1916, the siren goes off. It's 6 in the evening, factory is  closing for the day. Sunderlal is latching the factory with his assistant security with a big Aligarh lock. Assured that tomorrow when he is back all his assets (machineries) will be as he left them.

2016, the last guy flashes his access card. The security closes shutter of a multinational software company. Unlike Sunderlal, there is no assurance that the assets will be back. Today not your office, not your cabins, not the machines but people are your assets. These assets go home every day. There are multiple forces external and internal that ensure these assets don't come back. The external forces are beyond control but the internal ones  need to change. The internal forces can be, rigid Management rules, being stringent with people. Changing times ensure that we change along with it as change is the only constant element in time. The new era needs sharper cognitive skill. Mindfulness and inner Management has become as important as once people Management skills were. In a broader sense the more a person is aware and present to his emotion, he can handle people better. Anthropologically, culture is the way you think feel and act patterns from important to ordinary & menial things in life. The three skill which can help you set the culture are

1) Adaptability    

The challenge people face is to make themselves adaptable. Adapting to  the present and create a future is a skill. The past is the biggest hurdle in making a new adaptable present. Adaptability with people, new technology, upgrading, learning, innovating, etc. When times are your product never comes out of beta, waiting for a perfect launch makes less sense. Adaptability towards learning makes you a linchpin as a manager or as an employee. Continuous up-gradation is no more a choice. Ensure you invest more in upgrading your skills than your phone.

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”― German Proverb

2) Empathy

Managers and employers have to be on toes with this skill. Empathy was was once a niche of psychotherapists. Changing times have made it important for all.  You no more get away without being empathic to your subordinates. It's a core skill now. Empathizing employees who in turn will ensure the same with customers. From making a new user interface to service design, empathy has become a crucial skill. It's no more surprising to find 25% corporate heads in my core psychology workshops. While working on types of empathy in a workshop, a business development head Nikunj shared his insight.  Nikunj said how he has to reason out  his 5 year old son before his son takes any  action. Unaware that he dictated work to his 22 year old employee without explaining him the reason. No more whimsical dictating is welcome in the new era.

3) Communication (active/directive)  

I know you have been in training rooms doing those communication exercises. Trying to make your point. These training rarely help you in your business practice. The new age communication is not about making yourself "clear". This demands a more strenuous active-directive communication. Not just listening or speaking but a dance of conversation. Understanding and using metaphors and analogies are a skill that managers need to develop.

When you are now contemplating, imagine that you’re trapped in a deep hole. The only tool you have is a shovel (your old schema coping strategy), and the only solution you know is to dig. But digging only makes the hole bigger and deeper. So you dig into the sides of the hole, but the edges collapse and the dirt pours in on you. You try to dig steps, but this only dislodges more dirt, which also pours in on you. So what do you do if you’re in a hole and all you have is a shovel? The first step is to put the shovel down and stop digging (stop using old SCS). Only then can you find a more workable solution.

Learn how to use the new generation metaphors, analogies. Embed them with stories with our upcoming workshop "Metaphors we live by."