In our very first lecture of 'Principles of Management' Prof T. Prasad initially told us about his very own 'Mandi'. This is a concept initiated by him by which the students themselves got an opportunity to experience the thrill of direct sales of educational toys, which were made by the NGO 'Navnirmiti' for a social cause-engendering disadvantaged children. During this 'Mandi' students themselves travelled to different parts of Mumbai("to target their customers" as they say in management!) and tried selling these educational toys to children. The passion with which it was done could easily be seen in our Professors eyes through and through as he was explaining it to us. The basic thing he was trying to inculcate in us was- to have a Business mindset. To think like a businessman,to grow like a businessman, and more than anything...to THINK out of the box-like a businessman. "Dhanda" was the word which he used time and again to maybe drill that word ,that business mindset into us.
After teaching us about the importance of thinking like a business manager, he shifted to a practical group exercise. The exercise was a simple one-to build a tower out of small cubical boxes. Did not understand the purpose of it at that moment. He selected a student (in a rather Business like fashion) and told him to build the tower. But before that he made all the class guess-as to how big the tower would be. The guesses varied from as low as 10 cubes to 25(10 being the tower builder himself!!). Still couldn't make out the purpose of this whole charade. And finally the exercise began.
After a lot of huff and puff the tower ended up being 19 cubes tall after which it finally collapsed. Then after that the Prof. gave us another situation. This time the candidate was supposed to put a blindfold and make the tower. We were again made to guess the tower height;and obviously everybody's numbers went down drastically. That's when it came-the 'business part' of it. His question was basically as to why everybody had made such small numbered guesses. Point being..why everybody had set such small GOALS!Just because the situation was tougher doesn't mean you lower your goals.The whole purpose was to explain the concept of GOAL setting. To set your Goal much higher than your actual potential, so that even if you don't end up achieving your goal, you'd still end up over doing yourself, over doing your limit. At the end of it all i understood why he was not teaching straight from the book or according to the syllabus, cause the true 'Principles of Management' is not something which can be taught , but has to be inculcated....
After teaching us about the importance of thinking like a business manager, he shifted to a practical group exercise. The exercise was a simple one-to build a tower out of small cubical boxes. Did not understand the purpose of it at that moment. He selected a student (in a rather Business like fashion) and told him to build the tower. But before that he made all the class guess-as to how big the tower would be. The guesses varied from as low as 10 cubes to 25(10 being the tower builder himself!!). Still couldn't make out the purpose of this whole charade. And finally the exercise began.
After a lot of huff and puff the tower ended up being 19 cubes tall after which it finally collapsed. Then after that the Prof. gave us another situation. This time the candidate was supposed to put a blindfold and make the tower. We were again made to guess the tower height;and obviously everybody's numbers went down drastically. That's when it came-the 'business part' of it. His question was basically as to why everybody had made such small numbered guesses. Point being..why everybody had set such small GOALS!Just because the situation was tougher doesn't mean you lower your goals.The whole purpose was to explain the concept of GOAL setting. To set your Goal much higher than your actual potential, so that even if you don't end up achieving your goal, you'd still end up over doing yourself, over doing your limit. At the end of it all i understood why he was not teaching straight from the book or according to the syllabus, cause the true 'Principles of Management' is not something which can be taught , but has to be inculcated....
