Some Insightful Insights to the MBA Interns

Subrahmanyam Ganti What You need to Pursue? It is generally said that one-fifth of the people on this planet are against everything all the time. So, you should always be an integral part of the purposeful majority of the four-fifths. We all live under the same sky but our horizons are all different. As a result, most of the change we see in life is due to truth being in and out of favour in the world. As young managers, you should reflect and lead that progressive change as you are partly its product. But in the name of change, never throw away hastily any traditions or conventions as they are the result of the experience of several generations before yours. Learning is a natural human trait. In the act of learning, transfer of useful knowledge takes place from the teacher to the taught. A necessary and sufficient condition for this transfer to take place is that the teacher himself/herself should continually be learning. Rabindranath Tagore said, Unless a candle burns its own flame it cannot light another candle. The teacher can only load the minds of the taught with dead past information but cannot quicken them if the teacher himself/herself is not continually acquiring additional knowledge. Similarly, responsibility is like a string whose middle is visible but both ends are out of sight. If you know where you are heading, you will always make headway and-see both ends of the string- you reach your goals provided you keep in mind always that: When you are right, Nobody knows it; When you are wrong, The news spreads strong. (Anonymous) Knowing this fully well, never speak ill of others because if you do, it amounts to a dishonest way of praising yourself. It is also well known that management is the art of drawing sufficient inferences from insufficient premises. In this art of management, you should always remember that there is information overload around you. Reduce this overload cautiously by keeping in view that: Information is just a guide; But, one thing you decide, On its usefulness to Job, Or shun it as gibe. (Anonymous)

What Environment You need to Create? Beware of a pessimistic view that is gaining currency in the world today and that is: The probability of anything useful happening is inversely proportional to its desirability. Your mission as a manager is to inverse this inverse proportionality. Then only you will be immensely trusted to lead. Avoid the reeking herd and shun the polluted flock but emulate the gait of a peacock. The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be willing to be ruined by a pound of praise than saved by a cent of criticism. Truth is that praise is for the performance and not for the person. Always remember the mathematical logic of the Nature and it is that It loves you and all the others also, implying that you should love your fellow human beings. It is equivalent of saying that if A=B and B=C, then A=C .But if you fail to appreciate the others, it amounts to saying that A is not equal to C which is violation of the Natures Logic. What You need to do? Youth is glorious, but it is not a career. It is generally observed that work is less boring than wondering. So, never-ever complain about work unless it is trivial. It is said that one cannot live by incompetence alone. One requires laziness to keep company so that there will be no spare time nor bother as to what to do next. Laziness travels so slowly that low level life soon overtakes it. So, work hard. Hard work is considered to be the hallmark of all progress and prosperity. Hard work alone can create the so-called talent. In this connection remember the words of Albert Einstein: Genius is 98 % perspiration and only 2% inspiration. So, do not get tired of hard work so easily. If you are tempted to slip into relaxing, think of the Bee. It is always busy because it cannot Buzz any slower. So emulate the Being of the Bee. Management by objectives is pursuing the organizational objectives with self control. It works provided you make it operational in terms of dovetailing your own personal objectives into the framework of objectives of your organization in congruence with the social objectives. At the same time as a Business Bee you need to take a good amount of rest because rest is half work. Unless you rest you bust. But rest is defined as change of pace and type of work you do. Rest does not mean doing nothing. If you wrongly view rest as relaxing and doing nothing, then it is not rest, it is rust. Productive knowledge will never be created if we do not infuse higher standards into the so-called higher education. So, insist on better standards in all what you learn. In this endeavor of yours, the following pebbles of wisdom will come handy and stand in good stead for you if you internalize them in your disposition as an MBA Intern and as a trusted human being.

50 Pebbles of Wisdom*

Five Avoids
1. Avoid staring while looking While one needs to carefully observe another in order to gather and interpret ones non-verbal communication to make communication more effective, it is important not to stare as that can create a great deal of awkwardness between two persons. This can be achieved by taking in the larger picture rather than constantly focusing on the individual. 2. Avoid not eye contact Avoiding eye contact is usually believed to be a sign of hiding something or being guilty. However, one may deliberately avoid eye contact to signal hurt or anger or to hide ones emotion from the other person(s). 3. Avoid opinionated points of view In written communication, avoid categorical or opinionated points of view in the context of written communication and doing so becomes in fact all the more crucial unlike in oral communication, where it might go unnoticed. In written communication it might result in greater alienation of the audience. 4. Avoid plagiarism Any source from which matter has been taken (either as verbatim or as a summary) should be acknowledged by providing references to that or as quotes in the body of the text or through footnotes and a references list at the end. 5. Avoid going beyond your audiences abilities. Make points that do not go over your audiences heads. Be aware of the audience you are speaking to. The medium needs to be chosen, as per its suitability to the audience, while the content would need tempering as per the medium. For example, while an elaborate message can be sent via a letter, email, sms, the same content may have to be heavily edited for the audience. Like all effective communication, good writing is said to occur when the gap between what one desires to say and what one is constrained to mean is negligible. *Several of these Pebbles are Rediff downloads modified to read simpler for the MBA Interns. My thanks go to the Rediff participants.

One Beware 6. Beware of Personal Hygiene Personal hygiene has to be taken care of as it otherwise can prove to be very offensive to the others if not controlled. One needs to be aware of this to solve it as it otherwise can result in people shying away from you. It can even damage ones chances of entry into or ones growth in the organization. Four Concerns 7. Carrying oneself One should carry oneself in a manner that reflects elegance. This requires an erect but not stiff posture. Walking with steps that are comfortable constitutes elegant walking. Do not slouch nor stride nor drag feet. 8. Comfortable formal wear Even among the types of formal wear available, one needs to choose a type that one is comfortable with. Wearing uncomfortable clothes not only affects the overall impression about a person, but can also affect ones confidence and ones ability to communicate effectively. 9. Crossing of hands In some cultures, crossing of hands is viewed to reflect a closed mindset and unwillingness to consider the other persons point of view. One should therefore observe the reaction of the other to the crossing of hands and should avoid it, if it is being interpreted as resistance. 10. Covering the audience It is important to keep ones composure, while in a conversation, by looking at a member of the audience, with whom one is comfortable or who reflects a friendly disposition. Also it is also important to gradually shift ones gaze to cover the entire audience, to prevent alienating them. Dont lose out on your audience. One Destined not

11 Destiny is your creation

God has created you, but management is your job. Whatever you feel like doing you may do it but do not call it your destiny. You are created unlimited and only that is your destiny. Think dignified and act dignified. Then, people around you cannot help but trust you. If you do not do what you can do, then you are a tragedy.

Three Etiquettes 12. Etiquette in non-verbal communication In verbal communication, it is simpler to follow etiquettes. In nonverbal communication the issue gets more complicated. This is because there is large cultural variation in various non-verbal cues, though a majority of them may be common across cultures. Most individuals are not particularly aware of their non-verbal communication and this may create miscommunication or even inadvertently offend another individual. For example, while walking hand in hand with a person of the same gender is looked upon as an indication of friendship in India, it is seen as indicative of a same sex relationship in most European countries. 13. Etiquette in yawning It is important to suppress a yawn or at least cover ones mouth while yawning. Otherwise, it reflects a complete lack of seriousness and is considered simply rude. 14. Etiquette ensuring connectivity The content of a piece of writing should reflect fluency and should be connected through a logical flow of thought to prevent misinterpretation. Also, care should be taken to ensure that the flow is not brought about through a deliberate use of connectives (like therefore, also, but etc.) as this makes the piece extremely uninteresting and unnecessarily compounding. Two Formats 15. Flicking, turning of the head Flicking is making sudden quick movements of your head especially. It can be interpreted as being dismissive of or unconcerned about the other and so should be avoided. 16. Focus on Writing Formats There are several formal writing forms that have universally accepted formats. The format that is largely based on universal writing conventions, serves to facilitate communication, by eliminating scope for miscommunication. These formats are likely to change with time. For example, the semi-block format that was earlier the most relied upon format for letter writing has now given way to the full block format, after the widespread use of computers. 17. Creativity In order to hold the readers attention one needs to infuse creativity in order to avoid monotony in the case of all detailed writing that seeks to hold the readers attention. Creativity, however, does not involve only humour. It defines the style of the communicator

18.One Guide Serve as a guiding example to others whenever and wherever an occasion arises. It is the first step towards providing leadership in every profession. Three Handiquettes 19. Fidgeting Fidgeting is making quick movements of parts of your body, especially hands. It is indicative of nervousness and can be easily prevented by keeping ones hands resting alongside ones body, if one is standing and resting them on ones feet, if one is sitting. 20. Hand movements Though hand movements enhance verbal communication, excessive or unsynchronized hand movements can be distracting. They can lead to toppling of things, hitting another person etc. leading to embarrassment. Be aware of the way your hands move. They can cause confusion and embarrassment. 21. Hand shakes Handshakes need to be firm and not too brief nor too long in order to communicate warmth or friendliness. One should also avoid holding the other persons hand too strongly as it can create discomfort to the other person. A handshake usually makes or breaks the deal. Ensure you get it right. Seven Importances 22. Importance of facial expressions It is important to make sure that the emotions one reflects should be in sync with what one is saying. A variation in the words used and the emotions displayed can confuse the interviewer or observer. Make sure your face conveys what you want to say. 23. Importance of Gestures Most cultures have varied gestures that have different meanings. Gestures may be varied in the context of culturally acquired meanings, manner of greeting, gender orientation, etc. One needs to be sensitive to these cultural variations. For instance, while hugging and kissing on the cheeks is a common form of greeting in some parts of the world, even with members of the opposite gender, when they are meeting the first time. It may offend the sensibilities of some. So be sensitive to the local culture, especially while interacting with a person of the opposite gender. 24. Importance of English in communication Improper grammar and unnecessary punctuation should be avoided. Similarly, wrong spellings reflect a careless attitude on the part of the

writer. Make sure to use either British or American spellings. The issue can be avoided by setting the language of the laptop / computer to English (UK) or English (US) as desired. 25. Importance of not being offered a seat Very often, especially during an interview, the interviewer deliberately does not offer a seat, attempting to use it to gauge the nervousness of the other person. It is better at such times to remain standing with feet at a comfortable distance to avoid strain. If you are not offered a seat during an interview, it is probably for a reason. After a couple of minutes in that posture you may ask may I heave a seat sir/ madam. 26. Importance of silence Silence can be used to achieve several objectives and hence it needs to be used with utmost care. Otherwise it is greatly prone to misinterpretation. One may either be too astounded by what one hears or may pause to reflect upon / gather ones thoughts on the topic under consideration. This is referred to as falling silent. If one keeps silent in any formal situation even after asked for ones opinion then, that silence is taken as offence. Silence may be used to reflect agreement. For example, if after a long discussion if someone were to say, so I guess we should go ahead and the other person keeps silent, then it could be taken as consent. 27. Importance of keeping a neutral face In all formal situations it is important not to display ones emotions as that may serve to alarm, alienate or cause anguish to the other persons. One should be able to keep a neutral face on all such occasions. 28. Importance of maintaining eye contact It is crucial to maintain an eye contact with the person communicating with you. One needs to look essentially at the person(s) with whom one is communicating, rather than trying to look askance. Similarly, one should not let ones attention wander away from the person. 29. Joke not In all formal (official) situations avoid cutting jokes and avoid incurring the displeasure (wrath) of others in the situation. 30. Know what you are talking and who your are talking to When conversing with elders, your teachers, you recruiters etc., fully understand the language you are using.Do not use uncommon acronyms/email English.

31. Learn to listen Learn to listen patiently and lead to last professionally. 32 Monotony Monotony is talking or lecturing without creating interest in the subject and hence should be avoided always. Reading out statistics or talking without modulation in the voice is an example of monotony. Monotony makes your listener morose. Morph your metaphors and simliies to make what you speak very lively and interesting to the audience. 33 Naivity to be shed Naivity means childish innocence and shed it in all formal occasions. A nave person is one without any wordly knowledge. You are definitely not a nave person. Naivity is also synonymous with simpleton. 34 Obstinate never Avoid being obstinate in group discussions,interviews,presentations etc unless you have empirical evidence to provide in support of your point. Otherwise being obstinate might lead to loss of job opportunities. Obstinacy, obstrusiveness and obstresperous behaviour all imply arrogance. So shed all such angularities.

Three Postures
35. Pointing Pointing in an obvious way is often considered rude generally. It is preferable to indicate with the eyes or a slight nod of the head in the desired direction. One should also be careful that one uses the index finger rather than any other in pointing. In a Power point presentation, it is important to use a pointer (a stick) or a laser indicator, while drawing attention to an important aspect of the PPT. Keep more power in your ponts. Never let the PPTs exceed ten in number. PPTs shall contain bullet points only and no cluttered paragraphs. 36. Poise To maintain and reflect balance, it is important to keep the feet at a distance that is in line with ones shoulders, so that one can shift ones weight, without moving around too much or causing distraction of attention. 37. Proximity How close one can stand or sit to another, in formal situations, varies across cultures and genders. Most people find it uncomfortable if a person of the opposite gender is standing or sitting too close, while interacting. Similarly standing or sitting too far apart may give the wrong impression. Als0, if one is standing too close to a person, who is

sitting, it may give an impression of overbearing nature. Dont stand too close nor too far. 38. Queue Wherever and whenever the situation calls for, get into the habit of forming a queue orstanding in a queue and help prompting others also to do the same. 39. Rudeness Do not speak in a commanding voice or loud voice. It amounts to being rude. Rudeness is interpreted as the defensive posture by a weak person. Three Sensitivities 40. Sensitivity to the audience One needs to be sensitive to the nature of the audience in choosing the vocabulary, content, illustrations, formats and medium of communication. A discomfort in respect of these in the audience would hamper communication. Dont take your audience for granted. Make sure they understand what youre talking about. 41. Sitting posture While it is important to ensure that one is sitting comfortably, one should resist spreading out on the chair as it indicates sloppiness. Similarly, unnecessarily do not lean forward as that can make the other person uncomfortable. It is bad manners. Also sitting on the edge of the chair can reflect nervousness. Similarly, one should avoid shifting too much as it can indicate discomfort In the case of ladies, one can cross ones legs, if they remain joined together. Dont sit like youve just got out of bed. 42. Steering clear of short forms and structuring People may not be aware of the meaning of various short forms and may thus find it difficult to interpret them. Short forms can at times be culture-specific or even organization-specific and may, thus, unnecessarily complicate the communication. Tempering test 43. Temper the content formality-centric The level of formality that is shared between the sender of a written message and the receiver of it should define the use of salutations, the vocabulary, the content, the format and even the medium in a letter. Courtesy helps in creating a balanced impression about the communicator. Temper the content as per the level of formality between you two.

44. Unfolding is wrong When you are in an interview or group discussion or dialoguing with boss / your senior, please do not rest your hands on the others table. It amounts to disrespecting the others. 45. Beware of Vicious circles Every easy grade you score without efforts marks out your unemployability at placement courts. This gets you into a low level life of a vicious circle. 46 Wear Formals When attending formal group discussions and interviews, be attired in formal dress. For boys generally blue shirt and a pair of black pants, if not a tuxedo and a tie. Similarly, attend office in regular formal dress. Boys shall never wear a pink or a dashy dress when you go out. While at home, it is your choice. 47. Work is worship Do not make hard work a joke. If you do, just remember the oak. Only hard work stands you in good stead. Work is equivalent to worship. 48. No Gebra-phobia When you read a book you read with the mind of the author but not with yours. Then go beyond and use your mind and your analytical skills to extend what the author has said in the book. Go beyond the books with cases and shed xenophobia of quants. Acquire quants as your adorable tools to create comparative advantage for you. 49. Avoid yapping and yahing In your interviews and formal conversation totally avoid using yap or yah instead of yes. If you do not avoid these in interviews, it amounts to bad manners. It is akin to your boat yawing on high seas and getting you into trouble. 50. Be zappy and zealy During the two years of your MBA Program, stay clear to conduct yourself as a Management Trainee,(MBA Intern) Always live lively and make the two-year stay an excitingly a zappy and zealy sojourn.

Five Career Needs of Every Professional: Finally, here are five career needs propounded by a management guru for your career creation and development. They are:(i) self learning;(ii) self assessment;(iii) peer discussions;(iv) career counseling and (v) look before you leap. Self learning is already emphasized earlier as an ongoing process. Career advancement requires structured form of learning. You need to identify the competency requirements of your career-life at every stage and acquire them for diligent deployment as and when necessary. Self assessment is essential to guide you as to where you stand in comparison with your peers/others in interviews for job promotions etc. Peer discussions are essential for building social capital via sharing experiences etc. and social capital in turn enhances the reputation and performance of the organization you are working for. Career counseling- receiving professional mentoring- is required for every one from time to time to identify where exactly one is located on the professional path. Remember, career path is the road map of your career. You need to look before you leap. You need to be clear about the growth path and growth potential of the job you leap into. Sure, monetary considerations weigh considerably; but they should be part of a secondary criterion. Money without the career potential is akin to having an AUDI to drive on rural roads. So, make career potential as the top criterion for a great leap forward. Five Effective Executive Habits: Once you are firmly placed on your career path, make sure you cultivate five effective habits. They are: (i) Know where your time goes; (ii) Focus on results rather than the rigmarole of work; (iii) Build on your and your organizations strengths; (iv) Focus on a few strategic areas; and (v) Make effective decisions to remain transparent and trustworthy. Five Managerial Mind-Sets: The world of the manager is radiant enough to requiring the ability to synthesize insights from five distinctly different mind-sets. They are: active, reflective, collaborative, worldly and analytical mind-sets. The manager needs to be action-oriented to fulfill the task guided by a thoughtful sequence of steps. Then a networking and collaborative approach is essential followed by a worldly or smart mindset without which nothing can be accomplished in this world. Finally, an analytical and logical mindset has to provide the basic rationality to achieve success. -----------------------------$$$$$$$-------------------------------