Anant's blog: The Group M picnic spot

Yesterday, I went to have a coffee with Mindshare’s R Gowthaman at his new office. I was running late (which is unusual for me), so I sent him a text message as his phone was busy to ask if he would still be able to make the time to see me. My meeting with G’man is not the point of the post. Actually, it wasn’t even a meeting.

He had the time and I got to meet him at Group M’s spanking new office.

It’s been three days since Group M units shifted to Goregaon. Everything seems to work, everyone is comfortably seated. G’man tells me that of all the Mindshare team, only three received computer monitors which didn't belong to them. That’s an amazing achievement.

Hans Mathew tells me that the office transition was such that the majority was ready for business on Monday morning itself, having been conducting regular business on Friday in Peninsula. That’s amazing.

G’man and Hans estimate that 80% of the Mindshare team is better off with the move, with most saving commuting time. For those on the Central Line, buses have been arranged.

550 people shift from various parts of ‘’south’’ Mumbai to Goregaon and everything is smooth. That’s fantastic.

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When I entered the building, I couldn’t figure out which floor G’man sat on. I was advised by a few at the lobby that he was on the 9th Floor, so that’s where I went. Got out of the lift, only to see a reception area as crowded as a railway platform. Took me a few seconds to be "informed’" that G’man was on the 8th floor. Ran down the stairs (I was late) and went through crowds to the reception, only to learn that G’man was on the 7th Floor. Ran down the stairs again, through another crowded reception and finally met G’man.

Crowded receptions on all three floors.

And I’ll be going from Lower Parel to Goregaon again today, this time to meet Vikram Sakhuja.

Why didn't I do so yesterday, you ask.

I thought I'd meet Vikram, G’man and Ajit (Varghese) today. G’man was travelling Thursday, so he could meet me either yesterday or next week. I chose yesterday. Vikram was fine with today, so I’ll meet him today. Ajit hasn’t replied to my mail, so I guess it will be next week.

I did not call any one other than G’man (or others I know in the Group M system) and say , "Hey, I'm in the building, can I drop in for a couple of minutes?"

That's unfair to them. I will meet all those I want to meet in various Group M offices by appointment, whenever we find mutually convenient times and dates. I will not presume them to have time just because I’m in the building to see someone else.

Which is the primary reason all the receptions are full. You have an appointment with one person and decide to take a chance to see a dozen others, which keeps you hanging around in the reception. I was on three receptions yesterday, with the total time spent by me not exceeding a minute. That’s how it should be, if you're on time and your host is on time.

If more and more visitors to Group M offices decide to "take a chance" to meet people they do not have appointments with, the receptions at all the floors will crack under the strain.

I see myself going all the way to Goregaon at least once a week. On each visit, I’ll catch up with those I’ve spoken to, those I have appointments with. I’ll leave the rest alone; I’ll respect that they’re busy; I won’t pressurise them into squeezing me into their busy schedules.

Give the guys at Group M a break. Don't make the visit to their office a picnic. Make it more like a visit to the doctor's. Get there, finish what you've come to do, and get out of there.

If that sounds like pontification, chew on this. The next time you are waiting at a crowded and hot reception (it will be hot when it's crowded) with no chair to sit on (and there won’t be any), it’ll be because most of those at the reception are like you, taking a chance.