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The World of Work and the Game of Thrones Season Finale – A Takeaway

The World of Work and the Game of Thrones Season Finale – A Takeaway

by | Sep 1, 2017 | Career, Management, Motivation, World of Work

Season 7 of the series that broke the internet, Game of Thrones concluded recently. But here we are, thirsting for more and contemplating about what’s really going to happen. Who is finally going to lay claim to the Iron Throne and rule the seven kingdoms? Cersei? Jon Snow? Daenyrys? Or in a surprise twist, Tyrion? The White Walkers just might consume them all – this possibility cannot be ruled out either. Well, to find out about that we’ll really have to keep at making fan fiction while waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones to air next year. We love drawing parallels between stuff that causes a storm in popular media and the world of work. This post is one of those.

The Game of Thrones Season 7 finale had five specific instances we felt were very similar to situations in the world of work, and here they are.

When Jon Snow Said “…the same thing is coming for all of us.”, while appealing for a truce

What Jon Snow has been lobbying for, ever since he saw the wight walkers is for all the kingdoms to come together and fight the real enemy. Throughout this season, he has been seeing going against popular reasoning of his countrymen and making tough decisions – something that a leader would have to do from time to time. It brings to mind the role of a true leader in the world of work. One of the most important responsibilities of a leader is to bring together his entire team to unite them for a common cause – and at times, the team might very well consist of warring factions!

“…the more immediate problem is that we are f***ed” – Tyrion

Priorities, priorities, priorities. This one thing that Tyrion says, spells out the importance of priorities. True that at any given point of time there will be a hundred things to take care of. However, not knowing how to prioritize those tasks might just push you into a downward spiral. Or in the case of GOT, the Wight Walker’s swords.

Addressing what needs to be addressed immediately, and proceeding according to priorities is what makes things at work infinitely smoother.

“Together they would be difficult to defeat.” , Little Finger referring to Daenyrys and Jon Snow

Formidable partnerships bring forth magic. The fans are waiting with bated breath to know how the partnership of Daenyrys and Jon Snow is going to turn things around. Leaving the fact aside that the partnership is an incestuous one (in their defense, they don’t know yet! or do they?), it cannot be denied that it is a formidable one!

It is no different in the world of work. A good team or a good partnership can truly create magic and set a strong example. Because, together, they would be difficult to defeat.

“You don’t have to choose, you are a Greyjoy and you are a Stark.”, Jon Snow to Theon

‘You are who you are.’ Jon Snow couldn’t have resolved Theon’s existential angst in a better way. At times we are conflicted with ourselves, for whatever reason, but it also affects our productivity in the world of work. Embracing whoever we are, flaws and all, is what helps us get closer to being a true person. None of us are perfect, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot be perfect. Because we aren’t meant to be. Bringing who we are, bring our own selves to whatever we do helps us be a little better than who we were yesterday. Which is better than being perfect!

“I’m a slow learner. It’s true. But I learn.” Sansa, before Little Finger’s execution

Better late than never. Up until now, fans had been wondering how on earth could Sansa have been so stupid? But she has proven all of us wrong. There’s a lesson for all of us inhabitants of the world of work in there – to never underestimate anyone, no matter how stupid they may seem. What Sansa said is also personal motivation for all os us. We all may have our individual paces of learning, but what’s more important is to never give up. To learn slowly, but surely!

We hope you enjoyed reading our special feature on the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Have you read what we previously wrote on what five things characters from the Game of Thrones series teach us about the world of work? Do spare it a read!

Tell us what you though of it in your comments below, and if you have some takeaways of your own! We always love engaging with our readers!

5 Skills For Managers that Will Always be Relevant

5 Skills For Managers that Will Always be Relevant

by | Aug 29, 2017 | Leadership, Management

The learning never ends. No matter what level you are at in your profession, there will always be a skill that will help you do what you do better. To be able to continually better oneself, by working on your skill set and garnering skills is the secret to feeling truly accomplished and satisfied. Even when you are higher up in the hierarchy and are completely confident about your abilities , there are certain essential skills for managers that will always be indispensable for you. Have a look at what these forever relevant skills for managers are!

Skills for Managers – Communication

 The art of communication is the language of leadership. James Humes.

This quote summarizes in just a short sentence how important communication as a skill truly is, for effective management and leadership. More than just a skill, communication is an art that one can never learn enough about. As a manager, your success is not to be gauged by your individual progress. It is determined by the success of your team as a whole, with you at the helm. Your communication with your team, and how well you are able to get through to them, is one of the prime factors responsible for determining the success of the team. As a manager, your communication skills should set the example for the rest of the team to learn from!

Skills for Managers – Motivation

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. Ronald Reagan.

Being a manager and a leader has got everything to do with being able to motivate your team. Possessing motivational skills enables you to be able to maximize the potential of your team by make them believe they can. Even the under-performers can surprise you with great results, just with a bit of motivation. A good manager always believes in the true potential of his/her team. If the team isn’t performing well, the manager understands that the team as a whole, or individual players might need that extra push, namely Motivation.

Skills for Managers – Delegation

If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate. John C. Maxwell.

Delegation is one of the most important skills necessary for a successful manager and employer. Learning to delegate well is a skill, which if done wisely not only saves you time, but comes in handy in helping you build a very strong team. Delegation as a skill is not just a technique to free some of your time, it is much more than that. It is about learning how not to micromanage, and trust your people that they will deliver the tasks entrusted to them. Learning how to delegate effectively and efficiently is a continuous process and much about this skill is learnt via trial and error, and on the go. Two things though that form the cornerstone of this skill is attaching the elements of specificity and measurability to the tasks you delegate.

Skills for Managers – Diplomacy and Tact

Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip. Winston Churchill.

As a manager and a team leader, you will be faced with delicate situations almost on a daily basis. As you would already have learnt from your experiences, many of them will have the potential of eliciting your worst.  How do you put across your point and ensure you are heard, even in the most frustrating situations? Literally, when all you want to do is ask the other person to go to hell, but you cannot. And if you do, it can’t be good for you in any way.

This is where the skill of being diplomatic and tactful comes handy. This skill is not one that can be acquired easily, and takes years of practice and most of all, patience. But once you start putting it into practice you realize how indispensable it truly is. There will be difficult situations where you might feel like you are caught between the devil and the deep sea. And that is where the skills of diplomacy and tact act as your savior.

Skills for Managers – Balance

More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people even when it hurts. Travis Bradberry.

Being able to maintain balance is a skill that takes years of focus and mindfulness. Reactions are the easiest way to emote. Balance and calm are the toughest to put into practice. Balance between what? Between being a manager and a human being. Very often, we seem to be caught up in the misconception that being kind and being professional can never go hand in hand. This quote by Travis Bradberry sums up beautifully how and why that is not a fact. Exceptional managers can be distinguished from ordinary managers on the basis of how they put into practice this skill. Because that’s when you stop becoming just a manager, and are also a leader.

Happy life-long learning, today and forever!

Words of Wisdom by Five True Leaders and Changemakers

Words of Wisdom by Five True Leaders and Changemakers

by | Jul 18, 2017 | Feminism, Leadership, Managing Yourself, Motivation, World of Work

True leaders are people who believe that they are capable of bringing about change even in the face of adversities. But more than that, true leaders call out whatever they feel is unjust and are not afraid to have their voices heard over the injustice. Most muffled in all of history has been the voices of women who’ve done their duty as true leaders. However, some voices made it to the rest of us and there is merit in listening to and reading their words over and over again.

Gender equality and women’s rights are always on the top of our priorities at OBOlinx. Even though we are a small organisation, there are certain core principles we hold very close to our hearts. One such core principle is women’s empowerment, equality and rights. One small example of how we try to achieve the same is by maintaining an all women’s team. Not only that, we follow the work from home mode of work, because we believe that regardless of the social background, and personal limitations, women should have an equal chance at employment opportunities.

Men have always had unfair advantages over women for no real or rational reason. But history is witness to some phenomenally phenomenal women who have made the world a better place. Today we bring to you a selection of wise words which women in varied positions have spoken, and which will ring true for ages to come.

Happy reading!

From one of our favourite writers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, on gender equality –

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls: ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you will threaten the man.’ Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices, always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same?

Words of wisdom by feminist and writer, Gloria Steinem. Yes, it is true that only when we unlearn everything that we have learnt over the years, without questioning their validity, that true change will come around.

The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.

And the diva couldn’t have said it better. True change begins only when we reshape our own perception of who we are. Words by Beyoncé.

Women have to work much harder to make it in this world. It really pisses me off that women don’t get the same opportunities as men do, or money for that matter. Because lets face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define our values and to define what’s sexy and what’s feminine and that’s bullshit. At the end of the day, it’s not about equal rights, it’s about how we think. We have to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves.

Chanda Kochar, the CEO of ICICI bank – India’s largest private sector bank, tells us what the one most important principle at the world of work is.

We need to start work with the idea that we’re going to learn every day. I learn, even at my position, every single day.

A pioneer of the civil rights movement in the US, Rosa Parks is one of the most prominent and important leaders who fought against apartheid. When taken into custody and questioned about her act of transgression against the law (which was the fact that she did not give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus), she said, “all I was doing was trying to get home from work”. Her action of not giving in to the injustice at play led to a boycott of the city bus services by all the black people who actually formed the majority of the working classes using the transport services. The government was forced to ban racial segregation on buses, after which they called the boycott off. And right there, a piece of history was formed.

I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would be also free.

In our own ways, we all have the ability within us to be phenomenally phenomenal. How? Just by being best at who we are.

These are words that we read or heard that forever became some of our favorites, because of how we associate with and draw strength from them. What are some of your favourite words/ quotes / lines?

Why is Feedback Important?

Why is Feedback Important?

by | Jul 13, 2017 | Business Operations, Communication, Management, Performance

The world that we inhabit today, is characterized most frequently by the relationship between consumers and service providers. The reason being, a majority of our actions are defined by either consumption or provision of services. We could be at the receiving end or at the end of delivery, whether directly or indirectly. Regardless, it is a present continuous action. Starting from the Ubers we ride in, to the food we eat at restaurants, to the ever so frequently used online shopping and delivery services, or even the work that we do at our respective workplaces every day – there is one common thread binding all of this, which is the action of providing and receiving services.If services are such a crucial part of our everyday lives, why then do we take the one mechanism in place which ensures its smooth and efficient delivery for granted? Namely, feedback.

Its importance cannot be stressed enough. One might dismiss the importance of feedback by saying, “what’s the use, I am not going to be taken seriously”. Or, “oh it doesn’t matter, (s)he doesn’t really know what they’re speaking about”, if we’re receiving feedback.

However that is no longer the case. Why? Because of the stiff competition between the service providers of the same services. The one thing that sets them apart is how valuable they consider feedback and incorporate the same into their services. Which is why feedback in the world of services today is very relevant and important. And when we say services, we don’t just mean the large-scale services, we mean just any kind of service – even the kind that you deliver every day at work.

What are some other ways in which feedback is crucial? Have a look –

  1. You get a sense of direction and purpose

    It is only with appropriate feedback or constructive criticism that you realize how much progress you’re making in what you’re doing. Proper, articulate feedback helps you understand how far you’ve come, and how much further you see yourself going. You realize what’s working and what’s not, and it spurs you to think of ways to take yourself closer to what you envision as your purpose.

  2. It inhibits stagnation

    Without constructive criticism and feedback, it is easy to develop a sense of complacency. You keep doing things in a fixed manner without knowing if you’re really moving closer to your objective and goals. While you may not necessarily get worse at what you’re doing, it won’t be possible to get any better either. Having a system of feedback and incorporating the same into your work gets rid of the otherwise inevitable stagnation.

  3. It fosters growth and evolution

    With feedback, you understand which direction you need to push harder in. It also makes you realize if you need to change your approach and adapt to new environments. That is exactly how you learn and evolve as individuals and not surprisingly, even as businesses/ services. It helps you realize if the work that you’re doing is adding value in any way, and if it isn’t how do you change your game plan to evolve.

  4. A sense of fulfillment

    Feedback doesn’t necessarily have to be just negative. It can also be positive. In fact, every time you appreciate a particular service, let them know why you liked it. Remember that you would feel valued as well, if someone told you that you were doing a good job. It goes without saying that getting positive feedback for your work is a very motivating and fulfilling feeling. It cements your sense of purpose and gives you confidence to forge ahead in the direction you have imagined.

The process of giving and receiving feedback is not easy, and is a matter of responsibility at both ends of the spectrum.

Very often, we are quick to deliver feedback in what one may call “absolute” terms, without really considering our thoughts carefully. Karen Naumann in her article on why feedback is important makes a very valid point when she speaks about how it is important to be “professional” and “kind” while delivering feedback –

“So, before we give someone feedback, we really need to check our own motives and current mood whether we feel stressed, annoyed, jealous, afraid, or simply have antipathy towards the other person. And then it is on us to really look at the performance of the other person professionally and kindly, with the goal of helping them unlock their greatest potential.

On the flip side however, that’s also exactly why giving and receiving feedback is not easy for any of us, whether it is positive or “negative” nature. It really does require a great amount of one of our most difficult lifelong tasks called self-reflection, as well as humbleness and openness to different opinions and thoughts on the giver’s and receiver’s end.”

What is your opinion on how important feedback is? How are the processes of giving and receiving feedback different? Want the world of work to be able to learn through your experience? Let us know about your thoughts right here!

How to Feel a 100% on the First Day of your New Job

How to Feel a 100% on the First Day of your New Job

by | Jun 7, 2017 | Career, Job Offers, Life, Motivation, Performance, World of Work

The day you start a new job is a rather special day. It brings along with it a chance to live your precious dreams and is an important milestone in your life. Regardless of how nervous you may be about starting the new job, it is important to go in feeling an absolute hundred percent. Feeling a hundred percent on the first day of your new job sets the kind of vibe that brings you mindfulness – something you want to aim for everyday of your brand new work life. Here are five ways you can bring that vibe about. We strongly recommend getting started on these at least twenty four hours before your first day, for optimum results. 🙂

  1. Prepare well

    Even though you may already be well prepared and all set to get started, there are a few things that will help you being even better prepared. Re-read your employment contract and offer letter to ensure you have all the documents you require, in place. Go over your job description to re-acquaint yourself with your roles and responsibilities, brush up on remembering the names of your team mates. Remember that when you look good, you feel good. Dressing well, and being presentable makes a huge difference to your confidence level. Spend some time putting your outfit in place for the next day.

  2. Express gratitude

    This simple exercise in mindfulness will have a profound impact on your energy level and confidence – exactly what you need on your first day. Just before ending your day, think about all your reasons for applying to the job, recount the struggles you faced in the process and how you overcame them. One of the most powerful and humbling feelings is to feel gratitude for your journey, and for the circumstances which brought you closer to your goals. Write all that down, and when you feel like you’re having a bad day at work, reading what you wrote will never fail to put a smile on your face.

  3. De-stress

    Even if you may not be stressed, de-stressing / ‘doing things which make you happy’ is a great idea to conjure up the energy you want to carry with you on your first day of work. Read a favorite book, listen to some music, spend some time putting your thoughts in words, paint, garden – just anything that brings you joy. Spending a few hours on yourself creates a significant difference – for the better!

  4. Have a BIG breakfast

    On your first day of work, wake up extra early just so you can take your time getting ready at your own pace. Most important though, is to have a big, hearty, happy breakfast. Put on some music and make yourself some awesome breakfast. It is just the fuel you need before you launch into your new job, your new life, your new role!

  5. Wear your best smile

     No matter how impeccably dressed you are, a smile is what makes all the difference. Walk in with a smile everyone smiles back at. Keep it on your face all day, and put it on auto-repeat mode, until it is a part of you. A smile that is genuine is more miraculous than most other things in life. It fosters friendships, breaks barriers, dissipates anger, and opens doors where there seem to be none. Don’t believe us? Try and let us know if we are wrong.

Feeling a hundred percent on the first day of your brand new job means nothing more than feeling like you have it within you to give your new adventure everything you’ve got. It means that you appreciate the opportunity that has come your way (through your own hard work), and want show gratitude through your work ethics and self-motivation. As they say, morning shows the day!

What are your favorite things to do on/ before your first day at work?