TV....TV

The other day I happened to watch a few episodes of the serial 'Dekh Bhai Dekh', a serial which is considered an epitome of good comedy content on Indian Hindi TV. All for good reason. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And, guess what? I am hooked!!!

There was another one called 'Hip Hip Hurray', a serial about a school, the life and issues of teenagers. Another well made serial. Needless to say, I am hooked again!! :)) ...Well made, relevant, compelling content....well acted. Characters were as normal as anyone. Relevance addressed in a simple, understandable, relatable manner.

But, now-a-days....all normal has given way to Paranormal....family feuds and villainy (which would put the biggest mafia dons to shame!!!)....regression....crime!!!! Where is the normal person on TV???? Absolutely nothing to look forward to :((

Some channels are making a brave effort to revive good content. A lot of luck to the do gooders...We really need that. Can we dare hope that these bravehearts will  survive and get us some decent TV time? I for one, really hope so...

Words ...

Words spin stories. Words are dreams. Words are the reality. They hold the eternal truth and create magic....

The world of words is magical.  To live the tales thus spun is an experience beyond compare.

The feel of words...They are the horizon where the truth meets fiction, where past meets the present, present meets the future, where fairy tales meet the reality, where a story meets experience....

Take care of an organisations' best brand ambassadors ...

Best Brand Ambassador of an organisation, who is it?  The employee. Both current and past. How an organisation treats its people and how they perceive the organisation, is a very very key element of an organisation's DNA.

 A forward looking organisation will always emphasise on its relationship with its people. Many organisations are evolving today with a multi-generational workforce. To keep them engaged, motivated, focused & for them to desire a future with the company, is proving to be a case for Relationship Management than a mere HR function of hiring & induction. The diverse workforce has different needs and aspirations, influencing what drives them to look for a career with a particular organisation.

The professional scenario has evolved over the years with the employees becoming more crucial to the progress of an organisation. Employers are learning to treat them as assets to the company, whose growth and well being is critical to the upward graph of growth. It is imperative to key in various factors like professional growth, skill enhancement, training, competitive compensation, a conducive work environment, wellness etc while looking at engaging employees. Employee-Employer relationship needs to be nurtured by addressing the financial, social & emotional well being of employees holistically. An organisation which understands, accepts, customises while  implementing relationship management policies, keeping in mind  the diverse workforce, has a win-win situation in hand.

Policies and activities have to be segregated also based on functional levels, genders, age and responsibilities within the organisation. For eg., programmes for senior management  will differ from those for other levels. Considering for women facilities & perks for child care, thereby enabling them fulfill their professional ambitions while being there for the family, training in newer techniques for mid-level employees, health care for all etc, can help.

Employees, both current and past prove to be the best brand ambassadors and the key to the DNA of an organisation. An organisation is best defined by its employees, not by the management. The key to success  for any company is its biggest assets - its people. There are many companies whose work culture and employee friendly policies are an ample proof to this truth.

Am I dressed right?

What is the appropriate dress code for the workplace? There is a case for both formal power dressing and a more informal to casual dress code. Some studies say that a formal dress code at work is related positively to seriousness at work, motivation, focus, a feeling of greater power to meet challenges and thereby higher productivity. The atmosphere becomes more 'work place like' and employees feel more inclined to work seriously and it is business all the way  for organisations which have a formal dress code.  There is also a  point of view that a casual mode of dress at work might make the employees feel more relaxed towards their designated tasks and could result in sloppiness, less focus on the task at hand and extended timelines for completion of tasks.

At the same time, there are some who feel that if employees are allowed to dress a tad informally, they are happier, more relaxed, an easier equation exists between the bosses & team members, which in turn will positively impact the turnaround time for work.

US based business consultant Andrew Jensen has studied the correlation between office attire and productivity. He feels that it boils down to office atmosphere. In a relaxed environment, a casual attire will work without impacting productivity. In a more traditional set up, a casual attire may not be the best option. A formal, business like attire will work better in such an environment.

One of best ways to tackle this never ending debate, as per some experts, is to base the dress code at work on the environment at the organisation. In a more traditional environment specially one where employees need to deal with external customers, the dressing style can be formal. In a more relaxed environment, employees can be allowed to dress more casually.

It is a matter of perspective really. There is no one fit for all. The rules around dress code at companies have to be customised to the workplace environment and the companys' DNA.