#SS40Under40: Focus on the solution and not the problem says Kosal Malladi

Kosal Malladi of Madison World talks about top advertising & marketing trend takeaways from his daily work-life experience

Kosal Malladi, Vice President at Madison World and a winner of Social Samosa 40 under 40, 2022 edition, gives insights on his work-life balance. He speaks about the top advertising and marketing trends that he came across and his views as an A&M professional, along with his daily experience.

3 ground rules/principles that have helped you excel in your career

Stop being a victim of your circumstance; create your circumstance
Focus on the solution and not the problem
Try something new; the worst that can happen is you fail. You would have anyway failed if you had not tried.

One takeaway from the pandemic & the whole WFH situation

While WFH has forced us to reimagine our ways of working, I believe there has to be a healthy mix of face-to-face interactions as well to build trust and a working relationship that is beyond a purely transactional one.

What are your views on work-life balance? How do you achieve it in your daily life?

I cut off when I am not working. I am not apologetic about having a life beyond work. At the same time, I ensure that I am available in case of any emergency.
My observation is that once you are clear about your boundaries, others will automatically respect them.
An important caveat to this is that you need to respect others' time as well, and things will fall in place.

Also read: #SS40Under40: Ideas are important but the execution is the hero says Saima Iqbal

One moment that changed your career…and how?

My boss once said to me, ‘Move away from the problem and look at it from the outside…’
In hindsight, I realize that it was this moment that changed my mindset. I started looking at everything from a distance. It helped me focus on finding solutions to problems.
This is one piece of advice that I think is important for everyone to internalize.

Top advertising & marketing trends that you have come across in the last year - these
can be takeaways from your daily work-life experience

Advertising and Marketing has seen a movement toward technology. Technology can create a magical experience on the back of data. At the same time, there is a focus on data privacy. Users are wary about sharing data, and this leads to a substandard experience for them. This will be an interesting tussle.

One thing that you would like to change in the Indian A&M industry

We consider working till late a badge of honor. This is a trend that definitely needs to change.

Any jargons that you think need to be banned from the A&M lingo?

‘Hustle’ – It could mean that they do not have clarity on what they want, and everything goes!

One message for aspiring A&M professionals

A&M will probably be nothing like you imagined…or maybe it will be exactly what you thought it was. Enjoy the experience. Get on the path and see where it leads you.