White Collar separtions — Preparing for a rainy day

Large-scale white-collar displacement at middle and senior levels is a relatively new phenomenon and that too without the safety net of trade unions. 

Article first published in www.hrktha.com click here to read

With reforms and economic liberalisation also comes a loosening of the rigid structures of industrial regulation. A natural corollary of free market competition is allowing greater leeway to businesses for managing their operations. And a key variable of that is manpower headcount.

It is not as if mergers, acquisitions and retrenchments were unknown in India. But, traditionally, they took place within a safety net where primarily trade unions negotiated on behalf of their constituents. However, large-scale white-collar displacement at middle and senior levels is a relatively new phenomenon in the Indian business environment, which both employees and employers are ill equipped to handle. Consolidations, buyouts and exits are fast becoming the order of the day. Inefficient units — often burdened with huge debt — are being forced to sell out by lenders as banks try to get rid of their non-productive assets (NPAs). Home-grown entrepreneurs and promoters cash in on the entry of international majors and global brands as the Indian market opens up. Others simply feel the need to cut the flab, get leaner and fitter in a competitive environment.

This is new uncharted terrain, both for employees and employers. It will take some time for organisations to develop HR processes to deal with such situations. Till then, companies may be prone to handling separations in a ham-handed and, if one may say so, even selfish manner, which can displace many lives and families.

People like to believe that pink slips and retrenchment — like terminal ailments and fatal accidents — happen only to others. But, in a volatile, uncertain and fast changing world it pays to ‘be prepared’, as the Boy Scouts say. Here are a few tips on how to go about it:

• Reality check: To begin with, it is important to be realistic about one’s place in the organisation. A periodic objective self-assessment is a healthy practice like annual medical check-ups. As organisations become less patriarchal and impersonal there is no need to be apologetic about putting one’s career first.

• Looking around: Part of the reality check process is also a regular market scan and scenario analysis. A sense of which direction the organisation is headed is a critical data point in determining one’s own prospects and next career moves. Warning signals in the sky have to be read early. It is wise to get off and mount another horse while one’s career graph is on the ascendant than when it has plateaued or is dipping.

• Sharpening the saw: Very often we stop learning on the job. Being ahead of the knowledge curve is imperative to stay relevant in today’s knowledge economy. So, continuously invest in self-development — both in domain expertise and leadership skills — to maintain professional currency.

• Worshipping false gods: Do not get lulled into complacence. Many bosses feel it is their responsibility to paint a rosy picture for their subordinates. Always take blanket ‘FOB’ (Future is bright) statements with a pinch of salt. Critically look at the boss’ own track record of delivering on promises and her/his position within the organisation. Does the boss have the necessary clout or authority to give assurance to people or is she/he simply doing lip service? While trust is important, blind faith is being professionally naïve. Many a ‘God’ at the workplace has been known to let down ‘devotees’ in moments of crisis — driven by the age-old instinct of self-preservation.
-
• Timing is everything: If there are signals of a storm ahead, jumping the ship too early may be as much a mistake as staying on too late. Unfortunately, in the tough world of business there are no bravery awards for the last man standing. If separation is inevitable, then it is best to leave at a time of one’s own choice — as far as practical — and avoid ‘distress sale’

• Garden leave: Yet, there can be no perfect moment. Therefore, it is important to prepare the family for a rough patch ahead without making them feel insecure. At the same time, one should be mentally prepared to take a short career break, sabbatical or ‘garden leave’ as it is fashionably referred to these days.

• Leave on a positive note: Redundancies and displacements at the time of mergers, acquisitions and restructuring are becoming common today. Organisations, therefore, do not hold it against new incumbents and judge them on merits — unless background checks throw up any strong negatives either by way or competencies — or more importantly, integrity. Hence, it is prudent not to burn bridges while quitting or leave in a cloud of smoke.

• Rediscover the self: During a long career, we seldom have the time to sit back, reflect and take stock of life. Treat a career recess as an opportunity for that. Dive deep into the self to discover your strengths, values, dreams and aspirations. Re-establish contact with your inner self to get answers to these questions and visualise a picture of what you want to do with the rest of your life. Reflect on the goals, opportunities, enablers and challenges.

• Reach out: Empirical evidence suggests that loss of job is among the three major causes of depression. Therefore, do not allow the psychological impact of separation affect you. Granted that is easier said than done — so do not feel shy of seeking help. Sometimes, going on a retreat like Vipasanna can work wonders for individuals. Talking to a counsellor, a professional life and career coach or a qualified psychologist can also be of great help. Many companies have begun to sponsor the latter for parting employees.

• Stay positive: Attitude is the key. Many people have found, to their surprise, that such forced separations have opened up new doors that they had never imagined existed before. Therefore, it is important not to lose either self-confidence or self-esteem. Faith — whatever it might mean to you — helps one stay rooted and centred.

• Be flexible: Keep an open mind to opportunities. If it means temporary dislocation or living away from the family, it might be a pain worth taking for a brighter future. Above all, don’t panic. You are not the only one to go through a rough patch or a career trough. It happens to the best of us.

• Be a hard negotiator: While discussing a ‘handshake’, make sure it is at least made of stainless steel if not gold or silver. Similarly, if the organisation wants to retain you through the period of transition, ask for your price by way of a retention bonus. Either way, do not let HR colleagues (who have their own KRAs to meet) short-change you with hugs and kisses and keep the goodies at the time of saying good-bye.

• Don't jump into fire: should you decide to stay on after a take-over, do your own due-diligence about the new employer — especially on cultural issues, remuneration structure and business ethic. There is little point in jumping from the frying pan into the fire. At senior levels, it may be possible to even negotiate a ‘pre-nuptial’ separation package with the new company — in the event of things not working out after a time. This is increasingly becoming standard industry practice, and therefore, worth checking out.

Finally, we are as much the masters of our careers as we are of our own destinies. Tom Peters, American writer on business management practices, said that we are the CEOs of our own company — Me Inc. Let us believe and behave as one.

© 2016 HR Katha

The Buck Stops at the LOC

Photo Courtesy / Credit nationalviews.com

Article first published in +Medium Click here


Much has been written and flushed down Twitter about L’affaire Barkha and Arnab — the two most popular and — arguably — respected anchors of English News Channels. I too added my two penny tweets to it in jest (another one) .

Frankly, I admire both Arnab and Barkha — each in a different sort of way. Both have their own distinctive styles — which make people either like or dislike them. They say — a good brand has to create an ‘emotional surplus’ — either positive or negative — that gives it recall and attachment. Marketers call it SSP or ‘self-selling provocation’. Lalu Prasad, Mamata, Kejriwal — all have loads of it. So one may not like them — but still cannot ignore them. SSP is also what sets Arnab and Barkha apart from the rest of their tribe.

So, some people may be put off by Barkha’s Oprah Winfrey punched into Christiane Amanpour style of journalism and others are repulsed by Arnab’s haranguing on The Newshour a la Fox News anchors they allege — but none can deny they have become stars in their own rights and command higher TRPs than their peers in the trade. And, that is bound to make a few hearts burn.


The comparisons do not end there. Barkha and Arnab grew as journalists by the dint of their hard work. Neither of them owes their successes to anyone but themselves. Both cut their teeth in the Television industry in a channel, which is reputed to put a premium on pedigree. Though Barkha’s mother, Prabha Dutt, was an intrepid journalist — she was not exactly high profile. Arnab comes from a less known political family of Assam — but his entry ticket into journalism was his Oxford degree rather than family antecedents like some of his erstwhile colleagues at that channel. Therefore, it is perfectly understandable that both would be driven by strong ambition.

Many believe the eminently forgettable film by Aziz Mirza — Phir Bhi Dil hain Hindustani — was a take on Barkha and one of her male contemporaries in the electronic media. People are almost certain that, the character of the TV anchor Nandita Malik in Peepli Live was crafted after her. It would be a cliche — but not wholly inaccurate — to say, Barkha fought a lone battle to make her place in the galaxy. And, to do so — as Meryl Streep had once said — one cannot be just pure gold but need some brass in them as well.

Arnab’s story is a little different. He was never counted among the charmed circle of the Roy Boys (and girls). His boldest gamble was not just in joining Time Now — but create a News Channel away from Delhi, when news in India is primarily politics. To make a success of it -without having the daily access to politicians in the capital was no mean feat. He fashioned himself as a cross between Tim Sebastian and David Frost changing the paradigm of TV News (whether for good or bad) with Times Now TRPs soaring. That was difficult to digest for his “upper caste” counterparts on the Lutyens’ beat.

From hatchet jobs in friendly magazines (that carried scathing profiles of Goswami as a boss and journalist)- to barbs like “you don’t have to shout to be heard” — when Arnab pulled off the coupe with the twin interviews of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi in the closing phases of 2014 elections, he became the ultimate trespasser in the cozy club of Delhi media.

The best (or worst — depending on which side you are) was yet to come. The recent interview with Narendra Modi — his first to an Indian Channel after becoming the Prime Minister — was the proverbial last straw. Apart from Twitter tirades — articles were written on the ‘questions he (Arnab) did not ask”. Instead of critiquing the PM’s replies — the ire was entirely directed on Arnab. That something had snapped — was clear in Arnab choosing a business magazine (not affiliated to any media group or industrial house) to put out his rebuttal.

However, it could not or did not stop there. In today’s charged and polarized world — “if you are not with us then you must be with Modi”. And, that I presume must have got Arnab by his new long hair. There begins the new ditty.

Have met Arnab a few times. I have seen very few journalists who are so polite and soft spoken. Therefore, I — for one — was never taken in by his TV persona — which appeared largely put on for audience effect.

Barkha on the other hand has been more touchy about criticism and reactive — be it on Kargil or Radiia. That could be a function of individual personality, but on screen I have always found her to be dignified and restrained. She is basically a reporter at heart who revels at being out in the field — rather than be caught in debates within the confines of the studio. I think she is one who gets the medium of television better than most.

Strident nationalism is the chosen ‘positioning’ for Arnab — while soft ‘liberal’ could be Barkha’s brand. Both have worked brilliantly — while many others of the same vintage have faded away.
At the end of the day — let us face it — Barkha and Arnab remain the two real stars if Indian News TV. Peer rivalry is common in all professions — especially those when they are high profile public persona. Be it movie, politics, cricket — even among lawyers, academics, scientists and doctors.

So, we — the lay viewers — should not get too worked up over it and sucked into their spat. Just leave it the two of them to spar it out and enjoy the show.


And, there is no need to question the patriotism of either – as the Buck finally stops at the LOC that neither Barkha nor Arnab are likely to cross.

Modi Town Hall

Article first published in +ABP NEWS Click here


The genius of Prime Minister Narendra Modi lies in always staying two steps ahead of his rivals. While his opponents are still struggling with Social Media, aping his Chai Pe Charcha or Mann Ki Baat, he goes Boom! and raises the bar with a US style Town Hall.

Warming up by – now almost a ritual – some friendly trolling of the media, he also sent out a gentle signal that he can communicate to the masses over their head. To the opposition and the liberal chatterati, his message seemed to be: I decide the subject of my discourse, select topics that I wish to speak on, at a time of my choosing.

So he set the agenda, and how!

Little did anyone expect him to take the ‘gaurakshaks’ head-on. And what a pasting it was. There were no pious platitudes on respecting all religions or other such homilies. To say more cows die of consuming plastic bags and waste and asking State Governments to prepare dossiers on self-appointed ‘Gaurakshaks’ was a double masterstroke that would have left even his raucous critics gasping.

If he disappointed Omar Abdullah and his close friends in the media by not talking about the ‘Valley’, he must have done so advisedly. The Government is working as per a strategy in Jammu & Kashmir and the Prime Minister would certainly not like to derail it by making a comment which is bound to given a different spin by those, to borrow his phrase about ‘Gaurakshaks’, who have opened shops in the name of Kashmir. Sending Rajnath Singh to Pakistan for the SAARC, he has already driven home the message to the jihadists across the LoC – that the Government will play in Kashmir as per its own rules which are not part of regional dialogue.

By deftly swinging the focus to agriculture, handlooms (Khadi for Nation, Khadi for Fashion) , Smart Villages not just Smart Cities, he quietly pricked some holes in the balloons of his friends across the aisle in Parliament. So, Rahul Gandhi’s speechwriters have to think of something new in place of the tiresome suit-boot. Sonia Gandhi won’t be able to speak just about the plight of weavers on her next trip to Varanasi. And, Lalu Prasad has to come up with something smarter than his earlier ‘smart villages’ quip.


What makes Narendra Modi’s speeches and exhortations potent is the ring of passion and authenticity in whatever he speaks. This cannot be achieved by mere oratory alone unless there is a genuine conviction at the core. Those familiar with the thoughts and writings of Swami Vivekananda would know about his obsession with “preventive healthcare”.

Safe drinking water, hygienic cooking, healthy eating habits, yoga and physical exercise had engaged Vivekananda more than a century ago. One can decipher a distinct impression of his teachings in Narendra Modi’s views on these issues. For that, one does not need an Oxford Economist or Harvard-educated lawyer as Prime Minister, but someone with a heart and common sense.

Of course, one can almost visualise Sanjay Jha or someother bright young Congress spokesperson saying on TV – even Rahul Gandhi understands the importance of safe drinking water – as he always carries his bottle of Evian while visiting Dalit homes.

Talking of “last mile” first, the Prime Minister reminded the States of their responsibility to reach governance to the grass-roots. But, the message is equally relevant for his party colleagues and Sangh followers. Narendra Modi alone cannot keep shouting from the ramparts of Red Fort, Town Hall or Mann Ki Baat. It is also for them to carry the message to the last man in every town and village.

A Dummy's Guide to GST

GST breakthrough a watershed moment in India's Economic History

Photo courtesy +ABP NEWS 

Article first published in +ABP NEWS  Read here


The introduction of Goods and Services Tax, or GST, is arguably the most ambitious tax reform attempted by India since Independence. It aims at transforming the country into a common market, dissolving artificial economic barriers that create differential tax regimes for similar products and services across States.

It is a destination-based tax system that levies tax at the consumer end rather than at source and various stages of value-addition – which adds  layers of taxation ultimately inflating the cumulative tax impact.

Recognising the importance of Indirect Taxation in a country like India, where the Direct Taxation base is small, GST casts the net at the point of consumption or delivery of service while rationalising the total levy, merging multiple taxes such as Excise Duty, VAT, Service Tax, etc into one composite rate.

GST is designed to give a boost to manufacturing, not only by reducing the incidence of tax (from a current compounded level of 25-26% to 18%) but also increasing the physical and bureaucratic ease of inter-State movement.

At the same time there are concerns about States that are high on manufacturing losing out to States that are essentially consumption centres. This is addressed by guaranteeing States compensation for revenue loss for up to five years.

GST will also radically change the way distribution and transportation of goods happen that should benefit both consumers and manufacturers, ultimately also expanding markets and reach.

Costs of maintaining warehouses in each State and non value-adding transhipment will practically disappear, adding to the profitability of manufacturers while making it worthwhile for organised logistics companies to invest in more efficient vehicles and systems of transportation.

However, in the process of harmonisation, taxes on services may marginally increase from current levels, which would pinch the middle-classes more palpably, as eating out, travel and mobile bills become more expensive.


Similarly, some sectors – like textiles and branded jewellery that enjoy a lower tax rate today will get more expensive. Therefore, whether it will be perceived as “Acche Din” by the common man is doubtful as they are more prone to notice the taxes on service bills (example restaurants) while taxes get easily hidden in the MRP (cost of goods).

However, what the Government is banking upon is the overall boost to the economy. If indeed the expected 1-2% spurt in GDP does materialise, all will be forgiven.

While GST would be a major political victory for the Narendra Modi Government and take away its image about not being able to push through economic reforms, its implementation is not going to be a painless process.

Therefore, putting in place a grievance redress mechanism will be as important as careful chaperoning of the process of implementation. Any setback will be a bigger embarrassment than not being able to pass the Bill.

GST will be one achievement that would vindicate Narendra Modi’s unshakeable trust in Arun Jaitley whose singular contribution it would be for getting the main Opposition to the negotiating table.

But, it will also need all of Jaitley’s legal acumen to overcome the technical minefields that are strewn in the path of the GST’s roll-out.

Interestingly, States have insisted on exemption of alcohol for “human consumption” for understandable reasons. So there is no relief for the wicked.

Nepal Politics - A Game of Musical Chairs

Article Published @Medium

Nepal will has its its 24th Prime Minsiter in 26 years. Not a bad record.

It was customary for Nepali politicians to call up benefactors for donations prior to Dassain (Nepal’s biggest festival — equivalent of Indian Navaratri or Durga Puja) — as they had to dole out bonus to party workers. This was the time, therefore, for businessmen and corporates to avoid calls.
One year, my assistant Babita — a bright young Nepali woman from the Eastern Hills — received such a phone call. As per “SOP” (Standard Operating Practice) she routinely informed the caller — the boss was not around. Being well accustomed to such dodging tactics — the gentleman informed with authority “ I am former PM, Mr……….X)”. Not to be intimidated — the spunky lady retorted — “so many ex PMs keeping calling, how does one more more matter to me?”. Within a few minute my cell-phone rang and it was the same politician’s daughter-in-law — a well known Kathmandu socialite — at the other end calling to complain about the insult meted out to the old man.

After a private reception — my friend AM from the British Embassy found himself stuck with another ex PM at the Soaltee Bar. With about half a bottle of JWBL inside his sytem — the former PM started explaining to him the 4 Noble Truths of Buddha but even after repeated attempts could not get beyond the 3rd truth. Needless to add that — with every frustrated attempt he would gulp down another shot of whisky — much to the dismay of the young diplomat. who was worried about the charge on his rather frugal “Expense Account”.

One can continue with an unending series of anecdotes. Like one evening at an Indian Embassy Officer’s residence — one more veteran “Purba Pradhan-Mantri” arrived looking visibly ruffled. It transpired that — he was on his way back to Kathmandu from a nearby rural constituency when his SUV overturned injuring all the other passengers — but he himself had a miraculous escape. He still made it to the party after getting all his copassengers admitted at a hospital. No doubt — he needed a few quick drinks to soothe his nerves. But, no sooner he was down a couple — he headed straight to the security attache — a stern lady IPS officer who would not normally brook undue attention — and told her without batting an eye-lid “Lord Pashupati must have saved me — because I was ordained to meet you here”.

And, how can one forget the evergreen K P Bhattarai — who even as PM asked a leading Indian Bharatnatyam Star on stage before a 1000 strong guests — are your Miss or Missus ? The lady smiled and said — doesn’t matter you can call me by my first name. Obviously delighted — he retorted, of course it does because I am still a bachelor (he was well past eighty then).

Finally, this blogger had the fortune of playing host to Prachanda in his first foreign public outing to Delhi. He was overjoyed at the treatment he received comparable to a “state guest”. Back to Kathmandu — soon thereafter one heard stories about how he acquired a Red Pajero, the status symbol of any politician of consequence in Nepal.

But, since moving to a Constitutional Monarchy in 1990 — it has been merry-go-round politics in Nepal with the same old protagonists taking turns as rotational tenants at the PM’s Official Residence in Baluwater — except those parted by death or the few new entrants in the post-Republic phase.
The rules of the game is akin to a political pokemon with a binary equation of “Baiting India” and “Sucking upto China” — with collateral revenue streams from the US and other friendly SAARC countries (read Pakistan) and Aid from Donor Countries like Japan and the EU.

With every churn and each elections — there is more money to be made and the purses of politicians become a little fatter and so the drama goes on.

Very little change for the ordinary people and the privileged few don’t change. That remains the story of the beautiful country with one of the nicest people in the world — living a life perpetually on the brink.