Fwd: updation of contact details

[Anshuman Sen]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anshuman Sen <ansh...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Re: updation of contact details
To: Alumni ASCI <alumn...@gmail.com>
Cc: "Dr. Jyoti Rama Das" <dr.jyo...@gmail.com>, AMIT GHATGE <dramit...@gmail.com>, prashant mehta <prashant...@gmail.com>, "S.H. Baquer" <baq...@asci.org.in>

Dear Alumni Committee,

I am distressed and deeply disturbed at the way we continue to disregard etiquette and protocol. I received an email from your group on Monday for a request to update contact information (If I have understood the email correctly) The email in mention is one of the shoddiest and sloppiest pieces of writing I have come across in recent times. What hurts me is the fact that it has come from asci.

And as much as I hate to, I will try and set a few things in the email straight.

Dear alumnus

                   Hope you all are well , sir this is our apprehensive request to update your contact's detail's (in case changed), so that we will keep update our asci alumni nexus.

What is wrong with us? Where has the art of writing decent emails disappeared to? Could you please care to explain what you mean by 'apprehensive'? Have we forgotten the meaning and usage of apostrophes? (') What does "So that we will keep update our asci alumni nexus" mean? You say "Sir" in your email; aren't there any women which you wish to address? (So your letter also comes across as sexist)

First and foremost I am aghast at the way you have chosen to write such a casual and careless email; you have forgone the seriousness and intent required to write to the alumni network. It is an act which reflects irresponsibility and a total lack of thought process. A few questions pop up in my head:

Here they are:

1. Did the author of this email consult the team (alumni committee) before shooting such an irresponsible email? If NO, then you have a lot of explaining to do, not just to your committee but to the class you belong to. Because your actions will affect the integrity of the class as well.
2. If YES (which I am not yet prepared to believe) are you telling me that 5 members together are incapable of writing a flawless email?
3. Did you care to correct the syntax, grammar of your email? Its quite obvious that you haven't.
4. Are you aware of the repercussions of writing such a sloppy email?
5. This email is so casual that it makes me laugh! Did you have specific contact details in mind when you wrote this (Name, Organization working for, batch & year, Phone numbers, email etc)? 
6. Did you care to provide a specific format for them to fill their details in? (A MS Word or an excel sheet)?
7. Your email today has reached the entire network of ascians (hospital management); have you thought of what they may feel about the committee and its members? That you can't send a simple email without adorning it with blunders? 
8. The past batches have striven to get the alumni to interact and bring them under one roof. Is this your way of taking the legacy forward?
9. Will anyone take you seriously after this? Thankfully I am closer to your batch than the others, I honestly wouldn't have paid any more attention to email correspondence from the alumni committee.
10. I have tried to convey through numerous interactions with you that you have to become more professional; in your conduct, in the way you speak and most importantly in the way you write. Is this your response?
11. Put yourself in the place of the alumni which you wrote to and read what you have written; does it make any sense to you? What would be your first reaction? Will you want to respond to such emails?
12. Take this as a test; in the next two weeks, let me know how many people respond to your email. That will be the best judge of the effectiveness of your shoddy work.
13. The asci Health Syndicate is one of the few places where the alumni is marginally active. May I ask as to why I haven't seen the slightest of participation from any of the present committee members? Isn't this the best place and way to connect with the alumni? Isn't this ironic or a laughing paradox?

Please read all the emails which have been sent by the alumni committee in the past and compare your most recent email with those. I suppose you will understand what I am trying to highlight here.

Please read the innumerable emails which the committee sent to past students under the efficient guidance of Mr. Baquer. The recent email was a rude contrast.

Asci is not just about living it up, clicking pictures, having fun or for that matter writing assignments and making redundant presentations. asci is about learning. About bettering yourselves in every manner possible. Everything is not hunky-dory. What example are you setting for the batch which comes in next?

On one hand asci publishes research material and scholarly articles for people around the world to read and on the other we have such sloppy emails circulating the network.

When I write something, I read it at least 5 times to ensure that I haven't goofed up in the spellings or in the grammar. If I were to write something to an entire alumni network, I'd read it a 100 times! How can you ignore all this?

Time and again, you have had not one but a 100 people telling you that your communication will ultimately decide how well you get placed or how far you go. (I hate to mention placements but this seems to be the only catchword which works for you)

I have always tried to befriend you and to help you in any and every manner possible. I have reasons to believe that I have cordial relations with almost all of you but please don't expect me to be silent when you molest the integrity, respect and the sanctity of the image which is asci.

You are all aware of the efforts which are being put in to make the alumni more active and participative. Such actions will only arrest or hamper our efforts. Please exercise more restraint when you write to the alumni.

Here is what I feel you should have done. 

It is good to stay updated with the alumni. However when you write to them, ensure that you have everything thought of and worked out. Give them a format (this will highlight the seriousness of your request). 

Write to all of them personally. Address them as Mr. xxx xxx. (You will notice that people will take you more seriously if the emails are addressed to them personally. All this takes time and a lot of patience). Add a customary greeting. Ensure that your email is of 2-3 paragraphs. Be crisp and to the point yet avoid being curt (your email was very curt). If you have attached a file for them to fill up, mention it at the point where you have asked for their contact details. For example: 

"We are in the process of updating the contact details of our alumni. You would oblige us by taking out some time to send in your most recent contact information. [A format has been attached with this email for your convenience]"

Add a few details of the recent developments or news in the asci-hospital management program. Mention guest lectures or other events (may be a blood donation camp?) which may have occurred. Please remember that this   ancillary information should blend and flow with the body of your letter. 

And the letter again must end on a positive and hopeful note. "We hope to receive your response at the earliest. This will help facilitate our offices in updating our records"

And that my friends, is how the letter should be drafted.

Now you have two choices available to you: 

You either sulk, crib and bitch about the fact that I have written you a stinker....

OR 

take this as a learning experience and clean up your mess

I would like to request the ex-alumni committee members to take interest and guide these kids!

Thanks and best regards,

-- as

PS: Attached is a format which can be used for collecting the contact information of the alumni network. Adopt what is feasible and chuck out whatever isn't.

PS2: Remember that I am very fond of you, my anger and hurt is a reflection of that emotion

-- 

On Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 2:06 PM, Alumni ASCI <alumn...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear alumnus

                   Hope you all are well , sir this is our apprehensive request to update your contact's detail's (in case changed), so that we will keep update our asci alumni nexus.

--

Regards,

Mr. Ashish Singh  (7842748406)
Dr. Lilawati Nagarkoti (8688046832)
Dr. Shivaji Dadge (9966333475)
Dr. Varuna Poonam Singh(9032265650)
Dr. Vijay kumar Bhaskar (PT) (8977842701)

 

ASCI Alumni Committee
PGDHM-VI
ASCI-CHM

 

Dear Committee Members,

I second my friend Anshuman's observations and I am equally disappointed.

The committee's functioning has been unfortunately restricted to mere updation of contact details of the Alumni members. The committee should have evolved to a different level by now (3 years since its formation) but, the same is not evident.

If you check my previous mails to the committee, you will notice that I have discussed few imperatives and also provided some advices based on my experience but, unfortunately no heed was paid. I am forced to believe the same because I did not get a courtesy call too to know if any initiative was taken on it.

Let me tell you that the mail my Brother Anshuman has sent has consumed lot of his time. He could have also shelved it off just like any of us but, he wants that you guys improve and very importantly ASCI's name should always shine. And, it won't shine unless you guys (presently, the custodians of the institute) put the necessary effort.

I hope to get introduced to you guys. May be you can give me a call when it is convenient for you. 

My earnest request is that you should not term the Alumni committee's responsibility as just organizing the annual meet. Its responsibility is much broader. I have discussed about the same with the previous batches but did not see any concrete effort. I hope you guys understand its importance and will take some positive steps.

As I mentioned, I am always available for matters related to ASCI's betterment and so you may call me at any time.

Best wishes. 

-- 
Jyoti Rama Das

Dear Anshuman,

 

Appreciate your sentiments. As much as you like the institute, i(we) like you too. Here is my take,

 

• Stop being a grandpapa, you have tried numeruous times 9as you have mentioned in your email) to explain the necessary, let the batch learn from their mistakes (if, they care ofcourse)
• Stop spoon feeding them, have you ever heard (i havent) that apart from you and jyoti and few others from our batch (i know of), no one else care or rather tries to set things straight? (Apologies if other batches (people from other batches) try to councel their juniors, i do not know)
• Lord/ nature/ science has given people ability to think (i mean brains), let them exercise that gift
• I have come to hear that they blame their seniors if they don't get placed in certain companies, stating them as reasons for less placements (thought never crosses about their own performances in the interview)
• New batches are expected to perform a notch better than their senior batches in most of the areas, i fail to see any.
• integrity, respect and the sanctity (you should have sent a link of dictionary expalining the meaning of mentioned words now that you took the pain of writing such a long email)

I agree to the fact that the note was not written in the way it was supposed to, and it was difficult for you to control yourself and waste your time in writing such a long letter but................

 

Love,

 

Nikhil