Mangala Dealers’ Training on “Integrated Nutrient Management”

 

As a continued effort and with the objective of educating Mangala dealers on Integrated Nutrient Management with special emphasis on the role of Micro Nutrients, Crop Specific & Soil Specific blended fertilizers in crop production, MCF in collaboration with Dept of Agriculture and University of Agricultural sciences organized six training programmes during June 2006.

The programmes were organized at:

1. Bellary – 14th June 2006
2. Gangavathy, Koppal District – 16th June 2006
3. Raichur – 17th June 2006
4. Hassan – 20th June 2006
5. Mysore – 21st June 2006
6. Gopichettipalayam – Erode District, Tamil Nadu – 21st June 2006

Scientists from University, Research Stations & Dept of Agriculture were involved in these programmes to educate the dealers. The dealers were briefed about Mangala range of products & documentary film on manufacturing process of Blended Granulated Fertilizers was also screened during these programmes.

About 700 Mangala dealers & progressive farmers were trained on Integrated Nutrient Management.

 

In-House Dealers Training Programme – Kerala

An in-house Mangala Dealers Training Programme was organised in collaboration with Central Training Institute, Kerala Agricultural University between 27th and 29th June 2006 at Mannuthy. This is the first of its kind in-house dealers training programme in Kerala. The main objective of the programme to educate the dealers on the following topics:

M L Babu, Zonal Marketing Head – Coimbatore addressing Mangala Dealers.

• Integrated Nutrient Management
• Latest know-how on cultivation practices of Paddy, Coconut & Rubber
• Importance of Plant Nutrients
• Fertilizer Control Order
• MCF Product range

Ahmed Riaz, ME – Pallakad welcomed the gathering highlighting the importance of organizing this programme. Dr. S. Bhaskaran, Professor of Extension, Central Training Institute, Mannuthy in the presence of M. L. Babu, Zonal Marketing Head – Coimbatore and K. Nagendran, Manager – Planning & Monitoring, inaugurated the programme.

24 Mangala dealers attended the programme.

Participating dealers expressed their happiness about the knowledge gained and requested MCF to organize such programmes regularly. The programme concluded with Vote of Thanks by Dr. Alexander George, Asst Professor, Central Training Institute, Mannuthy, Kerala.

 

Black or White

 

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the girl to do?

Well, here is what she did....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked." Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.

Contributed by P. Sriram

 

The Perfect Boss . . .

 

There were about 70 scientists working on a very hectic project. All of them were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting the job.

One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him – Sir, I have promised my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5.30 pm.

His boss replied "OK, You're permitted to leave the office early today"

The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 pm. Suddenly he remembered the promise he had given to his children.

He looked for his boss, He was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. The children were not there. His wife was sitting in the hall, alone and reading magazines.

The situation was explosive, any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him “Would you like to have coffee or should I serve dinner?”

The man replied “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have some but what about the children ?”

Wife replied “You don’t know ? Your manager came here at 5.15 pm and has taken the children to the exhibition”

What had really happened was... The boss who granted him permission was observing him working seriously at 5.00 pm. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children they should enjoy the visit to exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition!

The boss does not have to do it everytime. But once it is done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous.

By the way, can you hazard a guess as to who the boss was..?

He is none other than Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India.

Contributed by Saraswathi Natarajan

Tikka Masala – The Third Corporate Culture

 

Tikka Masala is an interesting example of cookery fusion and a hybrid or third culture product. The dish was invented in a Glasgow curry house in the fifties after a hungry Scot, not used to anything spicier than table salt, demanded that his chicken be served in gravy. In response, the Bengali chef added a tin of Campbell’s tomato soup to the traditional Tandoori (char-grilled) chicken. This proved to be a solution that started an unstoppable trend, with Indian restaurants now serving nearly 23 million meals up and down the British Isles, every year.

Such fusion or third culture is a kind of cultural hospitality that combines the strengths of people to create a product, or way of being, potentially not thought of before. By first focusing on what we share as human beings, (in this case a mutual concern for good food) people can find a way of adapting or translating what makes sense to them, so that it adds value to someone in another part of the world. A Bengali, with his hand forced, makes a creative leap by introducing a dish, neither Scottish nor entirely Indian, yet praised even by the ex-Foreign Secretary, a Mr. Cook!

In British Indian restaurants more than 25 percent of all orders are for chicken tikka masala. Organizers of Kingfisher National Curry Day discovered that if all the portions sold in one year in Britain were stacked they would constitute a Tikka tower 2,770 times taller than the Greenwich Millennium Dome.

However, is duplication of the “tikka masala” – effect possible in the corporate world?

A key-influencing factor whether an organization succeeds or fails is its corporate culture. A corporate third culture relates to those cultures originally present. The Scot’s gravy and the Bengali’s spices – they all have their place. If you put them together, they become better. Aided of course by a creative leap. Given culture A and B, a corporate third culture will be neither A nor B, nor AB. It is more like expressing a hybrid vigour which lasts until they are together.

How to develop a corporate third culture?

A corporate third culture will often only emerge through an evolutionary change process, step by step and the process often not entirely “boss centred”. It will require instead that leaders create the conditions in which a third culture can emerge.

Step 1: Learn to know each other better
First of all, people need to be placed in close faceto- face contact, so that they can learn to know each other well. They obviously need to speak a common language to learn how a counterpart does things, reaches decisions and handles disagreements.

Step 2: Find and create common grounds
Rather than focusing on the things that divide people, leaders are best placed to emphasise commonalities, like joint objectives, shared hopes and expectations – the things we share as human beings.

Step 3: Real dialogue
Communication is the life-blood of relationships and it is the role of leaders to encourage people to talk about their own mental programming or the underlying reason for a difference in approach.

Step 4: Then the creative leap
Knowing each other, common ground, real dialogue, all set the scene and make it possible for teams to come-up with ingenious solutions.

In conclusion
Third cultures seeks to find a resolution in which the Palestinian discovers her own Israeliness, the rich man his poverty and the woman the man within. Is not it the Culture a factor which keeps everything together? Jack Welch once put it aptly – “Performance is not enough, people can only advance within institutions, if they combine high performance with a high culture fit.”

Contributed by Dr. Anil Kush

“A Unique Experience”

 

31st August and 1st September 2006, witnessed a stupendous event sponsored by DNA which tested the corporate world in the exotic locations of God’s Own Country – Kerala (Cochin) in an event known as “Microsoft Corporate Challenge”. 35 teams all over India participated in the event. I am proud to say that McDowell was one of the participants in the event. The whole event was a learning in itself. Each one of the participants I am sure would have walked out with rich experiences. Understanding the capacity of each one of them and where they exactly stood was what was the essence of the whole thing. It also gave a chance to know ones own strength and weakness. Working as a team was best evident during these two days of continuous running.

The whole event was not a bed of roses. Teams were really made to run for the luxury provided to them. Physical abilities, mental challenges were tested in all ways possible. Right from running to cycling to rowing to constructing a raft was assigned to team members. Mental ability was put to test by making them solve puzzles before the set time limit. Looking back all seems so good and nice, believe me it was indeed a horrendous task, while on the track. The spirit of oneness was superseding them all making it an experience to cherish forever!

Our company team was lead by Anant Iyer, with Rajatha Shetty, Saraswathi Natarajan, Ram Iyer, John Mathew, Sanjay Roy and Raghav Katyal as team members.

For me, it was even more memorable for having had the luxury of flying Kingfisher for the first time. I realized why it was raved about, the moment I boarded the flight. Even as our Chairman showed up on the monitor, I was filled with pride that I was part of an organization, which is headed by the man of vision.

Contributed by Saraswathi Natarajan