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What’s in a Name?

“What is the meaning of your name?”

He asked me in front of the whole class.

“I don’t know”.

“When you go home today, ask your father and let me know tomorrow.”

This was the conversation I had with my Hindi teacher, Mr. Cyril Sunny when I was in seventh standard at St. Paul’s, Udaipur.

I asked my father the meaning of my name when he returned home in the evening after work. He told me the meaning in short and enquired why am I asking this question. I told him about what happened in the school that day. He smiled and then said ‘Wait, let me explain you in a better way then.’

He reached out to the bookshelf and pulled out a huge thick hard-cover book with brown coloured pages. He told me it was a ‘Sanskrit-to-English’ dictionary. And then, reading from it, he explained the meaning in detail. He told me the word is ‘Nirvana’ which in Noun means ‘enlightenment’. And in the adjective, it means ‘not glowing’. So, Anirvan means in noun ‘one who doesn’t need enlightenment, say someone like ‘Gautam Buddha’. And in the adjective, Anirvan would mean ‘Glowing’.

I went to school the next day and Sunny sir asked me the meaning again during the Hindi period. I explained to him what my father taught me. He smiled and wrote the word ‘Nirvana’ on the blackboard. He then addressed the whole class for the next fifteen minutes explaining the meaning on similar lines as what my father explained to me.

To this day, I remember this incident!

I was fortunate to have teachers like Sunny sir who had such passion for their subject and students alike.

On this teacher’s day, I bow to all my teachers and convey my gratitude for not only teaching us what was required as per the textbooks but for also teaching us about life and how to lead it meaningfully.  

Cheers!

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Office Meetings…How to make them meaningful!

Once upon a time, in a bustling office, there was a weekly meeting that everyone dreaded. It was notorious for its long duration and seemingly endless discussions.

One day, the office manager decided to spice things up. He entered the meeting room with a huge jar filled with colourful marbles. He announced, “Today, we’re going to make this meeting more interactive. For every unnecessary tangent or off-topic discussion, I’m going to drop a marble into this jar.”

As the meeting progressed, the marbles started piling up surprisingly quickly. It did not take long for the jar to become a colourful tower of marbles, resembling a modern art sculpture.

With each “ping” of a marble hitting the jar, people could not help but suppress laughter. It became a challenge to keep the marbles from overflowing. Even the most verbose contributors started self-regulating their comments, trying to avoid being the cause of another “marble moment.”

By the end of the meeting, the jar of marbles had become the meeting’s unofficial mascot. It served as a quirky reminder that time was precious and that staying on topic was a collective effort.

From then on, the meetings were known as the “Marble Meetings,” and they became more efficient and engaging. People realized that humour could be a powerful tool to remind them to stay focused and make the most of their time together.

And so, amid marbles and laughter, the team learned that a little fun could go a long way in making even the most dreaded meetings a bit more enjoyable.

Cheers!

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Make Your Life Meaningful!

Often we forget the reason of our living!

We get so busy in the rat race that it becomes a ‘habitual living’ rather than a ‘meaningful living’!

Pause and reflect!

You can definitely make your life more beautiful when you focus on the following:

Purpose: Having a sense of purpose in life can provide direction and motivation. It can be anything from pursuing a career that aligns with your passions, making a difference in your community, or raising a family.

Relationships: Building and nurturing relationships with others can bring joy, love, and support. It’s important to cultivate meaningful connections with family, friends, colleagues, and others in your community.

Personal Growth: Learning and growing as an individual can help you develop new skills, gain knowledge, and expand your perspectives. It can be achieved through reading, attending courses, trying new things, or traveling.

Health and Wellness: Taking care of your physical and mental health can improve your overall well-being, giving you the energy and vitality to pursue your goals and enjoy life.

Contribution: Contributing to the greater good and making a positive impact in the world can give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. This can be achieved by volunteering, donating to charity, or supporting causes you care about.

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Building Meaningful Relationships!

“Please leave your ‘home issues’ at home. Don’t bring them to the office”.

I told bluntly my young manager who recently became a father and was struggling to support his wife, who herself was struggling with the newborn baby as the couple was staying all alone far away from their family. This was many years before.

Years later, I realized how wrong I was in managing that young manager.

The ‘Empathy’ factor was missing in my interaction with him…more so, as a Boss who should have wholeheartedly supported him in his struggle.

Empathy is a critical factor especially, when you are leading a team. As a leader, you need to understand and share the feelings of your team members.

It is important to acknowledge the emotions of others, though many times you might not agree with them. But you need to recognize and respect their emotions.

Listen to others with all your attention and try to understand their perspective. Most of the time, we are prejudiced and prejudge others. 

Your team members need to realize that you are bothered about their well-being. You need to show genuine concern towards them and support them when required.

Empathy is not a ‘soft skill’, it is an important leadership trait! And it is critical for effective leadership.

So, the next time when you are faced with a difficult situation as a leader, remember the power of empathy and compassion, and let it guide your actions and decisions!

Remember, empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.

Cheers!

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5 Ways to Handle a Difficult Boss!

Is your Boss a Bully?

??

A bullying boss can create a toxic work environment, damage your confidence, and affect your mental health.

So, how to manage this Bully?

Here are some strategies to ponder:

Identify the Bullying Behaviour: This can include verbal abuse, public humiliation, excessive criticism, favouritism, and unreasonable demands. Take note of the specific behaviour and document it.

Set Boundaries: Make it clear to your boss what behaviours are unacceptable and let them know how you expect to be treated. This will help you to protect your self-esteem and maintain your dignity in the workplace.

Stay Professional: Stay professional at all times! Avoid getting defensive or angry.  Communicate your concerns clearly and respectfully, and avoid any personal attacks. Focus on the facts. Still, if your boss continues to behave inappropriately, report the behaviour to HR or a higher authority if necessary.

Seek Support: Talk to a trusted colleague/senior or a mentor/coach about your situation. They can offer guidance on how to handle the situation.

And lastly, know your rights! Research your company’s policies and procedures regarding bullying and harassment. If you feel that your boss’s behaviour is crossing the line, speak to HR or a higher authority.

In case, you see that the above is not giving any results, the best option left is to look for other opportunities. These can be within the organisation or outside the organisation. The more time you spend in the current situation, the more harm you will be doing to yourself!

One of the main reasons for bullying is ‘Insecurity & Fear’. Remember, you deserve to work in a respectful and supportive workplace, and it’s okay to speak up if your boss’s behaviour is unacceptable.

Cheers!

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“What got you here, will not get you there!”

“What got you here, will not get you there!”

What a powerful quote!

I believe the phrase has been coined by Marshall Goldsmith, the world-renowned executive coach, and leadership thinker. And the thought process behind this phrase is that the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.

As we journey through life, we often find ourselves reflecting on the things that have brought us to where we are today. We take pride in our accomplishments, and rightly so. However, as much as we should celebrate our successes, it is important to remember that what got us to this point may not be enough to take us further.

You might have got an excellent break based on your academic qualifications but still might be struggling in the corporate environment!

You might have performed brilliantly in your previous roles but find it going tough in your new role!

The same might be true in your personal life as well. You might have excellent relationships with your friends and colleagues but your family(marital) life might be a disaster! It happens!!

So, the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.

The bottom line is that we need to continuously evolve with time.

How can we do that?

Some tips to ponder:

Embrace a growth mindset: Keep learning, evolving, and improving.

Be open to feedback: It might help you to identify your blind spots.

Identify areas for improvement: Reflect on the skills, habits, and attitudes that have helped you succeed so far, and then identify the ones that you need to develop to achieve your future goals.

And lastly, stop blaming others and external factors. It’s about you and only you can make that change!

Remember, you have to be willing to take risks, try new things, and push yourself beyond your limits to achieve greater success!

Cheers!