The Last Working Day!

So the last working day of 2012 is a Monday. For a change, we hear stories of joy (away from the usual 'Monday Blues' discussions) on how we survived the Mayan prophecy and the  corporate world lives on to see another appraisal cycle! As we prepare to put our feet up and party, we thought it would be prudent to share a few thoughts on the year to come and our view on Employee Engagement & People Management and some of the people challenges for 2013! 

While the job market is open for the ‘right candidate, one of the key challenges that human resource managers have faced across industries is ‘engaging talent’ once on board. Another challenge that remains is ‘building effective and transparent’ dialogue between the core management team and everyone else. There is no dearth of employable talent with the sheer number of employable ‘Gen Y’ candidates coming from colleges and B-Schools across the country, we feel recruiting people who ‘fit the company culture’ needs to take precedence before their pedigree. Only then can we have the right task force.

With a fresh batch of employees joining each year, a clear cut strategy on their career progression during their stint needs to be in place and this needs to be communicated regularly and effectively. Especially since this new and diverse breed of employees also come with a different set of expectations as compared to their predecessors. Managing these expectations in an attempt to curb attrition seems to be one of the biggest challenges HR professionals face today.  Attrition numbers in the first year or 1.5 years across companies or industries is an indicator of the amount of work that is needed in the space of active employee engagement.

While companies remain open to caring for their employees and paying ‘attention’ to engagement scores, organizations need to truly start looking at employees as their greatest asset (not necessarily just a cost center)  and undertake initiatives and prove this belief on a consistent basis.  This can be either to rewarding emotional intelligence or taking steps to build the right ‘top down’ culture across the company by ingraining company values while remembering that this is not a one-time task. We sure have miles to go before we sleep

On this note we wish you a happy new year. May 2013 be stress-free and; may you remain hale and hearty. May your bonuses multiply and appraisals be a cake walk. Here's  to the new year and a fresh start!  

'Ideanauts': Creative Writing Workshop !

And God said, “Let there be light.” But you wouldn't know that, would you? Until someone did not write it and then someone shared it in a manner that sounded convincing. That’s the power of the written word. Let’s say you have a great idea you want to put down on paper or recount an incident that you observed or heard of. But don’t know how best to do this. Perhaps you’re just looking for a creative outlet or maybe you are looking at learning to write better blogs or even start a new religion! Reasons just like these require you to be a part of ‘Ideanauts’. So what will this workshop comprise of apart from randomly mixing words like idea and astronauts? Well, this is a creative writing and ideation workshop - centred around writing skills.

What to expect?

You are NOT going to be writing pages and pages of sagas! You won’t be forced to stare at a PowerPoint presentation either. The idea is to try and reach the core – a place, from where our ideas originate, learn to tackle creative / writing blocks, and learn how to create, capture and articulate compelling stories. The objective is to discover and effectively capture ideas within or around us. Whether you are full of new ideas or completely devoid of them (or so you think), this is the place to be. Brace yourself for loads of exercises, introduction to a few theoretical concepts and challenging writing prompts.

Who is this for?

From poems to witty SMS messages, if you want to build a flair and passion for the written word, this is for you. Open to all Freelance Writers, Closet Bloggers, and would-be professional writers. The Workshop is open to all styles, forms and genres of writing and communication enthusiasts.

The Essential Stuff!

When: Saturday, 19^th May 2012   I   Timing: 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: Lagerbay, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W). [Same spot where Zenzi used to be] 

Fees: Rs 1500/- per head.

Click here to register and pay online!  If you are not comfy with online payments, check out other payment options.  For more information, please write to info@willnevergrowup.com or SMS queries to +91 7738392744.

Registration would be confirmed upon payment. You can carry your laptops (purely optional). Subscribe to updates on www.willnevergrowup.com , Like us on www.facebook.com/makeworkfun or follow @MakeWorkFun on Twitter to join the gang of loonies!  

We just scored a Business Award :)

And it's all thanks to you !

Never Grow Up^TM has been nominated as one of the top Professional Service Businesses of 2011 at the Small business awards by Zee business & Franchise India and feature in the Top 100 Small Businesses of 2011 in the Small and Medium Entrepreneur Magazine: January 2012 Issue.The Top 100 Businesses have been finalized on the basis of exclusivity, market leadership and growth. Read the entire coverage here !

info@willnevergrowup.com I www.willnevergrowup.com I Facebook.com/MakeworkFun

Life @ Work Tee Design Contest !

Here's your chance to Startdom and take home some some $$. Get inspired by the fun culture at work, go beyond and enthuse some "Masti" into a t-shirt that would liven up meetings!". 

What's The Brief ? 1) Design a T-Shirt keeping the ideology around Never Grow Up and what Life @ Work is all about. Designs may have ‘Never Grow Up’ infused in the creative (if you think it’s cool) 2) Restrict your design to a maximum of five colours.3) Keep in mind a workable area of maximum 11 x 16 inches for your design.4) All submissions will also be eligible to be a part of the SheepStop Evergreen Competition. 5)You may submit more than one entry.

The deadline to submit your design is Sunday, February 12, 2012. The winning designs will be announced online on February 27, 2012

Loot for the Never Grow Up "Life @ Work" Tee Design Contest:

• 1st Prize: Rs.5000 + Your winning Tee + Royalty
• 1st Runner Up: Rs.3000 + Your winning Tee + Royalty
• 2nd Runner Up: Rs.2000 + Your winning Tee + Royalty

That's not all, the final three tshirts will be printed and sent to Sheep Stop distribution stores across the country :) Submit your entries @ http://www.sheepstop.com/contests/nevergrowup 

"Never Grow Up" and the "Never Grow Up Brown box" logo are registered trademarks of Never Grow Up Workshops Pvt. Ltd. The design used in the contest creatives have been created exclusively for Never Grow Up WPL. All rights reserved.© 2012

Internships @ Never Grow Up !

We have opportunities for talented individuals with a flair for writing and a love for words ! If you think you fit the bill, tell us a bit about yourself, your work & how we can reach you by clicking here :)

We are also looking for a design intern! If you think you have what it takes, (you are creative, have a passion for design and you actually know a few design tools), you have so got to apply. This is a month long internship open for anyone with a passion for ideas no matter which part of the globe you are in. So here's your chance to be famous in Never Grow Up Land ! Who knows, you may never want to leave :) All you need to do to apply is tell us what you're doing in life at the moment and email us a link to your blog or send us some of your work at info@willnevergrowup.com. 

' Screw Dheela Hai ' Season 2

Its Back ! The legendary Screw Dheela Hai Contest is back with Season 2. A fun and kick a## contest with 3 simple steps and a chance to win loads of prizes!!!

1. Remember the day you were doing something looney, with a funny expression on your face and a friend or colleague was quick to catch u in the act? Or the day you had fun with your team @ work. (The stuff you laugh about now and say Screw dheela hai mera! (As in that was one whacked out – not in my character moment). Yes! Pick those photos. 

2. Send us these photos (jpeg/png) at info@willnevergrowup.com with your full name & city. And your pet name (if you have one). Also send us a small note on the incident in question!

3. Get Rewarded: Top three entries win some super cool prizes (priceless!). One of them is an IPod Shuffle while others include cool merchandise and gift vouchers. 

Contest Rules:

a. You can send in a maximum of 5 photos per person. These can be photos and images right from childhood to your perceived adult stage. Remember... being crazy and out of the box is the key. You can also create these moments now that you know there is a prize.

b. Last date for submission is 8^th December 2011 by 4:00 pm IST

c. Contest is open to people across the universe :) So don’t forget to tell your friends!

If u want to know what you are up against, check out the SDH Video from Season I. Remember though, this is just the tip of the iceberg :) 

Har Ek Boss Zaroori Hota Hai !

Happy Boss's Day !

View more presentations from Never Grow Up .

The Mera Workspace Contest !

                                 Click on the contest poster to submit your entry ! 
© Never Grow Up. All Rights Reserved. 

Brian is Back !

A few months back, Brian wrote to us creating magic and sharing an ode to Never Grow Up. Read the story : http://bit.ly/BrianStory 

Today,after 6 months, he is back with a brand new mix ' Good Morning Magic ' - a track sure to spruce up your day :) The beat has sort of a live dance feel and a lot of positive energy within the instruments. This is Inspirmentalist's second project with and for Never Grow Up and we are super duper excited and happy to share this new track and video with you :) Check out the Video : http://on.fb.me/MorningMagic

To Brian, a BIG Thank You for sharing this and letting us have the track. You sure made our day ! Cheers ! 

The Instrumental or beat has been composed and produced by Brian Davis Jr. for Never Grow Up who goes under the alias Inspirmentalist and is based out of New Jersey, USA. He has produced this instrumental beat and sampled the song Magical Dreamers from The Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack. The original song was created by video game composer Yasunori Mitsuda. 

To Tell or Not To Tell ?

The Gossip Paradox : We all do it. We like to share stories but the trick is to set boundaries at work. A sample of senior vice-presidents of communication at Fortune 500 companies stated that harmful rumours reached their ears on an average of nearly once a week. Gossiping at work is also about passive workplace aggression. Even those in leadership roles indulge in making remarks about others. Be cautious, because that’s how negative reputations are made.

The urge to gossip can get you in trouble. Billionaire Ray Dalio, Wall Street heavyweight, has a new stringent diktat! He’s banning office gossip and sacking employees who are caught gossiping more than three times. His policy is ruthless: If employees are caught tongue-wagging about their bosses or colleagues behind their backs, they get two verbal warnings. It’s an unlucky third time when they get fired on the spot. In the company email, he wrote, “Never say anything about a person you wouldn’t say to him directly. If you do, you are a slimy weasel.” Psychology Today reports, “Gossip is like sex. It is so much fun that people can’t stop themselves from doing it.

Can chitchat help you get ahead? 

Even though gossip gets a bad rap, experts also believe that nuanced chitchat may be essential to getting ahead in a career. “If you must be negative, be smart not only about what you say, but also how you say it. Anyone who is an achiever or has good looks or their boss’s favourite will be an easy target. Some disclosures are deliberately spread by senior management in the form of gossip to make people more alert (or so is rumoured). 

Edited from Times Life : September 2011.  

Do Happier People Work Harder ?

Do Happier People Work Harder?

Research shows that staff perform better when they’re happily engaged at work

Americans (And if we extrapolate this to our country) now feel worse about their jobs – and work environments – than ever before. And there’s no reason to think things will soon improve, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which has been polling more than 1,000 adults every day since January 2008. Employee engagement may seem like a frill in a downturn economy. But it can make a big difference in a company’s survival. 

In a 2010 study, James K. Harter and colleagues found that lower job satisfaction foreshadowed poorer bottom-line performance. Gallup estimates the cost of America’s disengagement crisis at a staggering $300 billion in lost productivity annually. When people don’t care about their jobs or their employers, they don’t show up consistently, they produce less or their work quality suffers. 

Over the past decade, the research looked into the micro-level causes behind this macro-level problem. To gain real-time perspective into everyday work lives, nearly 12,000 electronic diary entries from 238 professionals in seven companies were collected. The analysis revealed their inner work lives – the usually hidden perceptions, emotions and motivations that people experience as they react to and make sense of events in their workdays. 

The results were sobering. In one-third of the 12,000 diary entries, the diarist was unhappy, unmotivated or both. In fact, workers often expressed frustration, disdain or disgust. Research shows that inner work life has a profound impact on workers’ creativity, productivity, commitment and collegiality. Employees are far more likely to have new ideas on days when they feel happier. Conventional wisdom suggests that pressure enhances performance; the real-time data, however, shows that workers perform better when they are happily engaged in what they do. 

Teresa Amabile, a professor at Harvard Business School, and Steven Kramer, an independent researcher, are the authors of The Progress Principle:  The New York Times / ET Mumbai , 13 Sept. 2011

Insights into WLB & Gen Y

Balance it right!

• A startling 85% of recruiters say that candidates turn down job offers from employers that aren’t work-life balance-friendly. According to a work-life balance survey 80 per cent of executives say that work-life balance as a parameter plays a vital role during the job search process. 
• Work-life balance today directly impacts the retention of top executive talent. An unhealthy work-life balance leads to increased stress, strain on personal relationships and a lack of personal fulfilment. All of these factors will push executives towards greener pastures. Other aspects like compensation and perks are of a transactional nature. 
• According to some, the degree at which work-life balance influences the decision of a job-seeker is closely linked to one’s age and the nature of the role the employee has chosen to perform. 
• According to the AESC survey, two-thirds of companies are developing programmes to help top candidates boost their family time without sacrificing their careers.

Making it work :) 

• Time-out: It is an efficient tool by which every employee is given an opportunity to choose time-out during work hours.This can be followed on a daily/weekly basis depending on the nature of the business. An employee can take 30-45 minutes of time-out to read, listen to music, play an indoor game, take a nap, exercise, practice yoga, watch a movie, etc. But at the same time, the employee must be within the company premises at a dedicated space allocated to pursue such activities. 
• Child care: It’s necessary to develop a children’s programme for working mothers/fathers wherein companies need to invest in a separate space where a working parent can spend time with their kid/kids during work hours. A progressive firm needs to make arrangements w.r.t school pick-up/drop and other basic amenities in the form of indoor games, stationary, food, etc. 
• Personalize your workspace: The offices are likely to provide much more than just a cubicle. You will find the office space designed to take care of employees’ “needs” beyond work. 
• Work-exchange: Creating a “trading place” where employees can opt to pursue something that they aspire to pursue (read: hobby) will foster positive results. 

How Gen Y today defines and perceives work-life balance?

• The Gen Y job-seeker has different priorities/aspirations. Experts say that besides a good salary, they show concern w.r.t flexible working. “While compensation, career growth, importance of the task performed, etc are important, work-life balance assures employees that they will work in a conducive environment"
• “The whole phenomenon of ‘my own space’ seems to be the flavour of the day, especially for Gen Y,” According to a recent study across Asia Pacific, work-life balance is the single largest contributor to the Gen Y group of employees who are anticipating a change in their career in the next five years. 
• On being asked the reason for not having aspirations to advance to an executive position, they again attributed as the impact it would have on their work-life balance as the prime reason. 

This post is a series of snippets from the ascent and various other reports that has been compiled to share insights into work life balance, looking at things that work and managing a young a vibrant workforce in the years to come ! 

Pay Not the First Priority Anymore?

Would you nix a high-paying job offer if it fails to assure career growth opportunities? According to a recent survey, the modern-day job-seeker is doing just that...

India Inc today is a fragment of an ever-changing corporate scenario and as its dynamics evolve, employees and job-seekers find their aspirations and incentives shifting. Mercer’s ‘What’s Working’ survey validates that out of 13 possible reward elements, Indian respondents say that career advancement is their most important reward element. Base pay is the second-most important followed by training opportunities. “Reward points in today’s scenario get far more complicated than the good old days, where you would have a son coming home to his parents with a box of sweets, proclaiming his salary hike, followed by the entire family breaking into a song and dance of how their lives have changed for good. Today’s youth demands are more focussed, planned and diverse. A macro point of view for reward schemes seems quite simple and can be generalised, but as you look closer, rewards need to be personalised and customised to suit needs and desires.”

So, what is it that makes career advancement the most sought-after reward element? 

“In a hyper-growth environment, ‘growth’ is the mantra for business success. For an employee, their organisation or manager working with them on a career development plan is imperative to their personal and professional growth. From an organisation’s perspective, career advancement is important for retention as also for attracting talented employees to the workplace. It increases employee engagement levels as well.” 

    

“Career advancement is one way in which employees believe that they can stay relevant. It ensures that employees can keep up with the changes. The age at which one becomes obsolete and redundant is decreasing. Hence, rather than chasing basic pay, employees understand the need to be relevant and have a ‘career’.” After career advancement and base pay, the third most sought-after career incentive was training opportunities, thus revealing that India Inc employees don’t just aspire to accomplish a good career, but also want to get better at what they do. 

Consequently, whether the bait for climbing up the corporate ladder is training opportunities, career advancement incentives or basic pay, one cannot refute the fact that India Inc today is more motivated than ever to be on top of their game. 

Condensed from the Times Ascent 07 September 2011

Help Employees Balance Home & Office

Stress At Work

Help Employees Balance Home and Office

Win-win situation: Employees who can balance roles are likely to be more productive and less stressed

How many times have we had a colleague at work who is bogged down by stress, not directly linked to workplace? Ira Mohanty was one such colleague. She woke up at 5 am, sent her two children to school and then by 9 am, was at her laptop answering mails and attending to work-related calls. From 1 pm onwards, Ira kept looking at the clock and from 2.30 pm, we could hear raised voices from her cubicle as she called home and shouted at her children who just kept watching television and did not finish their homework. They were home with easy-going grandparents and did their own thing till the parents returned home. And Ira is not alone. At the water cooler or in the cafeteria and even in the lift, one hears snatches of conversation on these lines: Kids these days are so opinionated… only does what she wants to do… eats only chips and noodles… refuses to dress by herself or polish her shoes… hates going to school… spends too much time on the net… has become a virtual stranger… difficult and moody… and so on. 

More and more parents are coping with the challenges of how to manage professional and personal lives — how to be better parents, how to stay abreast of what is happening with their children in schools and their social lives, how to be there for them in their time of need while juggling their careers and job-related challenges. All of us grapple with balancing multiple roles but our biggest responsibility is towards the next generation. Being a parent, I could empathise with them, but the enormity of the issue came to light last month when in a focused group discussion, the members of our Global Work Life (GWL) team broached the subject of having parenting workshops to help colleagues and other employees cope with different issues. These issues stemmed from the fact that most employees have nuclear families where care givers may not be part of the family system. The findings of the 2010 Global Work Life Issues (GWLI) Survey, conducted among IBM employees, indicate that almost half (46%) of IBM India employees have a child under the age of 18. Among parents of children 0-5 years old, 12% have their child cared for at home by a nanny, babysitter or maid. 

Another 14% of these parents have their child cared for by a relative (other than their spouse or partner). "In-home" care by a maid or nanny can be quite flexible and affordable, but may also be very unreliable and of poor quality. Caregivers often lack knowledge of child development and have poor social-relationship and literacy skills. Parents using this type of care reported the lowest satisfaction rates in the GWLI survey compared to parents whose child was cared for by a relative or in a child care centre. Employees across the world are sharing similar concerns about managing work and family. Magazines and the Internet provide information and counsel, elders at home advise you differently while friends have a totally contrary opinion. 

So how do you cope? We put together a panel of experts in child care and decided to host parenting workshops for parents to address their queries and discuss issues relating to their children. The workshops stressed that it is equal responsibility, which means both the father and the mother have to be involved in child rearing, as against the misconception that only the mother is responsible. What parents at work learned were different aspects of quality parenting, like laughing with the child, spending time with the child, playing with her/him, listening to what the child has to say and not just existing together in front of the television set. Care givers must also be equipped with basic information to handle difficult situations at home. Employees who can balance roles are likely to be more productive and less stressed, so it is a win-win both for the organisation and the individual. A workplace that encourages an individual to balance different roles is likely to have a happier and more productive workforce. 

The author is Diversity Manager at IBM India, South Asia Source : ET Mumbai 06 September 2011

What your HR will never tell you Directly !

About your Resume!

1. “Once you’re unemployed more than six months, you’re considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don’t want anything to do with you.” –Cynthia Shapiro, Author

2. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility.

3. “If you’re trying to get a job at a specific company, often the best thing to do is to avoid HR entirely. Find someone at the company you know, or go straight to the hiring manager.” –Shauna Moerke, an HR administrator

4. “People assume someone’s reading their cover letter. I haven’t read one in 11 years.” –HR director at a financial services firm

5. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Rich DeMatteo,

6. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. So people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm

7. “I always read résumés from the bottom up. And I have no problem with a two-page résumé, but three pages is pushing it.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant

8. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –Chris Ferdinandi, HR professional

About the Job Interview!

1. “It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.” –HR professional

2. “A lot of managers don’t want to hire people with young kids, and they use all sorts of tricks to find that out, illegally. One woman kept a picture of two really cute children on her desk even though she didn’t have children [hoping job candidates would ask about them]. Another guy used to walk people out to their car to see whether they had car seats.” –Cynthia Shapiro,

3. “Is it harder to get the job if you’re fat? Absolutely. Hiring managers make quick judgments based on stereotypes.  They’re just following George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, who said ‘I stereotype. It’s faster.’” –Suzanne Lucas, a former HR executive

4. “I once had a hiring manager who refused to hire someone because the job required her to be on call one weekend a month and she had talked in the interview about how much she goes to church. Another candidate didn’t get hired because the manager was worried that the car he drove wasn’t nice enough.” –HR professional at a midsize firm

5. “Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant

6. “If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.” –HR manager 

7. “If you’re a candidate and the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going to come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate.”  –Kris Dunn, chief human resources officer

[Condensed from Reader’s Digest Magazine, April 2011] 

Work Place Festivities !

WORKPLACE FESTIVITIES

Festivals have become a big part of the office culture nowadays. In the first of the two-part series, Mithila Mehta explores how organisations today celebrate festivals, outlining the professional implications. India is a country that loves its festivals and this sentiment extends to the workplace as well. Most organisations celebrate festive occasions with all the rituals and traditions in an extremely enthusiastic manner. "My organisation celebrates all major festivals, right from Holi to Eid, Parsi New Year, Christmas and Diwali. The HR department does an excellent job planning the festivities," says Suruchi Baliga, a journalist. Apart from the traditional celebrations, organisations are organising festivals in innovative ways. "Last year, we had a secret santa game at work. Everyone was assigned a colleague and you had to be his/ her secret santa for a week," shares Seema Koshi, a media research analyst. 

Today, occasions like Valentine's Day are also being celebrated. "On Valentine's Day, we had a red dress code. There were huge heart-shaped decorations, and the canteen made heart shaped cakes. It was meticulously done," recalls Baliga. Koshi shares how her organisation celebrates Children's Day by asking employees to bring their young ones to work. "Last year, we had about fifty kids at the office. We played games, saw an animated movie and had a party," she says. 

DASH OF COLOUR 

Festive celebrations at workplace are most welcome because they provide a respite from the routine. "Let's face it; office does tend to get monotonous at times. Festivals add a dash of fun and colour. It gives us something to look forward to," says Bharat Ramanujan, senior copywriter at an ad agency. For the organisation, festive celebrations can go a long way in building a happy, positive corporate culture. This is important in today's context, when organisations are more people-focussed than ever before. Says Samay Taneja, HR manager with an IT solutions company, "We get an opportunity to bond with our employees in a more informal setting.” Interestingly, the globalised nature of organisations is also reflected in the festivals and events being celebrated. "A few years ago, the focus was only on Indian festivals and ceremonies. However, now international days like St Patrick's Day, the year of the rabbit and the Chinese new year is celebrated,” informs Ramanujan. 

BREAKING BARRIERS 

Festive celebrations at the workplace help break existing hierarchies and boundaries. "This is one of the few occasions when people let their guard down and are willing to mingle. The entire mood is light and laidback. The usual office rules don't apply, and everyday dynamics are ignored," expresses Upasana Jain, risk analyst at a FMCG company. Agrees Baliga, "The entire organisational hierarchy is suspended. You can simply go up to the CEO and wish him. It is the perfect networking opportunity. Not only is the upper management approachable and 'around', but you have a perfect reason to strike up a conversation." At most workplaces, employees rarely get an opportunity to interact with colleagues from other departments. Festive occasions allow that as well. "We tend to become very comfortable in our own departments, forgetting to consider the organisation as a whole. So when there's a festival, it feels really nice to have everyone together. The same finance guys who I bicker with everyday are singing and dancing with me,” laughs Koshi. 

WE'VE GOT TALENT 

Festive occasions are also a chance to shed the sober and serious office appearance. It is also a platform to showcase some of your talents at the workplace. "I make the most intricately beautiful rangolis. So, during the Diwali celebrations, I offered to make a rangoli for my office. Colleagues, who had never spoken to me before, got to know me," says Jain. If you're an excellent organiser, help plan the event. If you cook well, carry some festive goodies to work. In this manner, festivals needn't just be about the holidays they bring, but also about fun at the work place.

[Mumbai Mirror, August 29,2011]

Har Ek BOSS Zaroori Hota Hai !

A tribute to the bosses !!! (Adapted from the famous Airtel jingle)

Chai k Liye jaise Toast hota hai,Waise har ek BOSS zaroori hota hai.
Koi friday evening  review par bulaye, Koi saturday ko office bulaye

Ek teri idea ko apna bataye,Aur Ek tera target har month badhaye
Koi nature se gentle, koi krodhit hota hai,
Par har ek boss zaroori  hota hai.
Ek ghadi ghadi reviewi kare par kabhi kabhi advice de 
Ek kabhi kabhi review kare aur ghadi ghadi advice de

Koi Gyan ka ghoomta phirta satellite,Koi din raat rakhe team ko  tight;
Koi welcomed hai, koi forced hota hai, Par har ek boss zaroori hota hai

Friendly  boss, Bossy boss, Koi Data crazy excel boss, Moody boss, koi  gloomy boss, Early morning office aane wala Boss, Koi late night jaane wala Boss..uffff ! 

Koi promote na kare aur appraisal me tarsaye 
Koi good suggestion ko bhi thukhraye 
Koi best friend aur, koi aloof hota hai 
Par har ek boss Zaroori hota hai !!

La, la ,la laaa......

The Crazy (Not so wet) Office Contest!

Our life at work takes up 2/3^rd of the time that we are awake. It forms the biggest part of our daily routine and ends up being in our conversations over coffee and drinks! These are the ones that normally revolve around what a ______ place my office is or how _______ my boss is! What we want you to do is this...

Tell us about the funniest / craziest / wackiest line or quote or dialogue you have ever heard while at work or over conversations at the water cooler or office.  These can also be lines that you’d love to wear on a badge or a not so wet T-shirt. Try and be as original as possible J You can even submit pictures to add that extra zing! (Enough with the hints)

To submit your entry, post your line on our Facebook fan page WALL http://on.fb.me/NGUPage Contest ends on 2^nd July @ 9:00 pm IST. One lucky winner with the most creative line gets an Ipod Shuffle! It’s that simple! 

Funny Out Of Office Messages !

Compiled from the net for your reading pleasure, these funny 'OOO' messages can add that sparkle to your response. We however take no responsibility for the outcome of using one of these messages... he he :P 

Credits : Google Images

1. I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position because I will have to come back to this job. Be prepared for my mood.
2. I will be unable to delete all the unread, emails you send me until I Return from holiday. Please be patient and your e-mail will be deleted In the order it was received.
3. Thank you for your e-mail. Your credit card has been charged Rs.999 for the first ten words and Rs 99 for each additional word in your Message.
4. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the Office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't receive any response at all.
5. The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again.(The beauty of this one is that when you return, you can see how many in-duh-viduals did this over and over).
6. I've run away to join a different circus.
7. I am away from the office at this moment. I will still be away from the office at the next moment and returning at a later moment. If you have any issues at the current moment, and they cannot wait until a later moment, please contact my manager, who may actually be away at the moment.
8. I am currently out of the office. I have a cell phone, but I will not be giving it to you. If you can guess the number, I will take your call. 
9. Am at the dentists. Oh the pain !! Oh forget it ... what is it you were saying again ? Reach out at ________________ or don't ! ...The pain ...the pain ! 
10. I'm on vacation. If you can't reach me, please don't think I'm dead, especially if you're from payroll (if you're not from payroll, I don't really care what you think. Except you, boss). During my vacation, I will ignore most of my incoming emails. Why? Because being on vacation, I'm likely to be frolicking on a beach or something, and reading emails is incompatible with frolicking. I MAY read your email, but try not to hold your breath. If your request is important, please email me again after I return. (This is a really long one na ?) In case of an absolute emergency that requires my immediate attention, my teammates know how to contact me. Bribe them. Tell them they look beautiful. Say they look almost as attractive as me. Examples of "absolute emergency" include: You are the President, You are Elvis, You urgently want to give me a billion dollars,  You discovered that I'm The One, and you must find me before the Agents to give me that "blue pill, red pill" speech, All of the above.

Seven Ways to Reward Employees @ Work

No matter if your organization is big or small … it is your People that make up a business. And it is their collective efforts that determine your success. It is also true that Recognition and a timely pat on the back go a long way in keeping them happy and in turn with your organization. Compensation is what an employee receives for doing the job he had been hired for but Recognition is an honor for the efforts put in beyond the boundaries of duty.

A lot of organizations, however, look at rewards and recognition purely as a cost line. While the emphasis of being cost-effective cannot be undermined, it is also a great challenge to be cost effective and come up with unique ways to reward employees. Here’s one such humble attempt… 7 ways to reward employees J

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7. Birthdays are always special to every individual. Although for some it’s about getting old, it still is a day of celebration. Give your employees a paid day off on their birthdays. If momentary work pressure does not allow you to do so, then, arrange for a nice office birthday party. A small cake and some flowers and balloons can make your employee feel really special. Give him a day off some other time.

6. Respect your employees’ needs. You might ask how this is a reward? Every individual is bound to have family commitments. They might need to attend someone near and dear in the hospital, or for that matter pick up their children from school on a specific day, or, need to attend some very important family occasion. Value their commitments, for they in turn will value you.

5. The least expensive and one of the best rewards you can give your employee is a ‘Thank You’. These two simple words can make your employee feel great. This can be a really good reward for an employee as he understands that the company has recognized his/her hard work. On a monthly basis, hand out badges to the performer of the month. Allow them to carry the smile. Even address them by calling them ‘a champion’

4. One can also, occasionally, make arrangements for a dinner party. Invite your employees' families over to office without letting them know. This can be a sweet surprise.

3. Let co-workers write something they truly like or admire about the best performer. Then put them all together on a scrap paper along with an office group photograph and give it to him/her. This can be a truly likeable yet inexpensive gift.

2. When an employee does something really worthwhile for the company, ask the entire staff to give him a good round of applause at a meeting. Nothing works better! This however will not work if you choose to give someone critical advice on their performance in front of a group!

1. Pay it forward! Ask the managerial position holders to write secret hand-written notes of appreciation to their subordinates who have performed well. This will not only keep the employee guessing but also will ensure that they are nice to everyone around (not knowing who has written them a note)

If one looks at it objectively, all Employees expect is some amount of understanding, recognition and trust from their superiors. Once you understand this and act accordingly, the office becomes a much better place to work.

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