Women at Work

The greatest exercise of adult franchise in the world is currently underway in our country. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections have eclipsed cricket results and the latest Bollywood releases. It is no longer acceptable to shrug off politics like a bad cold. The current elections are fascinating, not just because of the new cast of characters who have emerged on the political scene but for...

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me’   I remember this little nursery rhyme I learned a long time ago. It was supposed to ward off insults and make the name caller feel like an ineffectual fool. Said with an affected braggadocio, it gave me a temporary reprieve, a fragile armor against the Stupids, Donkeys, and Idiots we used as children.   But I...

This article was first published on IBN Live’s blog...

This article was first published on IBN Live’s blog...

Remember that old riddle? A man and his son are traveling in a car when they meet with a terrible accident. The man dies on the spot and the boy is rushed to the hospital. The surgeon who is about to perform the operation takes one look at the boy and gasps- “I can’t operate on him. This is my son.” How is this possible?   If...

“You are so lucky,” grumbled an acquaintance at a party. “No commute, no boss, no office politics. I would love to lounge around in pajamas and work when I want and how I want.” “It is not that easy,” I protested but he was carried away by his own misery and refused to believe me.   I work from home. The key word is WORK but what...

“It is not fair”, grumbled the ambitious young manager after a Leadership workshop I had conducted. “I am too scared to compliment the boss but my female co-workers happily praise her sari, her new haircut and her choice of lipstick. I think I am losing out! What can I say which will not get me slapped or sued?”   “Just tell her that she has lost weight....

Novels about women and their lives, usually tend to be worthy tomes, the narratives laced with suffering and struggle. Most of the men are weak or villainous. The women have to draw upon their reserves of strength and courage to overcome never-ending challenges. I have cheered for these women and have been moved by them but rarely smiled while reading.   In her recent book, ‘The Weight...

This morning’s newspaper informs me that the chief judicial magistrate of Gurgaon is being questioned in connection with the murder of his wife. Incidents of spouses killing each other are not new but what shocked me was the report that this young wife was shot because she failed to produce a male heir after giving birth to two girls. Like many such cases, the truth...

A few months ago, I was conducting a leadership workshop with senior managers of a large bank. We were doing a session on Relationship Networks. Each person was asked to map out all ‘relationships’ – the people at work and outside who contributed to their success on the job and examine the nature of their relationships with them. I was happy to note that many...