Rajib Kumar's Speech at the Fresher's Welcome Programme of Annex College, Kolkata

My dear students, I am glad that you have chosen management as a career and Annex College as your institute.

Young friends, today we are living a global environment where there are certain issues beyond the academic curriculum and which you must start developing in you from day one to be successful. I shall spend sometime on these:

Cross Cultural Communication:

A global environment implies business models based on supply or value chains, models resulting from acquisition, mergers and restructuring. This scenario naturally necessitates that we appreciate diverse cultures in our workforce and acquire necessary skills to deal in cross-cultural communication.

With a whole lot of new sectors coming into the fold India today has a lot for opportunities for young professionals like you than a few years back. This again poses a problem for future managers like you. As ladies and gentleman managing functions, retaining your team is going to be the greatest challenge in the years ahead. You must appreciate this isn’t just a problem for the HR fraternity ---its everybody’s problem now.

Infact every business model today necessitates that executives be skilled in the HR and Marketing functions because anyways you shall be managing people and your success shall lie in success of those you manage. Again out of pure business need every entrepreneur explicitly or implicitly desires that you market the brand both internally and externally.

Multitasking

Business today also demands that you get into the multi-tasking mode. Instead of cribbing about limited or unavailable resources modern managers are expected to make do with available resources and make do in the best possible way.


Networking

The importance of networking was never so underscored as it is now. From being frowned upon or being branded as “unethical”, managers who are effective in networking at the personal and professional level are not just admired or respected but are undoubtedly in huge demand.

Good Human Being

I believe if you wish to be liked and admired by everybody in the circuit you need to be a good human being. Humility, Compassion, Sense of Humor, Empathy and Honesty – these eternal values are gaining more importance ironically in an age where the human being is often reduced to a robot. Perhaps that is the reason why a good human being in blood and flesh is in great demand. Therefore, as you take a giant leap in your life today with your decision to get into management education please also endeavor to become a good human being along with a good manager and I tell you in the years ahead there wont be much of a difference between the two.

As members of the academia we would like to see to you grow in leaps and bound. We want that you become the agents of an intellectually challenging community setting benchmarks that others can follow.

I shall leave you with these lines from the poem Hills to Climb:


Hills To Climb


Throughout my day let there be hills to climb
There is scant zest in mastering the plains
For loitering, for rest, there will be time
When daylight wanes.

Let my horizon ever to be a hill
Which I must reach although the trail be steep;
Up, up to climb with energy and will
Before I sleep

For when I reach the summit on a hill
I’ll find my dreams guarding the topmost peak
The sun will set, the air be calm and still,
And God will speak

Not in a valley let me end my day;
I would have heights to gain a clearer view:
Therefore for hills I pray and strength to climb
Dear God to you….


God Bless You; God Bless Annex