Humiliation

So I'm sitting in my class at IIMB, feeling smug seeing my nameplate on my desk - it's actually got my name and roll number on it - and basking in the glory that is IIMB. Basking in the knowledge that this was what a 2 lakh people wrote CAT for, and this is fun...being here, doing this.

And of course, I'm totally oblivious to what the prof's saying - something about Greiner's model of organizations' birth and death. Ughh...it's irritating sitting in a class like this full of inactivity and not doing anything save listen. So I took this pic. You can't see me, of course, but you can see how most of the class is dozing off. You can also see my yellow highlighter on the table and that's there because I wasn't using it; so my neighbour decided he would play with it. Fine. So much for a regular class.

Out of the blue, the lights go out, and there's this wonderful movie that our professor plays about Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai and how they're creating waves with the good work that they do. The video is moving and inspirational. My friend remarks, why can't such movies hit Inox instead of flicks like Chak De. Yeah, interesting, I think. Get SRK to be a doc, and 16 nurses, and bam! you have a blockbuster. Some movie, huh?

Anyway, so the movie's over, and everyone is visibly moved including the prof, and so we go on to the rest of the lecture. It's what follows that probably made this one of my most memorable lectures; I just hope I remember it for all the right reasons. (italics reflect my thoughts)

Prof: So what happens in an organization when you get a fresh set of employees or people and make them adjust to the vision of the company.

Me: Does the fresher really have a choice? Hell, he wouldn't paid if he didn't stick by the company. So he'd work, what else?

Prof: This is probably best studied in light of the IIMs themselves. Now apparently, this top level institute in India (I'm not taking names, so that SMC can't sue me for being politically incorrect) follows a process called Unfreezing, Change and Refreezing. Unfreezing is the most painful process of the three. You guys come as cool cats, with the mentality that you've done it all. And so you're hardly ready to learn anything, let alone get transformed into something greater.

Me: For the first time in an MO lecture, I'm actually attentive. Hell, this guy seems to be speaking to me!!!

Prof:And so, the first term is deliberately made so hard, with so much workload that even the best of students can humanly not cope with it. And say by the end of term, you actually start questioning your own abilities.

Precisely what we freshers were bitching about last night in the Dukh Baanto session in my room. Oh, for crying out loud!!!

Prof: And the system makes sure that even the best of students ends up with at least a couple of D's. By when the student is brought down to his knees, and he actually starts accepting that he is not the supreme master and commander of the universe. There's more to learn. The process that follows, is called change and refreezing that inculcates stuff into the kid, and makes him strong.

Somehow reminds of a documentary on Kung Fu I was watching a couple of months ago. But yeah, it feels nice to know that we're falling right down your trap.

Prof: Just remember that the harder and more painful this process is, the stronger your alumni network will be. And yeah the bottomline - do not come to me if you end up with C's or D's. Just take it in your stride.

Wow, some way of putting it, that.