Abhijit Bhaduri’s Blog
I write about careers, skills and the world of work. The cartoons and sketches are mine.
Don't Ban "Sensitive" Topics at Work
Should some topics be off-limits in the workplace? Some companies have started putting restrictions on what can and cannot be discussed at the workplace. Muzzling the employees may have unintended consequences.
The Experience Economy - II
To get the top 1% talent, the candidate experience has to be designed to attract the top 1%. These are people who are chased by head-hunters. You can't hire them. They have to want to work for you. Experiences create a pull that we cannot resist.
Business Standard Reviews Dreamers & Unicorns
Book Review - Dreamers and Unicorns: How Leadership, Talent and Culture are the New Growth Drivers - Pavan Lall
The Experience Economy - I
First it was all about designing better experiences for the customer experience (CX). Then there was a reluctant focus on Employee Experience (EX). Now it is time to shift to better design of Talent Experience (TalEx).
3 Sketchnotes on Persuasion
Once your boss gives you the go ahead for the project or idea, you are actually entering the most difficult part of the project. How to build enough enthusiasm to ensure success in implementing the idea. Persuading others is hard. Here are some ideas.
Book Review: Alchemy
In this book Rory Sutherland builds a case for magic and alchemy. In science, everything has one correct answer. Human behavior and choices are guided by context. Pain killers are more effective when they are effective. Savlon launched an antiseptic liquid that did not “burn” like their competitor Dettol. The consumer complained that Savlon was ineffective because there was no burning sensation. Read my review about Alchemy - a book I really enjoyed.
Does Scale Kill Innovation?
Saul Kaplan founder of Business Innovation Factory appeared as a guest on my show. I asked him if Business Innovation FACTORY (his organisation) proves that innovation needs scale! He talks about the 3 superpowers needed. Enjoy
Decoding and Designing Sound
When you go into an office, your brain picks up the sounds and tells you how to behave. If everyone talks in hushed tones, our behaviour automatically gets to be more mellow. The feeling of psychological safety can impact the level of creativity and innovation. It can change the level of belongingness that employees feel. That is the power of the intangibles
Sense, essence, job-crafting, Dorie Clark
The pandemic turned the workplace on its head. HR was expected to pitch in and help in business continuity. The employees had to be kept safe. Managers depended on HR for issues around compliance, toolkits, playbooks, new policies and legal advice (would domestic violence or an accident count as violence/ injury in the workplace?).
Relationship Retail - The Kirana Model
I grew up in India with the familiar sight of the kirana store - the neighbourhood grocery retailer. The store owner would know the exact brands of spices my mother bought every month. Every month he sent a box of groceries based on what our family used to purchase.
Pandora, Sitar, Paul-Naipaul, 1%
So even when we lose everything, as long as we have hope, we can battle any adversity. This quote below is an idea from Freud that I have paraphrased. If I am ever granted a wish, the superpower I would like to have is to be able to give hope to people
The Science of Talent Management
Talent Management based on science can be one of the most powerful investments that can impact business. The top 1% of talent in any field is way better than anyone else. How does your business discover talent and then nurture it?
Search Insights, Flexitarian, Multi-Gen, Creativity
Just like multiple generations in the workplace, the virtual world will also see multiple generations. Expect to see the generation gap to be even wider on the internet because Gen Z on the internet will not be the English speaking user. It will be someone who is far more tuned to the local issues and world around him or her. A billion new users will force the net to be more inclusive.
Workplaces will become flexitarian
Instead of the strict distinction between vegetarian and non-vegetarians, there seems to be another emerging category of “flexitarians”. Post vaccination, will remote work become the norm? I believe the flexitarian label will better describe the workplace.
Career Advice: Feeling Unwanted?
Here is a mail a reader sent to me.
“I work in a start-up manpower service provider, where I report to the director of the organisation. As we are flourishing, we have started constructing the hierarchy of the organisation …” and then …
Stress, Speaking, Timeless Skills, Toxic
If you are a leader you are constantly communicating with different people on different topics across different platforms to get different kinds of impact. Think of the various platforms you use every day to communicate with friends, family, colleagues, strangers etc. So what are some tips and hacks you can use to get better at public speaking?