Brandz, A3/11 Tibbia College Collony Ajmal Khan Road, Delhi (2026)

02/06/2020

मुक्त बाज़ार का एक ही मन्त्र है : प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक बनो , साथ वाले को कुहनी-घुटना मारकर गिराओ और आगे बढ़ जाओ। जीवन एक रेस है , इसमें जीतना ही तुम्हारा लक्ष्य होना चाहिए। कोई मरता है , तो मरे। तुम्हें इससे क्या ! तुम अपने बारे में सोचो और ढंग से सोचो !

कोविड-19 ने निजीकरण के सबसे स्याह पहलुओं को खोल कर रख दिया है। जो लोग समाज में सबसे ज़रूरी काम करते हैं , वे ही सबसे कम कमाते हैं। खाना उपजाने व पहुँचाने वाले , कारखानों में रात-दिन मज़दूरी करने वाले , बीमारों की देखरेख करने वाले पैसों की तंगी से जूझ रहे हैं। उनके पास सुरक्षा नाम की कोई चीज़ नहीं है। लेकिन जिन्हें बिचौलियों का काम आता है , जो तीन-पाँच करना जानते हैं और लम्बी-लम्बी फेंक सकते हैं , वे लगातार सम्पन्न बने हुए हैं। जितना ये लोग एक दिन में कमाते हैं , उतना आवश्यक सेवाएँ देने वाले कई बार साल-भर में भी नहीं कमा पाते। तिस पर तुर्रा यह कि कम्पटीटिव तो बनना ही पड़ेगा ! बिना कम्प्टीशन के कौन सा सुख किसी को मिला है !

जब कुछ ऊपर बैठे लोगों के मुनाफ़े को ध्यान में रखकर योजनाएँ बनायी जाएँगी , जनहित नहीं होने वाला। निजी हितों की रक्षा करने वाला तन्त्र जनता की उपेक्षा करेगा ही , चाहे दावे बड़े-बड़े किये जाते रहें। अन्धे लोभी निजीकरण को सामंजस्य और साहचर्य जैसी भावनाओं से कुछ लेना-देना नहीं। उसे केवल अपने स्वार्थ के बारे में सोचना है , केवल अपना मुनाफ़ा ज़्यादा-से-ज़्यादा बनाना है।

बड़े उद्योगपतियों को एक बहुत बड़ी ग़लतफ़हमी है। वे सोचते हैं कि प्रतिस्पर्धा में जीतना में एक क़िस्म की प्रतिभा है। एक प्रतिभा जो उनके पास अधिक है और इसीलिये आज वे अरबों-खरबों में खेल रहे हैं। ऐसा सोचने वाले यह मौलिक बात भूल जाते हैं कि उन्हें उद्योगपति बनाने और उनका मुनाफ़ा उनको देने में न जाने कितने ही आम लोग एड़ी-चोटी का ज़ोर लगाया करते हैं। पूरा समाज मिलकर साथ हाथ बँटाता है , तब उद्योग बनता है और चलता है। और जब वह चल पड़ता है , तब उद्योगपति हाथों को झाड़ कर श्रेय अपनी निजी प्रतिभा को देने लगता है। स्वयं को प्रतिस्पर्धा-विजेता बना कर कॉलर ऊपर करने लगता है।

सफल होना केवल निजी कारणों से सम्भव होता है --- यह सबसे बड़ा झूठ है। सफलता समाज के योगदान के बाद ही मिलती है। माँ-बाप , भाई-बहन , रिश्तेदार , दोस्त , प्रेमी व कामकाजी साथी व न जाने कितने ही अनजाने लोग हमें हम बनाते हैं। लेकिन जब हम हम बन जाते हैं , तब सीना चौड़ा कर के कह देते हैं कि हमने प्रतिस्पर्धा में सबको पिछड़कर सबको यह मुक़ाम हासिल किया है।

हमने अपना हासिल केवल अपना हासिल लगता है , जबकि वह सबका साझा हासिल होता है। अब यह हमें तय करना है कि कोविड-19 के बीतने के बाद प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक बने रहकर इस लूट-खसोट के साथ जीना है अथवा साझे समाज के मानव-मूल्यों को वापस स्थापित करना है।

सबको साथ लेकर सामान्य किन्तु स्वस्थ सुख पाना है अथवा मैं-केवल मैं के जाप के साथ बीमार धनपशु बनते जाना है।

( अर्थ-इतिहासकार डर्क फिलिप्सन की किताब 'जीडीपी ने दुनिया पर शासन कैसे जमाया और इससे निबटने के लिए क्या करें' पढ़ते हुए। )

06/08/2019

A boss who believes in you and trusts you will make a huge a difference for your career

When looking for a new job, do not just look for a high salary.

Good people do not work just for a pay check.

You want to make a difference for the company and the team.

You want to accomplish something to be proud of.

The difference between your success and failure is most often your boss.

A boss that trusts you, guides you, and supports you will give you opportunities to grow and to excel.

Agree ?

21/07/2019

Team is not a group of people who work together - it is a group of people who trust, support and help each other.

Far too often, organisations have hero mentality, they reward individuals at expense of the team - they forget what Steve Jobs said:

"Nothing great was ever done by one person. It is always done by a team of people." Steve Jobs
Heroes can go fast.
But -
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, you need a team of people.
If you are a leader, it is on you to create an environment where teamwork is appreciated and recognized.
In a team environment, your job is
* to make sure everyone gets across the finish line
* to recognize and reward team behaviors such as helping each other, taking team's goals above own, and working towards common goals
* do not hire into the team "great contributors" who feel they can be jerks to everyone else - such people will destroy your team faster than you can say Mickey Mouse.
* empower the team to make decisions and let their best ideas win
Agree ?

Written by
Oleg Vishnepolsky
Global CTO at Daily Mail Online and Metro.Co.Uk

19/07/2019

If you like someone,
do not keep it a secret.
Be the sunshine everyone needs!

I got that JOB.
I was so excited !
That dishwasher job did not pay very much but was enough to put food on the table for my parents and me, and pay our rent.
I was 21, a dishwasher with a masters in nuclear physics because of my poor English at the time.
I learned then
- that some people will look down on you, and some will not, that however successful we become we should not look down on anyone
- that you are not your job
- that you can be happy, creative and valued no matter what you do
One day the owner introduced me to someone - that someone shook my dishwasher's hand, and was very gracious and polite.
Later I found out he was an Executive Vice President at Morgan Stanley, a big company.
That handshake touched my heart for the rest of my life.
I do not remember his words, but I remember how he made me feel, and how that handshake changed me.

As a former dishwasher I say - do good,
be humble, be remembered.

Written by
Oleg Vishnepolsky
Global CTO at Daily Mail Online and Metro.Co.Uk

11/07/2019

A Person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected!

70 percent of people who resign say the main reason is a lack of appreciation.
They do not even refer to rewards and promotions for good work.

They feel unappreciated - because their superiors take their good work for granted, their loyalty as a given, and their talents totally replaceable.

Here is what many in leadership positions forget

You can't earn and keep loyalty, dedication and enthusiasm of your employees without appreciating these qualities.

As simple as that !

Agree ?

27/01/2019

You are a leader...........if you bring people together to unite behind a positive goal. Being a leader has nothing to do with your job; it has to do with your actions and mindset.

You can be a leader at 7, 27, or 87.

You can be poor or rich, short or tall, employed or unemployed.

Leaders recognize talent. They seek it out, and welcome it. "Can you help?" they ask.

You are a leader when bringing people together for a positive outcome starts to occupy more and more of your time.

One last point... being a leader does not mean any of the following:

1. You get all the credit.
2. You are in charge.
3. You get to tell people what to do.

True leaders inspire. They unleash energy and potential.

Want to be a leader? Unleash energy and potential.

28/07/2018

Things I Learned

Written by
Jeff Immelt
Former Chairman & CEO

I shared the following blog post with GE employees. It’s about the lessons I learned as CEO of the company. Tomorrow, I will pass the baton over to John Flannery, who I know is the right person to lead GE into the future.

Today is my last day as CEO of GE. Tomorrow, John Flannery takes charge of the world’s premier digital industrial company. I’ve known John for 20 years. He is a thoughtful, disciplined and inspiring leader. Our teams and customers respect his judgment and his global focus. He is the right person to lead GE into the future.

As I transition, I will be working closely with John and key stakeholders. However, this is my last blog to you. I thought I would offer some of the lessons I learned while leading GE. Leadership is a “one-act play,” and I’m sure John will do the job his own way. On the other hand, learning is a part of the DNA for all good leaders. I never stopped learning, and I know John will keep growing.

1. Set purpose with high standards.

You must always conceptualize the future; have a point of view. Set a high bar and hold people accountable. Be willing to fight in the alley to preserve reputation. “Be on watch” every minute of every day. Be respectful and motivating; be a competitor. Always focus on the important stuff .......
.Follow the Next....

03/03/2018

How you treat your loyal employees determines your future

2 in 5 managers fail within their first 18 months according to Harvard Business Review.

The main reason is departures or de-motivation of their best employees.

Yes, "people do not quit companies, they quit their bosses."

Everyone knows that, including those bosses.

So why do they not stop their best people from leaving ?

1. They think everyone is replaceable like gloves.

Nobody can be replaced, they can only be succeeded. Not only everyone is unique, and has a unique perspective, but when a good employee quits, gone are: institutional knowledge, key contacts and relationships with clients and stakeholders.

Loyal employees are not commodities !

2. They see best people as a threat to their own position. Insecurity is as bad as ignorance.

The secret to my success was to always hire people smarter than me. In my own case it was always easy.

No persons should be promoted to management who are so insecure that they would rather see their best people fail than endanger own position.

3. They are arrogant and look down on everyone else. No matter what you do is never enough.

No persons should be promoted to management who look down on other people.

Arrogance is worse than ignorance.

Instead of arrogance and insecurity, let's try instead: appreciation, motivation, empowerment, vision, positive energy.

Do you agree ?

25/02/2018

Leaving Well : Why The Last 90 Days Matter

Much has been written about the first 90 days at a job. Indeed, the phrase has become a management mantra. The original idea, introduced by Michael Watkins in 2000, caught on because it reminds new leaders not to wait too long before taking decisive action and making noticeable, substantive changes.

Interestingly, there is no corollary thinking about the last 90 days. Yet, behavioral research by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and others shows that assessments of human performance (i.e., a leader’s reputation/legacy) will be most heavily influenced by endpoints. Why? Because the information about how a tenure ends will always be more accessible in people’s memories than the impressions created at the start.

Think about your own past bosses or famous leaders you’ve read about in the media. Regardless of whether they left on a high note or in disgrace, can you easily recall what they did in their first 90 days?

Nailing the last 90 days

Despite its importance, the truth is that many senior executives botch their exits, often because they don’t control the timing. Just look at the recent spate of high-profile
metoo exits. And even those who choose their timing do not always leave well. We sometimes see this, for example, in family businesses or other founder-led enterprises when the creator struggles with ceding control to a new leader.

So it’s worth exploring: what does it look like when a leader exits well? Based on many conversations and case studies, here are three observations.

Keeping your head and your team in the game.
It is well-known, when leadership and ownership changes are announced, employees start spending a disproportionate amount of time thinking about and protecting their own pathways. This can create situations where both leaders and their teams focus less on customers and performance and start to delay meaningful strategic decisions.

The strongest leaders work to prevent this type of momentum loss. They reinforce priorities, motivate flow in decision-making and focus on customers -- to the last day. They coach team members to thoughtfully prepare for, but not over-analyze, the transition. They have the wisdom to signal which strategic decisions should be postponed for the next leader, while assuring that the majority get handled.

Teeing up your successor’s “early wins.”

Whether a leader has a hand in choosing a successor or not, while they are still holding the title and earning the salary, it’s the outgoing leader’s job to set the trajectory for their successor’s success. In truth, there really is no such thing as a meaningful “quick win.” Real progress takes time to orchestrate. For example, securing a multi-million-dollar donation for a non-profit organization normally takes years of cultivation. So, being able to announce one in the early months of a new leader’s tenure means that the existing team did a great job preparing that in advance.

Coaching each direct report to identify 2-3 meaningful accomplishments that the new leader can potentially claim and deliver on in his/her first few months helps secure a strong transition and sustains organizational momentum.

Managing ego and creating smoothness.

As noted above, strong leaders work with their teams during transitions to maintain focus and tee up their successor’s early wins. The nuanced follow-up question is: how does the leader do this in a way that makes clear he/she is focused on organizational momentum and not just grasping to hold onto power?

Transitions can evoke latent insecurity even in the most seasoned pro. A truly human leader will likely feel the pinch as people begin to anticipate reporting to a successor. It may be a pang after an awkward pause in a meeting, perceived delays in e-mail responses or news of meetings that pro-active direct reports are scheduling without them as they begin to work the transition.

The self-aware leader will have the EQ to not over-interpret or over-react. They will monitor and temper their own responses, working pro-actively and consciously to smooth the way for team members to change allegiances.

The end result

Done well, a leadership transition can deliver one of the rarest organizational sightings: a robust pass from one leader to the next. It happens when the outgoing leader maintains integrity and focus. When the leader coaches the team on performance right up to the end, while setting their successor up for success – keeping their ego in check. Then when it’s over, it’s over. And optimally, everyone feels sadness as the old leader departs, while simultaneously embracing the new leader’s arrival.

This article originally appeared in Forbes. Sally Blount is Dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

22/02/2018

Perspective- A Simple exercise (try it)

I did a simple exercise with 20 people recently and was fascinated by the answers. I asked "When you look at the following graphs, what do you see?"

Here are some of the responses I got:

1. A father of a 6 yr old - "Energy of adults versus energy of kids"

2. A businessman- "Seasoned corporate houses versus start-ups"

3. A teenager- "Long term relationship versus short term flings"

4. A talented early jobber- "Career - stable days versus highs and lows"

5. A seven year old- "A snake and a caterpillar"

6. A patient- "Good health versus bad health"

7. A yoga guru- "Still mind versus a restless one"

8. A finance expert- "Fixed deposit versus Bitcoin"

9. A CEO- "Comfort zone versus disruption"

10. A pilot- "A smooth flight versus a turbulent one"

What an array of perspectives! It was just fascinating. Everyday we are bombarded with information in a similar manner and we all decipher our own conclusions. Be it the news, brand communications, family gossip.

MY PERSPECTIVE

When I drew the above graph , I did it to represent my take on work-life balance. If we work without breaks, eventually we "plateau". And before we know it, life is over. But when we take breaks and work, when there is balance, we can reach for the "mountains". And the larger picture looks much more exciting and full of stories to tell!

LEARNING AS A MARKETER?

This ten minute exercise can help us realize how subjective the field of marketing is. There are no right answers. All of the above responses are correct given the context and objective. It shows us that when we sit in a meeting to present a campaign or strategy, there could be a parent, a pilot or a yoga guru that we are talking to for approvals. However, our job is not to just please the ones in the meeting room. But to relate to those who are buying into the client's offering and story.

So the aim should always be to make that the end goal. Dig deep into who the consumer really is.

Only when we see it from their perspective will it have the "desired impact". Keyword here is desired.
And this can only happen when we work with insights.
Some insights are universal, others not so much. So based on the appeal of the brand (mass or niche), we need to clearly define the person who we are talking to and stay focused.

Mind you, this will often result in a spill over and may even have an undesirable effect on some potential buyers. But that's where we need to separate buyers from THE person who the communication needs to address.
Eg: Axe will always talk to the 18yr old even though 30yr olds might be buyers too. And the latter might not agree with the positioning of the brand.

But who cares? Because if you don't stand for something, you fall for anything.

I have seen agencies make the mistake of presenting campaigns or strategies that make them look good or make the CEO of the brand feel good.

This is a classic mistake! One will always be on the winning side, when one makes the brand look good to the "ideal" consumer. So:

1. Define the consumer to the T. And stay focused on them.

2. You are not always the consumer!So be flexible and open to varied outlooks that consumers might have.

Only then can you be a good marketer, communicator and brand builder.

21/01/2017

SHARE YOUR BRAND IDEA
DAY 21 OF 21 DAYS OF BRANDING

Dear Friends,
Hello there! Brandz here and today’s branding post is going to be a little bit different.
Guess what today is? Day 21! wohoooo!

I’ll walk you through an exercise for the final day and at the end I’m going to give you a challenge. One lucky submitter can win a spot to be featured in one of my next blogs.
So first, let’s talk about the 21 Days of Branding…first of all, I want to thank you for tuning in.

I also want to thank the Brandz team for their hard work and dedication to make sure that all 21 of these days got into YOUR hands. I’m so proud of them and I could not have done it without them.

NOW ONTO THE BRANDING BUSINESS.

You know what? Developing a brand or business is NEVER easy work, and many businesses fail because they don’t have the right strategy in place to make it all come together.

But that’s where Branding comes in!
Chances are, you tuned in to learn, challenge yourself, and do the activities yourself.

I love this and commend you!

One of my own core values is GROWTH.
I believe in its power.
I believe that when we are resourceful, passionate, and driven, we can grow at an astonishing rate.
So I applaud you for taking the branding challenge and I hope you got some awesome tools to carry on growing in the future.

Ultimately I hope you have learned that Branding is not just a funky logo, bright color or some fancy tagline.It’s way bigger than that.
It’s the ENTIRE IDEA OF YOU. Why do you exist?

Understanding branding is understanding the
BIGGER PICTURE – and that’s EXACTLY what I hope this challenge has helped you to get clear on.

TODAY’S EXERCISE

Now today’s exercise is called the Brand Butterfly –
it will help you to define the purpose of your brand.

It’s simple, practical, and flexible.
This is a real exercise! So get yourself some post-its and warm up your brain waves for some brainstorming.

The Brand Butterfly consists of 2 circles that overlap.

The top part of the butterfly,
the top wing, this is about the outside world and the bottom is about you.

A REALLY STRONG BRAND IDEA OR PURPOSE LIES IN THE INTERSECTION OF THE BUTTERFLY. THE CENTER PART.

So the wings are spaces for you to write in several sharp statements.
The top one is about “What’s wrong with the outside world?”
Think about your industry, clients, their challenges, trends.
For the bottom wing, ask yourself… What’s special about YOU?

Now for the brand idea. This is a simple strong statement that can be used to build your brand.
This is not a tag line. Nor a brand promise. It’s a starting point.
Looking for an example? Here's one.

FINAL CHALLENGE & CONTEST
Now I have a final challenge for you now that you’ve got all 21 days in your hands.

I would like you to tell me YOUR BRAND STORY.
Who are you?
Why do you exist?
What motivates you to wake up and work every day?

I would like you to do this in a video or an audio file. Both can easily be recorded on your phone and sent to me.

We tend to think of stories as things that might begin with “once upon a time”, so take me through YOUR journey… your once upon a time.

Here are 5 tips for telling me your brand story:
Tip 1 – Don’t stress about the perfect message.

Tip 2 – Speak from the heart.

Tip 3 – This isn’t about your company. It’s about you, your customers, your products. The most powerful brand stories will prioritize your customers as its stars and your company as the supporting character.

Tip 4 – Don’t overthink this process. Storytelling is something that we do naturally.

Tip 5 – Forget about Marketing…. STOP trying to sell and instead focus on the why
So, what are you waiting for? What’s your story?

Your deadline to submit is Fab 1.

So, this wraps up Day 21 of 21 Days of branding and is the final day of the challenge.

How was it for you?
Did you learn something new?
Will you apply the daily dose of branding to your business?

Big hug and smiles,

20/01/2017

BEYOND THE OLD PARADIGMS – BRAND INNOVATION
DAY 20 OF 21 DAYS OF BRANDING

Are you ready to get a jump start on your branding?
I’m here to help.
Like a nice strong cup of espresso,
the Brandz team has been busy brewing up some branding awesomesauce.
Welcome to the 21 Days of Branding,
where I’m sharing insightful branding info, books, and exercises.
Some are actionable so you don’t have to wait any longer to put your brand into action.
I hope you enjoy reading Day 20 of 21 below and as always if you have any feedback or questions,
share in the comments below the article.

TODAY’S COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE DEMANDS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE TO COMPANIES – CHANGE.

hear it every day –
“Everything is changing.”
Globalization and social media has changed the way we do business and are only a few of the powerful forces that are working in our lives.
The key to success and survival in these changing times is INNOVATION.

Innovation as a key driver of business growth and profitability needs one crucial
Partner - alignment with your brand vision.

As you struggle to stretch your brands, there is also an equal need to stay relevant. If you move too far from your brand's sweet spot, you run the risk of damaging your hard-earned brand equity.

WHAT DOES BRAND INNOVATION DO?
Brand innovation…
* opens new doors to what customers want and can get with the product
* advance both the context of the product and the customers using it
* has the ability to create a community of supporters and loyal followers
* leverages the brand from merely being a brand platform to a customer platform and thus helping customers gain proactive powers (rethink yesterday's post on Brand as instigators of social change)
So, how do you innovate your brand?
What does brand innovation entail?

TOP 3 TIPS ON BRAND INNOVATION

Here are my top tips:

TIP #1 – SET YOUR OWN BAR OF MEASUREMENT

Are your competitors setting the parameters for your brand innovation strategies? Are you using benchmarks from what you think your competitors will also be looking into, what they will be responding, what they are addressing? Or are you setting your own bar of measurement?

“Technically, “innovation” is defined merely as “introducing something new;” there are no qualifiers of how ground-breaking or world-shattering that something needs to be—only that it needs to be better than what was there before. And that’s where the trouble starts when an organization requests “innovation services” from a consulting firm. Exactly what are they really requesting? The fact is, innovation means different things to different people.”
– Business Week

As innovation means different things to different people, it also means looking at what brand innovation means for you (your brand) and your customers.

TIP #2 – PUT VALUE ON YOUR CORE MARKET

In business, identifying and finding your niche is essential. In brand innovation, knowing your core market can help you identify powerful commonalities in your prospective clients. By focusing on what unites customers, you can expand your reach and stretch your brand.

“Innovation is not the result of thinking differently. It is the result of thinking deliberately (in specific ways) about existing problems and unmet needs.”
– Razeghi, Andrew. The Riddle. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008,1, 24.

TIP #3 – BE A BRAND OF VALUE

Don’t forget that part of what makes something innovative is not only novelty but more importantly VALUE. We can create a lot of things for our target customers, but are they of value to them?

“Innovation: The process of creating a product or service solution that delivers significant new customer value. The process begins with the selection of the customer and market, includes the identification and prioritization of opportunities, and ends with the creation of an innovative product or service.”
– Ulwick, Anthony W., What customers want. New York: McGraw-Hill 2005, Glossary,180.

Well there we have it! Day 20 of 21 Days of Branding series. Oh my, 1 more day!!!
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