Portfolio

We, at Ideas Inc. have been doing a lot of good work in the BTL sector for industrial and engineering companies.
Some of it is on the website and some on my portfolio link.
Do have a look at the portfolio and give me your feedback!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ideas-Inc-the-communications-and-graphics-agency/500778035472

Our website is www.ideas-elan.com

Newsletter, the powerful communication tool for employee engagement

In the present global scenario, company managements are gradually realising as to how effective an internal newsletter is, as a communication tool, in the employee engagement plan. More so for fast growing companies where the management needs to keep its employees on the same page as far as the organisational changes go.
But finding the right set of people to give the newsletter an effective shape are not many in the market. Company newsletters are more than a simple set of printed papers bound together and sent around to show everyone associated with the company how wonderful the company really is. 
Company newsletter provides valuable information that employees should know about. It is an integral and important part of the communications strategy that keeps everyone on the same page wrt Important issues, policy changes, changes in direction, etc. 
The difference between an excellent and poor newsletter is content and commitment. If the editor of the newsletter is only writing about topics that interests him/her, it is likely to be seen as a company mouth piece. 
If th editor delves into topics that are relevant, important and interesting, people will read the newsletter regularly. Employee news, their achievements and helping them express their artistic efforts are critical in the acceptance of the tool and consequently its success.
Engaging employees' families in the process is also an added advantage.

Make your communication effective

Interesting reading..http://www.nwlink.com/~Donclark/leader/leadcom.html

Dos's and dont's while speaking

• When you are explaining something, ensure that the listeners understand what you mean
• Make sure the receiver has a chance to comment or ask questions
• Be sensitive to the receiver of the message, his feelings and his opinions 
• Your communication should be crisp, clear and consistent
• Look at the receiver in the eye while speaking
• Make sure your words match your tone and body language (nonverbal behavior).
• Vary your tone and pace of speaking
• Do not ignore signs of confusion

Speak right and speak tight

Lot of us face what Afridi has faced. Some frequently and some less frequently. That is having 'your foot in your mouth'. 
The ability to speak right and speak tight is a real uphill task! We all love listening to ourselves and if we have an audience...wow! Well, some of us just cannot stop preening. Such human beings are quite common and they end up with a greater share of misery in terms of controversies and irate acquaintances.
I believe such entities require a great degree of training in effective communication. How to speak, when and where to say what. The art of communication is actually a science. The methodology studies the human mind and its perception and reactions to situations.
The communication training models are accordingly developed, to suit individual requirements.
For, effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know. - Jim Rohn

All about words and actions

The IPL fracas brings forth the interesting issue of how important communication is. To begin with, the IPL management may not have foreseen the violent reaction of the Pakistanis and the Pakistanis never dreamt that their top players could be so royally dumped in the forthcoming IPL3. 

To start with, what went into getting the Pakistani players onto the auction platform was really not the concern of the team owners. Nor did the IPL management stop to think as to what would happen in the event that none of the Pakistani players were bid for, given the state of our delicate relationship. With the last fall of the hammer, the Indo-Pak 'Aman ki Asha' fell apart!

Pakistan, to say the least, was not amused. The damage was done.

In fact, the damage control mechanism went on to make more faux pas.

The media was given the freedom to opine on an already burning issue. They went about it like a bull in a china shop. Finally, Lalit Modi spoke, rather brusquely, without facts and figures to back up his statements.

Each group in the process washed its hands off the whole drama. The team owners, the government and the IPL management.

Leaving the Pakistanis red faced and baying for more blood.

Why did this happen really? Because many-a-times when we act or speak, we share our point of view, without considering the effect that it may have on the listener, reader or viewer. Picking and choosing words or actions are mostly not given the importance that it deserves and at times we are at the receiving end of actions or words meted out by a third person or element.

There was no apparent planning in the building up of inter-relationships. The IPL management and the team owners, riding high on the IPL success wave, forgot to build bridges of goodwill through cohesive and concerted action.

Planned communication is critical. A good communicator, at the end of the day, wins the war, even as the battles are won by generals.

IPL failed to win the war, it only won the battles. 

Fallouts of hype

We have once again given Pakistan an emotional edge with the IPL fracas. It's time the Indian media came of age and made more intelligent analysis with a broader speaker basket.
Why do we Indians always have to be so righteous? What is right or wrong in those decisions? It's a simple business decision taken by the buyers who put their money on those players who they thought will bring them greater returns.
This is a no-win situation. If IPL had not invited the Pakistani players it would have led to a similar fracas with Pakistan screaming as to how they were ignored and not invited.
In what way is a state responsible for a business decision? We should let each one do his or her own job and let IPL be what it is...a cricket bonanza.

Let's not thrive on sensationalism

Ruchika, Haiti earthquake, hockey impasse, Jessica lal, RTI for supreme court, army misappropriation, assembly tandav...so much of news, views and sensationalism! In the world of consumer dictat, when you have more players than the market can adjust to, every journo, be it a newspaper writer, a radio broadcaster or a TV broadcaster, each one of them is rushing to catch the reader by the hands or the eyeballs or ear drums and what have u's!!!
Before you say life's like that, I wonder whether sensationalism has been good for us or for a select few who went hammer and tongs to achieve what they set out to achieve. There are millions of others who are in the same boat, but are unable to find a solution due to various inadequacies. 
Today, every known journalist comments on the Ruchika case with many tsk's and shaking of heads!
Even Prannoy Roy, who first talks about the shooting prices on his 9 o'clock news back tracks by saying that farmers gain by this price rise!
Hello, is urbanisation taking such a hit in this country? Hey, we don't want to be another US!

Cricket again!

Watched the India-Australia ODI this afternoon. Really, after the T20s, find these matches slow and dowdy. But Bhajji did liven it up for a bit by tormenting the Aussies no end, when all of us thought, maybe for a short while, that India, indeed, had wrested the match out of the hands of the BIG players.


But why are the Aussies so way ahead? Are we not as good? Yes, we are. But there are vital differences.  The visitoirs have nerves of steel, are focussed, they strategise, they work to a plan, they are disciplined and they play as a team. They think for and with all other players and dissent is few and far between.


The Cricket Board is objective. It selects players on merit and treats all players as equals.


Most importantly the visitors, in their country, are mere mortals.

Light a flame!

Today is the 'Festival of Lights'.

A day of lights, laughter, joy and togetherness. A day to be together with those you love and want to be with.

On this day let us also stop to add a word of cheer, share the spends, wipe a tear from the eye of a needy, less fortunate child of God who we come across.

The more the happiness, the more the feeling deprivation and need.

I light a flame this Day to seek divine blessings to be able to alleviate sufferings of the less fortunate.

Let each one of us take a small step towards lighting this flame in our thoughts.

Durga Pujo again!

As usual, in Delhi for the Durga Pujo to be with the near and dear ones. Not that the festival gives me the kind of passionate pleasure it used to some years ago.

There was a time when Pujo was a heart throbbing experience. When we would count our dresses and each pandal hopping event would mean wearing a fresh set. It was critical to have that many sets before we could even get to Shoshthi, the first day of the Pujo. And how the tailors made us run for the dresses! It was always a nail biting finish! No readymades gave the kind of design choice that we would want at the time.

The days of splendour would start with Shoshthi and peak on Ashtami with the best dresses and accessories out to dazzle one and all. I didn't realise at the time that the fun began being with my parents who created the stability around me that gave me the sense of freedom to enjoy.

Life, of course, unfolds with time. Today, I avoid the same crowds that I rushed into with excitement. The dresses are not so important any more. The days are more sedate in terms of expectations.

But there is a paradigm shift in some other way. I have grown to realise that it is important for me to be with my parents at this time. Whether I visit the pandals or not, surrounded by the same familiarity gives me the sense of togetherness that I miss greatly in this mad rush of living life.

For me, this relationship is priceless.