Queen's MBA...Life in the fast lane !

2009-02-21T22:28:00.002-05:00

An article in The Star (Toronto)

Taking the MBA plunge
Those who enter program now will be ready and waiting when economy and good jobs come back

When the business world slows down, applications to MBA schools go up.

It's no secret these are difficult times in the business world. Companies are cutting jobs and freezing hiring, and stock markets are way down.

Still, MBA schools say that applications are way, way up. Those who take the plunge into an MBA program, which can cost as much as $65,000 for Canadian students at top-tier schools, hope to acquire skills that will put them at an advantage when the economy rebounds.

MBA schools are doing their best to bring discussion of the latest events into the classroom – whether it's falling stock markets, mass layoffs or directors who were asleep at the controls – as they help educate the next crop of business leaders.

At the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, applications for the full-time MBA program at up by about 10 per cent to 1,500 this year. That's for about 260 spots.

"People are thinking now is a good time to go back to school because it's not a good time to get a job," said Richard Powers, associate dean and executive director. "And they want to be in a better position to find an interesting job in an industry that they want that's being compromised right now."

In the part-time programs, which take three years to complete, the number of applicants is flat. These mid-career recruits would typically get financial support from their companies, as well as flexibility in their work schedules – two things that may feel like big requests these days.

"The companies just don't have the training budgets. MBA programs are expensive," Powers said. "Secondly, people just don't want to be leaving early and arriving late in a time when people are being let go."

MBA classes typically draw from the business world to illustrate management theory. That's especially the case in times like these.

"As a school, we talk about it amongst the faculty in terms of how can we make this real and relevant to the students.

"Then it's up to the faculty members to bring this into their classrooms," said Eric Morse, associate dean at the Richard Ivey School of business at the University of Western Ontario.

Ivey is case-based, meaning that through hundreds of case studies, students are immersed in real problems and challenges faced by real companies at a point when management decisions could make or break the firm.

"We have these live cases. We bring in a business person who might say, `I have to make drastic cuts in my budget. Where should I be doing that?'" Morse said.

The headlines make the education seem more relevant, but it doesn't change the basics, said Scott Carson, director of the Queen's School of Business at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.

"What it doesn't change is the structure of good management education where it is essential to develop in people a clear understanding of how to formulate strategy or good human resource policy," Carson said. "We're always going to be teaching those kinds of things, but because the context is so dramatic it shapes the way discussions go in class."

This year, Queen's expects to get about 3,700 applications for the one-year program's 75 spots.

That means more competition on the way in – and the way out.

With companies cutting back, students who graduate during the recession will be competing for fewer jobs.

Schools are helping students take the long view.

"It's important for people to recognize that taking an MBA is not like going to plumbing school or being a pipe fitter.

"We're looking for long-range value-added and the aim of the program is to make students better able to move forward in their careers over the long run, not whether they can get a job by July," Carson said.

Joseph Palumbo, executive director career development centre at the Schulich School of Business at York University, puts it this way: "In times of economic slowdown, there's no better time to invest in yourself.

"We're teaching people how to accept and understand various points of view so they can make better decisions; we're teaching listening and flexibility; we're teaching team-building and how to go forward in a very uncertain world."

Regardless of the economy, getting the degree sends a message.

"It tells people that this is somebody who's willing to learn" and to invest in himself "for life," said Palumbo.

2009-02-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

Rewire For Recession

These tough times are forcing companies everywhere into survival mode. In extreme situations like these, some practices that made sense in better times need to be abandoned, while others need to be given greater importance. In today’s globalised economy, no one is immune.

Yet, with the right strategies, it is possible to not only survive, but to thrive. Three time-tested strategies are crucial. Throw out what you don’t need; manage your resources; and convert what you have into something more valuable.

You can read more here.

This is an article that I wrote with a Director at my firm for Outlook Business publication!

2009-02-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

I have received a lot of emails in the past few weeks from prospective applicants enquiring about Queen's. The questions have primarily revolved around there key topics
- Interview tips
- Life at Queen's
- Job scene in North America.

Traditionally, B School applications are high during a downturn, and I wouldn't be surprised if Queen's receives a lot of applications this year. All the best if you are starting B School this year. Yes, there would certainly be uncertainty about the economy, but I assume that you are doing an MBA for a long term benefit rather than a short term one. So, you are the best person to decide about what needs to be done next rather than asking people if you should accept an offer or defer it.

I have always mentioned that Queen's is a very unique school. Two aspects that stand out are the team based learning and the international experience. Every year, I get connected to recent graduates from the program and the message I get is the same - the school makes a BIG difference in your life.

Regarding interviews, I would state that it would be straight and simple. There would be the usual questions (why MBA, why Queen's, why now, why Canada). There would also be specific questions (arranging finances, short term and long term plans) and there would be questions based on your resume.

The people interviewing you are very nice and want to understand you better. So, don’t be nervous – stay positive and create an impact. Oh yes, if you are having a telephonic interview - speak slowly, especially, if you have a thick Indian accent and the person at the other end is a non Indian!

Good luck!

2008-11-14T17:08:00.001-05:00

Queen's MBA Threepeats Top Spot on BusinessWeek's "The Best B-Schools" Ranking

KINGSTON, ON, Nov. 14 /CNW/ - BusinessWeek magazine has ranked Queen's MBA best in the world outside the US for the third consecutive time in the influential business publication's biennial business school rankings. The announcement was made yesterday at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time).

BusinessWeek's methodology involves scoring the results of questionnaires answered by corporate recruiters (45% weighting) and graduating MBA students (45% weighting), as well as an analysis of "intellectual capital" that comes from faculty publications in 20 key academic and practitioner journals (10% weighting).

"Two key audiences - recruiters and graduates - have once again confirmed that Queen's School of Business is world-class," said David Saunders, Dean of Queen's School of Business. "To be ranked first for the third time in a row is a great honour. Our innovative MBA program enables participants to personalize their academic experience at Queen's, and clearly it's an approach that works."

BusinessWeek's ranking of Queen's corroborates a 2008 survey by Environics Research Group that revealed that Canadian executives rank Queen's as offering the best overall student experience, the most innovative programs,the highest academic quality and the most sought after graduates.

The complete results of BusinessWeek's 2008 business school rankings are now available online at www.businessweek.com and will be published in the
magazine's next issue.

2008-10-25T03:08:00.000-05:00

Queen's A+ in Globe Student Survey

More than 43,000 students rate 55 universities in this new survey and again this Queen's University claims more A pluses for overall student experience than any other mid-sized university

In the recent survey Globe and Mail Canadian University Report, conducted in association with the Strategic Counsel and the Educational Policy Institute - students shared their opinion on 100 questions about Canadian university student experience.

Queen's is alone among the peer-universities in receiving an A+ for academic reputation. The Queen's Library (my favorite!) received one of only two A+ grades among universities in all size categories.

Queen's also scored top marks for:
* Quality of education ... A+
* Extracurricular activities ... A+
* Campus technology ... A
* Buildings and facilities on campus ... A-
* Availability and variety of courses offered ...B+ .

Way to go!

2008-10-12T13:25:00.000-05:00

A year after the Queen's MBA experience

Wedding of my classmate

With the little baby

Same school..same firm..meet up at Bangkok!

2008-10-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

Queen's MBA fair in China

Kerri (Program Manager) and Jian Luo (Queen's MBA 07)

2008-10-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Dr. A. Scott Carson, the Queen's MBA Program Director and Kerri Reagan, the Program Manager were in India recently for the MBA Fair. It was a pleasure to meet them.
We discussed a lot of interesting stuff. Updates soon.

BTW, here is a picture

2008-10-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

Giving advice in adversity
From the Economist

WHEN even consultants suggest that companies might want to spend less on consultancy, you know the industry is in for a difficult time. A recent article in the McKinsey Quarterly argues that Wall Street’s ailing banks could slash up to $2 billion each from their bloated overheads without damaging employee morale.

Convulsions on Wall Street and elsewhere are grim news for the global consulting industry, which boasted $309 billion in revenues last year, according to Kennedy Information, a research firm.

Financial institutions are some of the industry’s biggest customers. But revenues are also under pressure in other areas. The credit crunch has cut the number and size of deals by private-equity firms, which are also big consumers of consulting services. And a decline in mergers and acquisitions means there is less demand for the nitty-gritty work of combining computer systems, a mainstay of some consultancies.

Consultants say they have fared pretty well in the first half of 2008. But consulting revenues are not immune to a downturn .Consultants will feel the pinch next year, as clients cancel or delay projects.

Some consultancies are already sounding cautious about the rest of this year.

All consultants agree that emerging markets such as China, India and the Middle East offer the best opportunities for the future. But they accept that most of their business will come from the developed world for a while yet. So the industry badly needs a “Big New Idea” that it can sell to clients there. Previous consulting booms were built on ideas such as “total quality management” and re-engineering. But at the moment consultants have no successor to such money-spinners.

Read the entire article here

2008-10-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

I read a very interesting quote today:

"What I do today is important because I am paying a day of my life for it. What I accomplish must be worthwhile because the price is high."

2008-09-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

Stay Sharp

A job interview ahead. You have done all the reading, crafted all the answers, read all the case studies. Now, you are wondering about what to wear. Here are some tips to stay sharp (for men)

-Decide on a white or light blue dress shirt
-Your suit could be of the following color:Navy blue or black
-Use a conservative tie print
-Ensure that the shoes have laces and are well polished
-Make sure that your belt matches you shoes
-Match your socks with your trousers
-Avoid wearing jewelery (no ear studs please!)
-Ensure that you have clean trimmed fingernails. When you work through the case -
questions on your scribble pad, the interviewer would be able to see that.
-Get a haircut. Short hair is the best
-Carry a light briefcase or portfolio case
-Carry a nice classy pen

If there is something more, please let me know, and I will add that to the list

2008-09-28T03:33:00.000-05:00

What Is Your Work Zone?

When working on a particular task/project, what is the best way to define how you feel or what you experience.

Obviously, the quality of work is a key factor, but there are times when the "time available at hand" or the "difficulty of the task" can be used to define your feeling. So, using these two parameters, I came up with this 2x2 matrix on finding which work zone you could belong to!

You could fall into one of those four zones
- Stretched
- Cakewalk
- Challenged
- Stressed

Check out the below picture:

2008-09-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

Bolti bandh. Gaana Shuru.

I haven't seen the phone yet, but if it delivers what it promises, I think Samsung has a winner in hand. In this crowded mobile market, this one definitely stands out.
Why? It is India's first 'Mobile Karaoke' phone with preloaded karaoke content.

Yes,Indians like to sing and this one is for them! An all time favorite past time for Indians at picnics, schools (and during a train journey) is to take part in Antakshri.To add to that, check out any TV channel and you'll find talent shows (everybody seems to be singing these days).

I always felt that if there could be bars and pubs with different themes (sports,quiz etc), there was always room for a karaoke bar. If positioned well, a karaoke bar has a solid market in India.

Anyway, this phone from Samsung could create the market for that. So, call it a shameless display of "raw" talent or a way of expressing one's emotion, my guess is that Indians would love to try out the "karaoke phone".

Samsung has got Aamir Khan to do the TV commercials for this phone. The man is actually singing!. The phone is priced quite right - at Rs 10,899 and has all the essentials (2 MP camera, video recording support, MP3 player) that a youngster could hope for. I'll definitely check out the phone when I get a chance.

2008-09-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

Booz & Co in India again!

Well, the times have changed.?

Booz & Co, the global consulting firm that was spun off from Booz Allen Hamilton in July 2008, is re-entering India. The company is making a comeback eight years after it shut shop in the country in January 2000 to focus more on developed markets.

"Ten to 12 years ago, few companies understood what consultants could bring in. The market has evolved since then. Today, they understand what consultants can do in handling any kind of discontinuities,'' said Suvojoy Sengupta, Booz India CEO, who has relocated to India with four to five consultants.

"Today, Indian companies are much savvier. They have either used consultants or considered using one at some point of time,'' said Sengupta. Shumeet Banerji, the firm's global CEO, was a part of the Booz India team in the mid-1990s"

Read the entire article here

2008-09-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

"It is Mumbai, Dubai, Shanghai or...Goodbye"

With the financial market meltdown, I overheard someone making this statement the other day about the job market scenario. It actually makes sense!

2008-09-24T12:58:00.001-05:00

Fast pace, Dynamic and Exciting

It has been more than a year since I have graduated from the Queen’s MBA program and it has been an interesting journey since then. To sum it all, life after Queen’s MBA has been all about hard work, managing expectations and handling pressure. I have enjoyed my stint at Management Consulting.

I got to write a thought article (that was published in a magazine), work on projects in different sectors (Automotive, Telecom, Staffing Solutions, Aerospace) and got a chance to work or be at India, UAE, US, Canada and Thailand - all in the last one year.

Any reflections on the career choice I made? Yes, of course. I was thinking about the past year during one of my flights back home, and here are some of my observations:

*Consulting is all about being proactive, not reactive
*MS Excel and MS PowerPoint are the two powerful tools ;)
*Consultants work very hard; clients pay the firm a lot of money and expect them to
deliver value
*There is a lot of brain power at a consulting firm
*Honesty with clients is of paramount importance; trust once lost is difficult to
regain
*Impressions matter! Watch out for how you dress, carry yourself and communicate
*There are several stressful moments and if you can get through them, you'll
develop into a better consultant
*There is no room for slackers in Consulting
*Fitness (mental and physical) is important
*Project Director determines the work culture of a team for a particular client
engagement
*Work life balance is tough! If you are perhaps aiming for that, consulting is not
a wise career choice.
*Fresh out of business school, you can have some really good perspectives on
client issues
*If you have think that you worked really hard at B School, wait till you get into
Consulting!

2008-09-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

Beef up your plan B

These are usually the days when business school students are settling into their class routine and awaiting the arrival of recruiters on campus. But with the downfall of two of Wall Street's investment houses and fears that other major companies are on the brink, it's a nervous time at B-schools.

How bad will it be? Most business schools contacted this week say it's too early to tell, but Alan Johnson, CEO of Johnson Associates, a compensation consultancy. predicts hiring will be down by as much as 50% this fall, with students entering what will be one of the most fiercely competitive job markets in recent year

For those counting on investment banking, they are going to need to beef up their plan B."

Read the entire article here

2008-09-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

Testing their mettle
MBA students sharpen skills – and maybe even reel in a job – at business competitions

Entrepreneur Michele Romanow is turning her caviar dreams into reality.

Romanow, an MBA graduate from Queen's University, along with undergrads Anatoliy Melnichuk and Ryan Marien, groomed their idea for a caviar-producing fish farm into the winning entry at a prestigious business plan competition at the University of Western Ontario.

Now they're harvesting caviar roe from wild Atlantic sturgeon and selling it to restaurants across Canada for $80 to $100 an ounce, while seeking $6 million in venture capital to develop their own fish farm.

MBA students and undergraduates at business schools across Canada participate in case competitions to hone their problem solving, entrepreneurial and presentation skills. Competitions may be in-house or corporate-sponsored and open to national or international entries.

Winners earn everything from trophies to big cash prizes, and sometimes receive plum job offers from top companies or attract the attention of venture capitalists.

Romanow's group won the $25,000 first prize at Western's IBK Capital-Ivey Business Plan Competition in March and, with four other victories and two second-place finishes in other competitions, the group earned a total of $100,000 in prizes that they used to start Evandale Caviar.

Evandale has sold 75 per cent of the product to date to about 50 high-end establishments across Canada.

"There's no question the case competitions were a critical factor in our success," Romanow says. "We got incredible feedback from the judges, who are some of the top venture capitalists."

Read the complete article here

2008-09-20T03:14:00.000-05:00

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!

She writes really well (although I don't agree with some of her thoughts).

She is well know among the B School grads

She knows and understands the pulse of the B School aspirants

She has written some good articles on Entrepreneurs in Business magazines

And now she comes out with a book. Her book is priced quite right (Rs 125).

I think I'll get a copy of the book when I get a chance!

"The inspiring stories of 25 IIM Ahmedabad graduates who chose to tread a path of their own making."

2008-09-19T01:40:00.000-05:00

Kid Fakes Job Interview

Check out these “mock” case interviews…led by a 12 year old?!?!

This is a video marketing initiative by Deloitte Consulting!

"I am in here for the hotel points"...ROFL!:)

2008-09-15T23:46:00.000-05:00

Planning to study abroad

Some points from the article that I agree with.

A foreign MBA opens your eyes to the complexities of different markets, cultures and people. You will grow as a person and gain many of the softer skills required to be a successful executive.

You will become sensitive to cultural nuances.

More strategically, you could choose an MBA by thinking about how it would position you in the job market, in the near and long terms, abroad or back home.

Today, going abroad is not about escaping the country. It is just one more aspect of being part of the transnational managerial class

2008-09-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

10 things which will make life easier at management school

I read this piece and had a smile on my face -things lik alarm clock,hard drive, calculators, digital camera are a must!

1.Fabric softener
2.Really loud alarm clock
3.Medium-sized insulated casserole
4.Unsophisticated audio recorder
5.A portable hard drive
6.Bournvita
7.Books of yore
8.Two calculators
9.Backpack
10.Digital camera

2008-09-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

Mint, a business newspaper in India (published in association with The Wall Street Journal) has been carrying some good articles on MBA Education for the past few days. (Perhaps, a good strategy to attack B-School aspirants)

Presented below are 22 tips for the MBA aspirant

1. Before writing an essay, prepare your résumé, and make a note of all your achievements—even the minor things you did that made you happy and proud of yourself.

2. Decide upon your career objective, and relate how it evolved from your education so far and your experiences (work or otherwise).

3. Fine-tune your career objectives—list your short-term, medium-term and long-term plans. Be ambitious—business schools want their alumni to do well. Think of the various positions and responsibilities that you may handle in the course of your career. Feel free to plan your achievements too.

4. Choose the business schools that you wish to apply to. Consider your academic record, your extra-curricular activities, your Gmat score and your work experience. Aim high, but apply to as many schools as feasible.

5. Explore websites of each of these schools. Understand their programmes, their emphases and faculty, etc.

6. Plan how you will answer each essay question, looking at your resume and achievements. Make sure you cover diverse aspects of your life answering the questions. Do not forget your extracurricular activities, hobbies and community work, if any. Take your time understanding the question, and carefully select what you will include in each answer.

7. Write first drafts disregarding the word limits. Frame your answers logically. There must be order and flow in their structure. Give reasons, motivations and influences, wherever applicable.

8. Provide clear career plans. Talk about what you expect to achieve at each stage of your career, how you plan to do it, and, if applicable, how the business school you chose is pertinent in your scheme of things.

9. Show how your background and experiences will enrich the MBA programme and educational experiences of your fellow students. Quid pro quo works.

10. Delete adjectives, add facts and figures. Demonstrate your hard work, analytical skills, values, depth, innovation, intelligence, incisiveness and wisdom, etc. Give instances and examples for them to derive these things from your essays. You don’t have to say “I am very smart and intelligent”, but do leave enough hints for them to find out.

11. Recounting experiences is not enough—show learning too. You may have done something good or bad—what did you learn from it? Analyse your action, its causes and its effects dispassionately. In hindsight, what should you have done differently?

12. Bring out relevance of each idea and relate things together. For example, you could relate your career plan to a summer training that you did.

13. Do not boast about things you never did—people can tell.

14. Do not criticize others—show respect and understanding.

15. Try to make the essays interesting.

16. Words and language should be appropriate, not fancy. Most importantly, you should be able to convey your story cogently.

17. Each allowed word is a resource to be used judiciously. Make your answers concise. No repeated ideas, no unnecessary prose. Do not use 100 words where 99 will do.

18. Revise, again and again. Even if you have worked hard on a paragraph, delete it if it is not relevant enough. Rearrange sentences and paragraphs to achieve the right structure. It is not enough to give all the right information—it must be organized and structured effectively.

19. Check for grammatical and spelling errors. Remove repeated words and phrases. Avoid colloquial terms and abbreviations unless they are pertinent.

20. Get others, especially more senior and experienced people, to read your essays and ask for comments.

21. Most schools have multiple deadlines. Try to meet early deadlines.

22. If you are wait-listed, send them a letter expressing your keen desire to get admission in their business school. Volunteer additional information that they might find relevant to decide favourably. Tell them about your activities and achievements since your application. Ask them about any additional inputs or recommendations they would like to have.

2008-09-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

Feel Like a Winner

Some pictures make you feel good no matter in which state of mind you are in- This picture is one of my best. I see it almost once every month.:)

The day was May 24th, 2007- the day I graduated from the Queen's MBA program. It was also my parent's wedding anniversary day, and they were there at Kingston to attend my graduation. To top that, it was the day I received three awards at the MBA program - Derek Russell Award for Excellence in Operations/IT, the Noranda Sales Corporation/William G. Deeks Award for Excellence in Strategy and the Tom Burns MBA prize in International Business.

Perhaps, that was the best day of my life!! I have no second thoughts about it!:)

2008-09-10T08:02:00.000-05:00

Desi Alum Speaks

The placement season at North American business schools can get a bit stressful for our Indian (desi) students as there are a lot of expectations, and of course a huge amount of money invested. A few of the desi folks are expecting their “hard work” to pay off, and get that "big break". Others are expecting to “switch careers” and others are hoping to land up with a "decent work-life balance" job.

I keep getting queries from desi students if I have some tips for them. Well, based on the experiences of my batch mates, I thought I'll share some small things that helped us during our job search.

•Write down your responses to "Interview Questions": The Career cell will hand you a set of likely questions that you should prepare for your interviews. Few of them would be general ones such as "Why consulting/finance, why xyz company, why Queen's, why MBA, strengths and weakness". As there are loads of questions, there is a tendency to make bulleted points answers in response to these questions. I would suggest that take some time out and type out your answers in sentences. This exercise has a few advantages - Firstly, as you write and review them you'll get a better picture of what you want to convey. Secondly, you'll get more confident the next time you face an interview - there is this mental thing that you have everything sorted out. Thirdly, you'll be able to add expressions, and do the required voice modulations as you answer these questions during the interview. Lastly, these are questions that are generally asked to every interviewee, and hence if you have really good crafted responses, you have an edge over the others. Also, over a period of time, as you read, and experience interviews, you can modify those answers, and tracks the changes. As you have saved them in a word document, you can keep a log and see how you fared in those interviews.

•Set a trigger on Google Alert: Companies like it if you have researched about them, and are pretty sure that they are the ones whom you really want to work for. Most of us research sources like Vault, OneSource to get information about the companies, but if you have a Google Alert on the company (or on the interviewer) who is going to interview you, you'll have the latest news, and sometimes can impress them.

•Learn to converse with senior management: Often you'll get to meet senior management during the interviews. They would ask you about your school, your experiences. If you are meeting them for dinner, you will slowly run out of topics to discuss. During such time, the senior folks usually talk about current events or books that they have read. It is a good idea to read some of the best sellers and have an opinion about them. Some books that I'd suggest are Freakonomics, Microtrends, World is Flat, Wikinomics. You should also store some of your HBR materials taught at the class room (as they come quite handy during those times.)

•Be an India expert: No matter which part of the world are you in now, India has to be a part of the discussion. India as a key element of every nation’s strategy. And since you are a desi, you would often be asked your views or opinions on certain things in India. Some of the hot favorites during my time were the Tata Nano car, growing mobile coverage in India, Indian middle class consumers. You should have the key numbers (Economic growth, Mobile growth etc) at the back of your mind. I remember one of the interviewers once asking me to compare the Canadian Telecom market with the Indian Telecom market.

•Connect with your desi alums: Just a year back, there were a bunch of desi folks who were going through the same situation as you are in currently. They were excited, and yet stressed, and they definitely understand what you are going through. So, make it a point to stay connected to them. Please note that with every email exchange that you have with an alumni, they will be drawing impressions about you ("Ladder of Inference"). So, watch out for what you say or do. If you have made genuine attempts to stay connected to them, as soon as they see a job posting somewhere in their company, they will get in touch with you.

•Understand the basics of Hockey/Base Ball: If Cricket is a religion in India, Baseball is US, and Hockey in Canada is passion for the folks there. So, it is not a bad idea to sit for half an hour with one of your classmates and understand the basics of the sport. Follow the newspapers to see how the teams are faring. You are bound to get into a group conversation where the sport will be discussed, and instead of diverting the topic, you’ll get some brownie points if you can add a point or two. Remember, it is all about “getting native”, after all you will be working there!

With the US economy slowing down, B-School grads this year are expected to experience a tough time. Consulting and Finance jobs are likely to be hit. So, stay cool, and keep your enthusiasm up.

BTW, the world is full of advice, and you’ll get many “words of wisdom” from people all over the world. So, listen to yourself, and figure out what works best. With experience, you’ll get better!

And remember what Confucius once said that "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

Good Luck!!

2008-08-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

Queen's at the MBA fair in India

Be there if you want to know more about the school, meet the alumni, get your questions answered..and if you want to make a good impression to a few people.

Saturday September 27
Delhi, India
Intercontinental The Grand
3pm to 5pm

Monday September 29
Bangalore, India
Taj Residency Hotel
7:30pm to 9:30pm

Wednesday October 1
Hyderabad, India
Taj Krishna
7:30pm to 9:30pm

Saturday October 4
Mumbai, India
Taj President
3pm to 5pm

2008-08-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

Class of 2009 MBA blogs

It is not easy to maintain blogs when you are in Business School. There are hundred things to do, and everything gets important. However, two smart individuals from the class of 2009 have been maintaining their blogs for some time. They have been writing about their Queen's MBA experiences, and it is great to read the stuff. Do follow the stuff here:

Something Brewing
Going the Distance

2008-08-21T03:13:00.000-05:00

Return to the Blogosphere

It has been a long time since I have blogged. People still check occasionaly and shoot an email -"Why did you stop".

To be honest, I did not have the time and the drive. I have shuttling between continents, working overtime to complete consulting engagments and if I ever got some time, I took rest. The other reason was that I hardly had any Queen's MBA related stuff to add to this blog.

However, I have decided that I'll occasionally add some tidbits from my life after MBA, and how Queen's MBA has added value to my life. Watch this space.

Anyway, we had a Point 4 in Bangalore recently. Dr. Clinton Free (the unbeatable Aussie) was here for some work. We met him for dinner, and provided below is the picture.

2008-03-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Is the time right to study for an MBA?
Published: January 23 2008 12:33 | Last updated: January 30 2008 16:29
in Financial Times

This month’s worldwide financial volatility has thrown the MBA business into turmoil. Over the past six months applications have been strong and job offers have been flowing in, but it is a brave business school dean who will predict that these trends will continue. Is this the right time to study for an MBA?

A panel of international experts answer your questions about doing an MBA.

On the panel are:

Dipak Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Indy Lachhar, graduate and MBA recruitment manager for global banking at HSBC
Jacklyn Sing, first year MBA student at MIT Sloan
Della Bradshaw, business education editor, Financial Times

Have MBA applications generally gone up or gone down at the beginning of recessionary periods in the US ? Does recession also mean spending cutbacks at most business schools?
Hakan Ener, Singapore

Della Bradshaw: Applications to US business schools tend to go up, though there is evidence that this might not be true in other countries, particularly in Asia/Pacific.

As to spending......most top US business schools have large enough endowments to ride out this kind of storm. The business schools that may be vulnerable are in the state universities. They could be subject to education cuts.

I am an American currently applying to MBA programmes, and if I enrol, I will have to finance almost my entire program on loans and scholarships. I am not currently in debt. Do you have any thoughts on taking out large loans for an MBA, given the current economic outlook and graduate’s potential for greater earning power?
Elizabeth, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Della Bradshaw: Quite a lot of research has been done which suggests that one reason why there are relatively few women on MBA programmes - only about one third of applicants are women - is that women are less comfortable with taking on large burdens of debt than men. My response would be that there is clear evidence that those that do an MBA do make substantial progress in their careers, and increases in their salary, to justify that debt.

There is an unstated bias for companies to recruit young(ish) MBA graduates? Which jobs should executive MBAs focus on, if they wish to change careers? Are there positions that are less well suited for seasoned professionals in which firms prefer to higher younger MBA graduates?
Musab Alkateeb
Della Bradshaw: What I’ve really noticed over the past two years is that the career development services that have always been in place for full-time MBA students are now being offered to executive, or part-time, MBA students as well. So if you enrol on a good EMBA programme, you will get professional advice on this kind of issue.

It’s understandable that the turmoil in the financial markets will have somewhat of a direct impact on recruiting for the banking sector. But to what extent do you think a global slowdown will affect the recruiting for consulting and industry in 2009 and beyond? Ramanjit Singh, New York

Jacklyn Sing: I think consulting is a relatively stable industry: companies have a definite need to do a lot of initiatives and do not have the capability or expertise to do it so they hire consultants. It is hard to say how the global slowdown will affect this industry; it depends on how long and deep the slowdown is going to be and how fast the economies are able to recover.

My guess is that some companies would cut down on discretionary expenses or would postpone projects and this may affect their ability to hire consultants; however, I do think that the market beyond the US are still robust and that consultants would be needed more than ever.

I’m a software engineer with four years IT development experience. I have been thinking of pursuing an MBA from a reputed business school. Does it really make a difference between pursuing MBA full or part-time? Will a part-time MBA help me in going to a higher management level?
Vikas, Sydney, Australia
Della Bradshaw: I think the overriding factor here is the reputation of the institution at which you study, not the format of the study. Most of the big brand name schools - Kellogg, Wharton, Chicago, Columbia, London Business School - have both full-time and executive MBA programmes and graduates from all those programmes do really well.

What is the right balance between practical and theoretical approaches in studying for an MBA? Should more attention be paid to case studies or on-site live education? What are the benefits of doing an MBA for a business-savvy entrepreneur?
Dimitri Ledenyov, Melbourne, Australia
Dipak Jain: The MBA programme at Kellogg has a nice balance between “academic rigour” (theory) and “business relevance” (practice). Students learn from research-based faculty in the classroom, while also working collaboratively with teammates to address complex global business problems.

MBA education focuses on putting structure on unstructured business problems. Therefore, we believe that an MBA degree is very important for entrepreneurs because it helps them in acquiring both analytical and people skills that they can apply to future ventures.

Della Bradshaw: The past few years have seen business schools beating their breasts over this - should MBAs teach ”hard” skills - quantitative number-crunching - or ”soft” skills - communications, empathy etc. Also, the extent to which consultancy work, projects etc should form part of the curriculum is under review. The answer, basically, is not very helpful - the more you can get of all of these things the better!

But from the point of view of the entrepreneur, one of the ”invisible earnings”, if you like, that comes from an MBA is the network of peers you develop. And the other is the input from your fellow students.

If I am more technically focused but wish to work in the business side. Am I better off applying for a Masters in Finance or an MBA? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
Patrick O’Driscoll, London
Indy Lachhar: From a recruiter’s point of view, we would consider MBAs from both a Masters in Finance background and MBA background - students have a similar skill set to offer and as long as the basic technicals are understood, most companies would ensure that you receive sufficient training and responsibility to demonstrate your capabilities and skills.

I think it’s more important that you look at the content of each course and what appeals to you more. We have certainly recruited students from both backgrounds. Once again, from a banking perspective, we are looking for individual who are committed to a career in Investment Banking - individuals who are willing to put in the hours and hard work as well as enjoy the rewards.

Both the MIF and MBA enable you to acquire an outstanding academic background but what’s more important is for you find an industry that you feel you are well suited for.

Jacklyn Sing: I am not familiar with the Masters in Finance. I do think that an MBA is a great programme for the business side because it allows you to explore a lot of areas (general management, marketing, corporate strategy, finance, etc.). If you do choose to focus on Finance, a lot of MBA programmes offer you the chance to take up subjects along those areas as well (same subjects as in the Masters in Finance).

What I personally like about the MBA programme at MIT is that it allows you the flexibility to do this starting your second semester: I am now taking up a lot of subjects on finance from investments, to financial statement analysis, etc.

Dipak Jain: The MBA education is more comprehensive and exposes students to various aspects of management. If your desire is to work on the business side, in addition to the financial skills you need to acquire, you’ll need to acquire other skills that will help you address business issues in today’s ever-changing and challenging landscape.

Della Bradshaw: It depends entirely on what you want to do on graduation. If you are convinced you want to work in the finance sector, then a specialist degree would be the best way to guarantee that. If you are not sure, then an MBA gives you the opportunity to explore your options. MBA programmes are packed with technical people - engineers, chemist, doctors.

The supply of MBAs is five times the demand. How can administrators keep a straight face when talking young men and women into paying upwards of $75,000 for something they know does not have enough demand?
Lou Volpano, Newport Beach , California
Della Bradshaw: Great statistic! But an MBA is an education as well as a qualification. Given the growing demand for able managers around the world (and not just in Newport Beach) its hard to give that sort of statement much credence, fun though it is.

Jacklyn Sing: I am not familiar with where you got your data on the supply and demand for MBAs. What I do know is that there is still a strong demand for MBA students because of the increasingly complex business problems faced by managers today – whether it be in the US, Asia, Europe, etc.

There is not enough supply of MBAs, especially from a top MBA programme, based on the strong job openings that I am seeing in our career website. More importantly, people have different reasons for getting an MBA – for me, an MBA sets you up for life, provides you with the managerial skills that you need, gives you the credibility and global alumni network that is invaluable whether you choose to work for someone or establish your own business.

With fears of US entering into recession this year, how do you foresee the job prospects for a foreign student enrolling for a full time MBA course in one of the top MBA universities in US this year?
Somesh Painuli, Mumbai, India
Jacklyn Sing: The worst-hit industry from the recent events is the financial services industry. Finding a job in Investment Banking in the US is definitely tougher this year based on what I’ve heard from peers (whether it be US citizens or international). The usual challenges for international students are (1) knowledge of the US market, (2) communication skills, (3) Visa permits as some smaller companies during internships prefer citizens.

As an international student and career-shifter, I would have had the chance to do an externship in my area of interest had I been permitted to work; this would have given me the chance to develop the skills and demonstrate my interest in the area during summer internship interviews. Despite the slowdown in US economy, the job prospects overseas (in Asia, Europe, Latin America, etc.) still look bright; in fact, international students have an edge over applicants if they apply for jobs near their area of origin: language, knowledge of the industries, etc.

Lastly, coming from a top MBA programme (whether it be in the US, Europe, etc.) gives students a significant leverage over other job seekers: companies recruit on campus, there are established resources, relations and alumni in a lot of companies, and you get the chance to do at least the first interview.

Della Bradshaw: Clearly anyone entering a two-year MBA programme in 2008 will not graduate until 2010 and it is hard to know what will happen at that point. What I can tell you from the data we have collected in the past for our rankings is that even those MBAs who graduate in very difficult years eventually get very good jobs.

The class that graduated in 2002, for example, often ended up taking jobs on graduation that paid lower salaries than the jobs they had quit before doing the programme. But three years after graduation - when we survey them for our rankings - they were earning salaries comparable to those reported by their peers in previous years.

Dipak Jain: Regardless of economic conditions, the market is always looking for top talent.

Even during the economic downturn following September 11, 2001, more than 90 percent of graduating Kellogg students found a job. We continue to pro-actively work with all of our students to help them in achieving their goals and aspirations.

Do you think that there is a lack of research (and academic) focus on turnaround and restructuring related aspects at most business schools? Is this an area which can provide a partial hedge to finding job opportunities for students in times of economic slowdown and recessions?
Bharat Gupta, London
Jacklyn Sing: I do not think there is a lack of research/academic focus on this area here in MIT Sloan. Aside from subjects offered, students can also immerse themselves in consulting-type projects with real firms or get externship with firms through the alumni network. In terms of looking for a job, I would think that having an in-depth knowledge or expertise in an area (and of course, matching that with the job requirements of the employer) would give you an edge over other applicants.

Note that a lot of consulting firms have a set criteria in their hiring process for MBAs and they don’t necessarily hire people with experience in this area (since they train them themselves). I do agree that we may see more turnaround or restructuring initiatives taking place in companies in the next couple of years.

Dipak Jain: We at Kellogg look at management education as a balance between “academic rigor” (theory) and “business relevance” (practice). Our faculty exposes students to the latest research and innovative practices by engaging them in experiential learning through real-world projects with global corporations. We believe that such comprehensive training will enhance their chances of achieving their desired career goals and opportunities - regardless of economic conditions globally.

Due to globalisation, the demand for talent has increased significantly. Therefore, students should focus on learning both in the classroom and through collaborative teamwork. This will help them in developing critical and relevant business and leadership skills which will set them apart and make them valuable for corporations seeking talent.

Is this year a bad time to enrol in any one-year, finance-focused program given the state of economy? One-year program students will interview for jobs in October/November this year - what does the recruitment forecast look like for them?
Sachee
Indy Lachhar: Despite the state of the markets, finance companies on the whole are still recruiting and the majority should be returning to campus later this year for the full-time recruitment. Some may have reduced their potential intake numbers but the demand is still there. One-year programme students should make an effort to connect with recruiters and bankers in advance of the full-time recruiting kicking off in October/November this year. This effort is recognised and it helps to build a relationship up on both sides.

Jacklyn Sing: The choice of the MBA program should be based on the goals of the candidate. I would advise the person to reflect on what he wants to get out of the program (finance, entrepreneurship, general management, marketing, etc. as different schools have different focus are), what his plans are, and when is the right time to do it.

Remember: you take your MBA only once so make sure you choose the right one. In terms of the job market, based on observations in my program, the US market for investment banking is more competitive this year (a lot of people are looking into Europe or Asia). I think that other areas (i.e. corporate finance, asset management, etc.) would have a stable trend from the past couple of years.

Regarding the one-year program and October/November forecast: banks are less optimistic which will trickle down to the recruitment. Should the US economy recover, I still believe the effect on recruitment would be gradual so overall, the job market in October/November would be more competitive than previous years.

Dipak Jain: I don’t believe in market timing for pursuing an MBA degree. Given applicants’ personal situation and goals, they need to determine for themselves which type of MBA program is optimal for their needs.

The market is always looking for talent. If you acquire the right skills in a one-year, focused MBA program, there will always be demand for what you have to offer - even in the financial services sector.

Della Bradshaw: Anecdotally, banks and financial institutions still seem to be interviewing for financial positions and for internships. I think many of the banks and consultancies learnt back in 2002/3 that not bringing any new blood into the organisation stored up problems for the future. I also think that this year there are a far wider range of financial institutions looking for MBAs - it is no longer just the investment banks

Is this the right time to do a two-year MBA, given that the slowdown may last longer than this period? And are US business schools, pioneers of the MBA, losing out to their European counterparts?
Raj, Luxembourg
Jacklyn Sing: There is no one answer to the ”right time” in doing an MBA. I think it should be customised to the profile of the applicant - where are you in terms of your career, what are your goals in getting an MBA, etc.

That being said, the length of the MBA program is driven more by the depth of experience of the applicant (i.e. 10 years vs. three years), financial considerations (being out of the job for two years), etc. I have a relatively younger profile so I chose a two-year program that will enable me to take subjects I wanted to improve on or am interested in, as well as get a summer internship.

Regarding US vs. European schools, I don’t have facts at this point but I personally think that is not the case. A lot of people choose the location of the MBA program (US vs. Europe) based on where they want to be afterwards: work in the US, work in Europe where the alumni network and career opportunities would be more available.

Dipak Jain: The right time to do an MBA is when you are mentally prepared to start the journey. External market conditions need to be factored into your decision but they should not be the driving decision. Conditions come and go, but the MBA degree will continue to be of enduring value. We believe that intellectual curiosity and learning should be your guide in the journey ahead.

I do not feel that U.S. schools are losing out to European counterparts. On the contrary, applications to full-time programs in U.S. business schools are going up. Particularly for the coming year, applications at the Kellogg School are up by more than 20 per cent.

Della Bradshaw: This is the $64m question, isn’t it? I think there are a lot of business schools out there who like to be able to predict the answer to that. What interests me, is whether the prospect of an economic slowdown gives two-year MBA programmes an edge over one year programmes. After all, if you begin your one-year MBA in September/October 2008, you will have to start job-hunting at the beginning of 2009.

Do you feel that in light of recent economic conditions, the MBA market will move towards more students undertaking part-time or distance-learning programmes?
Yoav, London
Della Bradshaw: I think intuitively my first reaction would be yes. But research done this year by the FT’s deputy head of statistics shows that the number of GMAT test-takers (which is a good proxy for applications) tends to be counter-cyclical. In particular the number of test-takers goes down as financial sector earnings go up. So if we are seeing job cuts and lower than expected earnings in the financial sector this year, then applications to business school for full-time MBA programmes may well go up may well go up

Dipak Jain: Despite the current economic conditions, I feel that the demand for full-time programs will continue to be strong for students looking for a career change. In addition, those who are risk-averse may seek part-time programs to enhance both their analytical and people skills. The full- and part-time programs cater to student segments with different goals and aspirations. As a result, the demand for full-time students is not going to shift to part-time.

Jacklyn Sing: Personally, I think there are a lot of strengths in going through a full-time MBA program - a great part of your learning would be from your peers/classmates, the curriculum would be more intense, and the student gets more chances to explore activities outside of the classroom (club activities, inter-university competitions, projects, etc.)

How relevant is an MBA degree in today’s ever-changing world? And will it still be highly regarded by employers in the future?
Gavin Doig, London

Jacklyn Sing: An MBA degree is definitely growing in relevance in today’s world and I believe that employers would demand this more based on the increasing need for higher-level skill-set in conducting increasingly complex businesses today. There is a practical aspect to it: you get a global education that equips you with the management skills, you become part of a world-wide network of alumni, you get instant credibility, and you encounter new opportunities otherwise beyond your reach (i.e. job overseas, jumpstart your career, etc.). Another way to look at it is that more and more people are taking further studies; thus, to stay competitive in the job market, it is almost ”necessary” to get an MBA.

Della Bradshaw: Well, employers certainly still value it. What has surprised me in the past few years in the UK is how many large employers - BTand Barclays commercial and retail banking arm are just two examples - have now developed programmes specifically to recruit MBAs and train them for specific jobs in the company. In the past I think European companies have not valued the MBA brand as much in the US and Asia but this is really beginning to change.

Indy Lachhar: The MBA is becoming more and more relevant in an ever-changing global market. Since our MBA programme has been introduced, we have looked to increase the numbers for both summer and full-time programmes each year.

For the banking sector in particular, MBAs are not only able to bring their strong analytical skills to the table but also a range of new ideas and strategies. In addition, an MBA also brings their previous work experience to their new role which for the majority is from a different career background - this simply makes it even more appealing for a potential employer.

Dipak Jain: The MBA degree is relevant now more than ever. Globalisation today is almost like a force of gravity, and it’s essential that managers are equipped with the right tools and foundations of managerial skills to lead in an ever-changing and challenging business environment.

Twenty years ago, an MBA degree was seen as a value-add. Now that it’s more ubiquitous, chances are that those you’ll be reporting to already have the MBA degree. As such, it’s essential that, in addition to the basic skills taught in business schools, you need to be driven by intellectual curiosity and “dig deeper” so that you become familiar with the current theories and frameworks. It is then that you’ll more effectively be able to lead an organisation. These qualities are valued by employers now and will continue to have “enduring value” in the future.

What is the most important factor to consider when choosing an MBA program?
Douglas, New York
Della Bradshaw: Which programme is right for you - right for what you want to do on graduation, right for your lifestyle, right for your style of learning.

2008-01-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Where the mind is without fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

from Rabindranath Tagore’s Geetanjali

2007-12-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

The 9 most important questions in business

What is your value proposition?
What differentiates your product from the competitors'?
How much cash do you need to survive the early years?
What are your strengths?
How big is the threat of new entrants?
How much power do your suppliers have?
Does the business scale?
What price will your customers pay?
How committed are you to making this happen?

Read the article here

2007-11-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Five Rules of Writing Effective Emails

Read the article here

Here is an extract:

5 rules of writing effective emails:

1. Why Should Anyone Read This?

Create an email title & subject line that will catch your audience attention. Be very clear and specific about the purpose of your message. Give them a reason to open your email.

For Example:

Need Feedback (by 9/30): XYZ Design Document
Please Read: Important Employee Benefit Information
Reminder: Meeting This Afternoon

2. What Do They Need to Know?
Keep your message short, precise and relevant:

Short - Keep your message to less than a page. You are not writing a New York Time best seller.
Precise - No wasted sentences. Stop talking about the weather. Just get to the point.
Relevant - Tell them what they need to know and move on. Not everyone needs to know all the background, participants, sponsors, timeline, benefit, pain or little details of your meeting or project.

3. What Do You Want from Them?
Be very clear about what you want your readers do after reading your email. Your action statements should be in three places:

Your subject line
Beginning of the message
End of the message
Your action statement should also include information such as a deadline (date and time) and your expected outcome.

For example:

Please provide your response in email by December 21, 2007.
Please provide your feedback by filling out this survey before Monday June 30th, 2007.

4. Who Else Should Read This?
Who else really needs to know about your message?

Not the world. Not through email.

“CC” (carbon copy) only those who really need to know. Do not “CC” everyone under the sun and create unnecessary email junk.

Never “BCC” (blind copy) anyone on your email. If you want to inform someone about your message, forward the message separately.

5. What Next?
If you really want the recipients to reply to your message, pick up the phone and follow up. Do you expect someone to sit around and wait for your emails? If something is that important to you, it definitely worth a phone call.

Think About This…

Imagine if you had only 15 minutes per day for email, whose or what emails would you open? Would you read your own email?

2007-11-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

"There are three sets of issues that one must consider when thinking about how to become an entrepreneur, particularly if you are born into a middle-class family of professionals (one or more of your parents work for a large company).

The first involves getting started, leaving a safe job or career prospects and jumping into the entrepreneurial fray.

The second issue has to do with maintaining and building a viable business, successfully scaling up so that one has not just managed to 'survive' but also to grow the business and create great value for investors.

Finally, there's the issue of knowing when to move on, either by selling the business or handing over to someone who can bring new energy, skills and ideas to bear. Let's take each of these issues in turn, and examine some of the things you can do to address them."

Read more here

2007-10-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday night, I was doing some thinking about a few things in my life
- Events in my life where I have made a fool of myself (got embarrassed)
- Events in my life where I have landed myself into deep shit (a mess from which I had to struggle to get out of)
- People who have had an influence of my life (positive and negative)

As I sat, I wished I could record them either in snapshots or could pen it down. Trust me; it would have made an exciting TV seria

2007-10-07T11:56:00.000-05:00

10 Hottest Emerging Businesses

I was reading the latest edition of Outlook Business for Decision Makers. The magazine carried an interesting article on the 10 hottest emerging businesses in India. Here is the list:
-Education
-Private Equity
-Design Services
-Next Wave BPO
-Packaged Food
-Retail Services
-Localized Internet
-Micro-power
-Cold Chain and Warehousing
-TV Content

2007-10-07T01:02:00.000-05:00

From Economic Times
Questions VCs ask an entrepreneur

WHEN raising money from venture capitalists or angels, you’ll want to meet as many as possible. They won’t all invest, but each time you pitch, you get better. Each time you pitch, you get asked different questions, get different opinions and ideas. It’s worth it to pitch as many people as you can, as often as you can. Some questions will get asked over and over. And you’ll discover those patterns quickly enough and adjust your pitch accordingly. If you have a less than-stellar answer to a question that gets asked once or twice, it’s not a big deal. But if your weaker answers are to the most common investor questions, you’ve got a problem. With that in mind, here are some of the more common questions investors will ask:

SO WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS ALL ABOUT?
The wording of this question will change, but this is the classic “elevator pitch” question. Translation: “In the shortest amount of time possible, grab my interest by the proverbial you-know-whats.” Sell them quick, with something simple and powerful they can remember; and keep reiterating that message throughout your presentation.

WHAT’S THE BARRIER TO ENTRY FOR COMPETITION?
For Web 2.0 startups, this can be tough. The question comes from VCs and angels that might not be as familiar with the overall industry and the ease with which many web applications can be built. They’re looking for a real technological barrier that might not exist. Some answers that might help you skirt this topic: launching big, building a devoted community, key partnerships and/or customers (before launch), we’re cooler than everyone else (this won’t work.) None of these answers are great (for a host of reasons.)

WHAT’S GOING TO STOP BIG MONSTER COMPANY IN YOUR SPACE FROM COPYING YOU?
This is almost identical to Question No. 2 but it’s more commonly asked because there’s always competition. And, it’s usually from the “big bad wolf” company that’s got tons of money, lots of market share, a huge staff and years of experience. For starters, don’t say, “What competition? We don’t have any.” There’s always competition. Secondly, this is a tough question to answer. What is stopping “big bad wolf” company from copying you instantly and smashing you like a bug? Generally, you can argue: We can move more quickly. Big bad wolf is too busy managing what it’s doing to innovate. They’ll acquire us rather than copy us (if you have examples, use them.)

HOW FAR DOES THAT MONEY GET YOU?
Have a good answer to this question. Couch this in product and financial terms, i.e. “It gets us six months past launch, when we expect to be cash flow positive.” The best way to think about this is to calculate how long the money will last if you earn zero revenue. Count backwards by four-six months and that will tell you when you need to start the process of raising more money. If the money is only going to last you four-six months, you need to start looking for more money almost immediately (which isn’t a pleasant thought.)

WHY ARE YOU RAISING THE MONEY YOU WANT TO RAISE?
The amount you’re asking for is critical. Make sure you’ve done your financial homework. Don’t tell them your numbers are conservative, just explain to them how you arrived at them.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CUSTOMERS? HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS?
Investors are looking for traction, or at least the inkling of traction. As soon as possible, try and get a few potential customers to say, “Sounds interesting.” You might even use them as references. This raises the comfort level for investors and helps answer the question, “What’s the market?”

WHAT’S YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY?
For early stage companies this is a very tough question. Chances are “just getting to freaking launch” is what you’re thinking, but that’s not good enough. And “launch big” is equally uninspiring. Think about presenting a timeline of events and customer acquisition numbers that you’re anticipating, tied to marketing. Throw in a variety of strategies that you’re going to do or researching. Marketing will be critical to your success, so you better plan for it sooner rather than later.

WHAT ARE YOU CODING IN?
Investors do want technical details. This is an easy question to answer at least (assuming you know!)

HOW ARE YOU HANDLING TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCALING?
Investors want technical details. They want to know that you’ve thought about the behindthe-scenes technology to support your system. When customers are signing up faster than you can process their credit cards (don’t let that happen!), will the system stay running at a reasonable speed? The further you get along in the process with investors, the more technical details they’ll want.

WHAT’S THE TEAM LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE YOUR BACKGROUNDS?
Investors want to know the backgrounds of the founders. If you’ve got people on staff, they’ll want to know who, why you hired those people, and who else (and how many) you need to bring on board. They’ll want to know how quickly you expect to grow the team over time as well. Although there are common questions you’ll get from venture capitalists and angel investors, what’s more fascinating is that each investor will ask different questions. You can’t be prepared for every question, but even if you get new ones, the more comfortable you are pitching (because you’ve done it so many times), the better.
(From entrepreneurship site http://www.instigatorblog.com )

2007-10-02T01:56:00.000-05:00

Best Consulting Firms to Work For

It is about work-life balance. It is about work satisfaction. It is about waking up to challenges everyday. It is about moving out of your comfort zone.

Consulting Magazine comes out with best consulting firms to work for. Here is the top ten in that list.

1. Bain & Company
2. The Boston Consulting Group
3. McKinsey & Company
4. North Highland
5. PRTM
6. Booz Allen Hamilton
7. Kurt Salmon & Associates
8. Oliver Wyman
9. West Monroe Partners
10. Slalom Consulting

Check out this site for details.

2007-09-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

IIM grad turns to improving education

From the Times of India, September 30th

Ranchi: A fancy office, a hefty salary and an impressive designation on the business card are usually what most IIM students step into after passing out from the prestigious institutes.
When 24-year-old Gargi Agarwal De passed out from IIM-A in April 2007, she too had all these at her disposal. Only, she chose to trudge a different path. Gargi, who had herself gone through the grind of Indian education, wanted to bring a radical change in the system.
She was convinced that learning needed to be more interactive, growth-oriented and application-based rather than the centuries-old mugging-up for it to make a difference in the students’ intake. And that is exactly what she began working on.
“While pursuing my degree at Ahmedabad, I realised that the way we are taught in schools hardly helps in proper growth of a child. Kids are instructed to merely mug up things without understanding it,’’ said Gargi.
So, the young manager decided to set up a chain of preparatory schools —- De’s elementary school — with its first two branches in Jamshedpur, her hometown, and then expand to other cities and states in the country.
“Just because the child has to get into a reputed school, parents allow the teachers to do whatever is necessary to get the admission without putting their own mind to it. Therefore, after completing my degree I returned to Jamshedpur and decided to open preparatory schools where kids will be taught through interaction rather than being made to memorise the text book.’’
She will be helped by her husband Alokendra De, who has been teaching since he was 17.
A unique feature of the school will be that parents will be required to spend at least two hours a week in the school with their wards, compulsorily. “In today’s hectic life parents think their child’s growth as an understanding and intelligent human being is solely the school’s responsibility. But this is a wrong notion. I have intentionally included parents’ attendance to make them realise their responsibility towards their child’s learning,’’ said Gargi.
Another innovative concept is that teachers will be partners in the institution — 50% of the earning will be divided among them. This has been done with an objective to give them a handsome earning as opposed to the usual trend.
“I want my teachers to be the best and for this they definitely require a decent earning. The best way is by making them partners rather than employing them at a fixed salary,’’ said she

2007-09-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations India for winning the World T20 Cup

2007-09-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

Some good websites that will help you work towards your personal goals

Personal Mission Statements

43 Things

Daily digest and pointers on productivity

BTW, I am coming up with a few more blogs (Now that the MBA is over!).I hope to post stuff regularly in them. These blogs will be a repository of information from various sources. The first one would have some tips on staying healthy (especially for the Indians who have a unique lifestyle). The other would be news and updates on the telecomm sector (a field that I enjoy) and the last blog would be some tips on improving one's written style (something that I feel I need to work upon).

If I can stay committed, and post stuff on these blogs for a month, I'll let you know about them.

2007-09-21T02:15:00.000-05:00

The Big Makeover

Pink is now red as Hutch is Vodafone in India now

"As part of a Rs 300-crore advertising blitz, Vodafone has booked virtually all the ad slots on Star TV for September 20. Star sells 10 minutes of commercial time per hour

Vodafone will use all of the commercial airtime across the STAR India network from 9 p.m. on September 20 to 9 p.m. on September 21 to run TV commercials, transition bumpers and contest spots to promote the Vodafone Essar brand. "

2007-09-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

Where am I going?

The great writer and thinker, Christopher Morley, famously wrote:
"There are three ingredients to the good life - learning, earning and yearning."

Read this nice article to figure out where your life is going.

2007-09-12T06:51:00.000-05:00

I Think, Therefore I Do

The recent edition of Outlook India has a special on Indian B School rankings. Forget the rankings.. I really enjoyed reading this article that talks about how some B School grads have gone ahead to start something of their own. Do give it a read. You'll like it.

Indian B-schools are not known to produce entrepreneurs. When we asked the alumni to provide us with some examples, most of them laughed. "I can think of a lot of IITians who have made that grade, but not IIMs. Management grads make better CEOs and professionals; they are safe players, not risk-takers," said one of them. Sad, as many global institutes are passionate about producing change-drivers who can become leaders or businessmen.
They don’t wish to churn out robotic managers, who become defensive players trying to climb up the executive hierarchy towards their seven-figure salaries. So, we were pleasantly surprised that the situation is changing now, albeit slowly, in IIMs and other B-schools. One reason: potential entrepreneurs are realising that a B-school stint can fulfil their ambitions. In fact, some B-schools have decided to rear and breed entrepreneurs. We hope the next Dhirubhai emerges out of an IIM or ISB. Here are snapshots of those who defied the traditional B-school logic and became start-up founders, or who further honed their existing business skills at B-schools.

Deep Kalra, 38, IIM-A
makemytrip.com, Gurgaon

Kavita Iyer, 34, IIM-A
minglebox.com, Bangalore

E. Sarathbabu, 28, IIM-A
Foodking Catering Services, Ahmedabad

Nitin Vyakaranam, 29, ISB
Arthayantra, Hyderabad

Sumantra Roy, 28, ISB
Conversion Multiplier, Calcutta

Ravi Venkatesam, 37, IIM-B
OnTrac, Bangalore

Varsha Bhavnani, 27, ISB
Vinegar Exports, Mumbai

Subramani Ramachandrappa, 32, ISB
Richcore Lifesciences, Bangalore

Sreeram Vaidyanathan, 29, IIM-A
BrewHaHa, Bangalore

Sheetal V. Talwar, 37, IMT
WSG Films, Mumbai

Venky Natarajan, 38, ISB
Vidvus Technology Solutions, Coimbatore

Animesh Kumar, 29, ISB
i-runway.com, Bangalore

Abhijeet Virmani, 32, IIM-C
Positron advisory services, Delhi

Suparna Chopra, 23, ISB
The Royal Time Machine, Delhi

Lakshmanan Narayan, 35, IIM-C
Vembu Technologies, Chennai

2007-09-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

Queen's in Forbes MBA Rankings

Forbes Magazine has come out with their 2007 MBA rankings.The business schools ranked by Forbes for the best one-year non-US MBA programmes were: IMD (Switzerland), INSEAD (France), Cambridge (Judge, UK), Instituto de Empresa (Spain), Cranfield (UK), SDA Bocconi (Italy), Oxford (Said, UK), Lancaster (UK), City (Cass, UK), Queen's (Canada) and HEC-Montreal (Canada).

Click here for the details

2007-08-19T04:56:00.000-05:00

Chak De India!

I saw a movie in an Indian Theatre after two years, and the movie was Chak De India.
Awesome movie, I enjoyed watching it. Here are five reasons why I liked Chak De India

1) SRK and the girls:You go to the theatre to watch SRK. But you'll be surprised that it is the 16 girls that steal the show. SRK has given a tight and restricted performance and ensures that the girls are the ones who manage to keep the audience involved.

2)Good direction: No scene is extended (expected from a typical bollywood flick). It is fast and crisp. Knowing that it is a Yash Raj production, one would have expected some pompous sets and this would have made the film look unreal. Have a look at the training camps, the hostel where the girls practice in the movie, and you will know what I am talking about.

3)Itz about hockey and not cricket.: And this is just another reason I liked it. This movie will for sure create some awareness and at least lure some youngsters to have a serious look at the game. The national sport of India is always given a second rate treatment, and the success of the movie will for sure motivate a few young folks to take up the sport. One of the radio channels in Bangalore organized a hockey match on Independence day, and it was nice to know that there were several girls who had signed up for it.

4)Some good management fundas: I won' be surprised if the movie makes it to the Indian B Schools as case study. Lagaan was a long movie and had lot of songs etc. This movie talks about determination, discipline, strategy, keeping your cool, and placing the needs of the team before self. Good stuff!

5)Powerful dialogues: And they hit you hard. There is a scene when one of girls in the firm ("Nethra Reddy") gives a fitting reply to answer what is the difference between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Bangalore, where I was watching this movie, there was a thunderous applause from the audience for that dialogue. Another one was when SRK says that there can only be one bully in the team . Reminded me of Denzel Washingtons' statement in Remember the Titans "Now, you know who your daddy is, don't you?

The movie is refreshing. It is fast paced. There is no love angle. All the girls have done very well to look and act like hockey players. I had gone to see the movie with not many expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised to watch a unique bollywood flick.

A few days back, I read a quote that said "Failure reminds you of one thing - that the determination to succeed was not strong enough". Shahrukh "Kabir" Khan in the movie was determined to coach a team so that they could win the world cup. He had to restore his lost pride and there were several challenges lined up for him. The movie beautifully describes a man's lone journey at restoring his pride and a team's belief that they can achieve a dream.I liked SRK in Swades and Paheli. Here is another movie of his that I liked. The maturity with which he acts will make you realize why he still commands the leadership position in Bollywood. More well crafted roles for SRK please.!

Some Bollywood Sports Movies:Iqbal,Bend it Like Beckham,Lagaan,Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Saheb,Hip Hip Hooray,Shatranj ke Khiladi,

Hollywood Sports Films:Remember the Titans,Hoosiers, Caddyshack, Ragin Bull, Chariots of Fire, Rocky, The Hustler,Body and Soul, National velvet, The Natural, When we were kings

2007-08-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

Queen's MBA Information Session in India

Here are the dates:
-Delhi, September 29, 2007
-Chennai, October 1, 2007
-Bangalore, October 4, 2007
-Mumbai, October 6, 2007

You can find more information here

2007-08-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

AMBA students turn creative.

The Accelerated MBA program at Queen's have got createive. As a part of the course, they have come up with a 20-second Commercial for the creative course.. Herez one of them. Itz called "AMBA, the AMBASSADOR of Energy!"

Watch it here

2007-08-08T08:08:00.001-05:00

The challenge before Infosys, TCS, Wipro

Spending on R&D, an attempt to move up the value chain, H1 visa restrictions and threat from the growing success of Accenture and IBM in India, it certainly looks like that the desi companies ( TCS, Wipro, Infy, Satyam etc) have some testing times ahead.

Nice article by one of my favorite writers: Manjeet Kripalani

2007-08-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

India Charges Ahead: Time Special Report, 60 years of Independence

Time states :" It faces challenges the size of an elephant, but the world's largest democracy is living upto the dreams of 1947"

Do check it out.
Articles here

2007-08-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

Queen's MBAst student in BWeek.

Alison Borrajo, PhD MBA
Project Manager, Engineering & Physical Sciences
University Technologies International
Queen's School of Business, Queen's University at Kingston, Canada. MBA for Science & Technology,
Class of 2004

Facilitating Technology Transfer :An MBA in science and technology helped this Queen's graduate realize she wanted to champion the business side of scientific research
Read the article here

2007-08-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

The Tata Car

A recent edition of Business World ( a popular biz magazine in India) had a cover story on the Tata's mass market car.
It tried finding answers to various questions.....from the design, look of the car..to safety standards..to environmental concerns etc.

Do check out the story here:

Some interesting points from the article:

"

Tata Motors is putting in place a distributive manufacturing plan for its Rs 1-lakh car, where dealers spread across the country will receive car kits that they will assemble in local workshops for their customers.

While most cars today are front-engine designs, the Tata dream car will hark back to the first-ever “people’s car”, the Volkswagen Beetle, and sport a rear-engine. And at a time when the market is gravitating to high-powered engines, with even entry models from Maruti moving from 800-cc engines to 1,000-cc-plus engines, Tata’s car will have only 667-cc of power — not much more than the 500-cc powering Royal Enfield’s Machismo motorcycle.

A low cost car, by its very nature, is unlikely to have a net margin of more than 5 per cent (Rs 5,000 per unit). At that level of profitability, Tata Motors would need to sell at least 4 million units to recoup the $450 million it is estimated to have invested in the small car.

There are concerns over the ultra-low cost car’s quality, safety and emission standards. Since Tata Motors has had to squeeze out every penny from suppliers’ manufacturing costs, potential customers are now questioning the reliability of the parts they will deliver.

The car would use plastics, steel and non-ferrous alloys.. But industry sources say the car will make more use of cheaper plastics and composite materials than any other vehicle on the road, mostly in an effort to keep the car light

.

A unique distribution system:

Ratan Tata insisted the small car would be built using a distributed manufacturing system. Under this, a completely knocked-down kit of the car will be built at three Tata-owned plants.The kits will then be ferried to warehouses across the country, where they would be assembled by dealers. The idea is that a dealer would have a warehousing terminal to house the semi-knocked down kits, an assembly plant and a sales office where a few vehicles will be displayed. As soon as a customer placed a firm order, the dealer would withdraw a kit from the warehouse, assemble it at his plant and deliver it to the customer. This is unheard of in the automobile industry, especially since multiple manufacturing locations require multiple vendor bases, which affect the viability of suppliers due to the additional capital expenditure of setting up the plant. The closest example of a similar practice is in the furniture business, where small packages of home furnishings can be assembled at home with little help from the manufacturer.

Tata hopes to make use of the first mover advantage
http://www.businessworld.in/content/view/2201/2269/

Environmental Concerns
http://www.businessworld.in/content/view/2200/2268/
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the number of cars in India will triple to eight million by 2015, spewing out 319 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That is 88 per cent more than current levels.

2007-06-30T14:01:00.000-05:00

EVERYBODY’S BABY
iPod, product of world economy
Assembly, Components Globally Outsourced

From NYT NEWS SERVICE

New York: Who makes the Apple iPod? Here’s a hint: It is not Apple. The company outsources the entire manufacture of the device to a number of Asian enterprises, among them Asustek, Inventec Appliances and Foxconn.

But this list of companies isn’t a satisfactory answer either: They only do final assembly. What about the 451 parts that go into the iPod? Where are they made and by whom? Three researchers at the University of California, Irvine—Greg Linden, Kenneth L Kraemer and Jason Dedrick—applied some investigative cost accounting to this question, using a report from Portelligent Inc that examined all the parts that went into the iPod.

Their study, sponsored by the Sloan Foundation, offers a fascinating illustration of the complexity of the global economy, and how difficult it is to understand that complexity by using only conventional trade statistics. The retail value of the 30-gigabyte video iPod that the authors examined was $299. The most expensive component in it was the hard drive, which was manufactured by Toshiba and costs about $73.

The next most costly components were the display module (about $20), the video/multimedia processor chip ($8) and the controller chip ($5). They estimated that the final assembly, done in China, cost only about $4 a unit.

One approach to tracing supply chain geography might be to attribute the cost of each component to the country of origin of its maker. So $73 of the cost of the iPod would be attributed to Japan since Toshiba is a Japanese company, and the $13 cost of the two chips would be attributed to the US, since the suppliers, Broadcom and PortalPlayer, are American companies, and so on.

Toshiba may be a Japanese company, but it makes most of its hard drives in the Philippines and China. So perhaps we should also allocate part of the cost of that hard drive to one of those countries.The same problem arises regarding the Broadcom chips, with most of them made in Taiwan. So how can one distribute the costs of the iPod components across the countries where they are manufactured in a meaningful way?

To answer this question, let us look at the production process as a sequence of steps, each possibly performed by a different company operating in a different country. At each step, inputs like computer chips and a bare circuit Assembly, Most Components Globally Outsourced board are converted into outputs like an assembled circuit board.

The difference between the cost of the inputs and the value of the outputs is the “value added” at that step, which can then be attributed to the country where that value was added. The profit margin on generic parts like nuts and bolts is very low, since these items are produced in intensely competitive industries and can be manufactured anywhere.
Hence, they add little to the final value of the iPod. More specialized parts, like the hard drives and controller chips, have much higher value added.
In this way, the researchers examined the major components of the iPod and tried to calculate the value added at different stages of the production process and then assigned that value added to the country where the value was created.
Ultimately, there is no simple answer to who makes the iPod or where it is made. The iPod, like many other products, is made in several countries by dozens of companies, with each stage of production contributing a different amount to the final value.
Those clever folks at Apple figured out how to combine 451 generic parts into a valuable product. They may not make iPods, but they created it. In the end, that’s what really matters.

2007-06-28T00:08:00.000-05:00

An open letter to Mr Tata

In my previous organization, there was a colleague with whom I had a lot of discussion during lunch and coffee breaks. There were topics on which we were in agreement and then there were issues on which we often debated.

Today, he sends me an email saying that his article has been featured at rediff.com, a leading website in India.The Tatas plan to launch a Rs 1 lakh car in India. If this is successful, there will suddenly be too many cars on the Indian roads. There are mixed opinions about this.

Here is his perspective:
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/jun/26tata.htm
Do check it out.Some interesting points!

2007-06-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

Initial Days: Observe not Intervene

During the on campus recruitment season, there were several companies that gave us some smart presentations and talked to us about the work,people and culture at their firm.There was a presentation by a leading Canadian bank where one of the person from the senior management addressed us. At the wine and cheese session later that evening, I got an opportunity to talk to him. This person is a part of the team that picks the selected few MBA students (who once they join the organization are exposed to some excellent learning grounds).He has been doing this for several years now and of course has a strong preference for Queen's MBA students ( The grads have a strong reputation in this firm.)

I asked him what he felt was the biggest mistake these freshly minted MBA grads made. He had a smile on his face and then said that the young MBA grads joining the work space are bubbling with energy. During the MBA program, they are exposed to some of the best learning models and think that once they join an organization, within a few days, they can bring a miracle at the organization.

In the first few days, these new grads can spot inefficiencies, figure out what is wrong,and have some good ideas on making units productive. But often, they make their points at the firm without understanding the work environment and the culture. There are times when they might be right but as they have made the point a bit early,there aren't enough people supporting them. Sometimes, the senior management is first looking at these fresh grads to meet the expectations before their views can be incorporated. Isn't this interesting?

I blogged about this because I read this article in Business Week which talks about something on the same lines. The article states that "At first glance, certain elements of your employer's business may make no sense to you at all. But after close inspection and some careful questioning and listening, you may find out that some of them hinge on old ideas that made sense at the time or may have been shaped by office politics. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be improved, it means you have to proceed carefully."

There are some useful tips given to folks joining a new firm. Here are a few

1. Go into consultant mode ( Observe not Intervene until asked)
2. Get the history of the company
3. Remember the snowflake rule
4. Make sure there's a problem before suggesting a fix
5. Take a supporting role
6. Find a mentor
7. Balance "brilliant solution" with supporting the team
8. As you formulate suggestions, test them out
9. Prioritize your fix-it list
10. Ask for feedback

Do check out this article and this one. Hope this helps !

2007-06-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

Queen's Introduces Canada's First Masters of Global Management Program

Program answers corporate Canada's call for deeper international
perspective

KINGSTON, ON, June 26 /CNW/ - Queen's School of Business today introduced
Canada's first-ever Masters of Global Management (MGM) program, further
strengthening the School's mission to prepare future business leaders for
success on an international scale.
"In our ongoing dialogue with leaders of national and multinational
corporations in Canada and abroad, Queen's School of Business identified the
need for managers with first-hand knowledge of cross-cultural business
practices," said Dean David Saunders of the program.
The curriculum and structure of the 12-month MGM were designed based on
input from recruiters and students. To apply, students are required to have an
undergraduate degree in business. This puts Queen's a stride ahead of most
European and international MGM programs, which typically spend one year on
business fundamentals followed by one year on cross-cultural components. With
its first class starting in September 2007, Queen's MGM students begin and end
the program with four months at Queen's campus in Kingston, Ontario. In
between, they spend a four month long placement at one of ten partner
institutions around the world. All partners are top-tier business schools in
their own countries, including Mannheim, Maastricht, Peking University, and
Helsinki School of Economics.
The need for global business knowledge was so pressing that Procter &
Gamble, the leading consumer products company in Canada, funded the start of
the program with a grant of $150,000. "Today more than ever, successful
managers require a first-hand, international perspective," says Tim Penner,
President, Procter & Gamble Canada. "The Queen's MGM program will help instill
this in current and prospective business leaders, which is why we were
instrumental in its founding."
"The MGM is gaining traction around the world, particularly in Europe,
and with the introduction of this new program at Queen's, we're aiming to put
Queen's - and Canada - on the MGM map," said Dean Saunders, who also sits on
the board of the International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB) and the European Foundation for Management Development
(EFMD).
For more information on the Master of Global Management at Queen's School
of Business, visit business.queensu.ca/grad_studies/mgm/index.php.

2007-06-23T14:33:00.000-05:00

What more after an MBA

The rigorous schedules and demands of the a program tires you out. The whole experience is challenging and working all through the year, one does feel exhausted.
A lot of folks bid good bye to the academic world after the completion of the program and concentrate on their career (working in areas of interest). A few,if they have the determination ( and energy), decide to do some advanced studies.

So, if you are interested in doing a Phd or DBA (in Business), here is some information.

Link 1
Economic Times Article
Phd or DBA?
A Phd Aspirant's Blog
HBS Site

2007-06-21T06:41:00.000-05:00

Some random notes from the last few discussions at the MBA program

Career Challenges
* Getting a job
* Managing Transitions
* Understanding yourself, needs
* Understanding your jobs and context
* Understanding your boss
* Saying NO - selectively in involvement
* Leaving
* Losing a mentor
* Work Life Issues

Self Monitoring refers to a person's willingness and ability to be attentive to social and interpersonal situational cues - Synder and Gangestad

Everyone must learn this lesson somewhere - that it costs something to be what you are - Shirly Abbot

Key lessons for personal leadership
- It is critical to understand our values, beliefs and assumptions
- Your strength can become weakness in new and changing situations
- Know your limits
- Ask for help
- Listen to ourselves and others
- Learn to be observant, learn to "See"

Managing Up
- Bosses
- Mentors

Relationships at Work
- Corrosiveness and Incivility
- Trust

Managing Down- Performance Management
- Motivation
- Feedback
-Inspiration

2007-06-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

How to Write a Book

In the last few days of the MBA program, I often wondered that it would be great if somebody wrote a book on the experiences of an Indian in an International MBA program. There are surprises, challenges, hurdles and there are mixed experiences. The book could start from how one calculates the risk, uncertainties involved in going abroad and then dares to follow his or her dream.

I don't have the time now, but some day I will take a few months off and if there is some publisher who interested,I will write a book (this post is perhaps to remind myself of that!).

Of course, if there can be books about life at IIT, IIM, there can be a book about this subject too. Life in an international school is a different experience and am sure, folks would want to read the stuff that runs through our mind.

For now, I don't have the time, but I found an interesting link that I felt I could save for future reference. It is titled "How to write a Book in 60 Days"

2007-06-19T06:20:00.000-05:00

The High Performance Entrepreneur by Subroto Bagchi
Golden roles for success in today's world.

I have always admired the writing style of Mr Bagchi and was looking forward to reading the book written by him.I grabbed this book at the Bangalroe and gave it a read. As expected, Mr Bagchi has written the book in simple style that is easy to follow. The book is quite impressive. It has also been given great reviews by CK Prahalad and Vijay Govindrajan.

But there were instances when the book failed to impress me. I felt that in the book, there is too much of reference to MindTree. At times, I felt that the book was more of a sales pitch rather than trying to make a point.Perhaps, it may be that I had a different set of expectations.

But what I liked about the book was the way it has been written. The author ( Mr Bagchi) has beautifully captured the essence of being an Entrepreneur in 18 different chapters. This is more of a "How to" book and I don't think there are books in the Indian Market which so clearly explain starting something of your own so easily. The different chapters are:

1. When does an Entrepreneur know he is ready
2. Profile of a Entrepreneur
3. Sensing the right opportunity
4. Choosing the team
5. DNA, Mission, Vision and Values
6. How are you different
7. Writing the business plan
8. Choosing the right investor
9. Getting good people and knowing them
10. Building the process focused organization
11. A company is known by the customer it keeps
12. Managing your company
13. Building your brand
14. Emergence of the willingness to change
15. Managing adversity
16. From Idea to IPO
17. Reasons start up fail
18. Lessons in Entrepreneurship from the Indian IT industry

Some excellent points in the book:

* High Performance Entrepreneurship is not an accident-it has to be planned that way
* When you build a team, you do not start by looking at compatibility and sameness. You look for complementary skills and diversity
* Long distance runners learn to bear segmented pain. In different legs of the journey, you will experience different kinds of pain
* When choosing the set of goals, it is not unusual to consider a financial goal, an admiration goal and a goal towards social sensitivity
* Differentiation is a six horse chariot. Six equally strong horses They need to pull in the same direction, at the same time, with the same energy. Those six horses are domain, tools, methodology, quality, innovation and branding.
* Great companies of the world are beginning to focus on the customer's customer. If one can make a huge difference to a customer's customer,it helps build the stickiest relationship- the one with the most loyalty.
* Whenever you make a choice, you also choose the consequences.
* The number one job of an Entrepreneur is to sell his ware. To start a company , you must love two things: selling your company and its products and the very concept of making money.

The good point about the book is that as you read the various chapters, you keep nodding your head and agree to the many things Bagchi talks about (I actually felt that I was revising the concepts learnt in the New Ventures Course of my MBA program).There are various tips shared by Bagchi which I felt are very relevant. Things like writing a business plan ( and revising it), under estimating revenues and over estimating costs ,the importance of selecting the right team members, not getting your friends and relatives involved, handling adversity, maintaining diversity, communication within the teams are some excellent tips.

Starting a new venture needs passion. If there is somebody out there who has a burning desire to start something of his own, this book will serve two purposes. First, it serves as a reality check . There are a series of questions and one can determine if he or she has it in them ( both in terms of determination and attitude) to start something of his own. Second, if the person needs to get a complete view of the entire process (from an idea to a launch, to pitching the plan in front of VCs, to IPO ) the book gives a complete picture of how things can happen in the next few years for an entrepreneur.

Priced at Rs 395, the book is a good investment if your short or long term goal is to start something of your own.

2007-06-19T03:02:00.000-05:00

Back from the Bust

Source: Business Week

With the Dotcom bust, the Telecom Industry had gone to a depression. But this article in BusinessWeek says the $900 billion Telecom Industry has roared back to life. It is up and running.

What has happened since the bust in 2000?
* A steady rise in usage of broad band internet connection and that is thanks to sites that use video clps(Eg:You Tube),digital files and the internet phones (Eg:Skype).Statistics show that this year broadband adoption among U.S. adults is expected to cross the important 50% threshold.

*About half of the Internet's transmission capacity was going unused in 2002. Today that pipeline has almost doubled in size, and yet the unused portion is down to about 30%. As a result, the price that companies pay for bandwidth in some parts of the U.S. is on the rise after six years of declines.

An interesting point to note is: A 2001 paper in the American Economic Review, written by Lars-Hendrik Röller of Berlin's Social Science Research Center and Leonard Waverman of the London Business School, concluded that the spread of land-based telecommunications networks in 21 developed nations accounted for one-third of the increase in economic output between 1970 and 1990.

Here are the most popular applications fueling the Telecom revival:

Video: A typical video consumes 1,000 times as much bandwidth as a sound file. So, if one wants to watch a video ( Eg: YouTube,Blip TV etc), one opts for broad band. The telecom companies are happy coz the consumers opt for broad band. It is expected that the next revolution that will give a boost to telecom will be the HDTV usage. If this gets into mass adoption, the usage will be higer as this consumes 10 tmes the bandwidth of regular video.

Web Browsing: The web has changed since then and with social networking kicking off, this has given a big boost to the telecom rebound.

Audio:There was a time when folks used to buy CDs. Now they hear it on the internet. Sites like Pandora.com are going to act as catalyst.

Newsgroups: Knowledge is power. Information shared is information gained. Newsgroups and Online discussion groups have increased the

Internet Phone: :There were reservations that the quality would be bad if it is cheap. but internet phone calling is one of most exciting new applications. It is also one of the fastest-growing programs. Worldwide cable telephony subscribers (who use the Web to make calls) increased to over 22 million in 2006, up sharply from 15.8 million in 2005, according to researcher In-Stat.

Online Games: Playing games online is one of the new engines powering bandwidth usage. Games like Habbo Hotel and World of Warcraft — which has signed up 8 million paying subscribers in a little more than two years — continue to attract growing numbers of enthusiasts.

2007-06-15T05:34:00.000-05:00

Managing Up

I was reading an article on Managing Up in a magazine called Indian Management ( A journal of the All India Management Association)

Here are four links that were referenced in the article. Nice ones

Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4

2007-06-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

Eye-Tracking Device Lets Billboards Know When You Look at Them

A Queen’s University Computing professor’s invention – to be unveiled today at Google’s corporate headquarters in California – provides a unique, affordable way for advertisers to track the effectiveness of their messages by measuring how many people are looking at their billboards and screens.

Billboards that know when you're looking at them will soon be a reality, if new eye-tracking gear from a Canadian startup makes good on its maker's claims.

The eyebox2 from xuuk is a palm-size video camera surrounded by infrared light-emitting diodes. It can record eye contact with 15-degree accuracy at a distance of up to 33 feet. A simple glance from a passerby scores an impression, providing a tally that enables new Google-like measurement metrics that real-world advertisers could only dream about until recently.

Read the article here and here

2007-06-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

Making Internet Products just for India

Picture Courtesy: BusinessWorld

Some Points from the article

Why are companies focusing so much on the Indian market ?
A couple of key reasons.

1. India is a big market.
India is a "valuable" market for Internet companies as there is a lot of potential for the next five to ten years.
There are products and services being made especially for India now. Yahoo has launched Yahoo Cities http://in.ourcity.yahoo.com/
and Google has a Hindi Blogger and news service.

2.Overcoming the technology barrier: India is a tough market because of is "regional and linguistic" diversity. There are challenges from a technology standpoint. If companies can break the barrier here in India they can accelerate the Internet usage in other countries where Internet is yet to take off. "If that route to Internet access is exploited well, it could become a model for regions such as Africa."

What are the challenges ahead?
1. Indian Languages are phonetic:
.To create products in different languages means converting text in various Indian languages.But Indian languages are phonetic.The text is unlike Roman script, which is the basis for most European languages. Indian languages also do not have established transliteration rules, like Japanese or Chinese. That is, one Hindi name can be spelled differerntly in English — Mansi, Manasi, Maanasi, and so on

2.No proper database:
If the products have to be made to suit local needs, there is a need for accurate mapping. The problem with India is that there is no reliable geographical data available. In most countries, such data comes from sources such as a government database. Companies have to resort to satellite images which is tough to get access to.

3.Probably, India is a market where there is a large scale mobile adoption than Internet adoption. Ggiven the large scale adoption of mobile telephony in the country, firms are devoting significant resources towards making Internet access available across platforms. “The Internet is becoming device-agnostic,” says Jaspreet Bindra, country manager, MSN India in Mumbai. MSN is looking at the mobile platform as the key to cracking India’s market.
While R&D for the Indian market has begun, it is still only a small portion of the work that the Indian centers do. About 80 per cent of the product development is still for foreign markets. But this will gradually decrease over the next few years.

So, what is happening?
Yahoo! recently made its Bangalore centre the R&D hub for emerging markets. That includes India, Latin America and other Asian markets like Vietnam and Indonesia. Last year, Yahoo! doubled its R&D workforce to 1,000.Google is hiring more engineers in India to create products specific for the Indian market.

BTW,if you use IE as your browser, you should check out this site: http://www.guruji.com/hi/
I thought it was cool !

2007-06-09T00:26:00.000-05:00

Visit India. Experience India. Vote for Taj

Some two interesting articles here and here
Taj still top draw for foreign tourists:

Why would a foreigner visit India?
A Gallup Survey noted 67% travelers mentioned Taj as the most popular attraction of India.Other choices are Goa and Jaipur.The prime attraction in visiting India is sightseeing, followed by cultural events and shopping.

And what do people say about India?
The survey claims that for recent travellers, the India experience has indeed been "incredible". About 97% of them mentioned that their experience met or exceeded expectations and highlights were warm and friendly people (50%), cultural diversity (46%) and plenty to see and do (45%)

What kind of foreigners visit India?
India seems to be attracting visitors who are at the top end of the socio-economic pyramid. More than half of the recent travellers interviewed spent over $3,000 during their stay, including the cost of accommodation and air tickets.Worldwide interest is around 7%. Other Asian countries that have world wide interest are Thailand (37%), Mainland China (31%) and Japan (31%).

What are the obstacles?
The awareness about India is pimarily through word-of-mouth.About 1% of travellers come through the tourism ministry's website. For those who are not keen on traveling to India,the main reasons were safety and hygiene issues or disinterest in what India had to offer.

You can vote for the Taj Mahal to be a wonder of the world here.

2007-06-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

"One Absolut In a Relative World"

A nice article in Business World that talks about how the sales of Absolut Vodka might increase in the Indian Market once the import duties ( which are about 400% now) are reduced.

A few interesting points:
- Currently, Absolut cannot compete with Smirnoff in India. That is because Absolut is made only at one place in the world at Ahus in Sweden, whereas Smirnoff is made locally in most major markets. There are import duties of about 400% on Absolut which is much higher than the duties for Smirnoff.

-Absolut needs to succeed in emerging markets such as India and China, as its sales growth in the US, which consumed half the 90 million litres exported from Sweden in 2006, has tapered down to mere 2 per cent. Rivals such as newer foreign vodka brands Grey Goose and Ketel One have taken over the novel and exclusive spirits category and are growing sales in double digits, the way Absolut did in the 1980s and the 1990s.

-"Absolut is the aspirational brand of the new generation of Indian professional"

-Absolut advertising has been among the top attention grabbers and has developed a cult following: Absolut print ads and merchandise are traded as collectors’ items. The magazine Advertising Age ranked Absolut’s 25-year running campaign featuring the Absolut bottle as the hero as the seventh greatest advertising campaign of the 20th century.

-Celebrities such as painter Andy Warhol, writer Salman Rushdie, musician Miles Davis, and designer Gianni Versace endorsed it. Absolut was the new thing in town and associating with a cerebral crowd gave it the aura of intelligent cool.The most engaging feature of the old Absolut ads, however, was merging the bottle with the landscape or object, which sometimes teased the viewers to search the form of the bottle in the picture. This enhanced viewers’ involvement with the ad.

2007-06-05T02:22:00.000-05:00

Internet Market Space in India

The Business Today edition of June 03, 2007 has a special on the Internet Market in India. There is huge inflow of money as well as fierce competition
lined up in the next few years.

Here are some notes from the articles :

How does the internet market look like in India?
Currently, India has more than 50 million internet users, just a little over 2 million broadband connections and an online advertising market worth Rs 240 crores. The current market is not attractive but it is likely to become a big market in the future.

How can we say that the market would become attractive?
In 1997, in the US online ad spend was jus around $65 million. Today, it is more than $10 billion. In India, in 2006, 27 dotcoms were funded whereas in 2005 there were just two. The market in India is growing at close o 100 percent year on year, and over the next three years or so, the user base is expected to touch 100 million broadband connections. The bandwidth costs are falling by half every 18 months and those of storage costs, every 12 months. The government has plans of setting up 100,000 cyber cafes to bridge the digital divide. Today only 2% of the ad spend is online, but even if that goes to 4 %, there should be enough opportunity for folks. Around 12,800 people in India use eBay as their primary source of revenue and there is a growing number of such sellers specifically for the smaller towns

What are the trends of the internet market space in India?
•Companies have been using internet for some advertising and promotion. Advertisers want more bang for their buck. And eventually advertisement through online medium will provide them that. Remember, more information on the behavior, description, and forecast of the customer can be done through the web. Maruti has a micro site for its newly launched Sedan SX4. Procter and Gamble has also created an online interactive community for teen girls between 14 and 19 years of age, www.beinggirl.co.in
•Travel websites may struggle in the future for the sole reason that people gather information from their site and then book the tickets at the relevant airway’s website. As the Indian market is in its infancy as yet , it is believed that Indians don’t have any strong loyalty to any specific portal ( remember switching cost is zero in the internet space)
•The market in the future lies in regional language offerings. Localizing content to meet the needs of different states and various different Indian languages is going to be the key. For example , Blogger.com has a Hindi translation service
•Old media that earlier only provided contents online is now giving a fresh look at its online market. Bennett and Coleman & Co , which publishes Economic Times and the Times of India now has a new digital venture called Times Internet. A few portals that it owns are times jobs.com, magicbricks.com, simply marry.com. The Old Media will have to look ( or are looking at) at their online business as a “stand alone” business and not just as an extension of their print business
•There might be a tendency to follow social networking sites (such as Orkut, Facebook etc) to create markets with customized offerings there.

In short, “The next wave is about customization of content in terms of geography and language and there is going to be shift from universal search to local search. “

There was a dotcom craze in 2000-01 but why did that fail?
a)Low internet penetration resulting in small user base
b)Lack of differentiation, marketing resulting in low visibility.

An interesting perspective provided by Janakiraman of Bharat Matrrimony
“In a country of one billion, search for a job, especially a suitable one is an ongoing quest. The moment you have one, matrimony is a natural corollary, which in turn leads to purchase of real estates” Hence, you will find portals and websites catering to these needs in the Indian market.

Different methods of revenue generation by Google and MSN?
Google is using Adwords to generate revenue; MSN is using the “desktop TV” on its homepage. Here instead of selling the standard click per model, MSN sells airtime on these desktop TVs which run ads

Who are the big players in the Indian Internet Space?
Foreign Players Google, Yahoo, AOL and MSN
Home players: Rediff, Sify

What about mobile internet?
A hidden latent market of internet users involves about 100 million mobile users in India , as well as a market that is offline currently, due to connectivity issues and the lack of regional language applications.

Rajesh Jain of the blog http://emergic.org says
"The PC based wire line has 45 million users with a majority of the users using cybercafés. With only 07 million computers in Indian homes, this internet is still a long way from becoming a utility in people’s lives. The mobile centric wireless internet can reach potentially reach a significant portion of 170 million cell phone users in India. However, the reality is hat other than voice, there are only two services that touch a large fraction of this user base – SMS and ring back tones. To make mobile internet a reality in India, two chances have to be made. And they have to be made by the mobile operators since they are the “gatekeepers”. First, an open publishing platform is needed to allow anyone to create a mobile website that is accessible by everyone just like on the PC internet. Second, mobile operators need to change their billing philosophy for value added services."

2007-06-05T02:20:00.000-05:00

Shaken Not Stirred

Sometime last year the civility group in Canada had conducted a etiquette session for us. Karen Mallett from the company spoke to us on how to create lasting impressions, gave input for details of dining, and briefed us on mannerful meals. She also had a small test for us called the “Social Quotient Test”. I am in India and was organizing the text and material that was provided at the school last year. Saw this SQ test. Give it a shot.(Answers below)

1. The difference between continental and American style dining is
2. When do you place your napkin on your lap?
3. You may butter your roll or bread while holding it flat in your hand ( True/False)
4. Your bread plate is the one of the left or the right
5. When you are the guest of honour and the toast is to you, you do not take a drink or make a toast to yourself (True/False)
6. Between bites or spoonfuls, where should utensils be placed?
7. Can I send an email as a thank you after a lunch meeting?
8. Should a man or a woman initiate a business handshake?
9. How long does a person have to return business phone calls?
10. If invited to a function where I will not know anyone except the guest of honour, whom am I allowed to bring?
11. At a business lunch, who should pay the bill?
12. When I am wearing a nametag it should be on my right lapel (True/False)
13. A good hand shake maintains hand contact until an introduction is complete (True/ False)
14. How would you introduce your boss to your at a work related event?
15. What do you do if you forgot someone's name when you are being introduced?
16. If a colleague approaches your table, stopping for a conversation, are you obligated to introduce them to everyone at the table?
17. During office hours, it is appropriate to address all coworkers, regardless of their rank, by the first name
18. When you voicemail coworkers located in the same building, it is not necessary to leave your name
19. Business casual means a man's shirt should have a collar
20. During office hours, it is appropriate to address all coworkers, regardless of their rank, by the first name

Answers
1. American style the knife is used only for cutting and held in the right hand for right hand people.
2. When your food arrives
3. False
4. Left
5. False. (Raising a toast means one need to make 3 statements)
6. The entire utensil should be placed on an under plate or service plate
7. The hand written note is always the best option
8. Whoever invited the guests should initiate handshakes
9. Each person needs to establish their returning calls policy
10. No one, unless the invitation explicitly states "and guest"
11. The person who did the inviting should pay the bill ( you could say "Bill is taken care of")
12. True
13. False
14. Mr/Ms Boss, I'd like you to meet my spouse
15. Apologize and ask them what their name is
16. No , you just need to say Hello and speak to them yourself
17. False
18. False
19. True
20. False

2007-05-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

Finally Done

I completed my education on the 24th and was awarded the MBA degree.
The last one year has been challenging and had a lot of surprises for me. I met some very interesting and intellectual people in the program. There are people in my class from whom I have learnt a lot. There are Canadians who have shown me a different perspective of life.

The last one year demanded a lot from me. I had my moments of stress and anxiety but the best lesson that I got out of it was that an MBA is not about aptitude-it is about attitude. Working under intense pressure, managing multiple tasks, having many issues to resolve at the same time made me more determined and forced me to concentrate on the goal.I had to make my set of sacrifices,trade offs and take some risks.

I enjoyed every moment of the program ( yes the stressful ones too!).As the program got more demanding, I discovered some new potential in me (that even I never aware of.)

My parents were here from India and I asked them if they felt I had changed. They said "No" but I know the change that I have undergone in the past one year. Both personally and professionaly,I have learnt a lot. The team based learning had a lot of take aways.

The convocation day was fun.It was on the 24th May and it was also my parents wedding anniversary.And I guess, I couldn't have given them a better gift to them on that day.I want to be a global manager and I felt that an MBA was the first step towards that.

There were a few subjects in the MBA program that I really liked. I always enjoyed attending those sessions.I felt as if I was in a different world when I attended the clases.And I felt really good when I won some awards on the convocation day.
-Derek Russel Award for Excellence in Operations/ Information Technology
-Normanda Sales Corporation and William Deeks Award for higest standing in the elective strategy course
-Tom Burns MBA prize in International Business

I am so happy to complete my MBA today. Here are a few pics of one of the happiest day of my life.

Here are some pics:

2007-05-26T06:02:00.000-05:00

Queen's School of Business Opens Dubai Campus

First Canadian b-school with executive education facility in United Arab Emirates

May 25, 2007
KINGSTON, ON, May 25, 2007 – Queen’s School of Business today became the first Canadian business school to open an executive education facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Courses at the facility, run in collaboration with the Dubai International Finance Center (DIFC), will begin in October 2007.

“As a world leader in business education, we are pleased to bring the Queen’s School of Business approach to managers and executives in this high growth region of the Middle East,” said David Saunders, Dean of Queen’s School of Business. “Queen’s Dubai participants will benefit from the academic excellence, exceptional experience and international reputation that are the hallmarks of every Queen’s program — be they in Canada or with one of our strategic partners around the world.”

Queen’s Dubai will begin by offering programs in strategy, leadership, finance, marketing, human resources and governance. Taught by award-winning Queen’s School of Business faculty, the courses are designed for managers in Dubai seeking professional development.

More here

2007-05-23T22:33:00.000-05:00

As I go to bed tonight ,am very excited about tomorrow.I saw this poster on the top of my favorite center at Queen's University - The Stauffer Library and had a big smile on my face.

2007-05-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

Some Random Pics

2007-05-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

Your Online Identities

I read this article now. If you stop for a second and think, you'll realize that there are a lot of places where we leave our trails. A few popular ones..

-Flickr
-Blogger
-Twitter
-Facebook
-Orkut
-My Space
-Second Life
-Chats ( Google,MSN,Yahoo,Skype)
-Joost

Here was an interesting comment in the article:
"With my calendar, my location, my friendships and my opinions all online to be read and remembered, there's little of me left to expose. Perhaps it's time to set up my own streaming video channel on Ustream.tv and broadcast my life to the world. " The article goes on to say that that a recent finding from NSPCC concludes that over half of children have had an 'unwanted experience' online .

The definition of privacy is changing.The children are getting hooked to their online identity.It will be interesting to see if the new identify on the web takes over the one in reality.

A classmate of mine sent an email stating that there was a party in Toronto organized by one of his friends. The ad was impressive. It talked about the DJs,Live Music,Photo Booth and Live Art. Towards the end it had an interesting tag line.
"Get off Facebook. Come Dance" !! :)

2007-05-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

Ours was the last batch of the MBA for Science and Technology progarm and I thought I would list the subjects that we learnt in the last one year:

Stage 01:
Macroeconomic Analysis
Microeconomics
Financial Accounting
Management Accounting
Managing Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour
Business Statistical Models
Business Strategy

Stage 02:
Finance Fundamentals
Marketing Fundamentals
Managing Information Technology
Operations Management
Leadership
Change Management
Business Decision Models
Financial Accounting
Business Strategy

Stage 03:
Financial Accounting
Business Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Finance Strategy
Technology Strategy
Managing New Ventures
International Business
Negotiations and Conflict Management

Stage 04 ( Elective Stream):
Risk Management
Advanced Topics in Marketing
Consumer Research
Project Management
Customer Relationship Management
Marketing of New Ventures
Financing of New Ventures
Global Strategy
Strategic Leadership
New Ventures Project
Management Consulting Project
Corporate Valuation, Mergers & Acquistions and Divestitures Analalysis
Corporate Financing and Captial Budgeting Policies and Procedures
International Finance (Investments)

2007-05-15T13:30:00.000-05:00

A Nice Picture

I was just checking out the pictures of our Grad dinner. I really liked this.
05 Confident Indians. 05 Freshly Minted MBAs.05 People who will rock the biz world!
All the Best.!

2007-05-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

Queen's Best in Canada for Open Exec Ed Programs: Financial Times Ranking

KINGSTON, ON, May 14 /CNW/ - Executives have spoken, and they've ranked Queen's School of Business as the best in Canada, and 15th in the world for open enrolment executive education programs, according to the prestigious UK-based Financial Times annual ranking.

The 15th place world ranking positions Queen's above well-known schools such as Wharton, London Business School and MIT/Sloan.The school's world-class service model was recognized as third in the world for "Follow-up," which measures each school's diligence in providing "after-sale service" and networking opportunities when participants return to their workplaces. The school came second in the world in the category of "Repeat Business & Growth," a key indicator of participant satisfaction. In both cases, Queen's School of Business received the best score in NorthAmerica.

"The executive education marketplace is fiercely competitive and increasingly global, and we're proud that today's business leaders continue to view Queen's among the world's best," said Dr. David Saunders, Dean of Queen's School of Business. "The high marks Queen's received for customer service, repeat business and revenue growth demonstrate that when it comes to running a business, we practice what we preach."

Since 2000, Queen's School of Business has been ranked within the top 25
in the world for open enrolment executive education programs every year by the
Financial Times.

2007-05-14T12:05:00.000-05:00

Entries from my Leadership Journal

During the MBA program, Dr Bill Blake,our Associate Dean taught us the Leadership course. Every day after the class, we had to reflect and write our thoughts. I was going through my journal entries today ( I wrote these in September last year), and there were a few that I thought I could put them here so that I can read them later in life.!

Session 1: Qualities of a Leader

"A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves"
-Unknown

"Leadership" is a subject for us this term. We have HBR readings, cases to discuss, guest speakers sharing their experiences. The subject is taught by Dr. Bill Blake, the Associate Dean for MBA programs.

Dr Blake asked us to list the qualities that we want in a leader. There are 54 of us in the class from 15 different nationalities and it was surprising to see that all of us wanted the same qualities in a leader. At the end of the session, our class answered a questionnaire to determine their top 4 characteristics in the leader .Here were the results:
• Inspiration
• Forward Looking
• Honesty
• Competent

Once the results were published, Dr Bill shared another set of results with us. This was the results of a survey taken by people (millions of them) from different continents. They too had to list the top 4 qualities. Below are the results from that survey.
• Honesty ( 88%)
• Forward Looking ( 71%)
• Competent (66%)
• Inspiring (65%)

What is interesting to know is that our class too picked up the same 4 qualities for a leader as that in the world survey. An immediate conclusion that I can draw on this sample data is that no matter which place of the world you are from, leaders across the globe are expected to have these qualities.

Session 02: Values Based Leadership
As a person, what do values mean to me?
As a leader, what values do I believe in?
I often wonder what these meant to me and today things are clearer.

"What do values mean to us? We all talk about honesty, integrity, respect for others etc. But if you want to know what you value, spend a minute thinking about the things that you spent your money last year on. You will know what you value most"

"If you want to know the values of an organization forget about their Mission Statements,vision etc. Look at their budgets. Values are best judged by what you spend your time on and your money on"

Sometimes you hear someone speak and every word that the person spoke stays in your mind for a long time. Today was one such day. For the leadership class, we had a guest speaker. No, the person who addressed the class was not any business tycoon. It was a lady with a golden heart. Sister Elizabeth Davis was the President and Chief Executive Officer with the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s from 1994 to 2000.As Sister Elizabeth spoke about her experiences and shared her wisdom, a strange feeling built inside me. I am being honest-her thoughts on leadership were very inspiring. During her tenure at the Hospital, Sister Davis helped oversee the hospital a major reorganization in Newfoundland.During that time with the Hospital a number of services were integrated. She had to take some bold decisions-like closing some hospitals and this was no easy decision for a nun. As she spoke about her experiences, I could feel the pain and a clash in her views.

She made a very interesting point that caught my attention. Toronto is the only city in the world that has the maximum diversity. The city is very diverse (44% non Canadian origin) and has folks from various parts of the world. It is important for us that we just not acknowledge diversity but also appreciate it.True learning comes from there.We must realize that we do not live in a changed world anymore, we instead live in a world that is constantly changing. So, no matter where you work, appreciate diversity and make that your strength. A variety of people get different ideas, fresh perspectives and this will help you solve a problem better. We must hope that moments of incredible change are also moments of incredible opportunity. In the organizations we work in the future, there will be multiple cultures. It takes strong leadership to knit them together and make the best use of them.

She also talked about the nature of people. She mentioned that humans have a tendency to get discouraged very easily. So, as a leader, it is up to us to make encourage them. I remember reading an article in HBR that said that leaders are often very lonely. So, I asked her if she ever felt discouraged and low at times. Yes, she said. At times, she found it tough to get people to produce their best. She also mentioned that in her leadership role, she had realized that the greatest reward comes from helping people know how good they are.

Towards the end of the speech, she showed us the picture of the Inukshuk. It is an ancient symbol of Inuit culture traditionally used as landmarks and navigation aids. Look at the picture and the granite statue represents a human form with outstretched arms. Each inukshuk tells its own story, perhaps pointing to a good source of fishing or hunting, perhaps showing the path to the next inukshuk. Whatever the message is, one community is sharing the fruits of its learning, sharing its wisdom with another community. For centuries, the Inukshuk is used a guidepost that provided direction to thousands of people. Leadership is something like that. Leaders provide directions and show the path to their people. The Inukshuk is made up on broken stone and like the broken rocks used to create the symbolic inukshuk, sometimes we must break rules , make mistakes, work with our people to provide the right direction. This is one speech that was truly inspiring. The speech received a thunderous applause.In the future, every time I think about my values on leadership, Sister Elizabeth's words would flash into my mind.

Session 02: Values Based Leadership
A few days earlier, in the Leadership class, the students were asked to participate in the “Alligator River Story”. We were given a short overview of the situation and were asked to form an opinion .We were to individually rate the most offensive and most defensive character in the story.

As I read the story, I got a clear picture of what the situation was .It hardly took any time for me to make a decision. The situation was crystal clear for me. I knew which character was right and who was wrong.

Prof Bill Blake then asked then class for their responses and tabulated them on the white board. To my surprise, the answers for a lot of us varied. There were no correct answers but I was curious to know why individuals chose different answers. My classmates provided their reasoning on how they picked their most defensive and offensive character. I must admit that none of us were wrong.

This activity had some key learnings for me. I realized how a lot of us take decisions in life based our on our experiences, background and education. I could relate to why certain people in the class stuck to certain decision. Their culture, religion clearly was the guiding factor in this decision. The question was the same for everyone. However, the decisions were different. The individuals pictured the story in their own circumstances and beliefs and took a decision and justified it.

The Prof then changed the story – He changed the gender of the characters and asked us to evaluate our decision. The class thought about it for a few seconds but their decision remained unchanged. I found that extremely interesting.

This incident brought in an important realization within me. As I sit and type this piece, I realize that I have my own set of takeaways from the class apart from the values based leadership. I now believe that the decisions we take in our life are based on two factors – one based on our experiences, background and upbringing. Second, based on our core values - that have become an integral part of us.As we grow older and experience different things, the first factor sometimes undergoes a change. But the core values are the one that guides us and helps one make a firm decision.

As leaders of tomorrow, we need to realize something important. We need to keep our core values intact but at the same time be open to new ideas, perspectives and change. When I first took my decision about who was most offensive, I thought I was definitely right. But when my classmates provided their reasoning, I realized that they too had a point. I learnt that I should stop making any decision based on certain assumptions or t listening to the other side of the story. With the world becoming flatter and a greater focus on diversity at work places being made, we are bound to interact with people from different countries, religion and culture. There will often be an internal clash within us on our value system. We need to make a fair decision and not be bound by external appearances, perception. We should evaluate a change and if we feel that it is right, accept it.

I know that this sounds easier than said. But working on this exercise had learning for me. Every time, I take a decision based in a jiffy, I will stop for a second and remember the Alligator story. I will question my assumptions and find out if they are fair and not biased.

Session 04: Culture Factor in Leadership

“None of the men in the class will talk”
Once Prof William Blake mentioned this, there was a 10 minute conversation that took place in the class where only the women in the class participated.

Should Ellen Moore have submitted her resignation? Should she have fought against the system or should she have meekly given up to the situation and accepted defeat. As the ladies in the class gave their views, the men grew restless. They wanted to put their point across, get themselves heard and comment on what was right and what was not. They were not allowed to speak. Yet, a few of the men grew restless, broke the rules and spoke up.

“This is how the women feel in a society that stresses on equality but don’t allow the woman their share of rights”, said one of my female classmates to me.
Yes, she had a point.

The Ellen Moore case that we discussed today had a lot to take aways for me. It was a lesson for me that focused on cross cultural relations and discrimination. The work place today consists of people from diverse backgrounds. We all want to work together and in such case, it is very important that we respect and appreciate other’s cultures and views.

I come from India, which is extremely diverse. I for sure had accepted that this kind of diversity in me. But when I moved to North America, I found that the values and actions in this part of the world was something that I was unaware of. I must admit that I got a culture shock and found it uncomfortable to interact with people who were not like me or did not share the same opinions and belief as mine.
So, when I lead a team tomorrow, I need to make an attempt at understanding and accepting diversity. Awareness, exposure, comprehension, conviction and maturity are the qualities that will make me an ideal manager to lead a team that is diverse. Diversity brings creative ideas and is an asset in the organization. As a leader for tomorrow, I need to understand cultures, identity biases, prejudices, and stereotypes and should be willing to challenge and change certain practices.

Session 05: Work Life Balance

The class today that Dr Bill Blake took was on Personal Leadership development. One of the slides that he showed us was of his dog called “Brigus”, a golden doodle. He mentioned that he takes his dog out for a walk every morning and this has been an experience that he likes doing a lot now. During the walk, he takes his time off things and this keeps him fresh and energetic throughout the day. Here is when he mentioned to us the concept of living life “moment by moment”.

We, the students of the MBA class have set ourselves very high targets. We often feel that this is the age where we can work hard, not take care of our health and mental state and in the later phase of life lead a healthy life. Dr Blake mentioned to us that this could be an illusion. He stressed to us the importance of balance and asked us what would be the most important thing that we were hoping for in the next few years. Was it money, was it the challenge of job, and was it the level of responsibility at work was it achieving a work life balance.

There were only a handful in the class who mentioned that they would have a balanced life at the first work place after graduation and would work towards maintaining it . Others expected to work hard through the week and if necessary on the weekends too!
Dr Blake asked us to work towards achieving a balanced life and gave some personal strategies such as being organized, having goals and remaining fit.

He showed us a slide which talked about “Where are you going?”. There are various factors in life that decide on what we are. Our values, psychological needs, assumptions, expectations, fears, knowledge and skills are some of the factors that determined who we are and where we intend to go. As a leader of tomorrow, it is important for us to figure out what it is that driving us to this pattern. As a leader, it is important for us to have balance in our life, know our real self, set personal goals and practice transformational leadership.

While working out the balance in life, we need to reflect and decide on the question that Dr Blake asked us.

“Is being CEO a destination or a stepping stone”?

2007-05-13T21:17:00.001-05:00

Lessons from a Team Based Program

Today, I was thinking about the team based learning style at Queen's.For 12 months, we work in teams. 06 people with different personalities, backgrounds,ages, culture,HBDI index are put together to form a "dysfunctional team" and are then subjected to stress (that involves severe workload,deadlines) and asked to produce top quality outputs. And believe me, this is not easy !!

Every year smart individuals folks come to this program - all of them have a lot of accomplishments, track records, leadership experience but this program teaches them something that perhaps they wouldn't have learnt before. You might ask what? I can't describe it. It can only be experienced.

In a team, every one has his or her own strengths and areas to improve and you realize this fact pretty quickly. The personalities are different, yet people have to work together and learn from each other.

In general, there will be team bullies, team catalysts and free riders. You will work with them and learn to deal with them.You solve your problems and emerge as a better person both professionally and personally.

Below are my five big key takeaways from the Team Based Learning program at Queen's.

1.Three C's are very essential when you are in a team: Comprehend ( understand the wavelength of your team member), Collaborate ( work together to achieve the desired results) and Confront ( Discuss face to face when a conflict arises)

2.Personalities can be different, but interests "have to match" in a team.One might be a party guy, other might be a fitness freak. Some body might be fashion conscious and someone might be moody. Keep all that aside when you come to work in a team. The objective is to accomplish a goal and the interests have to be aligned.

3.A team is as good as its weakest link.It does not matter if you have superheroes in the team. The long term sustainability of the team is dependent on the performance of the weakest team member in the team. If he or she is not up to the standards, train, coach, discipline him or her, but make sure that the person rises to the challenge.

4.You are as good as you think..Every body is unique. Every one has a unique strength. So don't make comparisons. Spend that time on something better. Understand your potential and work on your strengths. I repeat, you are as good as you think.

5.Not just appreciate but also learn to accept diversity:.I strongly believe the way we think is a consequence of the way we have been brought up. In this "flat world", we will be dealing with folks from all parts of the world. Diversity adds variety and creativity to a solution. Take time to appreciate it. Accept it and make the best use of it.

A famous Chinese proverb goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life". The team based MBA program at Queen's actually reflects that. In one year, you learn the skills, tools, techniques that you will use for the rest of your life -both professionaly and personally.

Queen's teaches you how to fish and feed yourself!

2007-05-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Who am I?

Results from the Gallup's Clifton Strength Finder:
(My 06 top strengths in random order)

Futuristic: The kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. This picture of the future pulls you forward, into tomorrow.You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and chersises those visions.

Strategic: Enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity.

Learner: You love to learn. The subject matter that interest you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting to you.

Intellection: You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the "muscles" of your brain, stretching in multiple directions. The theme of intellect ion does not dictate what you are thinking about, it simply ascribes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective.

Ideation: You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? A idea is a concept , the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface of an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection.

Belief: If you possess a strong Belief Theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These core values affect your behaviours in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction.Your belief makes you easy to trust.

2007-05-13T20:47:00.000-05:00

Some Interesting Topics
If you are interested in the Hi-Tech/Telecom/IT sector, here are a few topics that you should be aware of:

1.Nanotechnology
2.RFID
3.Digital Rights Management
4.Industry standards (Blue Ray vs HD DVD, Sirius/XM, etc)
5.Intellectual property
6.Role of IT in specific industries (banking, pharma, retail)
7.Outsourcing/BPO/KPO
8.Role of IT in growth companies versus mature companies
9.For IT organizations - whats better - being innovators or follower
10.New trends in social networking
11.Latest technology trends and their impact
12.BPM

You should also read Knowledge@Wharton and McKinsey Quarterly.

2007-05-12T13:44:00.000-05:00

I was organizing the folders in my computer when I came across this piece that I wrote for self ( introspection) after the Stage 01 of the MBA program was over.Getting back to school after 06 years, adjusting to the North American Education system posed a new set of challenges.

I took time to settle in the MBA program and after the stage 01 exams were over, I sat down one evening and made a list of things I had to work upon and improve. Call these the lessons learnt or a proactive measure, I was glad that I did something like this.

Here it is ( this was written sometime in July 06):

When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power

Blunders I did in Stage 1 and don’t want to do in the next stage:

1. I did not do the pre-reading for some subjects. This was essential. As a result of this, I was lost in class during some discussions. It became really tough before the exams. Remember, the case studies should be looked at (at least a glance will do).

2. I did not file my papers correctly in the folder. I paid a hefty price for it towards the end as I spent a lot of energy organizing things. Staying organized is painful but helps in the long run.

3. Consolidation of notes. I took notes but then it was all in papers and the result was that I could not compile it or track it.

4. Avoid taking assignments towards the end. The earlier your assignments gets over, the better it is. Work on the assignments with all energy and enthusiasm.

5. Work on Fitness–Play some squash. This is not mandatory but then you’ll feel good and vent your feelings out. Get some good sleep. If the meetings are at 7 PM, catch an hour’s sleep.

6. Don't get tensed. The work load is hectic but keeping your calm is the key to your success. Some subjects will be tough. If you can keep your cool, half the battle is won!

7.A numerical based subject requires you to practice questions regularly. For Financial accounting and Management accounting, work out the numerical. Understanding the concept is not just enough.

8.Don’t compare yourself with others. It is easier said than done. Everyone has their own competitive advantage. You too have one and it will generate result at some time.

9. You now understand your team dynamics; you understand the MBAst program well. The teething problems are done. Make sure you get your best out in subsequently stage.!

10.Ensure that the points you make in the class are worth something. Don’t dominate the air-time in the class. Make a mental note of the number of questions vs quality questions you ask in the class.

11. Can you please keep your room clean?

12. Read the newspaper and keep a track of the articles. The key is to get your self disciplined.

13.Reviewing the course materials every time after the lecture would have made my preparation much easier

14. Please make a list of activities that you want to do and please DO them. Don’t delay. Speed, Efficiency and Time Management is the key.

Mistakes are a great educator when one is honest enough to admit them and willing to learn from them. Time is valuable…Realize that.All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. All the best for Stage 2.

2007-05-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

Queen’s School of Business joins Forté Foundation

Queen’s School of Business is pleased to announce it is the first Canadian business school to join Forté Foundation, a consortium of major corporations, top business schools and influential non-profit organizations dedicated to directing women towards business education and business leadership roles, and to enabling corporations to more effectively attract and retain female talent.

Forté’s membership is comprised of 26 leading multinational corporations, such as Eli Lilly, Goldman, Sachs & Co., IBM and Kraft Foods, 27 top international business schools, including Harvard, INSEAD and London Business School, and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC)

Queen’s School of Business has just named its first Forté Fellows: Sarah Milton and Yan Chen for the Class of 2007 and Rupa Gudiseva and Sanyu Kiruluta have been selected for the incoming Class of 2008. More here

2007-05-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

Certified PMP

Time.Cost.Scope.Quality
Stakeholders.Project Manager. Project Team. Sponsor.

Thanks to the IT industry in which I had been working, I kept hearing all the project management lingo all the time. At Queen's, I chose the Project Management Elective and this gave me the required credits for the eligibility.With the work experience I had, I qualified for the PMP exam and gave it a shot yesterday at Toronto.

I Cleared it and am happy that I can add "Project Management Professional" to my resume now ! :)

As for the preperation, I went through the class slides, skimmed through the PM BOK Guide and worked out all the questions in the Rita Book. The exam is pretty straight forward if you have read the chapters in detail once. I followed the elimination technique to zero in on my answers. Here are some notes that I made from the Rita Book, Class Notes and PMBOK Guide.

2007-05-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

Spidey 03- A different Strategy

One of the case studies in the Project Management Elective was the Pacific Coast Studios.We discussed the pros and cons of the PCS as it focussed on some BIG films and used the money generated from this movie to fund more films or recover losses. We identified risks in this strategy and discussed how the company could control it better.As I watched Spider-Man 03 last week, I was thinking about this case.:)

Usually, one would expect a Hollywood film to be released first in the United States. But this time Sony Pictures followed a different strategy. They released the movie in international market. Yeah, that is actually the trend.Recognizing the importance of the overseas market, Sony launched "Spider-Man 3" in Tokyo on April 16 and launched the movie in Japan on May 1, three days ahead of its U.S. release. The strategy has worked well for Sony.

BIG movies like Spider-Man 03 are called the "tent pole" movies.A tent pole movie is one that serves as a primary support and compensates for a studio’s flop or generates money for future productions.And I assume Sony wanted to maximize this strategy. Spidey 1 and 2 had done very well and with even better marketing budget and special effects this time, the folks behind the movie felt that they could could control the risks.

Spidey 03 has not been getting great reviews in the North American Market.But are the producers really concerned about this ? Not exactly ! The international market is liking the movie a lot.

This report goes to show that Spidey 3 could be India's biggest hit in 2007. The movie is even being dubbed in different Indian Languages."In India,Sony Pictures has released 588 prints of the movie in the country -- 261 in Hindi, 162 in English, 78 in Tamil, 81 in Telugu and 6 in Bhojpuri -- the maximum number of prints for any foreign movie"!!

The same trend is being observed for the Bollywood Market also. The bollywood movies are getting better response in the International Market where a huge population base exists. This is very interesting.! Watch out for the desi versions of Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean hitting your local theaters . You might get to see the movie in your local language even before your American friends get a chance to see it!Have the tables turned? Perhaps ! :)

2007-05-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

25 Trends that Changed America

USA Today, the Newspaper turns 25 on Sept. 15, 2007. They are coming out with solid list of 25 things that changed America. It could be the trends, quotes,stocks etc.
Bookmark this page and have a look at it often.
For now, here is the list of 25 trends that changed America

1 Diversity
(1 of every 8 American is a foreign born!)
2 Fighting for equality
3 Millions living longer
4 It's a small world after all
5 Global warming
6 Gay rights gain ground
7 Are we safe?Fear of terrorism changes our lives.
8 Snuffing out smoking
9 Obesity crisis
10 Tech creates cult of 'me'
11 Spreading out
12 Supersizing
13 Going green
14 A nation divided
15 Luxury goes mainstream
16 The end of Ozzie and Harriet families
17 Diet and exercise boom
18 On the move
The "new" Sun Belt explodes. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Charlotte become major metropolitan centers.
19 High anxiety
Prozac. Paxil. Xanax. Zoloft. Ritalin. Adderall.
20 Electronic cash
21 Living alone
22 College stress grows
23 Sexualization
24States bet on gambling
25 Makeovers for the masses

2007-05-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

Top MBA Employers

This article was up just a few hours ago and it had to catch my attention. CNN Money lists the top MBA employers. Google tops the list and even beats even McKinsey in the race.

The Top 10
1.Google
2 McKinsey & Company
3 Goldman Sachs
4 Bain & Company
5 Boston Consulting Group
6 Apple
7 Microsoft
8 General Electric
9 Nike
10 Bank of America

The complete list can be found here

What are the few key things MBAs want at their work place?

-Freedom ( Innovation element that scores high at Google)
-Good Work Life balance
-Competetive Compensation
-Good Career Reference ( Prestigious Company name does not matter amuch)
-Leadership Rotational Programs ( Easily one of the favorites here at every school)

More here
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0704/gallery.MBA_employers.fortune/jump.html

Places to work in the US:
-New York
-San Francisco
-Chicago
-Atlanta
-San Diego
-Washington D.C.
-Boston

Places to work - InternationalLondon
-Sydney
-Hong Kong
-Paris
-Madrid
-Shanghai
-Singapore
-Tokyo

You can find all the details here

2007-04-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

5 innovations that will change our lives!

"These five innovations were selected based on projects from the brains in IBM's Research labs, business research conducted by IBM's business think-tank, and ideas pooled from more than 150,000 people from 104 countries, including IBM employees, their family members, universities, business partners and customers from 67 countries, during a recent online brainstorm called 'IBM InnovationJam.'"

1.Access health care remotely from anywhere in the world.
2 Adaptive Mobile Phones reading our mind
3.Real time speech translation
4.3 Dimensional Internet
5.Nano Technology addressing environmental concerns

Read more here

2007-04-30T12:25:00.000-05:00

Top 100 Most Influential People in IT

Meg Whitman is at No 25 and the Google Boyz at No 1.
Click here to see the details

2007-04-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

Cricket in Canada

On a bright sunny Sunday morning, the folks in our class decided to play Cricket.
There were two challenges for us. First, get the logistics right and second explain the rules of the game to the folks. But the smarties we have in our class, it just took a few minutes before the folks staraed hitting sixes all over the ground in a true baseball style.

The rules of the game were changed. It didn't matter who won or lost?
What mattered was that we all had a lot of fun and had a good time !
Some pics from the game

Hong Kong's Virendra Sehwag ?

Waiting for the ball to come !

A replacement for Harbhajan Singh ?

A shot for the camera.

The Cricket Team

The Enthusiastic Audience

Trying to bowl a yorker?

Catch me if you can !

Ouch ! Is that a bouncer?

This is easy ! It is like base ball!

Teach me the secrets of the game.

2007-04-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

The Year in Review

At the Graduation Dinner, there were a few slide shows shown to all of us.These were excellent as it captured the essence of the MBA journey that we had all experienced.

I uploaded them on Google videos today here and here.These slide show were made by Karen. A big thanks to her !

2007-04-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

I really like these in Kingston

Reading the Financial Times

I love reading the FT.Sometimes, am busy and I don't get time to read everything, but then I pile them up and go through it during the weekend.There are stuff in the paper that I don't understand , and there are articles that excite me. I like reading the FT a lot.The new look of the paper is very impressive!

Stauffer Library

The Stauffer Library in the University is one of the best things I have enjoyed at Kingston. I have spent 3/4th of my MBA life here. I would rate this as the best library I have ever seen in my life. It is truly a "Temple of Learning"

Squash Courts No 03 and 04

I enjoy playing Squash and with more than 10 courts at the Physical Education Center here at Queen's, a rigorous 45 minutes game at the Squash Court with my classmates is something I will miss when I move out of here.

Tim Hortons

The coffee at Tim Hortons is what kept me going through out the year. A coffee before the start of the class, one during the break, and another one before heading out to the library is the secret of any MBA student's energy here. The folks at Tim Horton are a very friendly lot, and always treat you with a smile. Talk about Customer Experience Management.!

Goodes Hall

Goodes Hall is very very good. A blend of style and history,I really like this place and the folks in it. The MBAst office folks are very nice and the building is a second home to me.

Desi Boyz

The Desi Boyz are my support system here at Queen's. I have a problem, I go to them. I get angry, I shout at them. I feel upset, I let them know. They have unique personalities and itz fun knowing them apart from my other classmates.!

2007-04-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

Recruiters' Top 10 Complaints

A nice article in BWeek that explains what irritates the recruiter when they interview MBA grads.

1. Follow Interview Etiquette
2. Keep Your Answers Short and to the Point
Try to keep your answers under a minute if possible. This gives the interviewer a chance to consider whether they want to ask the candidate to elaborate on the answer. "If the interviewer wants more details, they will ask for it," Sullivan says.
3. It's Okay to Be Clueless
4. Avoid Clichés.
5. Keep Negativity Out of the Conversation
6. Always Have Questions Prepared
Students should walk into the interview with a list of thoughtful questions that take advantage of the recruiter's knowledge of the company, Sullivan says. He recommends avoiding questions that can easily be answered by looking at the company's Web site, such as whether the company has a Boston office. "You should have three or four really good and insightful questions that show self-awareness that you are in front of someone who is pretty senior," Sullivan says.
7. Keep Your Ego in Check
8. Don't Walk in Unprepared
Students should conduct Internet searches on the recruiter and try to find out anything they can about them from contacts they have at the recruiter's company. People who work at the company or spent a summer internship there can also prove to be valuable resources, notes Thanasoulis
9. Don't Talk in Absolutes
Students should avoid the temptation to tell a recruiter that their firm is the candidate's No.1 choice
10. Never Bring Up Salary

2007-04-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

Touch the Sky

I got up in the morning today not to the sound of the alarm clock but to a telephone that rang continuously for some time. S, one of my classmates, loves flying and seeing that it was a bright sunny day asked me if I wanted to join him to touch the sky.

I immediately agreed. A couple of other friends too joined in.It was a great feeling to sit in the cock pit of the small aircraft and touch the sky. I had a bird's eye view of the Kingston city and got some wonderful pics. I even got the opportunity to control the aircraft. Check out the pics.

The Flying Machine

Kingston Flying Club

Thousand Islands

Bird's eye view of the Limestone City

The Team

2007-04-25T06:36:00.000-05:00

The Valedictorian Address

Rob Wall was also elected as the valedictorian for the class.He received a standing ovation from the class and as expected came out with a memorable speech.
He has all the qualities of an excellent leader and am sure that in the coming years will make a special place for himself in the Corporate World. Here is his valedictorian speech ( of course published with his permission)

I feel humbled to have been nominated for this award and to have the opportunity to present the valedictory today. It is an honor and privilege to have been part of this class. I truly believe each and every one of us has great talent.

It has struck me that I am in fact in the illustrious position of being able to have the last word. This is a position that appears even more valuable to me now that I have completed a team-based MBA!

As I said earlier, I believe we have a great amount to be thankful for and an immense amount to be proud of. We have set objectives and worked hard to ensure that we successfully achieved all of them.

The real strength of this class, however, is the friendships and strong bonds that we have built. This class is indeed a family. We share in each others challenges and celebrate each others successes. Oscar Wilde said that “Ultimately the bond of all companionship … is conversation”. I suspect that any professor, who has tried to quieten us down in order to start a lecture, will agree that we are, in fact, close companions!

The Queen’s MBA is unique. It has provided us with a way of thinking, a set of skills, and the ability to work successfully in teams; qualities that we will take with us and apply to our future challenges. As they say, “education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten,” and I believe that Queen’s has provided us with a “real” and enduring education.

It has given us the tools we need to continue to build a fulfilling career and a happy home. I am certain that each of us will be successful in our future endeavours, and that some measure of our future success will be attributable to our time spent here together in Kingston.

As we go on, I believe that our success will come from applying a philosophy that has lasted well throughout the ages …”If in doubt, build”. It may come of no surprise to many of you that an engineer would suggest that the solution stands in construction(!), but for once I am speaking more figuratively.

I have seen this philosophy make our class the success it is.
*If in doubt: Of which career path you are interested in, build a network;
*If in doubt: Of how you will pass Stage 3 Finance, build a great cheat sheet;
*If in doubt: Of how to pass marketing, build a stunning PowerPoint presentation; and finally,
*If in doubt: Of how you will survive, build a strong set of friends.

I believe it is this ethos that we have all shown, and through this we will continue to succeed at whatever we choose to pursue. To do this, we must:
*Build on the friendships we have here this evening;
*Build on our education and continue to learn;
*Build on our abilities by challenging ourselves; and
*Build and support those around us, as we have done over the past 12 months.

Let me say once again how proud I am of us all and how honoured I am to have been part of this class. As this journey draws to a close and as promised, I will close off with the one last comment.

I believe that our experience as a class embodies what Winston Churchill once said; “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. Courage is what counts.” As we move forward, our MBA experience will help us to continue to apply this philosophy to our future lives.

2007-04-25T06:08:00.000-05:00

Presidential Address

Rob Wall, our MBA Class President, gave a wonderful presidential address at the Graduation Dinner. With his permission, I replicate a part of his speech that truly says it all what we felt about the MBA program.

This evening, and over the next few days, I am certain that many of us will take the time to reflect on the last 12-months. I believe we will come to the conclusion that this has been both a very challenging and a very enjoyable year… “it was (indeed) the best of times, it was the worst of times” . To be able to avail ourselves of the opportunities presented by Queen’s and still remain sane, we needed support. It is axiomatic that without families, partners, and friends we would not have been able to achieve to the level we have. We are all very thankful to those who have supported us.

From our perspective as students, the MBA programme has run seamlessly, as a result of the tireless efforts of our administration staff. I speak for us all when I say thank you, once again, to Shannon, Ben, Kerri, Lisa, Kim, Ruth and Brian, and the staff of the BCC. The Queen’s MBA is made possible by your hard work.

To our professors, you have made business education both enlightening and enjoyable. It is a testament to your talents as educators that we have studied and learnt such a volume of academic literature in such a short time. But beyond academics, you have encouraged us all to think, to challenge assumptions, and to present what we believe in. It is encouraging in a world of corporate slang, of endless media discussion regarding management techniques, and of varying quality of MBA programmes that we can confidently say that we have studied at a leading business school and be certain of the quality of our education. You have all instilled in us the need to continue to learn, and to use our new skills to be better than we already are. With the knowledge you have imparted, we are ready to take on our next set of challenges. Thank you for your efforts as teachers and as mentors.

As a class, we have much to be proud of. I mention just a few of our achievements:
*The MBA Games team and their stellar performances in Edmonton;
*Our winning team at the Rotman CSR case competition;
*Our two teams at the FEI Case competition;
*Our strong team at the ever competitive Molson case competition,
*And, our 4th placed team at the Boston Technology Strategy case competition;
*Also, most recently we have had S and S nominated for the First Capital Challenge. So we wish them the best of luck for the finals this week.

While we have much to be proud of, our MBA year comprises more than just our individual and collective academic achievements. We have built strong friendships, many of which will carry with us into the future. I believe a key factor in the success of our group has been its inclusiveness, and that is a testament to us all. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of a class that has always striven to achieve excellence, but which has never lost sight of the importance of supporting those around us, and working together as a team.

Similarly, we recognize the value that comes with being a part of the broader Queen’s MBA alumni network. As part of our commitment to collectiveness, I am pleased to make a brief announcement on behalf of our class. .....

Thank you once again to all those that have made this year possible for us and, finally, congratulations to the Class of 2007.

2007-04-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

And the Party Continues

We are done with all the classes for the MBA. The convocation is in the month of May but we all had a graduation dinner yesterday. Since Friday, there has been a series of parties happening.

The Graduation Dinner yesterday was fabulous. A team came out with some excellent slide shows of the year that went by. There were some awards given. I have a lot to write and will do that in the next few days. Till then, Enjoy some of these pics !

With David Detomasi, one of the passionate professors here at Queen's !

Aren't we excited that it is finally over ?

In Cricket, the Australians dominate and win the world cup. In teaching at Queen's too, they easily win.Dr Clinton Free won the Best Prof Award !A clear favorite among the students ..right from day one.

The Student Council : Smart and Hardworking !

Partying on Friday night!

The nice and mushy team of the MBAst 2007 batch!

The last MBA class that we all attended just got over !

Aren't we the "smartie" now that you have completed your Queen's MBA

Jamie from the support staff..He loves the MBA folks

With her highness, Shannon Goodspeed, the director of the program.

MBAst'07 Endowment Fund from the class to the school

Best Team Award goes to Team 113

Aren't the kids happy that daddy is done with his school!

2007-04-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

Best Buy vs Circuit City:Customer Centric

CRM is the last course of my MBA life and I am enjoying this course. It makes me think from three angles : Strategy, Marketing and IT. It also gives me an opportunity to integrate what I have learnt earlier. The assignments involve 12-15 minute individual presentations (a lot of conceptualization involved) followed by a 10 min Q&A session (that really tires me out)! But I am enjoying this course coz I like the cases (cases on telecom,retail and airlines) and the teaching style of the prof Louis Gialloreto ( He initiates discussions and gives real world instances!).

One of cases that we discussed was of Circuit City vs Best Buy
In North America, if you want to buy consumer electronics, the first two names that strike your mind are obviously Best Buy and Circuit City.

As a part of the CRM course, we are analyzing both the companies and the difference in the strategy employed by each of them.Best Buy is doing well thanks to its Customer Centric Strategy. The use of real time data and replacement of "hunches with facts" has shifted the the company's focus from pushing gadgets to catering to customers.

There were quite a few interesting articles to read.The bottom line that these articles want to indicate is that "not all customers are profitable ones. Some are very lucrative to deal with, while others cost more to sell to than the business is worth."

Best Buy understood this pretty well. It soon figured out segments that made the most money and then realigned its stores to meet the needs of customers. It empowered employees to focus on their angels ( high potential customers) so that they spend more and increase their share of wallet (SOW).

Best Buy identified its customer needs and classified them into some highly valuable segments:

Barry: Affluent professionals who want the best technology and entertainment experience

Jill:: Busy suburban moms who want to enrich their children's lives with technology and entertainment

Buzz: Active younger males who want the latest technology and entertainment

Ray: Family men who want technology to improve their lives—practical adopters of technology and entertainment ( price conscious)

Storefront: Small-business customers who can use Best Buy's products and services to enhance the profitability of their business.

Carrie: Young single women

Helen and Charlie: Empty nester

Then based on sales and demographic data they tailored their customer location to that needs.

On the other hand, Circuit City fell behind in the race. Initially, Circuit city had got it all right. It was the first company to introduce the POS. It was one of the first retailers to allow consumers to check local store inventories online, and to purchase products online and pick them up or return them in stores. But it failed to make the best use of the tons of data that it had in its database.

There was also this article from the book on Return on Customer

Some interesting stuff !

"As a starting premise, it's important to distinguish between your customer's need and your product's attribute or feature. In fact, different customers often want the same attribute or feature in order to satisfy very different individual preferences. One person might buy a high-performance car, for instance, because he wants to drive fast, while another might buy the same high-performance car because he wants people to think he drives fast.

Three basic types of insight can help you anticipate what your customer needs: memory, editorial inference, and comparisons with other customers. Your memory of a customer's past choices or preferences is the simplest and most direct method of anticipating her future needs. When she rents a car and doesn't have to specify the car model, credit card, or insurance options, the car rental firm is using its memory of her past transactions or the profile she specified in order to anticipate her. If a florist's customer sends flowers to her mother on her birthday, the florist can remember the date and anticipate her need for flowers the next year.

A second way to anticipate a customer's need is to use your memory of the customer, as above, but to couple it with some type of content or "editorial" categorization. The fact that a customer celebrates her mother's birthday with flowers means she might want to celebrate Mothers' Day, too, or perhaps some of her other relatives' birthdays. Because a customer buys music CDs she might be interested in CD cleaning solutions or CD players. If a customer buys Italian suits, he might be interested in Italian loafers. The fact that a customer has bought business books on enterprise growth and relationship management might mean he's interested in buying Return on Customer.

Third, you can anticipate a customer's needs by comparing this customer with other customers. Every customer is unique and individual, but customers have similarities as well. Almost everyone who has rented Movie A has also liked Movie B. People who like books by this author also tend to like books by that one. People who wear this type of clothing also tend to drive this type of car. Your goal in making such comparisons is simply to do a better and better job of anticipating what it is that any particular customer needs"

I just came across this interview of Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson .

An interesting statement that caught my attention was when the CEO says "In our world the way you win the game isn't the price of the TV - which is about the same for all retailers - but the experience you give customers once they are in our stores" Talk about CEM ! :)

2007-04-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Web Marketing Mix

The 4 Ps of Marketing is some thing that every B-School student knows. But with the web changing the nature of the game, here is an article on the 4s of the Web Marketing mix. Interesting read here

The 4S are Scope, Site, Synergy and System
Presented below is a screen shot that describes the model.

2007-04-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

Brand Revitalization

A few days back, our strategy Prof Doug Reid had sent this article to us (from the Economist Magazine)

It talks about how Starbucks and Pepsi are trying their best to "revitalise themselves".The article states that the carbonated soft drinks market for Pepsi is shrinking.Hence,Pepsi recently launched a global restyling program where the cans will now come in a series of 35 new designs with themes on music, sports or fashion.There are folks who believe that "changing the packaging is a tired brand's last refuge."

One statement that caught my attention was this :"During its 109-year history Pepsi has undergone many rebrandings, of course, but none on this scale."

I drank a Pepsi today and saw that I had the new can. I liked it!.I thought of taking a picture and posting it on my blog. Here it is.

It looks like the red,blue and white Pepsi might disappear soon. So, if you have one such can in your fridge right now,keep that for your collection.

Do let me know how you find the new packaging.!

2007-04-16T13:52:00.000-05:00

First Capital Challenge

Two of the MBAst 2007 grads are in the final round of the First Capital Challenge (FCC). This is an annual competition for the best plans to start a new business in Kingston, Ontario. The competition invites anyone from anywhere to put their ideas to work in exciting new Kingston-based companies. Details here:

The projects being started by the MBA folks are an aircraft service company and a wireless Internet service provider.These folks are very passionate about their new ventures.

Check out the articles here: and here

The aircraft service that Perumal is proposing to implement is designed to speed up travel. He got the idea when he noticed how difficult it was to get speakers to the school because of flight issues.Jet Direct would be able to fly to more than 1,000 airports in Canada and the U.S.; to Halifax or Chicago for east and west travel; or Moosonee or Atlanta for north and south. Perumal hopes to build the company up to 100 airplanes

Marathon Communications is also in the running for the award.Entrepreneur Shawn Gee plans to use the wireless Internet service provider to bring high-bandwidth Internet access to people in the Kingston area. People using the service will get secure access anywhere in the region. The company is devoted to bringing web access to underserviced areas through a reliable network and good customer service response time

2007-04-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

Is this for real?

From the Economist

In a novel twist on the idea of the online course, on March 20th, INSEAD, a French business school with campuses in Fontainebleau and Singapore, became the first institution to announce its intention to offer classes to students who exist solely online. INSEAD plans to open a campus in Second Life, an online environment in which users can create virtual representations of themselves—“avatars” in Second-Life-speak. Within the virtual campus, INSEAD plans to hold information sessions for its new virtual students, organise meetings with virtual recruiters, and offer space for virtual conferences.

Planned courses include an entrepreneurship class in which students can test their ideas on the simulated campus. To those sceptics who prefer education to be more grounded in the real world, its proponents call Second Life an ideal laboratory for perfectly practical experiments: users have been marketing, buying and selling virtual items, using “Linden dollars”, the artificial world’s currency, for years. There is even a Second Life currency-exchange market, where the Linden dollar is running a rate of about 280 to the real-world greenback