A World In Motion...

I wasn't required to spend time in deciding this title for the post. It is the name of the event I am talking about here, and with which I am associated with. The concept is good, and I found it relevant as well.

A World In Motion (AWIM)

This curriculum joins together teachers, students, and industry volunteers in an exploration of physical science while addressing essential mathematic and scientific concepts and skills. Industry volunteers play an essential role in motivating the next generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math by bringing their everyday experiences into an AWIM classroom.

My first experience on the other side of the table...

October 7, 2009 – Another novel experience as a part of my career, when being the campus ambassador of Mahindra for IIM Indore I was asked to be a part of the summer recruitment process at my alma mater. It has been an opportunity one doesn’t get so early in the career, that too when you not from an HR background and just 4 months into the system. For sure, makes me feel proud and responsible.

Four panelists in all, including me, were all geared up at an odd late night hour for the process. Mahindra gets a preferential treatment at IIM Indore owing to the rapport being developed over last two years, and thus the Placom of IIM Indore allowed us to conduct the process on the night before the full-fledged roll down of the summers.

The initial shortlist was given on the basis of their resume scores, based on the information provided by them in the forms. Out of over 200 forms, 30 were picked. A group round followed by interviews, was what we had scheduled for the shortlisted candidates. It was a Bingo round aiming at finding out the qualities of individuals from the public, wherein all the 30 were grouped together, and they had to speak about any other person in the group. The response was over whelming and the participants were also happy to hear about themselves.

8 made it through to the interview, and we split ourselves into two panels for the same.

Interviews are not 100% foolproof means of selection. But the process went nicely, making me realise those aspects of an interview which while I was the interviewee for so many years, did not understand that well. It is an altogether different ball game when you face questions and when you ask. So be it as interviewer, or an interviewee, stepping into the other person’s shoes is necessary for expectations matching and to make the interview a worthwhile selection process.

Eventually, the HRs boiled down to taking 3 people, but I staunchly argued to persuade and get one more person in, more because I had interviewed that candidate and found her knowledgeable. Probably the difference in opinion with my senior co-panellist, because of reasons I wrote about in “Openness and Transparency”, created the dilemma. But I knew the frame of mind in which a fresher is when just into the MBA program. And by god’s grace, I succeeded in convincing the HR.

9.00 PM at night to 4.30 AM in the morning – it was exhausting. But definitely, the pains were worth the experience.

Fire-fighting percolating to enhanced learning...

This is a description of a week at my workplace, just a fortnight ago (third week of September).

After a takeover, what follows is a plethora of unforeseen problems. This came true with Mahindra & Mahindra after they took over Kinetic Motor Company Limited in November 2008. Mahindra took on-board all the employees of erstwhile Kinetic, but the problems had just began.

Since the beginning, there had been issues over wage agreement with the workers, which went on for months, until this week which I am talking about. Amidst all the negotiations happening, one day, the assembly line came to a standstill. And what followed, was a strike from the workers. The situation was much serious than what it would have been in normal circumstances, because for an automotive company already under financial distress, halting of production at a time when it has just launched two new models in the market could be a big jolt, that too when the main selling festive period of Navratri and Dussehra had come.

So in this situation of crisis, the onus was on the staff and managers to somehow manage to take the ship across without getting severely daunted by the storm. And they successfully rose up to the occasion. For the entire week, the staff and managers took the responsibility of running the entire plant to the best of their capacity. Every individual took up the task according to his skills, and slogged over time to maintain considerable production. It obviously took time to get used to the work which we all usually oversee and not perform, but we managed to produce 100 scooters a day easily, even with all sorts of line stoppages occurring.

My primary reason for mentioning this incident is that the amount of learning that percolated through each and every individual during this week has been far greater than what one can think of. And for me, it had been one of the best experiences over the few months of my professional career.

The persistence of the management, continuous communication and motivation broke the barriers which prevented the staff and managers to dirty their hands on the shop-floor. Everyone learnt the minute details of making a scooter. The learning was immense. Even I now know how to assemble and dismantle a scooter, how the wiring harness is laid, the connections done, etc. Though I had been spending ample time on the assembly before this incident, I lacked so much clarity. Touching and feeling the product at every stage of its development gives a totally different feel. Now I can proudly say that I work in a manufacturing company, and I know in detail what my company makes. This probably is something which many people would otherwise lack, and they would just know the superficial aspects.

Apart from the technical knowhow, I personally gained a lot of advantage in terms of the networking I could do in a week. I got a chance to intermingle with personnel from every department, and seeing me work at par with them, made them also open up with me more, which wasn’t possible in the usual circumstances. Sharing ideas, discussing views, telling stories – this informal interaction did wonders in enhancing my knowledge and knowing more about my workplace. Following a routine, punctuality and timeliness are the qualities that I got to develop even further in this one week.

To add to all the positives, even the workers on seeing us work started getting restless, and realised their duties. It was palpable that they all want to get back to work. So finally, the management and the union came to a consensus, and the strike was called off, restoring the activities in the plant back to normal. The way workers happily talked to all the managers and staff after that, shaking hands and congratulating, truly showed the emotions that go while one works at the workplace. It is not only a means of earning livelihood, but also a place of worship.

All these experiences of mine would be a part of my memories as one of the best experiences of my career, which people cannot usually under go.

Mahindra expands its two-wheelers portfolio...

Mahindra Two Wheelers Ltd., the two wheelers arm of the US $ 6.3 billion Mahindra Group, and also the company i work for, has unveiled two new Power Scooters - the Mahindra Rodeo and the Mahindra Duro. With their contemporary styling and attractive features, these Power Scooters come packed with a host of features which make riding a sheer pleasure.

This launch is a validation of the commitment that Mahindra made last year to establish a robust, end-to-end global two wheelers business with a presence across segments. With their international appeal and powerful performance, the Rodeo and the Duro are world class scooters and will extend the Mahindra DNA of 'tough and rugged' style to a whole new consumer segment.

Both models offer the comfort and convenience of a scooter coupled with the thrill and power of a motorcycle. Mahindra's strong R&D capabilities and stringent quality control measures, coupled with technological inputs from SYM Taiwan and design inputs from Italy based Engines Engineering, have resulted in a perfect blend.