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Travel More, Work Better – 5 Things Travel Teaches Us for the World of Work

Travel More, Work Better – 5 Things Travel Teaches Us for the World of Work

by | Aug 31, 2016 | Life, Managing Yourself, Motivation, Performance, World of Work

Some of the best lessons life teaches us are learnt on the road. And those of us who love travelling, know the value of these lessons and how they define us as human beings, in every dimension of our lives – be it work or play. At OBOlinx, we have been brainstorming about some of the lessons the road teaches us. Lessons that are equally important in the world of work as well. And here is what we came up with:

Things Travel Teaches Us – Courage:

Travel tests us about how brave we are, and if we can handle the situation before us with the courage it demands. When the road signs are unclear, blurred, but you need to take a judgment call and go ahead anyway. In the world of work, we are often required to take calculated risks which determine the nature of the path we carve out for ourselves in the course of our careers.

Things Travel Teaches Us – Resilience:

When you really, really want to see a place, be in a place, feel a place, you never give up. You find a way to get there. Out of sheer will and grit. Even if your vehicle fails you, even if it rains or snows on you, even if you realize it is going to be quite a journey. In the world of work, when you realize you love your job, despite the occasional lemons it may throw your way, you don’t give up, but try your best to get through it, to get to where you really want to be.

Things Travel Teaches Us – Curiosity:

Curiosity can be a desirable trait. To have a curious mind while traveling enables one to learn much more than a mind which follows “to-do” lists. Similarly, being curious at work (about your work), is a sign that you’ll never stop learning, and so you’ll never stop growing. Agree that curiosity doesn’t always kill the cat?

Things Travel Teaches Us – Motivation:

If there is one thing that can tire us, yet excite, challenge and motivate us at the same time, it is travel. There is something about the road, and the thrill of the destination, the journey, which is ever so inspiring. When you are doing what you love, there will be those inevitable times when you will not know which direction to head in. Yet, if you truly love your work, those very adversities will motivate you to keep walking, one step at a time.

Things Travel Teaches Us – Adaptability:

To be able to travel happily, one needs to possess at least some ability to adapt. Traveling means to endure change, discomfort, challenges and risks. To be able to plan and devise the best way forward as you go along – even when your original plan seems to be falling apart. Every day spent in the world of work requires us to constantly adjust and adapt to varying paces and situations. It requires us to shift out of our comfort zone in order to allow the learning process to catalyze. Unless you learn how to adapt to change in the world of work, survival and growth might be two things that will take you a long time to attain.

Isn’t it amazing how traveling changes your perspectives and enhances your abilities in such defining ways?  So if work is an excuse for you to not travel more, hey! we just took that excuse away from you. Travel more, work better 🙂

What are some of the amazing things you’ve learnt from travel which have come in handy in the world of work? We would love to hear about them!

Navigating a Career Crossroad – 5 Things No One Tells Us

Navigating a Career Crossroad – 5 Things No One Tells Us

by | Jul 26, 2016 | Career, First Job, Job Offers, Life, Managing Yourself

To be at a career crossroad, no matter at what stage of your career you are in, can be a truly unsettling feeling. To say that it is only normal for you to feel anxious and scared, might sound like we are belittling what you feel, but we only say so because we’ve been where you are. And though it may not seem so at the moment, it always passes. You may find a lot of advice coming your way, some solicited, but mostly unsolicited, and not know how to filter all of it. The purpose of this post is not to impose more advice on you, but to share with you things we wish someone had told us, which would surely have made navigating the career crossroad easy.

  1. It is alright to change your mind

    At times, we may think we want something, but along comes something else which we feel we may like better. During times like this, what we are usually told is to focus single mindedly on what we first looked forward to, and that changing your mind about a career option is not a wise move, but a fickle one. We would say, if you have thought it through and if there are other things that drive you more than what you initially were about to settle for, go for it.

  1. It is alright to not know what you want

    It is a typically Indian problem to have no say in what education we want to pursue, and hence what career we aspire to have. Crucial factors such as these are quite unfortunately socially determined. To realize that you do not know what you want, is one step towards progress. It is a step towards the fact that you are questioning the roles you are ‘expected’ to fill in. To not know what you want, is the first step towards finding out what you want.

  1. It is alright for you to take a break

    Taking a break at any point of time during your education, or your career, is almost considered a taboo in the Indian context, since it works against the established flow of the rat race we have all been a part of. Remember that taking a break only helps you think through things with more clarity and to truly discover what your calling is. And once you have discovered that, think about the “how” – remember that wisdom – a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step ? Use the time to break down your journey to  the stepping-stones you need to take to reach your calling.

  1. It is alright for you to not listen to anyone

    Like we said, most of the advice that would come your way during a career crossroad is unsolicited. You have every right to hear them but choose to not listen. Talking helps, sure, but choose the people talking to who calms you and makes you think clearly, instead of people who make you more anxious. This is where you need to open your Rolodex and get in touch with your team of trusted career advisors.

  1. It is alright for you to believe in your plan, even if no one else does

    At times, it becomes tough to even find a single person who believes in your plans for yourself.

    Even though they may love you, they may not have confidence in your plans, which will only pull you down. However, if you have thought it through and are sure about what you want (even if not 100%), put on blinkers and charge on. Go, make something happen!

Knowing these five things can truly make a difference to your stress levels when you are at a career crossroad – to care much less, and focus only on what is ahead of you, or on the goal you want to achieve. Telling yourself these five things every morning will help you shut out distractions and just stick to your plan of action, or if you don’t have one, it will help you come up with one! Remember that it is all a part of the game, and in retrospect, you will understand and appreciate how much you have learnt and grown in the process.

Job Seekers: Inspiration Alert! 15 Job Hunting Quotes from The Best

Job Seekers: Inspiration Alert! 15 Job Hunting Quotes from The Best

by | Feb 9, 2016 | Career, Communication, Interview, Job Offers, Life, Managing Yourself, Motivation, Resume, World of Work

Being in a limbo in one’s career can be truly frustrating, specially when you’ve been hunting for the perfect job but still haven’t been able to bag it. Even the best of us can’t help feeling dejected at times, during the overwhelming process of searching for a job. Some of us have mentors and friends guiding us through the process, egging us on and motivating us to keep going, while some of us are more solitary during this trying phase. Either way, sometimes simple words or images of motivation we ‘stumble upon’ make a big difference. It feels as though the universe is signaling us to keep going, and that the perfect job is just round the corner. It could be some odd graffiti we read on the streets, or the day’s horoscope being conducive to job hunt for the day, or a beautiful Calvin and Hobbes comic strip speaking to you in today’s newspaper, or some beautiful job hunting quotes that give you your very own eureka moment. As Paulo Coelho says in the Alchemist – We warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how. We hope this post has the intended effect of helping you believe that good things are coming your way, that if you are trying hard enough for the perfect job, you will get it!

Here are 15 job hunting quotes from the best – that will motivate you to keep calm and carry on with your job hunt! Buckle up for some inspiration!

1. “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” –Andrew Carnegie

2. “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”–Norman Vincent Peale

 

3. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”–Wayne Gretzky

4. “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s OK to fail. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.” –H. Stanley Judd

5. “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well”. —Martin Luther King

6. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” — Calvin Coolidge

7. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C. S. Lewis

 

8. “Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” — Unknown

9. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

10. “Successful business people don’t get ahead by wishing they had someone else’s job title, corner office, company car, or market share. They get ahead the mundane way, by doing more and doing it better. Envy is a monster with a gluttonous appetite. And it’s never satisfied. Pursue your goals, not someone else’s goals.” – James Dale

11. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, then build a door”. – Milton Berle

12. “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” –Alexander Graham Bell

13. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” –Maya Angelou

14. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too can become great.” – Mark Twain

15. “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” –Arthur Ashe

While we understand that it is always easier said than done, it is important to not let the pressure or anxiety get to you. The more anxious and nervous you become, the more hasty your decisions are. That’s one thing you don’t want to be while job hunting – ‘hasty’. The key to a successful job hunt is to never give up and to keep trying, because like Katharine Whitehorn says, “find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for it.” And until you’ve done that, don’t stop – just keep calm and keep job searching!

Did you enjoy reading our collection of job hunting quotes ? Which one reached out to you the most ? We would love to hear back from you.  And don’t forget to like and share – as we keep saying, everybody needs a little inspiration now and then to keep going!

Five Career Strategies to Maximize your Potential and Performance on your Job

Five Career Strategies to Maximize your Potential and Performance on your Job

by | Oct 12, 2015 | Career, Leadership, Life, Management, Managing Yourself, Motivation, Office Etiquette, Performance, Productivity, World of Work

Do you believe that the Performance Appraisal systems in your workplace actually work for you? Chances are that you don’t and you are in “good” company here. A study done by Sibson’s Consulting found that Only 30 percent of the study respondents (750 individuals, primarily senior-level human resources (HR) professionals) reported that their employees trust the performance-management system. Given that formal performance appraisals don’t seem to be working as well as they should to give employees their due, one needs to take charge of his/her career and have a self performance management system in place to ensure career growth and commensurate rewards.  Just being good at your work, efficient and cooperative is not enough – it takes more than that to grow and be successful at the workplace today no matter what your job role or level is.

So how does one take charge of their own performance management and hence the rewards arising out of it? What practical steps and behaviors are needed at the work place to ensure a positive outcome at the job? Here are five career strategies drawn out from my experience and analysis with my team and peers of what works:

Career Strategy #1: Work Hard AND Smart – Yup, there is no escaping working hard if you want to be successful. People on the outer edges of the performance bell curve are usually workaholics. But you also need to be smart here – learn to say no to work or assignments that do not fit into your goals early on. Else you are sucked into the vortex of work alcoholism with no real benefit to yourself – doing work that you do not enjoy doing helps no one in the long run. If your heart is not in it, you will not be performing at your best levels. So choose wisely and then be 100 % dedicated to your work.

Career Strategy #2: Promote yourself – This was a hard-earned lesson for me. I had always believed that my work will speak for itself and rewards may be delayed but will never be denied. But then, who has time to wait? You cannot afford to be shy if you want your work to be recognized.  Be aware of your worth and don’t settle for less. You have to be your own marketing manager and actively market the value that you bring in to your manager, department and organization. Make sure people know who you are and what you do. Make your achievements and contributions visible as and when they happen and not just list them at appraisal time. A good way to keeps track of your achievements is also to make your resume a work in progress document that you keep updated as when you achieve a milestone.

Career Strategy #3: Get a mentor or two or three – The advantage of having a mentor at your work (or outside) is multifold. A mentor can help you see a situation differently, identify your key skills and where you need to develop yourself and be someone in your corner when you need some additional support. Look around you to find people who you admire and are role models for where you want to be. Don’t limit yourself to one mentor. You might look to one for  domain expertise, to another for industry expertise, and yet another for personal scenarios when you need practical and helpful advice or brainstorming. And if you are lucky to find a great mentor, invest in that relationship and make sure that you too provide support when your mentor needs it.

Career Strategy #4: Build a network early on – “No man/woman is an island” as they say and in the work scenario, this is amplified. Build a strong and trusted support system of peers at your work place. Draw upon each other’s strengths to get ahead and for back up when you need it. Stay close and vent, strategize and have plain and simple fun within your group. I have also found this to be a good antidote to fight against any negativity (read office politics) in the environment. As you move up in your company or switch jobs or roles, be proactive in building your contact base and staying in touch. You never know who may be of help in boosting your career (and this works both ways) and serendipity often strikes when you are prepared for it. Social media makes this easy nowadays and LinkedIn is a great place to achieve this. There is rich content on the web on maximizing your returns from LinkedIn and here is one from an expert to get you started (http://dngraham.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/five-points-to-consider-before-participating-on-linkedin/).

Career Strategy #5: Keep Learning and Stay Positive – Being a lifelong learner is essential for your career success when skills, technologies and market requirements are changing so rapidly. Not only do you need to be open to new experiences and keep learning to convert your weaknesses to strengths but also to be current and relevant in today’s job market. Set your own training goals for the year and make sure that you keeping adding new skills and knowledge to your repertoire. Limit your exposure to negative environments and people – these are energy suckers and if you are not careful, you would soon be working on fulfilling someone else’s agenda instead of your own. Remain positive and true to your own performance plan and keep moving forward on the goals that you have set for yourself – so much more productive than being distracted by negative office politics or complaint-sessions.

Maximizing your performance and potential on your job needs you to take control of your own career plan – be the CEO of YOU Inc. Be fiercely intentional about where you want to be, know your worth and be BODACIOUS (one of my favourite words – meaning a combination of Remarkable, Courageous, Audacious, Spirited) at work.

I leave you with these words from Abraham Lincoln: Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.

What would you add to the list above as necessary strategies to Thrive and not just Survive at work? What has worked or not worked for you? I would love to hear back and learn from you.

5 Inspirational Hollywood Movies You Must Watch

5 Inspirational Hollywood Movies You Must Watch

by | Oct 1, 2015 | Life, Motivation, Productivity

If art is a window on society, and film is the seventh art form, then the question ‘do films reflect or represent reality’ seems to answer itself. Albeit you probably need to look beyond the usual Hollywood claptrap in order to find relevant examples.
~ Martin Guttridge-Hewit

So we sifted through the claptrap and have brought to you five inspirational Hollywood movies (in no particular order), that you absolutely must watch. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and if you’ve been wondering why Oorja Biz Ops has been focusing on literature and media lately, it is because only when you immerse yourself in these creative zones that you will (hopefully) imbibe some of the creativity. If inspiration doesn’t walk up to you and say hello, you need to find it and trap it in a little vial which you will have to refill every now and then. 🙂

  1. Whiplash – The story is about an ambitious young drummer and an arrogant and horrible teacher, the drummer needs the teacher, the teacher needs this student. They grow to hate each other ferociously. What results is victory for both, the teacher and the student. How is that even possible? You have to watch the movie to find out. The movie is about passion, dreams and achieving them no matter how hard life kicks you below the belt. An added bonus is the beyond amazing sound score. If this movie doesn’t inspire you, nothing ever will! Also, the movie couldn’t have been named more aptly!
  1. Forrest Gump – Forrest (Tom Hanks) is slow-witted, but has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, thanks to his mother and her upbringing. Life happens to him after he steps out of home. The movie unfolds seamlessly, moving swiftly through Forrest’s life and the challenges he faces in his struggle to be around people who are not as simple-minded as him. A large part of the movie is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and is quite telling of the times. No challenge seems to overwhelm Forrest, it is his childhood love who is his anchor – what happens when the person he cares about most, is also going to be the hardest to save? A must watch, and a standing ovation for Tom Hanks!

 

  1. The Shawshank Redemption- Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) has been wrongly convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life imprisonment terms for the murders of his wife and her lover – at the Maine’s Shawshank prison. If “survival of the fittest” could be expressed in the most graphic and telling way, it would be this movie. The story is about survival, friendship and ultimately, redemption. Ironically – redemption from a wrong he never committed. A movie that will always feature in lists of “All Time Inspirational Movies”!
  1. Schindler’s List- Set against the background of the holocaust and war, the movie is a bone chilling account of what it was like to be a Jew in Nazi Germany. Oskar Schindler is a businessman who plans on making a fortune from the ongoing war (World War II). He joins the Nazi party to prove his political affiliations and thinks it pragmatic to employ Jewish workers at his factory. When Hitler starts exterminating the Jews, he arranges for the safety of his workers so that his factory could continue with its operations. However, soon he realizes that it is not just his fear of running into a loss which is a concern, but also the more important fact that he is saving innocent human lives. To even imagine now that such atrocities were possible, seems impossible. But what the movie is, is simply a reflection of history. Beautifully directed, the movie leaves you thinking if you have it in you to make a difference, no matter how small.
  1. Dead Poets Society – Dear Robin Williams, thank you for being so amazing and may you rest in peace. The movie is a classic, and never fails to inspire you, no matter how many times you watch it. The story is about a legendary teacher who believes firmly that a student learns more from the world, than inside a classroom. An anchor for his students, he urges them to break out of their shells and explore the true meaning of the phrase – carpe diem! This movie makes one realize that all of us do have wings, but we prefer to keep them clipped. Once again, a must watch!

Of course these can’t be the only five movies and of course you disagree with us. So tell us about your all-time favourite inspirational Hollywood movies which leave you feeling charged up and ready to take on the world! And don’t forget to check out our five must-watch inspirational Bollywood movies, if you haven’t already.

5 Inspirational Bollywood Movies You Must Watch

5 Inspirational Bollywood Movies You Must Watch

by | Sep 21, 2015 | Life, Motivation, World of Work

There is some amount of discomfort while juxtaposing inspirational alongside Bollywood. What the phrase ‘Bollywood’ conjures in our heads is illogical song, dance, and mostly inspiration that we are better off without. That may be a stinging thing to say, however, I wonder if many would disagree. On the brighter side, the times, they are changing! We always have had great movies and still continue to make them. Different movies touch different people, but some movies are quite universally moving. Here is a list of five inspirational Bollywood movies [arranged in no particular order] that will leave you feeling moved, motivated, inspired. See if your favourites made this list (and tell us if they didn’t!).

 

  1. Anand – Some old is truly gold. This 1971 Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna starrer is a must watch – regardless of whether you are already a very inspired and motivated individual! While the story might sound familiar and seem like its old candy in new wrapper, you can watch it and still be very moved by it. Amitabh Bachchan plays a cancer doctor, and the story revolves around him and a patient of his – Anand (Rajesh Khanna), who discovers he is terminally ill and pledges to make the best of the time he has. The doctor’s experience with the patient leaves a profound impression on him, and so he writes a heartrending bestseller based on recorded interviews with Anand. A true depiction of our philosophy – Be Happy in the Now!
  1. Ship of Theseus – Anand Gandhi’s debut film, and one that has certainly made Indians very proud. It is truly a relief to observe that more and more people seem to have a stomach for alternative cinema, as opposed to the clichés and bling of Bollywood. The movie brings together three very different people from different walks of life, and concludes with how they are integrally connected to each other. The ‘how’ if I give away, will be a spoiler. Inspired by the paradox of Theseus – ‘if all parts of a ship were replaced by exactly the same parts, would it still be the same ship?’ The movie accomplishes the difficult job of portraying the paradox in all its complexity – through a rich tapestry of human experiences.
  1. Queen – A breath of fresh air in what we have so far called mainstream Bollywood. The story is about a Delhi based girl and how her life changes dramatically when her fiancé (and long-time boyfriend) breaks off the marriage. “Rani”, still decides to go on her ‘honeymoon’ – without her husband. While some call it feminism, I would say it is more about how travel and exposure (which has got nothing to do with being a feminist!) changes you and defines you as a person. You think you are someone, but it is only when you allow yourself to experience that you discover who you really are. And the discovery never really ends!
  1. English Vinglish – This movie was considered to be the “comeback” for Bollywood’s beloved – Sridevi. Contrary to what you may expect from a Sridevi starrer, this movie has its share of surprises for the audience. The movie has your attention right from the beginning, all the way to the end. Sridevi, plays the role of an ideal wife, mother and daughter. The problem is, she cannot speak in English – which has been a matter of great shame for her husband and children. When suddenly she has to go to the United States to attend her niece’s wedding, the alienation she faces in a foreign country because of her inability to converse in English, dares her to start taking spoken English classes. And that is the first step she takes for herself on the path to self-discovery. A truly motivational and inspiring flick and one that shouts out very subtly that it is never too late to learn!
  1. Stanley ka Dabba – Amole Gupte’s directorial debut is a beautiful movie which will bring back the memories of the yesteryears when we were all school kids. Stanley our protagonist is an expert story teller and quite a favorite amongst his classmates. However, behind his lively garb are the realities of life the child has to negotiate with. The movie delves into exploring the classroom and school dynamics and captures truthfully, how children emote. Why is this movie on this list if it is a movie about children? Well, when you watch it, you will realize, even though we are all grown-ups, we are still the same we were as children, in very many ways. It may be ‘about’ children, but it is not exclusively ‘for’ children! 🙂

We hope you liked the list of Inspirational Bollywood Movies we drew up for you, and if you did, be sure to tune in to the next post which is about 5 Inspirational Movies You Must Watch – Hollywood!