Abhijit Bhaduri’s Blog
I write about careers, skills and the world of work. The cartoons and sketches are mine.
Freshworks IPO and Co-Innovation
With business models being in a state of flux, the businesses have no choice but to become digital. That means breaking apart the current model and simplifying the customer’s experience. Simplification adds speed.
The future of citizenship
Citizenship is a funny thing. Most of us are born into it. Some choose to keep it. Some acquire it. Some are invited to take it. Some seek refuge and get it. There are many shades of citizenship. Ever since work moved to the cloud, the mobile phone has become more powerful than the passport.
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 …
Your personal brand is an insurance policy
The impact of these three forces pales in comparison to the impact of Covid-19 in the job market. Millions of people have lost their jobs. People realize that their business card can no longer borrow the brand value of their employer. Even if the employer provides outplacement services (like RiseSmart) to the impacted employee, without a strong personal brand, the person is just another resume in the pile. Without a personal brand, an individual gets lost among the 650 million people on LinkedIn.
Engaging the audience over video
Do you hate selling your ideas through video calls? All of us now run meetings, give presentations and even sell ideas through video-conferences. People simply take whatever they would have done in person and present it through the camera. Teachers across the world are offering their classes online. That experience of learning online through videos is so bad that several students plan to defer their admission to next year when they can attend classes in person.
Video Calling? Think Like a Vlogger
I asked a friend who creates video blogs and hence is a vlogger. Many of us now need to use video calling to stay connected to work. Here is what he said, "Who knows video calling better than a vlogger? They use their videos to capture the attention of millions of viewers. When you are video calling your colleagues, you are using the same medium of the video. It is the new medium you are using to share your ideas. It is your new medium to influence the world. So think like a vlogger."
My peer became my boss
I always believe that a transition is like the trapeze act you may have seen. When a performer releases the bar and is caught by another performer, the "catcher," who hangs by his or her knees on another trapeze. After the first performer leaves the trapeze bar and is held by the colleague, for a brief period of time the performer is in mid-air without any support. Transitions are like that in-between moment. They are scary but manageable.
Organizing a conference? Read this
This may be a good time to rethink the conference. Here are a few easy fixes:1. The audience approves the speakers: Get the speakers to do a short 1-minute video of the topic they wish to speak about. Share the names of the speakers and their topic on the conference website. Let the people vote for the topic and the speaker. Those who are paying have a right to decide which speaker is worth their time.
Ignored by colleagues after returning from long leave
I had taken a sabbatical of 2 1/2 years due to medical reasons. I resumed work after full recovery. on my return, I am being treated differently by my coworkers and managers, who think I am still unfit. I’m not given key assignments. And whenever some crucial work comes my way, it is on sympathetic grounds. Even if they involve me in certain activities, it’s merely a formality. I feel very isolated. What should I do to ensure my career get a boost and I am treated equally at the workplace?
Younger boss less experience
Reporting to someone younger is hurting your ego. Get over that mindset. It is archaic. You may had team members who had more experience or better qualifications than you. The work output is what matters. The years of experience and qualifications has limited value in the job market after a few years. The same goes for credentials. When a song becomes a hit, we do not care how old the singer is and if the singer holds a degree in music. Employers are no different.
Collaboration changes the experience of work
echnology has changed the way we experience work. Technology has made so many things accessible to everyone. Think about how photography has changed. The smartphone camera is getting better with each passing year. It has turned an average photographer into a shutterbug. The amateur photographers have access to different lenses in their phones. The phone uses computational photography to create images that are stunning. We all feel comfortable posting photos on Instagram thanks to the range of filters we can choose from to enhance the look of the photograph. Expertise has been commoditised. Amateurs are using technology to force experts in every field to move up the value-chain.
My boss does not have time to mentor me
Mentoring someone needs someone to have the skills as well as the desire to invest time and commit towards your success. Else many mentors simply use the time to tell the mentee about their own achievements. Being a good listener and having empathy makes someone a good mentor.Create a Board of Mentors from your own organization. Build a set of 4-5 people you will seek advice from. I have always had a group of mentors to learn from. I find it wonderful to get a variety of ideas and perspectives on the same problem.
Outplacement is a new ship, not a lifeboat
The outplacement firm acts as a bridge between the last employer and the potential employer. More often than not, the discharged employee tries to land a role in a firm within the industry. However, that is not always the case. In fact, post-layoff is a great opportunity for individuals to use this event as an opportunity to change to a different industry or to stay within the same industry but change roles. Finally, the most liberating option may be to use the career coach to explore a transition to a completely different career altogether.
HR decisions by AI will be hard to implement
In hiring someone, the algorithm needs a human to define what the "correct answer" to look for. What should the ideal candidate be? What criteria should the machine look for, while comparing two candidates? While the machine may recommend a candidate who has a higher degree (eg a candidate with a Masters degree is preferred to a candidate with a Bachelors), it may eliminate a candidate who is a better team player because that is hard to define.
Workplace Advice: When the boss is having an affair with a team member
Q: My boss is having an affair with a junior staff in the firm. She has been given special status and she dominates the office. He offers her special privileges which others don't get, such as being present in interactions with the top management from the headoffice. Taking advantage of the situation, the lady in question is also talking negatively about us behind our backs. Please suggest how one can handle such a tricky situation?
Colleagues speak in a language I don't understand
Using a “pull method” is always better than throwing the rule-book at your colleagues. Besides, it is not illegal to speak in a different language. You may not be able to control how your colleagues behave, but you can control your response to the situation.
