Speech by Dr. Koperdekar
on the Occasion of 11th Foundation Day of
Omkarananda Institute of Management & Technology (OIMT),
in Omkarananda Nagar, Muni-ki-reti, on 7th September 2009

A Short Introduction of Dr. Koperdekar from Mumbai He is Author of 64 books in English and Marathi, among them are 40 books on Management. 24 books are Textbooks in different Management Institutes. He has coached 25 students for Ph.D. in Management. He was Director of the prestigious Welinker Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, which was the foremost Management Institute in Asia for 6 years, with over 6500 students. Dr. Koperdekar extensively travelled in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, visiting Management Institutes, Universities and giving lectures there, besides giving lectures in many Universities in our country.

Gurudev Swami Omkarananda Ji Maharaj, His great disciple Swami Vishveshwarananda ji Maharaj, Somashekhari Devi Ji, Director Dr. Agrawal, Trustees, Professors, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I'm very happy to be here to meet you on the Foundation Day of your great Institute. For the last 25 years I've been coming to Shivananda Ashram regularly and invariably I meet Swami Vishveshwarananda Ji Maharaj and spend some time with him. He is a great disciple of a great Guru, who had reached the Highest in the spiritual field and He became the Role Model not only for the spiritual seekers in India but also for many in different countries due to the work, which He has started here and in other countries. I've been seeing this Institute every year whenever I come here and the growth of the Institute is really remarkable. I feel this Institute is a great blessing not only for Uttarakhand but for the Northern India and I'm sure in a few years' time this will be one of the prominent Institutes in our country. The way Swami Vishveshwaranandaji Maharaj, Somashekhari Devi and others have been trying to develop the schools in different parts of Garhwal and this Management Institute at Rishikesh has really to be praised, has to be appreciated. I'm certain that this Institute will have a great name and fame during the next few years.

Swami Vivekanandaji had seen a dream, where the East and West, both would meet. The good points of the East and the good points of the West, if they come together, a new humanity, a better, better, better humanity would be on the earth, that was his dream and I've been feeling for the last few years, whenever I come here, this dream of the meeting point of the East and West is practically taking place in this Ashram and in the Institute and in the schools which are being managed by Omkarananda Educational Society in different parts of Garhwal.

Shri Swami Vishveshwaranandaji has not come as a person here - the values of life in the West, the discipline and the intelligence, which they have there, have come here personified in Swamiji - along with Somashekhariji, who is to the core Indian, the representative symbol of the Indian Dance and Music, Indian Art and the Divine Power of Indian Ladies. So it's a great Sangam, Milan (meeting) of the East and West.

This Institute will definitely be one of the prominent Institutes in the next few years, not only in India but all over the world. I'm sure you all students will see one day, that this Institute is one of the prominent Institutes in the world, I'm certain.

Well, when I met Dr. Agrawal and when I had some discussion with her, I was very happy that the best head has been elected for this Institute, she has large, vast experience, she has love for discipline and she wants to do something, not only for the people of this particular State, but for the entire Management Field. I'm certain, the Institute is safe in her hands and she'll be able to shape the future of this Institute and future of all of you in the next few months.

Swami Vishveshwaranandaji had requested me to give some advice to the students, but when I had a talk with Dr. Agrawal and other teachers here, I felt they are already putting in their best efforts for the development of the Institute, not only the prospectus is taught here, the curriculum is taught here, but even non-curriculum activities like Personality Development also have been started here and placement also is being looked after very well by Dr. Agrawal and her colleagues, so I don't think I should say something in addition to what they are doing, but still, to honour the word of Swamiji, I'll give you some suggestions.

My dear students, please remember Management is an Art, more Art than science; you must read the books on Management, no doubt in it, you must attend the lectures given by this auspicious place, by the professors who are well qualified and all well experienced, you must do that, but remember, Management is a skill, is an Art, it has to be practised in reality and that you can do firstly in the form of extra-curricular activities. My large portion of life was in the Management field, in the Management Institutions, and there I observed that students learn much more outside the classrooms in the form of extra-curricular activities, which are managed by the Director and the Faculty Members of the Institute. So please you are not just to be Manager by reading books or by attending lectures, but you have to take part in the extra-curricular activities so that your managerial skill is developed, and again remember, it is an Art which can be learnt by observation. Observation is the best method of acquiring the best skills in the Management.

You have a Role Model of a great Manager in the form of Swamiji here, you observe how he gets things done from others and you'll be able to learn a lot.

Some of you might ask me, as my other students were asking me also: 'When you say observation, are we going to get experience or are we going to get the opportunity to see the TATA's or Birla's or Ambani's or other large industrial houses? Will we be able to observe how these great managers or industrialists manage?'

Well I must tell you, we learn management by observing not only the industrial houses, but also if you observe your own mother. She is the best manager you can see, the best managerial skills you'll learn by observing how your mother manages the house. She is the production manager because she gets the food done; well to the choice of all people she is the finance manager because the money given by the husband, she utilizes in the best possible way; she is the personal manager or public relation manager because she has to manage all the relatives and all the servants and friends who are coming to you. That way all the aspects of managerial life or managerial science you will find fully developed in your own mother in your house, so observe your mother how she's a great manager. Again, when you go to some shops or factories or hospital, anywhere, go with this curiosity, how the persons are managing the activity. In a small shop also observe how the shopkeeper is managing, getting things done from his servants, how is he managing the customers, visiting the shop. Go there and see how the furniture is arranged in a particular way - in your mind, you please think whether it can be arranged in a better way, can it be changed - can you differently do the managerial practices in that shop and do it better? If this inquisitiveness, if this attitude you have and if you see the activity around you each and every moment, you'll be able to learn the management science, so observation is the best method and for that you can observe your mother and wherever you go you observe whether the things are being done in a good way or whether you can do it in a better way. This will groom you into a good successful manager.

Again one study has shown in USA - they collected Data about 100 successful managers and tried to find out what is the most important factor which led to their success - it was found, that all the successful managers were spiritual men, so there is a great combination or relation between management and spirituality. A person, who is spiritual, will be a great manager. Why? Because a spiritual person can establish oneness with others, he can win the confidence of others, he is normally less selfish and he tries to see what others are also to gain, what is their advantage. He is a straight forward person, he is co-operative and the most important faculty is, he has got empathy, i.e., he can appreciate the experience, the personality or the point of view of the others. In USA it has been found that the managers who are spiritual to the core are the best managers, so you can take a note from this and Swamiji is the Role Model for you, who is a combination of management and spirituality to the core.

You have role models here and you will definitely be good managers with a spiritual background, if you observe them.

So, as per the request I've given you some suggestions, one important suggestion which I've been giving to my students all these 25 years is, that you have to develop your intuition; you have to develop your own sub-conscious mind to work as a manager. As a manager you have to take very quick decision, in a split of a moment you have to take a decision and such decisions cannot be taken by the intellect, so if you want to be a successful manager, you'll have to develop your intuition, the sub-conscious mind powers, which help you to take your decisions. Just any person enters your office and you'll be able to guess who he is, why he has come, what is his personality, within a fraction of seconds, by just a glance you can do it, and one manager who does it, is a successful manager. So Professor Agrawal may be able to give you some lectures on how to develop sub-conscious mind. There are many books now available where the powers of sub-conscious mind are shown, how they can be utilized and I'm certain all of you will take advantage and do that. Swami Devatmananda has said, that almost 93% of the powers are hidden in our brain, 93% powers we do not use, they are sleeping dormant powers, there are methods to enliven them and if you try to enliven them by such methods, you'll be definitely be very successful managers and one day you'll bring the good name to this Institute and to Swami Vishveshwaranandaji Maharaj by doing good work, in whichever field you go and wherever you work, but remember you have to be grateful to this Mother Alma Mater. Very shortly you'll go after completion of the course and be a good manager; somewhere you'll be working, either maybe in another country or another part of India, but don't forget your Institute which made you managers. Ultimately Gratitude is the most important factor in personality which brings you success and which brings you happiness. If you are grateful to your Mother Institution, you'll definitely be very happy and your progress will go up and up. Don't forget the teachers, don't forget Swami Vishveshwarananda and don't forget Dr. Agrawal. Send Letters to them, when you go there, once in a year you come here, meet them, discuss with them your progress and I'm certain with this gratitude you'll one day bring Name and Fame to your Institute and to yourself and to your family also.