What would you prefer in an employee, if you had to choose only one? Why?

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Here's my pick -
It is definitely, Passion, Zeal, Enthusiasm, fire in the belly........and any other name that you may call it by.

Passion for ones work ensures that the tiller paves smoothly all the paths that lead to his work or Goal. Be it, then, the path of wisdom or desire or honesty or punctuality or efficiency or being not just able to lead but always blend well with the team.

And because one has the passion, it certainly means that one has made sure that the essential requisites that arm him well for the road ahead - such as education or experience - are well honed.

Likewise, while passion can make people feel flighty, it still is going to ensure that for the success to be achieved again and again, shades of wisdom are roundly and squarely employed.

Finally, if it weren't for passion, then serendipity, creative genius, excellence, going beyond the brief and the marvel in the mundane would well be lost.

Hotel industry seems to be shy selling its product except some seasonal offers in fine print? Do we agree?

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A lady working for a marketing firm asked me recently. And this is what I had to say -
"Not at all. As with any other product, hotels too are extremely discerning about their target audience, the messages they want to put out and the vehicles they choose to put those messages out in.

Internet is a very popular vehicle as a new media. Weblogs, banners, company's own website, tie-ups with booking engines and other travel companies are common options.

Depending on the geographical location of the end user, hotels have also used the traditional media rampantly, including the extremely expensive option of advertising in mainline media - think International Herald Tribune, Conde Nast, Travel & Leisure, L'Art de Voyager, Vanity Fair AND closer to home The Times Of India, Hindustan Times, India Today and the like.

But straight advertising in mainline media or travel trade publications may not get the desired eyeballs and volume driven traffic due to the publications' mass and non-specific reach.

Hence hotels end up using other avenues prolifically, such as Direct Marketing, tie-up with related business group such as credit card companies (depending on the profile of the hotel and its target audience the continuum would run from AMEX Platinum or VISA Platinum to SBI Card), appearance in travel companies' directories and brochures etc.

On account of the allocation of marketing budgets and the need, hotels draw up a matrix plan that includes both the old and new advertising and promotional techniques."

By posting my thoughts on the blog, I welcome all views - agreeing with mine or in dissent. :-)

What do you do with your ideas?

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Isn't that a lovely question. One that already sets off a stream of new ideas.

My ideas are like my companion, soulmate, friends, family.........however one may want to put it.

Some ideas I go to walk with. Others go to bed with me. Some others pop up when I am on the treadmill or eating or reading or watching TV.

Some ideas I wrap up neatly and put in the safe corner of my mind, to be able to take out at the most opportune moment.

Some others fade away into oblivion. And some pop back like a long lost friend.

The most important stay right on top, waiting to germinate and take root.

Wishing you an 'idea-full' life.

Do you usually dress-up for the special occasion? What's the most expensive outfit you ever wear ?

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As for me, I don't know about the most expensive outfit. What I usually carry is the most appropriate attitude. And that is priceless. I have to assume the roles of the ring leader or the main cheerleader or the ideator or even a she-Santa around Christmas so this really comes in handy.

As for the ordinary occasions, I always carry my big Cabas Alto Louis Vuitton bag that cost me a bomb ;)

Would you rather work in a progressive organization and achieve more or stay put in a mediocre one striving to improve it?

We all have worked in both kind of organisations. There, really, is no ideal organisation and every place has its mixed dynamics as much as there are a matrix of people who work there and bring in their set of values, drives and energies adding to or depleting the corporate culture.

I used to lament about the deep-rooted politics, credit-stealing, clique driven and yes-man culture in my last organisation. And now when my niece (adopted daughter) talks of her experience with a Swiss MNC or a progressively Indian Legal Services sector, I notice that things are not very different.

I am sure, most of us want to work with wonderfully progressive organisations with utopian work environments without realising that each of us are essential cogs in the corporate wheel.

My experience says that we need to do a lot of internalisation and introspection in order to make our organisations optimum places to be in.

Yet, having said all this, when the going gets really tough (and absolutely against your grain) then the tough get going (to find another place under the sun).

POV

That's the latest buzz word. It means your "Point-of-View."

Someone asked me recently, "Your views . Do viewers value your valued views when viewed, in the same vein, as you would view them?"

This is what I had to say -

Two important pointers here.
The viewer's point of VIEW - and this to my mind encompasses the external frames of reference. Their surrounding environment, personal experience, societal influences and so on.

The other is the viewer's set of VALUES - and this provides the internal impetus and inclination (favourable or otherwise) towards the presented view.

The heart of the matter should be that while all or most would welcome the views that are in sync with one's own, we need to also value those that vary and use them in accordance with our driving forces.

That in a nutshell is my bird's eye view ;)

"What's the very first thing, you think about, when getting up in the morning? "

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Two years back it used to be, "Get up.....rise and shine....go to work.....' while the body gave entirely opposite signals."

Seven months back it used to be, "I am alive, I don't have to rush out of bed, I can keep sleeping while I get the Goodbye kiss."

And then I read something really meaningful and meditative so, since the last year it is a quick, short prayer and a chant to 21 times of 'I AM GOOD.' Makes me feel like a better person already!

What is the answer to the question: what is the the ultimate question!!!

Are you leading the kind of life HE wants you to?

Did you lead the life that HE wanted you to?

Have you decided how would you live your life in... 2008 or any other year?

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This is what I have decided......
BE!!!!!!!!!

*Be more alive in every moment.
*Be a better daughter, wife, mother and whatever role life gives me.
*Be a better writer and reader.
*Be a better being.
*Be back in action on the corporate ladder.
*Be more fun, kind, passionate and compassionate.
*Be more grateful for all that I have.
*Be and let others BE.

How Does One Feel About The Efforts of One's Co-Workers?

A Mixed bag of thoughts and feelings depending on the personal and professional characteristics of the person in question.

There are great and efficient workers with questionable personal attributes.
There are excellent people with poor set of work related skills.
There are pathetic workers with deplorable personas, AND
There are wonderful, top notch colleagues with exemplary attitudes.

No organisation is immune to this awesome foursome of categories.

Our response to them, our dymamics of equations at work and the matrix of relationships therein is a result of the chain of reactions set off by each of these conductors.

Isn't it???