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.

Cultural intelligence is essential for leaders, especially those operating in international environments. It enables them to understand how to effectively manage diverse teams, navigate challenges, and lead organizations toward success. Cultural intelligence is becoming an increasingly important skill in business because of how it impacts team building. One of the best parts of managing a team is getting to work with team members with each bringing a unique perspective and skillset to the table. Learning to lead with cross-cultural empathy, factor in different cultural backgrounds, and come to the table with cultural knowledge are all ways to improve your leadership skills.

Multicultural teams benefit from a diversity of opinion. To unlock the impact of a diverse team and build team synergy, you need to manage and encourage teamwork. That’s where a higher CQ (Cultural Quotient) comes in.

In today’s interconnected and globalised business landscape, cultural sensitivity is not just a virtue but a strategically  imperative for leaders. The ability to lead with cultural sensitivity has become a defining trait of successful leadership. It’s not merely about understanding different cultures; it’s about embracing diversity, fostering inclusion, and leveraging.

Cultural misunderstanding in the workplace is a miscommunication between individuals of different cultural backgrounds, which can lead to misinterpretations and negative consequences. It can occur when people assume that their own culture’s customs and norms are universal. It also arises when there are differences in language, values, beliefs, and expectations. At times even hand gestures are misunderstood by diverse cultural employees.      

Cultural misunderstandings can be harmful to an organization, as they can lead to confusion, conflict, and even decreased productivity.

Cultural sensitivity involves awareness, respect, and consideration of the values, beliefs, norms, customs, and traditions of diverse cultures. In global organizations this extends beyond the organisation’s internal culture to encompass the multicultural aspects of the customer base, employees, and partners worldwide.

For example, some team members are probably more comfortable with direct communication and feedback, whereas you might have other team members who are more comfortable with indirect feedback. Identifying what each team member needs to feel heard and welcomed at work is the best way to make them feel comfortable in a team. Many businesses operate on a global scale, serving customers from different regions, languages, and cultures. Cultural sensitivity enables CXOs to create experiences that resonate with diverse customer segments.

P&G is driven to make life better, not just within the company, but across the globe. P&G strives to make life easy of their employees who come from diversified countries, their consumers, and for people everywhere. As a part of the P&G team, everyone is committed to share that commitment. The organizations oversee teams that often span multiple countries and cultures. Being culturally sensitive fosters a more inclusive and collaborative work environment, driving innovation and employee satisfaction.

​​​​​​​P&G aims to be a model global corporate citizen. As organisations expand into new markets, understanding and respecting local cultures is critical for market entry and growth.
The company believes in transparency  in its business dealings, and it works to support good causes. All over world wherever P&G has its presence it strives to protect the environment and provide an appealing place to work to its employees; they are treated well and are given the opportunity to be all that they can be.

P&G hires people with high IQ, and at the early stages of career, employees have good opportunities to learn and grow. Upward mobility is not so easy. The management structure grows mostly from within.

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. This happens because P&G provides branded products of superior quality and value to improve the lives of the world’s consumers. Mishandling cultural nuances can lead to reputational damage. CXOs must ensure that their organisations are seen as culturally aware and respectful. This results in leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing employees, shareholders and the communities in which we operate to prosper. Cultural sensitivity is not a static quality but a continuous journey of learning and adaptation.

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is a brand giant. The world’s first maker of household products courts market share and billion-dollar brands. Its business is divided into three global units: beauty, health and wellbeing, and household care. It also makes pet food and water filters and produces soap operas. Some 25 of P&G’s brands are billion-dollar sellers, including Gillette Fusion, Always/Whisper, Braun, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Downy/Lenor, Folgers (which it reportedly plans to spin off), Gillette, Iams, Olay, Pampers, Pantene, Pringles, Tide, and Wella, among others.

P&G consists of over 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries. It began as a small, family-operated soap and candle company now provides products and services of superior quality and value to consumers in more than 180 countries. In P&G, every employee’s culture is respected. Their commitment begins with P&G’s Purpose, values and principles, in which sustainability is embedded, and manifests itself in a systemic and long-term way. They try to make their company better.  At P&G the workplace is made as inclusive as possible.

leaders need to be culturally sensitive because it helps them build strong teams, improve communication, and foster innovation. Leaders who are culturally sensitive can create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. This can improve morale and collaboration, and lead to better performance. They can improve communication by being mindful of language barriers and recognize how people from different cultures communicate. Foster innovation. Good leaders have leveraged on cultural diversity as a strategic asset to foster innovation and learning. This helps them to build better client relationships. When leaders respect other’s culture, they can mitigate risks. Leaders can avoid cultural insensitivity and make informed decisions to mitigate reputation damage and financial losses.

At Google different cultures are celebrated in a few ways. Inter Belief Network (IBN) are created where a network of member chapters that aims to create a culture of inclusion and tolerance for a variety of beliefs. The IBN also ensures that the voices of belief-based communities are represented in Google’s products. Asian Pacific American Cultures hub is a platform created in partnership with Google Arts & Culture partners to celebrate the history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated. In this month with initiatives to uplift AAPI small business owners and creators. Google Arts & Culture celebrates festivals from around the world, including Diwali, which is a festival of lights that is important for Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Google Arts & Culture also celebrates the sports history of Mexico. Google’s culture is built on mutual respect, collaboration, and support. The company values individual differences and recognizes the importance of cultural diversity in achieving organizational success. 

Organizations which recognize cultural differences and celebrate them can easily avoid potential biases. Respect individual needs and beliefs by adapting leadership approaches to accommodate unique needs. Be open to diverse backgrounds by bridging cultural gaps to build meaningful relationships.

McDonald’s, one of the world’s most recognizable brands, has successfully implemented a “Think Global, Act Local” approach to cultural sensitivity. This strategy recognizes that while McDonald’s is a global brand, the customer experience must be adapted to local cultures. Here are key aspects of McDonald’s approach are  as follows:

Menu Localization: McDonald’s offers region-specific menu items to cater to local tastes and preferences. For example, in India, where beef is not widely consumed, the menu includes a variety of vegetarian options.

Festivals and Traditions: McDonald’s often runs special promotions and menu items aligned with local festivals and cultural celebrations. This not only reflects cultural sensitivity but also strengthens the brand’s connection with local communities.

Inclusivity McDonald’s is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion. Its workforce comprises people from diverse backgrounds, and the company actively engages in community initiatives to support cultural diversity and education.

Mental fatigue is a state of tiredness that sets in when your brain’s functioning drive gets depleted. We experience mental fatigue usually as the result of prolonged stress; it gets prolonged by a variety of factors, such as multitasking, pending work, challenging events in life, a demanding job, demanding spouse, kids, and also mainly because of procrastination.

If mental fatigue is ignored, your brain just won’t function right. It is also described as brain fog. If it is not tackled in time, it becomes difficult to concentrate on even simple daily tasks; while reading newspaper you might just glare it blankly, you finish a task but keep lingering on even after it’s finished, you may find yourself repeating a task again and again. Things which you would have finished off keep piling and you become more irksome, you get impatient with co-workers, you pick arguments with family members, friends etc. If not treated in time, mental fatigue can become acute or chronic. Acute fatigue is short-lived and is relieved after a brief period of rest. Most of us experience acute fatigue during an afternoon slump or at the end of a particularly hectic day. Acute fatigue is normal because after a good sleep in night, you feel fresh and recharged the next morning.

However, if left unaddressed, acute fatigue can snowball into chronic fatigue and ultimately lead to burnout. Identify the root causes of your mental fatigue and take proactive steps to manage it early on.

What causes mental fatigue? It is complex to explain. It is usually caused by multiple causes such as too much of physical work, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, bad relations, too much of cognitive load and physical illness. The cognitive overload can take the form of intense focus on a single task over an extended period of time, for example, the case for those chess grandmasters that burn 6,000 calories in a day which often results in mental fatigue of the players. We all spend lot of efforts in spreading our attention across too many things; we take so many decisions throughout the day. We wake up every morning with decisions to make right from what to wear, what to eat, and of course the perennially difficult decision of heading to the gym, health regime. And once you clock into work, the decision flood gates open. By the time you are winding down for the night, you have made an average of 35,000 decisions….isn’t this unbelievable?

We grasp so much of information and process it, the emails we answer, the tasks we need to keep track of, the daily chores; our mobile phone keeps us so busy that taking care of all of this makes us mentally tired. Worrying about a task can be as mentally taxing as actually doing it. That means even while we are procrastinating, we are taxing our brain.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to manage both the physical and cognitive sides of mental fatigue.

Weather it is physical tiredness or mental fatigue, it can be tackled by taking good rest. But if it is mental tiredness that impacts both body and mind. So when you are stressed, pause. Because stress requires a longer pause to resolve the inner wound. And, even when things are fine learn to take a pause. We take our strength for granted, our inner strength is so important, it should never be overlooked. Factually, the stress response is supposed to be short-lived because it wears down our body, your health, and our energy. It also impacts our emotional intelligence and decision making. When we get tightly wound up, we tend to react to situations than to respond with reason.

I have constantly been a fast mover for as long as I can remember. My mind moves faster and my body automatically maintains speed with my mind. I don’t like to waste time, I get things done quickly, and finding proficiencies and shortcuts in work and life brings me great contentment. The thing which I am not good at is taking a break or even just a short pause between moments. That is really what this post is about; it is a reminder to self and any other fast movers out there about the significance of taking space between moments.

Resting increases productivity, it works miraculously. We feel fresh, we feel vital, our confidence increases, and therefore a good pause is most essential.  Listen to your mind, when it asks for a pause, take a pause. Sometimes you need to stop in order to get ahead. Pause to ask yourself what, how, when, whom, and why you are doing things; these questions can be tell exactly what you need in order to continue your progress. Other times, you may simply need a break to recharge and prevent exhaustion. If that occurs, you are going to spend a lot more time recovering than if you had taken a break in the first place.

So whenever you lag behind, press the pause button. If you are all times working on yesterday’s work, you will never be able to give time to today’s work, it’s time to take a pause and catch up. If you are experiencing monotony and feel your quality of work is reducing, pause. The importance of pausing applies to all areas of life. I used to associate stopping and quietness to laziness. I generally thought it was a big waste of time. But in fact, it’s a way to recharge and reset your energy, which can actually help you become more productive.

Illich’s law is a crucial law for organizations which want to achieve maximum productivity. Employee productivity can be defined as the amount of output produced by an employee in a specific period of time. The fact is that productivity tends to decrease or even reach negative values if a worker puts in more hours than his capacity. Illich’s Law which is also called “Law of Diminishing Returns” suggests that optimal productivity is reached with an appropriate balance between working time and resting time as productivity decreases after a certain period of continuous work. In short, relevant breaks are essential for staying productive.

Ivan Illich (1926-2002) was a polymath (a person with wide knowledge of various areas) born in Austria, of French and Serbo-Croatian descent. After graduating from studies in science, philosophy, theology, and history, he started his adulthood in the USA: first as a Catholic priest, then as a pastor for Puerto Rican immigrants. His generosity for the Puerto Rican community led him to be appointed as Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

In the initial days of industrialization the factory managers, rich landlords and princely families used to treat their workers heartlessly. They used give workers lot of work and demand that it should be completed in short breaks. In short, they exploited their workers. And, productivity as a concept was not known.  

These days due to pandemic almost 70% of the workers are working from home therefore mangers have to learn to lead remotely. For the first time, employee productivity has become an important topic of discussion. And that’s the reason I am writing this article.

During the strict lockdown, after a month of experimenting, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) used the crisis to check whether if it can work on a long-term operating model. India’s largest IT Company is well known as trendsetter. After fourth quarter earnings call, TCS announced it is working towards a model called 25/25 where only 25 per cent employees will work from office by 2025. N.G.Subramaniam – Chief Operating Officer announced “We don’t believe we need more than 25 per cent of our workforce at our facilities to be 100 per cent productive”. Each employee should spend only 25 per cent of his/her time in office, he added. The culture of work from home is in its nascent stage and managers and employees are still learning the nuances.

The truth is employee productivity is not about making people work longer hours.  Employee productivity starts with the leadership quality. It also begins with the team’s level of engagement at work. It has been proved through scientific research that taking scheduled breaks can actually help improve concentration. Some research has shown that taking short breaks during long tasks helps a person to maintain a constant level of performance; while working at a task without breaks leads to a steady decline in performance.

It is always better to have self-imposed deadlines. While we usually think of a stress as a bad thing, a manageable level of self-imposed stress can actually be helpful in terms of giving us focus and helping us meet our goals.  

According to Illich counter productivity arises when the pursuit of a technical process undermines its original goals. In simpler words counter productivity arises when a useful process or technology is turned into a negative one. Illich gave an example with respect to travel; he said that beyond a critical speed even vehicles can’t run. If you have to reach a destination, you must plan your travel with proper time management. Every machine has its limitations; Illich therefore stressed on learning to practice a more disciplined and limited use of science and technology and invent alternatives especially low-scale, technologies.

In fact measuring a person’s productivity by the number of hours he or she puts in at work is mistaken. We live in a world where the whole foundation of productivity is set wrong. We believe that more the number of hours spent at work increases productivity more. But this premise is absolutely wrong. If someone is spending more number of hours doing the same amount of work, then he or she is actually less productive than others.

Research shows that productivity reduces when a person does too many tasks; mental blocks increase when a person is asked to switch tasks. Instead, productivity increases dramatically when a person gives full attention to one task at a time.

Too much work burns out our creativity and imagination. Studies show taking regular breaks helps increase concentration and boosts mood. We should always take five minutes’ walk around office or visit the canteen to sip coffee or tea, have small snack, meet a colleague have small discussion, take few minutes off to do pranayam.

Break your job into smaller tasks; looking at a big list or handful of jobs can be overwhelming. Seeing a handful of big projects on our calendar can be stressful. Instead if it is broken into smaller tasks, one feels more in control and will be much more productive

Conclusion

Illich’s law has been scientifically proven that after 45 minutes of consecutive work, we can only lose productivity. Based on this principle, everyone needs to take regular breaks and know that beyond a certain threshold of work during the same day, there is no point in trying hard.

“Carlson’s Law” coined by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman describes why managers must balance between autocracy and democracy in an organization. He says “In a world where so many people now have access to education and cheap tools of innovation, it happens from the bottom”. Bottom-up innovation is where ideas originate from employees at the lower ranks; they recognize opportunities through their day-to-day operations over the years. In organizations people at bottom keep innovating small yet meaningful improvements in products in areas such as flavours, shifting to better or all-natural ingredients, packaging improvements, faster/slower functioning, just-in-time supply chain enhancements, bigger or smaller sizing, cost reductions, heavier/lighter weight. Those innovations can be easily visualized and organizations can make a fortune out of it.

When leaders behave tolerant to failures and give scope and space to employees to express their ideas organizations grow faster. Most importantly employees must never be interrupted when they are working.

Carlson’s law states when organizations minimize interruptions, employees work with zeal.  Employees must know the outlook of the management after which they do not like to be disturbed, unless it is urgent. Employees agree with people on a time for a meeting in order to manage time effectively and avoid unjustified disruptions. Carlson’s law is also called the “Law of homogeneous sequences,” which states that interrupted work will be less effective and will take more time than  if it would completed in a continuous manner.

It is shocking yet a factual statistics to know that today’s knowledge workers are notoriously distracted. The average employee wastes up to 41% of their time at work on low-value tasks such as attending whatsapp messages, Facebook chats, instagram pictures, showing all of these to others and commenting on them.

And when people do start doing real work, they are rarely able to concentrate. Workers typically attend to a task for about three minutes before switching to something else which is usually an email or data file. A recent study found that a typical employee only has 11 minutes between distractions. Other studies show that office workers are interrupted about seven times an hour, which adds up to 56 interruptions a day, 80% of which are considered insignificant in nature.

Why distractions are deadly for productivity?

Not only are distractions frequent, but they kill productivity. Even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40% of your productive time. This is due to a phenomenon called “attention residue”. Research shows that when you switch tasks it takes a long time to get back to the level of efficiency you were at before you were interrupted. It is important to stop thinking about one task in order to complete one task fully and transit their attention and perform well on another.

When someone is trying to do deep thinking work for writing a big report, completing performance reviews or sales projections, creating the new presentation, etc it is nearly impossible to maintain a persuasive train-of-thought when he is gets ting attacked with interruptions. After each interruption the person takes nearly 45 minutes to get back to his thought process.

DHL Express, the world’s leading international express provider, has been named as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in the U.S. by Great Place to Work® and Fortune.  The company is certified as a Great Place to Work for four consecutive years. The company has a multi-national multi-cultural environment. Typical meeting may have an American, Italian, German, Chinese and Indian all in the same team. DHL respects its employee’s space, ethnic culture and employees call it a company with heart which says it all. Basically employees need freedom to work and productivity increases when employees are given uninterrupted work atmosphere which is strictly followed by DHL Express.   

Carlson’s law emphasizes on focusing one task at a time for an extended period yields overall better results than constantly switching back and forth between tasks. Because of the inevitable delays required to get back to effective work after each interruption, the entire task’s duration will be longer. 

In today’s global economy, organizations seek leaders who bring out the best in their subordinates. Carlson’s Law is about the negative impact of involuntary breaks. Taking much-needed and deserved intentional breaks is one thing – getting involuntarily distracted is another. It is proven: interruption seriously wrecks productivity.

Resuming a task after an interruption is generally far more complex ones; they are called ‘resumption lags’ which are problematic. Studies have found that interruptions threaten work resources, creating time pressure, work overload, and employee stress.

Emails, SMS, online messaging, phone calls, discussions between colleagues, and outside distractions prevent us from concentrating and doing our work as effectively as possible. A phone call takes between 3 and 5 minutes to get back to work. Over a week, this makes up a significant loss of time. A study from the University of California Irvine suggests it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus.

Organizations must make changes in the working fashion in organizations; interrupting is a bad habit that needs correction, but depending on the reason, or the degree of relationship, it needs to be handled differently. Some people interrupt just for the heck of it. It is a kind of bully. Some people are very sensitive to being disrupted as they find it very difficult to go back to their work. In fact highly creative people find it impossible to go back to their on-going work.

Sune Carlson was a Swedish economist and a pioneer in business research. His observation of the “Law of Homogenous Sequence” or the famous term called “Carlon’s Law” made him famous. Sune Carlson’s productivity concept of “one task at a time” became more popularized with different names: “Batching” and “Deep Work”.

Batching is a task productivity concept and consists of doing all similar tasks in one batch. Checking and replying to your emails only two hours per day, one hour in the morning, one hour later on in the day would be an excellent example of batching tasks to improve productivity. “Batching” is probably the closest productivity idea from Carlson’s Law.

Deep Work is another productivity concept. “Deep work” is a task for mind productivity. It can be seen as a development of the “Batching” idea. “Batching” is about doing related tasks in a given timeslot to avoid loss of focus that may arise from significant changes in the tasks’ requirements. “Deep Work” goes further and consists of entirely focusing on the current task at hand, instead of thinking of other things at the same time.

We all sensible people in world agree that good relationships are the foundation for success in all areas of our life. But, rarely do we realise that it begins with our relationship with our own self. If we do not love our own self completely with all the strengths and weaknesses by ensuring whether our own needs are met or not, we will find it difficult to accept others, love others and help out other around us.

Your relationship with yourself is arguably the most important relationship in life. Self-relationship is the foundation of everything else including philanthropy.  One’s relationship with oneself is crucial and needs to be built like many other relationships in life.  Healthy self-love is most essential. How you value yourself as a person, how you embrace yourself with all the good and the bad in you, your self-relationship, how much you trust yourself is very important in building your life and relationships with others in your life. Ironically, the most selfless thing you can do is to be self-cantered.

The time you spend with yourself is very important; spending time alone is actually a good thing for building your relationship with yourself. Some crucial studies have shown that having more me time has benefits such as increasing productivity, contentment, gratitude and empathy. It doesn’t matter what you do in that me time, as long as you are doing it alone. Please understand that me time does not mean trying to change the way we live our lives for other people. It means allowing ourselves to be truly seen for who we are. It means letting go of feeling that we have to be someone that we are not or trying to speak or act in a way that doesn’t feel affiliated for us.

Me time is a term which has been popularized by all forms of the media geared towards issues of female interest, more particularly in women’s magazines. The idea is that, amidst the stress of 21st century life, a woman finds it increasingly difficult to spend time which is exclusively for her and is not intruded upon by the non-stop demands of work and family. Me time, is a period of time when a woman can put herself first and do something that she particularly enjoys to aid relaxation and revival. This might be as simple as having a bubble bath, sitting down with a cup of tea, listening to some most precious songs, painting or drawing, or going on a trip to the gym or a weekend away. Though not used exclusively with reference to women, this term lies heavily in the female domain. But, it is also means equally the same for men.

The time a person has to himself or herself, in which to do something for his or her own enjoyment is refreshing. Unplug yourself, ban all electronics, social media, email and phone calls for a set amount of time, and instead read a book or magazine, go for a walk, or simply stare out the window and daydream.

Being alone can help you build mental strength. Solitude is important. Studies show the ability to tolerate alone time has been linked to increased happiness and improved stress management. People who enjoy alone time experience less depression. Can you imagine how many people are scared to live alone and therefore they cling on to wrong relationships? This is a fact.  

Me-time increases empathy. It increases your productivity.  Although many organizations offices have started creating open floor plans so everyone can communicate more easily, some studies show being surrounded by people kills productivity. People perform better when they are left alone in their privacy.

Me-time helps you to plan your life. It helps you to know yourself better. Being alone helps you become more comfortable in your own skin. When you are by yourself, you can make choices without outside influences. And that will help you develop better insight about who you are as a person. Start scheduling me-time as often as you can.

About two decades back when manufacturing dominated almost all progressive countries such as the UK, the US, France and Germany, the physical layout of production units such as factories was not very important to the end consumer because they never went inside the factory. However, today’s consumers are keen to know how goods are processed, what goes into it, how safe is the product for usage, the package, aesthetics etc besides the price of course. Today customers are becoming very demanding because of the dominance of e-commerce and retail chains in supply chain, and ever increasing substitution of products available to them.

The entire value chain is stressed to offer various facets in the product and that too for a multiple segments. Today’s customer seeks high level of presentation in the retail outlets; the retail business literally depends on visual merchandise for a perfect presentation, customers want to easily find their way around the store, and want an enjoyable shopping experience.

The importance of quality physical layout is important in a range of service providers, including: students going to college or university have far higher expectations about the quality of their accommodation, mentoring, and learning environment than in the past. As a result colleges and universities are forced pay far more attention to creating attractive learning environments, student accommodation, shops, libraries, playgrounds, bars and other facilities; which is of course good.

Air passengers expect attractive and stimulating environments, such as plush departure lounges, with activities for young children, good food on flight and efficient flight attendants.

Hair dressing and beauty salons are expected to provide pleasant waiting areas, with attractive reading materials, access to coffee for customers, good music and of course good beauty products and efficient beauticians.

While the fact is nobody likes to go to hospitals; but when they need to go patients these days expect services of five star hotels, good lounges, restaurants, helping and positive attitudes of healthcare workers, cleanliness and all under one roof services. If organizations ignore marketing, they find themselves lagging behind.

The man behind the four Ps was Jerome McCarthy. He suggested the 4 Ps classifications in 1960. McCarthy emphasized on product, price, place and promotion as the main four elements and just few about years back, Philip Kotler talked about shift from the four Ps to four Cs.  He expressed in one of his interview that the 4Ps have become 4 Cs because of the customer imperative, the value challenge, and the increasing value of mega distribution. The skills and talents of the marketing manager recline in making the offer to customers in the most attractive manner.  The Marketing Manager is no less than an artist; he has to proportionately add, subtract, replace, and centralize the elements of the mix – The Product; The Price; The Place and The Promotion. Hence, the marketing mix is a value-delivering tool of the marketing function.

One of the glaring challenges that most brands across the world face today is of lowering brand loyalty from the consumers.  The brands are ‘commoditized’ no sooner they enter markets.  At the consumer level, on one hand we are seeing an increasingly more globalised consumer – one who is tuned in almost real time to trends and aspirations across the globe.  Increased access to electronic and traditional media, the Internet, and more frequently (and more adventurous) travel outside the home frontiers are some of the factors that have led to the globalization of the average consumer. At the business level, the most challenging development is consolidation across all kinds of industries – be it travel, education, health, transportation, telecommunication, banking, consumer durables, or retail. The consolidation is not limited within the traditional geographical boundaries but is increasingly becoming cross-national and cross-continent; as a result, local and national brands are struggling literally to retain their identities in the consumer’s mind share. Many brands are living a very short shelf life.

The evolution has been brought in fundamental changes to the basic Marketing mix. Where once there were 4 P’s to explain the mix, nowadays 3 more Ps have added to layer of depth.

In the late 70’s it was widely acknowledged by marketers that the Marketing Mix should be updated. This led to the creation of the Extended Marketing Mix in 1981 by Booms & Bitner which added 3 new elements to the 4 P’s. The older 4Ps and 3 more new Ps of marketing mix are extended to both tangible and intangible products.

The extended 3 Ps are as follows:

People: Organizations are reliant on the people right from shop floor to the Managing Director. Having the right people is crucial because they are as much a part of business offering as the products/services offered by the organization. The three main tasks for employee engagement are: culture, managing style, and hiring. The performance and attitude of people can result in the success or failure of a business.

Processes: The delivery of a product or service is usually done with the best of management practice. The thumb rule for success of any product is that when the customer pays for the product/service he should feel satisfied. Most competitive organizations use 6 SIGMA tool for optimizing best product output. Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable process results by reducing process variation. Manufacturing and business processes have characteristics that can be measured, analyzed, controlled and improved. Achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from the entire organization. This happens particularly from top-level management. Six Sigma project helps a clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns. 6 Sigma works efficiently when an increased emphasis is laid on strong and passionate management. It doesn’t give room for assumptions and guess work.

Physical Evidence:  This refers to the way a product, service, and everything about the company, appears from the outside, or is perceived by the customer. The physical evidence is about packaging. It is about the presentation of an organization, person or thing in an advantageous way. In physical packaging the size, shape, color, material, UPC bar code, and label of the packaging matters as much as its aesthetics. This should be customer tested and updated when needed.  It should fall in line with organization’s other product offerings as well.  Packaging involves the visual layout, practical setup, and when needed for products, clear and precise installation instructions. Product liability insurance is needed in case anybody suffers any harm from the product. Engineering tests are also needed to make sure that the package can stand any break.  There may also be regulatory issues to consider. Visual packaging of a tangible product can make or break a purchase.  Small improvements in the packaging or external appearance of the product or service can lead to completely different responses from customers.

Is there place for 8^thP?  Some marketing experts are of opinion that the extended marketing mix should evolve of Productivity. It is about how well people combine resources to produce goods and services. It is about creating more from available resources, such as raw materials, labour, skills, capital equipment, land, intellectual property, managerial potential and finance. With the right combination, higher production, higher value and higher incomes can be achieved for every hour worked. Productivity helps in managing costs.

In conclusion, even after 54 years the original marketing mix cannot be ignored. It is applicable for every business every day. Jerome McCarthy’s well thought 4 Ps – Product, Price, Place and Promotion and additional 3 Ps added in 1981 by Booms & Bitner’s People, Process and Physical Evidence are the core of any business.  In my opinion, the 8^th P – Productivity should also be added to the extended marketing mix. And, a good marketer is the one who adapts the Ps  suitably to his offering.

Change is a constant feature of business. The method and approach of doing business is changing like never before. The organizations are different in structure and their work cultures are different, their needs are different, and therefore workforce timings are also different. Globalization has set in a vast change in work environments. Working fixed hours in organization is not in style any longer.

The credit of introducing flexi hours goes to Wilhelm “Willi” Haller (1935–2004). He was a businessman and social entrepreneur and is considered the Father of Flexi time. Haller was a visionary and realist, always ahead of his time; he was always able to recognize positive and negative developments in society.

In order to achieve his goals faster and better and to give the employees a share in the success, Haller founded the company Interflex Datensysteme with three others likeminded people, which become European market leader; it was later taken over by Ingersoll Rand. Haller built his organization on the basis of progressive management concepts in which employee motivation played a central role. The idea was that one third of profits should be shared each by investors, employees and charitable projects. A novelty for that time was the active involvement of employees in decision making processes.

Haller never saw himself as the boss but rather as part of a team, yet he was recognized as competent CEO. He was able to make his ideas understood and successfully related them to others. He was inspiring and excited his employees, winning them for a shared vision, and thus using their knowledge potential for the organization. It was extremely important for Haller for work to be fun. His concepts and ideas went around the world. Flexible working hours have deeply changed the working world. Millions of employees profit from it every day.

Flexi Timings is a system of working a set number of hours with the starting and finishing times chosen within agreed limits by the employee. In a survey of 3,300 employees across the globe in October 2010, consultancy firm Bain & Company found that effective implementation of a flexible work model can increase the retention of women by 40 per cent and even of men by 25 per cent. Further, 87 per cent of women and 74 per cent of men surveyed expressed an interest in using flexible job options.

So, the muster-signing regime with a strict monitoring of employee walk-ins and walk-outs are slowly fading. Organizations are waking up to a new reality of adopting flexible timings to increase productivity of employees. Flexible timings at work and work-from-home policies are helping employees in finding a balance between their work and life. Initially the IT companies took a lead in moving towards flexible timings for employees, but today, non-IT companies too are gradually realizing the benefits of flexi-timings. Procter & Gamble, for instance, has rolled out a work-from-home policy for employees, wherein, an employee could seek to work from his residence for a maximum of two days in a week. The Reserve Bank of India has recently adopted the flexi timing to make their officers at ease. Early last year, RBI introduced what it termed as “crucial four hours” during which every employee should be present in office. The employees can choose the remaining four hours according to their choice. Previously, the RBI office in Mumbai remained open between 9.45 am and 5.45 pm. To accommodate the new flexi-timing option, the office now remains open between 8 am and 8 pm. Counting the four core hours between 11 am to 3 pm, which includes lunch time, the officers get to choose any eight hours that they wish to work from office. Some come at 8 am and work till 4 pm while others come in at 11 am and leave at 7 pm. RBI’s move could influence other government institutions to follow suit.

IBM also opted for flexi timings and they saw the productivity on rise.

Identifying the factors that prevent Indian women from opting for science careers, a committee set up by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) has suggested remedial measures such as providing flexible working hours, mid-career breaks and age relaxation in recruitment in order to facilitate the study and practice of science by women. This move is really appreciated!

Once an organization decides to allow some degree of flexibility, it’s important to put the communication and modus operandi in place, because flexibility need not always be a great success; when employees find loop holes in them, they are sure to exploit them. Though to a great extent it helps an organization improve its better retention rates, reduced costs, improved productivity, an increased competitive edge and a happier workforce.

According to a recent survey, many HR heads opined that flexi timings allow them access to a greater talent pool; it is a great policy of attracting potential employees.  It requires a right understanding and effective and workable policies.

It’s a two-way responsibility

The employees need this understanding that while flexi timings allow them to achieve their personal goals; they need to work as element of a team. And, while they enjoy the suppleness they need to support others also in turn. If they want to leave early on a particular day, when the person in the next office wants to do the same, they have to oblige.

Without clear protocols in place, flexi timings should never be adopted. It can create a mess. In a small company where the number of employees is less, flexi timings may not work because   when the number is small and very few out them may have required skill set to do a job, and nobody else to replace. Secondly small businesses cannot afford to lose their customer focus; they need to be clear on how they would meet customer needs. Therefore flexi timings does not work with them.

Flexi timings need precise performance management system in place. The key responsibility areas need to be defined well, with a defined timeline. If clear goals for performance are not set, measuring the abstract output becomes unfeasible. Both men and women can enjoy flexi timings. It is observed over the past few years now that men are on rise asking for flexi timings. Unlike women, when men opt for flexi-timings they prefer to come in late and stay back late. They like to be at home in the day and come towards the evening. Employees feel if they take the calls from home, at least they are physically present at home. And that makes a difference to the family.

How does flexi-time work?

The earliest start time and the latest finish time are defined. Out of which core time is a period where in employees must be present in the office. For the duration of the defined timings flexi hours are allotted when employees can choose from where they would like to work; these are subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours.

The employees are required to work for prescribed accounting time. This is the period over which the total contractual hours should be worked. Any credit hours built up over the accounting time can be taken in half or full days, which are termed as flexi leave. The working hours can be credited or debited to employees report.  The limits to which hours owed to the employee or to the organization can be built up and carried over to the next accounting period. Typically this is set somewhere between 8 to 10 hours credit and 4 to 7 hours debit. Any surplus is usually lost, and it is up to the individual to manage their hours within these parameters.

How do flexi timings benefit employees and employers both?

It benefits employees to meet domestic responsibilities and work life balance. Reduced stress helps stay healthy. It helps employees taking unwarranted leave to respond to family emergencies and social events. It gives them a greater sense of responsibility besides ownership of their own time. The banked hours can be used for extended holiday time.

On the other hand, the employers see this as good measure for staff retention, they see happy and enthusiastic workforce. The productivity levels increase while overhead costs can be curtailed to a great extent.

Since past two decades, people sitting in India work for clients in U. S and U. K and parts of the world and they have to be available to them at their work hours which necessitates for night shifts and evening shifts. Flexi hours are certainly a boon which are gradually becoming an in thing.

Since the 60s the idea of single monoculture is on a slow extinction.  It has given way to pluralistic society that continues to evolve through cultural integration and influence.  These changes are evident in fashions, dietary habit, entertainment, music, literature and sports.  Diversity adds spice to life.

Distinguished management experts have asserted that diversity in organization is a good thing because it forces teamwork, because people know that they must cooperate with each-other to get results, and for a cohesive work culture. Designing and maintaining a consistent workforce with diverse features is a tough managerial task.  Diversity in organization occurs when the organization hires people who have a broad range of background, when the demographics vary on a large scale with difference in age sex, culture and physical challenges.  Cultural ethnicity is one major issue, which needs to be handled with care.  When the pool of resource is large and diverse in nature maintaining equality is a hurricane task.  The reality of globalization is that the boundaries of nations have shrunk, communication speed has increased and the entire world has become a global village.  It is important therefore we respect, accept and celebrate diversity.

Chester Bernard, author of the management classic ‘The functions of the executive’ has described informal organization as any joint personal activity without conscious joint purpose, even though contributing to joint result.  Thus the informal relationships established in-group of people during various celebrations like a dance party, a birthday celebration or a wedding anniversary may aid in achievement of the organizational goals. Globalization, migration and communication challenge organizations to develop broad perspectives of management.  Organizations have to mix and merge people from different parts of world for various operations.  People accept change in cultural diversity if it is a non-issue.  Organizations should constantly but subtly   coach its people to accept change in and around them.

Progressive companies all over the world recognize the advantages of integrating worker from culturally diverse backgrounds. These companies view diversity as a business plan as in today’s global marketplace companies interact with different clients with cultures and different code of conduct.  In the early stages, International business was conducted with an ethnocentric outlook that means the orientation and type of operation was based on the parent company.  The modern multinational corporations have geocentric orientation. The total organization is viewed as an independent system operating in many courtiers.  The relationships between headquarters and subsidiaries are collaborative.  Communication flowing from both directions encourages viewpoints of workers at all levels.  Furthermore, managers of different nationals occupy key positions.

In short, the orientation of multi-national corporations is truly international and goes beyond a narrow nationalistic viewpoint. MNCs have recognized the business opportunities in many different countries.  It can raise money for its operations throughout the world.  Moreover, multinationals firms benefit by being able to establish production facilities in countries where their products can be manufactured more effectively and efficiently.  Companies with worldwide operations sometimes have access to natural resources and materials that may be available to domestic firms only.  Also a large MNC can recruit management and other professionals from a worldwide labor pool.   Companies have recognized the various pros of diversity.

 Increase in Creativity: When different people are put together towards a common solution there is no one best answer to any question because the organization can obtain more and more ideas.  Different cultures of the employees can offer insightful alternatives to a problem.

 Increase in Productivity: When people of variety of culture and variety of backgrounds are made to work together it increases their productivity exponentially. This happens because it kills monotony of work culture, brings freshness in work atmosphere.  Different people have different styles of performing work.  Every employee motivates the other with his difference of style.

Negotiation skills: Negotiating is a part and parcel of life.  Everyone is busy negotiating on some or the other matter.  Every culture has it own philosophy on negotiation.  Americans hate negotiating, they rarely negotiate; you will find them negotiating except for buying a car or a home.  But when Americans have to work with different cultural backgrounds of co-workers they realize the art of negotiation.  Negotiation should always be a win-win situation.  There should be a common ground for negotiation; it should not leave a feeling of hurt on any party.  Germans are called tactful negotiators.  So this can be learnt when diverse people come together to work.

New Business Processes:  Diverse people have diverse attitudes to business.  Companies need to adapt newer business skills and newer processes.  The cross-cultural workforce can bring in better and newer work processes.

New language skills: People can learn new languages while working in organization from their co-workers.  By learning each other’s language the barriers can be reduced.  The companies pay a high sum to language interpreters.  By motivating people who love to learn new languages, companies can curtail expenses.  By learning new languages people can get insight of other countries.  They can improve their communication skills.  After all multi linguistics are always preferred by an organization.

But, Prof.Stephen Bainbridge of University of Illinois Law School argues that homogeneity should be maintained at the workplace as it increases productivity and profitability.  He further states that people feel at home while working with people like them therefore they work more effectively.   He recognizes that people have problem communicating their idea and emotions to people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.   It is a waste of time and energy to work on diverse workforce he comments.

 Prof.Ron Burn a Professor of Sociology and Strategy at the Chicago Graduate School of Business has published several papers on diversity.  He is of the opinion that diverse workgroups are more innovative as they not only have more variety in experience but they are also connected to different source of information in their environment.

Kent State University located in the heartland of America allows students, faculties and staff to learn about variety of cultures from around the world.  Dr.Sheryl Smith – an Associate Dean of students and Director of Campus Life says that the university environment encourages students to explore and understand and appreciate the difference and similarities among cultures especially with diverse student organizations   through events sponsored by these groups.  Students, faculties and staff can experience food, music, dance and sports from wide variety of culture.  The philosophy is simple: students will have to work some day with people of different culture and they will encounter differences.  They should feel at ease and poise when they enter their professions.

Managing cultural diversity is simple.  We all need to address the myths, stereotypes and cultural differences that interfere with our daily chores.  The age-old gender fact that only male and females exist in organizational workforce has lost ground; today we have gay and transgender individuals making vital contributions to our economy. Nations and workforce are both becoming more diverse. The share of people of different color, cast, creed, religion, tradition, language, diction, practice, and ethnicity is part of organizational workforce.

 We are witnessing more women entering the labor force; while taking increasingly the forefront. They are occupying vital roles and are the decision makers in more organizations. It is an open fact that businesses that embrace diversity have a more solid footing in the marketplace than others. Whatever color, black or brown or white.  That is it.   The word “global village” may appropriately describe the world we live in today.  The fiber optics, aerospace and computers link all that exists is a part of our lives. The geographical boundaries are shrinking day by day.   Let’s give up obsolescence and move on to improve productivity.