What is Semco Style
Semco Style is a management approach that prepares organizations to build and sustain a Start-up culture at scale. Startup culture stands out for agility, innovation, client focus of the organization, high degree of ownership, accountability, high learnability along with high productivity as a team. Startup growth is fuelled by a singular focus on achieving the…
Fix these to Improve Accountability and Ownership
Many tiles of our verandah roof had broken, and the place was looking run down. Due to the pandemic, we had been putting off the repair work. One morning when I stepped out, I found all broken and missing tiles replaced and the verandah looking beautiful. Later, I learned that the gardener, Ajay was working…
Nurturing Decision Making
A very senior leader @ a large MNC I worked with a few years back was obsessed with being involved in all decisions that had to be taken. I recall how he would go through in minute detail the approach each leader ( managing multi-million dollar business) was taking to address every delivery challenge and…
Decentralization – future of the workplace
The Covid 19 experience has once again brought to the front the importance of being agile – for organizations and individuals. Agile organizations and people are almost nomadic in their mindset – they hold onto exactly what they need and treat everything else as burdens that will hold them back when it’s time to move…
Are you In-Control or Controlling?
As a leader, are you In-Control or Controlling? Many rules were originally created for quality and productivity control in order to improve people’s effectiveness and efficiency. Over a period of time organizations started losing common sense and started focusing on processes over people. The levels of trust dropped and with that productivity, innovation, and joy…
Uttam Kshama – Supreme Forgiveness
If knowingly or unknowingly, I have caused hurt or offense in any manner, through my words or actions, I seek forgiveness from my acquaintances, colleagues, friends, and family members from people of all religion, color, and orientation from all living beings – animals and plants from the planet on which we live and the universe…
How BITS Shaped me.
This week marks the 40th year of the day I stepped into BITS, Pilani as a giggly teenager. The next four years were transforming. A lot of what I could do in my life, who I am is courtesy of this great institution. The thought of writing this post was triggered when a batchmate pointed…
SemcoStyle Institute India Fundamentals Program goes online for Mumbai
From 5th-8th May 2020, SSI India conducted the Fundamentals program for the folks in Mumbai and Pune. We believe that the participants had as good a time as we did as facilitators. The participation was excellent and we could not have asked for a better audience to conduct our maiden online program. Thank you, Archanaa,…
Making an impression on a video conference call
We spend more time on video conferences than ever before. Here are some simple tricks to improve your video image and up your presence Identify your workspace – usually a room where when required, you can isolate and cut off noise and movement of other people. If you have a study or home office that…
Jaisalmer, the Golden City
Over multiple trips, I have managed to see a lot of Rajasthan. But had somehow missed visiting Jaisalmer. We decided to combine it with our visit to Jaipur for a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding. Hubby was running temperature before we arrived and through the visit so we did everything really slow-paced resulting in us being…