Mashup - FunFacts.

(Contains Videos)

Last week, I helped facilitate a lecture on Global Etiquette at the Ahmedabad Management Association (across from IIM). Instead of giving a lecture that revolved around a list of "DOs and DON'Ts" in other countries, we decided to help 40 MBA students from Mumbai understand that Global Etiquette simply (or not so simply, if you are socially awkward) requires being people savvy, perceptive, and adaptable. Although we attempted to use slideshows/fun-facts/panel discussions to help get the point across, we failed (miserably). These students have apparently been handed a list their entire life of "DO's and DON'Ts" and putting them in an environment which required them to draw their own conclusions and voice their own opinions was well... just dumb on our part. In any case, I learned a couple of cool things (from Prof Ram Kumar) during this attempt at sparking insight:

1. Bhutan would be an awesome place to visit, but the country limits the number of tourists to 5,000 per year and requires that you spend a minimum of $200 a day while you are there.
2. The logo for Chupa Chups (in case you are confused as to what a Chupa Chup is: It Ain't the Butterfly, It's the Chupa Chup) was created by Salvador Dali. It hasn't changed since its inception in 1969.
3. There are tribes in Africa known as "Cargo Cults" whose ancestors potentially came in contact with planes during WWII, and have mimicked the idea of an airport using straw and other raw materials, in an effort to get planes to return. Their inability to understand modern technology has led them to believe that creating this environment and worshipping/praying to straw planes will help them return.

On an unrelated note... how do you teach creativity and innovation to a group of people who have been spoon fed exactly what to do your their entire lives? Sigh.