LinkedIn Citizens Who Can Be Movie Titles

 

Almost Famous – The ones who humblebrag their badge of honor or newly achieved certificate every other hour spent on LinkedIn. They will always be almost famous!

 

Slumdog Millionaire – The ones who have rags to riches story to share and that has a potential for another rehash of a been there done with that Hollywood movie.

 

12 Angry Men – They are arm-chair critics who may not have a single worthy post to share but get immense pleasure in jumping to conclusions and harshly judging others' achievements or attacking naïve LinkedIn posts.

 

Vertigo – They are that rare breed whose meteoric rise on the career ladder is so heady, it can give an attack of vertigo.

 

Django Unchained – These are the swashbuckling cowboys who aggressively promote their organization and its products every day (even if it is a lame product/offer). Just short of getting the company name tattooed on their heart which rests on their sleeve.

 

Miss Congeniality – Her posts are about encouragement and motivation and stories about kindness, courage, and empathy. Their posts make you let out a deep sigh, make you teary-eyed and melt your heart.

 

The Pursuit of Happyness – These are the glass-half-full type of people who are hopeless optimists even in the face of adversity. Despite personal setbacks and challenges, they share utopian posts that can make even super-achievers doubt themselves.

 

Hidden Figures – With diversity being the darling of the season and possibly many more seasons in the future (and rightly so!), these LinkedIn users have found their niche. They won't stop posting about the hidden figures till the cows come home.

 

Jurassic Park – There are few early adopters out there who make you feel like a relic. Their posts are everything about the newest and the latest in technology space. Their posts spew cutting-edge topics and reading them makes you feel like a stunted shrub living under a rock inside Jurassic Park.

 

Avatar – These LinkedIn citizens are out there to make a difference but to their own Avatar. They want to save humanity from the clutches of climate change, pollution, overpopulation, hunger crisis, lack of education, corruption, and many global issues with their posts. Yes, just their posts. These are the armchair activists of the LinkedIn world.

 

The Return of the Living Dead

They were invisible on LinkedIn, but certain compulsions have made them go ballistic in recent times. Possibly, the merits of being active on LinkedIn have just dawned upon them.

 

The Social Network

They are the overtly obliging ones who are commenting on other’s posts “for better reach”. In a covert way, they are expecting the same return of favour.

 

Up in The Air

These citizens (or foreigners) were quite active in pre-Pandemic times, posting about their event appearances, achievements, and professional bravado gallantly struck across different countries/ continents. In recent times, this breed has vanished in thin air.

Image source: Pixabay

Birds of a Feather Flock Together! (Friendship Day Special)

 

Free of any rein, harness, or tether

An invisible bond holds them together

Given any time, situation or weather

An adventure, leisure, or under pressure

Birds of a feather flock together!

Voice opinion, whether generous, incongruous, or displeasure

Being what you truly are and accepting is the endeavor

No judgment whether tender, moderate, or aggressor

Birds of a feather flock together!

In times of need whether Jan, June, or December

Whatever, whichever, wherever, and whenever

Whether a loud shout, quiet share, or a gentle whisper

A friend will be there for you forever

Birds of a feather flock together!

Sweet n sour, spicy, tangy, salty, or pepper

Like two peas in a pod, or different as apples and oranges flavor

A special bond that can remain forever

Only if we give it time, attention, and savor

Birds of a feather flock together!

Fluid - A Poem

The times have changed, and how!

To nature’s bounty and fury, we now sincerely bow!

The seasons as we knew then and now

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, I avow!

A thin line between work and play

Our life is how we mold the day

Nothing is black and white but all gray

Life, as we know, is more fluid today!

They say necessity is the mother of invention

In tough times a need for a new dimension

It’s time to find solutions through collaboration

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, with no exception!

When he/she/they gender pronouns matter

Nothing is what it seems on a platter

When all your earlier impressions scatter

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, and it’s no idle chatter!

How we do business today has changed

Brick and mortar to e-commerce, interchanged

A wave of digitalization unchained

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, unstrained!

School and office buildings have become redundant!

And yet the work gets done by the incumbent

Being self-reliant and yet interdependent

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, a judgment not indulgent!

Less is more, and minimalism is indeed the new maxim

What was indispensable has gone through many subtractions

While true essentials of today cost us a fraction

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, no retraction!

In the pandemic, the mask may have covered the ground

In truth, it laid bare our relationships and trust, unbound

No matter what, love and empathy stand finally crowned

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, I strongly propound!

But who knows what’s in store for us in the future?

As travelers in a time capsule, as actors, and as viewers

Adapt, adjust, hang in there, play our part, and maneuver

Life, as we know, is more fluid today and tomorrow, another adventure!

A Poem

 

You are, therefore, I am.

In this moment. At this very point in time.

You are precious. Yet, I don’t care a dime

You are now, you are here

Not in the past or future

But one thing is crystal clear

I don’t need to hear from a seer

You are, therefore, I am.

 

Moments are just grains of sand in time

Some with grime and some sublime

And so many that don’t shine

Yet here we are, just both of us

Intertwined and aligned

Facing the seconds unconfined

I traverse through life as if I don’t mind

Your presence, I undermine

But one thing I must forever remind

You are, therefore, I am.

 

Live in the moment is what we are told

The deep meaning gradually unfolds

Lifting the veil of darkness, I see the gold

The message is loud, clear, and bold

Your understated presence is extolled

When some saw the writing on the wall, I just scrolled

And now it’s too late I am told

Though I wish I was sooner enrolled

To this thought or belief that we must forever behold

You are, therefore, I am.

Breath - A Poem

The lighter side of The New Work Eco-system.

1. Virtual calls with international colleagues becoming a daily norm, most have finally started understanding the concept of the Time Zone difference. Your global colleagues finally know where India is located on the global map.

2. We have understood it is not apt to wish a ‘Good Morning’ to everyone on a global call as there are colleagues in the meeting from different locations across the world. More correct would be just saying, ‘Greetings to all’. No need to ramble off with the time-consuming time-specific salutations to show you are inclusive.

3. Turning on your video for virtual meetings does not mean showing up at work anymore. If it was required last year, in 2021 it is ok to keep the video off. Your good work in the last year allows you that. If you have not worked hard enough, good luck to you. Even showing your face may not help. Your manager and colleagues can see through you anyway.

4. Logging in a few minutes early is being on time. Logging on time is not enough. And logging even a few minutes after the scheduled time is rude and discourteous. With no traffic woes, no excuse has been yet found to be good enough to report late. Maybe if you say, the previous meeting overran it could be tolerable but otherwise be ready with an apology.

5. Saying that a brand launch is in late summer/autumn is not appropriate if we have a global audience. There may be folks from the southern hemisphere who may totally miss the red-letter event. I say, just spell out the month.

6. Upskilling and taking up new courses has been the hottest trend of COVID19 that may not go out of fashion. An overwhelming majority has joined the (not fire) brigade and taken to drinking straight from the fire hose and oozing with knowledge.

7. If it’s an office call (even phone call) without prior intimation or appointment, it has now become expected to start with permission or request. Don’t be surprised to hear an unexpected warm humble request coming from someone who was known to be cold and brusque in Pre-COVID times.

8. ‘Are you still there?’, ‘Can you hear me?’, ‘Can you see my screen?’, ‘Can everyone go on mute?, ‘Can we take this offline?’, have been unanimously voted as the most used phrases in office seances, oops, office meetings. By showing up for these meetings, is how most of us have kept our spirits alive and home fires burning the whole of last year.

9. With the rise in virtual meetings, there also has been a rise in multitasking, especially in meetings where we are invited but not required. With video kept off, you can be emailing, chomping on your favorite snack, preparing for the next meeting or your meal, completing pending items, doing other phone calls (yes, even that!) and no one will still find out.

10. With the overload of virtual meetings, one can politely declare, ‘I have a hard stop’ or ‘I have to jump to another meeting’ at the start of a meeting. It helps two ways. It helps you to get an early exit from purposeless meetings which you don’t need to be part of in the first place and show you are super busy with a full schedule (even when you are not).

11. The Coffee Breaks or the Virtual Water Cooler sessions ran by HR for team building and employee well-being have now run their course. These concepts if still running anywhere can now graciously call it a day. Honestly, we just want to get off the laptop and our back-breaking chair and take a Real Break!

12. With the lines blurring between office and housework, with meetings scheduled beyond typical work hours, it is ok if our work status shows ‘Away’ (from the laptop) or ‘Be Right Back’ or even ‘Offline’ during office hours. Because - When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go!

Pic Courtesy - thearensic.com

Gratitude (2020)

Thank you

For making us stronger and resilient more than we knew we could be.

And for making us realize the vulnerability of life.

Thank you

For helping us to focus on the NOW and not THEREAFTER.

And for making us realize the importance of ‘’We’’ and not just the ‘’I’’.

Thank you

For making us look inward for happiness and peace.

And for bringing out our latent creative side.

Thank you

For making us understand the meaning of agility at work.

And that at times it is better we don’t go against the tide.

Thank you

For applying the well-timed brakes in our journey called life

We now understand what we have been taking for granted on this ride.

Thank you

For forcing us to go back to basics, to giving, caring and being responsible.

It has more meaning and has purpose when the ‘’I’’ plays the second fiddle and steps aside.