A Repository Of My Articles Featuring In 'The Hindu - OPPORTUNITIES'

EQUIP STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

2012-05-19T04:56:00.005-07:00

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3423617.ece Published on May 16, 2012 Most educational institutions excel at developing the intellectual skills of students and prepare them for academic success. Teachers too concentrate on nurturing the young minds in the best way possible – but what about their heart, spirit and emotions? Pause and think – isn't

WORKING WOMEN AND THE EXAM SEASON

2012-04-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325873.ece Published on April 18, 2012 Picture this: It is almost 7 p.m. by the time working mothers reach home after a full day's work. There is an exam the next day but the children are sleepy with rapidly waning attention. Not to mention that dinner is yet to be cooked. Time is in short supply; stress levels are

CORE STANDARDS OF TEACHING

2012-04-18T05:52:00.003-07:00

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325872.ece Published on April 18, 2012 All teaching is designed towards preparing students for success in such a way that they emerge as responsible and grounded adults of tomorrow. Teachers are the guideposts that show them the way for achieving high-quality paths ahead. But attaining such meaningful development

EMOTIONAL SKILLS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN TECHNICAL SKILLS

2012-04-18T05:41:00.002-07:00

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325871.ece Published on April 18, 2012 It goes without saying that team leaders need to be highly intelligent, skilled, knowledgeable and experienced as well as energetic, determined, forceful and charismatic. Analytical reasoning, big-picture thinking, visionary mindset and inherent charisma form a crucial part of

DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP IS THE FUTURE TREND

2012-04-18T05:38:00.002-07:00

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325875.ece Published on April 18, 2012 Traditional bureaucratic structures have clearly given way to new, flatter forms in hierarchies, team-based structures and permeable boundaries in today's organisations. There is no longer a ‘great man at the top' as such. Yet, most work teams are still frozen in the traditional

TEACHING IN TODAY'S INSOLENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

2012-03-22T19:13:00.005-07:00

Published on March 21. 2012 Time was when ‘Acharya Devo Bhava' - treat your teacher as you would treat God – was the innate philosophy. Educational institutions were revered as temples of learning and teachers literally worshipped for their esteemed role in imparting knowledge. A far cry from today's defiant times where students care two hoots about respect for authority. Educational

COMBATING JOB MONOTONY

2012-03-22T19:12:00.001-07:00

Published on March 21. 2012 It is true – you can actually be bored to death in a monotonous job! According to a recent report, “Those who are very bored are two and a half times more likely to die of a heart problem than those who aren't…” What's more, various surveys peg that only 15-20% of workers are truly satisfied with their jobs; the rest fluctuate from discontent to jaded to

LEVERAGE SOCIAL NETWORKING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

2012-02-22T01:08:00.003-08:00

Published on February 22, 2012 Social networking forums are spiralling in popularity as people round the world use them to stay in touch with family and friends – be it to strengthen relationships, renew old bonds, forge new ones or just have fun. With social media taking off at an unprecedented pace, their utility has crept into various organisational functions as well. And, with more and

THE BITE OF THE 'GOLDEN HANDCUFFS'

2012-02-22T01:07:00.000-08:00

Published on February 22, 2012 Varun is about to leave his job. Fed up of the boredom and bad management, he has finally made up his mind and nothing can sway him. Just then the boss totters into his cabin brandishing an unbelievably flattering perk/bonus in his face. Unable to believe his luck, he immediately laps up the tempting bait. Alas, Varun has just shackled himself to the company

ETIQUETTE RULES FOR HOSTING OFFICE PARTIES

2012-02-22T01:05:00.001-08:00

Published on February 22, 2012 It's very true that we do not need an excuse to party! Today, even corporate parties have become the norm rather than the exception. In fact, office gatherings are regularly organised to encourage employees to socialise. A company-sponsored social event is always just around the corner – sometimes for celebrating a festival or a holiday, sometimes for bidding

FOOTWEAR DESIGNING - THE NEW AGE CAREER

2012-02-10T03:19:00.000-08:00

Published on February 1, 2011 Footwear has evolved from a mere necessity and comfort to a chic style statement in today's ultra fashion-conscious world. Everything from flats, sandals and stilettos to boots and sportswear rule the roost. In fact, what we wear on our feet matters as much as the clothes we adorn! With the burgeoning demand for fresh designs and interesting concepts, the time

WHAT HOLDS WOMEN BACK?

2012-02-10T02:55:00.000-08:00

Published on February 1, 2012 Be it leadership roles, corner offices or corporate boards – the top echelons still seem to be primarily male-dominated bastions. I can see the argument coming: What about Indra Nooyi (CEO, PepsiCo), Vinita Bali (MD, Britannia) Chanda Kochhar (MD, ICICI Bank) and Shikha Sharma (MD, Axis Bank) who have reached the top? Well, these are obviously just a handful

EXTEND COMMON COURTESY AT WORK

2012-02-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

Published on February 1, 2012 Professional workplace etiquette has all but disappeared in the workplace. The fast-paced business environment renders us aggressive, ill-tempered and discourteous towards one and all. Indeed, common courtesies take a backseat to more ‘pressing' things like being productive, meeting deadlines and getting ahead at work. In the flurry of activities, it genuinely

CARVE A CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL CALLIGRAPHER

2011-12-10T02:58:00.001-08:00

Published on October 5, 2011 It can't get more offbeat than this! Calligraphy – the art of beautiful writing – opens a unique career option to write words in different stylish and creative ways. Creating fancy scripts with various flat and oblique nibs is at the least, a very expressive profession that offers a chance to unleash your artistic potential. “The physical feel of writing is

ORGANISATIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS PREGNANT EMPLOYEES

2011-12-10T02:52:00.001-08:00

Published on November 16, 2011 The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 explicitly prohibits discrimination against women employees due to pregnancy, childbirth or other related medical conditions. Any contravention before or after childbirth is expressly punishable with fine as well as imprisonment! Accordingly, most organisations adopt the politically-correct stance of facilitating an inclusive

TOWARDS A PREGNANCY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE

2011-12-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

Published on November 23, 2011Why do women still have to choose between having a career and having a baby? Why are they left with little choice but to opt out of the workforce or at best, scale down their ambitions? Unsympathetic organisations do not realise that not only are they doing female staff a disservice, but also losing out on good employees! What's more, discriminatory practices

BEING PREGNANT AT WORK

2011-12-10T02:50:00.000-08:00

Published on November 30, 2011A pregnancy is the time to rejoice as a woman prepares to welcome her baby into the world – in fact it's probably the most exciting event of her life. Yet, a sense of foreboding overshadows the unbridled joy, i.e. for working women at least. Work-related issues like when to inform the employer, how colleagues/managers will react, maternity leave, job security

COMING BACK TO WORK AFTER THE BABY

2011-12-10T02:47:00.000-08:00

Published on December 7, 2011 The maternity leave is up before you know it and very soon its time to return to work. And after weeks of nursing and diaper-changing, you are most probably looking forward to the adult company and normal duties even while dreading leaving behind the baby. But if you thought working during pregnancy was tough, you don't know what it's like to return to work (be

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE

2011-09-01T01:49:00.000-07:00

Published on August 31, 2011 Female emancipation is touching new highs with more and more women entering the workforce. But this comes with its own woes as sexual harassment is an increasingly common occurrence in almost all offices.Men – employers, superiors, colleagues, subordinates, clients, routinely take advantage of unequal relative terms and positions of authority and consider women

LICENSE TO HACK

2011-08-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Published on July 27, 2011 Information theft has reached terrifying proportions - computer-savvy criminals maliciously attack network security systems and steal confidential information, intercept data transfer, hack email accounts, spread viruses and even commit identity theft. All that hackers need is an infinitesimal loophole to breach the most secure corporate, bank or even government

STAYING UP-TO-DATE

2011-08-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Published on July 27, 2011Working women do have their work cut out for themselves. Anything they can do, the men can ALWAYS ‘do it better'! Fight it all you want to but let's face it, the working world often does get stereotypical and gender-biased. Women have to work all the more harder and about the only way to survive and make it to the top is to keep yourself current and up-to-date. Know

Beware, Internet abounds with fraudulent job offers

2011-07-05T03:23:00.000-07:00

Published on March 16, 2011 The World Wide Web has emerged as a powerful job search tool. Job aspirants upload their resumes on job portals, apply to job ads and respond to job emails hoping to land that dream job. Indeed this has proved providential for many a jobseeker. Yet every good thing is riddled with some hitches.The web is home to numerous online scammers who use every trick in the book

When people pour cold water on your ideas, be cool, reply firmly

2011-07-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

Published on Jan 5, 2011 You are super-excited about a novel plan to help your team move forward or eagerly offer a suggestion to solve a looming problem. Else, you are absolutely gung-ho about successfully winding up a tough project or closing a monumental deal.Just as you begin to express your passion and enthusiasm, round comes a co-worker brimming with negative comments that disparage your

Negotiate pay before signing job offer

2011-07-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

Published on Jan 5, 2011So, your job interview goes superbly and the recruiter closes the offer by stating a salary figure. What is your reaction – aren't you more than ready to lap up the job and excitedly say yes!Most people are desperate for a job and snap up the first price named by the interviewer. Negotiating for more never even crosses their mind. In fact, even suggesting the same evokes

The science of self-discipline

2011-07-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

Published on March 2, 2011 One thing common to almost all workplaces is an endless list of rules, regulations, policies and protocols. Every employee manual is overflowing with ‘Do this…', ‘Don't do that….', ‘If you do this……' and so on. This control mechanism imposes fines, penalties, demotions, transfers and even dismissals based on the degree of violation. Yet, the strict, threatening and dire