Are you Listening !

Just recently I saw a movie - tare zameen par(http://taarezameenpar.com/). Well I should say that sometimes I do wonder that why I have to see a movie when almost more than half the world population has already seen it. I guess I will blame it to my laziness or my laggardness. 

Nevertheless I must advocate for this film, it was true spectacle. Few days ago I posted a referred note on my site about how good the movie was and also how important it is for us to start changing the way we foster our children or at least make an attempt in doing so. From an Indian prospective it is really tough and even I don’t shy in saying that it is getting tougher day by day for our children. With over 700 suicides committed by school children, languished by studies, exams, peer pressure, etc. within last one year, are we talking studies, schools or are we talking war?

I wonder that my school days was tough, but when I see today’s studies I feel lucky. Given the situation of today’s “unwanted” competition in schools, I could have not even managed to complete or pass it.

“What is our parents role”, “what teachers are doing”, “man what a peer pressure”, “this is a wrong system” and so on. These are just words. No teacher or parent or society will change unless we “cumulatively” make an attempt or an effort in doing so. By opining this, no means I am trying to discount the power of one. We have great examples like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and many more. Coming back to the point, now it’s a high time that we should do something for our kids. Let them blossom the way they like. I know by saying this you may wonder what about our values that we all want to give to our kids, and the aspirations of “my kid will become a.........”.

Just think for a moment that by “my kid will become a..........”, aren’t we making our kids into donkeys that will take the burden of our aspirations. Or should I reiterate what Aamir Khan said “if you are so much into competition then breed horses not kids”.

It will be a long way till I may start to understand of what needs to be done. But I think I can say one thing and that is “listen”. Listen to your kids, what they want to say, how they feel, what they want or want to become, etc, etc.

I know I am asking a very tough thing here, aren’t I.

We listen, or rather “try” to listen to our colleagues, wife/husband, mother/father, news, commentary, bosses, even people like me writing blogs at midnight, and NOW I am asking you to listen to your kids.

I am not an expert in child psychology and by no means have an intention to become one. But as a marketer, I notice people around me, on the roads, in the shops, in numerous organizations; no one seems to be listening. Bosses are not listening to their team; team is not listening to their boss, sales are not listening to what their customer needs, etc., etc.

People just want to either do what they want to do or blindly follow others. No middle path of listening and then doing. With all the possible tools for communication are we listening?

While there are organizations that listen to what employees want; sales listen to what customer wants; marketers listen to what market wants; parent listen to what their children wants; teacher listens to what their students wants, and these are the organizations, people, parents, teachers, shops that stand out and makes a difference.

Isn’t it. Just think about your last good experience when you went to a shop, a restaurant, for a client meeting, teacher you liked the most, barber you regularly go to, etc.

Isn’t they all were listening………….Just think about it……and LISTEN !!!

Have a Good Weekend.