PERSONAL FINANCE


Redundancy is not a reflection of your performance, so be confident and truthful The other day, I was conducting interviews and met a person who had lost his job recently. He actually fared quite well and yet made some classic errors that people normally make in such situations. This set me...

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You can put administrative controls but judicious use of the Net is a matter of corporate culture I have often been asked about standard operating procedures for access to the Internet and use of technology at the workplace. My answer has been simple. Lay down the rules, curb high-risk factors...

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Faced with balancing domestic issues vs office responsibilities, work towards finding a solution The title of this article may appear to be misleading. This is not about financial support to family but about emotional backing and sustenance for loved ones. You might be wondering about the...

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How to choose executive education programmes? Here are some pointers I have written in the past about the need for mid-career academic inputs, not just in-house employer training programmes. I do believe it is important to revisit concepts and learn new theories a few years after you have...

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To do better, feel the delight of work and focus, to beat troubles My old gym coach and yoga-trainer came by to say hello the other day. He had recently travelled the world to learn new techniques in sports and fitness. He now trains for sports-related injuries and weakness. He told me how...

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Create a résumé emphasising aspects that will be pertinent to the job I was making a profile for my friend, Anita. She is looking for a job and hadn’t made a résumé in a while. I asked her to mail me some information. She had already put down the basics like her qualifications and training....

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It helps in building trust and contributes to effective teamwork I was recently on a break in the mountains and along with a few enthusiastic friends, decided to be brave and try a few exploits. I did river rafting and a short trek. As I rocked through the rapids of the Sutlej River, I was...

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We live our professional lives by our personal values – often ingrained by our mothers Some might say it’s a revenue-generating model for a commercial society, but days like Mother’s Day are still celebrated. While I sincerely believe that every day is special with a mother, a day like that...

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Unit-linked Insurance Plans come in many varieties, like tulips, but could turn out to be weapons of mass wealth destruction. Debashis Basu and Shailendra Lotlikar expose the truth behind ULIPs Mutual funds (MFs) aim to generate only returns, whereas a unit-linked insurance product...

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Matrix organisations are the norm today. But such a structure can create serious conflicts. Here is an example Puja and Sharmila were college friends. They had been in close touch through the years as they studied further, embarked on their respective careers, got married, etc. One day, as...

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Five questions to consider when your idea gets rejected Avantika was very dejected. She had worked on an idea for weeks and had finally presented it to her boss who rejected it almost immediately. Her shock, combined with disappointment, made her feel almost slighted. This is not an uncommon...

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Kingshuk Mukherjee 08 May 2008
The discussion revealed that legislation on reverse mortgages and wills is either inadequate or riddled with complexity—clear evidence that the government and its regulators are out of sync with reality and people’s needs At a time when joint family structures are disintegrating and most...

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Don’t pre-judge seniors on the basis of their ‘advance reputations’ An HR professional once told me his learning process in meeting the new boss. He was the head of the HR function of a reasonably large company when a new CEO came in. Many in the team were not convinced that he would be the...

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Don't believe generalisations on careers unquestioningly A marketing manager of a consumer products company came over the other day, carrying chocolates and a gift, to thank me for the advice I had given her some time back. Swati was a management student a few years ago. She had come to ask me...

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It is not easy to choose between competing offers in the same company. Here is an example Choosing between two job offers is a normal dilemma. Deciding between two positions within the same company is even more difficult. The variables are fewer and differences are not so apparent, while the...

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Trust is the foundation of workplace relationships It isn’t easy to build trust and is certainly more difficult to rebuild it. In the previous article, I had recounted how one employee was vitiating the atmosphere at the workplace by constantly backbiting and complaining about the office as...

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Dr Nita Mukherjee on a voluntary group in Mumbai that promotes the Will-making habit Make-A-Will Foundation came together as a group of volunteers who wanted to promote social awareness regarding succession planning and preparing people for “life after death”. It has no formal set-up as...

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Trust, a major issue in any organisation, cannot be measured but has commercial consequences My friend owns a small business that employs about 35 people. The management staff consists of a senior management committee, a set of designers and some junior associates. While the workplace...

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Personal value systems make up corporate ethics; so lead by example Early in my career, while working on a culture survey for a client, I understood what strong values mean and the importance of honesty to become truly successful. Here is the story. The CEO of the company came from an...

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A story of kindness in the corporate world I was witness to this conversation at a client’s office recently. I felt it was a touching story and worth sharing, especially as we ring in the New Year. This was truly a celebration of team spirit and a show of human kindness in the corporate world....

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