SOS:SANDEEP

KUMAR

RAINA

B54:

ROLL

NO

27:

11_SOS_Week5_Application Assignment

a) Narrate one situation where you undertook a project and the

final outcomes of your actions were not in keeping with your
expectations.
I work for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Retail Setup (dealing with the
Petrol Pump Section) Last year I was working in Sales and Marketing setup
as Sales officer in Bharat Varanasi Setup. We had launched Premium
SPEED Petrol. The Product is Rs.2 Costlier than unbranded Petrol, but its
properties like Added Mileage, Cleaner Engine, Lower Maintenance and
Smooth Pickup outdid its costing. However, since a significant chunk of up
to 30% were auto drivers belonging to lower income group with many of
them being uneducated or less educated and less aware about new
product, so it was important to enrol this mass segment towards
awareness of the superior properties of SPEED Petrol and develop a
natural pull;
For this, I undertook the Project named VIRAAT AUTO AWARENESS
WORKSHOP. For this work was initiate a month back through below
modes:
1. Radio Mirchi 98.3 awareness campaigns, interviews
2. Newspaper Pamphlets and personal invitations
3. Enrolling of Auto union Leaders of 4 different areas and Door-to-Door
Campaigns
4. Hoarding Flexes and Banner advertisements
5. Lucky Draw Scheme through Coupons (which can be reimbursed at
Petrol Pumps for Fuel)
6. Organising trained mechanics.
We had booked a large School Stadium and tent services and were
expecting upto 5000 Auto Drivers. Various Dealers, Press, Territory

Manager and other officials were invited. However as against the

expectations, only 300 Auto Drivers turned up. The Chairs were mostly
empty. It was a big disappointment. Still we planned to capitalize on 300
Auto Drivers , which albeit small from the expected numbers, was in no
way insignificant. So, I thought to go ahead for the events with Price
Distribution as fillers through Lucky Draw. It started smoothly and Auto
Drivers with hectic schedule were tuned it, but it went into chaos due to
sudden abruption from BPCL officials on continuing with the scheme. As
the crowd sensed that the scheme is going to stop, they became unruly
and everyone started demanding for coupons as they said they waited for
the full day leaving their hectic work schedule of driving the Auto , and
have not earned anything. The Project was a flop show.

b) Using the framework of actions & results and the concept of sphere of
influence, how do your account for the gap between expected and actual
outcomes?

Known Variables
(Effort, time, resources)

Karma

Karma Phala

ACTION

RESULTS

(From me & others)

(Coming to me

& others)
Unknown Variables
(Some may be knowable, others remain unknown)
ACTION

EXPECTATION

Campaigns

Auto Customers Only

through

will

be

RESULTS

aware 300

GAP

Around Auto

Customers

Auto were Aware but not

Marketing & and

motivated Drivers Turned motivated

Tie-ups with and will turn out up

Union

in High numbers

Leaders.

meeting
expectation

to turn up

of

Prize

5000 numbers
Customers
will Only half of the I

Distribution

get

Premium customers

through Fuel Fuel

Coupons

felt

that

the

scheme could have

Coupons could get Fuel been designed in a

through
draw

enough

and

sales
increase.

lucky Coupons

than more

fuel actually

engaging

manner

will planned

after

chaos
developed due
to

abrupt

stoppage of the
Invitation to Company

scheme
Company

I felt should have

Company

officials will be officials though kept

company

officials&

happy with the that

more

Stadium

proceedings and coupon scheme loop

Arrangemen

have a positive was

ts

impact

Lucky officials
not

the design

in

during

the
and

good thing to conception part.

do

and

deranged.

got

Control
Influen
ce
No
influen
ce /
Control

SPHERE

OF DETAILS

INFLUENCE
STUFF

REMARKS

UNDER Designing of the Should work more on it in

CONTROL

Scheme

Future.

The

Variables

are

known (type of participants

and

dignitaries,

Venue,

performance of the Fuel)

UNDER Motivating BPCL Should work more on it in

STUFF
UNFLUENCE

officials and my Future.

staff

The

Variables

are

known (like nature of the

officials,

goals

in

priority)

and some may be unknown

STUFF

NOT

(mood of the the officials)

UNDER Ensuring all the Should try the best. Outcome

CONTROL/INFLUENCE

Auto
Turn Up.

Drivers may not be as expected as

most

of

unknown

the

variables

like

traffic,

schedule and commitment of

drivers.
brand

Liking

for

BPCL

c) Describe the emotions and thoughts which occurred in you as you faced
these final results and the way you acted upon them. What do they tell
you about samatvam, your ability to receive results gracefully?
Samatvam

refers

to

condition

of

stability

&

equableness

of

mind&emotions in response to different degrees of positive and negative

stimuli. He should exhibhit:
1. Viveka (Discrimination and discretion)
2. Vairagya (Disspasionate and unattached)
3. Shadsampat ( the virtues of shama (calmness, control), dama
(restraint on senses), uparati (sense of withdrawal), titiksha
(endurance) , Shraddha (faith and belief), Samadhna (balance of
Mind)
4. Mumukshutva (desire to get liberated from material things)

RESULTS

Status of my SAMATVAM

Only Around 300 Auto Drivers In

Turned up

couldnt

(Samadhna

and

maintain
Shama

Shadsampat
were

missing).

Calmness of mind was missing as I got

disappointed and irritiated that turn out is
low despite humongous efforts
Only half of the customers could I couldnt display Vairagya (Dispassion and
get Fuel Coupons than actually unattachment). I was very attached that all
planned after chaos developed the

Customers

must

get

coupon

and

due to abrupt stoppage of the scheme should be a success.

scheme
Company

officials

though

that Viveka (Discrimination and discretion) . I

Lucky coupon scheme was not the couldnt judge the Pros and Cons of the
good

thing

to

do

and

got scheme properly. Far sight was missing.

deranged.

d) While you were engaged in the different stages of your project, were
you able to balance dynamically the assertive and yielding modes of
being? Give a few examples to illustrate and support your answers.
During the Project I shifted from being Assertive to Yielding and then to
Avoidance . I would not say I was successful, as I think the process was
not not conscious but automatically the modes were getting shifted to
cater to given emotions.
ASSERTIVE MODE: Initially I was very positive and working on both
Company should achieve its Goal and Customer should also be benefitted
through the Scheme. The Frame of mind was very stable and happy
AGGRESSIVE MODE: After officials asked me for abrupt stoppage of the
scheme by Sr. officials, I initially protested and wanted it to continue.
Started getting hot headed and one sided.
YIELDING: However, after noting that the croud had gone out of control
and officials decision may be correct I yielded. Emotions cooled down and
fear sank it.
AVOIDANCE: I also got rebuked by the officials I tried to avoid personal
contact and which continued for a few more days as well. A feeling of Guilt
sank in.

THE EXTENT TO WHICH I

HIG
H

Aggressive

Assertive

( I win You

(We both Win)

Loose)

LO
W

Avoidance

Yielding

( We both

(I Loose You

Loose)
LOW

win)

HIGH
THE EXTENT TO WHICH I ALLOW

ACHIEVE MY GOALS

OTHER PERSON TO ACHIEVE

THEIR GOALS