Was watching Dance India Dance, a dance reality show on Zee TV last week, which features Mithun Chakraborty as a Mahaguru. He, other than three choreographers, judges dance performances by participants who are competing for a Golden Hat that would declare them the next Dance India Dance star. Interestingly, whenever Mithun likes a particular dance performance, he gets up from his seat and salutes the dancer. What is amazing is the aura, which is now built around this salute. Dancers are overwhelmed with joy when Mithun gets up from his seat and does the customary salute. More than anything else, this is one thing that each participant aspires for after each performance.
Likewise, in different reality shows, Saroj Khan has created value and made it aspirational for contestants on her show to either get a whistle (the rowdy kinds, with two fingers in the mouth) from her or be called up to her and be given a hundred rupee note.
Which goes to say that the smallest (and perhaps, the most unrelated) of gestures, if coming from the right source can add immense value to the whole experience, be it in a reality show or otherwise.
Made me wonder a few things:
1. Are any of my clients evaluating my company and also others and making some such gesture in the market with the others and I’m not aware of it? I should be and I should make sure these clients make those gestures with me too.
2. Can I create some such gesture for my clients and differentiate myself from others that clients / agencies aspire for?
3. I am a manager too and is my team looking for some such gesture from me that would motivate it more than the usual carrot and stick approach would?
Food for thought.
By Sunil @ 12:02 am