Me Too? No Thank You!

A term I first became aware of whilst studying advertising & marketing, decades before its more mainstream interpretation, symbolising sexual harassment in recent parlance. Most marketers invest a lot of time & effort in liberating their brands from the forgettable trap of ‘yet another generic’ and try to cast, or recast, their labels as noticeable, memorable, clutter-breaking icons. Examples that spring to mind include Colgate, Xerox & Maggi, which have dominated collective consciousness to the extent that it has made it almost impossible for other brands to find a place!

 

The analogies we can draw from this realm of ad & marketing, juxtaposed with us human individuals, and the benefits that can be derived are staggering. Which individual wouldn’t want to be as distinctly top-of-mind recall for a critical mass of people in the same way as Colgate!

 

In an age of cloning, sameness, and a desperate need to belong and be accepted, more and more individuals are conforming. Either to family, society, cohorts and peer groups, sometimes compromising certain ideals, at other times, refashioning their beliefs to fit in with the popular majority. 

 

How then is an individual to truly stand out, stand apart, make an impact, and not be entirely swallowed by and lost in the mire of me-tooness? By applying certain marketing fundamentals.

 

On some prior occasions when I have suggested this, and I even use a few of these tools to great effect (If I may say so myself) in my psychological counselling sessions, I have been accused of robbing some of the authenticity from a deep & inward self-reflective excavation to unearth one’s true purpose. I appreciate that concern. My submission however, is that given a scenario in which, for the most part, there is no journey taking place at all, inward, outward, explorative, introspective; at least through what I am suggesting, a young person can build an ‘outward’ differentiated brand-identity for the self – and who knows, through that process, even stumble upon some genuine insights!

 

Which brings me to the simple tool I’d like to share in and through this little write-up. It is essentially a mildly revised version of a fairly standardised and commonplace Marketing Exercise called a SWOT Analysis – adapted by me to better suit a human individual rather than an inanimate brand.

Driveway Devi Life-Guidance Counselling Client SWOT-ANALYSIS

Let us begin with a basic SWOT Analysis of the Self. SWOT, as you might know, elaborates on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats. To help you get started, I am sharing a SWOT analysis of myself in the table below:

Strengths	Communication Skills	Empathy	People’s Skills
Weaknesses	Erratic Mental Health/Moods	Erratic Physical Health	Tendency To Procrastinate
Opprtunities	Social-Emotional Learning Curricula at Schools	Therapeutic Communications Programs at Corporations	Mental Health Content
Threats	Deficit of Will/Time at Schools, Colleges, Corporations	Artificial Intelligence	Established Players

Conclusions:

1. Partnering with a well-regarded, allied organisation that will boost the national profile
2. Tapping into networks of alma mater, clubs and other individuals I’m friendly with
3. Greater focus on steady medication, diet & exercise for longevity & stability of physical & mental health
4. Advocacy of AI-related deficits in the realm of Mental Health & Social Emotional Learning
5. Proprietary Annual Property that becomes synonymous with Mental-Health + DD + Kartik 

You will notice that in the above sample of my own SWOT Analysis, I have written 3 Strengths, 3 Weaknesses, 3 Opportunities and 3 Threats. I have then carefully analysed these findings and written a 5 Point Conclusion, with specific Steps to best capitalise on the Strengths & Opportunities whilst mitigating the negative impact of the Weaknesses & Threats. 

Kartik Bajoria – Founder, Driveway Devi Life Guidance

Member Good Schools Alliance

Honesty and Respect: Urmila Rathore

The yearly examinations were going on and children had come to take their exams after preparations and were very curious to give. On one unusual day(as it turned out later), after the morning assembly, it was announced by the Principal Ma'am that today's examination would be discharged as soon as early. Lockdown was announced by the government in view of the increasing transition of COVID-19.

While the children were taking their exam in the examination hall, I got the information that the remaining examinations will be given by the students from their home, which was surprising to me as to how this would be possible?

After that, Principal ma'am called an assembly again and the students were told that the papers of the remaining three exams shall be given from home and that they should check the answer book after completion. Whatever marks they get, shall be sent to their respective subject teachers.

In this way, the students were given papers and were instructed by the Principal Ma'am that they should give them with honesty and trust, and not cheat(rather with themselves) in any way.

After this, a staff meeting was called by Ma'am and told that we have to trust our students and this is the right time to know the student-teacher relationship. It was also said that the marks updated by the students will be compared with that of their half-yearly marks to reassure their authenticity and then prepare the results.

Even after reaching home, the same thing was coming in my mind that will the children be able to follow these instructions? Is it appropriate to give papers at home like this? Or will the parents of the children take it in a positive way? And many such other questions.

Two days later, students started sending their marks on WhatsApp. Five to six days later almost all the students took the examinations, checked the answer sheets and sent their marks. As we had decided in the past that their marks will be matched with the marks of the half-yearly examination so we followed the same and in fact, these marks were around their half-yearly scores!

The students did their work with all their dedication, faith and honesty and it was on this basis that their result was prepared. Everyone's report cards were downloaded from Fedena and uploaded to the next class.

This work-ethic was possible because of the integrity of the students, the directions of the Principal ma'am and the trust of the teachers. Thus, it set a unique example of honesty and mutual respect.

This experience has a major lesson in itself. We can only win through difficult situations if the virtues of cooperation and honesty are performed. At the same time, trust and respect for each other take us to infinite heights.

Urmila Rathore

The Fabindia School

Leadership is built inside

Trusting the course of one's life - Few days ago I was wondering why does my life not unfold how it's for everyone, the normal course as seen in the life of everyone in society. Somewhere we live comparing ourselves with how things are for others. We never appreciate what is bestowed on us and since we can't appreciate ourselves we can't appreciate the other - we always live in comparisons and always live dissatisfied.

So when in pain and doubt, I had to tell myself, "Trust the course of your life." It's easy these days for me to tell myself this because my life end number of times has proved itself to be beyond my doubts. It's canvas has always been wider and my sight has been limited.

I realized I have trusted my life less when it was investing amazing life circumstances on me to help me enlighten to myself. To respond sincerely to every life circumstance is the best response, commitment, love I can ever give to anyone and rest is out of my control. Surprising I have seen that when I remain committed to my life, my life remains committed to its purpose. When I change inside, things change outside.

It hasn't been easy; I have matured but I'm not perfect and I was far less so earlier. It has taken me time to accept and appreciate my uniqueness. My responses were not authentic, they were either moody reactions or conditioned responses. So when people came to me for help, I would feel flattened rather than calm and responsible. I would feel excited when someone appreciated me rather than having the ability to respond back at the moment with appreciation and love.

Authenticness is an ability to not compromise with what we truly are and for that we have to wade through many layers built during the whole process of our faulty education. We have to let go and keep letting go till what we are left with is our true self. And our true self keeps evolving endlessly, so this journey is endless.

I'm reminded of this more today and started to put down my thoughts because in the past few days during my travel around Chhattisgarh, many of my colleagues shared that they no longer have the joy of work. They have issues and problems at home and concerns about the well being and circumstances of those in their family. Most of these people look for a comforting shoulder and look for that in me and the moment their comfort zone is threatened they withdraw or take offence. Most of us look for lollipops when sick, we fail to understand that medicine is bitter and our misery is our own state of being.

We end up looking for happiness in relationships and material goods and whatnot - it just does not end the misery! We keep aspiring to achieve great things outside without looking for the cause of the misery inside.

It's been a challenge about how to respond with compassion to such people for my smile gets misread in their comfort-books. And before I actually regain my rationality, I get kicked into the group hysteria.

It takes lots of strength, endurance and commitment to one's purpose of life to keep gaining clarity and hold one's front. Leadership doesn't come easy - leaders are built inside. And they are happy to walk alone!

--
Venus Upadhayaya
venusupadhayaya@gmail.com