A team comprises people who may not know each other entirely. But to function as a cohesive unit, they need to trust each other. They need to have belief in each other’s abilities and judgement to achieve a common purpose. Trust is quoted to be one of the core elements of healthy company cultures and tops the list whenever I ask people what they consider important for their company ethos.

What I do know is that upper management and we as a society both have a long road to travel when it comes to all the protocols that were put into place in the last two years. As long as we strive to find a balance, have a choice, and make informed decisions - I think we will find that our new normal is filled with both relief and paranoia.

As a mentor and strengths coach that works with many large and small corporations, I am often judged for my appearance. There have been occasions where my naturally greying hair and sustainable and natural fabric attire have been perceived as out of place for the role of mentoring and coaching working professionals.

What affects us as an employee is that we don’t see it coming. Many of you may be personally affected either through a change in role or by losing your position in the company. When that happens, our first (and very human) reaction is to be shocked, in denial and point angry fingers at our employers.

My own journey with job loss started in 2017, after having spent 29 years and 11 months in a series of companies which emerged from one another, my role was made redundant and I left the company. While I had anticipated it about half a year before it actually happened and was well prepared, I did not anticipate how tough this would be emotionally.

Development is a lifelong obligation and in our VUCA world - it’s a need, which if left unattended will sideline you. Age, merit and designation alone are no guarantee for sustainable success. Plus, it sends a terrible message to an entire organization if its senior leaders neglect their own development.

It is better to be and say who you are than to cover your mistakes. In my experience, that only makes a situation worse. Losing face or blatantly lying can actually cause your boss or colleagues to mistrust you in the long run. Therefore, stay true in your thoughts, emotions and actions. This often means accepting the fact that you made a mistake or failed.

It’s said that each of us have a minimum of 5 natural talents or strengths. My top 5 CliftonStrengths® are Activator®, Strategic®, Restorative™, Responsibility®, and Communication®. I have been exploring, discovering and working with these Talent themes for almost 15 years now and here's what I've noticed:

The reality was that I was very blank political bureaucracy-wise. In fact, I wish he had helped me to gain that awareness. Political savvy is a key success factor not only for politicians but in the same way for business leaders.

A role model is often perceived as aspirational, someone who has already achieved what you want, who could be from another country and have a vastly different trajectory from the one you're currently seeking. Therefore, you feel separate from it.

Many companies offer only a limited number of paid 'festival leaves' that a person can avail of within a certain period. These days include the big holidays such as Diwali, Eid or Christmas. This seems reasonable since there are multiple festivals and religions in India.

Teaching is the best way to ensure that you have understood something thoroughly; that's nothing new. But, to experience it again after quite a long time was an excellent reminder. Also, while teaching you have to make things explicit that you have understood without knowing or rationalizing why.

The notice period - it's that murky gray area where for some odd reason, dynamics between employers and employees often take a turn for the catastrophic.

Hands up if you’ve said, “I’m too busy,” or “Too tired right now,” or “Don’t have the bandwidth.”  These are all little sentences that give your mind a legitimate excuse to not do the work your were supposed to do. They cause you to delay important tasks endlessly and eventually it leads to procrastinating. But if you look deeper, maybe you are simply afraid of doing the work.

A common question I get asked at events is, “What do you do?” Normally I would tell people that I am a professional coach or trainer. The word or label trainer/coach has some connotations which are more along the lines of conditioning (dogs), or sports people, etc.

One of Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® I’ve been giving more thought to lately is Focus®. People who have high Focus® essentially have a natural talent to center everything around one thing and push that through.

A couple of months ago, my business partner, Jill Sheldekar and I facilitated an off-site team development workshop. On one hand, there was a lot of cognitive content, but on the other, we required the team to go out of its comfort zone and think creatively about its future. We knew the “success” of this team development workshop hinged on them pushing through this barrier.

The more I discover the ways to communicate feedback, the more artful it gets. The more subjective it is. Therefore if you’ve taken anything from this little thought journal of mine, it should be this: Listen, reflect, and then decide whether to accept and what to do with feedback given to you - while staying honest with yourself.

A byproduct of being a Strengths Coach is being able to understand who a person is through their talents. Through the years of understanding talent themes and the 34 CliftonStrengths® I have learned to spot people’s motivations or understand them on a deeper level.

Organize individuals according to the way they will thrive, delegate work keeping in mind the strengths and stressors and maintain an openness throughout the entire process. This atmosphere will become a breeding ground for exceptional results and innovative products and services. Not only is it good for business but also for valuing and preserving the cultural integrity of diverse peoples across the globe.