Often, I have been asked about the secret behind my success. Let me assure there is no hidden secret about the moderate accomplishments I may have achieved in the last 37 years of my professional career. However, I can certainly tell you that I have adhered to the following tips since the beginning of my professional journey and it has definitely held me in good stead.  I call it the essential tips that can make your job exciting and enriching. Needless to say, productivity will soon ensue 

1. Doing things strategically– I always look beyond the immediate and into the future…maybe 3 or 5 years down the lane. Where do I see myself? This is an oft repeated question in my mind which I have been asking myself since the beginning of my career. This helps to prioritize my goals, plan ahead, delegate effectively and work towards implementation. Another question I asked myself when I started Layam Group in 2007 was “will our business create any difference in the lives of people?”, Today I have a definitive answer to this-‘Layam has certainly helped achieve the dreams of others- the culture of doing things strategically is an omnipresent trait of every employee and it has certainly created a differentiator in terms of the 10,000 people whom we have made employable or the number of clients who have been impacted by our tenets of cost, quality and productivity.
2. Ideating with others-When I discuss my plans, ideas or strategies with my team, it’s with an intention to seek the other person’s perspective. Working alone or in isolation will not help me get the idea into momentum or for that matter increase my productivity or that of my team. 
3. Empowering– One tip is to learn the fine art of delegating. Delegate your work to your juniors or team members. This is one way of empowering them. It also helps them to develop their talents or skills and become more productive  
4. Taking lessons from success and mistakes– For me learning is a continuous process. For that matter, every moment, I try to find opportunities to learn or improve myself.  We learn from our mistakes-we have all heard about this insight and realized the true meaning behind it. But if something goes well, I delve deep and scrutinize-What were the factors that helped us in finishing this project so successfully? Can we incorporate few elements into future projects as well? The scope of improvement is the mantra 
5. Energy Management– Time Management, work life balance, Productivity and quality of work can all be achieved if you are left with sufficient mental and physical energy. If you are tired and unable to put on your thinking cap, then you may end up doing fewer tasks for a longer duration of time.  Managing your energy levels is important to increase workplace productivity. This can be easily achieved by following a healthy lifestyle, which essentially implies eating timely and healthy meals, exercising regularly and going for short spiritual journey in terms of practicing meditation, reiki or the likes. 
6. Cut the clutter to usher in clarity-Here, I am essentially referring to the physical clutter. Your workplace should always be well organized and clutter free. A clean workplace will give you a sense of clarity and help you to focus better. 
7. Take buffer time to recharge– Non-stop meetings and deadlines may leave you with little or no time to think. Take ‘quality’ breaks. This will help you recharge your brain not to mention your energy levels. I seldom pack my day with client meetings or team meetings. I take some time off to deal with phone calls, messages, mails or simply do nothing at all. A 20-30 minutes break between a hectic work schedule can break the monotony and help you bounce back with renewed vigor.  

Bill Cosby had once said, “In order to succeed your desire for success should be greater than your fear for failure”. I follow this maxim to the fullest and my advice to you is to have the passion and desire to reach for the stars. You may soon realize that even in the toughest situations, you don’t tend to give up because your passion to succeed will emerge stronger eventually defeating your fear of failure!