Engaging Employees the "Never Grow Up" Way

My story is about Asif Upadhye, a first-generation entrepreneur, and the employee engagement firm that he founded when he was just 30 years old. As a concept, employee engagement is still pretty new in India. Other than the routine Human Resources formalities and a few basic training programs that most organizations have, there are no specific steps taken to motivate and engage employees.

 

I have known Asif since the time we went to college together (more than 15+ years and counting). Asif along with his wife, Dr. Shazia Upadhye, founded a company called Never Grow Up – an employee engagement firm – in January 2010. You may wonder at the strange name of the firm. Well, according to Asif, “When we are children, we are less inhibited but as and when we do actually grow up and become adults, we surround ourselves with layers of perception and prejudices that we carry with us at all times including our workplace. We pine for our childhood and miss those days. So I thought why not call our company that.”

 

Background:

You may wish to know Asif and Shazia’s background and credentials. Asif is an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, and has also completed an Entrepreneurial course from S. P. Jain Institute of Management, Mumbai. Post-MBA, he worked with three financial institutions – HDFC Limited, HSBC and Barclays Bank which gave him good exposure to the banking industry in general and product specific knowledge in particular. He is the Chief Fun Officer at the company. His wife Shazia is a qualified dentist; she is the Chief Fun Advisor and Director.

Genesis:

While, in the corporate life, Asif observed that a lot of employees were unhappy at work; they had several suggestions on what their organization or the Human Resources department could do. Alas, these were never accepted or acted upon. Unlike the rest of us who only grumble and do nothing, Asif, who always wanted to do his own thing and become an entrepreneur, thought “employee engagement” would be a great business idea. As he was approaching 30 years old, one fine day, he turned around to his wife and said, “Hey, what do you think about this idea? Would you join me in the journey to create more focussed and productive employees?” Once he got her consent, he quit his job and plunged headlong into the world of entrepreneurship.

They say the grass is greener on the other side. In his case, it was actually true. As a working professional, one is occupied 12-14 hours 5-6 days a week; as an entrepreneur, one is occupied 24 hours 7 days a week. But Asif did not mind – he was doing what he loved and making a difference in the process. Well, when Asif started off, it was not all smooth sailing. It was almost 6 months before they got their first client. Similarly, their first workshop had only 8 members. But, that did not deter them. Their determination and perseverance paid off when Never Grow Up broke even in 18 months.

Offerings:

“What is it that Never Grow Up exactly does?” I can hear you ask? Well, Never Grow Up believes in making work and life a lot more creative, balanced and eventful. Their services range from consultancy to building communication, devising reward programs to customized workshops (But none of those boring lecture-type, powerpoint sessions which have us yawning throughout, mind you) and even designing workplaces and creating merchandise that will enhance organizational culture and make people feel like coming to work.

As adults, we miss out on the hobbies we pursued due to time constraints and lack of opportunities. Never Grow Up organizes unique weekend workshops for the same. Till date, they have organized writing workshops, mocktails making, photography sessions and drama classes. These have found a high level of acceptance across several people for the primary reason that people have the opportunity to meet like-minded people and pursue the activities they like. In fact, I have had the opportunity to attend two of his workshops – a creative writing workshop and an evening photography workshop around South Mumbai. These workshops in addition to enhancing my knowledge made me shed my inhibitions about actually going out there and meeting new people.

Fun Stuff:

The company has introduced a concept called Cube Farm – they have tied up with companies that manufacture and promote fun products such as Chumbak, Happily Unmarried, Pyjama Party, etc. The offerings include a host of fun and utilitarian products such as work magnets, stress balls, piggy banks and what have you. Can you imagine how it would be like if your workstation actually stands out from the rest of your colleagues?

Clients:

A product/service is only great if it sells and makes money in the process. When I asked Asif about his client list, he smiled and said, “Well, I do not mean to brag and boast about us but if I do not then who will!” He told me that their 25+ clients include Shoppers Stop, Accenture and Group M.

Awards & Recognition:

Zee Business & Franchise India nominated it as one of the top Professional Service Businesses of 2011 at the Small Business Awards. Their work with a retail client also got a particular employee initiative in the Limca Book of Records in January 2013 and also won them the ET Now Talent & HR Leadership Award for Organization with Innovative HR Practices. They are regularly quoted in leading media such as The Economic Times, Business Standard and YourStory.in for their views on employee engagement ideas.

The End

Or rather, the beginning. Never Grow Up recently celebrated its third birthday. And, as any three-year-old, they are super active and excited about the time ahead.

Asif has inspired me in so many different ways. It is not like he was born with a silver spoon or into a business family. He had one clear idea which he stuck to and made an enriching business out of. He is passionate about his work and his passion shines through in what he does. He does not shy away from working hard or asking for help when needed. His networking is outstanding. At the same time, his company is changing employee and corporate mindsets bit by bit. I, too, hope that like Asif, I am able to find out what is it that makes me click (sooner rather than later) and do something about it.

Well, I hope you had as much fun reading about Asif’s adventure as much as I did bringing it to you. You can find out more about it at http://www.willnevergrowup.com.

I wish to get my story published in Chicken Soup for the Indian Entrepreneurs Soul in association with BlogAdda.com.

QSQT

 
Today is the silver jubilee of QSQT or Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak - the blockbuster movie which released on April 29, 1988. The movie took the entire Bollywood industry by storm and overnight its lead cast - Raj (Aamir Khan) & Rashmi (Juhi Chawla) catapulted into stardom. Aiding its wonderful direction (by Mansoor Khan) was the movie's wonderful music - beautiful lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri ably assisted by music directors Anand-Milind. Of course, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik sang as only they could - making us get wistful, elated and sad as the songs required us to be.

Who, among us, has not identified with "Papa kehte hain" - where Raj, at his farewell, discusses his uncertainties on passing out of college - what will he make a career out of; whom will he fall in love with?

My favourite is "Gazab Ka Hain Din" - when both Raj & Rashmi lost in the jungles are trying to find their way to the main road. Rashmi mischievously redraws the arrows that Raj is drawing on the trees to help them find the way. She keeps reminding Raj that both of them are alone in the jungle and they should make the most of it. Alas, "Phir bhi jaane ja, main kahan aur tu kahan."

"Ae Mere Humsafar" brings out the angst of two lovers, who are patiently waiting for things ("Ik Zara Intezaar) to happen, beautifully. "Akele Hain Toh Kyan Gum Hain" celebrates the fact that even though the two lovers, who have eloped, have nobody with them, they couldn't really care as long as they have each other for company.

The dialogues by Nasir Hussain stood out wonderfully as well. Both Raj & Rashmi addressing each other and themselves as aap and hum was cute :) My favourite dialogue from the movie is "doobta hua suraj". Raj is jogging down one evening as the sun sets behind him and Rashmi, while merrily clicking a few pictures of the sunset, manages to get in quite a few of Raj as well. The next scene is played out really well - Raj says he has heard that keeping a self-photograph with a setting sun leads to a shorter lifespan. The dialogue is referred to later when Raj says, "Doobte hue suraj ne hamein pehli baar milaya tha. Dekhna, yehi doobta hua suraj hamein hamesha hamesha ke liye mila dega." Sigh!!!

I remember feeling depressed and sad at the end - why did they have to die? But, guess, all love stories need not have a happy ending. Needless to say, as both lie dying in each other's arms, the sun sets behind them. Doesn't every sunset, along with its beauty, also inspire a certain amount of sadness in us? Nobody knew that better than Nasir Hussain and Mansoor Khan.

Book Review: Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino

Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino has been translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander. The book is 377 pages long and is in the genre of crime fiction.

The book’s blurb reads: “When a man is discovered dead by poisoning in his empty home, his beautiful wife Ayane immediately falls under suspicion. All clues point to Ayane being the logical suspect, but how could she have committed the crime when she was hundreds of miles away?

As Tokyo police detective Kusanagi tries to unpick a seemingly unrelated sequence of events, he finds himself falling for Ayane. When his judgement becomes dangerously clouded, his assistant must call on an old friend for help; it will take a genius to unravel the most spectacular web of deceit they have ever faced…”

Ayane Mita and Yoshitaka Mashiba have been married for about a year and living in Tokyo. The book starts off with the husband, Yoshitaka, telling his wife, Ayane, that he wants them both to get separated since that was the deal. Almost immediately into the book, Yoshitaka is found dead at this apartment that weekend when Ayane is away visiting her parents. The last person to see Yoshitaka alive is Hiromi Wakayama, Ayane’s assistant at a patchwork quilting school which both of them run together.

The police are called in when suicide is ruled out. Naturally, the bone of suspicion is on Hiromi and also Ayane. However, how could she pull it off when she was away at her parents’ place in Sopporo? At the crime scene, it is established that Yoshitaka was poisoned by something in the coffee he drank. To solve this particular case are assigned detective Kusanagi and his assistant Utsumi.

How they go about interrogating each and everyone connected with Yoshitaka (his friends, his in-laws, etc.), pry into his past life, try and piece together each piece of the jigsaw puzzle forms the rest of the book. Utsumi also solicits the assistance of a physicist Yukawa to help her solve the crime.

The author’s style of writing is extremely thrilling; I found the book to be an absolute page-turner. Also, his words and sentences have the power of making the reader visualize the scenes – the apartment where the crime happened, the parents’ house in Sopporo, the coffee shop where they sometimes interrogated the suspects, etc.

The author has managed to create some absolutely strong characterizations. For example, even though Ayane is the main suspect, she is never shown to falter or cry; in fact, she keeps tempting the police saying, “Should I not be the one under suspicion?” On the other hand, Hiromi has been shown to be a sensitive woman; who will cry at the slightest instance and be wary of police around her. Utsumi has been shown to be a gutsy assistant who does not fear questioning or arguing with her superiors. She basically works a lot based on her intuition.

The protagonist – Kusanagi – is committed to the job. Even when he finds himself falling for Ayane’s charms, he is torn between his head and his heart – his duty towards solving the crime and his fascination for Ayane.

The book’s real strength lies in the way it goes about getting together each and every piece of the puzzle which will finally lead to the crime getting solved. Situations/people unconnected with the main event have been beautifully woven into the story. The book reaches its climax slowly and methodically; Keigo does not hurry in trying to solve the crime. The reader is often left second-guessing at the turn of events in the book and is finally both relieved and ecstatic when the climax is revealed.

I am going with 5/5 for this book – it was an extremely enjoyable and fun read for me. I really liked this particular sentence in the book – “Determining the existence or non-existence of something extraordinary is never a straight forward task and those who set themselves to do it are often overly swayed by their preconceived notions.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review: Age of Hiblisk by Sumukh Naik

Age of Hiblisk (A Story with a Soul) is Sumukh Naik’s debut fiction/fantasy novel.




The blurb of the book says, “is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists, through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds. Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms. Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive?...Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.”

The story begins in the peaceful vicinity of Himra forest in the sleepy village of Zyren where an entire settlement of 10-15 houses had disappeared without a trace. The villagers form a team of four young boys who will go into the forest and determine the reasons for the same. From there, the story moves into a magical world of fantasy where kings, princes, princesses and sages reside.

The story takes a long time to unfold and one needs to be really patient to go beyond the first 50 pages before it starts gathering pace. However, the author has undertaken a bold experimenting with such a genre, which is not very well-established in the Indian context at least.

Towards the end, the book starts getting philosophical and loads of nuggets on how to lead your life are sprinkled about. It could get a little abstract as well for those who do not enjoy this kind of writing – about Mother Earth knowing what’s best and planning events accordingly.

The author’s writing style takes a while getting used to specially because many pieces of information are strewn through the book; you need to be 100% clued in to make sense of it all.

On the whole, it’s a book that did not hold my interest much though I can’t say I have read come across any book of this genre so far. I am going with 2.5/5 for this book for the detailed storyline that the author has managed to write; the various kingdoms that he takes us through and the several characters to which he introduces us in the course of the journey.

Modern Day Healthcare: A Boon

Our modern day lives are besieged with a host of lifestyle diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, thyroid, etc. It is not that these diseases did not plague our previous generations. It is just that the occurrence of these has substantially risen in current times. And the factors for these are not hard to find. A fast-paced life, consumption of junk food, lack of exercise and stress are contributing to the same.

Previously, people did not have stressful jobs; their lives were much simpler. Also, due to the lack of many of the modern day gadgets, they were forced to exercise. Most people travelled by public transport – they walked to the bus stop or the railway station, climbed the foot-over bridge, ran to catch trains or buses. In this process, they managed to get a lot of exercise. Cut to today’s scenario: we step out of the house and have a car waiting right at our doorstep. We feel obliged to join gymnasiums paying huge sums of membership fees but which we hardly ever frequent.

Previously, people did not eat out often. Several factors including stay-at-home women and lower levels of income contributed to the same. Now, people hardly ever eat at home. During the week, due to time constraints, people eat out during the week and, during weekends; people eat out due to socialising. Per se, outside food is not bad; however, it definitely makes a difference compared to home cooked food in terms of the quantities of salt and oil.

Bombarded as we are with such diseases, modern day healthcare has played a huge role in helping us deal with them. In today’s day and age, people have become a lot more aware in terms of identifying these diseases and controlling them to whatever extent possible. Pathological laboratories which primarily do all types of blood tests have sprung up all around. These days people check their blood pressure and sugar levels at home itself without having to step out to the doctor.

Full body check-ups including ECG, EEG, mammography, thyroid levels, etc. are quite common these days. Organizations, too, offer these facilities to their employees as part of their human resources initiatives. This is as far as preventive measures are concerned.

When it comes to curative measures, modern day healthcare has a range of services and facilities to offer. Open heart surgeries, kidney & liver transplants, angioplasties, and the like are conducted as if these are routine operations. Due to state-of-the-art hospitals and medical services, patients, too, are not scared of such operations anymore. Post-operative medical care is also available easily.

The other important aspect of this is the affordability factor. Some years ago, the cost of such surgeries and operations was huge. However, due to the massive R&D undertaken in the country as also the appearance of several hospital chains, the cost factor has undergone a downward revision. Also, with the emergence of various insurance and mediclaim policies, the burden of the surgery is shared between the insurance company and the patient.

This post has been written for IndiBlogger in association with http://www.apollohospitals.com/cutting-edge.php

Maine Pyaar Kiya - Memorable Dialogues

 

Maine Pyaar Kiya, which released in December 1989, was a huge hit in the 1980s. It was a nice romantic love story and had Salman Khan & Bhagyashree playing the lead roles. The movie, which had some phenomenal songs, was also known for its dialogues; my favourites are listed below: 

• Dost toh woh hota hain jisse milne ko jee chahein, baat karne ko jee chahein.
• Dosti ka ek usool hain - no sorry, no thank you.
• Arre wah aapne ek baar kaha aur isne maan liya. Aur nahi toh kya, dosti ki hain; nibhaani toh padegi.
• Aur is baar mat poochna kyon. Kyon?
• Aisi ladki ghar ka kaam thodi karegi? Nahi karegi toh karwayenge.

And the dialogue which shook the very foundations of male-female friendship :)

• Ek ladka aur ek ladki kabhi dost nahi ho sakte!!!

Soldier For Women

He has been there in my life for as long as I remember. When I was a kid, he indulged me - by mispronouncing my name, rhyming it with something else, gifting me toys & books on my birthday & other occasions. As I grew up, we started going out for movies and having conversations on books. When I was appearing for my 10th standard exam, he was there on the first day - to support and encourage me. As I went off to college, he discussed my career aspirations with me. Once I took up a job, we spoke about finances and my career growth.

He has been there all throughout my life till date - as a friend, philosopher and guide. He has been a mentor - always guiding me and letting me know that whatever happens, happens for the best. He has led by example - he had a Govt. job which he gave up to start his own business. Even today, at the age of 70, he still goes to work everyday. I have never seen him sit at home citing ill-health or plain laziness. His dedication and determination always inspire me - I aspire to be as meticulous and friendly as him. I have never seen him raise his voice, whatever maybe the situation. He respects his family members and never shouts at them in front of outsiders for any mistake of theirs.

He is my uncle - my maternal aunt's husband. And a role model for me. When I was growing up, I wished I would get married to someone like him - patient, willing to listen, supportive of his wife's dreams, encouraging his kids, wanting to make something of his life.

I dedicate this post to him today - letting him know that, for me, he has always been a soldier.



This post is a part of #Soldierforwomen in association with BlogAdda.com