VBS Student Blog | Insights, Experiences & for Personal Growth

Quoting Jack Harris, “Mental illnesses are a thing. They’re real, and they are very present. And we need to talk about them.” We’ve also witnessed many individuals talk about the severity of mental health problems and share stories of their own battles with the same. But it only took us a whole Pandemic to actually realise the importance of the well-being of our mental health.

The unfortunate Pandemic brought into our lives the one thing humanity is most afraid of; uncertainty! Uncertainty about job security, uncertainty regarding our health, uncertainty pertaining to the smallest of things around us. While half of us had nothing to worry about, the other half spent their days praying that they don’t lose their jobs. Some were already struggling with a job loss and were counting on their savings, and others were somehow trying to manage one meal a day. The death rate seeing an all-time high, people were losing their loved ones and couldn’t even see them for the last time, feeling helpless. ‘Death’ became such a common term, that we somehow became numb to the fear the word brought with it.

The quarantine period came along with certain setups that were unavoidable in nature. Individuals were confined to their homes. Some were frustrated, for they were surrounded with people and some because they were all alone with only their thoughts keeping them company. Some were dreaded with responsibilities from their workplace, as it is much harder to achieve targets and deliver excellence when the sword of fear of losing one’s job is hanging by a thin string over their necks.

Responsibilities didn’t just end with performing well at your professional end. Your personal life also required equal attention, now that you shared both the space. The pressure and the frustration felt to maintain a work-life balance is real and it can sometimes get out of your hands, with both aspects of life demanding those extra hours from you. All this accumulates and builds up tension, and the beginning of a battle commences within.

A variety of events in your life can contribute to the disruption of your mental peace which can lead to numerous issues related to mental health. It could be anxiety, stress, depression, etc. But this pandemic gave us a lifetime of experiences in just a few months. It is an overwhelming stream of feelings when we come across emotions of a lifetime in a short time. This has taken a toll on many individuals, for they weren’t able to process it.

It is never an issue, till it becomes our issue. Our society always considered discussing or talking about mental health issues as a taboo. Someone who dares to visit a counsellor is tagged abnormal. But battling a mental health issue is the most natural and normal concept. Only if we could open our minds a little and see all possibilities and occurrence of events in this world. We are definitely behind in the race, but together, lets catch-up and make our mental health our priority, much like our physical well-being.

Let’s not get lost in anticipation of tomorrow. Let us pace it down rather than turning it up a notch and constantly trying to push ourselves beyond our potentiality. Because at the end of the day, we all deserve peace.

- Rithika Rao
PGDM 2020-2022
Vivekanand Business School

Emotional intelligence (EQ) was always considered a taboo subject in corporate environments, but it is now on the minds of practically every leader and organization seeking to be creative, especially as newly divided workplaces have migrated into uncertain home office situations. Previously, workplace emotions were seen to be harmful and maybe a hindrance to success and discipline. Emotional intelligence is a must-have for today's businesses and CEOs to keep employees engaged and engaged, whether they're working from home or in the office, while also delivering market outcomes.

Emotional intelligence (also known as the 'emotional quotient' or EQ) was placed sixth among the top ten attributes that workers will need to develop to succeed in the future workplace by the World Economic Forum.

So, what's the EQ? What impact does this have on your professional success and ability to communicate with coworkers and peers, as well as your physical and emotional well-being?

The ability to experience, understand, and control one's thoughts and emotions are referred to as EQ.

Emotionally sophisticated people are far more likely to succeed in their careers. Consider Daniel Goleman's five emotional intelligence foundations and how vital they are to a professional:

• Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and comprehend one's moods and feelings and how they affect others.
• Self-control – the ability to control one's impulses and moods, as well as to think before acting.
• Internal (or core) purpose – the desire to attain goals for personal reasons rather than for monetary gain (the opposite is external motivation)
• Empathy - the ability to consider and appreciate the motives of others, which is required for building and managing successful teams.
• Social skills – the capacity to maintain partnerships and network

Hiring managers stated that they valued an employee's emotional intelligence (EQ) over their IQ. They also stated that they would prefer to hire someone with a high level of emotional intelligence. They also stated that they would not hire someone with a high IQ but a low EQ.

Just as it is important to recruit new employees with emotional intelligence, executives and other business leaders must act in emotionally intelligent ways to fulfill the demands of today's employees Some senior employees started their careers in the same companies where they are now retired. For many earlier generations, work has primarily served as a method of earning money. Most employees nowadays, however, want more from their jobs than just a paycheck. As they have observed their committed older classmates deal with increased unemployment and career setbacks, younger generations have realized that the conventional outlook does not always hold.

Setting Emotional Intelligence Examples at Work

There are various advantages to having high emotional intelligence at work, and companies who use it to their advantage will outperform their competition. Here are a few ideas:

1. Prioritizing Emotional Intelligence- Contrary to what previous generations of workers may have believed, people cannot—and should not—turn off their emotions when they go to work. The key for business leaders is to rid themselves of preconceived ideas about what the manager is expected to do and to view any situation from an emotional intelligence viewpoint. Stopping your feet and yelling at colleagues to work faster may produce better short-term results, but the long-term implications are virtually certainly disastrous. Employees nowadays don't expect their boss to be their best friend, but they want to have a trusting and respectful connection with them. They'll quit for a boss who will give it to them if they don't like it. But there's a catch: data suggests that having more emotional intelligence isn't always a good thing. In other words, emotional maturity is merely one factor to consider when evaluating someone's qualifications for a given job.

This is a useful rule of thumb to keep in mind-

Good Professional = Skills + Work Morality + Emotional Intelligence.

2. To create a culture that values emotional intelligence- Emotional intelligence requires practice like any other skill. Organizations can also create a community where employees and managers may practice and improve their emotional intelligence. The first step is to demonstrate to your employees that the organization cares about them. Individual success leads to corporate success, so people already understand why you want them to perform well. When you receive interpersonal assistance, stay at that stage. When you switch from appealing to employees' emotions to providing directives, the emotional foundation you've established appears to be manipulation rather than compassion. Being real is a part of actual emotional intelligence, and a true example of emotional intelligence is considerably more motivating than words alone.

To be effective with emotional intelligence, you must first start with yourself.  You can't distill or strengthen someone's well-being, improvement, or sense of self without first understanding how they work emotionally. Leaders are often distinguished by their level of interpersonal maturity, and it is these skills that contribute to a more productive workplace. We live in an era where, because of technological advancements, we can acquire certification in a variety of areas to advance our jobs, but we can't get one in emotional intelligence. This is something we need to talk about as a society, to recognize it as vital, to choose to strengthen it and to work on it for the rest of our lives. However, the advantages outweigh the costs as we become happier workers, better couples, and better people.

Thank You
Yashna Bhagchandani
PGDM - Div A
Vivekanand Business School 

Every generation of workers has developed a distinct culture in the workplace, from baby boomers to millennials. The population is increasingly changing into a more youthful cohort, amid the sustained growth of Gen Z workers (or post-millennials). When these individuals start working for about 20 years, HR observers suggest they can affect the culture of the workplace in different ways. In the days ahead, from standardized to fluid and traditional to unconventional, this will cause a gradual change in the workplace ethos.

First let us understand what is GenZ?

Due to their internet access and community, Generation Z, the youngest of the set, are extremely perceptive and can easily see beyond corporate labels that are presumptuous. They expect to see firms follow their values passionately and stand by what they support. In attitude, Generation Z is self-motivated and entrepreneurial. They are now experienced, even more than the millennials, the generation that followed them, with uncertainties. As a result, they are searching for a meaningful job: salaries aren't the bottom line. In comparison, they have seen the commitment of their parents and older siblings go unrewarded by bosses, so loyalty needs to be a two-way street for them. In the online world, they are digital natives who have grown up. They are advanced, and more services than ever have been gained. They seem to be outstanding networkers, which greatly increases their odds of success in anything they set their attention to.

How are GenZ different from other generations?

• Competitive- Millennials are key players in the team and teamwork is of great importance. Gen Z, not that much. Even though they are willing to cooperate with others, they are still intensely competitive and excel by independently driving themselves.
• Salary and security driven- Gen Z are averse to debt, and are able to work hard to guarantee financial stability, unlike millennials, most of whom are struggling under credit card and student loan debt. In order to escape student debt, many of them chose to self-educate or find unorthodox ways to study. They're fast learners and seek knowledge; in this regard, they don't really need hand-holding or coddling. This younger generation needs to learn aggressively to allow themselves to gain decent incomes so that their financial prospects can be strengthened.

They have no qualms about job-hopping, considering their need for protection, and can do it in a snap. Evidence reveals that Gen Z are considerably more likely than members of other groups to shift work.

How to recruit and keep workers from Gen Z?

• Strengthen the recruitment strategies- Traditional recruiting strategies may not work too well for Gen Z. Companies might want to concentrate on branding themselves as a company that provides the atmosphere and advantages, they seek in the workplace in order to attract their attention. Aim to introduce more digital processes into the methods of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding.
• Use mobile and applications- By incorporating mobile devices and applications into the workflow, ensure greater efficiency from Gen Z'ers. For example, forget about paper coupons, sign-in sheets and other "traditional" working flow control mechanisms. Instead, to mention a few, grant the workers access to applications and other web resources, such as automated time and attendance tracking systems, online tax calculators, and apps for project management.
• Provide reviews in real-time- Like millennials, to thrive, members of Gen Z need insights. They'll lose professionally if they worry, they're not making it, which will contribute to the end result. Be sure to create an atmosphere where, both formally and informally, management reviews and ideas are readily communicated.
• Keep incorporating flexible solutions for work- Gen Z needs a healthy lifestyle, and they will switch from work to work before they reach an atmosphere that helps them to mix work and non-work interests with their own schedules during the day (and night).
• Promotional opportunities plan- They'll move on if Gen Z doesn't feel safe. From their present position, they need to see specific paths for development. Don't risk wasting time and money on hiring and educating them, only seeing them jump to a rival when they thought their career direction had stagnated.

Gen Z can be expert at multitasking and, motivated by a DIY (do-it-yourself) mentality, strive effectively, proactively and pragmatically. Mobile-centred and device-savvy, they are often easy to connect and interact in real-time through several interactive networks. Managers and mentors are not an exclusive source of learning for them, but an external tool. Finally, they remain self-starters and self-learners as self-motivated people, wishing to make a speedy impact when employed. Overall, Gen Z workers' attributes and advantages greatly outweigh their downsides, and would help to improve the organizational vibrancy and efficiency quotient.

When you move into the future, as you try to please not only millennials and Gen Z, but also Baby Boomers and Gen X employees, you're likely to experience a challenging juggling act. You'll find it simpler if you make the effort now to train for Gen Z when they continuously appear in the industry, as they will possibly become the main generational power in the new workplace sooner than later.

For further queries get in touch with us.
 

Thank You
Yashna Bhagchandani
PGDM  Div-A 1^st Year
VES Business School, Mumbai

Did you ever lose or faced defeat in a competition/event/business/election?

If yes, did you actually lose? Let’s figure it out.

1. Do you know why you didn’t win?
2. Do you know what mistake you made?
3. Did you identify the difference between you and the one who won?
4. Did you receive any feedback on your performance or did you ask for it?

If you answered at least 3 of the above questions in “Yes” then it is wrong to say that you lost.

Confused, eh?

What does the word “Loss” mean?

In simple words, Loss, Losing, Defeat are all defined as either failed to retain something, deprived of gains or failed to win. For example, if you lose an election, you fail to retain your position, if you lose a competition, you are deprived of the prize and if you lose a contract/s, you fail to win over rivals.

Now you may think that this exactly what happened to you when you lost then how is it wrong to say you lost, aren’t I right? When you asked the above-mentioned question to yourself and answered yes to most of them, did you notice the gains from them?

When you know why didn’t you win, it provides a report where did you lack or what you missed, when you learn about your mistakes, you improvise and make sure to never repeat them. Identify the strong points of those who were above you and inducting them in yourself makes you a better competitor last but not the least when you receive a feedback it gives you an overview of the zones where you need to improve or where you are strong.

Among all of this, there is one thing which you receive, probably the most important that is, EXPERIENCE!

As it is rightly said,

“An experienced individual is far better than hundred inexperienced people”

One cannot be experienced if you don’t fail, but to fail you need to continue which most of the people fail to do. They try, they lose, they quit. But when you try, you Fail, you learn, you try again then you become an experienced person. This experience is supposed to be used for the next thing you try which helps in becoming a better version of yourself.

Whenever you fail to reach the top, you don’t lose but receive the experience to make it to the top next time. Thus, it is wrong to say you lose or you lost ever in your life/career etc. because Each failure gives you a better version of you and keeps you ready to evolve more in upcoming tests of the life. You may fail in thousand battles but when you fight the final war you carry the experience, tricks, strategies, knowledge & wisdom of all previous thousand battles in the war making you an indestructible force who is destined to win.

Believe in your failures because,

“You Never Lose, You either Earn or You Learn”

Thank you

Deepesh Jain
PGDM - Div A 
2020-22
Vivekanand Business School

Jesse Jackson rightly quoted, “Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.” With changing times and the kind of diversity that exists today, leaders should keep adapting to these shifts and alter their leadership style that caters to the current need. No two individuals are the same and hence, there are infinite permutations and combinations to lead as well. But the crux of the style in which one leads and the whole idea of conduct can follow similar courses.
The idea of an inclusive leader is one who accommodates all factors necessary for consideration and evaluates a situation accordingly. A leader who follows inclusivity, does not have a rigid approach in dealing with their subordinates or have the words “force” or “oppress” reside in their dictionary. He is a people-oriented person and makes sure everyone is progressing and none is left behind.

With the latest happenings around the world and humanity going for a toss, inclusive leadership in the corporates should be encouraged. The difficulty faced by employees to work and adjust to various aspects of their jobs is just one page of the book. There are struggles one faces apart from their work life, which are sometimes not known to anyone. Every individual happens to encounter battles; physically, mentally, monitory and much more. A leader who can manage to deal with such situations with a bit of grace and certainty, can actually be successful in being efficient himself and making their employees more productive.

Everyone deserves respect and the right to equal opportunities. Diversity is essential as every team player brings their own set of qualities to the table, which in turn opens new opportunities and generates solutions that are never before thought about. Team working is promoted. But there still happens to be instances, where employees earn an edge over their colleagues over issues such as gender, caste, race, religion, etc. And the entire spirit of working with one another becomes a victim a bias. But when an organization encourages inclusiveness, a leader acts without bias and gives equal and indistinguishable preference to all their players.

Nobody is perfect and a good leader is aware of their shortcomings and does not shy away from accepting feedback or criticism. Because, you learn from your mistakes and mistakes are what make room for improvement. Being considerate of others opinions and being non-judgemental of different view-points is essential in this set-up.
In an inclusive environment, where diverse backgrounds are engaged, there is constant growth in collaboration of different disciplines of an organisation. A distinctive crowd working across different hierarchy in unanimity sends a powerful message across the market with regards to the workplace ethics and the work culture being diligently followed by the organisation.

With its “BETTER TOGETHER: Gender Balance and Diversity Strategy”, McDonald’s made an initiative to decrease gender disparity. This strategy included more female employees on the technology front like AI, cybersecurity, Data Science, etc. Also, to mark the launch of this strategy, the CEO of McDonald’s, along with other senior leaders uploaded an upside-down picture of their logo as their LinkedIn profile picture. Along with this, McDonald’s also used this strategy to promote International Women’s Day on all of its social media platforms. The leaders were committed on bringing about a change in the organisation culture by giving equal status to women employees. Thus prompting, that the officials were engaging in an inclusive leadership style.

Many more organisations are starting to incorporate inclusiveness in their corporate culture which gives employees a sense of belongingness and makes them feel like they are a valuable asset and intensifies their loyalty for the company. A loyal and happy employee promotes your brand far better than someone who does not believe in it. Thus, decreasing staff turnover and increasing morale. The HR should encourage more leaders from their companies to adopt this approach of inclusivity in their leadership style.

A leader who is compassionate, humble, is aware of their unconscious bias, open to criticism and opinions, a leader who doesn’t just lead, but treats all their subordinates with equal respect and gives each one an equal opportunity and thrives for their success, is a leader in true sense. In this world of diversity, where one gets treated indifferently due to certain social factors, an inclusive leader serves the same set of ingredients to every employee. Now, it is in the hands of the employee to prepare his/her own dish using their creativity and talent. When we say this world needs to be a better place to be, we need such leaders to lead.

Thanks & Regards
Rithika Rao
FY PGDM-Div A
 Vivekanand Business School