...shoOOonya...

  Every year, leading dictionaries and linguistic bodies of the world pick out a word (after considerable consideration of many choices) and christen it the Word of the Year (WOTY). This exercise is supposed to give us a view of the general intellectual consciousness of the world. So here's to the 2024 WOTY's by different publications.  "brain rot"  deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) - named the 2024 Word of the Year by Oxford University Press  “Manifest” to dream or will something into existence, has been named the word of 2024 by Cambridge Dictionary "Enshittification"  the gradual deterioration of a service of product — named the 2024 Word of the Year by Macquarie Dictionary. 'Brat' 'characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude', has been named Collins' Word of the Year 2024. "demure" reserved, modest, and...

Does engaging in a sky-diving experience once in your life make you a Sky Diver? I saw 'Sky Diver' on a LinkedIn profile, and I am sure the gentleman is not a professional sky diver but did it on one of his touristy trips.  Have you come across people in your workplace or professional network who have defined themselves as something or someone based on a singular instance rather than being actual practitioners? Think ... brainstormers, problem-solvers, quick-learners, creative thinkers, thought leaders, system architects, strategic explorers .. and so on !  And the mute question here is, "What do you do with such people?"  Do you trust them in whatever they say to you?  Or do you now view everything that they claim with a healthy scepticism?  What about YOU?  Have you engaged in such 'sky-diving' claims before?  And what is that doing to your own credibility in the eyes of others?  Do they also exercise some skepticism about you?  #JustAsking...

  That which lasts long is not easily got. That which is easily got, does not last long.  ~ Amitabh Bachchan Big B's insight applies to life.  And to the corporate world too.  In today's fast-paced environment,  the allure of rapid success can be tempting.  However, enduring professional achievements  are seldom the result of tips, shortcuts or hacks. Unfortunately, social media, including our LinkedIn,  is full of tips, shortcuts or hacks to make it Large in Life.  For professionals aiming for long-term impact,  it's essential to embrace change and challenges,  invest in personal and professional development,  and build relationships based on trust and integrity.  These efforts, though demanding, lay the groundwork  for a career that withstands the test of time and trials. As you go through your professional journey,  remember that sustained and consistent success  is obtained through consistent effort and ...

  And you thought slavery was abolished and universally condemned.  A 13-year-old boy was sold and it has made national news headlines.  Words are critical.  Words are powerful.  Words are important.  Words have meaning.  All by themselves and  in combination with others  And how you put the words  together can change the meaning.  One news report says: IPL Mega Auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest pick in IPL history, "bought" by RR for ₹1.1 crore   Another one says: IPL Auction 2025: 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi "sold" for Rs 1.1 crore to Rajasthan Royals, becomes youngest player signed in IPL history What kind of language is this? sold, bought??  Is this what is happening?? Is this how you talk about a person? That too a National Daily.  (Some might argue that Slavery is exactly what is happening but that's a completely different conversation)  BUT then that's #Journalism in this century.  Wri...

Free will is a strange concept  We think we have Free Will  but you never know !! When you enter a Starbucks  you may have walked in with  a certain thought process on  what you want to buy. BUT.   You walk in and you look at the  menu and then things change.  You were subject to a very clever  science called Choice Architecture  The choices that are laid out in  front of you are designed in a  way that lead you to make  certain specific choices.   You just lost your free will.  And You did not even realise.   With a longer life and a longer career,  you should be making your own choices  rather than getting influenced heavily by  the choice architecture designed by others  Just the awareness of the cognitive biases  and about choice architecture will help you  make the best possible decisions for your long life The Centennial Journey is all about  preparing ...

  So I decided to write about the now famous 'Chief of Staff Role' but not about Deepinder Goyal or Zomato  Deepinder Goel made quite a splash last week with a seemingly innovative-but-controversial' job post which had LinkedIn divided.  I actually liked the whole concept. But that's not the point of this article. I would like to talk about the 'Chief of Staff' role. In my career spanning more two decades, I have not come across this Job Title in any of the companies I have worked at. I did hear about this title in the context of the White House in the USA.  So I asked Chat GPT to enlighten me about the CoS job role. While I share the ChatGPT response below; here are my thoughts about this important role. The CoS is a Force Multiplier It enhances the effectiveness of the senior leadership in driving organizational success. It's a role that requires a unique combination of strategic acumen, operational expertise, and emotional intelligence. While there is a d...

  Kuch to Log kahenge, #Logo ka kaam hain kehna!  (Ignore the above if you do not understand Hindi) Linkedin is flooded with posts about the  very disappointing Jaguar logo change.  Getting the elephant out of the way,  let me say that I don't like it either.  Now let's get on with this post :)  The visual accompanying this post  shows the recent Logo changes.  These are some pretty big,  popular, global names.  Do you see a trend?  A trend of simplification?  Simplification of font/style?  'Design' leaving the logo and  simple font itself becoming design.  The traditional perception  of a 'logo' has always been  a 'symbol', a design element, not the actual name of the brand.  A few brands like SONY, Coca Cola  & many of the luxury brands had their  name as their logo but it was often stylized  to stand apart, in some or the other form/design. But the 21st century and more s...

  We live in times when Social Media Influencers are exposing "Hidden Gems" on a daily basis.  With an explosion of those posts, the meaning of 'Hidden Gems' has almost become 'Hidden in Plain Sight'  Just like, "When everything is a priority, then Nothing is a priority" Consider this as a 'Hidden Wisdom Gem' for a lazy Sunday :)  #SundayFunday #HiddenGem #CoachHemant

  Appraisals shouldn't trigger fear and anxiety in people. Managers and Sub-ordinates alike.  People are left scared as  well as scarred by Appraisals.  Managers & Sub-ordinates alike.  Appraisals have a purpose to serve  but most of us are doing a bad job at it.  Managers as well as their team members  dread the appraisal talk as it is seen  as conflict & confrontation.  Managers think they need to justify  the rating they have given while  the team members need to  justify their self-appraisal.  It is seen as a win-lose game,  where one need to convince the  other while holding a divergent view.  Rarely is there an alignment between  the manager and the poor team member  (blessed and lucky are the ones who have)  Appraisals need to change so that they actually serve the purpose.  Some thoughts …  1. Managers need to be educated, trained and sensitized about how to go a...

  Layoffs are a Double-Whammy  BUT You are the Hero of Your own Movie,  and the Director too.  Layoffs are a  Double-Whammy! You not only lose a job,  but you are losing the job  at a time when market is bad.  Many companies are laying off  and hardly anyone is recruiting.  You are searching for the new job, and so are thousands of job seekers,  creating an imbalance in demand-supply.  Very little demand and high supply means  that there are others ready to take that job  at a lower salary for the sake of their survival.  This increases the chances of not clearing the  job interviews even when you were very good.  And leads to 'learned helplessness' (youtube it). And you have all the time in the world to worry,  to ruminate, blame & question your capability and to allow imposter syndrome to take root and grow.  The same can happen even without losing your Job.  You can go through simi...

  You must find the courage to leave the table when respect is no longer being served  Disrespect hurts,  but it doesn’t define  your ultimate self-worth.  More than anything else,  its Disrespect at Work that  creates a very Toxic Workplace  So here are some insights to turn  disrespect into a source of strength 1 - Disrespect reflects the other person.  It's often about their insecurities,  not your value. 2 - Composure is your superpower.  Stay calm, don't let disrespect  shake your confidence. 3 - Set boundaries.  Clearly communicate  what’s acceptable behavior. 4 - Self-respect is your shield.  When you know your worth,  disrespect can't break you. 5 - Stand up for yourself.  Assertively address disrespect  when necessary. 6 - Empathy diffuses tension.  Try to understand  the root of disrespect. 7 - Choose your battles wisely.  Not all disrespect...

  When Mediocrity becomes a Work Culture, YOU, the Manager and leader is to be blamed.  *𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦—𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴.* said Kamal Haasan in his book.  And it is so true. When you lower your standards and your expectations; everybody else also does the same thing  In an organization,  what you tolerate becomes acceptable,  the bad becomes acceptable,  and the worst is okay.  And Your good has become great  Is that an organization that you want to work for?  Is that a work culture that you want to create?  As a manager and as a leader  What you deem acceptable  defines the standard  - of your organization  - of the work product  - of the work culture You are responsible for the Work Culture around Yo...

  Don't just wait for Opportunity to knock on your door. Build the damn Door first.   Many believe that we are mere  victims of our circumstances,  catching whatever opportunit ies  happen to come our way.  "We can’t create opportunities.  We have to wait." they say. Wrong. I beg to differ. Opportunities  don't just happen — they're created.  They are drawn to those  who are ready & prepared,  those who have positioned  themselves to seize them.  You have to be proactive,  to design your life with intention,  and not leave it to chance and destiny. It’s about living by choice, not by chance.  This means learning more continuously,  networking, and refining your skills,  so when the right moment comes,  you are not just ready for them; you are the one they want. Don't just wait  for opportunity to  knock on your door.  Build a beautiful door,  paint it in vibrant co...