With all the rigor and long hours being put in during the term to complete the readings ,prepare for the cases and meet submission deadline it is not possible to reflect back on what the term taught us , however term breaks do provide the window for this. Like the others I too looked forward for the term break which provided the perfect window of opportunity to sit back, relax and reflect upon how the term went, what all it taught and how it is molding our lives. Creating a Google Map and then Zoom in to highlight the key learning and inculcate them.
A quick rewind to 9th April, the day the journey stared for a dream envisioned 12 years ago. It was the confluence of 115 brightest of minds of the industry who undertook a well-informed decision to take a break and pursue their dream either to shift from public sector to private sector or to move from a Technical to CTO role or a serial entrepreneur wishing to take the business to the next level. The flavor to the rigor was added by the life lessons delivered via Prof RaviC amongst others , catching and waking up friends from their power naps .
However, the most important learnings were some of the key takeaways not only realted
Don’t forget to learn: There is a marked difference between learning for grades and learning the subject matter to carry the concepts through life. At PGPX grades are just used to differentiate on the final day who emerges as the topper and nothing else. The institute expects participants to only focus on learning. It took me 10-15 days to let this sink in but the earlier people got over it the more they enjoyed the journey .It helped to focus more on your interest areas with the intent to learn. Every subject and its learning via case studies provided insights on how its applications and learnings can be applied to your home industry. E.g. Adoption of a specific technology in manufacturing sector and how the basics are relevant even in the technology space. How a telecom giant can use data bundling techniques to gain market share. Most of the stuff did not make much sense in the first month but by the end of it different notes gelled together to create music. You would apply concepts of economics and financial reporting in a marketing case, apply the concepts learnt to newspaper articles and have fruitful discussions over breaks. It helped to look at problems from different perspectives and unearth the issues earlier overlooked by business. Moreover, perspectives of people from 20 different industries with diverse experiences in the most candid way added a new dimension to the learning.
Learn to Un—learn: The single biggest mantra to grow and learn at this place, even highlighted by PGPX Chair during induction and was soon implicitly clarified during the case discussions. The place taught to accept that you can be wrong, only then will you absorb the new ideas and grow, as we have all heard “you need to empty the cup to pour in the new batch of coffee”. Arguing for the sake of it doesn’t help support your argument with facts in a way others can understand
Be Ready to get Star struck: When at IIM Ahmedabad be ready to get star struck at the weirdest of moments and weirdest of places. People in their shorts roaming in the campus bumped into Pullela Gopichand, attended meetings the with CEO’s in the most informal way possible but nothing could beat the delivery of knowledge by stalwarts who shape national policies and play a pivotal role in nation building, this is the best experience you can have and only the chosen few get to experience it.
Most Importantly Don’t Forget to enjoy: It was easy to be bogged down by the amount of preparation and reading to be done but don’t forget to enjoy, after all this one year at IIM Ahmedabad is a one-time experience. In addition to all the learning keep the child within alive and have fun. Down memory lane you will not remember hours spent for a specific exam but surly remember the fun night you might have had playing poker or the mafia night out till 6 am in the morning and all the major chit chats during the everlasting syndicate discussions. As Bob Marley rightly said “Some People enjoy the rain, others just get wet”
All in All, the time till now can be summarized as a surreal experience which only raises the bar for the forth coming terms. One thing that can be said hands down there are some things words can’t express and you have to be in it to experience it.
No comments:
Post a Comment