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.

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