The intent of the WP Photo Directory is to have a high quality collection of CC0 licensed photos, which can be used for any purpose, personal or commercial, without the need for permission, attribution, or payment. It’s a fascinating project. Browsing through the photos in the directory takes you to a different journey.
While traveling, I click many photographs without any human face. You can see a few such photographs on my Instagram profile. Recently, I submitted a few photographs to the WP Photo Directory. So far, only two photos have been approved to be included. You can check out those photos here.
Today, meetup.com reminded me that it has been 15 years since I joined it. That’s a long relationship. Here is what the email said:
Happy anniversary from Meetup
15 years ago, you made the decision to join Meetup and pursue your passions. Since then, we hope you’ve had the chance to attend events, join groups, and meet some great people along the way.
Happy anniversary from all of us at Meetup. We’re thrilled that you are part of our community. Let’s keep the celebration going—find an event today.
It has stats about milestones, too, and according to those stats, I have 5 RSVPs — one per three years. That’s not good. I need to socialize more.
If you are organizing a meetup and feel that it would be mutually beneficial for me to attend, feel free to contact me.
You have responded to a customer at a time that is significantly beyond the anticipated response time. Instead of saying, “Sorry for replying late,” try saying, “Thank you for your patience” or “We appreciate your patience.” Instead of apologizing, “I’m sorry, but this thing isn’t working for you,” you might try saying, “We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.” Turning “I’m sorry” into “Thank you” transforms you from regret and shame to gratitude and grace.
How you communicate with your clients can have a significant impact on their overall experience and perception of your enterprise. When something goes wrong, it has long been accepted as a norm to apologize by saying “sorry,” but it might be more powerful and effective to express gratitude by saying “thank you.”
Sometimes, it’s okay to say sorry, but saying “sorry” can make the customer think you did something wrong. This can make the customer focus on the problem instead of your apology. It evokes guilt and can be interpreted as a passive admission of guilt. However, saying ‘thank you’ allows you to shift the narrative and emphasize the positive aspects of the customer’s interaction with you. It creates a connection that exudes positivity and makes everyone feel good. It would help to focus on making customers feel appreciated rather than highlighting errors or faults.
For example, when there’s an issue with one of your products, you could say, “Sorry for the inconvenience caused.” The essence of the message is maintained by changing it to “Thank you for bringing this to our notice.” It also alters its impact, making it more affirmative and cultivating mutual appreciation. When “thank you” replaces “Sorry” it is received more positively than an apology. Thank you conveys that their feedback and concerns are valuable to you and your organization and that you appreciate their input in helping you improve. This shift in focus from the issue to the customer’s value and contribution can foster trust and confidence in the timely and effective resolution of their concerns.
Instead of undermining the essence of apology when there is a genuine mistake, this strategic shift reduces the use of “Sorry” which can dilute its actual significance if overused.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say “sorry”. Just try not to say it all the time.
Today Citibank sent an email reminding that it has been 17 years since I am using their card. Feels great. Isn’t it?
Here is what the email said:
Dear Ajay Kumar Jain,
Thank you for being a Citi Card holder for 17 years. It’s time to bring more friends into the fold. Refer your friends or family for a Citi Credit Card and earn up to 9,999, while they too get a cashback of 1,000 each.
I was a bit disappointed that instead of getting a gift 😉 they are trying me to indulge in enticing my contacts to join Citi customer base but none-the-less it feels wonderful to be reminded about how time flies.
A talk by Ajay and Suyogya during WordCamp Udaipur, 2019
What is the WHO definition of health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The bibliographic citation for this definition is: “Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June–22 July 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of WHO, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948. The definition has not been amended since 1948.”
A talk by Ajay and Suyogya during WordCamp Udaipur, 2019
Remote jobs are becoming popular yet remain one of the most unexplored domains. Working remotely has its own merits and demerits that deserve an open dialogue. Some consider working remotely to be an easy task, while some think of it as a fun holiday. The minority of us who see it for what it is, a taxing job with the benefit of avoiding rush hour traffic, at times, fail to use the right tools to make the work fun and a learning experience.
With the increase in the remote workforce, productivity and health are two major concerns we should be aware of. We need to learn the tricks of the trade to make the best use of working from home, especially in the Indian landscape. Working from home is a fairly new concept that will take time to emerge as a serious work option. Discussing these issues openly amongst family, friends, and colleagues can help us increase our productivity exponentially.
Suyogya shared some of the tools he uses daily as a Happiness Engineer with Automattic Inc. and some productivity tips for a remote worker.
Ajay presented his views culminating in physical, mental, and emotional health while working remotely. He also addressed how we often overlook our health, try to meet goals, and decrease productivity.
Location: The Artist House, Near Ashoka Cinema (Max Store), Surajpole, Udaipur
Babita and I started our annual body detoxification ritual in 2010, and it continued until 2019. For Babita, it was a religious ritual (Daslakshan or Paryushan), and I took it as a chance to cleanse my body.
Each year, during the month of Bhadrapada (a Jain and Hindu calendar month near the end of the rainy season), we embark on this journey. We take either normal water or lukewarm water once every 24 hours. If you are not feeling too well, you can take a concoction of Raisins, Almonds, Black Pepper, and Fennel.
The real challenge starts after 10 days when the fasting period ends. You just can’t eat anything as your body might have adverse effects. As a precaution, we both took semi-solid or liquid diets for the first 2-3 days and gradually moved to a solid/ normal diet.
