Become Mediocre or Open the Eyes of Others to Mediocrity

Imagine a few conversations like these in various organizational set-ups:

Conversation 1 between two employees

Employee A (Senior Manager): This is outstanding! I think this approach is what we should be taking hence forth. It is effective and gives us the results. Don’t you agree M?

Employee M (Reporting to A): Yes A, this is a great way to do things. But this is something that I had done two years back. I thought you would know that it is not new and we have doing something like this in the past. 

Conversation 2 between two employees

Employee B: There is this new way of doing marketing. There is a case study that exists out there. You should check it out. 

Employee M: You are getting amazed by this new way? I thought you would be aware of this new way since a long while and hence I never even discussed this with you. 

Employee B: No, this is new stuff for me. I wasn’t aware. This is quite cool. 

These are just a few examples of a few conversations. There would be many more that would be taking place on a regular basis in some of your organisations. 

While lack of awareness of a new tool or a new way is understandable and different people get to know about it at different times, but the problem starts appearing when one of the employee uses a certain tool or way of doing things and assumes that it is no big deal and not worth talking about, whereas the same tool or approach then gets lauded by various people in the company some time later when someone informs about its utility and how they have leveraged such a method. 

The question that comes to mind is ‘Who should be blamed? Should it be the employee who did not talk about his new approach and make a big hoo-hah about it or should it be the other employees who suddenly express surprise and amazement at an idea or a method that the other employee has been using and implementing for quite a while without bothering about talking about it?’

The fact of the matter is that there is so much of mediocrity all around the system that everyone delivers and works basis that standard of mediocrity, and then that standard or approach becomes a norm. This norm then gets broken by two kinds of people:

1. A person who is above the mediocre level and who doesn't follow the norm but rather does certain breakthrough ideas that go beyond the norm. For him, these breakthrough ideas also appear to be so obvious that he forgets to even talk about them or sell his approach to the organization. 

2. A mediocre person who picks up one of the breakthrough idea from somewhere, quite a while since it has been in use and them is amazed at the results that he achieves from such an idea that he tells everyone about this idea. 

A person who is above the mediocre level gets frustrated at two points:

1. When he sees others around him living, thriving and enjoying the mediocrity without bothering to change. This person then goes ahead and implements his ideas to get results, but even these ideas seem so obvious that he forgets to make a story about it. 

2. When he sees a mediocre person, suddenly waking up to a new and better style of working and then taking the appreciation of all his peers and seniors for changing the norm and style within the organization. It is usually this person who walks away with all the adulation, promotion and the tag of being a ‘Genius.’

If this person wants to get out of this frustration trap, he has two choices: Either to become mediocre like everyone else or open the eyes of others to mediocrity by showcasing his ideas, his approach and his style to the world. 

What that also means is that, if he is a genius who thinks that what he is doing is nothing but mundane, which everyone ought to be doing anyway, then he should stop thinking of his work as mundane and project and sell his work to the organization so that this malaise of mediocrity can be ridden of, and this genius can get what he ought to deserve.

So here’s to a new year of 2015, a year where the mediocre move up and the genius move down so that the entire organization benefits!

MEETING MEN AND WOMEN ON A FARM

Relationship status messages on Facebook, matrimonial sites, dating apps…they are all there around us. If you are single or even if you are not, choices exist for you if you are willing to put in the time and effort that comes along with it. 

Today men and women or even people of the same sex can meet each other through various platforms and see what they can make of these meetings/dates/rendezvous, call it whatever you want. 

Depending on what you are looking for, you can decide on which part of the FARM do you want to be. FARM. Did I just mention FARM? Have I lost it? Till a paragraph back, I was talking about men and women and how they can mingle with each other through various platforms and then suddenly why would I be talking about an agricultural piece of land FARM?

Now now, before you start thinking that I am drunk in the afternoon, let me explain myself. Basis my understanding and observation of human behavior, I have come across four levels at which people want to connect with someone else. I have put these four into a term that I call FARM.

So what does FARM entail? 

FARM consists of a Fling, Affair, Relationship and Marriage.

Different people at different point in their lives choose one of these parts of a FARM. Sometimes it is the same two people who are on different parts of the FARM but quite often, one of the two individuals are different at different parts of the farm. 

How do I further classify these parts and what distinguishes one from the other?

FLING: A fling is a short term event or incident. It usually lasts for a few days and extends sometimes to a month or so. In most cases, a fling has lust at its core unless it starts with the honest intention of a relationship, but due to circumstances or reasons it ends much earlier and ends up being a fling. Quite often, both the individuals knowingly get into a fling, where usually terms like ‘No Strings Attached’ are also heard. I am sure that all you readers are smart individuals and I do not need to explain a fling any further. 

AFFAIR: An affair is usually something that is meant to be known only to the two individuals. Both the parties choose to be discreet about it and do not prefer talking about it or coming out in the open. There is also the fear of getting caught that lies at the core of an affair. Some people get thrilled by living such an emotion and is one of their big reasons to have an affair. Usually, there is an emotion of guilt that is always playing a role when it comes to an affair. That is why, you also hear the term called Extra-Marital Affair.

RELATIONSHIP: This is where emotions start getting involved. You start connecting with the other person on various levels: emotional, intellectual, romantic, physical etc. People call themselves in love when they are in a relationship and love is the core of this segment. People love going out for movies, dinners and dates and have no qualms in telling the world about their partner, their boyfriend/girlfriend. This is the phase when people are glowing and are the happiest. They look forward to the time that they would spend with their partner. 

MARRIAGE: This is the last part of a FARM. A lot of relationships gravitate towards this part and culminate into marriages. This is the part where legality also comes and starts playing a role. This is the part where individuals become an official couple by calling themselves husband and wife, which is like a seal of commitment. 

So friends, these four together represent the FARM and the question is “Which part of the FARM are you sitting at?”

Completion of a Decade: 10 Years and this is where we are!

It was the second half of 2003 and most of us were worried of what lies ahead. Within a few months, our two year Post Graduation Programme would come to an end and each one of us was keen to get placed. With a batch size of 88 students, everyone had their share of fear, doubts, nervousness and all the other feelings that one gets before an important exam! There were questions on which companies would come on campus and which would not. There were meetings that took place with the Placement Committee where tempers ran high, with each one expressing his or her insecurity disguised in the form of a loud tone or argumentative statement. 

Today, as I write this, I smile at all of that as a decade has passed since we graduated. 

I smile at the fear that we had within us. There were questions that popped in each of our heads like:

• ‘Will I get a job?’
• ‘Will I be able to earn decently?’
• ‘I love brands. Will I be able to manage brands ever?’
• ‘Advertising is my love. Will companies allow me to show my creative or strategic side?’

All these questions and many more have been answered and have lost relevance. With the completion of a decade, when I look around, I see my batch mates and my people from my senior batch who have done phenomenally well across companies, countries, sectors, industries and brands. I see people with wonderful careers.

There are some who took the plunge and went the entrepreneurial route, few others who have been with their first company till date, there are some who still felt that they wanted to study more and went ahead and did another course/another programme, a few decided to get married and stay at home, a few decided to become writers. Some even managed to get very senior roles in the organisations that they are working for. 

So depending on who is looking at them with what lens, their level of success may differ as measurement of success is always relative and a point of perspective. How you see someone and how I see someone may be completely different and each one’s point of view is true in their own eyes. 

According to me, all of us have done quite well and all the trepidation that existed back then was useless. I remember going back to MICA a couple of years back as a Guest Speaker in the Alumni meet and I was asked to share my journey with the students. I said “Irrespective of whatever I may share about my journey, the reality is that all of you will find or create your own paths and ten years down the line, when you do look back, you will be proud of the distance that you have travelled. At that point of time, whatever I am saying today will seem like a distant memory in the past as no one else except you yourself will be able to decide where you reach and how you feel about that journey!”

Personally, it feels great to have completed a decade of corporate life. I know that I have a long way to go ahead, the destination is still far away but I am enjoying the ride, enjoying the wind as I traverse this journey with no idea of what lies ahead. 

I also feel happy, inspired and delighted to see some of my friends doing work which I know that I can’t even imagine doing and it feels wonderful to see each of them continuing on their beautiful journey where they cross different milestones at different phases at their own pace. 

I would conclude by saying:

Completion of a Decade: 10 Years and this is where we are!

Formula for a Successful Movie

If you are a film-maker and you have reached this blog with the hope of getting the magic potion that will help you in delivering the next block buster, let me tell you that you will find nothing of that sort in this article. 

Calm down. Now don’t curse me if my first paragraph has left you disappointed Mr. Film Maker. Because what I will offer in this blog is a view from a common man who loves his movies and the experience that they deliver. And who knows…maybe that is what you are seeking!

Over the last few years, there have been a number of films that have filled the coffers of the producers as they turned out to be super hits. Each one had its own story, script, acting, music and other reasons for success. I do not want to delve into that. 

The thought for this blog struck me after I saw the movie Queen – the latest hit from Kangana Ranaut. Here was a movie that everyone was raving about, people were urging others to go and see it, and the movie was picking momentum week after week through word of mouth. 

After watching this movie, while I was still trying to play in my mind the various scenes and the reason for its success, a pattern emerged in front of me. Two more movie names popped in my head – Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai. I could see a common thread between the three movies. 

Think for a moment about these three movies. Does any common thread strike you as well?

Yes, the common theme for all three movies was ‘Escape’. Escape from the mundane life, escape from a crisis situation, escape from your own feelings. 

Queen had Kangana travelling to Europe to escape and get her head out from the messy situation that she had gotten into because of her wedding being called off. 

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara had the three actors escape from their regular life and jobs to an exotic holiday to experience something new. 

Dil Chahta Hai had three escape situations. The first escape happens when the three friends decide to escape from boredom by going ahead for a holiday to Goa. The second escape happens when Aamir Khan leaves for Australia after a tiff with his friends. The third escape takes place when Aamir comes back to India to escape from the thoughts of Preity Zinta. 

Of course, just taking ‘Escape’ as a theme is no sure shot way to make a film work and nor was that the case in these three movies either. A powerful script, screenplay, acting and flow were crucial to the success of all three of them. 

But the key point that I want to make here is that the audiences lapped up these movies and came to see it again and again. This is where ‘Escape’ starts playing a key role. Human beings love to get out of the rut and experience something new, travel, see a new place, try a new activity - something which they always want to do or would love to do but circumstances, time or money does not allow them to do it as often as they would love to. 

These three movies allowed them to experience that ‘Moment of Escape’ that they crave for. Those three hours in a movie hall made people travel along with the lead actors. And when a movie makes you travel and become a part of journey, it touches a chord deep inside, it moves people and what people experience at the end of a movie is pure enjoyment. They want their friends and families to experience this emotion as well and that is why they recommend others to go for such a movie. 

I am not sure whether you agree or disagree, but to me this came out as a strong and common theme across these three movies.

Share Your Goodness – Motto for Life

“Ensure that there are enough seconds dedicated to the product window”.

“You have to show consumption of the product and make it an integral part of the story”.

These are just some of the regular statements that an agency is used to hearing from the client, which the agency calls the client’s rants. 

But these statements hold true when you are doing regular advertising for a product brand where the objectives are the usual marketing objectives of building awareness, generating trials and driving sales. 

And then comes a time, a moment, an opportunity where a company decides to be courageous. It decides to break status quo, go against the conventional route of marketing and advertising and decides to launch a campaign with a thought and a philosophy that makes you sit back and reflect. It takes all the cultural and societal truths and weaves a story around those truths without making the story trivial by getting brands or products integrated into it like a force fit. 

To understand what I am saying, let me share the new film from Nestlé India on their Corporate Campaign #ShareYourGoodness:

                                                               Share Your Goodness Film

The beauty of the film is its simplicity and the power of this film hits one after some time. It makes one realize the importance of food in our lives and how sharing of food is beyond just a gesture. It is an act that transmits feelings and allows forming bonds for life. It makes one reflect on all the times when one has bonded over food and exchanged lessons on life over a plate of dinner or a cup of tea. 

What is truly magical about this film is the fact that by taking food as the medium, this film talks about issues like: adoption, girl child and integrating people from North East into the fabric of a family and all of this is done quite seamlessly. 

A campaign like #ShareYourGoodness would have been incomplete by just making a commercial of this thought. Nestlé India had to bring that thought alive through an act and Nestlé India chose the Mumbai Dabbawallas as a medium to activate this philosophy.

#ShareYourGoodness truly gained meaning when the Mumbai Dabbawallas were appreciated for the work that they do through a Goodness Box in gratitude for their unrelenting and selfless act throughout the year. 

Watch this video to see this activation:

                                                                Mumbai Dabbawalas

Despite being an employee of Nestlé India as well as a marketing professional, I would like to say Thank You to everyone involved in making this film and reminding us that Share Your Goodness does not have to be a tag line for a campaign but rather a Motto For Life.

Zindagi Tere Kadmon Mein

                                             

Few days back, I had gone for camping and paragliding and I had this beautiful view in front of me, where I could see the mountains, a lovely lake and the sun rise. 

As I stood there, mesmerized with the beauty of the nature, a few lines started coming into my head. Here are those lines written in English (Hindi words) as well as Hindi:

Zindagi tere kadmon mein le aayee hai mujhe,
Ab yeh bataa isse zyaada kya doon tujhe.

Yahaan aake aisa laga ki jannat mil gayee
Isse pehle toh yeh Zindagi yu hi chalti rahi.

Suraj ki har Kiran lage ummeed ki nayee asha,
Ab se karenge wahi jo dil chahega, duniya chahe kahe usse tamasha.

Behte hue paani mein bhi ek sthirta hai,
Darr mat kyunki har kaamyaab admi udaan bharne se pehle ek baar toh girta hai.

Pahaad ki uss chhoti ko jaake chhoone Ka mann karta hai,
Bas tu apni rah pe chal, bekaar ka hi darta hai.

Andhere mein toh teri sundarta bhi nazar nahi aati,
Phir main kaun hoon yeh soch mujhe kyun hai sataati.

Nazar jahaan tak hai jaati, Tera hi raaj hai,
Dekhne main tujhe aaya kyunki tu hi mera aaj hai.

Jeevan ki kayee seekh yahan se le jaunga,
Dhanyawaad dene tujhe ab jeetne ke baad hi aaunga.


Hindi:
जिंदगी तेरे कदमों में ले आई है मुझे,
अब ये बता इस्से ज़्यादा क्या दूं तुझे |

यहां आके ऐसा लगा की जन्नत मिल गयी
इस्से पहले तो ये जिंदगी यूँ ही चलती रही |

सूरज की हर किरण लगे उम्मीद की नयी आशा,
अब से करेंगे वही जो दिल चाहेगा, दुनिया चाहे कहे उसे तमाशा |

बहते हुए पानी में भी एक स्थिरता है,
डर मत क्यूंकी हर कामयाब आदमी उड़ान भरने से पहले एक़ बार तो गिरता है |

पहाड़ की उस चोटी को जाके छूने को मन करता है,
बस तू अपनी राह पे चल, बेकार का ही डरता हैं |

अँधेरे में तो तेरी सुंदरता भी नज़र नही आती,
फिर मैं कौन हूँ, ये सोच मुझे क्यूं है सताती |

नज़र जहाँ तक है जाती, तेरा ही राज है,
देखने मैं तुझे आया, क्यूंकी तू ही मेरा आज है |

जीवन की काई कयि सीख यहाँ से ले जाऊँगा,

धन्यवाद देने तुझे अब जीतने के बाद ही आऊँगा |

2014: #55WordStory Themes - Set 1

Theme: Curiosity

She had two passions in life – writing and film gossip. To pursue these, she applied for the role of a film magazine journalist.

At the interview, the Editor asked her about her biggest strength for this role and her response was: ‘Curiosity to find out what is happening in their lives.’

Theme: Reading

"Pursue your passion and enjoy your hobbies." said the professor on the last day of the graduation ceremony.

"Oh that's easy for me. My passion is the same as my hobby. Reading." said Malini to her friend Beena.

"That's interesting. In my case, it is writing. So I will write and you read." laughed Beena.

Theme: Allure

The dance floor was crowded. Her shining nose ring was the first thing that caught his attention through the smoke from the smoke machines. She turned towards him and her kohl eyes were alluring enough for him to get mesmerized. The sixth drink was enough for him to mistake a mannequin for a beautiful lady.

Theme: Video Game

Shalini was seething with rage and waiting for her husband Rajiv.

Her suspicions made her check the browser history of Rajiv and she found words like 'Infidelity and Sex'.

Rajiv came home with a box of cake and announced 'Honey. Months of hard work has paid off. My new video-game will be called 'Sex & Infidelity'.

Theme: Neck

He felt it on his neck first. He ignored it. He then felt it on his arms and he couldn't ignore it any longer.

He was visiting the same place where he had spent many memorable moments with her and today, when she was not with him, he was getting goosebumps all over his body.

Theme: Quintessence

Salil got his big break when he secured the role of Vice-President in a leading MNC. But he was surprised at the culture of the company, where even Vice-Presidents couldn't have a difference of opinion with the CEO. This was quintessentially coming from the subconscious mindset of Indians due to years of ruling by the British.

Theme: Social Media

I knew I wanted to do something like this. There was always the urge, but wasn't aware of the source. A place where like-minded people could talk on a similar topic but with different perspectives. Social Media got me on Twitter and made me find the #55wordstory theme and have been addicted to it since then.

Theme: Date

The argument was heating up between Sonu and Bhola.

"Mango is the best fruit in the world" said Sonu

"No. Watermelon is the best fruit in the world." argued Bhola

"Let us ask Radhika. She knows better." spoke Sonu

"There is no fruit better than date." said Radhika and walked out of the room casually.

2014: A Year where no Resolutions shall be broken

Happy New Year Readers.

As I hit the road called '2014', I can see 2013 in the rear view mirror going further into the opposite direction. Very soon, it won't be visible but it shall be remembered as the road I traveled on. 

This is the time of the year when people will try to make resolutions and try to live up to those resolutions for a short while before letting go and waiting for another year to give it another attempt.

I realized the futility of resolutions a few years back and was constantly pondering over what I should be doing to do the things I want to do without the fear or the guilt of breaking my resolutions. That’s when I wrote my blog at the start of 2013 called 2013: No Resolutions. Just Follow the Es. (http://fugleman.blogspot.in/2013/01/2013-no-resolutions-just-follow-es.html)

This approach was very helpful and allowed me to go ahead and do so many things without bothering about breaking resolutions. In the year 2014, I would like to continue with the same approach and the same model called the ‘E Model’ but with a different set of Es as it is a dynamic model that keeps evolving with every passing year. 

So what is this ‘E Model’ and why will it ensure that I do not break any resolution? The simple reason for that is because this model allows you and encourages you to do more and achieve more rather than restrain yourself.

Without further explanations, let me list down my ‘E Model’ for 2014:

1. Experience – Life is all about experiences and I like to call myself a Collector of Experiences. To me, an experience is a vast word that comprises of many things. Travelling and exploring new places is an experience as much as going to a new restaurant is. Trying a new adventure sport is as much an experience as attempting to learn a new language is. Reading a new genre is as much an experience as writing a novel is. I am sure that you have got the gist of what an experience can really mean. Experience is nothing less than an ocean that has been formed by small and big moments, which have turned into memories, to create an experience. For me, that ocean still needs lots and lots of such moments which I shall be collecting throughout the year. 

2. Earn – Collecting experiences is not an easy thing. It costs. Hence it is critical that I earn more than before through better performance, smart financial investing and other possible avenues. But earning financially is not the only thing that I am interested in for 2014. I am keen to earn the respect of colleagues and peers by the work that I do. It is important that I earn the trust of the consumers as a marketer by doing better and sharper marketing. Last but not the least, it is extremely important that I earn good Karma by my behavior and deeds and take a small step in being a better human being than what I was in 2013. 

3. Exercise – Every sportsman will tell you that ‘Health is Wealth’ and it is even true literally in their cases. But the reality is that only if you are healthy can you experience more out of life and earn what you intend to earn. So I will use 2014 as a year to exercise more than before and move to a healthier body and a healthier mind.

4. Exchange – In the times of social media and messaging platforms like Whatsapp, while the friends list has grown tremendously but most of the exchange of expressions and emotions take place only through status messages and emoticons. 2014 shall be the year where I make an attempt to change that. No, I have no intention of cutting down on the time that I spend on these platforms but what I surely intend to do is to catch up and meet friends and family in person and exchange thoughts, conversations and emotions face-to-face and in person. I would also like to use 2014 as a year to meet new people, form new relationships and expand on my bonds with people. 

5. Entertain – This one is about the attempt to escape reality and the current environment for a few hours every now and then to see the movies/TV Series/Music Videos that exist out there as well as the ones that would come out in 2014. 

6. Enjoy – While I may attempt to list down all the things that I want to do in 2014 and also achieve some of them, the truth is that I do not have control beyond a certain extent to what lies ahead. There would be ups and downs, achievements and misses and it is a part of the deal. Instead of mulling over those that I can’t control, my attempt for 2014 would be to enjoy life and its big and small pleasures, knowing well that I am trying and taking an approach that lets me grow and emerge a better individual with more knowledge than before and hopefully a broader horizon to view things. 

I hope that this model makes 2014 a great year so that I can look back at the end of the year and say that it was an eventful year with lots of excitement that I lived with great exuberance!