The Unpublished David Ogilvy - A joyful and fulfilling read..

Read this book recently. Found it short, sweet, engaging, enlightening and witty all through. Here is a take at enthusing you to give it a try..

Who is David Ogilvy: Am sure you've heard of him. He happens to have built the tenth biggest ad agency in the world and is popularly known as the father of advertising.

What is the book about: It's a collection of some of his timeless and noteworthy communications, made in both public and private, throughout his career in the form of short and crisp memos, letters, speeches, notes, interviews et al.

Why does it deserve more than just a read:
To know of his way of expressing and the wit and wisdom that comes along with it. His style had been frank, simple, to the point, curt, short, blunt, candid and admirable. You'd laugh out loud while reading some of those.
It's a light and engaging read. You'd finish it in 'bout couple of hours. So, that makes it a high RoI ( return on investment) read :-).
There are several nuggets of wisdom on, creativity, hard work, business acumen, leadership, management and being humane, just to name a few. If you have a taste for creative writing, you're going to like the book.

Here are just a few snippets from the book, that struck a chord with me.. Am sure every reader would find his/her own nuggets of wisdom, joy and more in the book.

On Writing :

The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well.
Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches.
Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:

1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.
3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
5. Never write more than two pages on any subject.
6. Check your quotations.
7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it.
8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want.

From an address to his heads of departments on leadership -

1. Don’t overstaff your departments. People enjoy life most when they have the most work to do.
2. Set exorbitant standards, and give your people hell when they don’t live up to them. There is nothing so demoralizing as a boss who tolerates second-rate work.
3. When your people turn in an exceptional performance, make sure they know you admire them for it.
4. Don’t let your people fall into a rut. Keep leading them along new paths, blazing new trails. Give them a sense of adventurous pioneering.
5. Do your best to educate your people, so that they can be promoted as rapidly as possible.
6. Delegate. Throw your people in over their heads. That is the only way to find out how good they are.
7. Seek advice from your subordinates, and listen more than you talk.
8. Above all, make sure that you are getting the most out of all your people. Men and women are happiest when they know that they are giving everything they’ve got.

Qualifications he looks for in leaders -

1. High standards of personal ethics.
2. Big people, without pettiness.
3. Guts under pressure, resilience in defeat.
4. Brilliant brains — not safe plodders.
5. A capacity for hard work and midnight oil.
6. Charisma — charm and persuasiveness.
7. A streak of unorthodoxy — creative innovators.
8. The courage to make tough decisions.
9. Inspiring enthusiasts — with trust and gusto.
10. A sense of humor.

A short and blunt follow-up note he sent to Department Heads -

A few weeks ago, I asked you to send me the names of anybody on your staff who might qualify to become a Creative Director.
Twenty of you sent me a total of 49 names.
One of you sent me six names—his entire creative staff, I suspect; a charitable fellow.
Eleven of you told me that you have nobody who could qualify to become a Creative Director. You have problems. Something wrong with your hiring methods?
Ten of you have not answered. Bastards.

And that was just a few of the many notes I liked and enjoyed reading in the book. More than just worth the read :-).

Happy reading..

Subroto Bagchi's "The Professional" - One terrific read.

"The Professional" is a collection of traits that define a professional in the author's view. What makes the book an interesting read, apart from the admirable traits identified, is that, every trait is recounted with a real life experience that the author has had. As you read through, you realise that most if not all of those identified strike a chord with you and hence make the book a compelling and engaging read.

Here are some of the traits I enjoyed reading of..

1. Being grounded: Always remain aware of where you have come from and where you're today. Being grounded is a key requirement for carrying success on your shoulders without being burdened by it. The self-aware people know their strengths and are clearly aware how much of success they've had is purely owing to their own abilities and what is purely circumstantial. Assuming all the success you've had is owing to your own inherent strengths is the beginning of the end.
2. Being Comfortable: The self-aware professional knows there always is bound to be some gaps in his knowledge and he may never be able to bridge this gap and most importantly remains comfortable with this fact. Don't try to add value where you can't, rather remain calm and emotionally secure, the team will get back to you when/where they need your counsel.
3. Not suffering false comparisons: It's common to fall into the trap of measuring our success in material terms or by comparing ourselves with where our classmates and former colleagues might be today. Everyone's life and journey is unique.
4. Having a reasonable view of the future: Building a view of the future and knowing where you're headed, requires acknowledgement of the ground reality, a statement of intent in the overall direction and sometimes a clear destination or purpose. The sense of destination gives people "something to look forward to" and keeps them going.
5. Looking beyond money: A professional who sees his work primarily as a means of earning money runs out of meaning very soon. After you've achieved basic comforts, the quest for material success actually erodes self worth. The greatest satisfaction, and the more enduring one for a professional, is the admiration of people with whom we do business. The ones who last the longest in the race are those who have given something back to their professions. These are professionals who are driven by a sense of legacy. There is no sustenance bigger that the power to build an intellectual and emotional inheritance.
6. Reining in Reactions: In extremely high-pressure situations, often the best emotion to express is control. A true professional has a calibrated thermostat that prompts the degree of reaction and control required in any given situation.
7. Welcoming Feedback: Most feedback feels uncomfortable, since its packaged as and / or perceived to be personal criticism. We all have the urge to seek feedback from people who are more likely to say nice, reassuring things about us than make critical observations. This in itself is an insecure act and indicates a lack of maturity, of self-confidence to remain open to ideas and thoughts. The ability to seek and act on feedback requires constant effort to master. Without developing this ability one cannot become a true professional.
8. Being Proactive: Being proactive can simply mean, you’re the first to extend your hand when you meet another person,  first to call the customer to look for feedback and so on. In the world of business and professional dealings, people do not like to be taken by surprise. Anything that might cause grief if discovered must be brought to light by you, voluntarily, and ahead of time and put in front of all stakeholders who could be affected by it. It is uncomfortable while you do it, but it builds lasting relationships.
9. Taking Charge: Faced with a potentially dangerous situation, people freeze. They’re afraid to push their way into a crowd because they feel powerless. Power is not something material that you can seize. It is always generated from within. Whether you’re powerful or powerless, you must feel these qualities before you can become them. Developing the power within, to have the confidence to take charge in the most difficult and potentially dangerous of situations, is the hallmark of a true professional.
10. Courtesy and Humility: It’s important to have humility and an appreciation for the potential in people below us – to recognize and nurture that special someone who right now is not quite there but may go further than you have. In Eastern culture, a certain respect for senior people comes rather naturally. A professional does not take this for granted.

And that just is the initial ten that struck a chord with me. There is much more to be learnt from this book of wisdom. Happy reading.