When I first came across this concept of What’s In It For Me (WIIFM), I was intrigued by this fantastic and selfless approach of giving customers their due, by putting them first. We all hear the famous saying, ‘Customer is King’ and that they have to be taken care of.

When I first came across this concept of What’s In It For Me (WIIFM), I was intrigued by this fantastic and selfless approach of giving customers their due, by putting them first. We all hear the famous saying, ‘Customer is King’ and that they have to be taken care of.

When I first came across this concept of What’s In It For Me (WIIFM), I was intrigued by this fantastic and selfless approach of giving customers their due, by putting them first. We all hear the famous saying, ‘Customer is King’ and that they have to be taken care of. In proving this is true, there’s no better way than thinking in their shoes as to what they require. Ultimately, all of us are aware that any product sells only if there are customers who want them!

In the name of technological advancement or convenience, our life has dramatically changed. We are actually pampered for choice in everything that we do or accomplish. It’s in this contest that I like to dwell on what is claimed to be an old Greek proverb ‘less is more’. In fact, this concept caught momentum when Ludwig Mies van der Rohe the architect, adopted it in his architecture.

Right from the beginning we humans have been taught and trained to work for a living, work hard in order to grow and ultimately to leave a legacy that is worth remembering.

As we fiercely try to thrive in this competitive world, we are called to upskill and reskill in order to be relevant. We often hear people say that we need to move with time. So what does all of this mean? Does it call for a total revamp of our knowledge ?

With the Great Resignation at the fore and industry opportunities wide open, our further thoughts could be - ‘Is my talent getting recognized?’, ‘Am I getting what I wanted?’, ‘What do I do next?’, ‘Is this the moment?’, and finally, ‘Should I stay or should I go?’

Leaders of today are required to be more competitive than ever before because of the current conditions in which they need to operate. They are tested with a different set of challenges, especially in this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. Many aspects like multiple generational cohorts at the workplace, technological advancements threatening loss of jobs, workplace changes with focus on a hybrid model and more, that need to be taken care of.

As the world becomes more and more competitive it is becoming tougher for individuals to succeed in their professional endeavours. People need to study and accumulate more professional degrees, if not for bringing true value to their career but probably just to get shortlisted at an interview. With changing times, in the way we work, the workforce composition and workplace, it is becoming more difficult, especially for employers, to find that winning combination.

Of late I have been witnessing many situations of discomfort in people – some who feel that they are not getting their due at their present workplace, others who feel that they are not getting their best out of their relationship and a few others feel that they are in a wrong profession. This situation seems worse than what it sounds because most of these thoughts stem from either insecurity or envy. In simpler words, the feeling that the grass is greener on the other side.

From research across the globe, the findings on New Year Resolutions have always been startling. More than 80% of New Year Resolutions fail by the end of February and only less than 10% fulfill their goals by the end of the year. So, is this an old fashion theory of having New Year Resolutions? Or are there ways of making our resolutions more solid.

As we are on the verge of celebrating a beautiful festival, it's time to think and relate it to our lives. There are many take aways not just for ones celebrating it by religion, but also for everyone else. We all know that Christmas is especially known for a time of sharing Peace, Joy, Love and Hope with all people around us.

As we wind down on 2021, it's time folks to look back on how this year has been for us. Challenges and opportunities have been presented to us. New dimensions, new perspectives and new paths have been experienced. Amidst our fast-paced life, let us allow ourselves to soak in all of this under the umbrella of 'experience'. In short, it's time to Pause and Reflect!

With the pandemic and its challenges, we saw rampant change in the way we work, the workplace and our workforce. To ensure that businesses weren't disrupted, we witnessed organisations who changed their policies affecting these three aspects of the work environment. While some organisations announced work from home for life, a few others announced longer schedules of working from home and a few more decided to quickly try and launch hybrid working models.

Many of us are called to think out of the box, do things differently and work smart, not just hard. With challenges such as these, we may be forced to do things faster, just to be ahead of the curve and be successful. In the quest of creating opportunities there are chances that we overlook basic requirements and as a result may land up with results not desired.

As we look around the world today, we see a lot of dissatisfaction, discontentment and a craving for more. One of my key findings is that we are living in a world of instant gratification and quick remedies and hence tolerance levels are at its lowest. It also seems that patience is the most wanted virtue for anyone to possess right now.

There are three types of people in this world - one who buys and uses, one who buys and over uses and the other buys and never uses. Well, having been brought up in a conservative family that taught me many lessons, one of them being, not to waste, there was a clear direction for us to live within our means. When related to buying as well, we were asked to restrict ourselves to buy only what we needed, with an additional rider being - 'if we could afford it'.

On my recent visit to a popular bicycle showroom, while I scouted around for a bicycle, I learnt a lot on how and what should one focus on, when they want to buy a bicycle. It was an eye-opener for me when many parts of the bicycle (which I thought was essential) was not offered as a standard fitting and I had to pay additionally for the same.

The more I interview people, the more I get to see the ambitious side of candidates and why they want to grow in their career. More often than not it is because of their title and the advantages that come along with it.

Yes, you read it right - TITLE !!

Which is your day?

How do we select which is a good day to start on a task, a project or a new job? Do we wait for the first day of the week? or Do we wait for the first day of the month?

It seems in the modern day that we are a little confused on where to focus our priorities? Is it on the smart phone that we own or is it on our smart life that we have been gifted with?

To many in this world, looking back is a negative thought and many believe in the old adage - never look back. This concept of not looking back has many connotations - it could be our 'not-so-good' past life, our addictions, habits, failures and so on. This may not be always true...

In a networked and collaborative world, it is essential to see the ‘we’ factor given prominence. But, one of the most important factors while trying to be successful at job interviews are the use of the "I" factor.

Life is full of opportunities and challenges and one can make the best of it by preparing well.

"Over the years, I have practiced filling up the fuel tank of my car when it is half empty and that has helped me immensely, especially in case of emergencies."

Know more in this short article how to be successful in having a great working relationship with your manager !

This is a farewell tribute to the all-time great MS Dhoni for his wonderful contribution he has made to Cricket India. Dhoni, Dhoni, Dhoni...

What is your purpose in life?

What is your reason for living?

Have you been able to accomplish your larger dreams and goals?

When the job market, work environment and economic outlook seems bleak and challenging, it forces us to look within ourselves, to make changes that can help us sustain the external environment in order to be competitive and relevant.

So, here are my thoughts on career competencies for the connected world.

The world is in turmoil, people are anxious and many are in disarray but still we manage to find people who like to disrupt society and cause others problems.

While the world at large battles for equal rights among people, irrespective of any barriers of age, gender, colour, ethnicity or race, we are becoming more clannish in our approach. These days, simple indifferences snowball into massive and unassailable tasks.

It takes two hands to clap and performance management is similar. On the one hand, it is the performer and on the other hand it is the reviewer.

Well, as the old saying goes - you can neither choose your parents nor your boss.

So, do you need to live with disagreements, misunderstandings and the feeling of being

neglected ?

The current pandemic has affected each one of us in every walk of life in one way or the other. The impact of this could be far, wide and deep across industries and sectors. There are billions of dollars being spent on either enhanced safety measures, economic packages or even research. And in the midst of all of this, there is this ambitious goal to become self-sufficient.

The most important ingredient needed for anyone to be successful while working from home is 'Good understanding with the boss (Trust)' !!

• With over one hundred and twenty thousand people tested positive and scores being affected around the globe, I wanted to reach out with a clear message that this time is meant for communication, collaboration and consolidation. As the World Health Organisation declares COVID-19 as a pandemic, it's a time for us to plan, prepare and participate (3 P's) in helping to restrict the spread of this 'communicable virus'. The 3 P's can be looked at from three important perspectives of our life - Family, Work and Socialization.

We drive slow in the fast lane,

With driving skills hard to explain.

We honk and stare at others to blame,

And don’t even bother if a commuter is in pain.

What would you do with the extra day?

Would you focus on your health and fervently pray?

Or Would it be fun, sports and all play?

For it is nothing big and just another day?

Consider an employee, who is very experienced and has been an excellent performer in his present role.

He has excelled in all his tasks, technically sound and seems promising.

He has been a high potential team leader in the recent past as well.

So, do all of these performance- based attributes make him a worthy people’s manager?

We have come a long way especially in the area of mediums and tools of communication. However all of us would agree that though we have progressed, we still see pitfalls as of today. Through this progression of Wired telephony, wireless telephony, VOIP, video calling, WiFi calling and more, we have seen telecom companies struggling to balance between customer satisfaction through great pricing and providing state-of-the-art technologies.

It takes a great deal of courage to walk away, tenacity to say no and a brave heart to stand up for what is right even when all are on the other side.

In the quest of being a good companion, a supportive team member or even a loving family member, we could often be in a dilemma of saying 'no' either at work or at home respectively.

Let’s see how we could overcome these challenges and gear up for healthy collaboration in society despite saying 'no'.

While we celebrate this Festive season, it’s time to reflect on whether we enjoy the basic offerings of life - love, peace, joy and hope, which could give us immense happiness in our personal and professional life.

As we are on the threshold of another year passing by, it’s a good time to take stock of where we are and where the current trends could lead us to, in relation to human resources. We have seen working styles, roles and work environments change a lot. With technological changes being at its rampant best, It is interesting to see how workplaces could be impacted in 2020 and beyond.

Health and Well-Being for us is no fuss,

Prominently in the agenda to discuss.

We place our employees above all, plus,

Performance at work with no stress amongst us.

The 20th century saw a great deal of emphasis on loyalty towards an organisation, which cascaded itself into the early part of this millennium.

A lot has changed since then and now the concept has undergone a major change, especially with regards to Employee Engagement as opposed to mere Retention.

With the focus being more on the service industry today, we need to be reminded that we are dealing with people and not products or machines. Oftentimes, we deal with services as though it is the same as dealing with products or goods. The first thing that comes to my mind is the way society treat people, after their required services have been rendered, especially in the hospitality industry. I would like to focus on one big aspect - TIPS. Yes, you read it right - Tips that you'd give a waiter while paying the bill at a restaurant.

For many years, people across the world amassed wealth for their future generations. They would save during their entire lifetime for their kith and kin. Ancestral property and estates were often seen as the best gift one’s parents could have left for them.

Performance pays. This is a true statement and most of us do believe in this old adage. Everywhere we go, we find people trying to outsmart each other in the quest for getting to the top. In this competitive world, the moment a child is born, he or she is put in the middle of competition either knowingly or unknowingly.

With so much of commercialisation and noise around us, we are faced with a huge challenge - How to be modern, yet simple? How do we use the luxuries of today’s world to simplify our life? With a focus on a few areas, we are almost certain to have a solution with these few questions answered.

There is a lot of competition in today’s world and people are wrestling to be at the top - be it at school, college or even at work. The society in which we live, is getting tougher on us. If Charles Darwin or Herbert Spencer were alive, they would be proud that the theory of survival of the fittest is still in vogue today, even after a century passing by.

When the current economic scenario seems to be a repeat of many other recessions witnessed over the last two decades, it is time to ponder on what we can do to surpass, if not at least survive this so-called ‘downturn’.

“I want you to be a doctor", “We will be proud if you become a finance professional”, “I have been successful as an engineer and surely you can be one too”. If any of these statements resonate with you then it’s time to step back and re-look at what you should be telling your children, especially the Gen Z of today.

One of the most vibrant, but less popular professions in today's world is that of a teacher. So on Teacher’s Day, I decided to write and dedicate this article to all the teachers that I have personally experienced in my life. This would be the smallest way I can show my sincere appreciation and gratitude to them.

Years ago, when I started my career in human resources, many of my colleagues, friends and HR gurus laughed and scoffed at the idea when I interviewed for values ahead of skills !!

I, me and myself seem to be the order of today! It is becoming increasingly difficult to identify activities that can be tagged to a group of people. The social fabric of life is being disrupted with this simple word called ‘selfie’.

It is often said that ‘one can neither choose their parents nor their boss’. How true a statement is this? When you spend 2/3rds of your waking hours at work – either virtually or at site with your colleagues and boss in particular, it is all the more important to evaluate how best you are utilizing this most important part of your day.

For many, facing an interview could be a walk in the park, but for others it could be their biggest challenge. The ground reality is that it is as difficult as one makes it out to be or must I say as easy as one would want to have it. The perspectives could also vary based on who is attending an interview – A fresh graduate or an experienced professional. Evidently, it would be unwise to conclude that ‘the experienced’ would always come up trumps in an interview. Let’s delve into this hot topic – whether an interview is indeed a face-off?

Life is a journey and not a destination. You can get the best out of it if you are a lifelong learner. Life is made up of experiences.

There may be moments in our lives wherein we could be in a dilemma while making decisions. Sometimes, we could be pushed to the wall to make the decision and therefore most often, the decision we make could be out of force and coercion and not by choice. So, the question we need to ask ourselves is - 'Have I made the right decision or not?'

Through life’s journey, one would soon realize that life has three dimensions and all of them are complementary to each other. To stay positive and enthusiastic about life is the biggest key to one’s success. To be aware of one’s limitations or negatives is a great guide in knowing the boundaries in which one can best excel. Lastly, to be grounded would mean that life is a great learning experience and it takes a lot of courage to remain humble, while being at the top.

Have you ever been in a situation where you have said, 'He’s good!, 'That’s fantastic' Or simply been a witness to one of your friends being at the center of attraction? On the other hand, have you been with friends who have felt the need of your presence or your absence felt? In short did anyone tell you that you are simply amazing?

Today, we live life in the fast lane - always yearning for more. Anyone who isn’t ambitious is deemed to face life’s challenges. So with this as our current trend, it is important for us to introspect and keep ourselves relevant, engaged and optimistic about life while trying our best to minimise stress. Do we see HOPE in life?

Given the challenging business conditions and fierce competition, it is important to find out the core area that we need to focus on - relationships or partnerships. Also, how do we choose an appropriate approach to being successful in either of these two.

We may have heard the adage ‘Opportunity strikes at your door only once’ and I am quite certain that many of us continue to believe in it.

Don’t wait to get noticed, rather create your opportunity. Even the best Kohinoor in the world never fetches its best price in a desert - as it is water that people want.

Another area making a paradigm shift in today’s world, is the frequency of employees returning to their earlier organisations. Often this is a hot topic being discussed at various forums, especially when there is a combination of old school and modern scholars within the forum.

In this fast-paced and competitive world, it is important to ensure the right combination with regards to your workforce. An idealistic situation would be when you have the right person doing the right job at the right time in the right position.

Of all the recent communication tools, networking has almost become a necessity for the modern individual. Every minute of the day, there are live updates, feeds, links, quick texting and much more. The world has shrunk multi-fold and all of a sudden it seems that you are aware of every celebrity’s diet, every cricketer’s statistic or even a latest twist in the enquiry of a corruption case pertaining a Politician. All this and more for free! Welcome to the world of Social Networking.

In today’s world, due to dearth of talent across industries, this could be the biggest challenge that organizations face while they protect their given talent pool. It is due to pressure like this, that an employee often gets chosen to be a Manager. This could be the beginning of the end!

In today’s world, due to dearth of talent across industries, this could be the biggest challenge that organizations face while they protect their given talent pool. It is due to pressure like this, that an employee often gets chosen to be a Manager. This could be the beginning of the end!

How many times have you heard this statement - Money can buy everything in this world except happiness!! In most cases one would agree that money could be everything - One who has money, has all.

It is always a great challenge for graduates just out of college to get that most wanted thing in life - their first job.

The success of an organization lies with appropriate ‘pay for performance’ parameters which are like a Robinhood story - Stars to be paid, from the rest - you raid.

In this materialistic world, it becomes more difficult to stand by values and ethics, especially if it is at the cost of being considered a laggard or one who doesn’t meet the competitive prerequisites of this modern era. Every individual aspires to reach the top and often, this quest attracts them to take a short cut or influence their way to success. Trying to influence someone in a discussion or negotiation is not bad or beyond accepted ethics, but influencing by unfair means could mean that the thin line has been crossed. This leads to just greed and not ambition.