Sparkling Puma and Birth of a Range Rover
One of my colleagues, Jack, organised an educational visit to JLR Experience. When Jack mentioned the trip, the first thing that came to my mind was JLR. What is it? It did not take me too long to learn about JLR – Jaguar Land Rover. Upon receipt of the email, I completed the form and started preparing for the trip. I was stuck on the second item on the list – Trainers. I had a few pairs of shoes but not trainers. So, I had to buy one. I visited a number of shops but could not decide. I was shopping for groceries at Costco, where I saw trainers. Puma shoes were sparkling in one of the stacks. I checked the price (£45) and size (UK 8). Well, it will do the job – I uttered.
Shoes for purpose!
While visiting shops to get a pair of trainers, I recalled the Selfridges shopping experience. Actually, I had no plan to go to Selfridges but just popped in while we were in London for Winter Wonderland. In the excuse of Wonderland, we visited a few places and shops in the polycentric metropolis. I enjoyed the lights and food. While wandering in Oxford Street, Selfridges stood in front of us, and Prada stood inside the shop. Nice pair of shoes! I checked the size (8) and thought it would do the job. Then, I checked the price (£950) and thought it was a little bit expensive. I wanted to ask – do I have to buy other clothes to match these shoes? My mind slipped to ask the intended question and asked – do I have to step carefully while walking in these shoes? Prashanna (one of my friends) jokingly said – these shoes are not for walking but for sitting in posh cars, planes or cruises. The statement answered my unasked question.
Fair enough!
Returning to the JLR experience, I must say that Rita’s (one of my colleagues) leadership made the visit smooth and productive. The JLR experience started at De Montfort University. We had refreshments on arrival in Solihull. We observed different sections of the production, which were handled by both employees and robots, ranging from de-coiling aluminium to the delivery of the vehicle. We also witnessed the birth of a Range Rover. Moreover, I learned about the King Makers – Land Rover and Range Rover. Our guide was very good at explaining the process, which gave us some time to reflect on management theories and their use in practice. The visit helped us to understand management strategies in the contemporary business environment.
Lesson learned!
For me, it was more than strategies, theories and practices. It taught me to understand my worth. When I opened the door of a Range Rover (worth £179k) – the model has not come to the market yet – and was about to get into the car, I saw my sparkling Puma. I looked inside the car and thought it was a little bit too early to get into it.
In search of satisfaction!