Workplace Etiquette

When Mary Barra took over GM's HR department, she found a 10-page dress code policy. She replaced all 10 pages with just two words: "Dress appropriately." The HR team panicked. A senior director sent an angry email demanding more detailed rules. But Barra held firm. When the director called to complain that his team wore jeans to government meetings, she didn't cave. Instead, she told him: "Have a conversation with your team." Two weeks later, he called back excited. His team had solved it themselves...they'd keep dress pants in their lockers for important meetings. Here's what happened across GM: 1. Managers started making decisions instead of following rulebooks 2. Employee engagement improved as people felt trusted 3. Bureaucracy dropped as leaders focused on outcomes, not compliance Barra realized: "If they can't handle 'dress appropriately,' what other judgment decisions are they not making?" She built a culture where thinking mattered more than rule-following. Most companies write longer policies to avoid problems. Mary wrote shorter ones to create leaders.

The one superpower that transformed my communication at work (and it's not what you think). While working I realized the number one superpower you can have while communicating is to give context well. Sounds basic, right? But it's not as common as we think it is. Here's why context is everything: • It eases the other person's anxiety • Puts forward a clear ask • Makes them feel they're in a position to respond • Sets proper expectations from the start Yesterday, someone from first year reached out to me. She wanted help with case competitions and dumped 2 long messages in a minute (I'm sure they were pre-written). I was completely caught off guard. I had no clue: Who she was How she got my number Why she thought I should help What specific help she needed How much time it would take There was zero context and zero consent. My response? I warmly replied stating it's always good to set context first. Things could have better if she started with: "Hi Hemant, I'm [name] from [college], got your number from [source]. I saw your posts about case competitions/ know you from xyz place and was hoping you could spare 10 minutes to guide me on [specific area]. Would you be open to a quick call this week?" Here's what good context does: ✅ Establishes who you are ✅ Explains how you found them ✅ States your specific ask ✅ Respects their time ✅ Gives them an easy way to say yes or no Hell, even LLMs thrive on context. No context or bad context returns garbage results. If AI needs context to perform well, imagine how much humans need it! When I prompt ChatGPT, I always start with: "I'm a growth specialist working on X, my goal is Y, my constraints are Z, please help me with..." The results are 10x better than just asking "help me with marketing strategy." The best presentations, case solutions, and client pitches I've seen all start with solid context. The worst ones jump straight into solutions without establishing the problem. My new rule: Whether I'm messaging a colleague, writing emails, or even prompting AI - context first, ask second. How often do you receive messages or emails that leave you confused about what the person actually wants? And be honest - how often do you send them yourself? At this moment, I do it a lot but my goal is to reduce it as time goes. What's your approach to setting context in professional communication? P.S. - Next time you're about to send that "quick question" message, pause and add 30 seconds of context. Your recipient will thank you for it. #communication #context #professionaltips #mba #iimk #workplaceskills #networking

Email marketing has become noise. And nowhere is that more obvious than in #communitybanks and #creditunions. An email should be sacred. It’s an invitation into someone’s attention, not a dumping ground for rate sheets, product-of-the-month campaigns, and “we’re excited to announce” nonsense. Every unnecessary email chips away at trust. Every irrelevant message teaches the customer or member to ignore you. What makes this especially frustrating is that banks and credit unions actually have the #data to do this well. Transactional insight. Life-event signals. Behavioral patterns. Context. Yet most emails still feel like they were written for “everyone” and therefore resonate with no one. Good email isn’t about frequency. It’s about relevance. It’s about showing up with something useful, timely, and specific. I talking about something that makes the reader think, they actually get me. That’s how trust is built. That’s how attention is earned. If you can’t answer why a customer should open an email right now, you probably shouldn’t be sending it. Email isn’t free just because it’s digital. The cost is credibility. Wake up. Sacred things deserve restraint. #emailmarketing #engagementbanking #AI #segmentation #marketing #contentstrategy #ecommerce #CX

Mary Barra made one simple change at General Motors, long before she became CEO. It changed the entire company’s trajectory. She had inherited a dress code that read like a legal document. Whole sections about what counted as the right skirt length. What shirts were acceptable. What shoes were “professional enough.” It looked like policy, but felt like control. And the message underneath was unmistakable: We do not trust you. Mary Barra read the document, closed it, and replaced the whole thing with two words. “Dress appropriately.” Leaders were unsettled. They wanted detailed rules so no one could blame them for a bad call. She didn’t move. She told them, calmly: “If you cannot manage this, you should not be a manager.” That moment shifted the culture. People felt trusted again. Managers had to grow into the role instead of hiding behind policy. The company began operating with a different kind of dignity. I think about this now, when workplaces pile on tools and systems that watch more than they empower. You don’t need GM’s size to put this into practice. You just need the courage to treat people like adults. If you are shaping a team today, take Mary Barra’s lesson with you. Set the standard. Trust people to meet it. Let leaders lead. Everything else follows.

As I was about to get on stage for my very first town hall, I received a one-word text from my daughter: “Accident.” My heart sank. I texted back immediately, “What happened?!” Her reply came right after: “I called by accident.” Relief. Then ...a lightbulb moment. Context is everything: It’s what keeps messages from being misunderstood, meetings from drifting off course, and teams from chasing the wrong goals. A few ways we can all use context more intentionally: ▪️In emails, lead with the why before jumping into the what and how. ▪️In presentations, start with a “Recall” or “Recap” slide so everyone starts on the same page. ▪️To get the best from AI, start with a clear prompt that includes context, your goal, and any boundaries. AI gives us speed, but context gives us wisdom. If you don’t have the context, be bold and ask for it. Because we get our best outcomes when we start with clarity. ❓What's your best tip for ensuring everyone has the context they need? Sonia Rai

Every marketing email should have one clear goal. Before writing anything, I decide what the email is meant to ultimately drive: - purchase - click - reply or read to the end To get there, the reader has to move through a sequence: open -> read -> act Once the goal is clear, the email is structured to support that sequence. Different types of emails are structured differently because the reader is in a different situation. - Promotional emails are direct and concise. - Welcome emails spend more time setting context and expectations. - Abandoned cart emails focus on removing doubt and friction. - Post-purchase emails focus on reassurance and next steps. - Educational emails prioritize clarity over speed. The structure changes based on context. But the goal stays the same. Every line in the email should do at least one of the following: help the reader keep reading help the reader understand help the reader take the next step If a sentence does none of those, it should not be there. Good email performance is rarely about clever phrasing. Instead, it comes from clear goals, clear structure, and removing anything that gets in the reader’s way.

Your email did not find me well. It found me already clicking away. Not because I'm rude. Because that line "Hope this email finds you well." told me everything I needed to know about what comes next. Nothing specific. Nothing relevant. Nothing that required you to actually think before hitting send. And the worst part is the rest of the email usually proves me right. We're in 2026. Everything about how we communicate has evolved. The tools. The data. The ability to know exactly who you're writing to before you write a single word. But the first line of most pitch emails is still on complete autopilot. Here's what that opening line is actually doing. It's not being polite. It's signalling effort. Or the lack of it. The first sentence of any email is not a formality. It's a test. It tells the reader whether you thought before writing or just opened a template and filled in the name field. Most people fail that test in the first seven words. If you want emails that actually get replied to. Start with context not courtesy. What made you write this specific email to this specific person today. Say that instead. Be specific in the first two lines. Reference something real. Something they said. Something they posted. Something that shows you were paying attention before you started asking for their time. Write like you speak not like a script. Read it out loud. If it sounds like something a robot would say to seem human, rewrite it. You don't need better templates. You need clearer thinking about why you're reaching out before you reach out. Templates expire. Good communication doesn't. What's the most overused email opener you're still seeing in your inbox?

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲. It is about 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 and knowing what your clothes are saying before you do. Every outfit communicates something. Shapes, colors, and textures tell others how confident, credible, or warm you appear. A structured blazer shows authority. Soft fabrics reflect empathy. High contrast like black and white signals clarity. Blended tones show calm confidence. The key is balance. Power without presence feels cold. Warmth without structure feels unsure. Here is how to apply it: • Begin with intention. Ask yourself what the situation demands — command or connect. • Play with proportions. Structure builds strength, fluidity builds trust. • Use color consciously. Neutrals earn respect, deeper hues express confidence, softer tones invite openness. • Balance textures. Matte textures convey authority, gentle sheen adds approachability. • Focus on fit. Clothes should support posture, comfort, and poise. • Choose accessories wisely. Minimal pieces show clarity, unique ones reflect personality. Power dressing today is about 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧. It is not performance. It is 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. #PowerDressing #StylePsychology #ImageStrategy #VisualCommunication #ExecutivePresence #ManeeshaNagrath

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 Let’s say this clearly. Clothes do not create competence. But they absolutely influence perceived competence. And perception shapes opportunity. Most professionals misunderstand comfort dressing. They assume if they feel relaxed, they will perform better. Sometimes true. Often incomplete. Here is what actually happens in professional settings. Your brain may feel comfortable. But the room reads visual signals first. Unstructured silhouettes communicate ease. Excessively casual styling communicates low urgency. Ill fitting garments communicate low precision. These cues operate subconsciously. Before you speak, people are already categorising you: • Are you detail oriented? • Are you decisive? • Are you leadership material? • Are you ready for responsibility? Your clothing answers these questions in seconds. Now let’s go deeper. Comfort dressing becomes costly when it ignores three principles: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 Boardroom is not café. Client pitch is not casual Friday. Alignment matters. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿 Sharp tailoring frames authority. Soft, shapeless layers dissolve presence. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 One off casual is fine. A pattern of underdressing becomes identity. Here is the intelligent shift. Do not remove comfort. Refine it. Choose structure with stretch. Choose breathable fabrics with clean cuts. Choose footwear that supports stamina but looks intentional. Choose colours that command without screaming. Respect is rarely denied loudly. It is quietly withheld. And often, the difference between being heard and being overlooked is not your voice. It is your visual positioning. Dress for the room you want influence in. Not the sofa you left at home. #ExecutivePresence #PersonalBrandStrategy #ImageConsulting #LeadershipBrand #ProfessionalAuthority #KrittikaSharda

Sequels usually chase nostalgia. But some stories return to remind us of something we quietly forget in boardrooms. With The Devil Wears Prada 2 creating buzz, I’m not thinking about fashion. I’m thinking about executive presence. Because what we wear is never just what we wear. It’s strategy, signaling, and silent storytelling. 1. The “Cerulean Effect” — Nothing is accidental Remember the cerulean sweater monologue? What looked casual was actually the end result of decisions made in rooms of power. That’s executive presence. Your choice of a blazer, a colour, even the absence of noise— is not aesthetic. It’s alignment with the room you intend to lead. 2. The “That’s All” Doctrine — Minimalism is authority Miranda Priestly didn’t command attention by being louder. She did it by being unmistakably precise. In leadership, overdressing is not about fabric. It’s about over-explaining, over-justifying, over-filling space. True presence edits. And then… stops. 3. The “Unspoken Hierarchy” Principle — People read before you speak Before you introduce yourself, the room has already formed a view. Fit. Structure. Simplicity. Detail. These are not fashion choices. They are decision-making cues. Your attire answers, silently: Do you understand context? Do you respect the room? Do you belong here—or are you about to redefine it? 4. The “Exit Walk” — Presence is what remains after you leave Andy taught us something subtle. Growth is not imitation. It’s selection. Executive presence is not about dressing like power. It’s about dressing in a way that makes power feel… inevitable around you. Maybe Devil Wears Prada 2 will give us new looks. But the real takeaway isn’t in the wardrobe. It’s this: Style is not about being seen. It’s about being understood—before you say a word. And the best leaders? They don’t follow dress codes. They create what I call the “Presence Signature™”— where every detail, from voice to fabric, quietly says: I know exactly who I am in this room. That’s all! #executivepresence #devilwearsprada