In the corporate world bandwidth refers to the capacity of an employee to complete a task in give time frame with accuracy. An organization expects their employees to complete a task with available resources, handle tasks alertly, handle projects with finesse, maintain transparency and proper flow of information within a business context. It can refer to the physical capacity of a network to communicate the flow of data related to workload and the ability to address a complex situation. To me, a high-bandwidth person is one who can rapidly intake information, synthesize it, and communicate efficiently. To explain bandwidth in HR I have given example of Mr. Punit Chatwal a renowned Hospitality Industry champion.

Puneet Chatwal of Indian Hotels Company Ltd MD & CEO has large bandwidth of multitasking and ambition to grow IHCL since 2017, the company got on board a very aggressive target of 50 percent growth in the number of hotels. Since then, they have added 70 new hotels to their portfolio. Primarily, this has been driven through strategy, focus, a change in business model, and a culture of rewarding performance. As the company has grown, they have been strengthening the culture of the company. Chatwal is  disciplined and a visionary.

Networking is vital for professional and personal development because it raises connections, facilitates knowledge sharing, and creates opportunities for growth. It expands a person’s   reach for opportunities, provides valuable advice and support, and enhances his  professional reputation. Human bandwidth refers to the amount of mental and emotional capacity a person has available to process information, make decisions, and handle various tasks and challenges at any given time. It’s a limited resource, like time or physical energy, and when it’s depleted, individuals may have trouble focusing, making decisions, or managing stress. Puneet Chhatwal is a people’s man; he is frequently described as a leader who values people and is focused on building strong relationships within his organization and in the hospitality industry.  

Bandwidth is often used as a metaphor for the available time, energy, and resources to take on new responsibilities. When someone says, “I don’t have the bandwidth,” they often mean they don’t have the capacity and energy to handle additional work. This can relate to the number of ongoing projects, workload, or the complexity of tasks.

As leaders, manager, it is very important to know that everyone has a different capacity. For example, if it takes one person to complete a certain task in one hour, it can take the other 3-4 hours. Managers must assign the work to each team member according to what they can handle.

Bandwidth in HRM signifies an employee’s ability to manage a workload, process information, and make decisions within a specific timeframe. It includes mental energy, emotional stability, and time that an employee can allocate to work. Bandwidth affects an employee’s ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and handle the complexities of their role. When an employee’s bandwidth is stretched thin (e.g., due to excessive workload, high stress, or lack of support), it can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and reduced decision-making quality. 

Puneet Chatwal says that his people are fundamental to the desirable brand equity enjoyed by IHCL. He involved 40 of our senior leaders in creating the ambitious 5-year business strategy. This was supported by ‘culture meets’ that helped in fostering an environment of collaboration and teamwork. It has helped people to take accountability and become highly engaged and invested in the company’s success. Chatwal is known for understanding people he is future proofing the talent to ensure they are ready for the growth that is coming from within the industry and IHCL’s aggressive pipeline. He believes in Leadership Pipeline Model of HR. The model does not need to hire stars from outside for the key positions. Outsiders clog the pipeline because of the culture they bring does not go well the organizational culture. 

Conclusion: Bandwidth is not will power, a person can’t just think harder to get more.  Bandwidth is not intelligence or knowledge you can’t educate yourself into more. Bandwidth is not time; we can’t control it so easily. Bandwidth is more like the physiological limit of how much “thinking” we can do in one moment.  When bandwidth demands are high, but bandwidth availability is low, what happens then?  Usually it means we are weaker, we are experiencing a burnout, we are fagged out and we will fall short of the expected quality of work.

12Navratri is associated with the progress of a spirituality. The different stages of spiritual progress are reflected in the sequence of celebrations during Navaratri. However, Navaratri is not only significant for spiritual aspirants; it has a message for those who lead a worldly life as well. They should invoke Durga’s help to overcome obstacles, pray to Lakshmi to bequeath peace and prosperity, and envisage upon Saraswati in order to gain knowledge. These three ingredients are just as necessary for a full and complete worldly life. In reality, all three forms of Goddesses help us in invoking the Shakti that is within ourselves.

The reason behind the worshipping of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati lies rooted in the philosophy that in life’s journey we travel from the known to the unknown. Hence it is said that Shiva, who symbolizes pure consciousness, can only be known through Shakti, who represents divine energy. That is why people worship Shakti, also known as Devi, in her various manifestations.

The spiritual journey signifies three stages personified by Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The first 3 days of Navratri are dedicated to ‘Maa Durga, next 3 days are dedicated to ‘Maa Laxmi’ and the last 3 days to ‘Maa Saraswati’.  During the first three days of Durga worship the worshipper gets akin to Shakti (strength) which destroys our negative tendencies. The process of trying to control our senses is our individual war in mind which battles the good, the bad and the ugly thoughts.  The stories in the Puranas symbolically depict Devi in the form of Durga as waging war and destroying the asuras (devils); both good and bad lie within us.

The next three days are dedicated to Maa Laxmi who is the goddess of wealth, prosperity and good health. In Hinduism certain symbols denote materialistic objects; they are flowers, plants, leaves, eatables, birds, animals and water. These symbols are assigned to each deity. This association of worldly objects helps a common man in getting emotionally involved with the deities easily. Goddess Laxmi is associated with fortune and prosperity.

The last three days Maa Saraswati is worshipped. The word Saraswati stems from the Sanskrit root ‘saras’ which means that which is fluid and can be either contained in a lake (sarovar) and made to flow as in a river (sarita). Saraswati personifies wisdom and thinking; this is the only ability that separates man from other living beings.  Sarasvatī is also goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a goddess is in Rigveda. She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic period through modern times of Hindu traditions. But in all other cases, we need Saraswati to get Lakshmi. The better one gets equipped with knowledge, the more possibilities he/she gets in generating wealth. So the farmer grows food because he knows how to farm. A craftsman creates valuable products because he has knowledge of a craft. Saraswati is needed not just to generate wealth but also to retain wealth.

So unless the farmer and the craftsmen have business acumen, they lose their generated wealth. They need to have knowledge of marketing and sales. They need to develop financial skills or have the knowledge of partnering with people with financial skills. A trader needs Saraswati, a banker needs Saraswati, and doctors needs Saraswati. Even a housewife needs Saraswati: she needs to master her cooking craft, she needs  the knowledge and skill to allocate her money to satisfy all household needs and wants, both short term and long term.

We human beings innovate and pass on learning from one generation to another, a trait not seen in any other animal. Every human generation prospers by taking advantage of knowledge gained in the past by their ancestors. Therefore, they experience continuous skill and knowledge up gradation which accounts for human civilization. One generation discovered how to control fire, another discovered how to control plants hence invented agriculture, another discovered the wheel, and another discovered electricity, another the computer and this is how civilization progressed. We may have the same genetic structure as our ancestors a hundred thousand years ago, but we live very different lifestyles. And this is because of our imagination. Because we imagine, we hypnotize, and this ability makes us do research.

When one gets inherited wealth and wins money through lottery or gamble in such cases Lakshmi comes without Saraswati. A rich relative dies and leaves behind a fortune for us; this is luck again. We win in a casino, is also luck. We can call this the result of some good karma or the grace of Goddess Laxmi. But friends, lack of knowledge and wisdom is seen when Lakshmi comes, and people don’t value it. Lack of knowledge (Saraswati), makes one proud, as one feels he has magically generated wealth and it will stay with him magically forever.

But an educated man will realize that riches don’t stay permanently with anybody and one needs to work towards preparing for future crunches. Same applies to businesses; when businesses get busy harvesting wealth from the market focusing on major aspects of doing business but not bothering to create a talent pipeline, on knowledge up-gradation and continuous training, some day they face downfall. This is also example of Goddess Laxmi is worshiped by limiting existence of Goddess Saraswati.

The trio of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Durga typically personifies the manifestations of Mahashakti, the supreme divinity. For leading a successful life one needs Shakti.  Shakti is energy.  Everything that has Shakti is alive, radiant and desired. Shakti is a Sanskrit word which means power and energy.  Shakti is phenomenon, it is a force responsible for our life and its various stages of lifecycle. It is the force responsible for the growth in the nature; be it vegetation, forest, river, animals or human beings. It is responsible for the movement of all things. Friends, the triad of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Durga merge in each other and manifest as Shakti. Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are not different entities, but different facets of the singular Divinity.

Some of the spiritual practices associated with Navaratri include fruit and milk fasts, japa (mantra chanting), chanting of hymns dedicated to Devi in her different forms, prayer, meditation and recitation of sacred texts including the Devi Mahatmya, Sri Lalita Sahasranama and the Durga Saptashati.

There is a folk proverb: in good times Lakshmi marches towards us and Saraswati moves away from us while in bad times Saraswati walks in our life and Lakshmi moves away from us. The trick is to focus on Saraswati at both times. In businesses and our personal life in boom times, she teaches us how to ensure sustainable growth. In bad time, she teaches us how to reverse our situation and get out from adversity towards fortune. And Goddess Durga gives us the power to sustain the good and the bad. So, the Navrastri festival teaches us to ‘grow’ in the grace and awareness.

Happy Navaratri!!!

Man’s needs are never fulfilled and he is never satisfied. When deficit need more or less gets satisfied, it will go away, and man gets engaged in activities towards meeting the next set of needs that are yet to be satisfied. These then become most important needs. However, growth needs continue to be felt and may even become stronger once they have been engaged. For the attainment of lasting harmony, a person must successfully complete all the lessons of human development. The fact is man is trapped in the “need cycle”.

The fundamental needs of human are physiological needs: hunger, sleep, thirst, and sex; then comes safety needs: clothes and shelter. After safety need comes social needs: affiliation, belonging, connection in society because man is a social animal. Self-esteem reflects an individual’s overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is the decision made by an individual as an attitude towards the self. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself. And, lastly the zenith of one’s life is self actualization – the insight of fulfilment of life. So, a man is always on run to fulfil his physical, security, love and friendship and esteems needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire on fulfilling the secondary or higher level needs.

Maturity comes only when a person goes through all stages of lifecycle and one faces all good and bad situations in each stage.  People whom we feel have a high level of maturity  possess a breadth of life experience. It does not depend on age alone it depends on experience along with reflection. When reflection happens simultaneously while experiencing something, it enriches the experience. The longer you wait to reflect on an experience, the less valuable the reflection becomes.

The pyramid always symbolises bigger consciousness of strength and energy. At the spiritual level the pyramid is a symbol for the integration of self-and soul. The base of the pyramid stands for the body, the sides show the spiritual endeavours and the top point symbolises the harmonious union of the human with the God. In all of us, there are two aspects. There is our real inner, divine self and there is also the body and intellect which gives us a separate egoist entity. With practice of spirituality, we realise that we cannot limit ourselves to the body and intellect, but merge with the Universal Consciousness.

What makes a pyramid so powerful is its ability to channel or collect energy from the higher realms of the stars, the planets and the Universe and deliver it down to earth. The bottom of the pyramid stands for a firm, earthy foundation, whereas the pointed top represents being able to reach into higher area of consciousness.

All of us are capable to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, many get bogged down and disrupted by failures to meet lower level needs. We get all sorts of experiences including divorce, loss of a job, illness, getting cheated, loss of money and many other problems which can cause fluctuation between levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in an identical or similar manner. Each individual moves back and forth between the different types of needs according to situations in his/her life.

Spirituality helps in broader sense; to embrace diverse modes to connect with reality beyond oneself, it makes one resourceful to tackle all ups and downs of life.  Despite of one’s belief or non-belief in God, there is power in recognizing the numerous ways in which one is connected to the fabric of life.  Through prayer, meditation, reflection, appreciation of the natural world, being helpful to others, or fostering deeper relationships with others, we are able to refill ourselves from sources of the environment, Mother Nature. Spirituality gives patience to pause, listen deeply, and notice the countless ways in which our bodies, minds and souls can be replenished, each moment of our lives.

Self actualization is a process which develops as one grows. People get jumbled between spirituality and self-actualization. Spiritually, self actualization is evolving into a knowing that brings one closer to an understanding of how to live in the world with a sense of wholeness and attaining the inner peace.

BOOK REVIEW

Hardcover, 320 pages, Published April 9th 2013 by Viking (first published January 1st 2013)

The book Give and Take is authored by Adam Grant who is considered Wharton’s most appreciated professor. Grant talks about why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others remain at the bottom. The author has illustrated some short stories based on true life characters and mini-case studies to underline the fact that givers always score above takers. His book opens up an approach to work, connect and increase productivity in the work place. Even in business, the entrepreneurs who give are appreciated by employees. The author cites Phil Jackson’s the coach of Chicago Bulls example as a giver; Phil inherited in 1989 a struggling team with one of the best players in the world, that’s Michael Jordan. Jackson instead of focusing only on the basketball star, chose to develop the team as a whole — a coaching philosophy that helped the Bulls win six NBA (National Basketball Association) titles. The author calls Michael Jordan as a “self-absorbed and egotistical” taker. Grant has not elaborated Phil’s philosophy of giving.

The book talks paying it forward: when leaders give they create value. An organization requires more givers than takers to progress. The book emphasizes that leaders must think about creating team of people for a robust organization. They should not only think about how they would be compensated. A parallel old school classic success principle is to do more than you’re paid for. In commercial vocabulary it is to give more than you get. The author says that in due course of time organizations must invest in trust bank, which means create a pool of trustworthy employees.  The author also talks about 101 ideas to invest in the trust bank.

The book sharply distinguishes the two styles of giving and taking, the approach of givers and takers and their attitudes and actions towards other people. He says that if you’re a taker, you help others strategically, when the benefits to you compensate the personal costs. If you are a giver, you might use a different cost-benefit analysis: you help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal costs.

Adam Grant advances the challenging proposition that givers enjoy a powerful comparative advantage over takers. His message is that merely taking is not a good strategy. In particular, Give and Take is an intense indictment of the takers’ tactics of grasping, maneuvering, and manipulating corporate executives who literally take from their colleagues and customers; and who by their pursuit of unethical misconduct literally topple the aims and objectives with their slimy tactics. He highlights the supposed poster boy of this unsustainable style is Ken Lay, former Enron CEO, who exemplified that “takers may rise by kissing up, but they often fall by kicking down.”

Importantly Adam Grant outs the ill-conceived and ultimately destructive policies of such heavy-handed, hard-hearted executives as Jack Welch, who insisted that employees rated in the bottom 10 percent regularly be terminated. Such fear-inducing policies both suppress giving, and also obviously disrespect the proven managerial workplace psychology principle that workers’ performance is strongly influenced by their superiors.

The author has acknowledged nearly 300 named people for their feedback, wisdom, knowledge and experience, wealth of innovative ideas, help and encouragement.

Conclusions drawn from the book:

1. Takers operate with a distinctive style of operating, they take more than they give.
2. Takers manipulate a lot, they take credit for work not done by them.
3. Givers focus on what people need from them.
4. A giver is usually generous and he strives by sharing his ideas, skills and contacts.
5. There is a category of “matchers” at work place who try to balance giving and taking.
6. Givers are not necessarily at top of the ladder, sometimes you see them at bottom.
7. If you are taking something from a taker, it is risky proposition, they tend to squeeze a lot from you in end.
8. Takers are I, me, myself and givers are we, us, and ourselves.
9. When favors come with strings attached, it is nothing, but a transaction.
10. Takers suck the energy of the organizations and givers enhance energy of the organization.

I recommend that all students of business management must read this book, not only read but review the book as one of the assignments.

Why has Mona Lisa’s painting remained so famous? It is five centuries old, but it is a favorite painting of all times. I think the probable answer is her inimitable smile. A simple smile can break barriers; it can prevent apprehensions, misunderstanding, ease tensions, create acquaintance, improve mental, physical, emotional & spiritual well-being, improve social conditions, give a feeling of sincerity and care all of this leading to goodness. It is so easy to smile, but we make the process difficult.

Psychiatrists suggest nervous and tense patients to smile more often. However fast fashions and styles may change, a genuine smile will never go out of style. Do you agree? And, each person has a different smile, because each one has a different motive and cause to smile. A smile can brighten people’s day in a second, it makes the receiver appreciate and acknowledge you instantaneously. It is not less than an act of worship. Keeps you face illuminated with a constant smile & see how your life changes! Yes, It changes your destiny.

One simple smile has the power to calm fear, insecurity, hurt, and anxiety. It has the power within it to change the world because smiles can be shared. They are contagious. When you smile at another person you pass all the wonderful benefits of smiling on to that person. In the worst of situations in life, some people have that beautiful smile with which they can ease tension of the situation. One of aunts had this cute smile, she had to struggle hell of a lot, but she always won all those scuffles and skirmishes in her life with her sporadic smile. I think she got life’s courage because of smiling. She would visit the neighboring houses in their times of grief, she could console people with her magic touch and her curing smile. I believe that it’s during tough times a resolute smile is needed the most. In a grim atmosphere you need a person who can lighten the moment with an assuring smile.

There have been many interesting studies conducted over the past few years which speak of the magic and power of a smile. The human brain has two circuits for controlling smiles. The cerebral cortex controls the conscious smile while the deep, primitive brain structure handles the expression of emotions. Do you know the drop-jaw smile is an exaggeration due to the jaw being lowered? This type of smile is commonly seen among public figures when giving speeches or at press conferences. Those public figures include politician and celebrities, who understand the importance of laughter. This is an enforced smile to keep the crowd in control.

The extension of this smile technique to win over people quickly is the turn-away smile – as the individual also comes across as youthful, playful and creative. It is actually a hybrid expression where the smile signals welcome, whereas the motion of turning away gives the signal of evasion. To illustrate, most men cannot resist if a women smiles coyly in their directions. Also, when a female gives the turn-away smile, it invokes parental male feelings, making men want to protect and care for the female. Some actresses are quite adept at using this technique to captivate the hearts of fans.

What do understand when a person gives you a close-lipped smile? In which the teeth aren’t displayed. This smile portrays that the person is hiding something from you. So when a mischievous child gives this smile it for sure that he is hiding something from you. If your friend gives you the closed-lip smile, the clear message is that although your friend is happy chatting with you, he is not telling you the whole thing. He/she is not revealing the truth as it is.

When the tips of the lips are stretched without the teeth exposed, such a smile shows the harboring of a secret. It shows resentment in attitude. It also projects the person’s unwillingness to talk any further. When a person does not want to share personal information with you he/she is ought to give you a tight-lipped smile. The tight-lipped smile also evokes mystery and can be often seen in magazine pictures of successful politicians and businessmen. The picture clearly reveals they aren’t disclosing any of their key secrets; they are sharing in the interview only the broad principles for success.

A twisted smile or a lopsided smile –  it appears when one side of the lip moves upwards and the other side slants down causing the mouth to move in opposite directions and ending up in what seems to be a twist. This smile is interpreted as expressing mixed emotions. It projects sadness, worry or uneasiness, contrasted by the upward tilt which says that person is ready to discuss, he is in an amicable mood to talk and is not angry. To sum up, the lopsided smile signals various messages that can range from sarcasm or humiliation to biting wit.

A forced smile looks artificial and unnatural. This can be noticed specially when eyes are not engaged with mouth; resulting in the eyes looking dull or lacking energy. The phony smile gives the impression that we do not mean what we are saying – and it evokes a response of dislike of interest in social bonding.

But a genuine smile encourages others to smile back and convey an honest emotion because when we are smiling, we feel happier and this happiness is communicated to others. You will see the infants have a genuine smile.

And a scorn is an act of contempt; it shows someone being rude and reflects the lack of caring and empathy on the part of the person doing the sneering. During police interviews, for example, you will see a sneer on the faces of criminals.

So friends, different smiles have different interpretations. Smiles express a lot of unsaid emotions of people. But I am advocating importance of genuine smile at this point. A single smile, and how something so seemingly simple and effortless can inspire, affect, and set the attitude of a person’s day. A smile breaks down barriers, it diffuses tense or litigious situations, it fosters positive intent, and it inspires a child’s, parent’s, a patient’s, a student’s or colleague’s perception. A smile says the lot of who you are. It is one of the most powerful gifts that you can give to another person. That one simple gesture has the ability to lift another into a feeling of intense enjoyment, erase loneliness, and remove physical and emotional pain. It is an expression of courage and good will.

You have the power within you to create a smile. It is very powerful and doesn’t cost anything.  Whenever you smile at someone else they are very likely to start smiling too because a smile is infectious. Try it. Tilt up the corner of your lips at someone on the street, in a lift, in a bazaar, a mall, in hospital at the patients on the bed, in a professional meet, in a lecture hall anywhere…. and the chances are that you will make that person grin back at you.  It will raise a wave of happiness, energize the being. Maybe for a little while all their physical and emotional aches and pains will miraculously go away.