Ideas That Matter

Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization. Its founder is Salman Khan, a Bangladeshi American. He is a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School. The organization is on its track in changing the old methodologies of teaching and make studying enjoyable to students. It provides more than 3500 free Youtube lecture videos in subjects like mathematics, physics, astronomy, finance, history, economics, chemistry etc.

Vision : To Revolutionize the world of eduction by making available the knowledge online.

Mission : Providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere

Innovation : Khan chose to avoid the conventional way of a person standing by a blackboard, deciding instead to present the learning concepts as if "popping out of a darkened universe and into one's mind with a voice out of nowhere" in a way similar to sitting next to someone and working out a problem on a sheet of paper.

Things always happen for a reason. This is true for Mr Khan, who first created you tube videos for his cousins, just to make them understand the basic concepts.  But after getting the positive feedback from them, he tried sharing the video which got a good feedback from people. Taking it as an opportunity, he started working on the videos, reaching out to millions of students of all ages, across the globe with the sole purpose of making teaching more interactive and fun.   

He brought innovation in the classroom by providing more time for peer-to-peer-learning rather than the traditional way of teacher to student learning. Students can see the video and learn at home and then can teach fellow students in the class. Thus modernising the education system as a whole.

Salman Khan showcases all qualities of a Y manager. How things get started in a small scale and in order to reach to each and every person, how expansion took place with the help of Internet. Moreover, keeping the software easy to use, every student can make the most out it sitting in any place around the world.  

The Power of Being Different

This is my inaugural Blog sharing my perception and learning of the first Lecture delivered by Dr. T Prasad, who would rather loved to be called as Dr. Mandi, on ‘The Principles of Organization and Management’. 

Life is a Sum of All Your Choices

It was the third working day at NITIE and I was all set to take a note of this upcoming lecture. But as he started with the conversation, it was no longer an ordinary Wednesday morning. One thing common among all my batchmates… We are ‘Engineers’. So, when he began to ask about some of the latest technologies like 3D Printers, etc., it was no surprise. Then, he further asked some basic questions related to an individual. Eg. He asked some students what would they like to print using a 3D Printer (I was one of those) and my answer to this question was….. ofcourse “Chocolate”. Others had their own likings too and some guys were still perplexed thinking what kind of an answer is this Professor seeking for or what could flatter him. But, to my surprise, for the confused people, Dr. Mandi made them realize that the decision that we finally take in context with what is to be printed using that wonderful Printer is as important as one makes when it comes to deciding on his girlfriend. These were some measures that he incorporated in his lecture to keep it light. BUT, if thought in depth, it had a substantial meaning. Decisions are not about what you should be but what you want to be.

I was completely engrossed when he said,”The best way to learn is to get ones hands dirty….”. I could really feel the fact that, today someone else is slogging himself so that I could live and learn in this institute. 

“Aaj ki Roti Aaj hi Kamana..!” is not just a slogan; the very essence of it is far deeper which says about the real life scenario, ones hard work, ones sense of responsibility and fortitude. Its more about people like us, who have been blessed to have the best of education, who can earn for themselves. Paying heavy money for studies, & just getting a good Degree is not what should be the scenario. I should rather earn for my own living. It’s like every man for himself. So that I could say to the world…”I was born without you, so obviously I don’t need you for my survival…”

I just asked myself if this was just for the time being that I am feeling so enriched or should I instigate in me the most of what Dr.Mandi taught. After analyzing it all, I felt, that in the end, we only regret the chances we don’t take.

I realized that it’s Not Hard to Make Decision when we Know what Our Values are.

Dare To Be Different

When he further elaborated on what we as engineers have to offer to the world in the real time scenario, I realized that the education imparted in today’s scenario in schools and colleges is futile if one cannot apply them to the practical situations or use them in creating a model that would stand as a representative of a particular concept. We tend to solve and write theories, laws and concepts on paper, use them in further solving other bookish questions and score decent enough in our exams, which gives us a sense of satisfaction, confidence and confirmation that we have, and yet we further can, excel in our lives using this knowledge and perform well in later pursuits. BUT, the reality is miles away from this perception. In a group of nearly 70 people, very few could interpret the concepts behind the structural models of the mathematical formulas and scientific laws because only they could visualize it and at the same time relate it to the theoretical concepts we have been studying since school.

The lecture went on to a whole different level when we were shown the video of “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd. It inspired me a lot and instigated in me the very feeling of ‘Dare To Be Different’… Moreover, in order to be irreplaceable, one should be different and not just follow the crowd being another brick in the wall.

The mantra “Socho Becho…. Becho Seekho…. Seekho Socho…!” was then embedded in our learning to make us understand that, Anything that is new, innovative and usable, if really given a serious thought and optimized almost approximately to the desired level can be made to sell easily.

Goal Setting

Often it happens that whenever we choose to pick up a specific task or choose a particular option out of the given options, we fail to analyze this choice on a personal level. That is why ‘Goal Setting’ is one of the most important, significant and effective aspects of our lives.

When we are surrounded by thousands of options, possibilities and opportunities to choose between, it is extremely vital to know ourselves and our capabilities on individual levels, so that we can set optimally achievable goals for ourselves.

SMART Goals

We learnt the SMART goals through the ‘Tower Challenge’ wherein the rules were:-

Three people, a Manager, Owner and a Worker play

Worker has to follow the instructions of the Manager

Owner can interfere in the Work planned to achieve the goal only in worst conditions

Worker has to be blindfolded

Manager has to give the proper instructions to the Worker so that he puts the cubes one on top of the other in a manner that the tower does not fall

Build a tower of maximum possible length

Once the tower falls, game ends

Given: A tower of 17 cubes was built in the past

Specific Goals were determined by sorting out these 3 important aspects of the task:-

The first, and fundamentally the most important factor in Goal Setting is to realize that WHY do we want to or WHY should we set a goal. The moment we get an answer to this ‘WHY’, it acts as a thrust in the remaining process of Goal Setting. As soon as we realize the needs or the wants behind setting these goals, we recognize our own competence and ability in establishing these goals. The ‘WHY’ acts as the triggering factor for it. Eg. if I am told that I have to make a tower using cubes, I might not get enough answers from my conscience, that act as a boost to take up this task, i.e. my insight is still hazy about the ‘WHY’ of this task. This might inculcate laziness and procrastination. But if I am told that I have to make a tower using cubes along with the fact that some other person (who was in my shoes at some point of time) managed to create it as long as 17 units, then it gives me a sense of confidence, determination, and competence because I know that it is achievable and maybe I might be able to outstand this task if I concentrate on my abilities and perform optimally. This inculcates a sense of purpose and direction. It also increases desire, passion, motivation and certainty.

Once we realize ‘WHY’, the next step is to think on a broader scale that WHAT do we want to achieve. As soon as we realize it, we have just sought our vision. But this vision is to be divided into smaller goals in order to accomplish it. These smaller goals are nothing but the missions to be accomplished which aid in achieving the vision set in the beginning. Eg. a task of building a tower of maximum height by keeping cubes one over the other is a larger goal. This goal is further divided into smaller goals wherein each smaller goal is a task of putting one cube successfully over the previous cube.

The next step is to figure out the ‘HOW’ part of it. Here is when the managers need to apply their managing techniques wherein the conceptual skills come into picture. The towers, cubes, how to create, what it will be in the end, is a big gamble. So how one brings in the Conceptual aspect in the planning, the execution and the changes is what makes the Big Difference.

Measurable Goal: It should be maximum possible, atleast 17 cubes. The measurability of a goal is indispensible for the management of actions required to achieve the goals.

Attainable Goal: Previously, a tower of 17 cubes was made, so the target of 18 cubes was attainable.

Relevant Goals: This aspect is like a check point. We try to go back to the above three goals and verify if our goals are realistic or doable.

Time-Bound Goals: This aspect sets a timeframe for the goal. E.g.The completion of tower building within the lecture timings.

Execution and Performance

The tower of 18 cubes was finally built. It was a tremendous execution of the plan. Here is the glimpse of how the plan was executed, and the team with Dr. Mandi.

  

Change In Thoughts

The Managerial Skills are classified into Conceptual Skills, HR skills and Technical Skills, out of which the most important and the key element is the Conceptual skills. Being an engineer I always thought that it is the Technical aspect that matters the most. But to my surprise, the Conceptual aspect is the most influential aspect of Managerial Skills. The vision and mission should be carefully set by the Managers as they can imagine the Goal. The Worker cannot imagine the tower, they can only build the tower. They do not know how to sell the tower. So in any activity, how do we incorporate the Conceptual aspect of the Managerial Skills is what matters. More the loading of Conceptual aspect, more will be the value.

I am amazed to see how such a simple activity could bring about such enormous change in the way of thinking. How wonderfully it could become a representative model of all the targeted goals and the way to achieve them taking into consideration the real time scenario.

Hats Off to Dr. Mandi………!!

It was the most unexpected but undoubtedly the most enjoyable lecture based on practical learning I ever attended.

Looking forward to many more such experiences....