Bonhomie, Recollections and Goodbyes

Hello!

So, It’s starting to get a lot more sunny and springy. As much as I love the winter, it’s pretty much gone. Days, though starting to get much longer, seem to be passing by swiftly. It is supposedly hard to hold on to things that you don’t want to let go, isn’t it (Last of my college days I talk about). The good news is that most of us have travelled home for holidays. The bad news? A lot of us don’t actually want to leave. Go figure.

Well these last days have been a lot more about parties, photographs and teary eyed goodbyes than exams, projects, deadlines or classes that anyways were such a drag. As the college finally comes to a close, exams have been sat and textbooks shut, a few of us still run after that one offer letter we can take home and a few have had the realisation that job wasn’t exactly what they were meant to do anyways. Happy realisation or reality check, God knows.

Now, to a bit of zeitgeist of what was:

Looking back, I realize that more than anything ever JBS was the most exciting, if not the most joyous part of my life. I had been walking under rainclouds for most of the first and second trimesters trying to adapt to an absolutely new place and people so different from each other that I couldn’t be sure of them. Still remember how gloomy it used to be initially when I had to travel from South Delhi to Noida for classes and make it back till around 7 in the evening, thankfully hostel happened. Despite all that, by the third trimester I had managed to make a few very good friends and had my awesome moments more frequently now. Highlights would be the double trips to Rishikesh in both January and February of 2012, the second time round on bikes. Each one of us had by this time awakened to the fact about how surviving a trimester was actually much more crucial than securing a good grade and thereon it was only more fun. It was now time to head back home for three long months and I didn’t really want to. But the internship at Tata Motors was like a breath of fresh air and so I survived.

Moving on to the second year, always knew about how it was a handicap going for finance without being a nine pointer pegged against all the stars from DDM but I somehow survived being in the sevens. The fourth trimester would’ve quietly drifted past but then I bought a guitar for my birthday and a DSLR and the fun began. By the fifth trimester, both the guitar and the camera were back on the shelves subsided by the pressure of getting a job. Would not like to divulge much detail on what transpired on the job part but the third trip to Rishikesh and another one to Bhopal turned out to be massive fun (in between the tedious schedule), and not to forget about the numerous night outs at Khan market, for placement celebrations, birthdays or the ones with no reason attached.

Sixth trimester had its own weird story, be it, driving to the bird sanctuary instead of the job interview for a company that wasn’t (not to forget, getting intoxicated before) or moving 250 KMs to Chandigarh to watch football in an overpriced hotel room on Valentine’s Day. A lot of other less freakish stuff had happened in the last couple of months or around the last couple years maybe. I’ll be taking it all back in around 8000 pictures sitting back on about 25 GB of hard disk space.

I’d say this proper, and as is the human nature, I gave my fair share of cusses to this college while I was here but as I pack my bags, I’ve only got to say that this was a wonderful place, in all truth. Now before I leave for a little while, I’d like to acknowledge all the people, wonderful or otherwise that I met here who touched my heart and the ones that I might or might not have anything to do with further in life: You were all special and will be missed and it bums me to think about how I might not ever get meet some of you again and it is maddening thinking about how we’ll all.. be.. gone..? :o

But, that’s just life, I suppose.

Now to the wannabe-inspirational side of things. An awesome quote:

“The future doesn’t belong to the faint hearted, it belongs to the brave” -by Ronal Reagan

And that brings me to a much more hopeful realisation about how it’s a fresh canvas, a fresh start and I’m going to have to push my limits further. Hope the same from you all.

Godspeed goodmates J

Deal with your Difficult Boss

Nothing is more destructive in the workplace than difficult bosses. Every employee has a series of bosses over their working career. Most of us have already completed our corporate internship and are very much geared to take up managerial responsibilities in various organizations across a multitude of functions in the next six to eight months. This is also quite germane to the upcoming batch.

Hopefully, most of the bosses are competent, kind, and even, worthy of trust and respect. Unfortunately, too often, employees have difficult bosses who impact their desire to engage and contribute at work. Most studies regarding employee turnover and exit interviews   indicate that employees who quit their job are most frequently leaving their bosses, not necessarily the company or their job.

It is quite an apparent fact that when we have a problem with our boss, our options for dealing with the situation are limited. But there definitely is way out. With some conscious effort one can certainly overcome this difficult situation.

1. Check your emotions at the door. People who are angry, anxious, or depressed often do not convey the message they intended to deliver. Although you may have every right to feel angry at your undermining boss, approaching him/her while you are angry will likely create a distraction from the real problem. Your emotional upset becomes the focus

2. Manage your emotions and practice some assertive conversations prior to approaching your boss. Ask a friend who can be both objective and supportive to give you feedback (this can be grueling when you enter the corporate life). When expressing yourself, do not be vague in what you are describing. Give specific, concrete examples of what you are referring to.

For example, stay away from “You are constantly undermining my efforts in my job” because implicit in that statement is an assumption that your boss is aware of what he/she is doing. Instead, it is better to spell it out for your boss: “When you dismissed my report that I submitted, which I spent a great deal of time on, I felt overlooked and dismissed as an employee. I would really appreciate when you give me constructive feedback you also acknowledge my efforts.”

In this assertive statement, you are taking responsibility for your emotional reactions to your boss’s behavior, as well as making a specific request for the future. There is no blame that is being placed on your boss, which will put him/her on the defensive and further undermining behaviors. Additionally, it may be helpful to express to your boss your perception on what he/she is doing (again with cited specific examples) and try as a team to brainstorm possible solutions to the problem.

3. When you have an incident with your bully boss, document, document, document. If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. As much as possible, try and disconnect your emotions from your interactions with your boss. Keep in mind that an attack on you is often masking an emotional issue on the part of your boss. Try and connect with other coworkers. Do not isolate yourself. Isolation breeds bullying, so align yourself with others. There is strength in numbers. In that vein, remember that one is more likely to get injured in a dark alley than on a crowded street. Put yourself in the presence of other employees, customers, or clients that your bully boss highly regards, and you will be less likely to become a target.

4. If you are feeling overwhelmed or threatened by your boss, politely excuse yourself to go the bathroom or a meeting to diffuse the situation. Finally, while it may be tempting to talk to other employees about what is happening with your boss, it is in your best long-term interest to play it calm and cool as you build your case against your bullying boss. Don't put all your cards on anyone's table in the process. It will likely backfire.

This post has been created by Dr. Arun Sharma (MBA 2011-13). 

Suggestions and comments are welcome at- arun_sh2000@yahoo.com

Milaap

Hear ye Hear ye  !!

The very 1st Alumni Meet has been finalized. This is where you encounter your future, this is what you'll be in a few year's time and therefore you (the students of JBS) are all requested to be there.

The following is the invitation that has been handed out to all of the alumnus-

The extended schedule is as following:

Active participation from us is being wished upon. If we mutually agree that they are taking time out from their hectic lives for OUR greater good, then its down to us to make them proud.

Since they have treaded the journey we are currently embarked upon only makes it a bigger reason for us to join in. Nothing is better than hearing from the horse's mouth, isn't it? I believe the session will be fun filled and we'll have some learning to take back too.

On our part I hope we get to witness a few of the "if I could, I would.." and "I am happy that I did.." cases with our super seniors so we are able to take better decisions going into the second year of our MBA program.

Lastly, thanks to our faculty for providing us with this opportunity.

Be inspired people :)

chao  !!

JBS Safari- A to Z of my time at JBS, Noida

Well, almost 6 months are done and dusted since I joined here. After the initial few days when I had to struggle with the set-up here being the homesick person that I am, it has been all jolly good and delightful. Have had all the possible taste of life here, well, almost. Let me make it all a little transparent for you. Simple as A B C D. haha

here it goes:

Audi: Our most loved and most hated place in the campus at the same time. Boastful as much as we are about this HUGE auditorium, we dread this place during exams. However it is one of THE most amazing thing about the campus. A would also include the "Aryabhatt bhawan" which holds the Audi and also the MBA block; "A to Z", the cool tuck shop; and a mess hall beyond comparison that is "Annapurna"(they literally serve the best food).

Bunks: Bunks here have to be very calculated. Five lectures is the most you can miss in one subject within one tri-mester. And the rockstars that we are, we manage to do just that. NOT ONE MORE. NOT ONE LESS.

Cafeteria: Whatever the reason maybe, cafeteria is the place one can be found: assignments = cafe, group projects = cafe, bunking lectures = cafe, time pass = cafe, hang out = cafe, no apparent reason = cafe, and obviously the snacks. (P.S. I liked the ice tea here the most.)

Deadlines: Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines. Almost everything here has a deadline associated with it. That doesn't mean we cant push it, unless ofcourse it is Asit sir's lecture = "aap (2 second) late aaye hain, attendance register band ho gaye hain."

Ebullience: The super cool fresher's night. given the rat race here, there is less time to socialize, this being one of them.

F Grade: Something thats dreaded. being a hosteler myself i am a witness of all the possible means students adopt to avoid this.

Google: Projects, assignments and whatever else, life saviour, best friend.

H3 hostel: My abode with a cool bunch of guys and the sweetest warden? The best thing about this in campus hostel is, even if you get up 15 minutes before the lecture, you can make it.

IQ: Plenty in abundance at the campus. That we refuse to use it, is an entirely different story.

Jive: Jaypee's very own fest. Conducted once every year. I hear its awesome at that time. Fingers Crossed!

KFC: Thankfully, I never miss lunch :)

LRC: The MBA Library coupled with the JIIT library ensures you never really miss a lecture even when you miss one. This Wi-fi enabled library is a cool place if you are wanting to sit alone and read.

Meeting Point/Mandir: The thing about meeting point is they deliver maggi to the campus till about 11 at night, not to forget the magnitudes or the types of maggi they offer.

The in campus Mandir- there are takes about it, funny ones. The temple is another reason to fall in love with the campus.

Night Strolls: Refer to the pic to understand what I mean. The moonlit campus is gorgeous at nights.

Open Book: Refer to this enrty a year onwards from now, maybe.

Pool: The swimming pool within the campus is huge as well. A dip in and you are good to go for a day. I really wanted to say 'proxies' but then it is pretty much non-existent in the campus, or is it? :P

Quarter Past Nine: The time to begin with the rat race. The first lecture starts. Some of us barely make it to the class. Some make it but are still trying to sneak in with five minutes of sleep in between the lectures. The art of somehow managing to stay awake and still be buzzing comes from within, doesn't it?

the Red brick masonry architecture: the red brick masonry walls are in a class of their own. Makes the campus stand out, in my opinion, as does the whole of the architecture including the ground, audi and the orchards. Pics will follow.

Shipra Mall: The mall place right next to the college. i bet you can find atleast some of the students hanging around there at all of the times. So you get anything you need at just 5-10 minutes walk from the campus, and yes, the movies!!

Teachers: If you lost some respect for this profession during your graduation life, you've got to come here to understand the level of effectiveness a professor here possesses. Cool bunch of people.

Understanding: Again refer to the entry just above. The level of effectiveness is directly related to the level of understanding. Assuming the wide varieties of academic backgrounds all have come from and the range of subjects from psychology to accounts, the level of understanding has got to be high, and high it is. The demand supply issues are quite varied, mostly during the exams.

Volunteering for F1: The experience of Formula 1 was awesome as well, and imagining that I might be volunteering for it next year in itself is exciting. The jaypee group feels like my very own.

Wi-Fi: Most places out here are wi-fi. Hostels have awesome net speed as well, hello LAN gaming. Refer to the entry on 'L' as well.

eXplore, eXpress, eXams: How much ever brilliant one is, but exams every one and a half months DO get on your nerves a bit. But that is now a part of life here after two tri-mesters. And pulling all nighters during exams with my co-hostelers is a thing in itself. We are awesome people, we brave through whatever the situation is, however tough, blah. Continued..

Youth Club: JYC are a bunch of guys dealing with the student affairs here. They are not overworked per se but I quite admire the way they function. Work is in progress for more such committees.

ZZZzzzs: My Precious.