Management lessons from kids

It's that time of the year again when my doorbell rings a dozen times in the day. Each time, I open the door to young, hopeful faces, collecting donations to set up elaborate tableaus, jhankis, depicting the birth of Krishna on the night of Janmashtami. This time, I decided to not just give my two-bit and shut the door on the youngest of the lot. Instead, I asked them exactly what they planned to do, so that I could figure out if I could contribute in kind as well. I didn't know that the next half hour with these children would teach me lessons in marketing and event management that a management school would be proud of.

The group, aged between eight and twelve, said that theirs was the worst tableau last year. "The others had more money, so they had bright lights and music that attracted crowds. Nobody came to ours..." said a little girl dolefully. "Then it got washed away by the rains..." said another. "I hope it is a clear night this year!" An older boy Mukesh, clearly their leader and marketing manager, said: "It always rains on Janmashtami because Krishna ji was born on a rainy night! We just have to do whatever we can to be different from the rest this time..."

This made sense to all the kids. The first suggestion came from Mukesh. "Let's rig up a roof over the jhanki!" The kids excitedly agreed. "The roof will also allow us to string some Diwali lights to attract crowds..." one said. Last year, the kids had spent a lot of time sculpting the Yamuna and some hills around it, with mud - most of which had been washed away by the rain. "This time, let's focus more on the figures. Maybe people are more attracted by figures than they are by landscapes..." suggested Mukesh. This caused dissension in the group. The kids muttered about having had a great time playing with mud. But then they became sidetracked by a discussion on figures, primarily those of baby Krishna and his birth and foster parents.

"I think we should use only Barbie dolls," said a little girl, "they are so pretty that we won't have to work too hard to beautify our jhanki!" The boys sniggered at the idea of a busty Barbie dressed as baby Krishna. "Let's not waste money on dolls. My mother will stitch clothes for our old dolls. What if we had a big doll dressed as the evil Kansa, too, with blood-red eyes and a twirling moustache?" suggested another boy. This idea was greatly appreciated by all. "We should also make a large and attractive crib. On Janmashtami, people consider it auspicious to swing the baby Krishna..." said another. Mukesh added the last suggestion: "Let's dress the largest doll we have as the adult Krishna and light it up well. Who'll be able to resist getting his blessings on his birthday?"

Mukesh went on to tell the group that the more people they attracted to their jhanki, the more donations they'd get. "If ours is really good this time, all we'll need are strategically placed plates for offerings and we'll definitely make lots of money..."said the juvenile businessman. Also, he said, the next year, a good performance this year would ensure more funders the next year. "So the more money we pump in to our jhanki, the better our returns will be!" said the girl. The kids left my home, in my view as excited at the prospect of doing some business as they were about celebrating Krishna's birthday. "I can't wait!" cried the girl who loved Barbies. Although Janmashtami is more than three weeks ahead, neither can I.