Diversity – a topic of frequent debate and discussion in business, but often contextualized in the narrower scope of gender and race. Being a foreigner working in Japan for the last 18 years, I have come to understand that the concept of “diversity” goes beyond just men and women or racial profiles. It is my view that true diversity is achieved in an environment where there is ample scope for diverse thinking and appreciation and acceptance of various points of view without bias or discrimination. In today’s hyper-competitive workplaces, it is easy to get carried away by stereotypes and prejudices. […]
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Technology has become ubiquitous in the world of information management. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that almost every organization, irrespective of scale and domain, is using some form of technology solution for the purpose of information management. I have worked in the IT sector for many years and have been involved in various projects centering around the scope of information management. Being part of my company’s leadership team meant that I was also a “user” of information management systems (IMS) and I have observed that the effectiveness of such systems varies based on the usage scenario. In […]
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The modern world is full of processes. Almost everything we do at work has a defined process that needs to be followed. Numerous process frameworks like ISO, CMM, etc. have come up and been adopted by various sectors. All these frameworks have one very important common element – the CHECKLIST. Process and quality audits rely heavily on various checklists for evidence of all key steps and actions and their levels of compliance with the defined process. So, if checklists are so important, then they need to be extremely effective. Let’s talk about a few things to keep in mind when […]
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Is meritocracy THE answer?
I read an article in Le Monde recently which made me give a more thorough thought to whether meritocracy is the beau idéal it claims to be: La méritocratie est la «bonne conscience des gagnants du système». If you don’t read French, here’s a short summary: David Guilbaud, the author of ‘The Meritocratic Illusion’ (L’Illusion méritocratique), suggests that meritocracy has become a sort of narrative the young intellectuals (political sciences students, in this case) tell themselves in order to appease their conscience. A magic word that lets them imagine themselves worthier of social and financial advancement than other members of society. He […]
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