Current Read - Corporate Chanakya

Just grabbed recently from an Airport shop; this book is amongst many books being based on ChanakyaNiti by a revered strategist/mastermind/Kingmaker - Chanakya/Kautilya. The book is not a straight read; but a very comfortable read whenever you get time. I have been reading this during my flights.

The book is being written in such a way that it covers various topics around leader - leadership, business, power, knowledge, actions etc. And the best thing is that unlike various other authors which try to say that Indian Concepts are THE BEST and rest of the world is all bakwaas; this author says both concepts complement each other. And additionally, it also brings in examples from History & Mythology(Ramayana, Mahabharata), Indian Business (JRD, Murthy..),Global Businesses (Jack Welch..) and even movies (Troy, Gladiator..).

A very simple, light on mind, enjoyable book for people interested in management, running businesses and especially wherever there is a need of leading people..

~nits

New perspective to life - Inspiring movies!

Watched 2 english movies a few days ago after a loooong time!

Bucket List
Seven Pounds

And i can tell you that these movies have given me a fresh breath of air in life. Bucket List being a movie talking about living life to the fullest (2 near to death oldies Morgan Freeman & Jack Nicholson; go through a list of things to do before they die (including Skydiving, Car racing, Himalayas and what not). And the dialogues and chemistry is simply awesome. Its a must watch on IMDB also.

On the other hand, Seven Pounds is again another awesome Will Smith movie after Pursuit of Happiness...and wow what a finish; astounding drama unfolding into one of the greatest finishes like my best movie - Shawshank Redemption. Movie again talking about value of human life and helping ppl in trouble.

Had awesome time watching them on my laptap! Just like college days - with maggie, namkeen & Chai!!

Watch these movies and i am sure you gonna get a new perspective if you are wading thru the same job post MBA for last 4 years and are into your mid-lives :)

~nits

Relationships!!!

Munh ki baat sune har koi...dil ke dard ko jaane kaun...aawazon ke baazaro mein khamoshi pehchane kaun??

Marketing Principles @ Home

This post is going to throw a lot of insight into our households; the most neglected parts of all our marketers/sales guys who are outside in field or in offices making strategies to wow our consumers. We can rather learn a lot and apply most of consumer behavior/marketing principles at home only! This post is going to be a revelation of sorts..

Consumer is the King  - Be it your wife or your kid; this is a golden principle for them. Thou shall not follow it shall run great risks. Be it a trip to market or watching a particular channel; your wife and kids are like 'the consumer' and shall be treated like kings and be followed all times for better household hours :)


Customer Service is the key to success and peace - For couple who have just turned parents; they will agree to this principle with respect to their new-borns! Your kid, if not given service at 24 by 7; it will give you nightmares even during the days. Whether having food in the wee hours of the night or trying every trick to entertain the chap is what tells all newly become parents - that Supreme Customer Service for their kids is a MUST.


Customer is always right! - I am sure, all married men shall agree that this principle is the golden principle of marriage. Wife is always right. Thou shall not follow it shall suffer!

More will follow soon...watch this space.

Jagjit Singh remembered...

Apne aankhon ke samunder mein utar jaane de.
Tera mujrim hoon mujhe doob ke mer jaane de.

Few line from one of the ghazals of immortal Jagjit Singh; they now pose a new meaning!!

Missing jagjit at such odd hours. One more..

Gham ka khazana tera bhi hai mera bhi
Yeh afsaana tera bhi hai mera bhi

~nits

2012 - Happy New Year!

On this day, every year; which is actually 1st day of the year; there seems to be unnecessary excitement around people. And thats it!

I have received at least 35-40 SMS today wishing me a happy new year. And to say the truth i havent read any of them. The calls have been replaced by sms; the get-togethers by Facebook pics..and so on.

It all feels so artificial these days! Though, i am not a 'real' well wisher as well. Have not wished a good year today to many myself..

Anyways...another year to move forward to.

And its 2012. I still remember; i think on the same blog i have once written about my pic on business today's cover in 2015 :) How childish i was...playing the flagbearer of marketing in my IIMI days.

But reality is far from functional fights...life is missing. But 'marketing' was life earlier...again how childish at 27 i was..indeed!

Anyways..for ppl who are reading this blog...I Wish you all the happiness, life, success and whatever you desire; out of this planet! Happy new year.

~nits

Work _____________Balance

Stumbled on my own blog after so many years...saw some comments which readers have put in...some talking about dreams, some about IIMI, some about lost friends..

Feeling like writing something...but wheres the time?

Job, Work, Boss, Operations, Phone calls, mails....an MBA changes everything i think now.

Now my gmail/facebook don't get many senders/posters...asking me how am I, what i am upto..and so on. Truth is, even others are caught in this daily run - Getting work done, clearing mails, taking phone calls..

Now my phone rings all the time! And 99.5% all work! Between life - Official and Personal...personal has faded away!!

My family awaits a clean weekend (which has a Saturday...) but not happening. My kid has understood that i am a person who is available post 9 pm on weekdays and more than hourly affair on Sundays.That's exactly like a TV Soap!! Runs on Weekdays at prime time and bigger telecast on Weekend! As i am typing this; i am discovering the same...i have become a soap on an idiot box??

Whats more - There is a bigger idiot box (lid open box) on which i am typing right now and that has become a place i am always available. So much for human touch in this universe.

And not to forget the small screen on my mobile...so it has become 'Smart' and have made fools of us. Its like a tracking device for Bosses to find out - What you are upto...Hmm that's why my company pays the bill!

So much for life, for creativity...?

And, now i feel paradoxical about the name with which this blog is named - 'Creativenits'.

Enough realization to close this post.

~ nits

Some Memories of the past...

Some sad thoughts in my mind are on and yes they belong to Planet I. Some brilliant people we have worked with/learnt from at planet-I during 2006-08. Some of them were -

Nikhil Malhotra - Amazing Guy with all ideosyncracies inbuilt. a new perspective about things and an awesome actor. I remember, when we joined the Theatre Club at planet-I, this guy taught us how to create sound of rain in the common room. Just use finger tips of two hands and clap with them and you have rain gushing all over. And i sai...wow! We even did our first theatre mime act with him! We shared jokes & stuff during our crossover with this different senior at I & remember him even today!

Deepali Bhatia - One of the seniors with ample & diverese experience of journalism, She rocked the Utsaha! Stage we know. She was again an animated character & we saw lot of energy during Utsaha! And we remember her today as well.

Neha Singh - One of our Batchmates, she was the most effervessent girl in our batch & she can talk about anything and everything. We remember little acts of cute girl even today.

Nitesh Agarwal - This was one of the un-talking kind of guy i met and was two rooms past mine on my floor - the N Floor. And most of the times...he was very chill & sombre kinda guy. And we remember him as well.

Today the reality is that we can only remember these guys! They have shared some experience of life with us and then went away! May they come back & share the same energy/enthusiasm with a newer set of friends!

Planet-I or some ppl of planet-I still remember them!

-nits

Movie List - (Depression killers)

Was recommending few movies to my friend..then i thought it would be cool to put the movies i like most in my life...especially movies which inspire you and create a burning desire to achieve your dreams/goals. (Though it is just a thought..some people believe in it..some dont)Anyways hers the list -

Extremely Powerful Movies

The Shawshank Redemption (Life turner for me!!)

The pursuit of Happyness

Cinderella Man

Schindler's List

Brave Heart

Gladiator

Patriot

Its a wonderful Life

Powerful ones..

Men of honour

The Insider

The last Samurai

Seabiscuit

The Fountainhead

Jerry Maguire

Hindi ones

Black

Mein Aazaad Hoon

Swades

Will add more...and also put in ur comments, movies which inspired you! 

Marketing is missing..

Dream lives on & still a dream!

Even after years of persistence to enter the world of ideas, business plans, marketing warfare...the marketing world remains elusive(lost). Why?

Blame the subprime crisis, it rocked US & EU, and had an indirect effect on the economies of the world including india. Indian financial sector has been marred in a way it will take 1-2 years at least to get back to normal. Stock Markets....you already know!!

However, people tend to say that consumer-driven sectors like retail & FMCG should be shielded from such meltdown. This isnt true. Retailers have been hit really hard this year 08-09. Consumer Spending declined given the fears of rising inflation, melting equity market & increasing interest rates! Also, the apparel exports declined like anything as lakhs of workers went without jobs and mills closed given the lost business demand from US & EU.

What else, 26/11 happened and drove away consumers from shopping malls, giving them a run for thier invested money (rentals, inventories, promotions...). Diwali season was a 'Diwala (bancruptcy) situation. SALE SALE SALE...everything was on sale...but what got sold were those banks in Us & EU...including the prestigious 'Lehman Brothers'!!

And now the latest from India itself...to add to all the worries...'Rajugate' - 'Satyam' got its balance sheets fudged & kept running in the inflated fashion for 7 years...The only problems i have with Mr Raju...is that why this time only - to clear the burden on your conscience! - To put us in burden....??? So, 53000 people might soon be in the run for a better job...er rather for a job! Raju will not be associated with 'Chacha' anymore!

Given these times...MTs are yet to get into some meaningful profiles - personally i have been through cost-cutting task forces, Rental negotiations, Warehouses, Logistics, Competition Scan, Product Cycle Project and blah blah blah....

Marketing is still elusive,....and the dream continues!! Long live Kotler!

~ Nits