Depending on your organizations capacity, at some point you probably already have or will  develop a ‘diversity policy’ or a ‘diversity program’ or hired a consultant to conduct a ‘diversity workshop’. While viewed within the typical framework this is a step forward, but from an organizational perspective, what does that really mean? A useful tool, is to view diversity from the lens of structure and behavior and how they interface . Here is a roadmap to understand this better – Structure impacts the infrastructure whereas behavior impacts the action Organizations can tackle diversity by developing frameworks e.g. policies, programs, HR best … Continue reading Diversity Strategy: Stucture vs. Behavior 

I was at a concert by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, the  sarod maestro this Saturday. Besides the beautiful music, I was intrigued by the interaction that he had with his tabla players and his sons who are also accomplished sarod players (Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan). The dynamic interplay between each of the parties and their production as a group, led to honing in on 5 key concepts that are essential for organizational growth – Recognize the value of teams In any organization, there tend to be some teams that are given more significance than others. For eg – in … Continue reading Values that Drive Organizational Growth

On August 18th, 2015 the International Young Leaders Assembly was held at the United Nations. The focus of the conversation was on empowering and inspiring young leaders in their respective fields, to impact local communities and embrace the value of being an ethical leader driven by a strong moral compass and innovation. The common themes that resonated amongst all the speakers were- A focus on the youth as agents of change The need to develop moral values that serve as the ethical framework for sustainable decision making A call to organizations to invest in ‘youth leadership capacity building’ Promoting inclusion, accountability and viewing … Continue reading International Young Leaders Assembly at the UN

On Tuesday, August 4th, 2015 the United States Assistant Secretary of State, South & Central Asian Affairs – Nisha Desai Biswal spoke at the Indian Consulate of New York. Consul General Mulay hosted the evening’s talk titled “Vision of India-US Relations in the Coming Years and its Strategic Significance in the Global Context.” Biswal laid emphasis on the strategic value of defense cooperation between the United States and India which could usher in an era of “co-development and co-production”. She laid out a road map of defense cooperation through shared defense exercises, developing satellite technology, deep sea exploration and a vision … Continue reading India-US Relations in the Coming Years

In my experience, one of the biggest challenges faced by American companies in setting up and navigating business in India, is successfully negotiating cultural differences. Among management professionals the catchphrase is understanding the “culture code of India” – because while India’s robust economy is inviting, there are particular social norms that can often serve as severe roadblocks. In the following article Hofstede’s six points of cultural dimensions functions as a foundation for my interpretations on how to do business in India. It serves as a starting point in understanding how to navigate culture and business in India. Gerard Hendrik Hofstede – a Dutch Organizational Psychologist … Continue reading Doing Business in India: Learn the culture code

  When trying to bring about change at an organizational level, it is easy to focus on simply developing policies-procedures, but it is as an uphill challenge to in fact bring about change effectively through them. Part of the challenge lies in understanding and accepting that change management is directly correlated to and in fact dependent on culture. A 2013 study by the Katzenback center suggests “strong correlations between the success of change programs and whether culture was leveraged in the change process”. To enable change successful leaders need to understand culture and navigate it. In the Harvard Business Review, … Continue reading Culture as a Change Enabler