1. B-school can’t help you to win the race

2. Though most MBAs are equipped in terms of theoretical knowledge to plan out strategy and make charts, almost all of them lack fieldwork and ground-level activity

3. Does it mean that all management students should work for some time before they take up management education in a B-school?

4. Well. Jobs in the field and front end of an organization will definitely give valuable insights into the finer nuances of running a business and managing customers - care, delight and service.

5. This corpus of knowledge is essential for a company to succeed, and most firms today are realizing that their front-end staff hold the key to their success

6. Unfortunately, a B-school education lacks direct contact with customers. Management institutions work hard at improving their students’ knowledge base and their IQ. But the focus on EQ, which is essential for a successful manager and SQ, which is essential for a successful leader, is completely lacking — they don’t teach them to tap the emotional and spiritual pulses.

7. Another advantage to having work experience before embarking on a management degree is that the theory the students learn is utilized much better. After all, in real life, one cannot blindly adopt what the management gurus advise, chapter and verse

8. One need to adapt, mix what he has been taught with his experience and the company’s style of functioning, to arrive at a customized solution to any business problem

9. All successful managers and marketers have experienced that business and society are intermingled — neither exists in a vacuum.

10. That means that the organisation in which one works and the products one promote are a reflection of not only the financial climate in the country, but also the socio-economic situation. So one need to fashion one’s products accordingly and, perhaps, more importantly, communicate one’s propositions to consumers as effectively as possible.

11. Consider the different needs of consumers in the real estate business. One potential buyer may want a villa with a swimming pool, another may want greenery everywhere; still another may want a shopping mall close by. No B-school or management textbook can teach one how to judge the different needs of consumers.

12. When one sees people trying to push a foreign concept (foreign means alien or unwanted and not from another country) on consumers — we can be sure that it’s the result of book knowledge — not experience. Deliverables should be based in reality, not fantasy

13. Brand building today is a most misunderstood word. What many B-school grads fail to understand is that it is not just about advertising or public relations. It should be a way of life

14. What B-school graduates often fail to remember is that they are still dealing with human beings, with all the attendant desires, needs and aspirations. And every person who is a part of society is as appreciative of good marketing techniques as a toothpaste or T-shirt buyer

15. In most companies, a good management graduate is not expected to do merely a good job. He is expected to excel and the organisation should gain substantially because of him.

16. That’s one reason why companies try so hard to mould the individual to their particular style of functioning. Many companies say “unlearn everything B-school taught you and start afresh”. But that’s hardly realistic

17. Instead, what B-schools can do to prepare their students for the tough road ahead is to make clear what is expected of the students. Don’t just guarantee placements — tell the students that they will have to make a difference to the organisation as soon as they join it.

18. But that’s not what is happening at present. In fact, the trouble with some of the premier management institutions is that students are filled with a sense of their own importance

19. B-school graduates expect everything on a platter. And companies that pander to them go on to regret it — and such students, too, tend to burn out faster. It is far better to offer rewards after they have been earned

20. Of course, the converse is also true. Organisations need to empower their employees so that they can enhance the organisation in the long run. That means giving employees the freedom to make mistakes (as long as they learn from those mistakes).

21. Given time, a little learning and a little intelligence, any one can do the same job as a graduate from a top-notch B-school. After all, it’s not rocket science. But what he won’t have equal access to the knowledge of others before him, who’ve faced similar challenges.

22. The insights of gurus of marketing, finance and strategy can be of immense help. But, that said, remember that B-schools can give you a headstart — it can’t help you win the race.

23. Thank you