator speech will definitely elevate you.
- Dr Archana Shrivastava
Asst. Professor
13
Main Feature
Interview
with Richa Anirudh
TV Anchor &
Talk Show Host
1.
Did you always have the passion to work for the media?
Ans: I have grown up in a small town, Jhansi. There was no TV.
Electronic media did not exist for us. The funny thing was I did
not want to do the same thing everyday. Whenever anyone asked
me what I wanted to do, i told that I did not know but I did not
want to do the same thing, like teaching or banking. So, I always
knew what I don’t want to do. I wanted to be famous but I did not
want to do acting or modelling. Actually it was my mother, Mrs.
Rekha Badal’s ambition to see me on TV.
2.
How did you get into this profession?
Ans: TV journalism was pure destiny for me. I was the first paid
employee of SPICMACAY. I was a volunteer there. One day
Doordarshan came to a SPICMACAY programme and the
cameraman asked me to speak. And as a normal volunteer I
spoke. So the cameraman said that “she is very photogenic, and
speaks well”. And the producer said to me to meet him. I took his
card but didn’t meet him. Suddenly, after two months I paged
him and got an appointment at the Doordarshan office. I was
straight-away given a show to host, a show called Ankur on
Doordarshan. I did that for almost a year.
Post marriage I shifted to Ajmer and used to do occasional freelancing for Doordarshan. And in 2001 I came back to Delhi and
started all over again after a break of five years. During the
course, my husband Anirudh was very supportive. While in
Ajmer I used to work for a newspaper called Dainik Navjoti for 2
years. When I came back I started with Evening Live Show on
Doordarshan. I also did the PR handling for Pdt. Ravi Shankar,
the sitar maestro. I also had a stint with DD Sports, ETV Urdu and
Zee News.
How was the starting point of your career? Did you face
any obstruction?
Ans: Workwise, no not at all. I always had a flare for writing and
speaking so it came naturally to me.
6.
Did being a small-town girl affect you in any way? Any
advantage or disadvantage?
Ans: Ironically, the disadvantages that we face turned out to be
advantageous. For children in metros, meeting celebrities or
having anything they want is nothing unusual, since everything is
so readily available to them. Being a die-hard fan of Amitabh
Bachchan as a child, I had a dream of meeting him one-to-one.
And when working with Zee in 2004, I actually met him, which
was like a dream come true for a small-town girl like me. I
personally feel that when you grow up in a small town with
limited facilities, you learn to dream and don’t take things for
granted.
7.
How did you develop your communication skills? How
did you use to practice?
Ans: My language (both Hindi & English) was my strength. Being from
a convent school, I was fluent in English. At the same time, my
mother used to make me read very difficult phrases from a Hindi
Magazine, Dharamyug. These things benefitted me a lot.
Whatever activities I have done, have helped me in life.
8.
Tell us something about your show: Zindagi Live.
Ans: Yes, because it was giving me chance to do a new thing everyday.
Ans: Zindagi Live is a talk-show that involves a lot of inter-personal
communication and as I was considered to be a very emotional
person, I was given the job. The first show was telecast on 9th of
September 2007 and the show was on late divorces. Zindagi Live
is a popular talk-show in IBN7 and has won many awards for its
series on “Child Suicide”. Two seasons are already over and the
third season is on. The show allows people to speak and what we
do is listen to them and that’s what I think communication is all
about.
4.
9.
3.
Were you intrigued by the world of media as after such
long time you returned to the same job?
What kind of a student have you been? Were you more
into academics or into co-curricular activities?
Ans: I was an above-average student. I used to score above 70% in
ICSE board which was high in those days but I was more into
extra-curricular activities like debating, dancing, singing,
theatre. I was also the School Captain. I was bad with sports. I
could play only Chess. I was the school champion in Chess.
14
5.
Sometimes guests or the subject of the show are quite
controversial. So how do you keep controversy out of
your show?
Ans: I preview my show 4-5 times before it goes on air. I write my own
scripts. But, as far as the extempore part is concerned, we do edit
that conversation. We edit the portions where names were taken
or controversial statements were made. Moreover, I don’t probe
anyone too much and try to make them as comfortable as
possible.
10. What do you have in mind when you go for the show?
Ans: There is an expectation attached to every show. You know what
to expect from which talk show and you know what is going to
happen there. I will not force anyone coming from a dignified
background to say anything. I will maintain his/her dignity.
Actually, sometimes silence speaks more than words.
11. It is a regular practice that anchors prepare themselves
before the shooting. Do you also do something to brush
up your speaking skills?
Ans: No practice is required because it is not a mechanical show.
Though I have to gather information about the guests coming,
their backgrounds, what happened in their lives, I do plan my
scripts but don’t stick to it. Normally it is only my first that is
planned.
12. Listening is an important part of communication. But
these days people don’t listen. We all love to speak but
how to develop our listening skills?
Ans: Everyone thinks that he/she is very intelligent. Everyone wants to
say everything that he/she have read or learnt. You shouldn’t go
with pre-conceived notions. Like in a show on “homosexuality”,
if I go with the notion that these people are bad, I will not be able
to communicate with them. Similarly, in business
communication, it is very important to listen. Now we have a
new field of study in communication skills, called NLP(---),
which studies the body language of people so they can
communicate in a better way.
13. Since you have done news anchoring as well as show like
‘Zindagi Live’, do you find any difference between
business communication and personal communication?
Ans: Yes, of course. In business communication you need to be more
structured but, in personal communication, you have freedom to
speak what you want to speak and how you want to speak.
14. Corporate culture is disappearing these days. You are
allowed to wear casuals in office and the use of
salutations is being discouraged at workplaces. Do you
find or see, in near future, the same changes in business
communication?
Ans: In corporate world, communication plays an important role
while doing an important assignment (like getting a deal for the
company). In those situations, there are still some rules and
expectations that you need to adhere to, like in a conference. In
media also, which is considered to be the most informal place to
work, there are certain norms that you need to follow before you
go before the camera, like we are not allowed to reveal our
personal identity. Discipline is important but then, there is
nothing wrong in being warm and friendly with the people
around. And any such changes in trend are definitely a positive
change. At the end of the day, what is important is to
communicate your ideas and in what way, that needs to be
learnt.
also. So be it any profession, knowing how to communicate
effectively is very important.
16. Can you suggest some ways to improve ones
communication and public speaking skills?
Ans: I believe, when people rehearse and prepare too much, then they
realize that they lack confidence and become nervous. One
doesn’t need confidence and preparation while talking to their
father. Then why think so much on stage. It is because you
differentiate between both communications. Treat both in
similar manner. Be what you are. Say what you want to say. Read
newspaper and work on pronunciation, both, Hindi and English.
17. So what do you think are the most essential things for
being a good speaker?
Ans: (1) Just be yourself!
(2) Be Spontaneous
(3) Speak from the heart
18. Any suggestion for students who wish to have career in
Media?
Ans: Please don’t look for shortcuts. These days, interns and trainees
coming will straightaway ask how to become an anchor or what
the starting salary in media is. The younger generation has lost
their focus. Things are not so easy.
Rapid Fire:
1. Your idol and why?
Ans: Professionally, Amitabh Bachchan. Also, Rajdeep Sardesai
because he is a very grounded person.
2. Your favourite talk show?
Ans: Oprah Winfrey
3. The most challenging episode of your show till date?
Ans: On child suicide
4. A word/phrase that describes Richa Anirudh?
Ans: Moody and Passionate
5. Something you love the most?
Ans: My family, especially my daughter Ishita.
6. Something you hate the most?
Ans: Lies.
7. Whom do you prefer : Richa the professional or Richa the
person?
Ans: Richa, the person.
8. Audience or critics?
Ans: Need to have both in life for balance.
15. In a professional course like MBA, how relevant is
Business Communication as a subject, as part of
curriculum?
Ans: I think its very important. Like there are a number of doctors and
only a few you would find effective. Sometimes, just talking to a
doctor makes you feel comfortable. This is because of the way
the doctor communicates with patients. Same is true for teachers
Interviewed by
Mansi Goel & Debal Rishi Banerjee
PGDM 2009-11
15
BIMTECH Debating & Theatre Society
TIPS ON
THE ART OF
PUBLIC SPEAKING
(Edited Excerpts)
S
peaking is an important method for communicating
knowledge and expressing ideas. Being able to verbally
communicate effectively to other individuals or to groups
is essential in school, business, as well as your personal life.
Feeling nervous before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It
shows you care about doing well. But, too much of nervousness
can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your
nervousness and make effective, memorable speeches:
1. Posture
When standing behind the podium, your hands and legs must
follow the ‘V’ rule where they together form an unfinished
parabola. You should stand one foot away from the edges of the
podium with both hands resting on top of it. The right hand can
move till the left end of the podium and one foot away and viceversa. If the hands move more than one foot, it may look like
acting.
2. Eye Contact
For every four sentences you speak, you should be able to cover
the auditorium twice, once clockwise and once anti-clockwise.
This means, in the first two statements the speaker must have
finished one clockwise scanning of the audience and in the next
two sentences he covers them in the anti-clockwise sense.
More so, divide your audience into frequently used zones so
that you cover the complete auditorium.
3. Pointing a finger
Never point a single finger at one specific person, especially
when you are buying, selling or presenting. Use all the five
fingers to point. Largely keep the fingers closely knitted. Open
fingers are a sign of lack of confidence.
4. Use of Microphones
The microphone should be placed tilted at 45 degrees to the
lower lip. It must be in a tilted position. Maintain the
conversational tone with the audience. Only when you intend
to make a serious point, get the microphone or mike closer. This
16
Parnab Mukherjee is a multifaceted personality. He is one of
India’s famous college quizmasters. He is India's best live
Quiz Master with an experience of conducting over 600
quizzes all over the country. To say he is popular with
audience would be an understatement. He is famous as the
guy who conducts the entire quiz from memory alone,
without a single cue card. He is also a well known public
speaker, journalist and a theatre personality.
Majlis, the Debating and Theatre Society at BIMTECH had
arranged for a four day workshop on Public Speaking by
Parnab Mukherjee. For those who did not attend the
workshop, here are his tips on public speaking. Hope you
find these useful!
gets the audience to listen intently to the serious note. If you
speak continuously with the mike close to you, making every
point significant, the audience may slowly lose interest.
5. Holding the Mike
The mike is to be held with two fingers and thumb only. This is
called bi-fingered touch.
6. Distance from Microphone
The optimum distance to be maintained from the microphone
is two and half units where four fingers held together constitute
one unit. This distance ensures clarity in voice.
7. Tail Drop problem
Indian languages are ‘tongue-in’ languages while English is a
‘tongue-out’ language. Due to the influence of their mother
tongue on their English language, Indians tend to eat up the last
few words. This causes the tail drop problem. The more unclear
your last few words get, the less effective your speech becomes.
A conscious effort could help to free the speaker from his/her
tail drop problem.
8. Walking while speaking
Try to avoid walking while speaking as the message may not
reach the audience effectively. Find the most comfortable
position and take ten seconds off to look around and to gain
confidence. Formal speakers don’t move much. However
moderators and presenters move a lot.
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BIMTECH Debating & Theatre Society
9. Answering queries
Do not restrict yourself to have eye contact with the questioner
alone. This makes it a personal conversation. Instead, start with
the questioner, but answer by looking at the others too. You
never know who might need your answer the most!
10. Shoulders
Try to keep the shoulders slightly tilted and not perfectly erect to
prevent the audience from perceiving you as rigid. Try not to
keep the chin perpendicular to the shoulder and instead, keep it
at an angle.
11. Hands and Legs
A speaker’s body is divided into four parts- two hand fixations
and two leg joints. To maintain the correct position, the tips of
the fingers have to be below the waist.
12. Pitch
It is best to utter the first sentence from your stomach and not
from your throat to instantly capture the attention of the
audience. It gives a great start!
13. Pace of entry and exit
The pace at which you walk into the podium and walk out of the
podium must remain the same. Do not allow the response or
the feedback from the audience to affect you. Exists too fast or
too slow imply lack of confidence.
14. To grab attention of a distracted audience
Divide your audience into islands for establishing eye-contact.
If someone is disturbed and does not seem to pay attention to
your speech, then you could frequently look at that island,
giving them a feel that you are observing them too, thus getting
their attention back.
15. Tone
The tone of the speaker is to be maintained as conversational.
When the tone shifts from conversational to a speech, it
becomes more formal, making it sound rehearsed. Maintaining
a conversational tone gives the feel of a ‘talk-from-the-heart’
and keeps the audience attentive and interested.
ONE-ACT PLAY
COMPETITION
Majlis, the Debating and Theatre Society of Birla Institute of
Management Technology, Greater Noida recently organised a
One-Act play competition. The team from PGDM Retail First
Year bagged the first prize. It also happened to be the Annual
felicitation ceremony of the society in which the Deputy
Director, Dr. Anupam Verma and club mentor, Dr. Mukesh
Chaturvedi gave away mementoes to the faculty members and
senior coordinators associated with the society. A new club,
United Friends of Earth, also launched a jute bag campaign to
make the campus plastic free on this occasion.
Compiled by
J. Mathangi
PGDM 2009-11
17
Organizational
Communication
F
rom an HR perspective ‘organizational communication’ is
the openness in the communication between the senior
management and employees resulting in improved
employee engagement and productivity.
Organizational communication,
as a field, is the consideration,
analysis, and criticism of the
role of communication in
organizational contexts.
- Wikipedia Org
In 1950’s, organizational communication focused largely on the
roles of communication in improving organizational life and
output but in 1980’s the field turned away from a business
oriented approach to communication and became concerned
more with the constitute role of communication in organizing.
Since 1990’s the critical* theory influence on the organizational
communication scholars focused more on communication
possibilities’ to oppress and liberate organizational members.
In today’s global business environment, effective organizational
communication both internal and external has a significant
impact on an organizations success. Organizational
communication externally can be termed as marketing, either
trying to promote or communicate an idea. The classic example
for innovative external organizational communication is by none
other than the retail czar ‘Wal-Mart’.
Wal-Mart has recently started fighting back criticisms of how they
treat their workers, providing low pay and only minimal benefits.
Since the public claim of Wal-Mart’s poor treatment of
employees, bloggers have taken the initiative of creating blogs
that actually speak out against Wal-Mart like ‘wake up Wal-Mart’
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which seems to interest the public very strongly. There are even
videos uploaded on public video broadcasting site like
YouTube such as ‘High cost of low price’ .This has created a
wide spread negative image among the general public.
In an effort to defend their public image, Walmart turned to the
internet where some bloggers are defending their image. At
second look, The New York Times discovered that those blog
postings were actually written by Public Relations firms for
Wal-Mart. Bob Moon describes how Wal-Mart is using the
blogosphere to tell their side of the story. Since there are blogs
against Wal-Mart is it so wrong that Wal-Mart responded? Mr.
Moon comments that Wal-Mart is just adjusting with the times
by going on the internet to defend their image. He goes on to
say that the postings do not say who has written them. In
addition, Bob Moon mentions one of the postings that “takes
direct aim at Target,” one of Wal-Mart’s competitors. Is this
ethical? Wal-Mart’s defense is that they do not compensate the
bloggers in any way and if journalists are not required to reveal
their identity on blogs, neither are they. Wal-Mart says they will
continue to blog!
It seems as though Wal-Mart is using the blogosphere to try and
influence public opinion. Personally, I think this is very
manipulative. The source of a piece of information is crucial in
determining its credibility. Once bloggers found out that these
posts were actually from PR firms for Wal-Mart, the odds are,
their credibility plummeted. Or course bloggers aren’t going to
bad mouth Wal-Mart if they still work directly with them. I
found this a very interesting discussion of how Wal-Mart used
blogs to try and repair their image. Looking through these
different blogs is a great way to learn more about the dialogue
between blogs and how they influence public opinion.
Internal communication is equally or in fact more important
than external communication when it comes to organization.
It is the foundation that holds the work culture, policy
processes, goals and vision together. Any blockage, wrong
detour or mismanagement in this channel can be catastrophic
for an organization—from spreading false rumours and
impacting employee morale to hampering organizational
productivity and smearing its brand name. The success of its
internal communication program is imperative for an
organization. Let me narrate another incident and this time it’s
about the same retail giant, Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart’s principal place of business is in Bentonville,
Arkansas, and it is licensed to operate in Indiana. Its registered
agent for service of process in Indiana is CT Corporation, which
is located in Indianapolis. When a lawsuit is filed against WalMart in Indiana, CT Corporation forwards the complaint and
summons to the legal department in Bentonville. At that time,
the case is assigned to one of Wal-Mart’s in-house attorneys.
On September 21, 2006, the Kinnisons filed a complaint
against Wal-Mart in Noble County, seeking damages stemming
from an allegedly negligent oil change performed by Wal-Mart
employees in Perris, California. Despite the facts that the
alleged tort occurred in California and that CT Corporation is
Wal-Mart’s registered agent in Indiana, the Kinnisons attempted
to serve the complaint and summons by sending them via
certified mail to a Wal-Mart Store in Kendallville. The envelope
was addressed to “Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.” Appellant’s App. p.
41. A postal worker delivered the envelope to the Customer
Service desk, where a customer service associate signed the
receipt and accepted the documents. The envelope was then
given to the manager of the Kendallville Wal-Mart. The
manager opened the envelope, recognized that the claims were
not related to the Kendallville store, and attempted to send the
documents via facsimile to the Bentonville office. For an
unknown reason, the Bentonville office never received the
documents, nor was an in-house attorney assigned to the case.
Consequently, Wal-Mart failed to file an answer to the
Kinnisons’ complaint.
On January 3, 2007, the Kinnisons filed a motion for default
judgment, which the trial court granted on the same day,
awarding damages in the amount of $83,692.1 On January 23,
2007, Wal-Mart filed a motion for relief from judgment and to
set aside the default judgment. Following a February 28, 2007,
hearing, the trial court summarily denied Wal-Mart’s motion on
June 19, 2007.
Thus the study of organizational communication recognizes
that all organizations, not just business organizations, have
communication needs and challenges. Hence the idea is to
understand the intricacies in an organizational communication
be it internal or external and solving the challenges, thereby
increasing the productivity and profitability of an organization.
After all productivity and profitability are the two deciding
factors for measuring success of an organization.
Deepika Grover
PGDM (RM) 2008-10
19
Case
Clear
Mind
Communicates
Clearly
P
roblems of expression and thinking can never be wholly
separated. Writing to be good requires clear ideas,
sympathetic attitude and adequate sense of language.
Not many persons could be so gifted that they produce the first
draft of their term papers or assignments, reports or even
memos, or letters so good that there is no need to change them.
Equally true is that few persons think so precisely and logically
that a direct transcription of their ideas would make a
purposeful communication.
I am shocked to know
through a reliable source
that most of the employees
from junior and middle level,
employees who have been
working in this organization
since long, have been
cheating the company by
submitting false medical
bills for reimbursement
every month. This practice
is highly immoral and illegal.
20
A manager knows that his written communication must be
conveying exactly and understood exactly. It should also be
promptly understood and responded to as desired. The entire
concern of his writing is to see he gets it right.
Through a series of changes in language, tone, and ideas, he is
able to produce a good draft. As he reworks his style of writing,
he keeps rethinking his ideas as well. The two processes go on
together. The effort is to say what he means, and mean what he
says. How?
This could be best understood through written analysis of a
concrete case of writing, revising and rewriting a memo until an
effective draft is ready to be communicated.
The Case
Let us assume that in an organization every one, right from
junior to the highest level manager, submits false medical bills
for reimbursement. People buy toiletry instead of medicines.
The chemists issue false receipts showing purchase of
medicines. The employees submit them to claim their
reimbursement. It has been a general practice in this company
since long.
The new General Manager, Personnel, Mr. S. Thampi,
however, was shocked and seriously agitated when he
happened to learn about it. He considered it was a serious
fraud. It was, he believed, immoral and illegal to cheat the
company. The employees could be prosecuted for doing so. He
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decided to stop this unethical and illegal practice which
violated the company policy of Employee Welfare. Mr. Thampi
called his secretary and dictated the following memo to be
issued to all the employees as the first thing next morning.
Memo
To
From
Date
Subject
Memo (Revised-n)
To
From
Date
Subject
: All Employees
: S. Thampi, General Manager, Personnel
: 13 September 2005
: The New Policy on Medical Reimbursement
Most employees in this our company have been since long using medical funds
reimbursements for buying things other than medicines. The company We feel
concerned about the employees health care plans.
: All Junior and Middle Level Employees
: 13 September 2005
: Fraud in Medical Bills Reimbursement
I am shocked to know through a reliable source that most of the employees from
junior and middle level, employees who have been working in this
organization since long, have been cheating the company by submitting false
medical bills for reimbursement every month. This practice is highly immoral
and illegal. It violates objectives of the medi-care policy of the organization.
The money claimed from the company is not spent on buying medicines. I have
reliably learnt that people have been buying toiletry, in place of medicines, and
produce false cash memos from the chemists.
We insist on your using the medical funds on purchasing the prescribed
medicines. We You are framing going to have a new policy to reimburse your
medical bills. Now, the doctor’s prescription shall also be attached with the
cash memos for getting reimbursement.
For any clarification regarding the new policy, feel free to contact the personnel
department.
S. Thampi
Memo (Final Draft)
As per our company policy, the cash memo is accepted and the reimbursement
is made. But, you all have been defrauding the company by submitting false
cash memos. This practice must stop immediately.
All such employees who have been indulging in it or will do so in future, are
hereby warned that strict action shall be taken against them. If needed, they can
be dismissed as well.
The employees are free to contact the personnel department if any clarification
is required in this regard.
S. Thampi
To
: All Employees
From : S. Thampi, General Manager, Personnel
Date : 13 September 2005
Subject : The New Policy on Medical Reimbursement
Most employees in our company have been since long using medical
reimbursements for buying things other than medicines. We feel concerned
about the employees health care plans.
We insist on your using the medical funds on purchasing the prescribed
medicines. You are going to have a new policy to reimburse your medical bills.
Now, the doctor’s prescription shall also be attached with the cash memos for
getting reimbursement.
Next morning, the secretary placed the typed draft before Mr.
Thampi for his signature. Mr. Thampi read it over and over. The
more he read, the more disappointed he felt. He reflected for a
while, and started revising it. He revised it several times until he
got it in the (Final) form that satisfied him.
For any clarification regarding the new policy, feel free to contact the personnel
department.
Memo (Revised-1)
Mr. Thampi felt satisfied with this draft of the memo. In fact, it is
good. He got it issued to all the employees.
To
From
Date
Subject
S. Thampi
: All Junior and Middle Level Employees
: 13 September 2005
: Fraud in Medical Bills Reimbursement
I am shocked have come to know through a reliable source that most of the
employees from junior and middle level to top level, employees who have
been working in this organization since long, have been cheating the company
by submitting false medical bills for reimbursement every month. This practice
is highly immoral and illegal it violates objectives of the medi-care policy of the
organization. The money claimed from the company is not spent on buying
medicines. I have reliably learnt that people have been buying toiletry, in place
of medicines, and produce false cash memos from the chemists.
Questions
1. What are the important changes you find in the final draft as
compared to the first draft of the memo?
2. Correlate these changes in the memo with the changes in
Mr. Thampi’s thinking.
As per our company policy, the cash memo is accepted and the reimbursement
is made. But, you all have been defrauding the company by submitting false
cash memos. This practice must stop immediately.
All such employees who have been indulging in it or will do so in future, are
hereby warned that strict action shall be taken against them. If needed, they can
be dismissed as well.
The employees are free to contact the personnel department if any clarification
is required in this regard.
Mukesh Chaturvedi
Chairperson
S. Thampi
21
Tongue
which can
T
See
he title of this article seems a crazy idea. But
this is what technology has been doing to our
lives: giving advancement we cannot even
begin to imagine. In such a recent advancement
quoted as one of the path breaking innovations in
the last half a decade, a device “Brainport” has been
introduced by Wicam and will be sold by the end of
this 2009. Research shows that tongue is more
sensitive than other skin areas i.e. abdomen,
fingertips and back used by other systems.
Moreover, the nerve fibres of the tongue are closer
to the surface, there are more of them and there is no
stratum corneum (an outer layer of dead skin cells)
to act as an insulator. So, “Brainport” utilizes this capability of the tongue to see.
“Brainport” collects visual data through a small digital video camera about 2.5cm in diameter, which sits in the middle of a
pair of sunglasses worn by the user, could be available for sale later
this year. The information is then transmitted to a hand-held control
unit, which is about the size of a mobile phone. The unit converts
the digital signal into electrical pulses and sends this to the tongue
via lollipop that sits on the tongue.
The lollipop contains a grid of 600 electrodes, which pulsate
according to how much light is in that area of the picture. The
control unit allows users to zoom in and out and control light
settings and electric shock intensity.
According to Robert Beckman, president of US-based Wicab: “It
enables blind people to gain perception of their surroundings,
displayed on their tongue. They cannot necessarily read a book but
they can read a sign.”
The device certainly comes at a price of $ 10000 making a hole in
the pockets. But it has the potential use of being a great help in the
fields of Military, Navy, Robotic Surgery and Gaming.
On a concluding remark, a research which began in the 60s has
proved to be a supportive innovation in the field of communications
and reaffirmed our belief in use of technology for effective
communication.
Compiled by
Sweta Agarwal
PGDM 2009-11
22
Interviews:
How to crack
them?
I was nervous! The interviewer was biased! I can’t make it! I am
a failure! I was not interested!
These are some statements people tend to give when they come
out of a failed interview. Yes, these are morale boosting at
times, but where is the reality? Everyone wants to succeed in
interviews every time. The confidence one generates in oneself
after a success is tremendous. We as students of an MBA college
would also like to crack all the interviews we appear for. How
to do that? No one can answer this and give us set techniques to
crack interviews. But, we can definitely hone our skills by
implementing the tips given below by experts .
10 Interview Myths
One important reason people fail at interviews is because of
several misconceptions, or myths, about what really happens
during the course of an interview. All of us know that the
purpose of interview for an interviewer is to hire someone who
will perform well in a particular job, but beyond that few
people fully grasp how interviews really work and what makes
one candidate stand out more than another. 10 important myths
broken below:
• Myth no. 1: The best person for the job gets it: The best
person for the job does not necessarily win it—often it’s the
person who gives the best interview.
• Myth no. 2: Interviews are like school exams— the more you
say, the better you’ll do: Interviews are more than just giving
technically correct answers. They’re also very much about
building rapport. Remember, a smart answer is often not the
most detailed.
• Myth no. 3: Interviewers know what they’re doing: Not all
interviewers know what they’re doing; your job is to know
how to handle the good and bad interviewer.
• Myth no. 4: Never say ‘I don’t know’: It’s better to be honest
and admit ignorance than try to pretend you know an
answer and come across as disingenuous and less than
bright.
• Myth no. 5: Good-looking people get the job: Good looking
people win jobs—maybe in Bollywood movies, but on the
whole, employers are keen to hire talent over superficial
factors.
• Myth no. 6: If you answer the questions better than the
others, you’ll get the job: Being able to articulate good
answers in an interview is very important, and failure to do
so will almost certainly mean you don’t get the job.
However, interviews—as we’ve already seen—are much
more than just giving good answers. They’re also about
convincing the interviewer that you will be a nice person to
•
•
•
•
work with. To put it in another way, it doesn’t matter how
technically good your answers are if the interviewer doesn’t
like you there is not much chance of your getting the job
(unless your talents are unique, extremely difficult to find or
the interviewer is desperate).
Myth no. 7: You should try to give the perfect answer:
Striving to give the perfect answer can get you into trouble.
It’s better to give a good answer that’s to the point rather than
searching for the perfect one; besides, often there’s no such
thing as the perfect answer.
Myth no. 8: You must ask questions to demonstrate your
interest and intelligence: Do not ask questions for the sake of
it. Only ask a question if you have a genuine query that has
not been covered.
Myth no. 9: Relax and just be yourself: Interviews are formal
occasions requiring relatively formal behaviours.
Interviewers will expect this and may react negatively if they
don’t see it.
Myth no. 10: Interviewers are looking for flaws: Interviewers
do not spend all their time looking for your flaws. They’re
more interested in getting an overall picture of who you are.
Avoid answering questions defensively. It’s much better to
see every question as an opportunity to highlight your best
points.
Common interview mistakes
All of us have made or might make mistakes during interviews,
and most of us have or will walk out of interviews thinking of all
the great things we forgot to mention and all the things we
shouldn’t have said. But the most important thing about
mistakes is learning from them—and not repeating them. Here
are some common interview mistakes:
• Failing to express oneself clearly: Often, because of anxiety
and wanting to say things perfectly, we try too hard and turn
what should be simple sentences into convoluted nonsense.
Simple language is always the most effective. Avoid trying to
sound knowledgeable by using jargon or complex
sentences.
• Not being aware of one’s body language: Many
interviewees succeed in alienating the interviewer because
they pay little or no attention to their body language. Body
language is an extremely powerful communicator, and
failing to use it effectively will almost certainly put you at a
significant disadvantage. Eye contact, sitting position and
facial expressions are all very important aspects of
23
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interviewing, and need to be thought through before the
interview.
• Failing to control those nerves: Sometimes people allow
their nerves to get so out of control that they fail to establish
rapport and even forget their answers. Feeling anxious
before and during an interview is common. In fact, a touch of
nerves can be a good thing. But there is no need to be the
victim of debilitating nerves.
• Failing to give appropriate examples: Failing to give
examples, or giving inappropriate examples, will spell
disaster. Before the interview, it is important to think of
relevant examples of what you’ve achieved and how you
went about realising those achievements. Saying that you
achieved something without being able to back it up with
specific examples will only get you a rejection letter. Your
examples need to be easy to understand, follow a logical
sequence and be relevant to the needs of the employer.
None of these can happen without preparation.
• Trying too hard to please the interviewer: Whilst building
rapport and trust during the interview is critical, few
interviewers appreciate interviewee's going overboard with
their behaviour. Obsequious behaviours are generally seen
as a form of deceit and carry little weight—in fact, they can
undermine your efforts to create trust.
‘Then, what does it take to convince the interviewer that you’re
the best person for the job?’ The answer to this question can best
be summarised in four parts:
• correct preparation;
• knowing the things that are important to interviewers;
• practising your answers;
• Perseverance
Conclusion
Performing well at interviews is not as difficult as many people
think. The key to success lies with correct preparation and
practice. Knowing what to prepare and how to prepare, then
giving yourself the opportunity to apply your newly acquired
skills, is a tried and tested formula for success. Remember, great
interviewees are not born with effective interview skills—they
develop their skills by following this formula: the more you
think about your answers and the more you practice them the
better you will become. Great interview skills are not
developed overnight; they improve with time and correct
application.
Lastly, believe in yourself. Now that you know what to do
there’s no reason not to.
Good luck.
Compiled by
Puneet Dudeja
PGDM 2009-10
24
Random Lessons of Practical Wisdom
through Practical Observation
(In alphabetical order)
Aesthetics: Illustrations of the human mind.
Boldness: When acquired enhances public visibility.
Character: Proportional to elasticity of demand.
Demand: Always in demand.
Education: A misguided concept of personal elevation.
Failure: Much said little done.
Goal: No matter how many goals you save, people
will
remember only the one that you’ve missed.
Hurry: Crude version of deadline management.
India: A modern case study on chaos management.
Judgment: Verbal onslaught.
Knowledge: A lost commodity.
Leisure: On the verge of extinction.
Modernity: Widespread infection.
Neutral: May not be always safe.
Organized: The most unorganized in public appearance is
usually the most organized in personal life.
People: Mute witnesses.
Queue: Wait for your turn or perhaps wait for your fortune to
turn.
Rule: Always bigger than the Ruler.
Students: Misguided missile.
Time: Always insufficient.
Umpire: Taken for granted these days.
Victory: A tribute to human endeavor.
Workaholic: Indentured labor.
X: Ignoring this sign will be at owner’s risk.
You: Always the reason for one’s misery.
Zoo: An anthology of biological differences.
Anshuman Srivastava
Manager – MDP & Events
Frequently Asked Questions
for
Interviews
1. Tell me about yourself?
Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for
the position. Remember that the key to all successful
interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the
interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell
what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important
strategy in job hunting. So, before you answer this or any
question it's imperative that you try to uncover your
Interviewer’s greatest need, want, problem or goal. Do all
the homework you can before the interview to uncover this
person's wants and needs.
2. What are your greatest strengths?
You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your
interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you answer
questions. Prior to any interview, you should have a list
mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You should
also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each
strength, an example chosen from your most recent and
most impressive achievements. You should, have this list of
your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from
your achievements so well committed to memory that you
can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM.
Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants
and needs, you can choose those achievements from your
list that best match up.
3. What are your greatest weaknesses?
Disguise strength as a weakness.
Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to
work with a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on
the same wavelength.”
4. Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
(If you have a job)
If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present
post, don’t be afraid to say so. Since you have a job, you are
in a stronger position than someone who does not. But
don’t be coy either. State honestly what you’d be hoping to
find in a new spot. Of course, your answers will all the
stronger if you have already uncovered what this position is
all about and you match your desires to it.
For all prior positions:
Make sure you’ve prepared a brief reason for leaving. Best
reasons: more money, opportunity, responsibility or
growth.
5. Why should I hire you?
If you know the employer’s greatest needs and desires, this
question will give you a big leg up over other candidates
because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than
anyone else is likely to…reasons tied directly to his needs.
Example: “As I understand your needs, you are first and
foremost looking for someone who can manage the sales
and marketing of your book publishing division. As you’ve
said you need someone with a strong background in trade
book sales. This is where I’ve spent almost my entire career,
so I’ve chalked up 18 years of experience exactly in this
area. I believe that I know the right contacts, methods,
principles, and successful management techniques as well
as any person can in our industry.”
6. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a
long-term commitment…that this position entails exactly
what you’re looking to do and what you do extremely well.
As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job
at hand with excellence, future opportunities will take care
of themselves.
Example: “I am definitely interested in making a long-term
commitment to my next position.
Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s
exactly what I’m looking for and what I am very well
qualified to do. In terms of my future career path, I’m
confident that if I do my work with excellence,
opportunities will inevitable open up for me. It’s always
been that way in my career, and I’m confident I’ll have
similar opportunities here.”
7. Why do you want to work at our company?
This question is your opportunity to hit the ball out of the
park, thanks to the in-depth research you should do before
any interview.
Best sources for researching your target company: annual
reports, the corporate newsletter, contacts you know at the
company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles about the
company in the trade press.
Compiled by
Ritesh Shrivastava
PGDM 2009-11
Archana Shrivastava
Asst Prof., Business Communication Area
25
COMMUNIS
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Hello…
helloo…hellllooo….!!!!
“Etiquette maketh a man”, goes the famous saying…
H
owever, many of us seem to be forgetful of the
etiquettes at times and amongst all the etiquette
errors, lack of telephone etiquettes is ubiquitous in
this fast pace of life. Our days
begin with the ring of a bell and
so do they end. The telephone,
may it be a wired one or a
cellular phone, has become as
much a part of our lives as food
& clothing and perhaps that is
one reason why we, most of the
times forget to follow basic
courtesies while using it.
Ironically, this negligence over
the phone began the very same day the telephone was
invented. The first message by Sir. Graham Bell to Watson in
their workshop was:
“Mr. Watson, come here, I want your help!”
But then if Bell were to listen to what people teach their kids in
this generation as “Proper Telephone Etiquettes”, he would be
scratching his head. But there’s no blaming him; thanks to the
wonderful invention!
So, let us keep it simple. Why do we have to remember a set of
etiquettes every time we happen to glance at the phone?
Everything from a simple “Hello” to remembering to smile each
time you make or receive a phone call. The answer is very
simple and plain - a lot can happen over a telephone call!
Talking on the telephone is no different than speaking to
someone in person, but for some reason a piece of equipment
between the mouth and the ear tends to make people forget that
there is such a thing as phone etiquettes.
You can find people talking, nay, yelling on their phones at
every nook and corner. The ease of use and its superb
functionality have made people get into some sort of a virtual
28
phantom world, where they lose the consciousness of their
surroundings. They are so absorbed with the voices coming out
from their devices and their incessant loud reply to it that they
forget they are social beings living in a civilized society, where
every other person also has the right to silence. Little do they
realise that there is a micro-phone in their gadget which is
perfectly capable of capturing normal voice tone. Moving to a
place with better range would be ideal to escape from
appearing rude and uncouth to the onlookers. Also muting or
switching off the phones at intimate public places like hospitals,
libraries, restaurants, movie halls etc. is much appreciable.
Since many of us seem to have forgotten the basic telephone
etiquettes, here are a few tips as an update to skills that are quite
natural in many of us.
Firstly, it is important to know who you are calling, the most
appropriate time to make the call (preferably avoiding calls
before 7:30am and after 9:30pm) and the reason for your call.
A warm “Hello” followed by greetings depending on the time of
the day (Good morning/afternoon/evening) and a simple
introduction of yourselves not only shows good etiquettes but
also lets the receiver to set the forthcoming information within
the context. No one is perfect; so even if you dial a wrong
number (which happens quite a lot of times) state your mistake,
apologise and only then hang up. Though we are well aware of
what is being mentioned here yet our conversation mostly
commences with a “Wassup???” or a “hey…hii!!!”
Another thing we need to practice is to be structured, short and
crisp in our discussions. In fact we just talk on and on
incessantly about matters irrelevant to what we actually
intended to speak before making the call. Passing on the
information that the receiver will understand, appreciate and
find useful helps in saving our time as well as resources (the
heavy phone bills) rather than just waffling and speaking
generically which will lose attention and affect poorly on us.
With the wide availability of ring tones for your phone, many
COMMUNIS
choose those which are loud and unique. However, just
because we like them, it doesn’t mean everyone else will.
Therefore make sure that your mobile ring tone is neither too
loud nor annoying especially when you are in public places
and other occasions like meetings, funerals, class rooms and
hospitals. Also with the invention of text messaging many find
communicating with others in public much easier and private
(no yelling out over the phone). However, if you are sitting in
the front row of a lecture and you are bent over messaging
someone, this gesture may infuriate and insult the lecturer.
One of the worst possible things you can do while
texting/answering/making a phone call is driving. Believe it or
not, there are people who try to make sure they are pressing the
right buttons and may lose out on the desired cautiousness
required during driving. This needs no explanation to say what
can be the possible outcomes! Hence a headphone or a
wireless ear piece becomes a necessity while driving. But many
a times we find people continuing to wear this accessory even
when they are not on calls (even when they are not driving).
Apart from looking awkward, it often makes others feel that you
are not giving your entire attention to the people interacting
with you. So make sure that you take off your ear-piece device
after you are done with the calls.
Haven’t we always known that only 7 percent of the
communication is “verbal”? When about 38 percent is
attributed to the “vocal” element constituting of pitch, volume
and rhythm, a huge 55 percent is contributed by “body
language”. While on phone, we lose out this 55 percent as it is
not a face-to-face encounter; the remaining 45 percent need to
be covered up by the verbal and vocal elements for balance, in
order to create the same impact on the other person.
Strange… we never thought telephoning would ever be such a
stressful business. Not even Graham Bell. May his soul rest in
peace!!!
Lakshmi Ninan
One Liners
School:
A place where Papa pays and Son plays.
Life Insurance:
A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you
can die Rich.
Nurse:
A person who wakes you up to give you sleeping pills.
Marriage:
It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor
degree and a woman gains her masters.
Tears:
The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is
defeated by feminine waterpower.
Lecture:
An art of transferring information from the notes of the
Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing
through 'the minds of either'.
Conference:
The confusion of one man multiplied by the number
present.
Compromise:
The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody
believes he got the biggest piece.
Dictionary:
A place where success comes before work.
Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and
everybody disagrees later on.
Father:
A banker provided by nature.
Criminal:
A guy no different from the rest.... except that he got
caught.
Boss:
Someone who is early when you are late and late when
you are early.
Politician:
One who shakes your hand before elections and your
Confidence after.
Doctor:
A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you by
bills.
Classic:
Books, which people praise, but do not read.
Smile:
A curve that can set a lot of things straight.
Office:
A place where you can relax after your strenuous
home life.
Yawn:
The only time some married men ever get to open their
mouth.
Etc.:
A sign to make others believe that you know more than
you actually do.
Committee:
Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to
decide that nothing can be done together.
Experience:
The name men give to their mistakes.
Atom Bomb:
An invention to end all inventions.
Philosopher:
A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of
when dead.
PGDM 2009-10
Source: Internet
29
competent and as intelligent as the one wearing the formal suit,
or more so, we do assess these attributes based on appearance.
That's not to say you can forget about preparing for a
presentation, put on a nice suit, and you'll impress the
audience. All the ingredients -- knowledge, preparation, and
appearance — are necessary to make a good impression.
A
big job interview is coming up and you are feeling very
confident. You have anticipated the questions they
might ask and have prepared some great answers.
Fresh copies of your resume are sitting in your backpack. Wait a
minute! Did you say backpack? Are you really going to walk
into a job interview carrying a backpack? Next thing you'll say
is that you're planning to wear jeans and a t-shirt. Uh-oh. You
better ask yourself these questions before you get dressed.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
DO I HAVE AN OUTFIT SUITABLE FOR CORPORATE
ENVIRONMENT?
WHAT ABOUT MAKE –UP/ACCESSORIES?
A Second Look at First Impressions
No matter how good you look on paper, everything you do
from how you treat each member of the interview team, to what
you’re wearing, to what you say or don’t say during the
interview is noted, and taken into account in the hiring
decision.
Maybe the current trend towards casual dress at work has made
people more lax about what they wear. In addition, many
people work from home where there are no rules regarding
dress. As a remote worker, I can tell you that I don't give much
thought to what I wear while working from home. While I don't
work in a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, unless of course I'm
working at 1 a.m., when I give a presentation, though, it's a
whole different story. I try to look my professional best, in a
skirt, shirt, jacket, and dress shoes. I make sure my hair and
makeup are neatly done. In other words, I dress for success.
Why You Must Dress Professionally for Certain Situations ??
Maybe it's unjust to judge a book by its cover, but we all do it.
It's human nature. While the person in jeans may be as
30
How to Dress Professionally
Should you go out and purchase a new dress every time you
have to make a presentation? Do you need to wear branded
clothes only to leave a mark on your audience? No, it is not at all
necessary!! One can look smart and elegant even in not so new
and branded clothing. The idea here is to understand that it is
not how expensive or new or branded the dress is, the idea is
how smartly you carry yourself The dress you choose should
reflect you, your identity and ideology; and not jumping on
bandwagon. You can always wear old, but the key is to dress up
in an impressive and panache style. Women can probably get
away with a nice skirt and jacket or a business suit, while men
can wear dress trousers and a jacket. Wear neutral colors —
dark blue or grey are good, don't wear large or glitzy jewelry,
and wear a button down shirt or a jacket so they have
somewhere to clip a microphone. Now about your hair. Your
hair should be neat and clean. Try to keep it out of your face. As
for makeup (for you women out there), keep it simple and
sober.
Try to get a feel for where you are going to work before you go
shopping for your new work wardrobe. If you are unsure of
what the company dress code is, take some cues from the
person interviewing you. You can also observe what your boss
is wearing or take a tour of your new place of employment and
note what the majority of people are wearing. Another strategy
is to simply ask. You can call the HR department, other
employees, your future manager/supervisor or your
interviewer, and ask them about the company dress code.
Complement your Dressing with Non Verbal Cues
As your mother might have told you, sit up straight. When you
slouch you look bored. If you're bored, how do you expect your
audience to feel? You'll also look more confident if you're
sitting or standing up straight. Look like you're happy to be
there. Put a smile on your face. Don't fidget, bite your nails, or
play with any jewelry you are wearing. And of course — don't
forget to breathe!
Conclusion
When attempting to project a professional image, your overall
goal is to create your own style while still looking competent
and commanding respect. With a little creativity and attention
to detail you can look professional at work without losing your
unique sense of style!
Pallavi Jain
PGDM 2009-11
T
wo salesmen eagerly race to your door! The first one
wins your attention. You let him in and he shows you his
latest model of vacuum cleaner. He tells you all about its
sucking capacity, its ease of operation, the factory warranty,
and the differences between different models. With a patient
but zoned-out bored look, you let the man leave. He passes the
second salesman waiting on your porch for his turn.
You yawn and let the second guy in. But there's something
different about this other salesman. He takes a moment to look
around your living room. He sees a picture of your cute little
girl and compliments you. He asks you a couple other "small
talk" questions and gets to know you better. He listens to you.
He really listens to you and the problems you face. Somehow
he knows how to gently draw out your general home
cleanliness concerns. He has suggestions on how to clean
drapes more effectively, how to dust without leaving streaks-nothing directly related to vacuum sales just yet. Nevertheless
you are drawn in. This salesman has converted you as his
friend. You trust him and believe him. Then the salesman
points out the benefits you'll receive if you purchase his
vacuum. Plus, you notice that he knows just as much about the
product and company as the first guy! Hmmm...
QUESTION: Which one closes the sale?
ANSWER: The one who used his "soft skills"-- the latter one.
QUESTION: What are Soft Skills ?
ANSWER: As the name suggests soft skills is not a visible skill
like the domain subject content in a student but it helps in
improving the personality of the person. It gives finishing touch
to the personality. It includes communication skills,
interpersonal skills, group dynamics, team work, body
language, etiquettes, selling skills, presentation skills,
confidence building etc. If soft skills are incorporated in the
curriculum along with grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary
exercises, it will surely lead to the overall personality
development of a person. In addition to subject knowledge,
one is expected to have pleasing as well as smart personality to
get an edge over others in this competitive era. An English
faculty’s role is not just improving the language skills of the
students, but also fine tuning their soft skills. With the
corporate exposure, faculty will be in a better position to
prepare the students in the lines of corporate expectations.
Globalization and liberalization have changed the importance
of language learning. Oral communication skills have become
very important in the age where one needs to know how to sell
one self in order to excel in one’s chosen field. In addition to
communication skills, soft skills, which include tips to succeed
in interviews and group discussions, will help the students in
getting the job of their choice. The orientation in curriculum
designing is to be on specific needs of the target students than
general.
The students’ inability to communicate well in English has
many reasons behind it. The lack of strong basic foundation of
English language continues to haunt the students in their
college life too. The fear of failure before others, stage fear,
nervousness, lack of content etc are also the reasons for
students to lag behind. So English language teaching should be
transformed into soft skills training.
Soft skills should cater to the needs of fine tuning the personality
of the students.
Therefore, Soft skills refer to a very diverse range of abilities
such as:
• Self-awareness
• Analytical thinking
• Leadership skills
• Team-building skills
• Flexibility
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Creativity
• Problem-solving skills
31
AS I FLOAT
• Listening skills
• Diplomacy
• Change-readiness
Importance of Soft Skills
According to psychologist Daniel Coleman, a combination of
competencies that contribute to a person's ability to manage
him or herself and relate to other people, matter twice as much
as IQ or technical skills in job success.
Results of recent studies on the importance of soft skills
indicated that the single most important soft skill for a job
candidate to possess was interpersonal skills, followed by
written or verbal communication skills and the ability to work
under pressure. A constantly changing work environment - due
to technology, customer-driven markets, information-based
economy and globalization that are currently impacting on the
structure of the workplace and leading to an increased reliance
on, and demand for soft skill.
Soft skills are not a replacement for hard- or technical-skills.
They are, in many instances, complementary, and serve to
unlock the potential for highly effective performance in people
qualified with the requisite hard skills.
The development of 'soft skills' in this market is important when
there is intense competition for many available positions.
• Learn the basics of effective verbal communications and
presentations. Take a speech communications course or
join a local 'Toastmasters' group to become comfortable
with your verbal skills. Practice your telephone skills. Most
interviews begin with a telephone interview. You may be
offered an interview because of your resume but the best
communicator in the interview will get the job.
• You only have one shot at a good 'first impression'. Make
sure that your manner of dress and grooming are appropriate
for the job setting. I recommend dressing one notch' above
the everyday norm when interviewing for a job. If the
everyday attire is Dockers and casual shirt then the interview
attire ought to be dress pants and shirt with tie. For females
the 'one notch above' may include a dress or business suit.
• Practice your approach in greeting people and shaking
hands. Look the person directly in the eye with a smile and
firm handshake. If the other person is elderly or appears
somewhat frail adjust your handshake accordingly. Firm
but not painful.
• The 'art of conversation' is just that ...an art. The ability to
carry on interesting conversations with people about the
wide variety of topics and current events is an important tool
in establishing an effective business relationship. Book
clubs and discussion groups are good ways to develop these
skills if you are not already associated with a group of
interesting friends who enjoy lively conversation.
Believe in me for this one time,
Unconditionally, blind-eyed,
Take the leap, follow me down,
To where the land and air divide.
Promises, so sweet and strong,
That withstands wind and tide,
Words; forever, endless, eternity,
Sound feeble though on the inside.
Believe me my love, I don’t lie,
I could never, looking into your eyes,
A moment of hurt will lead us to,
A bonding with no demise.
Never once did I think beyond,
A life without you by my side,
And now as I fall, float over the end,
I wait for you to decide.
I don’t regret anything I did,
For those were your words over mine,
With blind faith in what we had,
We started out on this ride.
But now as I watch you stand still,
I cannot help but bluntly smile,
At the shiver that rolls out your tears,
At the innocent fear in your eyes.
Believe me my love for this one time,
Know, I will always love you with my heart,
Turn away I beg, as I reach the place,
Where the land and air divide.
The ability to develop and use 'soft skills' can make the
difference between a job offer and the enjoyment of a new
employment and community environment.
Jojan V Jose
PGDM 2009-11
Ravinder Pal
PGDM 2009-11
32
Speak
Out…
Speak
Loud…
“If speaking is silver, silence is gold”, the old saying may have
its own relevance but speak out… speak loud is the need of the
hour! A number of researches have undoubtedly proved the
prime requirement of assertiveness in personal and
professional life of a person. Fully admitting the importance of
this indispensable feature in our life style, let us explore the
scope of trainability element of assertiveness skills. A person
who by nature is non assertive, despite being convinced of the
merits of assertiveness, shall not be able to control his actions in
confronting situations. This submissive person with easy to give
up approach may not feel comfortable stating his views firmly
or assertively and even if he dares to do so he is likely to be
haunted by its repercussions. However a conscious effort and
training into a behavioral change may hone assertive skills of a
person.
The three different types of human behaviors that have been
identified are:
a) Non-assertive Behavior which involves the act of
withdrawing from a situation is a passive approach to a
situation resulting in denial of one’s feelings, allowing
others to choose for you, suffering from guilt and anger.
b) Aggressive Behavior is demonstrated by the act of over
reacting emotionally to a situation. This is a self enhancing,
egotistical approach to a situation resulting in put down
feelings on the receiver’s part, not allowing others to choose
for themselves but choosing for them, hostility,
defensiveness on the aggressor’s part and humility on the
receiver’s part.
c) Assertive Behavior comprises the act of declaring that this is
what I am, what I think and feel and what I want. This is a
non egotistical, active rather than passive approach to a
solution resulting open, direct self expression of thoughts
and feelings, allowing others to choose for themselves and
mutual satisfaction at achieving a desired goal.
Sometimes people confuse aggressiveness with assertiveness
seeing that both types of behavior involve standing up for one’s
rights and expressing one’s needs. This thin line if not clearly
understood may lead to entirely different mannerism. The key
difference between the two styles is that individuals behaving
assertively will express themselves in ways that respect the
other person. They assume the best about people, respect
themselves and think ‘win-win’ and try to compromise.
In contrast, individuals behaving aggressively will tend to
employ tactics that are disrespectful, manipulative, demeaning
or abusive. They make negative assumptions about the motives
of others and think in retaliatory terms or don’t think of other
person’s point of view at all. They win at the expense of others
and create unnecessary conflict.
Passive individuals different from assertive and aggressive ones
don’t know how to adequately communicate their feelings and
needs to others. They tend to fear conflict so much that they let
their needs go unmet and keep their feelings secret in order to
keep the peace. They let others win while they lose out.
People with different kinds of behavior reflect different ways of
handling situations.
• "you win and I lose" solution is a passive solution where one
individual gives up his rights to another.
• "you lose and I win" solution is an aggressive solution where
one individual ignores the rights of another in order to get his
way.
• "you lose and I lose" solution is a total passive solution
where both individuals give up their rights. A healthy
resolution is impossible.
• "you win and I win" solution is an assertive solution where
the rights of both parties are recognized, respected, and
utilized in reaching a healthy compromise.
Despite admitting the assertive behavior as the most desired
one, it is not in one’s control to exhibit assertive behavior
naturally. The various roadblocks for the transition to being
assertive are:
• Feeling of guilt in turning down legitimate requests.
• Apprehension of asking questions that might make one look
ignorant or stupid.
• Inhibition of being so unpleasant, cold and uncaring that
others won’t like them.
• Fear of hurting others and guilty of being responsible for
others’ sufferings.
• Fear of rejection from others.
• Lack of self esteem/self confidence
Besides the above mentioned roadblocks, some myths also
encourage non assertive behavior:
• Anxiety: The anxiety of unacceptability, criticism,
indifference, etc prevents a person from stating his views
33
•
•
•
•
•
assertively. Even the probable repercussions of
confrontation may discourage a person from being assertive.
Modesty: Being courteous or modest is sometimes taken to
be a synonym of not refuting others. The concept of
confronting and still respecting a person for his ideology is
not well taken by all. This myth may also consist of the
inability to acknowledge or say positive things about oneself,
the inability to accept compliments from others and the
inability to give compliments to others.
Friendship: On the pretext of close friendship, people tend to
overdo and avoid saying NO even if it demands some thing
beyond their limits.. They feel guilty to say no to any requests
and are scared to lose a good friend not comprehending that
true friendship is over and above all these trivial issues.
Although they prefer others to be straightforward with them
but don’t follow the same practice fearing that it would hurt
others.
Obligations: Some people disregard their personal needs
and rights due to a belief in personal obligations to others.
These people put others ahead of themselves. Obviously the
others' needs cannot always be met; however, those who
routinely neglect to express their needs and rights, and who
find themselves imposed upon quite frequently, are being
restrained by this belief in the myth of obligation.
Gender role myths: Sometimes people behave in a particular
manner due to various gender role expectations. This has
been especially true for women. Due to erroneous
expectations, many women are unable to refuse requests,
even unreasonable ones. This may be true regardless of
whether the request would interfere with their needs and
rights.
Strength of an issue: It is sometimes risky to take a stand,
even on issues about which people might feel quite strongly.
It may be interpreted as pressuring others to accept one's
beliefs, especially when discussing a controversial issue.
People may not choose to take the risk of alienating
themselves from others.
Although transition from any behavior to another demands
deliberate efforts, yet acquiring assertiveness is a challenging
task and is a time consuming process. During the process of
assertiveness training, in the initial stages when a person makes
conscious efforts to be assertive, he is likely to be troubled by
perturbing thoughts due to anxiety and fear of hurting others.
Moreover, the sudden behavioral change is somehow not
readily accepted by others and people around take time to sink
in the new approach towards them. However, a consistent
endeavor may exhibit natural traits of assertiveness in the
communication skills of a person.
A quick glance on the ten assertive rights emphasized in the
assertiveness training will help us understand the practical
implementation of it.
• I have the right to judge my own behavior, thoughts, and
emotions and to take the responsibility for their initiation
and consequence.
• I have the right to offer neither reason nor excuse to justify
my behavior.
• I have the right to judge whether I am responsible for finding
solutions to others' problems.
• I have the right to change my mind.
34
• I have the right to say, "I don't know."
• I have the right to make mistakes and be responsible for
them
• I have the right to be independent of the good will of others
before coping with them.
• I have the right to be illogical in making decisions.
• I have the right to say, "I don't understand."
• I have the right to say, "I don't care."
Keeping in mind the rights of assertiveness we should make
known our desires and feelings without the fear of hurting
others or feeling guilty for others’ sufferings. Building self
esteem, confidence and learning to value our needs and the
needs and differences in others would certainly ensure assertive
behavior. The consistent assertion in the communication skills
helps us acquire the desired skills and provides great benefits
like:
• Reduces stress in life
• Enables to have stronger and more supportive relationship
both in professional and personal life
• Leads to fewer conflicts in dealings with others
• Increases influence by reducing aggressive/abusive
interactions
• Exercises personal power to positively impact co-workers
and the organization
• Helps understand others’ underlying concerns and
creatively problem solve resistance to achieve alignment
and commitment
• Improves listening with empathy without giving up one’s
position
• Strengthens to receive criticism without becoming defensive
In a face to face interaction a person does not communicate
only through words. His whole personality-his general bearing,
facial expression, posture and gestures-is involved in the
process. The people with assertive behavior demonstrate the
following body language:
1. Eye contact and facial expression: direct eye contact;
appear interested and alert, but not angry.
2. Posture: Stand or sit erect, possibly leaning forward
slightly.
3. Distance and contact: Stand or sit at a normal
conversational distance from the other.
4. Gestures: relaxed, conversational gestures.
5. Voice: factual, not emotional tone of voice. Sound to be
determined and full of conviction, but not overbearing.
6. Timing: time when both parties are relaxed. A neutral site is
best.
Rightly defined, “Assertiveness is the ability to express one’s
feelings and assert one’s rights while respecting the feelings and
rights of others.” Assertiveness comes naturally to some, but is a
skill that can be learnt. Assertiveness is one of the most valuable
skill leaders and managers can possess.
Stand at your own feet
Be gentle but not weak
Shalini Kalia
Asst. Professor
Essential Presentation Skills -
the three things YOU MUST KNOW
Here we expose the three essential pieces of information that
can make your presentation fly. Most of these are common
sense, but you'd be surprised how often they are missed out.
The Three Presentation Essentials:
1. Use visual aids where you can
2. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
"If you fail to prepare, you are prepared to fail"
3. The audience will only remember three messages
The rule of three is one of the oldest in the book - Aristotle wrote
about it in his book Rhetoric. Put simply it is that people tend to
easily remember three things. Believe it or not, the chances are,
people will only remember three things from your presentation.
So before you start writing your presentation, plan what your
three key messages will be. Once you have these messages,
structure the main part of your presentation around these three
key themes and look at how they could be better illustrated.
To be a more effective presenter, it is useful to evaluate your
own presentation skills. The following self evaluation form can
help you identify areas you should try to improve. Please read
each item below and rank yourself from 1 to 5 based on how
frequently you believe you adhere to the item (1=never and
5=always). Then concentrate on the points that you have
ranked with low numbers when you are trying to improve your
oral presentation skills.
When you have finished, compute your score and save a copy
of this page for your record. After you have worked on your
presentation skills unit complete this questionnaire again to see
if you shown any improvement.
Question
1) I determine some basic objectives before planning a
presentation.
2) I analyze the values, needs and constraints of my
audience.
3) I write down some main ideas first, in order to build a
presentation around them.
4) I incorporate both a preview and review of the main ideas
as my presentation is organized.
5) I develop an introduction that will catch the attention of
my audience and still provide the necessary background
information.
6) My conclusion refers back to the introduction and, if
appropriate, contains a call-to-action statement.
7) The visual aids I use are carefully prepared, simple, easy
to read, and have impact.
8) The number of visual aids will enhance, not detract, from
my presentation.
9) If my presentation is persuasive, arguments are used that
are logical and that support my assertions.
10) I use anxiety to fuel the enthusiasm of my presentation,
not hold me back.
11) I ensure the benefits suggested to my audience are clear
and compelling.
12) I communicate ideas with enthusiasm.
13) I rehearse so there is a minimum focus on notes and
maximum attention paid to my audience.
14) My notes contain only "key words" so I avoid read up from
a manuscript or technical paper.
15) My presentations are rehearsed standing up and using
visual aids.
16) I prepare answers to anticipated questions, and practice
responding to them.
17) I arrange seating (if appropriate) and check audio-visual
equipment in advance of the presentation.
18) I maintain good eye contact with the audience at all
times.
19) My gestures are natural and not constrained by
anxiety.
20) My voice is strong and clear and is not a
monotone.
Rank
Evaluaute your score:
• If you scored between 80-100, you are an accomplished
speaker who simply needs to maintain basic skills through
practice.
• If your total score was between 60-80, you have the
potential to become a highly effective presenter.
• If your score was between 40 and 60, this resource can help
you significantly.
• If you scored between 30 and 40, you should show dramatic
improvement with practice.
• If your total was below 30, roll up your sleeves and dig in. It
may not be easy - but you can make excellent progress if you
try.
At the end 0f the course, take this evaluation again and compare
your scores. You should be pleased with the progress you have
made.
Source: Mandel, S. (1987) Effective Presentation Skills: A Practical Guide for
Better Speaking (Revised Edition). Ontario: Reid Publishing Ltd.
35
Speeches
Men make speeches or Speeches men?
“Speech both conceals and reveals the thoughts of men” goes a
Latin proverb. Can a mere speech which is just a thought of one
man, influence a million others? Could just a few neatly coined
words find for themselves a permanent place in history?
Pondering my mind over these questions in front of me, I sat
back to realize that it is often not that famous men give famous
speeches; Instead it is those speeches that
give these men a legendary platform!
Didn’t the speech “I have a dream” by
Martin Luther King Jr. with concluding
words "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God
Almighty, we are free at last!" stand as the
defining moment for the American Civil
Rights movement?
Would have Barack Obama edged Hillary
Clinton if not for his rhetorical skills? I am
unsure… There is more than one reason to
believe that his speeches gave him an
identity!
Was the world not left with a lasting impression of Swami
Vivekananda for his starting phrase at the Chicago conference
which was “Brothers and Sisters of America”?
I often wonder if Archimedes would have been this famous if
not for his screaming of the Greek word “Eureka” from his bath
tub. Had he not, he might have gone unnoticed just like the
million other inventors left behind.
These examples prove the significance of using clear, concise
and effective words. Just a sheer selection of words, could get
one to limelight over night. But, is this as easy as it sounds?
A vivid instance would add more colour to the picture. The 20th
century saw the development of two leaders of World War II
who applied oratorical techniques in vastly different ways with
equal effect. It was primarily through his oratory that Adolf
Hitler whipped the defeated and divided Germans into a frenzy
of conquest, while Winston Churchill used his no less
remarkable powers to summon up in the English people their
deepest historical reserves of strength against the onslaught.
A clever orator carefully plays this mind game with his viewers
by choosing the best of words in the best of orders, making them
enter a state of trance. I wouldn’t be
wrong in considering the speech a
hypnotic; but it finally zeros down
to the effect it has on the viewers- a
positive influence for a revolution
or a deeply harming negative one…
Beautifully knitted words, like the
pearls coupled together in a
necklace, like the waves that hit the
beach, like the bee that sucks
nectar, give the sentence its beauty.
True to the words of Helen Keller
"The best and most beautiful things
in the world cannot be seen or even
touched - they must be felt with the
heart", the beauty of such speeches
also lies in the revolution it brings about in the masses.
Some are born orators and some master the art; be it anyway,
the best shall continue to mesmerize the spectators and leave
them spellbound! And one day, I shall with my enthralling
speech, carve for myself a small niche in history and only then
shall my soul rest in peace!
Coming to the other side of the coin, many famous personalities
have delivered notable speeches.
Examples range from Margaret Thatcher to Mahatma Gandhi to
Dalai Lama to Charles de Gaulle and the list goes endless.
36
J Mathangi
PGDM 2009-11
The Wonderful World of Words
- Word meanings and stories related to their origin
1. Break a Leg [Idiom]
Meaning
Origin
-
Used to wish someone, such as an actor, success in a performance.
Superstition against wishing an actor Good Luck! has led to the adoption of this phrase in its place. The date of
origin is a bit obscure; as theatrical slang it existed long before it was ever documented in print, but the intent of
the phrase is clear. It is simply a way of warding off a jinx. It being bad luck to speak of a positive performance, one
instead speaks of a bad one.
Based on the recollections of actors, break a leg is commonly thought to date to the 1930s. Some claim a British
origin, but the earliest citations are all American.
2. Bedlam [Noun]
Meaning
Origin
-
A scene or state of wild uproar and confusion
Bedlam is a Middle English form of Bethlehem, referring to the Judean city traditionally reckoned as the birthplace
of Jesus Christ.
The sense meaning madness, uproar, or confusion comes from the Hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem in
London. The hospital was founded as a priory in 1247 and is first mentioned as a hospital in 1330. By 1402 it was
known for housing lunatics.
In 1547 the hospital was formally incorporated as a royal foundation for the care of the insane.
3. Bull & Bear Market [Noun]
Meaning
-
Origin
-
Bull market: Stock market associated with increasing investor confidence.
Bear market: Stock market showing investor fear and pessimism.
These two stock market terms appear in the early 18th century. Bear was the first to appear, referring to the
practice of selling stock one does not yet own for delivery at a future date. The expectation would be that the price
would fall in the meantime, enabling the speculator to buy the stock at a lower price. Such speculators were
called bear-skin jobbers after the proverb to sell the bear’s skin before one has caught the bear. Gradually, the
term took on the meaning of being generally pessimistic about stock prices.
Bull appears a few years later, in 1714, and was almost certainly influenced by bear.
37
4. Cut to the chase [Idiom]
Meaning
Origin
-
To get to the main point
This phrase comes from the early days of Hollywood. It literally referred to a cut from a dramatic scene to an action
one (the chase)
-
To listen secretly to a private conversation
Eavesdrop, or originally eavesdrip, is a very old word. It is originally a noun referring to the water dripping off the
eaves of a building or ground on which such water would fall. From medieval times there were legal restrictions on
building close to one’s property line so that the eavesdrop would not damage the neighbor’s land.
-
Used as an exclamation of triumph at a discovery
Legend has it that Archimedes uttered this exclamation when he realized that objects placed in water displace an
amount of water equal to their own volume.
5. Eavesdrop [Verb]
Meaning
Origin
6. Eureka [Interjection]
Meaning
Origin
Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse, had supplied a goldsmith with gold to make a crown. But Hiero was not certain that the
smith had used all the gold and so he asked Archimedes to test the crown. How to measure the volume of such an
irregularly shaped object stumped Archimedes until one day, when climbing into his bath, he noticed the water
displacement and realized that he could measure the volume of the crown through displacement.
7. Free Lunch [Noun]
Meaning
Origin
-
Something given with no expectation of repayment, service, responsibility, etc
The phrase began its life as a joke that was commonly told by economists in the first half of the 20th century.
One day a king assembled his advisors and asked them to summarize the essence of economics wisdom. One
by one, the advisors delivered lengthy treatises on the subject. Angry that they weren’t doing what he had asked,
the king had them executed. When it came to his turn one wise advisor, realizing what was happening, summed
up all of economics wisdom in there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, pleasing the king and sparing his life.
8. Googol / Google [Noun/Verb]
Meaning
Origin
-
To search for information about something through the Google search engine
The company’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, came up with the name in 1998. They altered the spelling
for trademark purposes.
The term googol is a mathematical term for the number represented by one followed by 100 zeroes or 10100
which was coined by Milton Sirotta, the nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner in the year 1938.
9. Let the cat out of the bag [Idiom]
Meaning
Origin
-
To reveal a secret
The phrase is a reference to an old scam in which a cat would be surreptitiously substituted for a suckling pig that
had just been purchased at market. The cat would be placed in the bag in the hopes that the customer would not
look into it until they were some distance away.
-
Rigid adherence to bureaucratic rules and regulations
It is a tradition, dating back to the 18th century, to bind government documents together using a red ribbon or
tape. There is no particular reason for choosing the color red; it’s just an arbitrary choice.
Source: http://www.wordorigins.org
10. Red tape [Noun]
38
Meaning
Origin
11. Think outside the box [Idiom]
Meaning
Origin
-
Creative and unorthodox in thought or practice
The phrase is an allusion to a well-known puzzle where one has to connect nine dots, arranged in a square grid,
with four straight lines drawn continuously without pen leaving paper.
The only solution to this puzzle is one where some of the lines extend beyond the border of the grid (or box). This
puzzle was a popular gimmick among management consultants in the 1970s and 80s as a demonstration of the
need to discard unwarranted assumptions (like the assumption that the lines must remain within the grid).
Compiled by
Gagandeep, PGDM 2009-11
My Summer Training Experience
you help me?” I did. And the lady was so happy, that she who always
used to ignore me while crossing my desk, today asked me about my
project, about which even I knew little then!” She said “Have you met
all the concerned people?” I said “Yes”. She said “Are you sure?” I said
“Yes”. Then she asked, “Did you meet “Bholaram”(name changed) ?”
And I was like “What?!” Why should I meet him?!
(Bholaram was 62 year old peon in the organisation who was here
since time immemorial and was working on his extended retirement
period.)
At one point of time, I thought I will call it quits, because I had many
new ideas but the entire organisation was so much system driven,
I didn’t know how could I make a difference because most of the
people were in their late forties (there was a ban on recruitment in the
company for a decade previously), they just didn’t want a change,
they just said, “You are a kid. You know nothing!”
One day I was sitting alone and looking out of the window, gazing at
the sky, when a middle aged lady came to me and said, “Are you
upset”? I answered “I don’t know. I think I won’t be able to fit in here.
Everyone thinks I am too young to interact with, don’t know anything,
and plus I am here for two months only, so I am just a guest”.
And the lady laughed. She said “This is the real test, test of patience.
Your gain here depends on how much self driven you are. Like private
firms, no one will come to you with work; no one will sit over you to
monitor you. Rather, its upto you what you make out of it. Why don’t
you see the positives? You have the freedom to decide where you
want to work, on what you want to work. You can learn a lot here.
Only your approach is incorrect”. It was then that I decided that I will
give it a second try. She smiled and introduced me to her colleagues
and said “Have lunch with us today”. I agreed. It was better than
sitting alone in that corner. I was least interested in their gossips, but
managed to smile somehow. Next morning, one of the lady from
among those with whom I had lunch, came to my desk and said, “I am
not good at Internet. My daughter from U.S. has sent me a mail, can
He said “ Muje kabhi kabhi dusre department ke bade saab ko phone
karna hota hai, main phone pe baat karte darta hun” (Sometimes, I
am required to convey messages to other department officer over
phone, I feel diffident while talking” ).Then pointing to another
worker he said, “Yeh Bijli ke Khambe Lagata hai, par agar shock lag
jaye toh baki log ise kaise bachayenge, unhe nahin pata. Aap iske
bare mein sikhao na!” (Someone who puts electric poles, teach him
about first aid)
And that was an eye opener for me. I decided that I would work on the
training of these employees and met one senior officers who I came to
know was working on the same lines. We discussed this over coffee
and there started my actual summer internship.
By the end of the two months, we had drafted a proposal for the
training of “C” and “D” level employees in the power distribution
sector. I had learnt a lot from that senior gentleman and also realised
how learned government professionals can be. Of course, I also did
some other tasks in that period and made friends with many of the
professionals there (Average age being 40), but this turning point
made my summer internship really meaningful and made me learn a
lot.
Prachee Sehgal
PGDM 2008-10
The more there is of it, the less you see it.What
is it?
The more you crack it, the more people like you.
What is it?
A smile.
While on the first day of my job, I was greeted with a long list of
predetermined tasks for the day for me, in my summer internship, it
was the reverse. I was warmly welcomed and offered my space and
then was told that I can ask for whatever I wanted. This was the real
test. Its very easy when some one tells you what to do, you know it,
all you need is to perform, but in a scenario like this, I was confused
for the first one week and just thinking “Kya Karoon?!!”I gathered
some documents here and there (which also included dusting a few
files) , had formal interaction with key people from the top to bottom
in the hope that I might find the area on which I should work.
I quizzed my friends as to what they were doing but none of what they
were doing could apply here as in government units, it was different.
Darkness.
M
y summer training experience was very different as
compared to my previous work experience before joining
BIMTECH. While I did my job previously in a Multi
national organisation, this one was a Public sector enterprise. My
summer training was in the field of “Training” which is a sub part of
Human Resource Management.
Anyways, I met Mr. Bholaram. And that was the turning point. He was
so old that he could hardly hear anything. He didn’t know English
leave alone what is MBA or Human resource department!
It took me one week to explain to him what I was doing in Simple
Plain Hindi! (And believe me it was the toughest thing to do!)But once
he got an idea, he got me all the concerned files, data and told me who
are the people I should meet and what time of the day was good to
approach them! And it made a lot of difference. Then one day he said,
“Didi, Aap humein kyun nahin training dete?” And I was like “Aapko?
Aap ko kya training chahiye. Aap toh peon ho?”(You are just a peon,
what training do you require?”
39
My Summer Training Experience
My Summer Internship experience with HDFC Standard
Life Insurance Company
responsibility to educate these people which will solve our country’s
problems to a large extent.
I joined HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company for the duration of
five months as Summer Training Program. This gave me exposure to
the corporate environment and helped me in understanding the
nuances of a professionally run organization. I came to know about
the work culture in an insurance company. It showed me the real
picture of the companies working in this sector. I also came to
understand the various targets that a company need to fulfill.
PGDM (IBM) 2008-10
I got a platform to work on and interact with different agents having
different perceptions. It added to my knowledge about insurance. It
has given me a practical knowledge which made me far more clear
about the concepts of insurance. I have enhanced the power of
convincing people while recruiting different people for acting as an
agent. It has enhanced my communication skills as I talked not only to
the agents but also to various MDRT’s, development officers, regional
heads etc. who gave an eye wash to the field of insurance.
Above all it has given an experience of five months which is definitely
going to help me in the long run and moreover by getting such an
opportunity to work in the corporate environment, I learnt to work
efficiently. That is rather than putting more hard work, I learnt to do
smart work.
Anindita Ghoshal
PGDM (IBM) 2008-10
The Summer Internship experience in Ahmedabad
So many apprehensions are there when you go to a new place, meet
new people and do something new in the conditions that are alien to
you; but when they get over, you feel that you took a right decision
and this was actually worth doing. Month of May, 2 p.m., scorching
heat, sitting in an auto with 15 more people waiting for one more to
accommodate, visiting villages with a translator because not more
than 4-5 people understand Hindi and asking them what all they need
to improve in already existing terms and conditions. This is what my
summer experience was.
It was in rural area of Annand district where I had to study rainfall
insurance and assess its marketing strategy under the guidance of a
trade union called SEWA, Ahmedabad. It was the first village
experience I had and I learnt how so simple products need so much
complexity to develop and market it. I had learnt that discussing the
financial inclusion in classrooms is much easier than actually working
upon it. I had learnt what disaster can happen if you are uneducated
and the poor section will definitely be better off if they educate
themselves. I feel that when Gujarat, which is one of the richest belts
of India, can have so many problems we can’t even imagine how the
villages of states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Eastern India are
dealing with all those problems. It was also difficult in a way as we
had to do everything on our own- from travelling to making project,
implementing own ideas as to what will work in a village where
nobody understood my language, designing the strategies etc. as
nobody understood the terms like chi-square test etc. in an NGO kind
of place. But I must tell you that Gujaratis are as sweet as their food as
the village team leaders helped me a lot (knowing the fact they hardly
earn anything from that). All in all it was a great experience. Learning,
no doubt was immense.
I would conclude by saying that real rural world is more miserable
than what we know. We as educated citizens should take the
40
Malvika Saxena
My Summer Training Experience with
HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA Ltd, New Delhi
It was not a summer training in the true sense, as in my opinion the
summer training, necessarily and ideally should be an apprenticeship
in an organization which as I’ve seen is rarely the case, of course with
a few fortunate exceptions. It was basically a project that too a typical
research project, and when I say typical I mean right from the research
design formulation to the final analysis and report preparation leaving
no stone unturned. I was fortunate to be able to do this project under a
highly co-operative and helpful corporate guide who eased my task
by giving me a pre determined set of attributes on which I had to
formulate my questionnaire and he also gave me the desired set of
respondents, please don’t mistake it with respondent data, that was
no where in picture. He just asked me to interview new passenger car
owners who have purchased their vehicles within the past eight
months spanning across the top ten major car companies in India.
Here I faced the first challenge of the whole process, which was to
gather the respondent data and then approach them to get my
questionnaires filled. It hit me like a rock as my guide was unwilling
and unable to provide me with even his own company’s customer’s
data, and so was the case with all the other companies as well. He told
me that I have to try my luck at showrooms and workshops and malls
and all the possible places where I could encounter a new car owner
and interview him.
It took me some time to gather the courage and figure out a way to go
about it. So I started with collecting the locations of all the major
showrooms and workshops, even temples where people take their
new cars for puja. It was hardly productive as I was not able to
interview more than one or two customers per day. I struck the
jackpot with karol bagh car accessory market where I was able to
interview ten customers on an average on a daily basis. Here I faced
the second challenge which was to walk up-to the respondent and ask
for his time and patience. It doesn’t seem like a challenge at the first
place, does it? But consider it after being hoarded off by people and
shop owners, missing out on potential respondents because some guy
wasted your time while he was filling your questionnaire and at the
same time cursing the dealer or the salesman he purchased his car
from. The best part was hunting down a potential respondent,
keeping a close eye on the parked cars’ licence plate number, flipping
the college’s id to establish credibility, using Hindi, English, even
Marwari to comprehend the questions for the respondents, hearing
their grievances and stories and getting to see the real picture of a car
sale that lies behind those flashy and inviting showrooms. Eventually I
was able to gather around 200 responses which were sufficient
enough for further analysis.
I was able to make a good report and present it to the organization
with the desired results and findings, I also scored well in the final
assessment, and it felt nice to see all that effort that went into it finally
paying off.
Romil Rungta
PGDM 2008-10
I
t’s 1’o clock in the morning as you sit with your laptop in
your bed to start the assignment that is due in the morning
lecture. After spending the day hanging out with your
friends and finding innovative ways to waste time, as you finally
start doing something of any consequence you start questioning
the education system, blaming professor and almost everything
in the universe. You try snapping out of it and concentrating but
you are too tired. Just then your mobile rings and it’s your best
friend asking about the topic for the assignment. Call gets over
and your watch says 1:30 a.m. Panic sets in and just then you
have your own Eureka moment, the solution to all your
problems, the internet! You surf the net and cut/ copy, paste the
information available in the first few pages, change the font size
and your assignment is complete and ready for submission.
The above situation is a case of plagiarism or in other words an
act of fraud as it involves stealing someone’s work. According
to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to “plagiarise”
means :
• to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's
own
• to use (another's production) without crediting the source
• to commit literary theft
• to present as new and original an idea or product derived
from an existing source.
disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to termination.
In most cases, plagiarism can be avoided by simply citing
sources and acknowledging the main material from which the
content has been borrowed. And while the internet has largely
been responsible for increasing the frequency of plagiarism it
also provides solutions to the problem. One can use plagiarism
detection software like JPlag, MOSS which are free to help in
identifying plagiarism within a work or a document. Also
available are web based systems such as Plagarismdetect which
is a free online plagiarism detection system.
So one can easily use the material from other sources as long the
references to the material are mentioned or use the software to
scan your work for any possible plagiarized material. After all
by using such software Sir Brian Vickers, a literature professor at
the University of London, settled a centuries old mystery over
the authorship of an unattributed play called The Reign of
Edward III which some scholars had been debating whether it
was written by Shakespeare. The verdict according to the
software was that the play is likely to be collaboration between
Shakespeare and Thomas Kyd, another popular playwright of
his time. So next time you use content from other sources, be
thankful for the plagiarism detection software, because
Shakespeare certainly must be.
Rachna Chandra
But can words or ideas actually be stolen? According to law,
yes, as ideas and words constitute intellectual property and are
protected by copyright laws. Almost all forms of expression fall
under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some
way (such as a book or a computer file). All of the following are
considered plagiarism:
• turning in someone else's work as your own
• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving
credit
• failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
• giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
• changing words but copying the sentence structure of a
source without giving credit
• copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes
up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not
PGDM 2009-11
Plagiarism is considered a very serious offence. Within
academia, plagiarism by students, researchers or professors
consist of academic fraud and can also lead to expulsion. In
journalism, plagiarism is considered as a violation of
journalistic ethics, and reporters caught plagiarizing face
41
Buzz
Words
@ Retail
1. battery boutique
5. dotbam
n. A store that not only sells batteries for electronic devices, but also
offers battery-related accessories, instructional text, and services
such as troubleshooting and reconditioning.
n. The Internet version of a traditional bricks-and-mortar (BAM)
retailer. Also: dot bam, dot-bam, and dot.bam.
'Each of the different battery chemistries do require a different care,' says Ken
Hawk, a self-described 'frustrated user' who has sensed a market and founded
1-800-Batteries, one of a small platoon of specialty companies—battery
boutiques.
—James Gleick, "Maintenance Not Included," The New York Times, July 13,
1997
2. big-box store
n. A large-format store, typically
one that has a plain, box-like
exterior and at least 100,000
square feet of retail space.
Manufacturers such as RCA and
Sony, which used to depend on
department stores to get their
products to consumers, were lured
from department stores and into bigbox stores, where their brands could be advertised directly to consumers.
—Penny Parker, "Power centers power up," The Denver Post, September 11,
1995
3. cockroach problem
n. A problem that is bigger than it initially
appears.
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE,
"FORTUNE": "Well, Terry, Procter & Gamble has
a cockroach problem, and, you know, we know
what that means; in other words, you've got one
little piece of bad news, and there is always more,
just like those little bugs."
—"In the Money," CNN, June 8, 2000
4. demall
v. To convert an indoor mall into an open-air shopping center where
stores have street-level access, and which may also include non-retail
buildings (such as apartments).
"In some cases, the surgery has been radical. In California and other balmy
states, developers have been demalling old covered shopping centers. They are
lifting the roof off and turning the stores to face outward, re-creating the folksy
look of Main Street."
—Marci McDonald, "The pall in the mall," U.S. News & World Report, October
18, 1999
42
The report says online retail is strong in many industry categories, including
computers, autos, books, sporting goods and catalog sellers. What’s significant
is that many analysts predicted a sharp drop after the Christmas season. But that
didn’t happen, which is welcome news for today’s surviving e-tailers — and
downright encouraging for dotbams stepping up their Web efforts.”
—Judith N. Mottl, “Brick and Mortars Fight Back,” InternetWeek, June 19, 2000
6. e-tailer
n. An Internet-based retail operation.
The report says online retail is strong in
many industry categories, including
computers, autos, books, sporting goods
and catalog sellers. What’s significant is
that many analysts predicted a sharp drop
after the Christmas season. But that didn’t
happen, which is welcome news for
today’s surviving e-tailers — and downright
encouraging for dotbams stepping up their
Web efforts.”
—Judith N. Mottl, “Brick and Mortars Fight Back,” InternetWeek, June 19, 2000
7. freemium
adj. Relating to a business model that offers basic services free, but
charges a premium for advanced or special feature.
Rather than bragging about how insanely great its VoIP products are, Skype
makes its users insanely productive by letting them talk with any other user
worldwide for free. The company makes money by charging users for
connecting to phone systems outside of its network. It's a freemium model:
Attract users with free services, then charge them a premium for special
features.
—Bruce Sterling, "Blogging for Dollars," Wired, June 1, 2006
8. golden ghetto
(GOHL.dun get.toh) n. An urban area with an above-average
concentration of high-end stores and affluent housing; any
prosperous area or situation.
According to research from financial services firm Experian, Thorntonhall is
typical of a new trend for the well-heeled to stick together.
Yesterday, some of the residents behind the high walls and electric gates
warned there was a price to pay for affluence, describing their village as a
'Golden Ghetto'.
One man, who asked not to be named, grumbled about the lack of community
spirit. He said: 'It is just a collection of big houses behind big gates which
people hide behind when they leave their big jobs in the city.
—Iain Fleming, "The Golden Ghetto," Daily Mail, January 7, 2002
burgeoning masstige retailers include Kohl's and Wal-Mart.
—Richard Hodos, "Urban expansion and 'masstige' defining retail success,"
Real Estate Weekly, April 30, 2003
9. golden hello
n. A cash bonus or other
remuneration paid to a new
employee as an incentive to
join a company (c.f. golden
handshake).
14. retail leakage
"City merchant banks are having
to offer new graduates salaries of
30,000 [pounds] a year, plus
golden hellos, as a big increase in demand for the elite pushes up starting rates."
—Lorna Bourke, "Golden hellos for graduates," The Evening Standard (London)
10. hi-pot
(HY-pawt) n. A young executive who is deemed by the company to
have high potential for rapid movement up the corporate ladder.
n. The loss of local retail sales that occurs when people shop in an
area other than the one in which they live.
We had heard anecdotal stories about people leaving Helena to shop,” said
Sheldon Bartel, executive director of Gateway Economic Development Corp.,
one of four entities to fund the research. “The study was designed to test those
anecdotes, and to find out if people shop do outside the community, why. We
were looking to reduce that retail leakage with the hope that more money
would stay in the county and more jobs would be created locally.”
—John Harrington, “Helena, Mont., Shoppers Often Leave Area to Buy, Study
Reports,” Independent Record (Helena, Montana), March 28, 2004
GM will choose its high-potential candidates — its "hi-pots" — very early in
their careers and put them on a faster track than even before.
—Marjorie Sorge, "Straight from the top," Automotive Industries, November 1,
1999
15. trolleyology
11. last-mover advantage
What was once an urban myth — that supermarket aisles are one of the easiest
places to locate a potential partner — has suddenly become a very real
phenomenon.
Singles have adopted a whole new set
of dating rules coupled with an
intricate system of code to
communicate with each other across
the fresh produce displays.
American anthropologists have even
coined a phrase for it —
"trolleyology" — and local cultural
experts say for those in on the game
it's quickly becoming impossible to
observe the contents of a fellow
shopper's trolley casually without at
least wondering if you might have
found your perfect match.
—Chris Taylor, Love in the aisles," Sunday Mail, November 24, 2002
n. The advantage a company gains by building its business slowly and
then benefiting down the road from improved technology or lower
costs, especially during an economic downturn.
Dynegy's announcements even included a dig at Enron's "first-mover"
braggadocio. Dynegy would take advantage of ever-accelerating advances in
technology to capture what it called the "last-mover" advantage.
—Michael Rieke, "Enron Envy Costing Dynegy Big Bucks," Dow Jones Energy
Service, May 6, 2002
12. lipstick effect
n. During a recession, the tendency
for consumers to purchase small,
comforting items such as lipstick
rather than large luxury items.
If you've been following domestic news
in recent weeks, you've probably heard
about the "lipstick effect." As described in
such outlets as NBC, The New York
Times, and The Wall Street Journal, the
idea is that, during a recession, women
substitute small, feel-good items like
lipstick for more expensive items like
clothing and jewelry. And indeed,
between August and October, lipstick
sales were up 11 percent over the same
period last year.
—Norm Scheiber, "Replacement Killers,"
The New Republic, January 7, 2002
(traw.lee.AW.luh.gee) n. The study of the correlation between the
contents of a person's shopping cart (trolley) and that person's
personality. Also: tolley-ology.
Complied by
Abha Jain
PGDM (RM) 2008-10
13. masstige
(mas.TEEZH) n. A retail category that includes relatively low priced
goods that come with a relatively prestigious brand name; goods and
services priced between low-end, mass market items and high-end,
prestigious items. Also: mass-tige.
Of those retailers that are succeeding in the current climate, a great many of
them fall under the category of "masstige" — brands and products that have
high-end, prestigious characteristics but with prices and locations that make
them accessible to a mass consumer audience. masstige brands have particular
appeal to urban consumers, who are always striving to be trendy but aren't
above a bargain. Target was one of the first to push masstige with its
introduction of Mossimo and Michael Graves products. Sephora is also a great
example, as it offers high-end beauty products at accessible prices in a large
number of locations, many of them urban, streetfront properties. Other
Contributed by
M.S. Bhati
43
Codename
“Ginger”
The life and times of Dean Kamen
O
n January 2, 1988, Alan T Brown, 20, was enjoying
his day, playing amongst the waves on the beaches of
Martinique. Before he could know, an undertow
pulled his legs out and flipped him upside down onto the hard
sand. As the salty sea water gushed through his eyes and ears,
Alan knew that something had gone terribly wrong. He could
feel his bones crackling under the heavy weight of water.
A sharp pain shot through his legs and back. Moments later,
Alan lay on the ground, the pain subsiding. This was the last
time when Alan T Brown ever felt pain. Paralyzed from waist
below, Alan was condemned to a life of drudgery by destiny.
The Six feet two inch man had lost all hopes of seeing a man eye
to eye ever again, until a miracle knocked his doors in 2005. It
was not an act of God, but rather that of a man; a man who
strived to bring about a change in the lives of the millions of
disabled around the globe. The inventor of the world’s first
mechanized, stair climbing wheelchair, the “Ibot” – Dean
Kamen. It was his marvellous invention that showed people like
Alan, a way to live life in all its totality.
Born to Jack Kamen, a comic book artist for MAD and Weird
Science Magazines, the super successful inventor and
entrepreneur, is today best known for Segway PT- an electric,
self-balancing human transporter. An innovator in his own
right, Dean Kamen is also known as the modern day Edison due
to his striking similarities with the great scientist. Like Edison,
Kamen, though a bright and ingenious student, never did well
in school. His grades all through his student life were average. “I
just remember thinking school was humiliating and
intimidating and frustrating. I hated school. I hated every aspect
of school. I don't like people telling me what to do. I didn't like
teachers judging me. There was no part of school that I liked.
And I just tried to get through it each day and get away,” says
Kamen. Post- School, Kamen joined the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts, but the banality of classes took
over him and he dropped off. It was during these days that he
made his first breakthrough – The Autosyringe; a portable
device that could be worn by patients who needed round the
clock medication, that administered timely doses of medicine.
The Autosyringe was appreciated and loved by one and all. In
1982, Kamen sold Autosyringe to Baxter International, a
multinational health company, and made himself a fortune.
The Worcester college dropout was now a multimillionaire.
44
Kamen, a relentless man he is, founded his own company
DEKA, where DE and KA stand for Dean and Kamen
respectively, and invested his fortune in a new project,
codenamed - Ginger. In 2001 Ginger was unveiled before the
world rechristened as the Segway Personal Transporter. The
Segway PT was the invention that made sure that Kamen’s name
would go a long way down the history lane. The Segway was an
instant hit. Though Kamen’s dream of a Segway in every home
remains unfulfilled, he is happy with the way things have turned
up. Kamen today has dozens of inventions to his credit from the
Ibot wheelchair to a portable Dialysis machine. Kamen has
always believed that his inventions have the power to redefine
the boundaries of our society. On being questioned on his later
project Kamen says, “We can't live anymore in a world which is
based on stuff and not ideas. If you want to live with the world of
stuff, we're all doomed. As we move towards 8 or 10 billion
people on the planet, there's a little less gold per capita. Each
one of us will continue to be fight over an ever smaller
percentage of total resources, except it won't be just gold we're
fighting over. It will be water and air. This is not a happy
thought.” DEKA is today working on a revolutionary way to
purify water for the Third world countries. Based on the Sterling
engine – a complex engine developed in 1816 by Scottish
inventor Robert Stirling (1790–1878) for transportation
purposes. Kamen concluded that the Stirling engine was not
COMMUNIS
right for his transportation machines, but could be definitely
used to produce clean water.
In addition to being the Pied Piper of technology, Kamen also
set up FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) in 1989, to fuel the fire of technology and
innovation among children. In its first year of FIRST, Kamen
organized a robotics competition at a school in New
Hampshire. 28 teams participated in the competition. In 2004,
this number surged to 400 and became one of the hottest
competitions in USA for the geeky kind. Kamen’s philosophy
behind organizing the competition is that “Here, whether your
robot wins or not, you come away ... with an understanding of
what is possible in the world.” Today, FIRST is supported by
major organizations around the world, right from GE till NASA.
Kamen is a self professed workaholic. He owns and pilots two
Raytheon 390 Beechcraft Premier I jets, in addition to two
helicopters that he regularly uses to commute. Unmarried and
with no children what keeps Kamen going? Doesn’t he ever get
depressed?
“No. Rather than myself, I focus on the fact that two-thirds of the
human population of this planet does not have reliable access
to water or electricity. And it's that same two-thirds, it's that
same 4 billion out of 6 billion people that have very little
money. At least I can say, here these are productivity tools —
generators and water-makers. But I must find a way to deliver
them. When I fail to get there quickly, at least I can say to
myself, that's because it's a really big problem, and nobody else
got there yet. Marriage is not a big problem. So I'll keep trying
towards the former and get going ,” says Kamen before hoping
onto the latest model of his Segway PT and getting out.
Shiva
PGDM 2009-11
Communication, is it!
Spotted in a toilet of a London office:
TOILET OUT OF ORDER; PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW.
In a London Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE
ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.
In a London office:
AFTER TEA-BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT
AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.
Outside a London second-hand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING
MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG
AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Notice in London health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a London conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW
IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD
FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES
Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU
HOW TO GET LESSONS
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON
THE DOOR, THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)
People in other countries sometimes go out of their way to
communicate with their English-speaking tourists. Here is a
list of signs seen around the world.
At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY
SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.
Doctors office, Rome :
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES
Hotel, Acapulco :
THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE
WATER SERVED HERE.
In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE
SHOULD WAIT AND SEE THE MANAGER.
In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.
In a Calcutta Coffee House:
PEOPLE DISCARDING CIGARETTE STUBS IN CUPS WILL
BE SERVED COFFEE IN ASH TRAYS
Source : Internet
45
Interest Lost in Symbol
Book Review
F
our years of research, world-wide collection of
information, a brilliant start, a late climax, prolonged
description and a boring philosophical end- Over all, a
disappointment and not living up to expectation.
The above paragraph of short phrases can well be a very
comprehensive yet abbreviated explanation of Dan Brown’s
latest novel: The Lost Symbol. But the picture could have been
very different from what it appears in this nut-shell of
expressions. The last two phrases could well have been
eliminated and the entire series of adjectives could have been
positive if and only if Mr. Brown could control his bombarding
of too much connections and later losing the track to weave the
web in a neat finish.
The novel starts very well, with a thrilling description of an
initialisation in a very old brotherhood of Masons, where the
newly initialised member goes through the preliminary trials.
This very scene creates, into the minds of the readers, an
expectation which carries on as the reader leafs through the
pages. And this expectation gets served pretty well in the next
few chapters as the main protagonists Robert Langdon, Peter
Solomon, Peter’s sister, Katherine and the big bad villain
Mala’kh step into the arena. The author does proper justice to
each character as the novel smoothly drifts forward. Especially,
the character of Sato, the director of CIA has been very smartly
dealt with proper projection of intelligence, personality and
adamence. Even the scene descriptions were very lively giving
a sensation of goose-bumps at quite a few places. The portion
where the chopped hand of Peter Solomon is discovered inside
the US Capitol building was enough to make the readers miss a
heart -beat. It read so perfect, so like Dan Brown. It seemed that
the good old days of Da Vinci Code were back with a bang.
But alas! Slowly the expectations, the relief, the happiness
started to receive hammer- blows as the reader is made to drift a
long way from the zone of satisfaction that lingered around Da
Vinci Code or even, Angels and demons. The long descriptions
, prolonged explanations and beating about the bush regarding
the main theme started to take a heavy toll on the reader’s
patience even before he/she is made to know what exactly is
The Lost Symbol. By the time the reader gets cleared about what
the villain is pursuing, what is its significance and where lies the
essence, the book is almost half-finished without any revelation
and with the beating around the bush still very much evident.
But there is a late climax! A climax that brings back the interest
and with it the hope of thousands of Dan Brown fans that all is
46
not lost. The climax deals with the father realising that it was the
son who was trying for the downfall of the century-old Masonic
organisation through his quest of The Lost Symbol. What adds
more spice to this climactic revelation is the fact that the entire
text depicted the tragic death of the same son which had
ruptured the family’s soul of happiness for ages. And that son
comes back as a villain to chop his father’s palm, to publicise
the age old secret of an esteemed organisation, to bring his
father’s downfall with a desire to meet his death at the hands of
his own father in order to receive true peace. The very line
where the son says “.....and what kind of a father looks at his
own son’s eyes and cannot even recognise him!” sends chills
down the spine of the reader as reality dawns about the villain’s
true identity.
Yet, this superb climax has been murdered- murdered by an
about 30 page long philosophy which completely submerges
the essence of the climax. This is the portion where just like his
normal style the author starts revealing the hidden place of the
much sought after secret, its true identity which had been so
COMMUNIS
deceptive to the normal thinking. But Mr.
Brown chooses a very tedious process of
description in which even his expert style
seems confused and his failure to get the
net properly woven is clearly visible. He
had too many information to share but
not enough loops to connect them to.
The end was the weakest link of this
novel. It was never understood why the
author wanted to pile up tons of analysis
linking every possible religion only to
make the previously depicted climax feel
shallow and lose its impact.
Relating Religion with Science had been
an old style of Dan Brown. We witnessed
linkage of Anti-atter with Illuminati that
was so expertly dealt in the book: Angels
and Demons. Even The Lost Symbol was
no different. Concepts of Noetic Science,
breathable liquid, technology to weigh
the human soul were expertly dealt and
linked with Religion.
The style and flow of writing was
excellent and unique as expected. Short ,
heavy-impacted phrases ruled the show.
Using of coded symbols and decoding
them was as interesting as it had been in
the previous novels, though the sources
were not as common and daily used as it
had been in Da Vinci Code and Angels
and Demons. The backdrop was well
researched and very informative(in fact
over-informative).
But overall, it was a disappointment-a
disappointment which the readers did
not deserve after such a long wait of four
years. But we have hopes that Dan
Brown will be back -back with a bang.
We are ready to wait for four more years
or even longer but we want the good old
days back. We want the thrill, the
excitement, the passion back. We want
to survey the long lost theories, the
biblical suspense. We want ourselves to
get lost in the quest of ancient mysteries,
not the interest to get lost in the quest of
excitement!
Relevance of
BEC Certification
As a doe-eyed management student looking forward to placements, every one of
us aspires to be a Chanda Kochhar, YC Deveshankar, Azim Premji; and that, is
the reason we are here in an esteemed B-School. In our hopes to follows the
footsteps of these great leaders, we forget to realize their humble beginnings.
Most of us, when leaving this college, may start at the entry level of a great
organization. In that organization, we would be judged upon every minute as to
who we are and how we perform. The knowledge gained in this institute would
come in handy only when we are able to present it to the right person at the right
time in the right manner. And to create this prefect cocktail is what BEC prepares
you for.
Many of us may have had an
experience working in an organization
before we joined college, and are sure
to know how difficult it was to pen
down our responses to senior officials.
For those who are still reluctant to
agree, must try to write a letter of
absence to the Director’s office. The
words your write are a reflection of
yourself, a hard proof of your
knowledge, your character, and your
respect for the person reading the letter. Imagine your senior requesting you to
take down the minutes of a meeting during a tele-conference with the client.
Imagine being the lone representative of your organization to a client and
fumbling for words while expressing yourself. Every event in an organization has
a protocol that is to be followed and not following the protocol would reflect on
your performance appraisal. You may have
the right intention but having the right words
are equally important.
However, as optimistic managers of
tomorrow, it is great news that most of these
protocols have common formulae to tackle them. British council gives us a
platform to train ourselves in this regard and present ourselves in a better light.
These small acts of knowing what to do, may not get you a hike, but would
definitely prevent a fall. And after all, another feather to your hat would
definitely make it prettier. So I suggest that we grab this opportunity with both
hands and hope for a prosperous tomorrow.
Manasi V
PGDM 2008-10
- Debal Rishi Banerjee
PGDM 2009-11
47
48
Volume 3, Issue 1, January - June 2009
A Bi-annual Journal
South Asian Business Review
Plot No. 5, Knowledge Park-II,
Greater Noida (NCR), Uttar Pradesh - 201 306, India
Tel.: +91-120-2323001-10, Extn. 323 Fax: +91-120-2323022/25
E-mail : [email protected]
51
Business Communication Area Faculty
Dr. Mukesh Chaturvedi
Dr. Mukesh Chaturvedi, ECE Chair Professor in Marketing, BIMTECH, Greater Noida, has been with MDI Gurgaon, XLRI Jamshedpur and BITS Pilani. He
has been the Founder Director of the Amity Centre for CRM, ABS Noida, and Director, Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, Delhi. He has also been a
Visiting Faculty to Rouen Business School, France, and IIM Ahmedabad.
Dr. Chaturvedi has an M.M.S. and a Ph.D. from BITS Pilani. He is also an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Program of USIA, Washington,
D.C., USA. His teaching, training, researching and consulting interests include business communications, case writing & teaching, integrated marketing communications,
customer relationship, direct marketing, corporate reputation, sales management, presentation skills, negotiation skills, etc. He has rendered training and consulting
services to a large number of multi-national, private and public sector companies. Dr. Chaturvedi is the recipient of MDI’s most coveted Award for Excellence in Teaching
for the year 2005.
Dr. Chaturvedi’s publications include the following books: ‘Managing Innovation and New Product Development’, ‘Business Communication Today’, ‘Customer
Relationship Management: An Indian Perspective’, ‘Managing Global Business: A Strategic Perspective’, ‘Business Communication: Concepts, Cases and Applications’,
‘Direct Marketing: Concepts and Cases’, ‘Buying Research’, ‘New Product Development’, and ‘Welcome Back!? Coca-Cola’. Also, he has published more than 70 papers,
articles and cases in leading journals, periodicals and newspapers, and has made presentations at several international/national seminars and conferences.
Prof. Shylaja Iyengar
Prof. Shylaja Iyengar, Associate Professor, Centre for Insurance and Risk Management. Ms. Shylaja is a Graduate of Bangalore University, followed by
her Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management, MCIM, Bangalore. She is an Associate of Insurance Institute of India, Mumbai. During her
career, Prof. Shylaja has held many important positions as Assistant Administrative Officer, National Insurance Co. Ltd., Bangalore, Executive, Jindal
Vijaynagar Steel Ltd., Bangalore, Technical-in-charge, Microsec Risk Management ltd. & Kesoram Insurance Management Ltd., Kolkata. Her teaching
experience encompasses her association as Faculty Member with ASIAS, Jaipuria & ICFP, Noida & Delhi and Business Manager, Geodesic Techniques
Pvt. Ltd., Delhi . Her Fields of Specialization is in Teaching and Research in the areas of Health and Accident Insurance, Miscellaneous Insurance, Automobile Insurance and
Business Communication.
Prof. Shylaja Iyengar is an Associate Life Member of the Insurance Institute of India, Mumbai. She has conducted, attended and participated session coordinators in many
Conferences and Seminars like the Indian Marketing summit – 2007, National Conference on Insurance – “New Approach to Insurance Market and customers
expectations” – 2007 – as the EMCEE, FDP – “Making Magic of Teaching”, 34th National Management Convention “Managing New India” – AIMA & AAMO – 6th National
HRM Summit “ How HR can ignite hot spots” – AIMA, The India HR Summit “Targeting Excellence – The HR way” – 2008, First India Rendezvous – “Meeting the
Reinsurance needs of the dynamic Indian market in the Post Tariff Era” – Asia Insurance Review & Flagstone Re – 2008, Indian SME’s in Exports – “Un-harnessed
Possibilities and Potential” – 2008, Indian Marketing Summit – “Inclusive Marketing – Innovative Strategies for the development of Masses” – BIMTECH & AIMA –
February 2008 –“Impact of Organized retail on the Unorganized sector” organized by BIMTECH – June 2008 – as the EMCEE.
Dr. Archana Shrivastava
Dr. Archana Shrivastava is Assistant Professor in Business Communication Area at Birla Institute of Management Technology. She has acquired her
Ph.D. from Dr Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar, MP. Before joining BIMTECH, Dr. Shrivastava has worked as Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer and
lecturer at various institutes and universities including Dr Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar in Madhya Pradesh and Amity University at Greater Noida.
Her fields of specializations in Teaching and Research area are Business Communication, Soft Skills, Business Etiquettes, Handling interviews,
Presentation Skills, Non Verbal, Negotiation Skills, Cross Cultural Communication, English Literature & Grammar. Dr. Archana is active member of
ELTAI (English Language Teachers Association of India). She has also attended many national conferences/seminars, workshops and FDPs. Few of her research papers
have been published in national and international journal.
Prof. Sangeeta A. Shukla
Sangeeta Shukla is an Adjunct Faculty of Business Communication at BIMTECH, Greater Noida. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Research on : ‘A
Study of the English Curriculum at Graduate Level of Amravati University Specifically With Reference To Needs of the Non-Metro Students.” She holds
Masters’ Degree in English with Ist Division as well as a Diploma in Marketing & Sales Management from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s Rajendra Prasad
Inst. Of Commerce & Management also with 1st Division. She has taught Business Communication, Soft Skills and British Council’s BEC Program at the
post-graduate level. Her special interests include curriculum designing and content development in Business Communication and Soft Skills and
placement training of students. She was nominated as National Resource person for ICFAI National College, Hyderabad and Regional Training Coordinator for Regional
Office- Maharashtra West. Sangeeta Shukla also contributed in Curriculum Designing and content development for MBA Program. She conducted Faculty Development
Workshops at Regional and National Level and organized Regional Seminar on ‘Pedagogical Linguistics’. She has presented papers in International Conferences and
published articles in Journals and National dailies. She was nominated as Member to the Ad-hoc Board of Studies in Functional English & Communication Skills by the
Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Amravati University.
Mrs. Nimisha Singh
Nimisha Singh, Lecturer (Information Technology ) has Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree from Delhi University and M.C.A. from S.N.D.T. University,
Mumbai. After finishing her M.C.A., she started her career with Tata Consultancy Services in Mumbai as a software programmer. After moving to
U.S.A. she worked as a web developer, designing HTML and CSS based websites and later on specializing in .Net technology. After spending 10 years in
U.S.A. she moved back to India. She joined BIMTECH in 2008 as Lecturer, Information Technology. Her core competency area is e-business and
Business Communication. In addition to that she is Manager- Centre for International Affairs where her team works on building collaborations with
foreign institutions as a means to provide international exposure to students and academic staff of BIMTECH.
52
About the Institute
BIMTECH
Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) is known for its own state-of-art quality education system. Located in the National Capital
Region, having fully-residential campus, it offers a highly conducive learning environment, interaction with industry-academia mix professors,
proximity to the strategy makers of the industry and practitioners of the service and manufacturing conglomerates, together with exposure to the
international universities and companies, it enjoys an enriched and vast alumni base spread all over the globe.
BIMTECH was established in 1988 under the aegis of the Birla Academy of Art and Culture. The Institute is supported by B.K. Birla group of companies.
Dr. (Smt.) Sarala Birla, Chairperson of Birla Academy of Art and Culture and Syt. B K Birla, Chairperson of B K Birla Group of companies are the founders
of the business school. It has progressed from a modest start to its present position among the top Indian B-Schools. The Board of Governors headed
by Mrs. Jayasree Mohta, Vice-chairperson, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, comprise eminent personalities from industry.
It has students studying from almost all the states of India, and also from foreign countries. It is a mix of nationalities, cultural backgrounds, academic
and professional experiences that makes BIMTECH one of the most exciting and enriching business schools in the country.
India is presaging strong growth in its economy. Delhi (National Capital Region) is the trigger of this growth. At the capital, the industrial and economic
policies are framed, Industry Associations' meet, and CEOs' evenings are all realities and not just media news. It is also one of the cultural convergence
centres of India for both national and international platforms. The location is a prime asset for the Institute's exposure to the real-life learning and
development of national and global networking.
The programmes offered by BIMTECH have very strong base of academic rigour and industry interaction. They are designed and reviewed in
consultation with industry experts and delivered by an excellent team of faculty, who are known for their dedication to teaching and research, with
close ties with the national and international, academic and business community. The programmes promote close academic-industry linkage in a
highly conducive learning environment.
The international academic partners of BIMTECH provide students a wider platform to experience international academic environment and prepare
them for global leadership. The teaching and research projects in the new economy areas are the latest efforts and developments which have
overwhelming support and response from government bodies and national and international institutions.
PGDM
PROGRAMMES
Two-Year Full-time PGDM Programme
Two-Year Full-time PGDM(International Business) Programme
Two-Year Full-time PGDM (Insurance Business) Programme
Two-Year Full-time PGDM (Retail Management) Programme
Two-Year Full-time PGDM (Sustainable Development) Programme*
Three-Year Part-time PGDM Programme
(Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India)
Admission Announcement 2010
Eligibility : A recognized Bachelor's Degree in any discipline with minimum 50% marks
in the aggregate. Candidates appearing in the final examination of Bachelor's Degree are
also eligible to apply subject to the completion of degree requirements with minimum 50%
marks.
Selection : Selection to the programmes is based on CAT 2009 performance, Group
Discussion and Personal Interview.
Application can be made by any of the following modes :
Online filling of Application Form at www.bimtech.ac.in (DD of Rs. 1750/- is to be sent
along with printable receipt)
Acquiring Application Form from the BIMTECH office on payment of Rs. 1700/- in cash
or by post on
sending DD of Rs.1750/- along with self-addressed slip of size 10 cm x 8 cm approx.
All correspondence including the requisition of
application forms should have “PGP Admissions 2010-2012”
superscribed on the envelope and must be sent to :
Manager (Admissions)
Plot No. 5, Knowledge Park -II, Greater Noida -201306
Tel: (0120) 2323001 to 10, Fax: (0120) 2323012 / 22 / 25
Email: [email protected]
For greater details, please visit
www.bimtech.ac.in
Acquiring Application Form from Channel Partners (list given on www.bimtech.ac.in) on
payment of Rs. 1700/Acquire Application Form from various Axis Bank Branches (List given on
www.bimtech.ac.in) on payment of Rs. 1700/-
All India
8thRank
Demand Draft should be drawn in favour of “Birla Institute of Management Technology”
payable at Greater Noida /Noida/Delhi.
Among Private B-Schools
Source :
The Nielsen
Business Today Ranking
Survey, 2009
Alliance with
100% Placement
B-schools of
USA, Europe & Asia
Assistance in Indian &
Multinational Companies
Founded by
B.K. Birla Group
Landscaped Green
Residential
Wi-Fi Campus
Declaration: BIMTECH uses CAT 2009 scores for shortlisting candidates for all Programmes. IIMs have no role in either the selection process or in the conduct of the programmes.
I'M Advtg 9312431409
Highest Accreditation
for 5 years by
NBA, AICTE for PGDM

Communis January 2010

Transcription

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