Tips for Overcoming Fear

As fear moves in to places

where there is poor clarity 

the best way to handle fear 

 is to be clear -  know what you want,

clear on what you see as your purpose of life!

Clarity destroys fear to a great extent

after all, there is no longer fear of the unknown 

since  you know  what you want

you can prepare for it 

be ready to take risks, if needed

you are not taken by surprise! 

Preparation, preparation, preparation in cricket

helped  Dhoni to reach for, and attain success 

The equivalent of preparation in corporates

for managers and leaders is planning! 

yes, it 's planning that is an antidote

to the malady of "Fear of the unknown"   

Unique requirement in the future

would be the ability to deal with the unknown

be it a world wide pandemic, an economic meltdown

political disruption or hostile takeovers...

Time to say goodbye to 

this culture of " taking permissions" 

instead  encourage "taking initiatives" 

Fear promotes silo working

discourages communication 

fear it is, that prevents collaboration 

Banish fear through clarity

planning and flexibility, 

you will then be able to

Connect, Communicate and Collaborate, for success!   

NB: The source material for this poem is a webinar organized by Bija Training on 21st April 2021   featuring Mr Koushik Sarkar Managing Director, West Asia OMYA AG 

Professionally surviving a pandemic

Uncertainties all around 

will there be a pay cut? 

will I retain my job? for how long? 

when will I get the promotion I missed?

will I survive the pandemic itself?  

Insecurities connected with 

going physically for work 

Insecurities connected with

working from home  

many anxieties are getting converted to fear!  

Staying motivated first 

to be able to motivate others

focusing on being grounded, maintaining equilibrium  

the need of the hour- To reassure oneself

that this too shall pass... 

This is the time to equip oneself 

update with skills, knowledge, certifications

enroll for courses,  be fit and ready

to encash it, when the time comes

when we have beaten the pandemic!

It is only a matter of time 

that the inevitable happens

it is the very law of nature 

that occurs without fail 

Light invariably emerges after darkness...

Consistency in Results

 

"What habits lead to consistency in results?"

asked a listener after listening to a talk on Zoom

on top of the pile, in today's times it would be 

emotional intelligence! (EI/EQ) said speaker 

followed by developing sufficient people for succession

buttress that with self motivation & self discipline

and you are well on your way, to consistent results!  

Getting feedback from your people

every 6 months important too!

enables  corrections based on feedback

sometimes you learn things, you didn't even know! 

like "I learnt from feedback that I  

am low on transparency- wasn't sharing enough "

made amends, set goals to raise it over a period of time 

today, it's up from 5 to 9! 

Be aware always that today you are working with 4 generations 

need to respond to varying motivational needs 

A young team of 24-25 year olds wants to be taken out 

though this may seem unimportant to the 45 year old boss 

"Learning agility" would be another one

so important these days, with  obsolescence happening so fast 

consistent learning-reskilling, upskilling, networking

if you want your team to look up to you

be always open to learning, being  updated 

make sure you know each member of team well

individual likes, dislikes, motivation

what makes each one tick? 

Resilience is a quality you will  need 

to develop as a habit

speaker shared her own experience

when resilience came to her aid 

while moving from village schooling, to city college

with no knowledge of  English 

or when she wanted to  return to work 

after maternity break -  faced rejection 23 times 

but with gumption & resilience attained her goal!

A voice from the audience shared how "Brainstorming"

collaborating, eliciting solutions from team 

helped to not only meet, but exceed targets 

Starting a project is only the beginning

seeing it through with the required discipline 

is the key to achievement and success!

Be prepared for surprises galore,

in these times of uncertainty 

your team tomorrow, could be a mix 

of humans and robots- your ability

to handle psychological aspects 

could be the differentiator between 

results and consistency in results!  

NB: The source material for this poem is a webinar organized by Bija Training on March 24, 2021 featuring Ms Gauri Das Head (HR) Indian Factoring and Finance Solutions

The Golden Skill of Responding

Ever thought of the havoc that  can be caused

in a work situation, if you blurt out 

the first thing that comes to mind 

on feeling anger, impatience or irritation ?

why, reacting will cost you even at home!   

Responding then, is far superior to Reacting

anytime, anywhere!   

When you take time to ponder, not react immediately

you gain power to respond

to point out incorrect human behaviour

rather than find fault with human being 

you can follow it up with offer of support

"Anything I can do to help?"  

Granted, this is not easy 

an inner ardent desire helps

as also  an attitude  and acceptance

that "Everyone contributes to success

and not just me, me alone "  

This approach prompts team 

to open up, share more ideas 

so, have an open mind oh leader

show empathy, gain trust 

and soon teams start appreciating big picture

coming out with solution themselves.... 

Open dialogues, learning from past experiences

enhances ability to respond in place of 'reacting'

Home can be a good place to start

practice 'Responding' at home

and soon you will find 

you are doing it at work as well!  

NB: The source material for this poem is a webinar organized by Bija Training  on 3rd February 2021 featuring Mr Karthik Nagasundaram, Director TCS, Global alliances

Approach to Work

How well do you think 

you are doing your work? 

Is it something to be got done 

somehow, any which way? 

so you can be free from "this distasteful chore"   

Or is it something you adore

simply enjoy even as your perform it? 

It's all about the attitude 

if the attitude is right, you are motivated

to not just do work, but do it well!   

One's  ability doesn't count 

if the attitude is absent 

it is the seed, that provides strong roots and branches

basis for the flowering, blossoming of tree

ultimately providing healthy, wholesome fruits!  

Faulty seeds produce weak, unhealthy plant

that eventually wither away

so does a man's interest in work 

wane and wither away 

in the absence of  the seed of a good attitude!

Attitude- Indeed, it is  everything! 

Gender Diversity

Everyone is talking of diversity, these days

particularly of gender diversity 

we often hear laments 

of  how the fair sex 

is not adequately represented 

on the board or senior levels of management 

Studies have shown that performance

in terms of many parameters - economic and otherwise

is a lot better when the workforce is diverse 

also you find more "out of the box' thinking 

and effective team working 

amongst diverse work teams!   

So will replacing men 

with men like women solve the problem? 

Why is it believed that aggression & ruthlessness

are hallmarks of effective leaders? 

If we are to have more  women

why not those with  the big  natural strengths of women 

of compassion, concern, empathy and intuition?  

At senior levels, what perhaps most needed 

is men with with enhanced soft skills 

and more women, not alpha male caricatures

but those with genuine feminine attributes 

who'll lead more from the heart rather than the head!  

Time Out

 

Webinars galore to understand 

a pandemic that disrupted lives 

and changed our ways of working 

more of working from home 

and less of face to face interaction 

Having discussed threadbare 

and worn the hat of  futurist 

time now for less of prediction 

and more of action!     

Action to assuage feelings 

of alienation, fear, insecurity 

ensuring health, well being 

of those physically working at work place 

A little later, when we have practiced sufficiently

what we have preached and discussed 

we can meet again to exchange notes

on what worked, what didn't 

but for now, how about a time out?