Navgati

What are your first thoughts when asked to prepare and make a presentation? I know mine; I would be super stressed and constantly check for verbosity on points on the slides, worry if the slides are too jam-packed, if the transition of topics is impactful enough, and constantly think of ways to make the presentation more engaging and interesting for the audience.. Well, if you resonate with any of it, read on to learn more about our theatre based open program on developing high–impact presentation skills - Act Won.

Write to [email protected] for more details

You’d be hard put to find an organisation these days that does not acknowledge the value of diversity and inclusion. Classes of diversity continue to increase (a gender; age; sexual orientation ; disability) – one that isn’t always so clearly understood or acknowledged is neurodiversity.

We wanted to make a start with one specific aspect of neurodiversity – that of ADHD. So welcome to our March Fraternitea on “Working with ADHD”.

The questions we hope to help you answer:

What is ADHD? How is it diagnosed?
What are the strengths of someone with ADHD?
What struggles do they have at work?
What reasonable accommodation should you provide as a manager/ HR person when working with someone with the condition?

What we’re most excited by is the fact that we’re doing this as a panel discussion with Niti Joshi, Jayashree Braganza and Rashmi Ravikumar, two individuals with ADHD who are successful in their careers and a clinical psychologist who has considerable experience in treating people with the condition.

So come join us on the 21st of March from 3 to 4:30. Sridhar Gopalakrishnan from Navgati will anchor the conversation with
Session details
Date: 21st March, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Online on Zoom

We have planned all Fraternitea’s of 2024 on the Third Thursday of every month at Three pm (TTT). Show up with your cup of tea!

If you’re new to Fraternitea, it is our way of giving back to the learning community that has sustained us for over 25 years. All Fraternitea sessions are complimentary and are focused on enhancing learning for those of us who champion learning (that could be HR, L&D, or business leaders).

What does it take to shape workplaces that promote inclusion for women?

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is Inclusion. We’ve long felt that much of the conversation in this space actually revolves around exclusion…stories of when women felt excluded.

And while it is important to keep that dialogue alive, focusing only on a list of don'ts feels like a disservice to the individuals & organizations who are making a change…who are taking the small & large steps to make it possible for women to bring their complete selves to the workplace.

So we asked women working in the corporate world to share stories of when they felt a sense of belonging and inclusion. We got over 150 stories (bless you all!) which we've categorised into 8 themes in this document.

The most surprising? Apart from one theme of making reasonable accommodations (which in our opinion should apply to men as well), the acts of inclusion that women remember the most are what many men would appreciate as well.

We found this fascinating because so much of the conversation about the difficulty of including women seems to revolve around cab services & working hours.

Turns out that what women want, to give their best, is fairness; acknowledgement; psychological safety and managers who believe in them. The managers who are able to provide these elements are able to create environments where women flourish, despite the gendered social expectations & pressures placed on them.

You can find the report in the link in the first comment.

Our intent is to give managers and people at all levels ideas for simple, concrete actions they could take to be better allies for women. Please feel free to share widely.

We’re delighted to announce a one-day workshop on assertiveness that individuals from different companies can sign up for.

But before I tell you more, here's a quiz question for you.

You have been invited to a lunch party by a close family friend on a weekend when all you want to do is stay indoors and rest. Which of the following options would you choose if you were to decline this invite?

- I’m so sorry but my in-laws are coming over for lunch. I'd love to come another time.
- I really need this day to relax and recharge, so I won't be able to make it to the event
- Nope, can’t make it
- I’ll do my best to come, thank you for the invite
If you are wondering whether your answer is assertive enough, come join us for our one-day Assertiveness open program – Speak Up.

What will you learn?

- the difference between assertive, aggressive, and passive behaviour
- tools you can apply in communicating tough messages in a respectful manner
- frameworks to arrive at win-win solutions
Assertiveness is a skill we see people at all levels struggling with (given the emphasis in our culture on being helpful and on needing approval from others).

So, whether you have attended an assertiveness skills program earlier or are experiencing it for the first time, you will find it an experiential and creative way to enhance your Assertiveness quotient.

Session details

When – Mar 19th and 20th (thoughtfully designed as 2 half days)
Timing – 2 pm to 5.30 pm (both days)
Mode of delivery – Virtual

If you would like to attend the session or want to nominate others, please write to [email protected] for details.

And the correct answer to the above question....you will find it out for yourself in the program : 😃

One of the things we at Navgati love the most is design. And over the years we've built up a large repertoire of short, creative and experiential workshops to help individuals deepen their self-awareness and become their best possible selves (side benefit - we get to grow as well).

If you're thinking of making learning a part of your here's some of what we can offer (unfortunately the cute kitty isn't part of that :)).

Write to [email protected] for more details.

We’ve been running our ICF-accredited coach training program for over twelve years now and this is our first-ever weekend batch.

Learn to be a coach without having to take time off from work!

If you’d like to learn more about our approach or hear from leaders who’ve experienced it in the past write to [email protected] for details.

How many of us learned more about handling money from Monopoly than we ever did from a maths book? Or more about collaboration from playing basketball than attending a class on it?

Games are not just fun, they are one of the most effective ways of learning transfer and making learning stick.

Game-based learning
- Creates a relaxed and playful mood resulting in better learning
- Helps stimulate the mind and boost creativity, making it easier to solve problem
- Circumvents the cynicism of “just another workshop” and invites learners into an optimistic frame of mind
- Supports stronger relationships and connections within the group – laughter and fun can foster empathy, compassion, and trust

Join us for a day-long workshop on the 21st of February 2024 facilitated by our fabulous Meghna Singhee to revisit the way you think about play in learning and to reconnect with your playful self and other playful people from the learning fraternity.

What will you achieve?

You will learn a number of frame games. These are formats that can be fitted with content of any training program and can be used to review content; encourage discussion; invite exploration of an issue and for structured sharing. Each game will be followed by a debrief of how the game works and where you could use it.

Write to [email protected] or click on the link in the first comment if you would like to know more and experience this joyful and festive event

Close your eyes and imagine a typical workday.

- Lengthy mails that you must wade through to get to the key point (if you are lucky)
- Presentations that have far more data than insights
- Meetings that could have been emails
- Slack messages that leave you with more questions than answers
- No wonder we all feel so overwhelmed by the amount of information that we process each day.

As the authors of the book Smart Brevity say – never have humans talked, tweeted or texted more words – yet found it so difficult to be heard!

In this world of “continuous partial attention”(more on this in our Fraternitea) precise and brief communication can be an influencing superpower. It's not oversimplifying your content but saying it with brevity. To grab your audience’s attention. Simple - not shallow!

What does it mean?

It means paring down a complex project update into an insightful, clear brief to support quick decisions.

Or

Finishing a complex presentation leaving enough time for the audience to ask what THEY really want to know.

Come over to our Fraterniea in February, drawing on ideas from the book Smart Brevity and our own work with clients, where we present ways on how to say more with less.

This session will be facilitated by our amazing Vandana Balakrishna

Session details

Date: 15th Feb 2024
Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Online on Zoom

We have planned all Fraternitea’s of 2024 on the Third Thursday of every month at Three pm (TTT). Show up with your cup of tea! Click on this link to register - https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

Fraternitea is our way of giving back to the learning community that has sustained us for over 25 years. All Fraternitea sessions are complimentary and are focused on enhancing learning for those of us who champion learning (that could be HR, L&D, or business leaders).

It's still a bit damp and nippy January, but no worries, the blooms of March are not very far off.

March is also synonymous with International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than to invest in one’s growth and learning? So, whether you are a woman leader or someone who’s exploring meaningful learning initiatives for your women leaders this year, this mail would be of interest to you.

We announce the 6th batch of our much loved Stand Tall open program - a unique women's leadership development program. This is a program that is close to our hearts as we believe that the world needs more and more women in leadership roles. Over the last many years of having facilitated the Stand Tall learning intervention for women leaders, we have come to see the transformational power of learning in an all-women group of leaders and the safe space it provides participants to learn, grow, and bond with women leaders from across industries.

The program is structured as an easy-to-attend-for-busy-professionals series of 1/2 day webinars. It's a powerful combination of introspective workshops, peer learning, and coaching from industry leaders.

If you'd like to hear from a client who has been running Stand Tall for her company for more than five years, please click here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDZOXQn97kE

The 6th batch of the Stand Tall open program starts on Feb 15th. Please write to me or click here to register and receive more information www.navgati.in/stand-tall

Embracing Vulnerability in Leadership : A 90-min exploration

In the first Fraternitea of 2024, we, at Navgati, look at vulnerability and its profound impact on leadership. We draw on ideas from Transactional Analysis and Dr.Brene Brown’s extensive work on vulnerability.

Vulnerability refers to a state of being exposed to the possibility of being harmed, either physically or emotionally. In the context of leadership and interpersonal connections, vulnerability is often associated with the willingness to express one's true feelings, thoughts, and experiences, even if they involve a degree of uncertainty or discomfort. It involves a level of openness and the potential for experiencing negative consequences, such as rejection, criticism, or failure.

Every person brings a mixture of vulnerability and potential to their role. The former needs to be owned and managed for the latter to flourish. Leaders who allow themselves to be vulnerable create an environment where authentic connections can flourish. This openness contributes to building trust and credibility among team members, fostering a positive and collaborative work culture. Vulnerability is not a liability but a powerful tool for creating positive, impactful and resilient teams

In this Fraternitea, you will have a space to understand vulnerability and its manifestations in a deeper way. You will identify where you feel vulnerable in your leadership roles – with your team members, peers and bosses – and own your vulnerability. You will also understand the difference between vulnerability and oversharing. Hopefully, this will allow you to craft a way forward for yourself as a courageous leader.

This session will be led by our Director, Aruna Gopakumar
Date: 18th January, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Online on Zoom

We have planned all Fraternitea’s of 2024 on the Third Thursday of every month at Three pm (TTT). Show up with your cup of tea!

If you’re new to Fraternitea, it is our way of giving back to the learning community that has sustained us for over 25 years. All Fraternitea sessions are complimentary and are focused on enhancing learning for those of us who champion learning (that could be HR, L&D, or business leaders).

Please click on this link to register for the session

https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

Have you had that experience yet where you realised you've became your first boss? Opened your mouth and found yourself saying something you've heard from them (and probably deeply resented at the time) for example "young people these days..".

If you haven't yet, it's inevitable. Gen X-ers (that's most of us at Navgati) did that with Millennials, we see Millennials doing that with folks from Gen Z.

Leading a team of different generations can be an incredibly rich experience when we have the skills to capitalize on the strengths that each generation brings to the workplace. It also can be very challenging.

Managers need to take a closer look at the assumptions they bring into managing the younger generation; recognise what's changing in terms of the values and ways of working of this generation and find ways to create psychological equality in the way they handle the needs of everyone involved.

Come, join us for our November Fraternitea on navigating these generational conflicts. The session is anchored by the very amazing Vandana Balakrishna - and if you're wondering what a Fraternitea is, it's our way of giving back to the community that has sustained us for almost 25 years now! They are learning sessions, always virtual, always complimentary and always on topics of interest to us :)

Link to register - https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

When was the last time you laughed out loud at work (or made someone laugh out loud)?

Did you know that the average four-year-old laughs as many as three hundred times per day?

The average forty-year-old, by comparison, laughs three hundred times every two and a half months.

Ouch.

Especially as AI takes over so much of what only humans could do, we need more of ourselves, of human connection. And what could be more human than laughter and humour?

Come join us for our October Fraternitea where Sunitha Krishnamurthi presents the key learnings from the book “Humour, Seriously” by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas. They’re both serious academics at Stanford who teach a course for MBA students on how to use humour and levity to transform their future organisations and their lives.

The book is a fantastic read, and we hope to present the key ideas to you in a way that inspires you to start being your natural funny self at work (yes, you – you’re funny. We all can be).

Come off. 18th Oct, 4 - 5:30, Zoom - sign up here - https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

If you’re new to Fraternitea, it is our way of giving back to the learning community that has sustained us for almost 25 years. All Fraternitea sessions are complimentary and are focused on enhancing learning for those of us who champion learning (that could be HR, L&D, or business leaders).

Can anyone be a coach?

A big question on a Friday morning, especially for all of you thinking of becoming a coach.

Coaching is a deceptively simple skill....mainly because it is not well understood. Having years of experience does not make you a good coach; knowing how to ask questions does not make you a good coach; wanting to help other people alone does not make you a good coach.

So what does? It's a complex, nuanced skill and so I'm not even going to attempt to answer that question here. But I will say that my answer to "Can anyone be a coach?" is that relationship status line of "It's complicated" - coaching requires investing in developing the right mindset (a willingness to grow as a person, the desire to help others, the capacity to let go of the need for control and much more) and building skills.

Both can be developed but take effort. Both can be built with a wide number of approaches...which is why, if you are keen on becoming an ICF-certified coach, it is important to assess whether there is a fit between how you learn and what the ICF-accredited organisation (eg Navgati) offers you.

If you'd like to learn about our way of working, don't listen to us - read about how people who have grown to be coaches with us have experienced the journey: https://www.navgati.in/testimonials/

And if you'd like to know more about our next batch starting in November for people interested in an ACC certification, do write to us at [email protected], [email protected]

So you want to be a coach - Navgati Sunitha Krishnamurthi, our CEO and anchor of our ICF certified coach training programs, started doing an introductory webinar a couple of years back for people who wanted to be coaches, because we realized that a lot of people have questions about what coaching is. Here’s how she responded to some...

The many double binds that women face.

What's a double bind you say? It's when societal expectations of women (eg be warm and nurturing) are at total odds with expectations from them as leaders (eg be tough and direct).

It's not always easy to articulate this pressure (that either you're a good woman or you're a good leader) but most of the women I've met have experienced some version of this.

Clearly societal expectations need to be reset but as that long journey continues, it can be very helpful for women in leadership to have a space to talk about these pressures; to recognise they are not alone; to evaluate how much they have internalised these beliefs and to find ways to challenge them.

If this sounds appealing, do look up the link in the first comment below for the 5th open batch of our Stand Tall program (that women from multiple organisations sign up for) - my most amazing colleague Lalana Zaveri is anchoring this 12 week journey.

The journey consists of 6 half day virtual workshops (on areas like personal power; assertive influencing, branding; networking) and 1:1 coaching with senior coaches from the industry.

Have a lovely week!

The value of paraphrasing

A large part of the process of learning to be a coach is to let go of advocacy and stay in the space of inquiry. As a consequence, however, we could end up becoming over-reliant on questions and miss out on the transformative effect that paraphrasing can have on a conversation.

What could be holding coaches back from using paraphrasing more liberally in conversations?
Click here to read more - https://www.navgati.in/the-quiet-coach-17/

Too Sweet or Too Shrill
Too Silent or Too Loud
Too Stoic or Too Emotional
Too Nice or Too Selfish
Have you heard these or similar “too-much-isms” about yourself? If, like Goldilocks, you have been searching for what “just right” means Stand Tall may be the end of your quest.

Navgati Stand Tall open program – a unique leadership development program for women. This is a program that is very close to our hearts as we believe that the world needs more and more women in leadership roles. We take great delight in running this program and is one of our dearest flagship programs. Talk to any Navgati facilitator and they will passionately share with you the range of creative learning interventions we have designed over the years focused on helping women become as potent as they could be.

We have run 4 batches of the Stand Tall open program since 2021 and are delighted to announce the 5th batch starting on Oct 12th.

How’s the journey structured? –
It is structured as an easy-to-attend for busy professionals series of ½ day webinars spread over 12 weeks.
In addition to the workshops, participants also receive 3 1:1 coaching sessions with trained coaches and nudges that encourage action based on insights gained during the workshops
We’ve designed the program to foster peer learning and ensure that participants build a strong, supportive network of fellow leaders.
They also get to be part of the Navgati Stand Tall club, an exclusive learning and support group for participants of our journey-based women leadership programs.

In the course of this journey, participants will
• Explore beliefs that they have about themselves and replace beliefs that hold them back
• Recognise and leverage the strengths that they bring to their roles
• Develop the crucial assertive skills that they need
• Recognise and let go of some self-sabotaging behaviours
• Take charge of their careers and create a personal brand for themselves
• Project confidence through their communication and presence

If you would like to be part of this transformational learning event or would like to nominate any women from your organization, please write back to me or register here - https://www.navgati.in/stand-tall/

What advice would you give a woman about negotiating for herself?

We asked this question (amongst others) to a group of senior women leaders across industries during the lead-up to International Women's Day this year. The result was a gorgeous set of videos of honest, reflective sharing from their experience - take a look if you haven't already (and feel free to share them with women in your organisation).

I've put together a note based on their answers to this question on negotiation - https://www.navgati.in/a-structured-approach-to-negotiating-for-yourself/. Super helpful for anyone who wants to negotiate for themselves.

Some examples of the advice:

- Ask for what’s fair – many of us think asking for more money is embarrassing. You are contributing and it’s very ok to ask to be fairly compensated for that contribution.

- I’ve often thought that “my manager will know what I deserve and give it to me without my asking” or “if I’m unhappy, someone will see it and fix it”. Doesn’t work that way.

- We tend to see it as needing to convince the other. Place yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask yourself what would work for them as well.

- Think about interests more than positions – why do you want what you do? If it is to feel valued, then would you be ok if your manager was able to give you something else other than your ask that meets the need to feel valued?

Read the whole thing - it also contains some very helpful verbatims for what you could say

What's the purpose of our lives?

The answer, per Aristotle and many other scientists and philosophers, is happiness.

And when you think about it, that is what all our endeavours boil down to. Getting that new job; finding a partner; running that marathon....there could be some intermediary steps but when asked the question "why do you do this?", the answer eventually is "because it makes me happy".

There's a lot of information (and pop-psychology Tiktoks) on how to be happier. In our experience what it needs is

1. Experimenting with a wide range of evidence-backed happiness strategies so you can choose those that are right for you (the thought of doing the Kang Yatse trek fills me with dread but makes a certain friend of mine quiver with happiness)

2. Setting aside the time to do this on a regular basis

3. Having a bunch of people who're on the same path and can support/prod/celebrate with you

Come join Sunitha Krishnamurthi and Meghna Singhee for the second edition of Flourish - an experiment on actively increasing our happiness levels. We start on the 14th of September and it entails

- attending 6 one-hour virtual seminars spread over three months (thoughtfully scheduled from 5-6 on Thursdays; we will have recordings available)

- setting aside 10-15 mins of your time for these three months to experiment with a number of happiness nudges

- being a part of the group and supporting each other

We're really looking forward to this (because we'd like to be happier :)) - I'd love to have you join.

The link to register is in the first comment below.

Wishing you all a lot of happiness.

We did a failure story circle as part of our Unconference a few years ago - where we all shared stories of times we'd failed.

Not to say "here's what I learnt" or "here's how I'm different right now" - but just to acknowledge that failure is an inseparable part of our lives.

And it was brilliant! For many of us, we're so focused on avoiding failure or not thinking about it that it becomes a defining feature of our lives...and we contract, withdraw...don't let ourselves live fully. Being able to talk about it and feel supported...felt really, really good.

Come join us next Wednesday on the 30th of August 2023 for our Fraternitea session on Rising Strong (based on the book of the same name by Brene Brown) and let's talk about how we can navigate failure with more grace and ease.

If you're hearing about us for the first time, Fraterniteas are our complimentary, monthly sessions for all of us who are passionate about learning. We've been running these since 2018 and we love the space and the curiosity of the people who attend.

Our most talented colleague Meghna Singhee will be running this (on Zoom from 3-5 pm). Click on this link to register - https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

I'm writing today to share some nuggets from the Fraternitea on Inclusive Conversations that our colleague Vandana Balakrishna ran last week Fraterniteas are our monthly seminars for champions of learning in all roles, always virtual, always free - if you'd like to receive regular invites, let me know.

And if you'd like to know more about our longer offerings in this space, please write back to us at [email protected]

Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager is a challenging journey on the path to leadership. We understand the significance of this transition and its impact on managers, their teams, and the company as a whole.

We are delighted to announce the 3rd batch of our ‘Leading Edge’ open program in September. This program is designed to equip first-time managers with the essential skills to transition seamlessly from being an individual contributor to a confident and effective manager and provide them with the necessary tools, insights, and support to thrive in their new leadership roles. Participants also receive one on one coaching with a trained coach to think through the issues they are facing and introspect on how they are using the new skills learnt.

Through the program, participants will also realize they are not alone in their struggles and gain resilience by understanding that their experiences are part of a regular process. The program encourages peer learning, providing participants with a strong and supportive network of fellow leaders.

At the end of the workshops and coaching, participants will
· Recognize the impact they have as leaders
· Internalise the shift in mindset and competencies needed for a managerial role
· Define and communicate goals in a way that maximises motivation
· Manage multiple priorities using a structured framework
· Build positive relationships with all stakeholders through the power of validation
· Delegate tasks in order to intentionally build capacity in their teams
· Communicate feedback in a manner that is both respectful and direct
· Apply assertive tools to influence others and communicate tough messages

The program is open to all aspiring and recently appointed first-time managers. If you are interested in attending or would like to nominate people, please write to us at [email protected], [email protected]

If learning to be an ICF-certified coach is on the cards for you in 2023, read on.

The next batch of our Level 1 ICF-accredited coach training program (Leaders Develop Leaders) starts in August 2023. The workshop is spread over four months and will give you the 60 hours of training you need to apply for ICF certification, after meeting the other requirements. We offer a flexible participation system so you can work at the pace that you want toward certification.

Write to us at [email protected] for more details

Click here to find answers to questions prospective coaches will likely have: https://www.navgati.in/so-you-want-to-be-a-coach/

Navgati Fraternitea session on July 28th - 4 - 6 pm

Topic - An introduction to Inclusive Conversations

Inclusive conversations are ones where everyone feels free to express themselves in the knowledge that they will be heard without judgment. Conversations like these are at the very heart of collaboration because they allow people to feel understood and to develop a deeper understanding of the other person’s realities.

Join us for this Fraternitea on the 28th of July from 4 pm to 6 pm - the wonderful Vandana Balakrishna walks us through an introduction to inclusive conversations. Please click on this link to register for the event - https://www.navgati.in/virtual-fraternitea/

If you're wondering what a Fraternitea is, it is our way of giving back to the community that has supported us for almost 25 years now. Fraternitea sessions are always on topics that interest us and would be relevant to learning champions; always virtual and always free to attend.