It’s all about the sales – or is it?

 

“Get those sales guys – we have to hit today’s target. Everybody pitch hard and bring me the numbers!”

Does that have a familiar ring to it? Am sure it does, especially to all those working in direct sales, marketing or customer service roles. We have all, at some point or the other had our supervisors and team leaders “encourage” us to push the limits of our horizons and chase targets with a determined frenzy. If by God’s grace you do achieve the coveted sales– they top it off with “I’m so proud of you!”

Quantity has become synonymous with quality, profits with caliber and money with success. More often than not, the ends justify the means, and as long as the cash is flowing in, it little matters how it comes in. And if your methods fail to yield immediate gains, your capabilities are undermined, your sincere intent, genuine commitment and complete integrity notwithstanding.

It’s this shortsightedness that, in my opinion, could well prove counter productive and reverse fortunes of flourishing businesses. For employees in sales and customer service roles, building a steady rapport with the client fosters brand loyalty and ensures their long-term association with the business. It reflects genuine concern for customers as against a typically “salesy” attitude that reduces the customer to merely being an object to be tapped into – a stepping-stone towards achieving the golden mark.

So single minded is our focus on short-term profits that we prefer turning a blind eye to the real values intrinsic to the job at hand. If there is nothing in the deal for us, customer queries and problems are simply shrugged off or pushed behind in our agenda, to attend to “later”. So obsessed are supervisors with attaining sales goals that they totally overlook employees who may not have made a sale that day but have gone out of their way to help a customer, solve his problem by clearing his doubts in an honest, unselfish manner and earned his trust in the bargain. It is this employee who deserves a pat on the back too – as he has paved the way for client retention and brand advocacy – the true barometers of lasting success for any business.

The corporate world urgently needs to come to grips with its priorities and stop being swayed by superficial victories, which though heady and intoxicating, will never be able to replace old fashioned principles. We cannot raise the bar for profits by forgetting the larger objectives. The hare may out pace the tortoise – but only in the beginning. In the end it’s the ideals like consistency, sincerity and commitment that will most certainly drive the way and emerge triumphant.

Related topic: The ROI of the intangibles

 

I hate writing about religion

 

I hate writing about religion. Yet today I am going to tread this dangerous path. It seems to have become a passionate cause for thousands across the world – a cause important enough to defend, fight for and even kill for.

 What is religion? A set of rules that its followers swear by? Beliefs that they want to thrust down unwilling throats using any means they can? Or does it stem from an insecurity deep inside them that makes them want to control and dominate? Or better still, is it a tit for tat game pitting one’s God against the other?

How can we deceive ourselves into thinking that God really cares about our dietary preferences? Or about what we wear and how and where we worship? But have these become the parameters that measure virtue today? Whatever happened to reason, common sense and most of all compassion? Have our respective Gods too decided to do away with these “frivolous” values in pursuit of the more “important causes” that our respective religions staunchly espouse?

The crossroads that my country stands at today frightens me. On the one hand we are the world’s fastest growing economy but we are also heading towards becoming the world’s most mislead minds by mimicking radical sects that spew intolerance and hatred. Why are we as a society seeking to safeguard our culture by trying to efface others? Whether it is dictating what foods our neighbours stock in their refrigerators, whether it is allowing the caste of a person to determine who can and cannot enter a temple or controlling personal choice in matters of love and marriage – are these today the causes that are driving us as a society? Is this truly the focus of our life and the reason for our existence?

It’s a pathetically pitiable condition to be in – an insult to human intelligence not to mention the wisdom of our ancient philosophy that we pretend to take so much pride in. If religion unleashes the beast in us it is best left alone. As long as we think of religion as an identity to cling on to rather than a way to live and let live, we will never rise above all that is base and lowly – a far cry from what religion actually meant us to be – humane and magnanimous.

 

Interviews or Superficial views? Woes of a foreign candidate in a foreign land

 

That eagerly awaited interview call comes like a gust of fresh air, sparking hope and optimism anew and sending your nerves into a tizzy. You go over the probable questions for the umpteenth time, rehearse responses that would flaunt your skills and project you in a favourable light.

The D-day finally arrives and you set off dressed in your most formal business attire, trying to appear calm and professional, ignoring the butterflies in your stomach and valiantly battling all the negativity and self doubt that may have inadvertently crept into your mind.

You wait for your turn to be called in, all charged up, enthusiastically braving the challenge that lies ahead, ready to rise to the occasion, praying for just that one opportunity to prove yourself. After what seems to have been an eternity, you hear your name being called and in you go with a spring in your step and a smile on your lips hoping to ace this one and moving a step closer to your goal.

What happens after that is just a blur. You are out in a few minutes – maybe 15 at most, feeling light headed and confused. Was that even an interview? Were you even heard with an open mind? Or was every word uttered by you conveniently interpreted to align with popular prejudices? If you said you enjoyed a democratic atmosphere at work where you were free to express your ideas, did you come across as someone who was not a team player or someone who wouldn’t “fit in” with the “culture” of the organization? If you said you were new to the country did it underline the fact that you do not possess local experience and so would not be an asset to the employers?

How did the interviewer learn so much about me in just 15 minutes? Or is this what he wants to believe about me, as it makes the elimination process that much simpler? What about the talents and skills that are my greatest assets – which would have more than countered my cultural “shortcomings”? What about the unique dimension that my background would have added to the diversity of the workplace? If they weren’t looking for foreign candidates, why was I even shortlisted for the interview?

My head is still spinning from the interview experiences. I wish there was a way to let my work do the talking instead of me. But that still requires me to clear the initial rounds unscathed. And that requires me to have local experience…for which I need to get hired…how can I escape this seemingly inescapable cycle?

Any ideas or advice by someone who’s been there, done that?

 

Can you leave behind a legacy at your workplace after you have quit?

 

Quitting a job is never easy. Especially when the decision is an outcome of circumstances beyond one’s control – for example – the relocation of the family to another city or some pressing requirements on the home front.

Whatever be the reason, leaving a job that you invested your energies in and devoted so much of yourself to, can be an extremely unsettling experience.

It’s mainly got to do with the comfort zone that you have established within the workplace, and the reputation of trust and sincerity that your colleagues have come to associate you with. Letting go of all your professional responsibilities and formally handing over your duties to your successor can make even the most hardened employees a tad wistful and uncertain about what the future has in store for them.

Myriad thoughts are bound to rush through your mind during the last few weeks preceding and following your resignation date. Will you be remembered with fondness and respect? Will your contributions and accomplishments still be valued long after you have gone or will they just fade away into oblivion much like old outdated files and dusty records of the yesteryears? Will your successors give you credit for past achievements or attribute all the present problems to your tenure?

Time and tide have indeed proven that no one is indispensable. Much as we would hate to admit it – the best employees are replaceable and the most stupendous successes can be repeated – with or without you at the helm. So what do you carry with you as you step out of the portals of the job you have loved and embark on a new professional quest all over again? And, what legacy do you leave behind at your erstwhile workplace that remains testimony to your whole-hearted efforts and talents?

These were among the toughest questions to delve into when I had found myself in a similar situation a couple of months ago. After much contemplation and introspection, I arrived at some very frank and honest conclusions.

What I carry with me are my moments of success – memories of delighting a client with a task well done, of the shared joy of great team spirit, of the happiness of an article well written, of the satisfaction of targets achieved and deadlines met, and most of all, of the wealth of goodwill earned. These are mine for keeps – a treasure that needs no validation from any quarters.

As for the legacy I leave at the workplace – it is a bit of me that still lingers within its walls, which breathes in the work I leave behind. Work that makes me proud of myself and infuses me with all the confidence I need to take on the future.       Again – a treasure that needs no validation!

The undercurrents in our social media interactions – a mirror of our real world?

 

It’s almost like a taboo – something that most might never admit even to themselves – but there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to our behaviour and personal interactions on social media.

Much like our daily lives have their complexities cleverly concealed underneath layers of pretentious garb, the world of social networking too isn’t without its hidden motives. It may be a virtual space but it mirrors the real world in more ways than one could imagine. It’s all about creating an image with utmost care and caution all while giving the impression of spontaneity. It’s about carefully cultivating a persona that exudes an aura of carefree intelligence when in actuality nothing could have been more deliberate and calculated.

It’s all to do with the subtle workings of the mind

The rule governing the game is one-upmanship and self –promotion and it is these two aspects that are at play when people network on social channels. Every action or inaction is governed by a motive – will liking someone’s post make that person more visible? Will a comment by me on another’s post enhance that person’s reach among my circle of influence? Does it befit me and my “image” to interact with a particular connection? There is always an undercurrent of insecurity and the constant need to maintain a positive impression among your virtual peers.

In this way every response becomes a measured step that weighs all the hidden dynamics in a matter of split seconds, before our conscious minds can even understand and register the thought process.

Status conscious hierarchies – a déjà vu?

In both – the real and virtual world, people display identical behaviour patterns, as is evident in the way they like to professionally associate with those (at least publicly) who are on an equal footing in terms of designation, authority and overall status. There are unspoken hierarchies that determine whom you would like to be seen hanging around with on social media and whom you would much rather avoid. The same old biases (race, ethnicity, social standing, age) that have been prevailing throughout the ages condition us to always appear at our practical best. We dare not challenge stereotypes for fear of taking away some of the lustre from our profiles and so we play safe in our professional networks too, publicly mingling only with those that befit our reputation.

Virtual networking then is truly a parallel world we have created for ourselves replete with all the double standards and trappings of class and position. It’s rare to find influential persons connecting with the “lesser and lower mortals” without that hint of condescension or ulterior motive.

Do we thus lack the ability to simply be ourselves without always wanting to fit into established norms that dictate our every action and decision? Do we lack the courage to be completely honest about ourselves and the world? Do we lack the guts to keep at least our virtual space what it should be – open, natural and free?

When nurturer turns destroyer

 

She shudders and quavers, jolts and shivers
And all hell is let loose
Her fury unleashed, her force unimaginable,
Nurturer turns destroyer as upon life she tightens the noose.

In a moment humanity stands humbled
Brought down to its very knees,
Our differences no longer matter, its only survival that’s paramount
Cities collapse and hearts sink as everything crumbles to a debris

By the time she calms, the damage is done
Irreversible, irreparable and complete.
Lives bite the dust and dreams wither,
Failing to withstand the fury, history too just ceases to be!

Coming to terms with the vagaries of life
Resilience will triumph and life will begin to reknit.
The tragedy spurs kindness hitherto eclipsed
Shaken and saddened, the world pitches in to do its bit

As we grieve the terrible losses,
And mourn the void that would remain forever unfilled,
The paradox never ceases to amaze – what do we inhabit?
A merciless planet or a thriving earth – luxurious and fulfilled?

Is this nature’s way to humble us into kindness
So we see each other’s worth and indispensability?
To remind us of the value of beauty and art, of peace and serenity,
So we pledge upon ourselves to steer our species towards blissful eternity!

A chain of kindness!

Image courtesy: colourlovers.com/sundancer|moore at jakyastikblogs.blogspot.in

Wrote this article for the "Parents' Corner" of the Junior Edition of my daughter's school magazine - 2014-2015.


Sometimes a single incident teaches you so much and strengthens your faith in humanity.  Here is one such episode that I would like to recount – one that has left an indelible mark on my mind.

This is about a family who was holidaying in Mussoorie – a young girl in her twenties, her parents and grandmother. Although they were staying in a hotel at the hill station, they had many day trips planned to the more remote scenic areas, higher up in the mountains. The only way to get to these areas was by foot or by cycle rickshaw – mechanical contraptions manually pulled by rickshaw pullers.

The family also had to use this means of transport since there were two elderly ladies for whom the climb would have been impossible on foot.

So they called for one cycle rickshaw and the two older ladies sat in it, while the young girl and her father decided to walk alongside. The rickshaw puller seemed to be a middle aged man, probably in his late forties or early fifties. They fixed the fare and the puller took to the pedals and began to ferry the ladies towards their destination – a temple at the end of a steep gradient that overlooked a beautiful valley.

All seemed well till they approached the gradient – an uphill slope that would mean quite a rigorous exertion for the rickshaw puller, well past his youth. He began the climb, pushing down on the pedals with all his strength but as it was very steep, he was soon struggling at the task. Seeing this, the girl’s father promptly went to help him by actually pushing the rickshaw from behind, using both his hands. Seeing her father, the young girl too decided to pitch in. The look of surprise and gratitude on the face of the rickshaw puller was priceless – he seemed at a complete loss for words to express his feelings.

 This unique sight attracted many stares and some people actually followed suit with their respective rickshaws, bringing forth a chain of kindness. It proved that good begets good and that kindness and humility are what make us human – qualities that unite us beyond man-made barriers of class, status, language and religion.

This makes me wonder at how simple and uncomplicated our world would be if only we did not allow our humane qualities to be eclipsed by arrogance, and our egos to be flattered by a meaningless sense of superiority. Kindness is all it takes to be a good person and we don’t really need any religion to teach us that.

It is the only thing our world desperately needs today!

P.S  - Dedicating this piece to my father, the protagonist of this incident – the man who walked the talk and from whom I learnt some of life’s most valuable lessons. 

Is the term "soft leaders" an oxymoron?

 

Think leadership and what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Authority, Control, exclusivity? We imagine a dominating person with a commanding personality, someone who remains elusive and elite, preferring to maintain a distance lest the team members get too close for comfort. Leadership has thus through the ages been considered synonymous with exclusivity, and anyone who deviates from this established school of thought is termed as “soft” and “mild”.

Do good leaders then deliberately work at carefully maintaining that impression of aloofness by never crossing the line between personal and professional, by never letting conversations stray into the zone reserved for friends? Is this born from the fear that excessive proximity would most certainly lead to excessive familiarity and blur the boundaries between designations?

Unfortunately, more often than not, we would have to reluctantly admit that these barriers have become essential in order to cultivate that authoritarian aura, an indispensable trait possessed by those at the helm, without which it is seemingly impossible to exercise control, to have people look up to you and defer to your leadership. Empathy, humility and amiability are not normally traits one would associate with leaders and if such a person were to don the leadership mantle, there is every possibility that he would be considered a misfit, even before he got a chance to prove his critics wrong.

The corporate world abounds with examples of situations where employees, after having been promoted, choose to steadily distance themselves from their former colleagues, either of their own accord or after being “advised” so by their superiors. The same philosophy extends through all walks of life wherever there exists a hierarchy – between juniors and seniors, instructors and instructed, the administrators and administered.

This brings me to the question – are we programmed to accord respect to those who demand it by virtue of their temperament rather than to those who earn it by virtue of their emotional quotient? Do we unconsciously give in more easily to the authority of the whip wielder rather than a more tolerant, democratic and amiable leader? Do we tend to take the latter for granted? Is that why the term “soft leader” assumes the sobriquet of an oxymoron?

Leaders are those who can lead by example, who can bring out the best in their subordinates simply by connecting with them, believing in them and giving them the freedom to work without rigid controls. It’s time we redefined the concept to accept individuals with softer qualities, a more inclusive approach and less sterner exteriors as leaders instead of clinging on to cliches that only serve to widen the chasm between the controller and the controlled.

Do you think that this chasm is a necessary ingredient to drive productivity? Or is it just a hype created to make it easier to wield power? Do share your views and experiences.

Read more about some interesting nuances of corporate culture here

To my forever valentine

A bond so warm and true is what I share with you

So much is unspoken, yet the love beams through

the glint in your eyes, the smile on your lips

Just being with you makes my heart flip

Your teasing words, mischievous gaze

drive me up the wall but make me feel special anyways

With you I can be myself, without all the frills that I find such a bore

And can rest assured that it’s my mind and soul that you adore.

To pull me out of the dumps, you’re always there

through all our fights and squabbles, I know you’ll always care

An all weather friend, a confidant, a life partner and much more

Of all the times I have counted on you, I have lost the score

So on this day of love, I want you to know

Till the end of time, I’ll be by your side through sun and snow

You are my forever valentine, my eternal soulmate 
Let’s breeze through life together as if on a timeless date!



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Ensnared!

Image courtesy: articles.orlandosentinel.com

Dogmas and doctrines, do’s and don’ts

Snuff out the questions, demolish the won’ts.

As mankind battles over an invisible God

Peace is conquered by perpetual discord.

Voices of dissent are smothered, freedom of expression choked

To a set of mindless beliefs our senses hopelessly yoked.

God reduced to an obsession, an idea gone terribly wrong

A thing to possess, a tool to control, with arrogance headstrong!

We’re not even a speck in the mighty cosmos,

Yet with inflated heads and grandiose egos

We stake claim to a divinity we can’t ever fathom.

Faiths fight, Convictions kill and Reason goes numb!

Gone is the simple goodness, there’s more take than give

Lost is the basic kindness, the compassion to live and let live

    While fighting to prove our “own” God right, Humanity we have maimed

Ensnared in devastating inebriation, Divinity we have shamed!



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