Traditionally, the role of a woman was to nurture the family and the role of a man was to provide. Abiding by the tradition, women never got a chance to explore themselves. With economic progress, access to education, urbanization, equality and liberalization, we see more women moving towards a work culture. Now, whether this is right for the society or not, will always remain debatable. Today women are opting for business for various reasons. It could be for financial independence, security, passion, creating a personal identity and so on. No one should be judgemental about women doing business.
Being a woman, handling two different work portfolios, one being the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Shilp Group, a leading real estate company in Ahmedabad and the other being the owner of Arrow Fitness Hub, I know what it really means for a woman to step out. A woman wears multiple hats in a day and manages it all so efficiently. While running a business, she doesn’t forget that she is a nurturer too. When women are at work, they are always more sincere. The sole reason behind this is that they are compromising so much when they step out – their children, their homes, their family. Hence, women want to make each and every minute at work productive. We must salute this spirit of women. Women also make better managers owing to attributes like emotional intelligence. They have the power of looking at everything from both the rational and the emotional perspective and then making decisions. Being high on soft skills and emotional intelligence gives women an edge while dealing with people. Business is all about getting the right people on the bus and then managing them well.
Women do not need sympathy, they need encouragement. The increasing presence of women as entrepreneurs is changing the demography of business completely and is also contributing to the economic growth. We need to aim for sustainable growth of women entrepreneurs and move towards creating a balanced growth in the country.
Women are both creative and analytical, bold as well as emotional. Women do not need empowerment; they only need to be given equal opportunities and respect. Soon there will be a time that will not necessitate writing on topics like these because we will all understand that men and women have different backgrounds and thought processes and a workplace needs all of that.
The thrill of getting a fixed amount at the beginning of each month is unbeatable. The world is moving fast and is full of cut throat competition. Appraisal time is approaching and we are looking forward to a good rating on our performance. We all vie for more attention, more benefits and more perks. If you want to sustain and remain at the top of the mind of your employers, here are 5 essential things to do:
Prove your worth
Your employer must always look at you as an asset for the organisation. Liabilities are best forgotten. It must be our constant endeavor to prove that we are the right fit for the job. We must not only look at fulfilling our key performance parameters but must exceed it as much as possible. Most often employers are ready to take a big hole in their pocket for a desirable candidate. Try and be that one employee your boss was always looking for.
Stick around in tough times
Tough times can come in the life of an individual as well as an organisation. We can all share good time with each other, but as a general rule, people who participate in sorrows are always remembered. Staying by the organisation in turbulent times gives you an edge and establishes you as a trustworthy, dependable member of the organisation.
Be open to challenges
KRAs and competency building are inevitable but there is always something beyond that. Every employer wants people who go beyond the call of duty and are open to new arenas for development. People who take initiatives and ownership are always welcome. Self motivated employees who take accountability for their actions are cherished by every manager.
Be a problem solver
If you are the one who is performing the task, you must know the ins and outs. The boss need not always be the more creative one. A boss always appreciates people who come to them not with problems but with solutions. It just builds up to your impression and your image takes a flight.
Attitude attitude attitude
Group of businessmen have a different solution for a challenging labyrinth
Almost any manager would happily train his employees on knowledge of products or processes. He or she would also readily give all the skills needed to perform the job well. But one thing that every manager wants in an employee is the right attitude. It is difficult and tedious to shape someone’s attitude. Universally, every company needs people with the right approach and mindset.
Flattery has given way to organic performance today. Nothing can beat a forward looking professional who is passionate about self-development and ambitious to climb the ladder. Creating good impressions takes a lot of effort but the process of doing that becomes a learning curve.
Summer is approaching and my wardrobe definitely needs some breeze. The winter coziness now needs to be replaced with summer fun. Come summer and my wardrobe goes lighter. Here are some of my summer essentials:
Whites and lots of them
I am a total believer of basics and white remains my favourite child. You will find a variety of white shirts and tees in cotton and linen in my wardobe. I pair them creatively with my jeans, pants, skirts and shorts. They are my effortless besties and help me stay cool, away from the scorching sun.
Denims
Not just any denims, I prefer my summer weight denims in this hot weather. Baggy fit is the most preferred one along with wide legged pants that allow the air to pass. Boyfriend jeans are also my all-time favourite summer staple, they give me style and relaxation – the perfect vibe for the sunny weather. I prefer the lighter shades of blue and grey to keep it summer casual.
Flowy one-pieces
Nothing can beat my super flowy one-pieces in summer. I prefer to wear them in subtle florals and abstract patterns with zero textures and breathable fabrics. From shorter lengths to graceful long ones, I adore them in any form. When paired with one-sided slings and scrappy sandals, they are my go-to ensemble for a quick coffee or even lunch.
Shirt dresses
Shirt dresses for me double up for a casual evening to a formal office wear. From denim to khadi, shirt dresses can be made in a variety of fabrics, we just need to choose the right piece from the right place that takes care of our needs.
Cotton Sarees
Cotton is always the most sought after fabric. Kota Doria is even more breathable and light weight. I have a penchant for this six yards. I just feel so comfortable having it draped around me oozing grace and elegance.
These are a few of my favourite things. What about you?
Human being or Human Resource? How do you treat your employees? When we treat our employees as resources, it somehow, takes away the emotions and the connect that we have with each other. The moment we think of them as human beings, we immediately embrace them with their positives and negatives. The world is moving at a lightning speed where we don’t get time to stop by and analyse ourselves, let alone others.
Compassion is the quality of being there with someone without even been asked for. Compassionate management doesn’t come easy to all. Being compassionate means getting involved with people. This involvement entails understanding people, their strengths, shortcomings, skills and weaknesses. It also means stepping into the zone of others to see what they are going through. Spending time with people might seem like a time consuming affair to most but only the ones who do it would know the long term benefits of engagement.
Most organisations have started operating differently since pandemic. They have also realised the potential for growth the digital way. Engagement however is critical to the organisation. Many leaders believe that being compassionate is equivalent to being weak. But there are plenty of reasons that disregard this thought. It is in fact true that when employees feel cared for, their performance shows a rise. Not only that, it also boosts their morale and loyalty for the organisation.
There are few points that help to build a compassionate workplace:
A conducive culture An environment of trust and credibility Engagement and employee development Transparently laid out rules and policies
Pandemic has made us all realise that artificial intelligence might be the way forward but human connections are inevitable and mean the most to us in testing times.
Sustainable fashion is something that we are all aiming for. Being sustainable could mean different things for different people. We need to know the philosophies that we are supporting while we make our purchase decisions. End of the day, we all want that our wardrobe needs to appeal to our senses and be productive at the same time. This might seem difficult in the first go, but it’s actually easy. Here are 5 fashion rules to live by would be:
Having Clothing staples
Aim to have a wardrobe that has a fair mix of basics and costume pieces. Ideally, a wardrobe must have 70% of basics which includes classic pieces like simple tees, denims, jackets and solid one-pieces and 30% costume pieces including flowy florals, blingy one-pieces, party casuals and the likes. If you can ensure this, you are most likely sorted.
Mix and matchability
Ensuring we have more basics, solids and classics in our wardrobe helps us to create new outfits each day. This not only creates interest but also helps us with a new look each day. A floral top can be paired easily with a blue denim for a casual coffee and the same when paired with a blazer can serve as an appealing fashion formal for a dressy afternoon. We need to have the knack of creating clusters with few garments and accessories.
Re-loving clothes
Clothes that were once in trend and were our hot favourite may now no longer hold any value in today’s trend. These are most likely costume pieces which sadly would have been worn by us less than 5 times. One of the best ways to utilise the same could be to redesign these clothes or even detach some parts of them and use them in another costume. This way we remain in trend with some of the most attractive pieces and at the same time protect the environment.
Removing the wardrobe orphans
Clothes that have been lying untouched and unworn in your closet for more than 6 months are truly the discarded ones. For sake of emotions or belongingness, we might want to retain them. But the fact is that these are clothes that we don’t like much for one reason or the other. Removing them not only frees up the space in the cupboard but also declutters our mind. We can then shop for new ones with more freedom and less guilt.
Know your personal style
Being more informed about what we like and what suits us always makes up for a good and productive wardrobe. Going blindly behind fashion might not always be the best idea. It is important to know our clothing choices in terms of line, colour, shape, pattern and textures. If only we have clarity on these, each piece in our wardrobe would speak for who we are. After all, fashion is what we make out of it.
