The Home Run

home run The

There is nothing like a sports event to create a buzz in an organization. A time to bond and a time to recognise diverse talent, sports bring out the best in people. The Max Group firmly believes: a team that plays together, stays together. Enthusiasm, energy, bonhomie and comradery mark the Max Olympics, an annual event that is much awaited across the organisational hierarchy, without exception. Right from the senior managers to the junior-most employees, the Max Olympics involve everyone in varied capacities. It has become an event to forge stronger bonds, showcase talent, interact with colleagues across divisions and build relationships across the length and breadth of the organisation. This year was no exception. The Olympics give an opportunity to employees from the stores to come face-to-face with those working in the warehouse, across regions and verticals. Everyone, whether regular, contract or housekeeping staff, comes together as one on the same platform for the love of sport. The colourful mailers giving details of the upcoming events leading to the mega Olympics start popping up in the employee inboxes quite some time in The Max OlyMpics is a big draw fOr eMplOyees (acrOss The specTruM), geTTing bigger and beTTer wiTh each passing year

Besides The fun and games, The evenT fosTers Team

Bonding (appreciaTion for each oTher’s TalenT) and muTual Bonhomie ThaT TranslaTes inTo deep work-place engagemenTs and Builds collecTive pride

advance. The frequency and the enthusiasm continue to build up till the time the finals eventually take place.

Rules are carefully thought through and clearly laid down for the competitions to avoid any confusion and disappointments. The detailed thought process can be evidenced from the basic rule that a minimum number of female

The evenT Brings everyone on The same plaTform, cuTTing across regions (divisions) and hierarchies, wiTh TalenT Being The (only) sTar of The day

employees is made mandatory for team games like cricket. Diversity has clearly been embraced in the true sense in all walks of The Max life.

Rigorous competitions take place at the regional levels for the final clashes. The event deepens the employee engagement and builds pride in the work place. Employees get a chance to step back from their hectic work schedules and appreciate what the company and they collectively stand for.

A whole host of modern games are included along with the traditional ones to increase the diversity and the fun quotient! There is volley ball, throw ball and badminton competing with kho kho and kabaddi to attract the best talent. Considering the diversity in India, specific suggestions from the regions are welcome too.

Considering the pride and quantum of participation, generous budgets are set aside to leave no stone unturned in making the event memorable. There are colourful jerseys, movie tickets and over-arching spends for the Olympics. A big attraction for the teams is the separate budgets just for trophies, which find a pride of place on the workstations, motivating everyone to practice harder for the next Max Olympics.

A welcome break from the hectic work schedules, the Max Olympics has become a keenly awaited event. Each year builds up higher expectations for the next and 2019 was no different.

Every now and then, life at Max becomes all about switching our work-modes off and having some fun. Here are some great memories of Team Max bonding over celebrations & events! fun@work

Relive Small JoyS

back to basics When we let go of the little things we don’t need, we are living off the basics. As an essential part of our War on Wastage Project (WOW), Max launched Back to Basics as the activity of the month in April. All our teams identified activities and processes that were least productive and continued to eliminate some of them. This made their daily tasks simpler, employees happier, and ensured a lot less wastage – of time, efforts and resources!

Our favorite memories are always from a long time ago. July saw such beautiful old memories come to life for 3 lucky employees from each store/RO when Max decided to recreate their fond memories. Employees shared their wishes – like visiting their schools or spending a day with their parents and Max fulfilled these ‘small joys’, forming new, magical moments for each of them.

Birthday CeleBrations

Max EMployEEs dEsErvE an EnTirE cakE aT lEasT oncE a yEar! WE call THEsE cakE days THEir birTHdays.

Max lOves tO celebrate tOgether! s pecial b irthdays f O r s pecial peO ple...

All our employees bring something fabulous and new to the table. If it were possible, Max would love to celebrate each of us, every day. But special is rare, and thus we spotlight all our joy to each of our employees on one special day – their birthday! Max loves to celebrate birthdays by taking some time off from the everyday routine of work schedules and come together as a team to make the ‘special one’ feel a little extra special on this one day! Birthdays are so much fun at Max with all the team members singing and feasting. The birthday boy or girl spends this day sharing all the merriment with colleagues and team-mates. The birthdays become even more special as the employees get to know their co-workers a little better, which otherwise becomes difficult even though we work together every single day! And to top it all, there’s always the sweet, cherished memories of delicious cake!

world environment day

It’s the smallest of efforts that count in making the planet better, kinder and greener. We at Max initiated a small campaign in June, marking World Environment Day , to pace a few moves ahead in our own little way alongside the Earth’s most crucial needs of the hour. We arranged for our employees to plant saplings in and around stores, ROs and malls. There were workshops on making ‘seed balls’ and we presented flash mobs at public places to create awareness about how to #BeatAirPollution. Environment Day alongside the Earth’s most crucial stores, ROs and malls. There were

Collage

What better way to define ‘Unity in Diversity’ than to have all our different team members come together to create art – merging colours with ideas, words with values, cultures with awareness? We let the idea of a work of art come out of this heartwarming concept in May and received an amazing response from our employees. Teams from all across the country sent their collages strung with pictures and words that expressed their version of this beautiful quote in their own unique

way! Whether we call it an assortment of ideas or contrast of opinions, we were astonished to see that such a diverse range of employees sent in their artworks, all unified in ideals and principles. The best part about this competition? Every team included not just the employees who work together on a daily basis, but also our outsourced workers, helpers and all the in-house leaders. Each of them put in their thoughts together for the collages, creating diversity within unified groups!

Social Initiatives April to July 2019

GROWTH OF A DIFFERENT KIND

At Landmark Group, the roots of our business expansion and goals prosper with the outgrowing stems of our essaying environmental and social enhancements.

1On 5th June 2019, Landmark Group launched ‘Prevent & Preserve’ campaign in India to create action-oriented awareness on environment conservation and wellbeing. As part of the campaign, employees acted upon various initiatives on #BeatAirPollution in and around their respective areas of operation. Sapling plantation drives were conducted across various locations in the country. An ‘Upcycling of Waste’ workshop for corporate employees was organized in partnership with Urvee Foundation to showcase how can a ‘Paper Bag’ be created from ‘Waste Cloth Fiber’. Additionally, few locations created awareness through cleanliness, ‘bring your own bag’, and seed bombing drives. Prevent & Preserve camPaign

In order to make these initiatives inclusive of local communities, a mini-urban forest was created near Bellandur Lake in Bangalore City in association with SankalpTaru Foundation. This effort was further extended to larger audience through an online plantation campaign on Landmark Virtual Forest platform.

2Landmark Group has been supporting the Step-Up volunteering program at Yemlur Government school, where employee-volunteers conduct teaching sessions to help ameliorate the English language level for children of Grades 4 and 5. With over 120 hours of volunteering time, almost 100 students have benefited from the program. Over 75% of children have shown improvement in their English Reading skills. Step Up India is an initiative aimed at reducing high dropout rates in primary government schools through a modular English program that harnesses the time and effort of volunteers. Employee Volunteering – STEP UP FOR INDIA INITIATIVE have benefited from the program.

You maY be an amiable and efficient sales personnel, but are You fit? obesitY makes You feel – and look – tired and lethargic, making it difficult to motivate the potential buYer. research saYs overweight emploYees are also less productive, more injurY-prone, and need longer breaks to recuperate. if You suspect You are putting on some, no worries! read on for tips on how to staY on top, in bodY and mind, and give Your best to Your customers through the daY – even as You work to drop the ‘extra’.

Take advantage of the morning hours before you need to meet customers. Chalk out a morning exercise regime. Get in 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running; or 150 minutes of moderate activity such as walking, at least 4 days a week. Far from making you tired, it will, over time, make you feel more energetic - and of course drop the calories! Start your day with exercise 1

Eat right 2

Ditch the chocolates and chips (or reduce portions) – switch to baked soya puffs, dry roasted namkeen or nibble on fresh fruit and salad, if possible. Get a lunch dabba from home instead of ordering in and substitute the oily gravies and gulab jamuns with grilled or baked foods. Apart from losing calories, you will feel fresh and energetic for a longer period and oh, reduce body odour as well – definitely a plus when you’re trying to make a sale!

3take water breaks

Stressed at work? Drink water instead of coffee, tea or energy drinks. Water keeps your brain active, raises your metabolism, flushes out toxins and reduces bloating. Sip just before you eat – research shows that you will eat an average 75 calories less. The glow on your skin is an added benefit!

Catch up on your sleep 4

Sleep requirements vary but most people need at least 6-7 hours. (Trying waking up without an alarm

for 7 days and you can get the ideal number of sleep-hours you need.) Your body works even as you rest. The number of calories you burn depends on various factors but, on average, a person weighing around 57 kg burns 38 calories per hour of sleeping. On the other hand, lack of sleep, produces a hormone called ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone’ and makes you want to eat more!

5. Be lively being cheerful and positive is likelY to make You feel readY to take on the world – and that exercise regime! of course, the number of customers who close the deal thanks to Your appeal will all add up in Your next appraisal!

Got some time in between customers? 10 minutes of jumping jacks or spot running can help suppress those mid-day hunger pangs!

Right postuRe foR weight-loss good posture not only makes you look slimmer – and create that great first impression on customers – but it also helps reduce belly fat and tones hips over a period of time. learn how to do this with these easy steps:

• Standing poSture Keep your chin level with the floor, shoulders back and stomach in. Learn by standing against a wall – the back of your head, shoulders and butt should touch the wall, with arms at your side. This keeps your stomach in and helps you lose fat. • Sitting poSture Keep your thighs at a 90° angle to your calves and shin, shoulders straight and square, with your head upright. Your head, back and heels must be aligned. This makes hips and bellies less prominent, and helps reduce them over time. • Sleeping poSture If you are sleeping on your back, place one pillow under your head and one under your knees. This keeps the stomach in and speeds up the process of burning fat.

Work & Money Home & family

Analysis & counting Meeting friends & get-togethers

Strategy & time management

Festivals, shopping & gifts

FESTIVALS WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Not easy! But here are some suggestions that you may like to try out. We spoke to several senior corporates (who have been-there-done-that) and experts in the field of corporate management and here’s what they say

The arrival of the festive season puts smiles on our faces – we wait for the good times throughout the year. This is the time to create wonderful memories and enjoy ourselves, living life to the fullest with family and friends. Yet, these are often terribly stressful times because work pressures are invariably more – unless you are among the lucky few whose offices shut down for the festivities. However, all is not lost! Here are some tips (and tricks!) to get you on track to find the perfect work-life balance during the coming months. So read on and pick what suits you.

PRIORITISE, PRIORITISE Not easy – true! Make a list – even if you are not a ‘lists person’... a physical list on your laptop, phone or the simple old-fashioned dhobi list with pen and paper. You won’t believe how this helps. Give special

priority to work projects which come with tight deadlines. Do this the night before for each following day. No, it does not take away the fun from family time but gives your time-off more value and meaning, and you do it guilt-free, without any distractions.

TIME IS OF ESSENCE How well you compartmentalise time for each activity – be it on your work front or for your family engagements – is the most significant aspect. To begin with, put a time frame to every activity on your list and buffer it up suitably. Then try and stick to it. If you find you’re going to need still more time, plan to finish up that task at the end of the day if possible. Avoid pushing it to the next day. The trick is to fit in only as much as you know you can! Still, if you must fit in lots, formulate ways to speed up things. For instance, if you have to shop for different things, try and go to a market or mall which would have all the products or at least most of them under one roof which would cut travel time. Buy whatever you can online – saves money, energy and time. You may choose what you wish to buy together with the family – that too is fun. Or, consciously minimise your social media activity. It’s the season to live in real-time!

CREATING BOUNDARIES Try and stick to work timelines strictly or start a bit early. So, if your office starts at 9 am, arrive about 30 minutes earlier if possible and finish off on time instead of extending the after-hours in office. Try discussing this with your boss and colleagues so all are aware that you may not be available till late hours. Try and divide inevitable late days with cooperative colleagues. For instance, if you are keen to get off early on Pujo days, stand-in for the colleague who would love to be home on time for the Diwali time. On the other hand, make sure that your home and festive activities do not intrude on your work. You must maintain boundaries – can’t be entertaining long calls of Bijoya greetings interrupting that presentation.

SAY ‘NO’ (POLITELY) Learn to say ‘no’. Your manager may approach you with a new project – something that you may have been vying for. Still, you may choose to take a pass for the sake of family time this once. Of course, before declining the offer, you may evaluate the time the project or responsibility will take and try to postpone it if possible. Otherwise, just go ahead and take a pass if it means late hours in office during the festive season.

FOCUS ON HEALTH In order to do more – yes, even to have more fun and socialise more – you need to keep your energy and health levels up. Of course, there are parties which translate into lots of eating and drinking, but a few simple steps will keep you fit. If drinking alcohol, have a glass of water between your drinks; eat everything you like but try and minimise portions; get that sleep – try and get started on your parties earlier to get some decent shut-eye (tough in our Indian approach to celebrations, but give it a shot!)

PLAN SMALL GET-TOGETHERS Focus on meeting smaller groups of people and keep the menu simple. Festive times are to meet people you like, catch up on life... While good food is part and parcel of Indian celebrations, you may keep the menu limited – it cuts the stress of elaborate cooking. You could try potluck for a change – no it’s not a sacrilege. Enjoy!

10 Golden Rules foR fRont-end staff

Good manners and kindness never go out of fashion! Here is a simple breakdown of must-keep-in-mind for front-end staff

1first Impressions: Be professional and friendly. Greet customers and immediately ask how you can help.

2Honesty: Don’t overpromise or try to cover up for what you don’t know. Instead, inform that you’ll get the information from senior staff.

3focus: Many things compete for attention at front-end services - but remember when you are talking to a customer, you must give him or her your undivided attention.

4Body language: Stand straight and look customers in the eye. Lean slightly forward to indicate attention and do not fold your arms.

5demeanor: Remain calm, particularly with flustered customers; listen to them without interrupting or rolling your eyes. Then say you are going to escalate the issue right away.

6Work area: A clean and organized work area is a must. So remove clutter and keep the space neat.

7technical Knowledge:

Learn all you can about your work so you can answer questions and don’t need to say, “I don’t know”!

8telephone etiquette:

Answer phones cheerfully and professionally. If you’re helping a customer and need to answer the phone, excuse yourself politely, finish quickly and apologize for the interruption.

9Personal service: Address customers as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’. Offer services that exceed expectations such as serving water or offering a seat. Avoid over-friendliness.

10 final Impressions: As the last person customers may see, thank them for their visit and wish them a pleasant day.

The New Gen Rewards and Recognition Program

Coming Soon...