Editorial

A quick round-up

2007 is ‘trotting’ to a finish. There I go again, using equine-inspired metaphors. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. All a result of getting my hands dirty with that highly excitable bunch from ‘Japalouppe’; I’m referring, of course, to the fillies and the colts. But really, the December offsite was a thrilling affair, wasn’t it? A fitting finale to the year. And wasn’t the weather at Talegaon all nice and nippy? Never thought I’d get to blow smoke rings—not nicotine-induced, but the ones brought on by a sudden dip in the mercury—in this part of the country. Or complain about geysers not functioning properly. A welcome change from Mumbai where temperature fluctuations occur between 28 and 32 degree Celsius the year round. And where you get strange looks if you let slip that you enjoy hot-water baths.

So what was 2007 like for Blue Lotus? All in all, a good year I should think. Our big, happy ‘family’ emerged bigger and happier with the inclusion of Pooja, Piyush, Bipin, Tapash, Archana, Prabalika, Wayne, Kiran, Darshan, Naresh, Prathamesh, Jasleen, Shefali and several others. ‘Admin’ and ‘Training’ were introduced as independent divisions at Blue Lotus, while HR made its presence felt. The early part of the year saw Mustard and Blue Bytes shift to the new office on the fourth floor. It’s now the chosen venue for the occasional wall climbing contest/dart competition, salsa sessions, nature club meetings, birthday celebrations and miscellaneous other activities.

On the business front too, progress was steady. Blue Lotus PR added further to its tally of clients. Mustard won a spate of new accounts, most notably Lapox, Wockhardt and The Economist. But the biggest success story of the year was Blue Bytes and its rapid emergence as a prolific business arm of Blue Lotus. A new team, Bluebridge India, was formed to explore business opportunities in the emerging field of corporate training. Still at the inception stage, it’s very likely to gather momentum in 2008.

Moving on now to the two general offsites, both hugely successful affairs. The month of June saw us trooping off as one to Lonavla for three days of pure adventure. There was trekking, there was a simulated war game, there was rappling, and there was plenty of rain! We returned soaking wet, but with our spirits soaring. The second, and more recent, offsite was a first-of-its-kind corporate program in India involving ‘dogs’ and ‘horses’. It was a novel experience for many of us, and one we enjoyed thoroughly. It was heartening to see people get over their fears and inhibitions and come forward to embrace a whole new experience. And then there was The Blues. Held in an open arena, it was, like last year’s event, a roaring success.

Another highlight was the commencing of the GuruSpeak program. It’s an initiative aimed at understanding the PR industry better through regular interaction with industry veterans. Already a couple of sessions old, it has struck the right chord with our people. Definitely a step in the right direction.

So that just about sums up 2007 for us. Let’s hope 2008 is even better. On behalf of the Culture Curry team, I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.

Feature Story

This delightful piece was contributed by Aaron Alvares. Aaron heads team Bluetterflies.

Animal farm revisited

‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride’ and ‘It’s a dog’s life’ are two of the most underrated adages of our times. Others from team Blue might just agree following our recent exploits at Talegaon, some 30 km outside Pune. On the 13th of December, this family of 81 converged on Japalouppe Equine Centre, letting go of all worries and surrendering to the splendour and magnificence of the world around us.

A huge tent for the men and bunkers for the ladies, the first night was unnerving for some, but the next three days threw up enough and more opportunities to get the adrenalin flowing in most present. If the revelations made by the professional trainers weren’t startling enough, the list of activities lined up for the first day definitely drew varied reactions. Just like every beginner, nervous and unsure, all of us paid heed to every instruction with a watchful eye on the demonstrations as well. So what was it that we really had to do? Well, the tasks were fairly simple. The 14 teams that we were split into further merged into two separate groups of seven teams each. One group was assigned the canines whilst the other group was allotted the equines… that’s right, dogs and horses! Those with prior experience of offsites weren’t as surprised as the first timers, as our organization has a history of making its employees do things out of the ordinary. Another thing I can promise is that no one ever comes back from these offsites disappointed. Don’t believe me, ask Chitra from our Pune branch.

Fudge, Cheese, Honey, Lara, Sara, Haseena and The Mighty Max, don’t these words bring different thoughts into your minds? I’m sure they do, but what’s common in all of them? Well, I’m sure everyone guessed right, yes besides being dogs/bitches the one common thing they had was that they all taught us something about life. Phew, when did I dream about being taught by a canine? The learnings that these wonderful animals imparted to us weren’t extraordinary, but helped us understand how, by doing the ordinary, we can improve our lives as well as the lives of those around us.

36 hours had passed, the fears and phobias had vanished, living with a dog didn’t seem as bad as the dog’s life we all live everyday, tiredness showed but every exhausted body had a sense of pride and happiness oozing from every pore. The bond had grown so fond, that letting go seemed so unfair but I guess like they say, if every wish is granted, no one will be happy. After all, our loss was the gain of the other seven teams and vice versa when they had to let go their newest friends, the equines.

If the second night was loads of fun with dance and music filling the air, it was a mere precursor to what followed the next night. ‘The Blues’ as it is called, the official awards night of Blue Lotus, where good performances and talent is recognised, was one big party. Win or lose, nothing deterred the spirits of the Blue family as the ‘Smell of Team Spirit’ engulfed the venue. Motivational speeches, mimicry acts, five prestigious awards, plenty of sinful spirits and foot-tapping music; one couldn’t ask for more.

The party continued till the wee hours and expectedly the next morning found most of us, groggy and sleepy-eyed. With the teams exchanging activities, we had equines for company and if the previous night’s activities didn’t help us get over the loss of our canines, the beauty and grace of the equines definitely swept us off our feet. Solitaire, Ebony, Asifa, Rimjhim to name a few, all ex-race horses were a treat to behold.

Winding up and returning seemed so cruel on us but not for nothing do they say, ‘If wishes were horses beggars would ride’, right? And we all returned to our respective homes, just to meet again the next day and get busy with work all over again. After all, it’s a dog’s life that we lead, right?

An HR initiative

A rather worrying trend has emerged at Blue Lotus in recent times. That of employees reporting late for work, repeatedly, sometimes over twenty days in a month. Beginning January, 2008, a new policy shall be enforced at Blue Lotus. The policy lays down that everyone has to enter office at 9.30 am sharp everyday. Delay of even a single minute shall result in a late mark. If there are five or more late arrivals in a month against a person’s name, he/she stand to lose half-a-day’s pay.

So, synchronise your watches. You’re being watched!

Training

This story was contributed by Tapash, Training Manager, Blue Lotus PR.

Training with animals

December 2007 shall be remembered for several reasons, one of them being our most fun-filled and rewarding offsite ever. To the best of our knowledge, this was India’s first ever Corporate Equine and Canine Training on verbal and non-verbal communication.

Those of us who knew about the program were dying to attend it. Most, however, didn’t have a clue. Like every other offsite, this too was a well-kept secret, though keeping it that way wasn’t exactly easy. Knowing that there were people who were scared of dogs made me wonder whether they would even get close to them. But to my complete surprise, they formed such a bond with the animals that it was difficult to drag them away in the end.

The uniqueness of the program comes from the fact that it was the first time ever that animals were used to impart lessons in communication in the corporate context. History is proof that we have always tried to domesticate animals for our benefit and teach them to understand what we want to communicate.

As we say, there is a carrot and stick method to motivate one to either carry out or abstain from certain acts. We can conclude from our experience that when we use the punishment method people react more out of fear than free will; at the same time the carrot method when used effectively makes people act out of their own free will.

We saw how Rohan reads the body language of the horses, which gives him those vital seconds to react to these magnificent creatures. This stands good for humans as well as once we start recognising non-verbal clues from fellow humans, we instinctively know what course of action to follow.

People have so loved the exprience, that many have already made their plans to visit the place again.

Photo Feature

Offsite , Anniversary Party Pictures

Interviews

The winners of The Blues were announced at a glittering ceremony held on the 15th of December. Here’s what the winners had to say.

Prabalika Borah, Winner: ‘Best Debut’

Did you anticipate winning this award? How does it feel to have won?
No, I did not anticipate this award as I don’t feel I performed to the expectations of my seniors. I shifted from media to PR and I did face some initial problems in pitching stories and sending releases. Also, a few TLs had complaints about my branch not performing well enough. These put together, I felt I didn’t stand a chance of winning.
It was a great feeling, especially when my colleague, Anil, called me from Mumbai and congratulated me. I was in the midst of a family function in Assam and couldn’t figure out what he was saying. After a while he explained that I had received the award for best debut. As we were all gathered for my sister’s wedding, my uncle threw an impromptu party. Chicken dry fry and whisky for the men and Bailey’s liquor for older ladies like mom and grandma and mamis. I meanwhile settled for the best chicken fry pieces.
However, the biggest surprise was the DVD player. I was expecting to see the trophy on my return but when Sandhya handed me the prize I was doubly thrilled. And if that DVD was sent by mistake, I am not going to return it.

What does the award mean to you? Has winning changed your approach to work and how you view your role in the company?
It means a lot. It goes to show that companies do recognise the good work done by an employee. Though my previous employers often praised my work, it never translated into an award. This is my very first. In school we would only get certificates while the awards would go to all the athletes. I would compete to win but being on the plum side of health, I would reach nowhere near the finish line with the rest. I’ve kept the award on my bedside so it’s the first thing I see every morning; a constant reminder that hard work pays.
It makes me feel all the more responsible. But that doesn’t mean that had I not won the award my attitude would have changed. When I joined the company many had apprehensions whether I would fit in or not and I really did want to show that I belong in here.

Who was your candidate for this award?
My candidate was Pournima Surve. She’s just as new in the organisation and she does her job really well.

Amol, Winner: ‘Turaround of the Year’

Did you anticipate winning this award? How does it feel to have won?
Winning feels great. The awards night will forever remain embedded in my memory. Blue Lotus has always given plenty of opportunities to its employees. All one needs to do is stay focused, avail of those opportunities, and the rewards will follow automatically. My team members have all very supportive. Also my TL and my CEO have always shown great faith in me.

What does the award mean to you? Has winning changed your approach to work and how you view your role in the company?
Firstly the way people view me has changed. Now I need to work even harder. My aim is to concentrate on Maharashtra media and get better ingress - Blue Lotus must be known to a pan-Maharashtra media. And my next career goal - to become a PR executive.

Who was your candidate for this award?
I nominated myself. I was confident that I would win.

Laxman, Winner: ‘Outstanding creativity’

Did you anticipate winning this award? How does it feel to have won?
Yes, I was sure that I would be the winner this year. It was an emotionally charged moment when I held aloft the trophy. It felt good especially when Piyush asked the crowd to guess the name of the winner and they responded with chants of ‘Laxman! Laxman! Laxman!’ The echo of those chants will stay with me forever.

What does the award mean to you? Has winning changed your approach to work and how you view your role in the company?
This award means a lot to me, it’s come as a huge morale booster. Also, now I feel the need to live up to the new expectations that the award has placed on me. So in a way I do feel more responsible. I will endeavour to incorporate the benefits technology to every new initiative of Blue Lotus.

Who was your candidate for this award?
I nominated myself.

Blues

This story was contributed by Piyush Jain. Piyush heads Business Development at Blue Bytes.

Who won The Blues?

The second installment of The Blues happily coincided with the second and final offsite of the year. Also, given that the Blue Lotus group was celebrating its fifth anniversary year, the degree of excitement went up several notches.

The Blues campaign began well in advance with a series of teasers. This was followed by posters, danglers, e-mailers… the works, all adding to the excitement. The visual motif was that of a masked person followed by the caption: “Who will win?” Everyone wanted to see themselves or their nominees behind the mask of the persons in the teasers. Little did we know that the Byters would “take it all”; well most of it anyway.

The winners are decided by a system of nomination, a completely democratic process wherein everyone nominates their favourite candidates, at the same time forwarding arguments to that effect. The jury then sits together and decides on the nominees, based both on numbers as well as the quality of endorsements.

The Blues was held on the night of the 15th, the day being devoted to a gruelling session involving horses and dogs. An elaborate stage—complete with backdrop, screen and spotlight—set the mood for this most awaited of evenings. Sitting in the second row, I was as excited and nervous as the rest – young men and women all turned out in their evening best. A rousing speech by Mouli followed by a crisp introduction to each award by Soumitro preceded the announcement of the nominations. The beautiful lady draped in a gorgeous silver sari then announced the nomination for the first award category.

One after the other, three names were announced as nominees for the ‘Spirit of Entrepreneurship’ award. I was thrilled to find myself amongst the nominees. In true Filmfare awards fashion, the nominations were announced and with a pause (I skipped several heart beats) the name of the winner was announced. I would be lying if I said it did not matter. Yes, I was thrilled and elated; so much so that my well rehearsed speech went for a toss when I walked up to the stage to receive the award.

Then came the moment of glory for Prabalika - adjudged Best Debutant. The award for creativity went to Laxman, while the Amol won the award for ‘turnaround of the year’.

The most awaited award of the evening, the ‘team spirit’ award, came at the very end. Bishi announced or rather hinted at the winners and this was enough for all, especially the Byters who realized collectively that this was their moment of glory. Congratulatory words flew all around with the Byters hugging and back-slapping each other. Some of us had our voices choked as a surge of emotion overcame us all.

It was indeed a very proud moment to hold aloft the trophy. It is humbling to know there are others around who care and appreciate all that you are doing. The beautiful trophy brings along not just recognition for past efforts but also builds up an expectation for the future.

Each one of us is a future leader, the award simply is a way to recognize and inspire everyone towards that. Next year it could very well be YOU!

Dancing Queen

This piece was contributed by Pournima Surve, Sr. PR executive, Blue Lotus PR. The title of the piece, however, was picked by the Editorial team. And for a very good reason too. Read on and you’ll know why.

Dancing Queen

One usually requires a partner to dance the Salsa, though there are recognised solo steps as well. Certain formations also involve groups of couples. Improvisation and social dancing are important elements of Salsa but it can be a performance dance as well.

When it was announced that Blue Lotus was organising in-house Salsa lessons for its employees, it caused quite a stir. A number of us signed up for these lessons. And I am glad we did. They were thoroughly enjoyable and acted as a great stress buster. In all there were ten sessions, the last being in the month of November.

Come December and the classes had been relegated to the back of our minds. That’s when Tapash announced a Salsa competition, to be judged by our instructor Ms. Farida. Salsa fever was back and how. There was plenty of talk about the competition as everyone went about looking for dance partners.

Six couples had signed up for the competition. It began with a group dance followed by solo performances by each couple. It was up to the couples to select the soundtrack they wanted to dance to. It was an exhilarating experience, something that I’ll remember all my life.

Afterwards it was time to declare the winners. Anuja and Tapash were declared runners-up, and Prathamesh and I, the winners. I won a gift coupon from Titan and a certificate which occupies a place of pride at my work-station.
I wait with bated breath for the next dance competition.

New at Blue Lotus Family

Editorial

The year’s about to climax

December’s going to be a period of high activity here at Blue Lotus. It’s when we get together for our second offsite of the year. The first, if you recall, was at Lonavla. And what an adventure it was, amidst verdant hills and gorging waterfalls. Going by the feelers, this one promises to be no less. Add to that the excitement of our fifth anniversary celebrations. And the absolute high point: when The Blues are handed out on the last day of the offsite. Yes, December sure promises to be a lot of fun.

There’s been a nice build-up to The Blues over the last month or so. Nominations have really poured in and the judging committee has a fair job on its hands. Once the counting begins and an overall picture begins to emerge, we’re sure to see the judging troika engaged in animated discussions. Who will the nominees be this time? Who will edge past whom? Guess we’ll have to wait just a little while longer. And meanwhile, you can start laying your bets.

Feature Story

This story was contributed by Tapash, Training Manager, Blue Lotus PR.

And The Blues goes to…

The Blues fever is catching on; posters are up, danglers swaying gently in the artificial breeze, teasers pouring in. The air is heady with excitement and a strong sense of anticipation. And why not? The big night is just round the corner.

Nominations have been pouring in thick and fast. Minor campaigns were kickstarted by Piyush to garner popular support for candidates of his choice. My guess is that we’ll see more campaigns in the days to follow, once the nominations are with the selection committee.

This will be my first awards function and I’m really looking forward to it. More than anything, I am waiting for the night of the awards. I have heard a great deal about it and now want to see it for myself; smart gentlemen in black and pretty ladies coming together in a riot of colours, a well-illuminated stage, and a big screen showcasing the nominees. That’s The Blues for you.

Nominees will break into smiles when their names are announced. Then a moment of silence, while the next announcement follows: “And the BLUES goes to………”

And that’s not all. Our much awaited offsite will also happen around then. What will it be this time? We have walked over fire, climbed mountains, walked across angry gullies, built bridges over rivers, fought wars, and survived on rationed supplies. What’s left for us to do? Well let me tell you we don’t repeat our offsite activities. So just wait and watch.

Emissary Program

Please click on the image for enlarge view.

New Joinees

New at Blue Lotus Family

Training

GuruSpeak

This story was contributed by Tapash, Training Manager, Blue Lotus PR.

In any form of industry, companies always aim for forward and backward integration in their business in order so as to function in a more efficient way. The PR industry is no exception and we are in a constant search of fine tuning this process. Usually speaking there would be a single owner for the all the vertically linked companies. This requires substantial investments and an ability to take risks. That brings us to the supply chain management. In our industry, it’s the media and clients which along with PR agencies complete the chain.

How to develop such a network is best understood by interacting with experts, who’re themselves part of such an integrated system. Under the program, ‘GuruSpeak’, we aim to meet the above stated objectives. M.G. Arun, Chief of Bureau, Financial Express, was invited to address our first GuruSpeak session. Not only was the session insightful and eye-opening, it also helped our people build a nice rapport with him.

Mr. Arun guided us on how, when and what to speak to a journalist, be it a senior pro or a greenhorn. His insights on the changing media and communications scenario and the challenges therein, and on how a business newspaper functions was something everyone benefited from.

Social Activities

All for a cause

The Salvation Army is a non-profit organisation doing commendable work for the betterment of Orphanages, Rehabilitation Centres, Women’s Welfare Centres, Refugee Centres etc., across Maharashtra. At Blue Lotus, we endorse and wholeheartedly support their efforts. In fact, we even ran a campaign recently inviting members of team Blue to come forward and donate clothes, to be handed over to the Salvation Army and subsequently to those who need them. The response was overwhelming. We collected a sizeable volume of clothes. Thank you. And we look forward to your continued support in the future.

Photo Feature

Diwali Pictures

Restaurant Review

Eating out in Hyderabad

This article was contributed by Prabalika Borah, Team Leader, Hyderabad.

The Nawabs once led the most extravagant lives. They chewed paan with a fine coating of real gold, imported tea directly from China, and enjoyed elaborate meals prepared from secret family recipes. As a custom, the girls in the family weren’t taught these recipes as they had to leave for their husband’s home after marriage. So it was the daughters-in-law who got to learn how to dum the best dishes.
The lavish lifestyle must have left the nawabs bankrupt and caused them to slowly fade away, but their love of fine food is a legacy that has continued. It’s not that in Hyderabad we only eat Hyderabadi biryani and mirchi ka salan, and wind up dinner or lunch with shahi tukda or a qubani ka meetha. Hyderabadis do eat biryani like nobody’s business but they also love to dig into continental foods and pure India vegetarian thalis. Let’s discuss at length as to what Hyderabad has to offer to a foodie.

For biryani, there are several destinations but the most famous is Paradise, a city landmark in itself. I don’t quite relish their biryani though; a better alternative is Bawarchi at RTC X road, which makes the most sumptuous biryani. Another personal favourite is Bahar, a typical Irani place where you’ll see waiters dip their fingers into glasses of water while serving. Yuck! This might leave you sick for days, so the best option is to get the food packed.

If you are the finicky sorts then Hyderabad House would be a much better option for you. They have several outlets in the city. And after the biryani, you definitely must eat a paan. The paan in Hyderabad is full of sweet surprises, with no supari inside. There’s a variety called the first-night paan supposed to be eaten by two people. Gross! But yeah we were all shocked when a paanwala next to Paradise explained the significance of the paan in chaste Urdu. And honestly I wouldn’t recommend the kebabs here to anyone unless they’re from Bademiyaan near the tank bund. He’s a-ok.

People often come here and ask what to carry back home. I suggest kaju biscuits from Karachi bakery. They’re yummy but I prefer to carry cheese cake from deli9 or the dark brown chocolate truffle from Ofen, the Swiss bakers. Talking of deli9, it’s a place to visit if you have loads of expendable cash or are carrying somebody else’s credit card. Every item here is yummy. The cinnamon muffin is a must-try as is the chocolate chip muffin.

In Hyderabad you can eat to your heart’s content. It’s a place for buffets and the best bargains are Indijoe, Moksh, Shanghai dice, Odyssey and Nakshatra. And if somebody is giving you a treat, ask for brunch at Fusion 9, Novotel or the Marriott.

Oh! hang on a minute, Hyderabad has good street food too. For Pani Puris, trust the vendor at Park lane. And how can I forget South Indian delicacies. Our choice for a sumptuous meal is the Southern Spice. For breakfast, try Minerva. Everything is good here. I don’t think I can write anymore. I am hungry.

Book Review

Mumbai - alive and kicking

This article was contributed by Grishma Shah, Blue Lotus PR.

I was really excited when I set eyes upon this 500-page tome about my city, Mumbai. And trust me, it was an absolute tour de force. Though it opens slowly, it soon acquires a lively pace; enough to keep one hooked right to the last page. It’s an absorbing account of Bombay by a Mumbaikar, whose love for the city is apparent. Interesting, exhaustive and well-researched, it reveals the metropolis in all its myriad complexities. A must-read for all those who want to discover the real Mumbai. We are often strangers to our environment and to people around us. This book, Maximum City, is all about Mumbai. The living city is documented as it is and not as it appears from outside. The book profiles Mumbaikars from different walks of life, capturing quite beautifully their little quirks, their idiosyncrasies.

All of you who’ve stayed in Mumbai will agree that Mumbai is a city with a myriad of cities within. Suketu Mehta aspires to manifest this very attribute of this great city by painting a kaleidoscopic portrait of different lives; a picture that is as revealing as it is ambiguous. Highly recommended.

Editorial

The art of PR?

All the usual things happened at the recently concluded Team Leaders’ off-site. By that I mean presentations, discussions, minor arguments and drawn out debates, not to mention the impromptu song and dance sessions in the evenings – well within striking distance of a well-stocked bar. But there was one other activity that bordered perhaps on the unusual. With business as usual by day, our seasoned PR and advertising pros turned artists by night. Yes, artists, who wield paints and oils and brushes to capture life in all its myriad complexities. The idea was to create a single full-length painting with inputs from everybody. The brief given to everyone was to not think too much but to try and be as spontaneous as possible. However, to keep it from becoming a complete freewheeling exercise, all participants were given a common theme: ’Blue Lotus’.

A large canvas was divided into fragments, each team leader being apportioned one to artistically interpret Blue Lotus. Bishi, the only certified artist in the entire group, moderated the entire exercise. The results surprised everyone, including the participants. Personally, it reminded me of a workshop that was conducted in Mumbai a few years ago when a group of kids, randomly selected and who’d never before handled a camera, were first instructed on how to operate one, then asked to venture out into the city and shoot whatever took their fancy. The results, as in the case above, were quite incredible. I know because I happened to see the photographs when they were later reproduced in a popular city magazine. They revealed intelligence, insight and refined artistic sensibilities – extraordinary, given that the photographers were all barely into their teens.

It just goes to show that all of us have a latent ability for creative expression. All we require to bring it to the fore is the right stimulus. Having an accomplished artist like Bishi in your midst must also help.

We’ve reproduced the painting below. Take a good, long hard look at it. What do you think? Do the pictures reveal anything to you? Archana has taken the pains to review each fragment of art. You can read her observations here and see if they match your own. And in case you want to see the real thing, just take the staircase to the fourth floor.

Feature Story

The Feature Story was contributed by Piyush Jain. Piyush heads Business Development at Blue Bytes.

The new buzz at Blue Lotus

In the month of October, we witnessed two events of significance at Blue Lotus. The first involved only a select few, getting together to take stock and plan further - the quarterly TLs’ offsite. The second was the most awaited half yearly ritual which concerns all of us - the Performance Appraisal.

We’ve all been through the grind involving Performance Appraisals, so I will not delve into that. The Team Leaders offsite, however, would be of interest to all those who were not a part of it. So here’s the inside story...

It’s definitely not all fun and games, as Umesh keeps reminding everyone, but a place where serious introspection takes place.

The TL offsite typically gets underway with Mouli outlining the company’s vision. Soumitro takes it a step further and grinds it into everyone, at the same time providing details on the progress made by Mustard and Blue Bytes. Darshan then reveals the quarter’s figures, which really don’t show us in a very good light. Then it’s the turn of the team leaders themselves. One by one each TL makes a detailed presentation stating his team’s performance, which is subjected to close scrutiny by others. By "others" I mean the "Council of Elders", who perform a role similar to that of the Board of Directors.

The previous TL offsite - my first - was all about setting targets and looking at ways and means to achieve them. This time it had more to do with how much of that target has been met. Unfortunately, as most of you would know, for the first time in our group’s history we had to revise our targets downwards. This however did not dampen anyone and each one was motivated enough to achieve more than what was set for them.

The team leaders spoke about the numbers they’ve achieved so far and outlined their plans to achieve the balance. Each one also presented a success story in the form of a case study. All of this was critically reviewed by those sitting in judgment over the presentation.

It’s a great platform to bounce your ideas off others. Since all teams are interdependent, the offsite presents an opportunity to voice your opinion regarding strengthening of the BL network, better coordination between team members, issues with critical hands etc. Individuals come up for reviews and informal votes are taken on the performance of the person concerned.

Standing up and presenting your team’s case in front of the "Council of Elders" can be fairly challenging. To ease the stress, evenings are given almost entirely to unwinding with a whisky and soda, a sprinkling of shaayari, and freewheeling banter.

A major highlight of the offsite was when all the TLs turned artists, and used their collective skills to create a single painting. All this under the watchful eyes of Bishi. The painting, a highly abstract piece, now occupies a place of pride in our fourth floor office. The last day was devoted to "leadership training" by an external faculty. All were required to undergo a leadership test, the results of which are not encouraging enough to share on a public platform.

After 3 days, the TLs are suitably motivated to take on the oncoming challenges. But the very first challenge immediately after the offsite is to get to office on time the following day.

Special Story

This special article was contributed by Archana J. Sharda. Archana heads the Delhi operations of Blue Lotus.

From the creator – The Brahma

Blue - the colour of water, which represents movement; it also symbolizes honesty, faith and trustworthiness. Lotus, one of the Ashtamangala or Eight Auspicious Symbols that also signify purity, as the suffix. Two good enough reasons for me to adopt the name. The origin may never be explained but an attempt is possible.

Before the brightest star, 'The Sun', had to shine on the clean blue horizon, cobwebs had left me disillusioned, clouded the clarity of my mind. It needed more than the vision and the divine inner voice that kept calling inside, it needed the power to say to myself ‘I CAN’. As soon as my perspiration that dripped on the parched earth dried as I could do that the black threads melted into days and nights and then on the sky one fine shining day after I wrote ‘Blue Lotus'. The inner self was no longer thirsty, it was hungry now. The knowledge around was immense to be captured in my arms, so I gathered as many to form my ’Team Blue’.

On the sunrise orange canvas, ‘Blue Lotus’ was planted to spread its fragrance, the goodness had to multiply and reach out to the farthest corners. Five years today, the networks across represent the principles of the organisation, the butterflies and kites painted a prosperous picture and the business congruence started to take shape. The concentric squares are so true to my objective of achieving a work place that learns from within each other, cross pollination as we call it; the fresh green ideas from the young leaders allows us to spread our wings.

It brings me so much pride when I see the rainbow touching many hearts where, not just the team, but the external world knows about us too. Like the mythological flower we, born and destined to bring out something good, unerring and pure, are sure to achieve Nirvana – for us it would mean progress and growth, success as we may all like to call it!

What better a place can I offer you, where the blue lotus has grown over these few years and is trying to mount up the sky, the team is striving to hand hold each other, opportunities for business women are as much as for any of us. Heart, soul and mind reverberates the body and yet binds them all for the sake of oneness.

The oneness is the essence. The farther the links, the more significant their contributions. Harmony is quintessential as we all walk towards the same goal and unlimit ourselves to ‘possibility thinking’

I urge you all, let’s move together to map the unreal to the real. We’re still far behind; the competition is harsh and cutting our skins through. We all have to put all efforts as much as we can, as much as we should, for we know we can, for we know how it was when we took off, how it was when we started flying, but what will be the most wonderful would be something we still don’t know – how would it be flying much, much higher – reaching new heights, that will be infinity, that will be ecstasy.

PA Party

This article was contributed by Mayuri Kirloskar. Mayuri heads the Pune operations of Blue Lotus.

A night to remember

On a crisp Friday evening, the entire Mumbai team of Blue Lotus (and their Pune counterparts) trooped towards Hotel Apollo where the PA results were to be announced. Although everything appeared bright and merry on the surface, I can assure you that there were many experiencing the ’butterflies in the stomach’ syndrome.

Some walked in with very high expectations. For others, it was déjà vu time. As for the new-kids-on-the-block, it was obviously a ‘Night to Remember’ – their first-ever performance appraisal. It’ll suffice to say that the atmosphere was heady with anticipation, mixed with equal parts anxiety.

Pooja got the event underway with a short, spirited speech, her characteristic tongue-in-cheek humour very much in evidence. Then it was Darshan’s turn to brief us on the current financial status of BLC. Some worried glances were exchanged after Darshan was done with his speech. But Soumitro and Mouli took over from there and injected a much-needed dose of optimism into the evening’s proceedings. As Soumitro very rightly pointed out, "there’s no point dwelling in the past as you can’t change it; what you can control is tomorrow. So let’s get our acts together and prepare for what’s to come". After that, a few of the oldest and a couple of the newest members of Blue Lotus spoke a few lines each. It was all very earnest and heartfelt.

Once the announcements had been made, it was time to hit the dance floor. One look at the couples jiving and it quickly became evident that all the hard work put in during the Salsa sessions had paid off big time. Even those not learning the Salsa did their thing in great style.

A few pegs down and everyone forgot about numbers, figures and results. It was time to be merry. A fitting finale to the evening was when the next day was declared a holiday.

Training

This piece on new training initiatives was contributed by Tapash Pal. Tapash is the Training Manager at Blue Lotus, and also heads team Blue Bridge.

Leadership Theory

Earlier this month at the TL offsite, team leaders and "potential" team leaders underwent a session on situational leadership as part of their overall training program.

What is situational leadership?

Classical theory defines different styles of leadership - autocratic, dictatorial, participative, bureaucratic etc., where a person is usually attributed with one style of leadership. But we all know now that this isn’t a very productive approach. GE along with Ken Blanchard (Author of One Minute Manager) developed a "Situational Leadership" module, which says that the leadership ought to be flexible and different styles should be adopted depending on the situation.

Ajai Singh, CEO of Transformation International, India and Principal Consultant, Shamrock Training Consultants & Master Leadership Coach, came down to conduct a one-day training session for Blue Lotus. Ajai is a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst, Certified Professional Value Analyst (the only one in the whole of South Asia), Certified Attribute Index Analyst, Certified Achieve Global Master Trainer, Certified Synergogic Master Trainer, Certified Entretel Master Trainer and Certified Leadership Foundations Master Trainer. He is also a Certified Master Leadership Coach and the sole Ken Blanchard Coach in India.

The first session was about a leader’s role in the changing work scenario. It touched upon the importance of workforce and how a leader has to adapt his or her style of leadership depending on the changes in workforce.

The second session was a LEAD self–assessment, which revealed our style of leadership. We were pleased to know that as an organization, we follow the "Selling Style of Leadership", which happens to be on the better side of the normalization curve.

In last session, Ajai spoke about Follower Centric leadership. What should a leader do if he has no follower? This session touched upon the third dimension, which is not covered by Ken Blanchard’s Situational leadership – PEOPLE.

All in all, the program has given us the direction for our thought process towards a three dimensional leadership.

Photo Feature

PA party at Hotel Apollo

Puja chronicles

This article was contributed by Biswajit Das. Biswajit heads Mustard Communications.

Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshipped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe and is a symbol of female dynamism.

She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, she is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of his two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durga puja, especially popular among Bengalis.

She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Wine cup, Shield, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes her august name, Simhavahini, "She who stands astride the king of beasts". She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating her personage. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye.

She went to battle on her ferocious mount lion, armed with the weapons given to her by the other Gods. Durga is one of the angry and aggressive aspects of the goddess Shakti. In the battle, she fought and killed the evil Mahishasura, restored heaven to the Gods and the occasion is celebrated as victory over evil.

In West Bengal, Durga Puja is five days of sheer festivity. It hinges around Mahalaya day, a week before the actual celebrations begin. It was on this day that Durga was assigned the task of eliminating evil. So the familiar pose of Durga unleashing her wrath on an outpowered asura (demon). Legend goes that Ram wanted to invoke the blessings of Durga before his great war with Ravan. He performed the Durga Puja despite the time of year not being right. That is why the puja is also known as Akal Bodhon, or untimely invocation. It is only from the day of Mahalaya that the preparations for the Durga Puja reach the final stage. The midnight chants of various hymns of ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ remind one of the beginnings of Durga Puja.

The battle started on Shaptami and Ravana was killed at the Shandhikshan (in between) Ashtami and Navami; he was cremated on Dashami. Therefore the four days of the puja that we celebrate ends in the triumph of good over evil. Finally, on 'Dashami,' the tenth day from the new moon, the idol is immersed in the river.