...shoOOonya...

  When was the last time you did something for the first time?  Paragliding over the mountains in 2019 is the quick answer for me.  Wifey has a very recent one from 2022 when she went sky-diving. I don't have the same answer because ... well ... I am over-weight and they won't allow me  !!  I am sure I have some recent ones too ... Let me try to list a few :)  2021-2022  - I was on 'contract' on a project in Change Management role rather than being a full-time 'employee' - that was new - I registered my own company so I became a Managing Director of my Consulting and Coaching business entity. That was new.  - I paid tax in UAE as a Business man :) that was new (5% VAT applicable)   More recently,  - I have attended sessions on subjects related to Psychology - that is new  - I strted Business Growth Coaching (thats new) and now looking for businesses in Dubai, UAE to work with  - I started going for a morning walk regularly...

  Perspective is Everything !! That's all for  #SundayGyan  today. That's the message.  #EndOfMessage  :) Bcos ... this picture is already equivalent to a thousand words and more !  #communciation

  Most of the working professionals around here have seen the ups-n-downs of the IT bubble burst of 2001, the sub prime gobal recession of 2009 and more recently the COVID induced chaos in job market and now the latest wave of 'mass' layoff news you hear from Tech sector (and even others) - Byjus, Twitter, Facebook and several others.  You either experienced a layoff or job cut or right-sizing (whatever the management decides to call it) first hand or knew someone who was imapcted ... and maybe lucky to have just heard about it and not been impacted directly. But in either case, you know that the Organization is NOT loyal to its Employees and a job-loss is a very real possibility that can strike absolutely anytime without any notice period.  You will be taken by surprise (and it will shock you when it hits you like a head-on collision).  So ... whats your Plan B ?  - Do you have enough emergency fund to survive 6 months without pay? 12 months?  - Do you hav...

Book Recommendations for my coaching clients (and for anyone who would care to listen) I come to the conclusion of my current life coaching cohort - just one or two sessions more to the finishing line. We talked about Vision Board and also summarised the entire journey of the past 5 months to put together their Success Blueprint. And I recommended the cohort 2 Books to read ... 1. Atomic Habits by James Clear 2. Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo I had heard about these books for a pretty long time now but had been postponing them. Finally, over the last few weeks, I heard both books on Audible and will soon be buying their hard copies too. Having listened to both books (incidentally in the author's own voice in both cases), I can now freely recommend both to my clients and for that matter, anyone who would listen to me. Atomic Habits is something you read if you want to accomplish anything. Absolutely anything. Do Epic Shit is something you read to keep you grounded, give wings to yo...

  There was a rumor that Byju's would 'fire' away 25% of their employees.  Turned out the rumor was just a rumor ...  BUT they do fire employees ...  Not 25% but 5% ... BUT that's a massive 2500 people !!  2500 people lose their jobs. A seemingly heartfelt letter from the man in the center of the storm written to put forth his side of story. Gets praised for calling a spade a spade and talking about what real business is all about and gets a lot of flak for making that 'letter' all about himself rather than about the 2500 people being fired or his feelings for them.  And then ... Byju's announces Messi as their Brand Ambassador - an arrangement which no doubted cost them 'an arm and a leg along with kidney and several internal organs'. And the criticism starts all over again on how they have millions to spend on a 'foren/international' expensive Brand Ambassodor but not for their own employees .. in fact, they are getting one guy to be their ...

  Trust is earned and I will earn yours. Rishi Sunak delivers his first speech as UK Prime Minister and this was his closing sentence. Humbling and Powerful. Rishi has a humongous challenge on his hands and he will need the Trust all around him to achieve what they expect him to achieve. It will be a collective endeavour and all by himself, without the support (based on trust), it will be an impossible task. Whether you are a politician or an employee (irrespective of level ... whether Chairman or Chaprasi) or take it in the context of your relationships in personal and professional lives ... TRUST is the currency of interactions. Relationships are based and built on Trust and without Trust, there is a mere transaction with little value. In a professional environment, whether you are a new CXO or a new hire at an entry level, you have the task of building that trust (by your intent, actions and results) in the eyes of all your stakeholders. The CXO has the entire organization as s...

  A simple word can indeed make a difference.  More than 2 decades ago, I had made a conscious change to a habit of mine. To the question "How are you?", I started responding with "Fantastic".  It woudl surprise people who routinely said and heard 'Nice' 'OK' 'Going Good' as responses. I realised that people dont really expect other people to have 'fantastic day/life' so it suprises them no end to hear that response from me.  I began to observe that more people greeted me once they knew that I responded with 'Fantastic' with a wide smile and enthusiasm. It seemed to give them a minor energy boost and probably hope. And then I found a few people who went from 'nice' to 'going good' and from there to 'great' and some even tried 'Fantastic' ... i knew I was spreading the Virus :)  We all know that words make a difference. To others and to ourselves too. Strong positive words can uplift your...