After completing my masters in mass communications from New Delhi, I initially tried my hand at working in TV channels. I did several gigs for a year and a half and then landed a job at Thomson Reuters. I worked there in various positions for several years. Through those years, I thought of pursuing management education, but I couldn’t because of various circumstances. I continued working and climbed the corporate ladder to become the Head of PR and Corporate Communications at L&T Technology Services (LTTS).
The team at LTTS comprises of a vibrant bunch of youngsters – MBA graduates and otherwise. Among them, what I have observed is that the ones with an MBA have a somewhat more polished approach towards problem-solving and have a deep understanding of processes. This was especially evident in their interactions with customers and other stakeholders. This rekindled my desire to pursue a formal business education. Not more than a few days later, I received an email from the HR at LTTS. Two things in the email were enough for me to get in the action mode: executive programme and ISB. I enrolled in the programme and got on board. I was not going to miss my chance of doing a management programme.
So, I started the four-day Marketing Excellence for Strategic Competitive Advantage (MESCA) programme in October 2018. The programme was structured with utter simplicity, and the delivery of the programme was relatively simple too. Professors Rajendra Srivastava and Nirmal Gupta were very effective in explaining the complicated concepts of marketing management.
We had a comprehensive mix of senior people, representing a wide range of industries, cultures and disciplines. I made friends at the programme who were all from backgrounds different than mine. This led to a lot of sharing of knowledge and perspectives, which I found really enriching. Their stories and experiences offered me a distinct approach to work. Now, when I talk to people, I question things a lot more. I can understand the different assumptions people are making. In my conversations, I’m more conscious, more engaged and aware of varied angles. MESCA gave me instruments and tools to understand and look at situations clearly that allows me to see the bigger picture.
The programme was really a great experience for me and exceeded my expectations. It fundamentally helped me identify and address aspects of my personality and strengths that I would never have otherwise seen a reason to adjust. I am thankful for this opportunity because it is to this that I have been able to attain formal management education – something that I always thought about but never exercised on.
