The Cappadocia region and adjoining Aksaray province in Turkey has seen tourism rise to over a million tourists last year. This unprecedented growth has generated numerous tourism jobs. Specific walking circuits, trekking routes, opening of caravanserais and restoration of churches has this particular growth in interest. An underground city named Gazeimir has been recently inaugurated while the uniquely named Monastery Valley has seen new Aksaray museum doing particularly well. Aksaray has positioned itself as the ‘gateway to Cappadocia’. 

There are three ways in which great organizations can lead their respective industries. They may show intellectual leadership where the firms are always the first to develop unique products inconceivable to others. Apple, P & G and Phillips are best examples. Then there is Ford whose corporate strategy was to scale a product which seemed out of budget for others. The provide capability leadership. Results leadership is the combination of hindsight, foresight and oversight where the final outcome provides best bottom line to the business.  

High achievers have certain common traits which if adopted can yield positive returns. They are forever hungry for success. They possess the mental toughness to combat difficult situations. They demonstrate strong sense of loyalty to their beliefs. Preparedness for all kinds of events is an inbuilt trait in them. They excel at corporate training as they enjoy learning at work. They take responsibility for their actions. Crucially, they can turn setbacks into advantageous situations for themselves and team.

Marketing research has been conducted on e-commerce and its biggest online players worldwide. India, USA and China have been proven to be most influential in this line. This list includes a mix of online only and brick & mortar combination firms. As expected, Amazon is right on top of the list. Wal-Mart’s corporate strategy has redefined to include increased online presence and this policy reflects in improved position in the top ten. Flipkart is the biggest Indian firm closely followed by Snapdeal and Jabong while China’s leading players are Tmall, Alibaba and Taobao. Target, e-Bay and Best Buy complete the list.        

The SAATO conference was recently held in Sikkim and focused on strengthening ties within the region as well as with neighbouring countries with a shared heritage and history like Nepal and Bhutan. Generation of tourism jobs remains a prime concern in this diverse region. More adventure tour operators are to be provided hands-onmanagement training especially for mountaineering related activities on Nepal-Sikkim border areas. Buddhism, monsoons and festivals were some other themes touched upon for future growth potential.

As per business research conducted, some ideas have been generated to best speed up the digital business transformation. Changes in design of product, development of the package and innovation in service delivery will be critical. Next generation software must be designed to encourage flexibility and innovation. Customer demands are changing fast and thus new products / services need to be developed at rapid pace. The changes however must be incorporated safely and with regularity. A relook at talent management is the need as newer roles and skills are set to be formed and required.

Market research has proved over period of time, certain traits to be habits possessed by innovative thinkers. They are associated with ego, yet do not have inflated ones and are open to others’ viewpoints. They are confident yet not arrogant. They have been found to have inquisitive nature. While some innovative thinkers speak well, they are inherently good listeners and thus they do well at management training. They ensure to keep emotions in check. They possess leadership skills and can direct team members. Most crucially, they have the ability to put themselves in colleagues or customers’ shoes.