It’s All About the Development of the Mind - Aparna Sekhar - June 2006

Mr. T. Balakrishnan is presently the Regional Director, Australasia for Johnson Diversey that is an institutional cleaning and sanitation solution provider. A self-made man, he financed his own MBA education by working for two years at Greaves Foseco. He has the enviable record of having studied at the best schools in the country- IIT (K) and IIM (B). JohnsonDiversey Inc. is a player in commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions serving customers in the hospitality, food service, food and beverage, and healthcare sectors as well as building service contractors. It employs more than 1,300 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries. The company serves customers in more than 100 countries. In conversation with us, he shares his views on MBA education and the qualities that carry one to the very top.

Could you tell us about your educational background?
I completed my undergraduate studies from IIT Kharagpur and did my Post Graduation in Management from IIM Bangalore, where I specialised in Sales and Marketing.

What about your current job?
I am Regional Director, Australasia for JohnsonDiversey, which is a company created through the merger of Johnson Wax Professional and a division of Unilever.

Why did you decide to pursue a management degree?
Well, my first job was with Greaves Foseco and during the course of work I found that I liked the sales and marketing function and therefore wanted to excel at it. The CEO of the company also inspired me at the time. He was an Englishman, Mr Anthony Sleight, who could work across various functions with ease. He knew the nuances of every function - he could formulate corporate strategies or roll up his sleeves and get to work on the shop floor. I admired that ability. Also, I learnt that an MBA had the power to help you structure your work and think rationally. Therefore, to do my work in the most efficient way possible, I chose to study for a management degree.

How does the degree equip a person and shape his career?
The processes that you undergo to obtain the degree as well as the course structure are designed to teach you to think and work in an organised fashion. It guides you to align and stratify a problem in a way that you can easily analyse and then find the perfect solution. Hence you make good decisions, with practice you make better decisions and then you reach the top of your field.

How important is academic excellence in the pursuit of the degree?
While academic excellence at school and college is not a necessary criterion, it is definitely reflective of one’s intellectual development, which is important.

A greater number of students at the premier B-schools are engineers. Being an engineer yourself, what do you think of this trend?
I don’t think B-Schools like the IIMs prefer engineers to students from other disciplines. I believe the reason that greater numbers of engineers make it is because when it comes to the first round of elimination, the CAT, engineers are already in the  ‘examination groove’ as they would have been doing regular weekly tests, evaluations, etc. They are already extremely familiar with concepts in Quant and DI because for four years they’ve been regularly taking exams; their accuracy is hence assured and their practice before the test ensures their speed.  Calculations for one flow quickly.

Do you see a difference between students at the time you graduated vis-à-vis students today?
Students then were focused on the company they would like to join and the post they’d like to hold. Students now are not so focused on the end job. They are open to everything around them.

There is a perception that there is a huge gap between the theory learnt at the B-School and what transpires in practice. What are your views?
In any line of education, there are maybe only four or five of the many subjects that you learn that find relevance in the job you do later on. The MBA degree gives one an all-round perspective of the functions of management. For example, I am a chemical engineer. I went to IIM Bangalore and learnt basic accounting and finance. This is quite important and relevant to my job today. Besides that, you have specialisations or majors. You are well versed in dealing with your particular function because you are given so many case studies and practical applications. 
The teaching process conditions you and the excellent faculty ensures that you are prepared to a certain degree for the job ahead.

There are so many B-schools providing MBA degrees in India today. What is your opinion about the value of an MBA degree from B-schools other than the IIMs?
The factor that sets the IIMs apart is the educational experience they provide. It’s all about the development of the mind. There is a committed and dedicated faculty at the IIMs. Many B-Schools have a visiting faculty; therefore, they may not be able to devote all their time to the students. They probably have other commitments. At the IIMs, the faculty is on campus. They also have to submit a certain number of papers every year, which means that they are in touch with the current trends and studies. They also provide consultancy services, which means that they have on-the-job experience. In terms of delivery, other institutes are yet to catch up.

Most B-Schools around the world require their students to have some work experience. In India however, it is not compulsory. Do you think it should be?
Work experience helps in meaningful assimilation of all that is taught. Your calibre and performance on the job is, however, the deciding factor for your career growth.

Many students perceive an MBA related job as very glamorous. Could you tell us about the kind of work one would generally do.
Glamour, I think, arises from the salaries we hear about in the media. But there is a huge expectation (work wise) that accompanies it. You have to provide results. Its not like one is put into a high profile position immediately. You may get one crore a year but you still join at the entry level, be ready to roll up your sleeves and work. And your results have to measure up to justify that one crore.

Do you think there is a gender issue in management?
Let me talk of my company’s policy regarding this. We have a Diversity Policy that we aggressively follow. We encourage women to lead and reach high positions, as we believe in giving equal opportunity. Women and men bring different perspectives to a job, sometimes, and this leads to a well-balanced consumer insight.

What do you think of future trends regarding MBA careers?
We, as a country, are becoming more global. So managers will be required to build a capability to work in an international setting. We will need to understand change and open our minds to it. To answer your question directly, there will still be a demand for MBAs for many years to come. 

Who has been your inspiration?
Well, the CEO of the first company I worked for, whom I’ve already mentioned. Also, one of my uncles, Mr. Sethumadhavan is a role model. He was with the Aditya Birla Group and later was the President of Gwalior Rayons. I admired his decision-making abilities.

Would you have some advice for all the MBA aspirants in the country?
All I would say is - open your minds. Teach yourself to think - make learning an active process, rather than a passive one. Be open to learning, always. After all, the entire journey is about mind development.