2009-the year that was!

I am delighted I am starting 2010 with an advantage!!

Reflecting on the first post of 2009- I guess I don't have to spend too much time making resolutions for 2010. I just need to carry forward them over to the next year :)!!

As I quickly flipped through the 60 other posts I made -I now see a pattern. Initially, for a while, there was a sense of denial, followed by exhortations to change the way we were approaching the whole slowdown, before the realisation came that there needed to be a paradigm shift in the way we needed to get our act together.

In retrospect, it seems that 2009 did turn out to be much better than we anticipated-at least in India.

- It helped separate the wheat from the chaff in that companies with credible track records and clear strategies managed to thrive! Those of us -who hadn't built up too much flab, found it easier to cut costs and get back into shape.

- The job market witnessed a return of sanity after the three year bull phase. Career moves have come back for lot more due diligence than the short term gratification mode that was prevalent for the period!

-Compensation levels witnessed very modest increases (if at all!) during the year and we now see a larger portion of variable compensation as companies prefer to pay more for performance.

What were the lessons we learnt from the year?? Keep it simple.

That's right!

Cash is King.

Follow your instincts, not the herd.

Be social.

Engage.

Network.

Not just about building knowledge. But having the wisdom to use it!

2009 was the year to get back to the basics!! There isn't any short cuts. And as Samuel Goldwyn said "the harder I worked, the luckier I get"!

Here's wishing all of us a great 2010!!