OB Courses....

XLRI is the best school when it comes to Human resources and Organizatioanl behavior courses among many other things. All programs typically have some HR & OB courses. While explaining about the use of CRM externally and internally, a professor delved into OB fundas.

He asked, "How many OB cousres did you guys undertake"...
Promptly a reply came...."Sir, Life is an OB course".

Change delivered?

A leader who promised change, rose to the occasion to win a vote for a health care bill he favored. President Obama in his speech after the acceptance of the bill proclaimed "This is change". With that trying to answer his critics, who always questioned his abilities to deliver his campaign promise of "Change".

This blog does not indend to evaluate Obama or the healhcare bill, rather the focus is the intangible concept of change. The late night comedians and the Pro-Republican Fox news network never missed an opportunity to ridicule and crack jokes on the term. Yet the promise and expectation of Change has changed the face of American politics. With several leaders all over the world trying to follow suit, and several books on the success of Obama campaign around, the real challenge for Obama is to deliver change.

Change is harder to deliver than to talk about. It is the need of people to have things fixed around them, this discomfort is the need for change. To deliver change Obama has to put America back on track and take Americans away from discomfort. The world including the upcoming stars India and China need America to do well. The economy, jobs and lives depend on America, Obama  and the intangible change.

With such expectations on his shoulders, Obama works with the media watching his each step. Presidential approval ratings and popularity polls add on to the pressure. With the upcoming election, Obama did the  best for himself by demonstrating strength and intent to do change.

It is for all to see whether Change is actually delivered or not.

Swim to Ajit

Warren buffet in his 2009 Berkshire Hathaway newsletter writes about a rising star in his Insurance business. I do not want to write this blog just because, Ajit Jain is a recognizably Indian name, it is for reasons beyond it. Mr. Buffet has a keen eye for business and more. He sees potential, in enterprise and the enterprising. His articulation of apprecation deserves appreciation. Following is an excerpt from the news letter....

"A hugely important event in Berkshire’s history occurred on a Saturday in 1985. Ajit Jain came into our office in Omaha – and I immediately knew we had found a superstar. (He had been discovered by Mike Goldberg, now elevated to St. Mike.)

We immediately put Ajit in charge of National Indemnity’s small and struggling reinsurance operation. Over the years, he has built this business into a one-of-a-kind giant in the insurance world.

Staffed today by only 30 people, Ajit’s operation has set records for transaction size in several areas of insurance. Ajit writes billion-dollar limits – and then keeps every dime of the risk instead of laying it off with other insurers. Three years ago, he took over huge liabilities from Lloyds, allowing it to clean up its relationship with 27,972 participants (“names”) who had written problem-ridden policies that at one point threatened the survival of this 322-year-old institution. The premium for that single contract was $7.1 billion. During 2009, he negotiated a life reinsurance contract that could produce $50 billion of premium for us over the next 50 or so years.

Ajit’s business is just the opposite of GEICO’s. At that company, we have millions of small policies that largely renew year after year. Ajit writes relatively few policies, and the mix changes significantly from year to year. Throughout the world, he is known as the man to call when something both very large and unusual needs to be insured.

If Charlie, I and Ajit are ever in a sinking boat – and you can only save one of us – swim to Ajit. "

Adaptability

Adaptability as per wiktionary is, "Variability in respect to, or under the influence of, external conditions; susceptibility of an organism to that variation whereby it becomes suited to or fitted for its conditions of environment; the capacity of an organism to be modified by circumstances". It is a key to survival, if we believe in the Darwin's point of view.

Either ways, adaptability is what allows some of us to settle down and perform sooner than others. In this competitive world, adaptability is a must have.

From a stable life at Houston Texas, where I was working as an IT consultants at Houston to XLRI, Jamshedpur has been an something that called for the ability discussed in this blog. It is hard to say whether it is the amount of change or the variety which is harder. In my example let us consider the changes.

Lifestyle : Professional in a Job to Student at a B-school
Culture : Liberal American to Conservative east Indian
Family : With family to Loner
Earning : DINK status to Double Fees
Exams : Appraisal to exams, quizes, in class assignments, Presentations

Lifestyle change is strenous physically, You are moving from one pattern of 9hrs working to a strange 20 hr day filled with activity.

Culture change is more confusing, there are people who detest you for quoting American examples in class, though some folks understand.

Family or lack of is emotionally draining.

Earning change has financial impact and affects lifestyle. The ever building up EMIs does take a toll especially during the placement season when people come out with their NPV calculations.

Exams remains similiar, there is pressure as this is indicative of success or failure. From an annual appraisal it becomes almost a weekly check.

Joining XLRI was a sum total of all the above changes, I realized the pressures involved and accepted that this was the biggest test for an MBA. Early adapters always spike initially, and competive spirit drives adaptability and viceversa. With time adaptability plays a lesser role and other factors dominate performance.
Setting up targets are essential, knowing oneself to be an early spiker or a consistent player is essential too. Knowing when to push and when to take it easy.

Right now with the end of this programme, it is a time to sit back and introspect, You just happen to read this blog at such a time.

Now let me adapt from being a blog writer to a finance student reading about what Mr. Buffet has to say about his companies performance and strategies.

Some Soundtrack

I watched the  movie "Darjeeling Express"
It was hard to figure out what the movie was about
Mostly it felf like a waste of time
Three firang guys going around in India.
Not sure if it was comedy or not..
Appreciate if someone can help me understand it.

But one thing was for sure...
It had an amazing sound track...
The Song "This time tomorrow" by kinks is a master piece.
But what really stayed on with me is this piece of humming.
Somebody told me that it is from an old hindi or bengali movie..
Appreciate any pointers.


Meanwhile enjoy this piece....

The term that was... Part III

With Junta claiming to be three quarters MBA, Let's look back at the term that was...

Key Changes...
Being a non core term, Section A and B intermingled a lot, Lot of synergies were derived, I am still working on the swap ratio.
Job hustle bustle...
Lotsa flowers in the campus... Our hearts went Garden Garden....
GMP kids growing up ( I mean only the toddlers whose Mommies/Daddies are doing MBA)

And, Keeping up with our GMP Press tradition, It is time to quote the best of the best from the term.
Welcome all to write comments are vote for your choice.

Some of the best ones in no particular order are mentioned below....

1.  LMG: "Loose Motion Group" formed to tackle the Mess' Mess
2.  Three certainities "Death, Taxes and Cash Flows".

3.  A kid gets added to the GMP Parivaar, Daddy after studying law :::"All Parties involved are fine."
4.  A bugged guy mails "Dear madam, Sir and Of course "Jas***"."
5.  Rimjhim quotes "Ab main barrri ho gayi hoo!!! "
6.  You always have a special question, Some day you & I will go to Tenth Mile and discuss. 
7.  These instruments are like Hens, You keep them at one place they lay an egg and then u move them.
8.  My kids and I are Consultants, But I do not have a wife, the Kids are derivatives.
9.  The empire strikes back ... "XEROX and GE" appear in Prof Presentations...
10. In reponse to poorly explained Modiglani Miller theorem....
      Remark in an Answer sheet says...
      "Brilliant, This is now Modiglani Piplani Theorem"
       Reply:: What did Miller do wrong?

PS. GMP Press is now a Trademark
The publishers are now aware of Cyber law & IPR.

While explaining a Financial Instrument....

An Finance Guru says....

I met one guy in train, we talked, he said he was a doctor, I asked about kids he said first one is a doctor second one is also a doctor , I asked about his wife, he said she is a doctor too.

So he asked me & I said, "I am consultant, My elder son is a consultant & the younger is a consultant too."

He says, So your wife is a consultant ....
I say no, I do not have a wife...

The Kids are Derivatives....

And thusly the Crucial Concept was seen sinking in like the Mighty Titanic.

PS>>>>
Copyright voilated... Due Apologies.....
Intent is Gyan spreading