Bonzai Unconference!

“So, what would you like sir?” Whispered the waiter at Café Diem Coonoor in his french accent beaming with a smile. Would it be Goat Cheese Fig Honey and Chili Oil Pizza or our Pizza Siciliana with creamy Mascarpone Cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli…. Or something else.. eh?

During all these eight days, Boy I was spoilt for choice - just like this - since I arrived on the tea garden slopes of Coonoor last week for a “Bonzai Un-conference” with eight of my colleagues. Unconference? Yes indeed! Difficult to believe - but it did happen.

“The objective is to explore the new place, team up and know your colleagues and enjoy and then think about what new we could attempt in our life” ..said Rahul Pandey (CEO, Founder Bonzai) as we left for Atwood. It’s an impeccably maintained resort - a century-old erstwhile property of Maharaja of Peethapuram in Coonoor, TN (India) by UD and his team.? And it was a whole week of dream days unfurling. Be it walks in the early misty mornings to the Chettinad savories we munched with bottomless cups of fresh south coffee to the special Golf training arranged with Asia’s leading Gold coach.

I am surprised how some of the most creative ideas have blossomed during our discussion about the People, Product, and sales side.? I know for sure-? these ideas could not have come in gray-looking conference rooms filled with stale and cold corporate air. I am thankful to Bonzai for this true “Un-Conference”. Every evening we listened to each other's life stories over drinks and dinners where the only accompaniment to the hill breeze was soulful tracks of Jagjeet Singh, Fareed Ayaz, and Piyush Mishra. A wonderful week that was. And How!?

One of these afternoons my Golf coach had said? - “ For the strike - focus on the tee and your stance and not on the flag“. Then hit the ball to see the result! How true about the (un)conference - that prepared us to propel to the right flag in the future.