ICE AGE-THE MELT DOWN- A case of HR in a nutshell

Almost any movie can give us life learnings or even management learnings since cinema is an attempt to recreate life for entertainment and education. But a unlikely candidate as a good source for management learning is the movie “Ice age Two:The melt down”. Its an unlikely candidate for two reasons: one its a animation movie primarily meant for entertaining children, two most of the characters in it are now extinct! Yet this movie not only tickles the funny bone (the antics of Scrat the squirrel and Sid,the ground sloth require special mention) and touches the the heart but also brings home amazing HR lessons in the sweetest possible pill.

It was produced by Blue sky studios for 20th Century Fox, Directed by Carlos Saldanha, co-director of the original Ice age, and the music done by composer John Powell. It was a very successful movie at the box office loved by both children and adults. The main characters of the movie are Manfred,the woolly mammoth, Sid the ground sloth and Diego the Saber toothed tiger-a very unlikely group of creatures who successfully overcame odds (and its own natural instincts in the case of the tiger) to save a human child in the first movie. The plot in this sequel is about the world of ice which is slowly melting and the animals journey to escape the oncoming flood. The story while hilarious and entertaining also portrays some interesting management learnings

1.Manging Change:
The movie is tilted the melt down and that's the big change that these prehistoric heroes had to anticipate and survive. Recently we have also experienced a melt down, that too on a global scale that organizations around the world are to date trying to survive. There are many parallels that can be drawn between the ice age melt down and the financial melt down. In both cases, it was building up inevitably for a long time before the cracks started appearing. And when it happened it seemed to take every one by surprise. Just as we had a few souls giving warning about the possibility of a recession, in the movie too there are couple of animals that predict the flood: one is fast Tony ,an armadillo and the other is the turkey vulture. While Fast Tony is a doomsday preacher who is out to make a fast buck by selling ineffective measures against the coming flood (weed rafts!), from an unexpected corner ,the turkey vulture ,someone who is not easily trusted, comes the warning and the solution- “move to the boat like tree on the high rock”. Here again there are many animals who believed and many who did not. The animals were much smarter than human beings tend to be and heeded the need to save themselves.

2.Of Teams and Leaders:
Manfred or Manny as the woolly mammoth is affectionately called is clearly the leader of the “herd”. He heads up an unlikely team of a saber toothed tiger and a ground sloth-Sid. Later in the movie they are joined by Ellie, the female mammoth who thinks she is an opossum and her two adoptive brothers Crash and Eddie. At all stages in the movie, Manny comes across as the clear leader not just from his actions but also from that position granted to him by the others. Manny discovers that the only thing thats stands between the melting water and total destruction of the valley are the glaciers and that they are breaking up. He is the one who gets all the animals moving towards their hope for survival-higher ground and the fallen tree.
He also showed his leadership when he gave room to Ellie to discover herself as a mammoth. Neither he nor anyone else in the team liked her any less because she did not know that she was a mammoth. Leading his followers to self realization and letting them achieve their true potential is one of the leader's cherished traits. To be able recognize and believe that someone has a mammoth potential even when the employee or follower herself may not recognize it is also the sign of a great leader. Sometimes people around us can see out true potential when we are blind to it!
Manny is also shown as someone people turn to. When Ellie is in trouble,the two opossums run to Manny. He quickly decides to follow them to try and save Ellie, though they just had had a disagreement. And although he did not hold a conference and get their consensus and KRAs, Diego and Sid follow him to do their part. They know that Manny would have done the same for any of them.

3.Facing your fear: True Courage
Diego is scared. The big powerful saber toothed tiger is scared of water! He does not know how to swim. Sid discovers Diego's big secret. He gently teases him about it but at the same time motivates him to face his fears and gives him instruction in swimming( Training a development by the HR department). And when faced with the  circumstance, Diego finds the courage to overcome his fear ,jump into the icy water,swim and rescue his friends. He did not know that cats don't swim and therefore was able to overcome his fear without falling prey to stereotyping!

4.Sid:that gooey stuff
Like any typical HR professional who is generally unappreciated in an organization,Sid too is largely unappreciated by his friends. He has neither the size of the mammoth nor the sharp teeth and strength of the fearsome tiger. The HR department too, is usually unable to show its output in any tangible form. But he is still an indispensable part of the group. Diego, Sid's sharpest critic describes Sid as “the gooey thing that keeps us together”. This realization though comes at the end of the movie when there is a possibility of Sid leaving the team! Sometimes we realize the contribution of team members only when faced with the prospect of losing them to another organization. Sid is the glue of continuous optimism, he is their conscience keeper, he is the softest and sweetest part of the team. He is also unstinting in his friendship. He not only helps Diego with his fears but also invites Ellie and her opossum brothers into the team (in spite of Manny's opposition) knowing that Manny was lonely. Sid probably recognized that Ellie has a role to play in their team's progress and growth and decides to invite Ellie and her brothers on board adding to the diversity of the team.
 
Sid's learns a valuable lesson when his quest for respect is rewarded from unexpected quarters.  A bunch of mini sloths kidnap him and worship him for his ability to make fire, fulfilling Sid's wishes beyond his dreams. They imitate his every action like sycophants do in organizations. And almost predictably (not to Sid though),they pitch him to his death as sacrifice! Fair warning to leaders susceptible to sycophancy!

5.Scrat: of the nutty determination.
Scrat is a character who never comes into contact with any of the main protagonists(except at the very end) but it is his actions that is the background and catalyst for everything in the movie. Without him,the events in the movie would not be. This saber toothed squirrel is also one of the most determined creatures one would ever encounter. He wants his acorn! He is willing to die for it! As a matter of fact his concept of heaven is pearly gates to an acorn paradise!!!!
He actions in the movie brings to mind that big changes can be brought about by small people and that small actions can have large repercussions. His acorn hunt in the beginning of the movie leads to unleashing of the flood. And in the end of the movie, it is amazing to watch the tiny holes he make with his precious acorn on the wall of the glacier, crack open like someone playing dot-to-dot and splitting the glacier enough to divert all the waters and save the animals on the verge of drowning.

Using movies to teach management is a common practice in management schools these days. An entertaining and effective teaching methodology, it can give rewards far beyond expectation.  Then comes a movie like Ice Age:The melt down that delights and teaches so many HR concepts effortlessly. This movie was shown as a part of the orientation program for the fresh batch of students to ITM kharghar, and will be repeated for the PGDM HR, IB and RMM batches between the 30th June and 3rd July.

Theater workshop in Kharghar Campus

â��Thoda acting, Thoda yoga keeps you fitâ��. That's what ABHINAYA YOG claims it can do. Management on the other hand claims â��Pura learn, Pura practice keeps you energizedâ��. ITM strives for a synergistic approach and to rediscover this through a very craetive workshop by Mr. Lalit Parimoo, an eminent theater & television personality who was invited along with his team of professional actors during the induction of PGDM 2009-10 batch between June 16, 09 to June 19, 09 and again would be here for the PGDM HR, IB and RMM students between the 30th of June and the 2nd of July.  

ABHNINAYA YOG conceptualized by Mr. Lalit Parimoo is a healing system where acting is used as a methodology. He believes that learning the craft of acting can help in getting rid of suppressed feelings and emotions and lead one towards better psychic health. In his words, â�� we need to express our feelings in a craetive way so that they are not pent up leading to a disorder.â�� 

During the theater workshop, Mr. Parimoo beautifully blended the management concepts with acting. He began by quoting â��Natyashastraâ�� examples with body language, the most vital tool of corporate citizens personality. Today's managers have to deal with multifaceted stress and Abhinaya Yog teaches the students handle these with the aid of basic acting and yogic techniques. It also helps them move towards the path of self realization. 

Few of the learnings from his ten point lessons applicable to the management students are the art of imitating, physical fitness, appropriate postures & gestures, voice modulation & articulation through Pranayam, reproducing one's emotions & feelings through Navras, move from a casual listener to a concentrated listener i.e. develop concentration techniques, Role playing through dramatization and most important the six basic enemies of one's life- Kam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Madh, Matsarya. Mr. Parimoo believes that, discovering the actor within oneself helps one to refashion one's thinking patterns and rid oneself of psychosomatic ailments. 

He question answer session and the group activity towards the end of the show helped the audience to interact and put to practice the lessons they learnt during the workshop.Lalit Parimoo concluded the workshop with a famous Shakespeare quote �All the world's a stage� engaging students in real life drama from a reel life guru.

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SPICMACAY VOCAL CONCERT AT ITM KHARGHAR on 24th March 2009, by Pandita Shruti Sadolikar

SPICMACAY VOCAL CONCERT AT ITM KHARGHAR on 24th March 2009
by Pandita  Shruti Sadolikar,
Vice Chancellor,Bhatkhande Sangeet Maha Vidyalaya, Lucknow.

Table accompanist: Mr. Mangesh Mulye.  Harmonium accompanist: Mr. Anant Joshi.

The Concert began with the lighting of the lamp by  the  artiste Pandita Shruti Sadolikar,  Dr. C.S. Adhikari, Director ITM, Prof. Arjun Naik, faculty guide for Cultural Events  and one of the  student volunteers. The artiste's were greeted with  potted plant followed by a brief introduction of SPICMACAY ( Society for Promotion of Indian classical  Music and Cultural Amongst Youth ) . All the three artistes were then introduced with special emphasis on their achievements , awards won, performances in music festivals  etc.

Pandita Shruti Sadolikar from Jaipur Atrauli gharana is  India's most distinguished female artiste began the recital  with the  Vilambit khayal  in afternoon raag, Bhimpalasi

Re…. Manva…. Kahe ko sochat….. dheeraj kyun na ….dhare…re, manva

Which just  mesmerized the audience and was then followed by drut teen taal

Dhoolan mein tere ghar aayi

The whole rendition of about 40-45 minutes just enthralled the audience.

Along with the classical rendition semi-classical rendition: Dadra (6 beats) , known for their style and ancient flavor was also rendered,

 Pani bhareli kaun albeli, chama cham chama

The recital was concluded with a Sant Kabir's  Bhajan,

Rehena nahi….. desh birana hai

Shrutiji  is also known for her wide range of vocal genres in light classical bhajans) 

Shrutiji's musical wisdom was visibly perceived and appreciated by the audience during the one hour 20 minutes of musical feast. She was aptly supported by both the accompanists. 

A lively question and answer session followed the recital, where the artistes took time to answer each and every question put forward by the audience.

The event concluded with presenting mementos to all the artistes and giving vote of thanks.

The overwhelming feeling of satisfaction was overtly felt by one and all, a satisfaction that permeated the soul and brought peace within.

Write-up prepared by Ms.Twinkle Gosar,
PGDM Batch A (2008-10), Roll No. 39

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Republic Day was celebrated on 26 Jan. 2009, at ITM Business School, Navi Munmbai, by hoisting the National Flag and viewing an audio visual compiled by students.

Republic day was celebrated on 26 Jan. 2009, at ITM Business School Navi Munmbai, by hoisting the National Flag and viewing an audio visual compiled by students. The flag was hoisted by Dr. C. S. Adhikari, Director ITM Kharghar, followed by a brief speech. On the occasion Prof. J. A. Bhavsar, Group Head (IT) also shared his views.

Dr. Adhikari requested the students to understand the meaning of the Republic Day celebrations and to respect and remember all those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. It is the responsibility of the young citizens of India to keep the nation on the march and achieve all round progress.

Prof Bhavsar invited attention of the students to the various events of 2008 like various bomb blasts in different parts, Mumbai terrorists attack on 26/11, Satyam fraud, effects of worldwide economic melt down, corruption at various levels including the most sensitive judiciary system of India. He requested the students to remain watchful of the events unfolding and abstain from any such activity that would damage the nation. India needs young managers who will give good governance promised in our constitution.
 

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Alumni Meet 09

It was a memorable moment when the entire alumni of ITM from all walks of life, arrived on one common platform, on 17th January 2009, at Jade Garden, NEHRU PLANETORIUM, Worli .  Tthe 22 member team was headed by our Deputy Director - Shelar , Prof. Ankush Sharma and supervised by Jay Shah and Rahul Rathi, however each member was equally involved in finalizing all the arrangements to avoid any  contingencies.

The moment the clock ticked 7.00 pm, with light instrumental music playing in the background, our very first guest Mr. Amit stepped in with his better half. He is currently working with Godrej in the Export department and is an alumni of the 2005 batch of ITM. After Mr. Amit, people started pouring in with their family and friends and ultimately the ballpark figure reached 530 till 9.30 p.m.

To strengthen the Alumni Base, each alumni was registering himself/herself either by
dropping in their visiting cards in the drop box or by filling in the registration form.

There was a deep feeling of contentment amongst the students of the current batch, looking around at the happy, smiling faces visible everywhere, as old friends were meeting each other after one ,two or may be even ten years!

As time progressed, after being treated to some mouth-watering food, people ultimately moved to the dance floor, gyrating to the beats of popular music.

It was a moment of pride  for  The Chairman of  the ITM Group, Dr. Ramanna, The Dean of ITM,  Dr. Das Biswas, the Director Dr. Adhikari and the other faculty members, as they felt nostalgic watching  their students come up  with flying colors in their respective professions. What was note worthy was that, recession withstanding, the alumni had moved ahead in their positions, bringing glory to themselves and to thier alma mater. It was indeed a proud moment for the faculty to greet one of the young CEO's of a reputed company who was a 95' pass out!

Finally, the party ended at about 12:00 am with old pals departing with the feelings of nostalgia and hoping to meet again in the near future.  Old tie are hard to break, as time goes by, it only strengthens.

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