Where are your classmates now?

December 24, 2022 / Motivation

I encounter a plethora of stories that teach me business lessons, life lessons, and beautiful emotional reflections. Recently, I came across a story that really struck a chord with me. I wanted to share this story by an anonymous author with all my readers:

“WHERE ARE YOUR CLASSMATES?”

A 60-year-old man was suffering from major depression, and his wife scheduled an appointment with a therapist.

“He is in severe depression,” the wife said, “please take care of him.”

While the gentleman’s wife sat outside, the Counselor began his counselling by asking some personal questions.

“I’m too worried,” said the gentleman. “In fact, I’m overwhelmed by concerns: family issues, job stress, friends, children’s education, mortgage loan, car loan, and so on. I’ve lost interest in everything I used to enjoy. The world sees me as a cannon, as if I have everything, but I don’t have as much as a cartridge. I’m in a perennial bad mood.”

The skilled Counselor then inquired, “Which secondary school did you attend?”

The gentleman informed him of the school’s name.

The counsellor suggested that you visit that school. When you arrive at school, look for your ‘Class register,’ if it is still there, look up the names of your classmates, and try to learn about their current well-being.

Write down everything you learn about them and meet with me in a month! The gentleman returned to his old school, located the register, and copied every name on it. There were a total of 120 names.

Despite working day and night for a month, he was only able to gather information on about 75-80 of his classmates.

There were surprising outcomes!!!

Twenty of them had died. Seven were widows or widowers, and thirteen were divorced. Ten of them turned out to be drug addicts. Five were so bad that no one could connect with them.

Six were so wealthy that he couldn’t believe it.

Some had cancer, others were bedridden, and still, others had diabetes, asthma, or heart disease. A couple of them were doing alright but their children had turned out to be insane, vagabonds, and so on. One was imprisoned.

After two divorces, one person was looking for a third marriage.

“Now tell me how your depression is,” the counsellor inquired.

The gentleman realised he didn’t have a disease; he wasn’t hungry, his mind was perfect, and he wasn’t unlucky. He was fortunate that his wife and children were in good health. He was also in good health. He could eat three meals a day. His difficulties paled in comparison to those of others.

The gentleman realised that there is a lot of sorrow in the world and that he was fortunate and happy!

When I came across this story, it put things into perspective for me. I am grateful for my life and the unique problems that have been given to me. For me, the lesson is to stop peering into other people’s plates (especially other people’s fortunes and misfortunes). Instead, we must accept our bounty with love and grace. Don’t measure your life against the lives of others.

Everyone is moving according to their destiny; you are neither late nor early. We must be grateful for everything, big or small, good or bad.

Where are your classmates now? Read More »

The Hare & Tortoise Fable Revisited

November 20, 2022 / Motivation

Recently, I came across this popular Aesop Fable “The Hare and The Tortoise”. The story has been rewritten to explore more possible endings and new morals that can be relevant to the new generation. I think these morals are especially useful from a management perspective and worthy to share in the classroom too!

You may have heard the original version often. It goes like this–

One day, a Hare made fun of the Tortoise for being so slow.

“Do you ever get anywhere?” he mockingly asked.

“Yes,” the Tortoise replied, “and I arrive anywhere sooner than you think.” I’ll put you through a race to prove it.”

The Hare was amused by the prospect of competing in a race with the Tortoise, but he agreed for the sake of amusement.

The Hare was quickly out of sight. To make the Tortoise feel silly for challenging a Hare, he lay down beside the course and napped until the Tortoise caught up.

Meanwhile, the Tortoise kept moving slowly but steadily, and after a while, it passed the area where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept peacefully on, and when he awoke, the Tortoise was close to the goal. The Hare now ran his fastest, but he couldn’t catch up to the Tortoise in time.

The moral is that slow and steady wins the race.

It implies that in order to succeed, one should not be the fastest or strongest, but rather the most consistent and dependable. The phrase literally refers to running/athletics, but it can be applied to almost any situation in which someone is attempting to accomplish something. According to the proverb, if someone works consistently toward a goal, they are more likely to achieve it. In contrast, someone who rushes towards their goal without considering all of the potential problems or the possibility of running out of steam is more likely to fail. Or, at the very least, have a more difficult time getting what they want.

However, this story now looks at what the Hare has learnt after the race. Read on, the second part gets even more interesting:

After losing the race, the rabbit pondered over his mistakes. He realised he’d lost the race because he had been overconfident, careless, and sloppy. The tortoise could not have beaten him if he had not taken things for granted. As a result, he challenged the tortoise to a new race. The tortoise concurred.

This time, the rabbit went all out and ran nonstop from beginning to end. He won by a huge margin.

The moral of the story? Fast and consistent always beats slow and steady. It’s good to be slow and steady, but it’s better to be fast and reliable.

In this day and age of globalisation, where millions of ideas, goods, and services cross borders in a fraction of a second, it would be more appropriate to change it to ‘quick but steady wins the race.’ In a race, both time and technique are important. And it is at this juncture that the role of steadiness comes into play. Consistency needs patience, foresight, firm belief in fundamental principles, and dedication to achieving goals. Speed without consistency is erratic. It not only leads to unfinished agendas, a waste of resources and time, but it also undermines trust and belief in one’s own abilities.

But the story doesn’t end just yet! The tortoise has to redeem itself too!

This time, the tortoise thought about it and realised he couldn’t beat the rabbit in a race the way it was currently set up. He paused for a moment before challenging the rabbit to another race, but on a slightly different route. The rabbit concurred.

They began the race promptly. In keeping with his self-imposed goal of being consistently fast, the rabbit took off and ran at full speed until he reached a wide river. The finish line was a few kilometres downstream on the other side of the river. The rabbit sat there, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, the tortoise trudged along, entered the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking, and completed the race.

The moral of the story: Determine your core competency first, and then adjust the playing field to accommodate it. Utilize your strengths while limiting your exposure to your weaknesses.

The story hasn’t ended yet. Obviously, by now, the hare and tortoise are now friendly rivals, having grown from their time with each other.

The rabbit and the tortoise now started to reflect and think together. Both realised that the previous race could have been run much more efficiently.

So they decided to run the last race again, but this time as a team. They began, and this time the tortoise was carried to the riverbank by the rabbit. The tortoise took command and swam across, carrying the rabbit on his back. The rabbit carried the tortoise again on the opposite bank, and they both crossed the finish line together. They were both more satisfied than they had been previously.

The moral of the story? Collaborate!

It is advantageous to be an individual genius with strong core competencies. However, a single person can only accomplish so much. The sum of the whole will be greater than the sum of the parts if you can work as a team and leverage each other’s core competencies. Teamwork is largely about allowing the person with the relevant core competency for a situation to take the lead, isn’t it?

A four-part story! Wasn’t it thrilling to see how a simple fable can be transformed to teach us many things?! Both these characters, the hare and tortoise, leave us with so much to think about! Let me know in the comments what interpretations did you come up with!

The New Takeaways:

(1) The quick and consistent will have an advantage. Compete against the situation rather than against the competitor.

(2) Recognize your own strengths and weaknesses. Utilize your strengths while limiting your exposure to your weaknesses.

(3) Collect resources and collaborate as a group.

(4) Failures teach us more than successes.

The Hare & Tortoise Fable Revisited Read More »

Be better than the rest

November 13, 2022 / Motivation

Here’s a thought experiment.

Consider a class of 50 students pursuing a degree in science from a reputable university. They study the same subjects, namely physics, chemistry, and mathematics. After completing their three years together, these students hope to obtain a B.Sc. degree. They take the same university-required course modules. Aside from their academic studies, these students must also complete various assignments, project work, and live projects as assigned by their professors. They also participate in a variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities on campus, such as athletics, indoor and outdoor sports, debates, elocution contests, and cultural activities, among other things.

Let us skip forward to the future. Imagine, the same students have met you at a reunion organized by the college a decade later. You may not be surprised to find out that hardly 10 % of students have reached the stage of their professional self-actualization. They have bagged leadership positions and are living a financially rewarding life. Some of the students from this category may also have become entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, or successful consultants or may have achieved national renown.

What about the other 90% of students? If you dig deeper, you may discover that roughly half of the students took the typical routes. They are all now working as employees in various small and medium-sized businesses. They are content with their middle-class lifestyle (with a few exceptions who may be upper-middle-class due to familial wealth). But why is this so?

As a management professor at a few professional institutes for over a decade, I’ve been confronted with the above narrative numerous times. The moot question is what makes some students in the same class extremely successful despite receiving the same educational experience. After extensive reflections and discussions with numerous colleagues, I have developed some well-structured opinions on this critical issue. I’ve summarised my thoughts below and welcome feedback and comments from both students and educators.

So, here is what I think.

Of course, students benefit a lot from the academic and non-academic opportunities that an educational institute offers, and the students who make the best use of their campus life effectively are benefitted the most.

A typical classroom, in my experience, consists of three groups of students: Group A consists of the top 10% of students who are highly ambitious and want to do something big in life; Group B consists of around 60% of students who have not yet decided what they want to do. They have no big goals in life and may just go with the flow; and Group C – the remaining 30% – they are neither good nor bad, have diverse interests outside of academics, and are ready to seize any good opportunity that comes their way. I want the readers to be mindful here, I am not condemning any group of students. I’ve seen students from groups B and C do exceptionally well in life, particularly in the areas of entrepreneurial development and enterprise promotion. It happens because their motivation level shifts after college life.

I’d like to argue that there is a type of student who gets the most out of their college experience. Such students demonstrate a high level of dedication, hard work, and sincerity in their assignments. They are extremely dedicated and determined in everything they do. They have a positive mental attitude and create a favourable environment around them. They learn from their own errors as well as the errors and experiences of others. They choose good role models from real life, but they also learn from the stories of other entrepreneurs and read popular biographies.

I genuinely believe that this is not an inherent quality in a student. It is developed with intention. For this reason, I want to counsel some student readers on my blog. Using these tips, they can make their classroom journey more effective and lay the groundwork for their future.

Irrespective of the group you identify with, if you want to make great success in your life, you have to become a student of life for life! To meet this laudable objective, you have to do a host of things. I have tried to list them from my experience and observation.

Love what you do until you find out what you really want to do. After discovering that you should only do what you enjoy, stick with it and never let go. When you work on something you enjoy, work becomes enjoyable and enjoyable. Always strive for excellence in everything you do or intend to do.

If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Marc Anthony

Be a person who takes action. Instead of analysing and thinking (what we call analysis paralysis), practise performing and acting. There is no such thing as a perfect time to start a business or a project in this world; you must act and solve problems. Remember that action overcomes all doubts and fears. Do not be afraid to experiment with new ideas. If you have a new idea, put it in a cage. Instead of discarding it because it is new and different, celebrate it. Your strange new idea could be the one that propels you to success.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie

Be ready and determined when faced with challenges. Prepare yourself. Bring your own notes and perspective to the table before an important meeting or task. Only by working and preparing will you be a hero the following morning. It is critical to keep your promises. You should also be tenacious in your pursuit of the goal.

Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.
Bobby Usner

Get along with others. Building positive relationships is always a good idea. You never know who will turn out to be someone who can significantly assist you or even be a good and supportive friend. As a result, help others and they may help you; and be nice to others and they may be nice to you. Make enough time for yourself and your family to spend quality time with them.

Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.
Travis Bradberry

Your salary and job title are critical because they provide you with wealth and financial satisfaction. But don’t let this overpower you. Both your physical and mental health is critical to your success. A sick body or mind cannot be successful. Last but not least, make time for spiritual wellness in order to find meaning and purpose in life. It can be accomplished through a variety of means, such as organised religion, prayer, meditation, and yoga, as well as a careful examination of your morals, values, and beliefs.

Wellness is the compete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.
Greg Anderson

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Not my burning house!

October 31, 2022 / Motivation

Recently, I came across a wonderful story about empathy online. I later realised that the story was written by Dr Anjana Vinod.

Dr Anjana is a friend I have known through this professional group called “Influencers”, which we both are members of! I am reproducing her wonderful writing here on my blog for the benefit of my readers! She has added her reflection on the story too! I hope it gives you something to ponder about!

Here’s the story titled “Not My Burning House”

A man returns to his village after leaving for a while. He discovers that his house is on fire! The house was one of the most exquisite homes in the neighbourhood, and the man adored it the most. Many individuals were willing to offer the house for twice as much as it was already worth, but he refused to accept any offer! Now, it is simply burning before his very eyes. The fire spread so far that nothing could be saved! Despite the thousands of people who gathered, nothing could put it out. He stands there, watching his prized possession burn to bits with great sadness.

His sons come running up to him. “Don’t worry,” his son reassures him. “Yesterday, I sold it three times for a great price! I couldn’t wait for your consent because the deal was that great. Excuse me for it! But God is good!”

“So, it’s no longer ours!” the father says, relieved. The father then becomes a calm and silent observer of the burning fire, joining thousands of other observers.

The second son then rushes up to his father, rather annoyed! He exclaims, “What are you doing?! You are grinning while the home is burning!”

“Don’t you know your brother has sold it?” the father replies.

“We have simply accepted the advance payment; the balance is unpaid,” the second son says. “I don’t think the man will buy it right away!”

Everything shifts once more! The tears which had disappeared, have come back to the father’s eyes! He is no more at peace, but his heart pounds faster in his anxiety. The ‘watcher’ within him is gone. He is again become attached.

The third son later appears with good news. He declares, “That man is a man of his word. I’ve just returned from him, and he has confirmed the purchase.”

The buyer had told the son that he would bear the loss. He said to him, “It doesn’t matter if the house is burned down or not; it is mine, and I will pay the price that I have agreed upon. You and I both were unaware that the house would catch fire.”

Hearing this, the excitement returns. The family members started to “watch” again!

So, what does this story try to show us? Let us reflect!

Connect with the relationships that have naturally ended through time in your life. We witnessed numerous burning houses as a result of the pandemic. Only the ownership, connection, and attachment to the house changed in relation to the fire and the house.

So, does one’s emotion simply alter with a thought? Because we are social beings, any attachment will result in a bond. The tie will only weaken under a tense situation, but their attachment will never be severed. Let’s pray that all of our connections remain solid and that every burning house brings a tear to our eyes.

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”

In the story, there was a smile whenever the attachment didn’t exist, but when it did, tears began to fall. The paradox of life is that our pain’s intensity varies according to whose loss it is. But should it have to be this way? I believe that everyone has empathy but we might not have the courage to show it. Let us embrace the kinder self within us, and lead our lives with grace!

Empathy is the first step in building a wonderful community! Express it!

Try heart-to-heart communication if eye-to-eye communication fails!

Not my burning house! Read More »

The spirit of an entrepreneur

October 23, 2022 / Business, Motivation

I have always believed that anyone can be an entrepreneur! But entrepreneurship is not for everyone!

Let me elaborate: Anyone from any background or skill level can be an entrepreneur. A vada pav-wala can have an astute business sense developed through experience. A homemaker can also run a successful business and tackle the ups and downs of her venture. The MBA textbooks and theories hold little consequence in this regard.

Having said this, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.

So, what traits make an entrepreneur different from the rest?

In this post, I want to impress upon my readers specific values that one can imbibe to become a great entrepreneur. I think the following maxims represent the entrepreneurial spirit…

A failure is nothing but the postponed success

What every entrepreneur needs to understand is that failure is part of the journey, not an end. Entrepreneurs with a strong commitment and dogged determination to succeed in their business should not worry about failures. If you see successful businessmen and their career paths, you will see that they carry the attitude – “I did not fail; my project failed.” Essentially, they are serial entrepreneurs, moving from one business project to the next. You can always rework your business/project idea and identify a different business opportunity. Many entrepreneurs have learnt from their failures, redefined their projects or business opportunities and have moved on.

Only excellent people can create an excellent business

As an entrepreneur, you have to invest time in people. You have to develop a work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. The first and foremost suggestion I would give you here is that you must be choosy about selecting people who will join you in your start-up journey. These are the people who are going to work and grow with you. You must develop an effective team of qualified and competent persons with the necessary skill sets, exposure, and experience. Later on, you should not leave any stone unturned to build an efficient and effective team of committed, dedicated, and self-propelled employees and provide them with quality resources so that they can perform at their very best. As you coach, counsel, and encourage them, you must also hold review sessions from time to time. This will give you the opportunity to pay special heed to their training and re-training needs.

Being ambitious alone is not enough

You are an ambitious entrepreneur. You have tremendous enthusiasm and zeal to make a success of your entrepreneurial venture. But then these attributes alone may not ensure your business success. You have to put in the work and apply strategic thinking at various points in the journey. Apart from your bubbling enthusiasm, energy, and fervour, you will be required to set a business plan and develop discipline in order to stay on track, so you can eventually make a profit with your business.

I hope this post gave upcoming businesspersons some food for thought. Let me know in the comments down below: What maxim/ motto strengthens your entrepreneurial spirit?

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India needs more and more Entrepreneurs!

October 9, 2022 / Business, Motivation

Having worked for over 4 decades in business at various locations in India, I am really passionate about this topic. From my varied experience in corporate planning, business idea generation, project identification, project finance, preparation and execution of business plans, entrepreneurial development, general management, marketing, and strategy, I strongly feel that entrepreneurship is very lucrative. The only way to tackle the unemployment problem of our country is to create more and more entrepreneurs. A vast and vibrant network of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, freelance advisors, consultants, and mentors together with qualified, skilled, and committed executives employed in all kinds of organizations across the length and breadth of the country can significantly contribute towards achieving three laudable national objectives – sustained economic progress leading to tremendous growth in GDP, environmental sustainability, and fulfilment of various social and governance goals.

I am now 73 years old. Most of my time is spent on educating and guiding youngsters. I am engaged in either teaching undergraduate and post-graduate management students or advising and motivating ambitious young males and females on planning and execution their dream businesses/projects. My dominant agenda at this juncture of my life is to convince, motivate, guide, and prepare young people to start something on their own rather than opting for a 9-to-5 job. They can either work as a freelance professional or take up the entrepreneurial (or intrapreneurial) route. They can start any business or remunerative activity either by working as an agent of an established large enterprise or as a franchisee.

Entrepreneurship is not only a financially rewarding prospect, but it is also an intellectually stimulating and uplifting journey. Starting a new business or a social enterprise is thrilling and intimidating at the same time. The delight of boarding on a new expedition, mapping a new path, being self-sufficient and in control, the possibility of accumulating substantial personal wealth, solving peoples’ problems, meeting those unmet needs of society, and making the world a better place to live are all reasons to look ahead with great excitement and hope. For some people working in a 9 to 5 job feels monotonous and stifling, while some thrive in the structured environment. But if you are the former, entrepreneurship is for you.

Let me give below several reasons why entrepreneurship should be promoted in a big way in India and why all young people should opt to become entrepreneurs:

Tackling Unemployment:

Promoting entrepreneurship is a sure-shot strategy to create more and more employment opportunities in the country. As more and more entrepreneurial clusters/pockets get created, many new job opportunities will be generated. Smart and educated young persons residing in cities/urban areas can also promote entrepreneurial units in nearby villages/rural areas on a remote-control basis – visiting their promoted unit once or twice every week.

Rural Entrepreneurs:

Promoting micro and small enterprises in rural pockets of India by small artisans, SHG groups, and other aspiring young persons should now be a national priority and relentless efforts must be made to achieve this goal. To involve people from lower-income groups in entrepreneurial activity – the development of the cottage industry can work wonders! However, this will require help and support from the state governments. Special emphasis should be given to the promotion of those businesses that focus on providing education and healthcare (including health education) to village folks.

Balanced Regional Development:

The Central and State Governments should be actively involved to ensure that all our initiatives to promote entrepreneurship are adequately broad-based to cover all metro towns, big and small cities, and semi-urban, rural, and micro interiors. No region – howsoever small should be left out. To intensify our efforts in this direction, we may also rope in state-level developmental agencies like SFCs and SIDCs and others. These efforts will go a long way to ensure balanced regional development across the country and to prevent the migration of rural workmen to bigger cities in search of employment.

Income Generation & Wealth Creation:

Promoting your own business or industrial unit helps you in earning great profits and generating wealth for you and your country (by contributing to the national GDP). Besides achieving exponential growth in your business and becoming rich over the years – you are also becoming a salary and wage provider to so many executives, staff, and workers employed in your unit. This is no doubt a great feeling of satisfaction and helps you to realise your self-actualisation need.

As an entrepreneur, you control your destiny:

As an entrepreneur – you enjoy so many benefits and privileges which are a far cry from a 9 to 5 job situation. Here, you are your boss. Nobody will get in the way of your vision. You make your plans and schedules. You pick your clients and projects. You pick your team. Owning a business allows you to support local charity events, local schools, and non-profit organizations. Being able to make a difference in your community is a great feeling. Being an entrepreneur is anything but monotonous. There are always fresh business prospects to dive into, new ideas to brainstorm and execute, and new individuals to collaborate with. Being an entrepreneur is a never-ending rollercoaster, but if you enjoy what you do, it’s a thrilling journey with new challenges every day.

There is no harm in being an Employee:

Many young males and females are not at all interested in starting their businesses. This category of persons can jolly well go for the “9 to 5 job route”. There is no problem with this because for the industry to thrive we need both entrepreneurs and employees. Such persons can always go for additional income by investing their savings in well-performing companies or in the start-up projects of other entrepreneurs. Those whose salary is very high can also become non-executive partners/directors in businesses promoted by other entrepreneurs. I can cite an interesting example here where a person is employed in a 9 to 5 corporate job and his/her spouse is an entrepreneur!

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that entrepreneurs are innovators! Think of all the new technology and ideas that have come to life over the past few years. Those were all once just an idea — but amazing entrepreneurs brought those ideas to life. Doing what you love is the best part of being an entrepreneur. When you’re working with people you enjoy and are doing things that inspire you, it is just easier to get up in the morning with a smile on your face. This is what makes starting a business worthwhile. Creating a successful brand to the point where it leaves a personal legacy behind is appealing and serves as motivation for many entrepreneurs.

So I hope I have convinced you with my passion and sound arguments! Comment below with your thoughts on the subject!

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Surviving & Thriving in the Corporate World

September 25, 2022 / Motivation, Management

Today in this blog post – I am trying to answer a common question that is being frequently asked to me by my management students, young aspiring executives, and entrepreneurs. The common questions being asked by these young males and females are:

• How do we prepare ourselves for the corporate world where we are going to spend the rest of our lives?
• How do we become effective and smart business managers in today’s business environment?
• What attributes and/or qualities we should have to become successful as an employed executive or as an entrepreneur/intrapreneur?

Whereas these questions may, prima facie, appear to be different, these point towards the same answer. Here, I am making an earnest effort to answer this crucial question in the succeeding paragraphs:

Reinventing Yourself

What you are?… What do you know?… And what you can do? What is your eventual professional goal – where do you want to reach in your career? What do you want from your job and/or life? Do self-introspection. Articulate your dream. Do your SWOT analysis to find your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For this, you must scan your internal as well as external environment. Formulate your strategic plan, goals, and objectives. And finally – work on the implementation of your plans under the guidance of your mentor.

Realize Your Organization’s Vision

Stick to your and your organization’s long-term vision and values. Your individual goals and your organizational goals must be aligned – that is important. Be firm and strict in realizing this vision but be flexible when you are implementing your decisions to accomplish this vision. In other words – your long-term vision is firm and non-negotiable, but you are flexible in pursuing the path that takes you there – flexible in terms of your approach towards deployment of all your resources and your general style of management. While you are working with your team on the fructification of your enterprise’s tunnel vision – you should also walk an extra mile to enhance the emotional quotient and happiness quotient of your team members.

Be Effective first, then Efficient

As a corporate executive or a business manager – you shall like to give your best to your organization. This will require that you are effective as well as efficient in your job. Being effective will mean that you set your priorities right and do the right things at the right time. On the other hand, being efficient will mean that you can accomplish your organizational goals by deploying all physical, financial, human, and informational resources in optimal measures. Here, let us not forget that being effective is more important than being efficient. An ideal business manager will be effective first and efficient thereafter. In other words – while effective means doing the right things, efficient will mean doing things right.

Work on Your Communication Skills

Another important requirement for you to succeed in your corporate journey is being very good (if not excellent) in personal as well as business communication. Effective communication is crucial to a business manager’s personal as well as professional life. A large part of our waking time is spent communicating. However, we do not give thought to most of the communication unless it involves a critical business issue or when something goes wrong. Every communication is essential, however insignificant it may seem, especially in the workplace. The communication may be as simple as sending a text message to a colleague requesting data or preparing a lengthy technical report – with proper planning and care both types of communication can be made more effective.

Your Body Language

Apart from mastering your verbal and written communication, you must pay attention to your non-verbal communication skills which we also refer to as body language. These include your posture/gait, power of your handshake, eye contact, and other soft skills (many professional colleges are teaching these soft skills as a part of their curriculum).

To understand and master the art and science of communication, I suggest that you read about 5 Ws and 1 H of communication (What, Why, When, Where, Who, and How).

Your Domain Knowledge

You also must possess good functional knowledge in the field of your specialization together with an appreciation of available resources (including the scarce ones), proven processes and technologies in your professional domain. To achieve this goal, you must engage in regular reading, talking to many domain experts, and attending professional events like trade fairs, exhibitions, webinars and seminars. In other words – you will do well to build a learning and growth environment around you and your colleagues in the organization. This will additionally require building libraries, positioning experts and mentors in your organization, and building a strong intranet.

Your Overall Personality

To build an attractive personality – you should also try to practice speaking and writing with due economy of words – I call this ‘brevity in your expression’. Apart from efficiency in action, and brevity in expression, you should also develop firmness in your decisions, courtesy in behaviour, and tact in handling delicate and sensitive situations. You may also like to work on your listening skills, negotiation skills and problem-solving skills. Building all the skills will require time and effort and active engagement with knowledgeable and experienced people in your contact sphere – but rest assured, you will reap great dividends later in life.

Like I always remind you- this list is not exhaustive. I have written this from my experience. If you think I have missed something essential that you think must be included in this, then do let me know in the comments below!

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Lessons from Lord Krishna after the Great War

August 21, 2022 / Motivation

In Hinduism, it is believed that every action has a consequence. This action is called “Karma”. This word does not just mean “an eye for an eye”. It has a much deeper meaning in the scriptures. Karma is what we do (or don’t do), and all of it has consequences for us and the world around us. Our Karma, deeds or actions, will eventually catch up to us as blessings or punishments.

To get a deeper insight into what Karma really means, read this short conversation between Lord Krishna and Draupadi, after the Great War Mahabarata. Here, we see that Draupadi is distraught at the scale of the war and seeks some answers from Lord Krishna.

18 दिन के युद्ध ने,

द्रोपदी की उम्र को

80 वर्ष जैसा कर दिया था …

शारीरिक रूप से भी

और मानसिक रूप से भी

शहर में चारों तरफ़

विधवाओं का बाहुल्य था..

पुरुष इक्का-दुक्का ही दिखाई पड़ता था

अनाथ बच्चे घूमते दिखाई पड़ते थे और उन सबकी वह महारानी

द्रौपदी हस्तिनापुर के महल में

निश्चेष्ट बैठी हुई शून्य को निहार रही थी ।

तभी,

श्रीकृष्ण

कक्ष में दाखिल होते हैं

द्रौपदी

कृष्ण को देखते ही

दौड़कर उनसे लिपट जाती है …

कृष्ण उसके सिर को सहलाते रहते हैं और रोने देते हैं

थोड़ी देर में,

उसे खुद से अलग करके

समीप के पलंग पर बैठा देते हैं ।

द्रोपदी : यह क्या हो गया सखा ??

ऐसा तो मैंने नहीं सोचा था ।

कृष्ण : नियति बहुत क्रूर होती है पांचाली..

वह हमारे सोचने के अनुरूप नहीं चलती !

वह हमारे कर्मों को

परिणामों में बदल देती है..

तुम प्रतिशोध लेना चाहती थी और, तुम सफल हुई, द्रौपदी !

तुम्हारा प्रतिशोध पूरा हुआ… सिर्फ दुर्योधन और दुशासन ही नहीं,

सारे कौरव समाप्त हो गए

तुम्हें तो प्रसन्न होना चाहिए !

द्रोपदी: सखा,

तुम मेरे घावों को सहलाने आए हो या उन पर नमक छिड़कने के लिए ?

कृष्ण : नहीं द्रौपदी,

मैं तो तुम्हें वास्तविकता से अवगत कराने के लिए आया हूँ

हमारे कर्मों के परिणाम को

हम, दूर तक नहीं देख पाते हैं और जब वे समक्ष होते हैं..

तो, हमारे हाथ में कुछ नहीं रहता।

द्रोपदी : तो क्या,

इस युद्ध के लिए पूर्ण रूप से मैं ही उत्तरदायी हूँ कृष्ण ?

कृष्ण : नहीं, द्रौपदी

तुम स्वयं को इतना महत्वपूर्ण मत समझो…

लेकिन,

तुम अपने कर्मों में थोड़ी सी दूरदर्शिता रखती तो, स्वयं इतना कष्ट कभी नहीं पाती।

द्रोपदी : मैं क्या कर सकती थी कृष्ण ?

तुम बहुत कुछ कर सकती थी

कृष्ण:- जब तुम्हारा स्वयंवर हुआ…

तब तुम कर्ण को अपमानित नहीं करती और उसे प्रतियोगिता में भाग लेने का एक अवसर देती

तो, शायद परिणाम

कुछ और होते !

इसके बाद जब कुंती ने तुम्हें पाँच पतियों की पत्नी बनने का आदेश दिया…

तब तुम उसे स्वीकार नहीं करती तो भी, परिणाम कुछ और होते ।

और

उसके बाद

तुमने अपने महल में दुर्योधन को अपमानित किया…

कि अंधों के पुत्र अंधे होते हैं।

वह नहीं कहती तो, तुम्हारा चीर हरण नहीं होता…

तब भी शायद, परिस्थितियाँ कुछ और होती ।

“हमारे शब्द भी

हमारे कर्म होते हैं” द्रोपदी…

और, हमें

“अपने हर शब्द को बोलने से पहले तोलना

बहुत ज़रूरी होता है”…

अन्यथा,

उसके दुष्परिणाम सिर्फ़ स्वयं को ही नहीं… अपने पूरे परिवेश को दुखी करते रहते हैं ।

संसार में केवल मनुष्य ही एकमात्र ऐसा प्राणी है…

जिसका

“ज़हर”

उसके

“दाँतों” में नहीं,

“शब्दों” में है…

इसलिए शब्दों का प्रयोग सोच समझकर करें।

ऐसे शब्द का प्रयोग कीजिये जिससे, .

किसी की भावना को ठेस ना पहुँचे।

क्योंकि……. महाभारत हमारे अंदर ही छिपा हुआ है ।

This short dialogue shows us how even our utterances also represent our karma. Indeed, a great reminder to all human beings as to how we should conduct ourselves! We must conduct our actions (our explicit reactions and responses) and even our subtle words with awareness and care.

Someone has rightly said, “Karma is the best teacher, forcing people to face the consequences of their actions, to improve and perfect their actions.”

Lessons from Lord Krishna after the Great War Read More »

5 tips for a better professional and personal life

August 14, 2022 / Motivation

Tomorrow is Independence Day, and I have been thinking about how professionals can work independently on their growth. Here are a few suggestions based on the common themes I came across reading self-help websites recently.

Develop a growth mindset.

The first thing to instill in ourselves is a learning orientation. This will lead to a true transformation- both personal and professional. Get out of your comfort zone and break limiting self-beliefs. Overcome your fears by trying different things and intentionally pushing yourself. Read every day. Level up your skills. People who have a growth mindset believe that their abilities are not fixed in stone. They are prepared to work slowly and steadily towards developing the skills they don’t have right now. A growth mindset develops optimism and willpower.

Improve your body language.

Just a simple change in your body language can work wonders! A straighter posture boosts your confidence. A firm handshake creates a good impression and communicates trustworthiness. It is so effortless to make eye contact when talking to people. It shows that you are connecting with the speaker, and are listening attentively. Body language is a huge part of non-verbal communication. Therefore, Paying attention to your gait and posture will enrich your personality.

Invest some time in self-care

Given how workload and stress have increased in our professional lives, it is crucial that we take out time for ourselves. Feeling rejuvenated is important to continue working on your dreams. Self-care helps you perform at your best. It looks different for different people. For some, it could be singing while you are in the shower, and for some, it could be meditating after waking up. Do not ignore self-care as it helps with building self-esteem.

Be balanced.

The secret to a good life is to find a balance in whatever you do. Be assertive and strong in your words, but not rude. Show kindness to everyone, but don’t be a pushover. Be bold in your thoughts and actions, but don’t bully someone. Be proud of your accomplishments but do not confuse it with arrogance. Be humble but do not shy away from putting your best foot forward! Understanding these nuances is key to creating balance in your life.

Connect with the right kind of people.

The kind of people you surround yourself with can make or break your mindset. When you are setting out on this path of self-development, it is important that you surround yourself with people who are also determined to make something of themselves. Avoid pessimistic people, and keep negative influences at bay. Instead, consciously get in touch with like-minded people and network with experts in your industry. Develop friendships and find mentors so that you are on track even in your lows.

These are a few ways you could commit to your personal growth. A small to-do list like this could help you stay focussed on your professional and personal development.

What do you practice for self-development? Let me know in the comments below.

Wishing all readers a very Happy Independence Day in advance!

5 tips for a better professional and personal life Read More »

Improve your EQ for success at work!

July 23, 2022 / Management, Motivation

Do you feel demotivated easily at your workplace?
Are you critical of everyone at your office?
Do you find it difficult to be part of group projects?
Do you think you are not communicating your ideas to your team leader?
Do you freeze and blank out under pressure?

If you have answered “Yes” to most of the questions, then you are not utilizing your emotional intelligence in the workplace. Emotional Intelligence (EQ), as you must have figured out, is the most important ability that contributes to success in your workplace.

EQ, as an ability, has five factors to it:

Self-Awareness
Self-Regulation
Motivation
Social Skills
Empathy

We can build these things within ourselves incrementally over time. I believe that no intelligence is fixed and permanent in nature; everything is a skill that can be learned with time. The same goes for EQ. It may seem elusive; however, it is not! We all have some level of EQ, to begin with since it is so crucial to our survival in the world. So, it is only a matter of honing it!

Here are my five tips to improve your EQ so that you can do well at your workplace:

1> Look Inward

First of all, recognise your feelings and the root of them. What feelings come up in the workplace? What is the root cause? How do you react to others when those feelings come up? The first lesson is simply to observe what you feel without judgement. In this process, you will discover who you are.

2> Respond, don’t react.

Once you are able to recognise what you are feeling, you are one step closer to regulating it. Think before you jump into judgement and an emotional reaction to the situation. Find ways to channel your feelings in productive ways! If you feel emotionally charged, expend it in exercise or sports. If you feel low, watch a movie or listen to music to uplift you. These strategies are totally subjective. You will know what works best for you!

(I have written a post narrating an incident from my life that deals with this topic! Read it here.)

3> Stay Motivated

People who have high EQ are known to have intrinsic motivation. It means that they are motivated “by the process itself” and not the external rewards that the work can offer. So, you must think about what you like about your job and focus on it! If you do this, it will be easier to stay motivated even on the tough days at work.

4> Stay Connected

Students always tend to ask how can we improve our social skills and be more proactive in the classroom. The simple answer is to be genuinely curious about other people. If you pay attention to what people are saying, their body language, you will know what the right thing to say or do is. Another practical skill you will have to develop is to improve communication skills by imitating the style of someone who you admire, and slowly you will find your own unique style.

5> Think from different POVs.

Last but not the least, we have to be empathetic. People who can see the situation from different perspectives, and be kind about those differences are emotionally intelligent. If you can put yourself in the shoes of the other person, and imagine their reasons, you will be better able to communicate and collaborate with them.

Why must you practice these tips on a daily basis?

We know that an emotionally intelligent person can handle workplace difficulties without indulging in the blame game. They can take responsibility for what went wrong in any situation without castigating themselves too. They have greater empathy for others in the workplace, and therefore can avoid office drama! And above all, they make great leaders since they set the right example by taking action calmly and objectively. And obviously, while you work on your EQ, your personal life will inevitably be enriched too!

Reference:

Cherry, Kendra. “Utilizing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace.” Verywell Mind, 25 May 2020, www.verywellmind.com/utilizing-emotional-intelligence-in-the-workplace-4164713.

Improve your EQ for success at work! Read More »