Emotions at work place.. Needed ?

 

Attuned to a rare habit of feeling emotions running across any space I walk into. It infuses a certain energy , tremendous power of emotions... at times positive ...sometimes negative and destructive... and sometimes just nothing. So what and how important are these emotions... Emotions are nothing but a combination of behaviour and attitude, they indicate an existence of value and in my line and way of thoughts; extremely critical for any space home or office... so focusing on emotions at work place; it is the emotions that create an organizational culture...really?  So what happens to the Vision, Mission, Values, Rules & Regulations, Principles, ethics.... that organizations spend time on putting in place. Very important... but come to think of it, we’d realize that these would actually be empty phrases and statements without emotions in them. To believe that you can be the best in market for XYZ product or ABC service... this statement stays as a vision but will certainly not translate into performance or service excellence. So how are emotions going to change this ? Emotions create a culture and culture is the single biggest differentiator for a business in the space one is in.

 

Emotions help connecting with the world within the office space and reach out to the world outside. And that is effectively opening up the channels of communication. Ever realize, you walk across the office and you see your colleagues / team members gather in group, chit-chatting, talking – laughing and then suddenly someone notices one individual walking across / towards and the crowd softly but immediately disperses. That happens when there exists no emotions... emotions of being fearless, of being able to express freely! There is a dire need of being able to communicate fearlessly. For the new age leaders... CXO’s need to have an informal approach, collaborative and democratic way of working. A need to capitalize on the emotions people have and be a caring organization... there should be no space for anxiety, anger, confusion or unhappiness. One should be able to pick up the emotions of team members before taking decisions. So it is for the leaders of today to internalize these attributes and effectively creative an ideal leadership style that people would look up to. 

 

So how does this help create a culture? Culture cannot be imposed on people. It needs to be build in the system by these same set of people working in the office. Culture will get driven by those emotions that must co-exist in harmony. An organization has no existence unless the people in it bring it to life. Bring it to life with their emotions of loyalty, commitment and performance excellence, which in all are enough to drive the organization on the path of success. You may have detailed, sophisticated presentations made to new Joinees / employees on organization culture but it essentially understood by employees as they interact with others in the office space.

Culture essentially drives organizational performance and effectiveness, more than competence it is the emotions and adherence to culture that are even more important. Emotions help managers coach employees during low performance, the growth paths can be delineated and one can essentially optimize the diversity. Emotions create and form the biggest culture capital in any company.

So the choice lies with you whether you would want to be in space where you work with people who are disinterested in their jobs. Who walk in, do their work and simply leave for the day not knowing how effectively they have contributed at work or you would like to create an environment where every team member functions as a partner in accomplishing your vision. Your company will succeed because you have built a culture of openness, a culture that promotes productivity and cohesiveness.

Author

 

Samruddhi Mulye

Sr Project Manager - plugHR

Samruddhi comes with over 12 years of HR experience with expertise in Compensation and Benefits, Performance Management, OB and Learning & Leadership. Samruddhi, in her prior assignments has worked with Infovision Software, Carlson Wagonlit travels, ABN Amro and Spanco.

 

 

 

 

So why do you work in HR?

If you work in the field and have been interviewed by someone you probably would have come across this question- “Why did you choose to work in Human resources?”

Here are some responses which make me wonder

“I like to help people so I decided to work in HR”- well why don’t you do social service or work for a charity. HR is not about helping people; it is about getting the best outcomes for the business through people. It is about understanding the commercial aspects of the business and matching it up with the right talent.

“I like people” (as opposed to animals!!)- why HR then as most people you will come across while you are working in HR would be those who have been brought to your attention for untoward behavior, under performance, or those with a grievance. It may actually lead to an aversion to the human kind. You may start to prefer animals over us humans.

“I suck at numbers and I can’t sell so Finance or sales and marketing were not an option for me”- in that case you are not going too far in your HR career, any good HR professional understands that metrics and numbers are equally important in HR as in the other parts of the company.

“Oh I was into recruitment and I thought HR is similar”- you are right on one aspect that recruitment is an important aspect of HR, but HR has a much broader role and involves numerous other aspects. I personally believe that recruitment teaches you lots of skills that you can use as a HR professional namely asking probing questions, interpreting responses, reading body language, PATIENCE, handling vendors and reading through onerous documents (resumes, cover letters, agreements and contracts).

“I think that HR will be an office job I will not be required to travel or go in the field”- that I tell you my friend is a myth. While it is true that most HR roles will work out of an office. There are many times when a HR pro has to be on the go. If you work for a business with teams spread across different geographies then more than likely you would be required to travel for employee relations, performance management, recruitment, training etc. With the changing face of HR, the profession is becoming more dynamic, HR’s presence is required where the action is.

My story of working in HR is I fell in love with the field during my summer training, where I was working as a marketing intern in an IT services company. As an immensely curious intern I kept asking numerous questions to the HR manager sitting in the next cubicle. She was working on Talent development and mobility program. I got hooked to the idea of making change happen and promptly changed my majors to HR. And I have been in HR ever since.

So, I don’t know what floated your boat to HR land, but ask yourself this question and do share your responses with us.

Author

Garima Gupta

HR professional passionate about all things HR even after 13 years in the field. I have worked in different industries ranging from FMCG, retail, education and largely in financial services. I have been fortunate to get opportunity to work in India, China, Australia and USA. After various stints internationally, I have recently returned back home to US. I can be contacted for career advice and consulting.

 

Tricolor Thoughts

As a child Tricolor always fascinated me and I wondered what is so special about the colors its constituted of. Till I came to know the real meaning that Green is a symbol of hope, joy, fertility and love, whereas the white stands for peace and honesty. The blue is for vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance and justice with saffron as a symbol of Indian courage. As I read about our country’s historical background fascination for our bright & colorful and meaningful flag grew. Tricolor gives me a sense independence and feeling of existence in the vast globe. I feel blessed to breathe free air and choose to follow my heart and thank all those who have sacrificed their valuable lives just to make sure that we are safe.

Feeling so strong in itself that wish my words could capture the apt tone. However my personal view regarding freedom is more to do with my thoughts and actions and considering the same course here I proudly share what freedom means to people at plugHR. Hope you get to see flavors of Tricolors in each of them…

Coming straight from CEO’s Desk who runs ‘Awesome Ventures’

Freedom to me is about chasing dreams, no matter how crazy, no matter how far. To be able to push the limits of wackiness and experience the thrill of creation. Freedom is also choosing to live each day in a manner that fits in for me things that matter, my run, my Tennis, my kids, my reads, my work, food, ok more food, parties and guitar. Freedom to disagree, make mistakes, sleep through, skip bath, stop being vegetarian are some I really really love.

Wish all the freedom you want

Prashant Bhaskar

Our Advocacy team running next to CEO office…

Freedom is option of having a choice in everything I do. Respect for my accountability and ownership .Having a voice through all media which also gives a freedom of opinion.

I am glad to be a free being and love it that way

Padmini Bhonsale

Here comes one from a highly agile and sharp HR Head

Butterfly from the cocoon, flower from a bud, seeds from a fruit....the former cannot even be talk about without mentioning the later who has just now allowed them be free...with hopes of a better and brighter tomorrow.

The sense of freedom can only be expressed by the heart to the mind of the one who just witnessed freedom. Filled with outrageous courage, the 'free' is ready to take on to the world. Spreading the wings of new colour, fragrance and promises for new fruit, the 'free' is free to explore the new dimensions of the ever changing world. What is written for them on the horizon is 'I can, I will and I shall" rather than "What, Why and How" which they have been reading on the walls of the closed protection. They are determined for success rather than the doubtfulness of the world from where they just came out. 

Freedom at work invites that the same sense of 'being new'. A workforce filled with energy brings in new ideas and courage, new ways and means of success. They strive all to 'Think' and break the wall of monogamy to be what is has been. The glass is neither half-filled of half-empty for them, all they see is the opportunity of fill it further, an opportunity for success.

Navin Kumar 

This one from the lady whose passion for the subject shows in her writing too..

We all say and truly feel proud of our nation and the spirit of Independence day... but I doubt if any of us can honestly feel the essence of this day because we’d never really had to fight for our freedom. We appreciate the sacrifice people made of their lives and continue to do so to keep us free... but how best can we emulate the spirit of this day. ..few things, I felt were apt and worth practising...

 So here’s an opportunity to epitomize what Independence day truly means to us... Let us decide that – starting today, we will think differently, we will break free from the monotonous and negative thought processes and innovate and discover new dimensions to all aspects of life.. Be positive. Let us decide that – we take up new challenges, not getting bogged down with them and not allow the difficult situations to overpower us but instead let’s face them with a new zest and learn some wonderful lessons in life to treasure. Let us also decide that – We will now on only compete with ourselves and keep bettering at everything we did earlier. Not get into any competition that results into hatred, jealousy and creates greed that by large will only disturb the peace and harmony. Healthy competition is welcome! This in my way ... would probably be celebration of our Independence Day in truest sense...

Samruddhi Mulye

With this note I wish all of you HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY and may the spirit to remain free helps us to sustain our freedom. Let’s from today onwards shed all our inhibitions and together create a workplace where our independent thinking can take us to places.

Freedom : Walk where your heart leads you

“Walk where your heart leads you, there are no restrictions and no burdens.”

GAO XINGJIAN, Nocturnal Wanderer

This Quote is quite apt for the freedom that I feel should be there, how many of us really listen to heart and perform? The constant dilemmas between what our head states and our heart demands is a very regular rendezvous which keeps happening for even a smallest thing.

Freedom to some may be for speech, for innovation, from people, from various small things… But is it the real Freedom? I constantly ask this question to myself, and hence the weirdo in me is still very much alive..crazy…insomniac…and child like.

En route to freedom is achieved through various sacrifices, Sacrifices for the Country, people you love, for work that you do, sometimes even by surrendering yourself completely is also freedom which might philosophically be very different from slavery. Sacrifices for a larger motive, for a better life, for a better partner, for working in better company – Yes this is Freedom.

This is what I love about the quote mentioned above, let our heart leads us to freedom from every burden of judging people, making opinion without knowing their stories, passing unpleasing remarks and spreading negativity – In workplace, in personal lives, and everywhere else. Most of our problems revolves around these areas – and still we don’t change and create Freedom.

Why freedom should be more like how we have experienced it as a child, unaware about the fears, oblivious of what people will think about us, unmindful about eating the way we wanted to…laugh on even the smallest thing which looks silly now, wearing what is required and not what others will approve of….Innocent, fearless, Charming, without burdens – That’s Freedom.

How often we accept what people tell us about ourselves – without introspecting, isn’t that the constant burden of being alive but being controlled by someone else.

How often we put restrictions – rules, policies, processes, regulations, laws and what not – Is this how we were created? I seriously doubt that otherwise why we would love to Break rules and dream of living a break free kind of life but yes not without values and morals.

Alas! Many of us even put restrictions on eating on time…and not when we are hungry…think about it, is this freedom?

Bludgeoning ourselves with the thoughts full of unconstructiveness….envy, pride, jealousy, fear, revenge and what not? Yes some may argue that this is like living like a saint and not human…but here is the answer to it - when we were born, for some years we did not experience any of these – And yes this is how we are ‘CREATED’ to live freely – That is what FREEDOM is – and this is what FREEDOM means to me… J

 Author

Archana Sharma - AVP Operations @plugHR

Corporate Constitution

 

The idea of writing this article initially felt like a burden but I realized that this was one opportunity I had to describe what  freedom at workplace meant to me and how could I let that go away!

An idea to create an organization culture with an important component called “EMPLOYEE FREEDOM”! Already in love with this idea and being an HR professional what more can I ask for J

 

F - Freedom

R – Rational

E- Equality

E- Empowerment

D – Democracy at Workplace

O - Opportunity

M – Modern

 

"When people have freedom at work, they strive and deliver their best. They become emotionally committed to the organization, as opposed to being merely rationally committed. Emotionally committed employees go the extra mile in any assignment/project, actively seek new challenges and remain engaged with the organization through good times and bad."

Freedom at workplace means different things to different people but what’s in it mean for me?

When India got its independence and the constitution was formed as Indians we got ourselves some fundamental rights so I am going to try and list down some fundamental rights that could be implemented at workplace to practice “EMPLOYEE FREEDOM”.

• Right to Innovate : The modern-day freedom at workplace means to make employees feel empowered, with a strong sense of ownership and contribution, a freedom to make mistakes and to have the power to innovate. Think out of the box and to do things differently. If you can do different things and the organization supports you it is a wonderful feeling. I wanted to change the outlook and format of our Newsletter drastically; the organization had full faith in me and gave me all freedom to experiment on new design and concepts. The end product was appreciated across. It all happened because of the freedom I enjoyed and the faith the organization had in me. This will help employees believe their work impacts the organization in a positive way.
• Right to Express : Right to express my views, likes and dislikes without the fear of the consequences is one of the most critical rights. The freedom to exercise this right is not to tell my boss that his business strategy is flawed but to help nurture a culture of imbibing ownership and to think at all times how we can contribute in small or big ways to the success of the organization as if it were our own.  Organization puts forth several initiatives for the benefit of the employees but some might not have the desired impact.  Having the freedom to talk to your seniors/ managers or key people about it and suggest some ideas/ solutions and if they are ready to accept it you feel more owned.Expressing yourself will make u feel empowered to make a difference.  Employers can encourage forums for two way communication such as Town Hall, All hands call, PULSE etc. which is a regular feature with engagements at Plug HR.

• Right to work flexible : Flexibility to do whatever is required and whenever, as long as the job gets done well in time. The freedom to suit my work hours to accommodate family as well as social life is indeed a priority. I need my space and freedom to have a healthy work-life balance. It helps me to be a sane individual, who can contribute creatively towards work and other organizational initiatives. In Plug HR/Client Places, we have flexible working hours and this helps me a lot in balancing work life. In case of discussions involving people from various locations, we depend largely on the Go to Meeting online communication platform or Sabse Bolo (Conference Call), which allows us the freedom to participate even from home, well after the normal office hours. I believe work is important, but life is more important.
• Right to contribute to change: Any change even at policy/process level that involves people always faces resistance. Getting employees buy in on changes that directly or indirectly impacts them is a critical way for any business to quickly adapt. We need to ensure that key influencers are always onboard for critical decisions as that they are well equipped to drive these at grass root levels. Creating a employee forum like” PULSE” helps in taking an opinion of employees through appointed  staff representatives and also reassuring the employee that their opinion matters.  Trust me, there is no better feeling than the fact that the company actually cares about my opinion. A sales guy does sales, a marketing guy markets and a backend support guy does exactly what the name suggests. With competence comes the company's resistance to change the successful profile to another function.

• Virtual freedom: Social approach has taken a new meaning with social networks and employees wanting to be "connected" at all times. Companies hesitate to give full freedom as gaming, social networking, etc. are perceived as serious work dampeners, but @PlugHR it is essential to be social and tech savvy as we collaborate through virtual networks and reap the several benefits it has to offer. You will see employees of Plug HR active on Twitter (Tweetathon) ,Facebook, LinkedIn , actually name the platform and you bet at least a few of us would have left our pug marks there. This will help employer takes advantage of being a “global” company through employee interactions.

"Freedom at the workplace is the independence employees need in order to be motivated and perform to the best of their abilities. Freedom encompasses flexibility on where an employee chooses to work from, the opportunity to voice their opinions freely and the freedom to exercise their creativity to achieve organizational goals. We are responsible for our organization and the culture we drive in it. Hence it is time we take the ownership and drive the culture we always wanted in our organizations. HR is the key and @ Plug HR we create awesome ventures!"

At the end of all this, I am going to leave you with a couple of questions

What does freedom at workplace mean to you?

Is your organization really giving you the freedom you deserve? Its time you really asked yourself this question.

 

Author

Pallavi Prabhu - Sr. Project Manager @plugHR

 

 

 

 

My take on Freedom

Freedom holds different meaning to different people.

• For the freedom fighters it was the idea of an independent and British free India.
• For children it is to play & watch TV whenever they want.
• For a woman it is to choose her career & lifestyle and
• I don’t really know a man's point of view in this but from what I understand they would be really happy to be free from all the nagging. Actually, I think we all would like that J

This is a very generic or a very broad look at freedom. I feel that the perception of freedom undergoes changes with every stage in life. At least mine has. At preschool, I just wanted to play & watch cartoons Mickey Mouse, tom & jerry, he- man, spider man, etc. At Primary, going for a school trip would define living freely. At 18 going for overnight parties was freedom.

Now that I think about it "freedom" is not just going out for a trip or choosing a career or choosing your partner. Freedom is much more than that. Freedom is to be free from apprehensions, inhibitions, discriminations, thoughts of jealously or pulling people down and most importantly to be free from one's own past.

To me, freedom means to be able to learn from my mistakes. If I didn’t have freedom, I would have to do what the top authorities always tell me to do. I don’t have any room for mistakes so it would be harder to learn about life.

Freedom also means having the time to do things right. No freedom, in this case, would mean that I wouldn’t have any time for fantastic, clever thoughts. I would have to do things extremely precise and quick. When I don’t have freedom, I am under pressure constantly. While I am under so much pressure, it makes it a more stressful world to live in.

Freedom is to live in the present. Past always stops us from doing a lot of good for ourselves. Past gives us instances that many a times stops us from doing something or trying something new. Past experiences & lessons from them are important, but that should not be used as a barbed wire that stops us from venturing new areas of life.

I have been fortunate enough to have family & friends who have been supporting me in new ventures & giving me handy tips that keep me from getting hurt by the barbed wire.

To conclude, freedom is not just a term that comes up during Independence Day or republic day to prove a point but it’s something that is relative it varies from person to person & changes with time. The sooner you accept the truth you can be free & walk towards a better future! 

One last example of what freedom means to me is being able to do many things without being forced into doing anything. No freedom means that I might have to enlist in the army reluctantly. I might even be forced to quarter troops and watch them take over my home! My life minus freedom would equal being controlled with everything. When I don’t have freedom I can’t do anything except for what the strict laws tell me to do.

In summary, we are lucky to be in a society of freedom. Just remember, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 

Author:

Shipra Kundu - Project Manager @plugHR

Absolutely Confident.. Drastically Insecure!

We’re all social creatures; and we think that in order to be sociable, we have to be liked by others. Somewhere in our mind, we dread to be considered as social outcasts. We are scared of losing our jobs, our friends, our partners, and there are zillions of things that we want to possess. But some people are so awfully insecure, that ‘doubt’ becomes their middle name! One surprising fragment of insecure people is of the defensive lot, who camouflage their insecurity by their over-confidence, but from within, they are one jellyfish! 

They have values, but they never examine for themselves, as to why they believe in them. They effortlessly resort to manipulative behavior, to try and be in command of their friends and colleagues. They have an unruly knack of forcing people with their preferences, without trying to be compromising. They often seek advice from others, and later, passively-aggressively complain on having to face the consequences. They refuse to accept any constructive criticism and go up to any extent to receive a positive feedback. They are outrageously competitive in nature. Every interaction is a competition for them and every situation is an opportunity for them to dominate others. To create a sense of authority, they either make baseless arguments, or instantaneously change the subject of conversation.Their I-know-it-all attitude makes them constantly correct others.

People pleasers and chatterboxes are another addition to this league. Their typical behavior is to be sweet on the face and be extra nice to people. They speak relentlessly and endlessly, because they have the insecurity of not being heard, and are often known to be backstabbers. An astute observer can read an insecure person very quickly. They are chronic and perpetual liars, who simply lie for no reason at all, just to avoid being judged; but on the contrary, they inherently judge people. Anticipation of rejection or disapproval lead to all such actions, and hence they need reassurances and acknowledgment at all times. 

Insecurities are a strong indicator of our character, and it is a fact that insecure people display their self-doubt without being conscious of it. So, before trying to spot the insecurities in other people we should introspect and dig into our insecurities to reorient our thoughts for an appropriate behavioral pattern for ourselves. 

Why HR should make Business Cases?

When you first read the topic , does it seems as though the profession is heading towards a paradoxical ( not paradigm) shift? In the past, there were hardly any instances of HR having to make a business case to the Board or CEO or senior management – which in essence means that today’s HR professional across levels has a clear understanding of the fact that each people related intervention also needs to have a cost-benefits analysis done, a feasibility or viability exercised conducted, senior management buy-in and clear linkages to business performance. Interesting as it sounds, it’s a challenging approach right ?  Well, it certainly will be - because making a business case is not just an additional responsibility, it is a change of mindset which the HR professional must be cognizant of in current times.
 

Does this need to make a business case mean that each initiative has to have a defined ROI or a clear monetary impact? Not really and not in entirety. What it does mean is that the HR person will need to think beyond – he or she will need to assess what happens after the initiative in a more structured manner and the resultant effect of the initiative on the business. What it also means is that HR should be able to speak the business’s language and explain this effect to the leaders. Finally what it also means is – an absolute end to working on silos! It means collaboration and buy-in, thinking through and coming together.

So in brief how is it that HR makes a business case for its initiatives? To keep it simple – here are some quick, generic steps that will apply across most initiatives - this is indicative, not exhaustive, so you could add more aspects that you find relevant: 

• Understand the organization’s vision and business objectives, its implications on people and particularly to the concerned initiative/intervention.

• Do a viability/feasibility study or a cost-benefit analysis – whatever you may choose to call the same, but basically a listing of the pros and cons ( should cover tangible and intangible impacts).

• Budgetary and resource support needed and for what duration.

• Market study of such initiatives ( if similar ones are run by competitor and your exit analysis shows that there has been attrition due to this being absent, as one of the study elements).

• Challenges/Roadblocks that you perceive and senior management’s involvement in the same.

• Project/Work plan with timelines and if this initiative has linkages to other future initiatives  

If you are able to work along the above steps, your business case will be as comprehensive as it can be. The rest depends on how clearly this case is communicated and shared with the senior management!

 
 

About the author 

Simran Oberoi is currently working as a Knowledge Advisor in SHRM India.  She has over a decade of experience primarily in HR advisory services in the areas of Rewards (Benchmarking, Strategy, Job Mapping, Measurement), covering APAC, South Asia and the US), Long Term Incentives engagements, Organization Restructuring, Capacity Building, Competency Frameworks and Talent Development. In consulting roles, she has significant experience in key global client accounts, project and people management.  She has an accreditation in Hay methodology and Job Mapping and as an APAC leader she has driven the Reward Information Global Sector Development strategy for 14 countries. In her current role she works in Knowledge Development which involves evaluation of key future areas, content creation as well as review for HR disciplines such as Executive Coaching & Leadership Development and Diversity, alongside Talent Development/Management and Rewards. It also involves research in key areas, the most recent ones being CXO/Leadership Development and Competencies.  

She has published several articles on different HR areas, with leading HR journals such as People Matters, Human Capital, Business Manager – HR magazine and industry magazines such as Oil Asia. She regularly contributes the SHRM perspective across print and electronic newspapers. She can be reached on Simran.Oberoi@shrm.org

 

 

 

 

 

Sorted in Life!

You measure intelligence through IQ tests; they show a general combination of a person's intelligence and have strong predictive power. But they alone cannot really predict real-world success. High IQ and immense amount of knowledge is a must but by no means is a guarantee to success in professional or personal life. In fact many careers of intelligent professionals are derailed because they lack practical and emotional stability and are unable to control their feelings and emotions

Being practically and emotionally intelligent is nothing but being street smart; people who are “sorted in life” so who are these so called sorted people in life. People with this type of intelligence are quick to adapt, they know how to contour and select new situations to meet their needs and accomplish their goals and objectives. They work on their relationships with the goal of making it stronger be it with a team member, a colleague or a freind. They are the ones who try and understand about the people around them and the dynamics of the team or the group. They ask for the feedback and improvise and take criticisms with a spirit of learning. They certainly listen more and lecture less, value opinions and ideas and manage situations without coming across as manipulative, political or self absorbed souls.

One striking sign of practically and emotionally intelligent people is they pick their battles wisely; they practice self control in their communications and interaction. They know what to say to whom, when to say it and how to say it for its maximum effect. They exhibit a transparent picture of their character without coming across as fake individuals. They function without creating too much drama around situations and are neither diabetic sweet nor are they overtly dominant. They learn from their past experiences which in turn increases their productivity to a large extent

General IQ is genetic and can be inherited which is proven but practical intelligence and emotional stability is a skill set which is learned throughout. Being observant, analytical and practice to adapt are the keys to develop and sharpen this intelligence. In order to be successful in personal and professional life it is not sufficient to simply possess high IQ. In any given situation, it’s necessary to question our assumptions, consider the risk reward ratios and take sensible risks. We should allow ourselves and others to make mistakes and recognize the problems before they are out of hand.

Unknowingly, all of us are seeking trouble and misery by expecting our professional and personal life to be in a particular way without altering ourselves a bit. We expect everything around us to change except changing ourselves. All of us want continuous happiness, satisfaction at work and in relationships, joy, lots of time, good health without applying any practical logic to it that do we behave, do we think in a manner that would give us all that we want. We try to manipulate life at all stages, manipulate others, and manipulate work situations, events and incidents without realizing that this often does not work, it’s better to manipulate ourselves, change our mindset and become more aware of our own self.

So be practical, be emotionally stable but never mistake it for being selfish, shrewd, self absorbed or use people for personal gains. Be calculative in life but never lose respect for your loved ones, colleagues, co workers and their identity.