It was the first day of academics and classes. Everyone was tensed, anxious, upping their game in terms of subject matter and current affairs. We were in awe of the teachers that had taught us in the first few lectures. Intimidation- Yes, somewhat! Everyone may have a perception that B-school classes involve rigour and competition and this was our mindset going into the Operations Management class.
There we saw walking in- an elderly gentleman, Prof. Rajen Sir. He was not alone; he was carrying an entire box of sweets, a whistle as well as chart paper. He then entered the class with the enthusiasm that would put a teenager to shame. The command in his voice and his excitement to teach was inspiring. He started the class with a prayer and the positive vibrations could definitely be felt. He then made one student the time-keeper who had the job of giving a break once every hour. He conducted those three hours making us feel as if we were his co-teachers. Every student was given a chocolate if he/she gave a right answer. The group activity involved teams brainstorming and noting down their points on a chart paper which were then presented by each student.
Sir then clicked a picture of each group which he sent to us saying, “Your parents should see you all having such a good time!” This dedication and efforts to involve the class kept everyone glued to their seat. It was not only the histrionics. Sir is a highly experienced man with experience in multiple companies in India and abroad. Listening to his anecdotes while he cleverly linked them with heavy-duty concepts was nothing short of pure genius.
Sir told us how he improved the processes of many a company and listening to how practically relevant this subject was, each of us wanted to answer more and more questions and win the much-coveted prizes. When I did, it felt nothing short of an award! Sir never used the words “Are you following” because he believed that we were not followers, rather we were his friends. He used the phrase “Are you with me?” because he believed that each of us was in consonance. This was so apt because at the end of the three hours, none of us wanted the lecture to be over and Operations Management became our new favourite subject, and this would definitely be my most memorable classroom experience till date at B-School!
Which ABG company would you want to work for and why?
Idea Cellular.
I believe that in the current lieu and changing dynamic environment, there are radical changes that are awaiting us in the entire telecommunication industry. It is from these changes that the biggest learnings eventuate. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Idea Marketing Campaigns like Walk and Talk which actually overturned the notion of people becoming lazier due to cell phones. IIN too was such a massively spoken about the campaign and working on something like that keeping in mind current industry trends would be stupendous. I believe it would be an enriching exchange of efforts and lessons.
- Krishna Mirpuri,
Marketing, SIBM Pune