Safe Spaces

We dont need Love - we need Safe Spaces  😊.  I know its a bold statement but ask yourself the question and realize the answer. Love in Essence is about a Safe Space for Being. 

We all have the potential to create Safe Spaces where there can be empowerment of human beings to realize their potential.It means holding a space and allowing people to ‘Just Be’ ie Express themselves in a given situation.

To Cite A few Examples

Safe Space in an Organization for

1. People to Express their ideas and challenge the Status Quo in a form of Constructive Dissent
2. Employees using spare time if work pressure is not much to explore personal interests (may or not contribute to Profit)
3. Creativity expression platforms with ideation open to all.


Safe Spaces in the family where any one of the following is possible

1. Entertaining beliefs different from Parents
2. Taking up a career which is not mainstream
3. Respect for ‘others’ as part of human family
4. Encourage discussion on how we deal with refugees or other people in need.
5. Non Bullying of someone differently abled. 

Safe Spaces in Relationships

1. Growth in the expression of feelings with respect
2. Non manipulative behavior
3. Room and time for discussion on vital issues
4. Exploring new hobbies together or individually.
5. Giving back and Sharing within family and community

6. For dealing with some past issues which are lingering and impacting the relationship.

Benefits of Safe Space

1. There is the possibility for wonderful things / new ideas to emerge.
2. Deepening of relationships
3. Collaboration towards common goals
4. Stronger and more adaptable organization
5. Lack of Fear and corresponding boldness to try new things
6. Ability to fail wisely
7. Gives rise to what might previously be Suppressed
8. Environment change has a positive impact on performance

I don't claim to be an Authority or Expert but just sharing my thoughts and Invite you all to explore and develop your own Examples as there is no better learning than Experiential Learning.

Lessons from the Field — Leading People to Execute Projects

Having Spent more than 15 Years at a Top Indian IT Services Company I thought I could share some of the learnings on my journey of Leading Projects and Empowering people. My Inspirations have been Ram Charan’s ‘Execution’ and The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment I’m not going to write paragraphs round each of them since they are mostly self explanatory and it is for you to dig deeper if you would like to. It would give you the experiential learning. My inspiration to ‘put it out to the world’ came from watching Kamal Ravikant’s talk.  Love and Entrepreneurship

You never know who can benefit from this. So here goes.

1. Ask Critical Questions of People. Make them think of the Answer .

2. Really Empower your team to decide within a framework of what’s accepted. Give them a Framework of ‘What’s Accepted’.

3. Monitor to the extent necessary and set expectations of non-monitoring.

4. Relax with your team — even get down and dirty (involved).

5. Don’t take non-sense from Management to the extent possible. Challenge them.

6. Read Books that others are not reading eg — Lynchpin by Seth Godin, Execution by Ram Charan & Larry Bossidy,The Art of War — Sun Tzu, Any work by Peter Drucker. It will expand your toolset & widen your thinking.

7. Learn about Emotional Intelligence and Use it. The Benefits will astound you.

8. Take Care of your Physical Health — it has a very great Impact on all Areas of your life.

9. Always Give and Encourage others to go beyond the expectation and excite the Customer.

10. There is nothing wrong with a healthy spirituality and it can improve your Performance. Eg Power of Now (Living in the Present Moment)

11. Leadership is way beyond Management — get to Leadership.

12. Constructive Dissent brings out the best in people — Encourage it while balancing the Power.

13. Acknowledge your faults and failings — it ain’t so bad after all. Nobody deliberately seeks failure.

14. Be Impeccable with your word & action — Its about Integrity.

15. Above all — Love who you are and what you do. You are the best you there is — Right Now.

Profits with People

Strange as it may seem most business specially those in people driven business seem to forget that the reason for their profits are the people who drive it.
Take the case of an IT company, any college graduate would question the validity of management decision where a choice of letting an experienced hand go rather than finding a creative way to recognize that person - financially. Basic Maslow,Basic Common Sense - a distracted mind will never work optimally thereby increasing both Management overhead of supervision and potential costs of new hire, customer dis-satisfaction etc.

Make Profits with People and your shareholders will benefit too in both short and long run. What does it mean for an Organization?
1. Don't hide behind Policy. Be innovative in rewarding people.
2. Generals trust your Commanders. In the battlefield they need to be able to act quickly.
3. Encourage leadership empowerment with Accountability.
4. Ensure team is aware of both long and short term expectations.
5. Take action on lessons learnt and move on quickly ensuring impact is understood.
6.Acknowledge that most people are acting on their best levels of knowledge/awareness at the point in time.
7. Celebrate and ensure the team spirit prevails - while recognizing brilliance of individual performers.

Our Company has a pillar 'Alternative Thinking' . Hope this qualifies.