Demand respect, give respect
It's funny, how nations and students think alike - each has an early warning system.
For a nation, its to do with a lot of money, energy and effort - but primarily intelligence.
The student community too has its level of intelligence, out of sheer sympathy for 'fellow-student'. Most of our senior batches, had sent us the early warnings - "Never be late in his class". Someone said, it is always important to be impeccably dressed in his class, others warned of dire consequences, if you were not prepared enough for his class. More intelligence flowed in, when he had already taken a lecture in the adjacent group.
OMG !! All the reports were true. He demanded respect.
The class dynamics changed instantly. Thanks to our "early warning system", we were all in class before time, hydraulic chairs were lowered (in feeble attempts to hide behind the front guy), last minute readings were brushed up (revised several times - just in case you were to be cold called). And if you were picked for the cold call....the class gave long lasting looks, that almost said.... "sigh... it was nice knowing you buddy... we shall not forget you... "
In reality, nothing happened - we all survived the class, some of us - who were better prepared (yes - some of us still read our case studies), came out feeling enriched about what was taught in the class. Those who did not get cold called, promised to themselves in their silent moments - "I will read my case for the next class".
My key learning out of this class/professor was crisp and clear "Demand respect and give respect" That is the healthy way of pulling each other up in their living ways.
Conglomerates
Conglomerates are good things right - they do great stuff. They are huge, they inspire entrepreneurs to spin off 'group of companies' and they generally turn out to be huge empires. Its such a nice feeling to be seen as objects of inspiration.
Well this is what wikipedia has to say about conglomerates
"A conglomerate (pron.: /kəŋˈɡlɒmərɨt/) is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments" - Wikipedia
And this is what the image of a conglomerate actually looks like.
Shocking isn't it !!??, but not far from truth. :p
By definition conglomerate is a collection of related/unrelated business units, put together with a glue called Corporate office. So by mere definition, this is what you turn out to be, unless you bring in (no, not synrgies. Synergies are now a bad word - it connotes conflict of interest - but that is what I mean :) ) a mechanism that adds value from one business to another. In simple maths, if 1+1 is merely going to be 2, then keep them separate - however, if you derive any value that is greater than 2, it is a win-win situation.
Innovation is not a function of time.
During our innovation class, we got into this debate, if innovation is a function of time. While, most of the class was clear, that you cannot put a gun on someone'e head to innovate (and I kinda agree on that), yet for me - innovation is definitely not a function of time - you can get innovation done, even in the shortest period.
Here is a lovely video, of how innovation works...within given time frames. This is open source material picked up from Youtube, (we had a lot more to discuss in our case study though) - but this pretty much sums up my position.
http://youtu.be/M66ZU2PCIcM
Weather.
I have stopped complaining about the weather. All through the week, it remains, bright and sunny and we spend, lovely time in heated, temperature controlled class rooms. Just when weekend is about to start - like after classes on saturday - incomes the rains and snow.
Take a look for yourselves.
Come on !!!
Really - fourth weekend in a row !!!
Key learning
1. Do not just start new business unit, if it is going to be, 1 + 1 = 2.
2. Demand respect from your colleagues, and give respect to them.
3. All ye, who hope for a break over weekends, shalt die in despair.
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