Same Room, Different Context, Opposite Experiences
I remember that day clearly. It is the 5th
of January, 2017 and I am in the DSK Group Company Toyota Innova being chauffeured
to the PYC Hindu Gymkhana located in the heart of Pune. I’m excited, yet
slightly nervous as today is my first press conference as CEO of I-League club
DSK Shivajians FC. About thirty members of the press are expected to hear from
and ask questions of myself, DSK Shivajians FC Owner, Shirish Kulkarni, DSK
Shivajians FC Head Coach, Dave Rogers, and a few of our senior team players.
I listen to a guided meditation on the drive to calm any remaining nerves and after forty-five minutes of meandering through the always reliable Pune traffic, I arrive at the Gymkhana quickly stopping into the restroom to ensure that my tailored DSK Shivajians FC suit didn’t get too wrinkled from the drive over. I walk into the A-2 Hall on the 3rd floor and notice that the room is empty of media which doesn’t concern me given that there is still thirty minutes left before the official start time of the press conference. After engaging in small talk for about twenty-nine minutes I begin to sweat as there is still no media and our Head Coach is giving me the evil eye from across the room for making him change his training schedule for a press conference with no press.
Finally, after about twenty excruciating minutes, the room begins to fill up with journalists who have clearly been through this routine before during press conferences with
other Pune based football clubs Pune FC, Bharat FC and, of course, FC Pune
City. And what immediately hits me when
I begin to assess the vibe of the room is that this whole event is more of an
obligatory experience for all stakeholders versus an opportunity to create. As a
professional football organization we just want to ensure we get news out about
our club and avoid creating any negative press and, as media, they just want to
collect whatever basic information they are meant to get, eat some lunch and go
home or back to office to draft a story.
And this is exactly what happened nullifying
the impact of the hours which went into planning to ensure that we created an
experience and delivered a message which may entice the Pune media to write something
new – to get them feel excited about a club that has finally chosen to focus
its investments on youth development and infrastructure versus short-term
assets to win championships. But they don't seem that interested and I completely understand why. It's clear to me that many others have said much of the same and not had much to show for their words which has ultimately created the doubt and skepticism felt throughout the A-2 Hall. I leave the PYC Hindu Gymkhana immediately after
the group photos no longer excited, no
longer nervous, just numb from the ordinariness of the typical I-League press conference and slightly drained even though I didn't have to speak or do too much during the short media event.
Now it’s 1st of September, 2018 and, again, I’m heading towards the PYC Hindu Gymkhana in Pune. This time I’m in an Ola and
wearing business casual attire. I’m
happy, relaxed and excited about the next few hours of my life as today I’ll be
speaking to a group of 50 students interested in making sports their
career. I arrive at the Gymkhana one
hour before the event and quickly find the same A-2 Hall on the 3rd
floor where our management team is already setting up the space. There is a
lightness and general ease felt within the room.
Thirty minutes before the official start time
of the ‘Careers in Sports’ seminar, the room begins to fill up with eager and
excited 20-25 year olds hungry for knowledge about how to turn their passion into their profession. Their enthusiasm gives me a high as I’m quite sensitive to
the energy of others. By the 3:30pm
start time, the room is filled to capacity with nearly 50 people in attendance
including a few committed parents. I
begin by having each individual introduce themselves and share their ‘aspiration’
or ‘dream’ within the sports industry. I
then share some background on sports management and eventually delve into the ‘Magic
Formula’ and how it has guided my own journey over the past twenty years.
Finally, we discuss Sports Management education before FC Pune City CEO Gaurav
Modwel enters the room and leads a riveting talk and Q&A session about the
industry.
The formal phase of the seminar ends at 5:30pm
and not a single attendee leaves the room, even to use the restroom, during the entire
talk. We then step out onto the terrace
overlooking a cricket match going on in the ground below and speak for another
two hours. I’m not constantly checking
the time on my phone, I’m not looking for moments when I can sneak out, I’m not
even remotely tired, just full of joy engaging with individuals who have a
thirst for guidance so that they can create enriching careers in sport. I
finally left the Gymkhana at 7:30pm, fully charged up and clear that I’m doing
exactly what I am meant to be doing.
Comments
Post a Comment