It was a privilege to be part of the panel discussion at the International Women’s Day 2026 webinar, proudly hosted by CIMA Australasia. This year’s theme — Give to Gain — explored a powerful yet often counterintuitive idea: that generosity, collaboration, and shared opportunity are not signs of weakness in competitive industries like finance, but rather the most strategic advantages we can cultivate.

It was a privilege to be part of the panel discussion at the International Women’s Day 2026 webinar, proudly hosted by CIMA Australasia. This year’s theme — Give to Gain — explored a powerful yet often counterintuitive idea: that generosity, collaboration, and shared opportunity are not signs of weakness in competitive industries like finance, but rather the most strategic advantages we can cultivate.

It was a privilege to be part of the panel discussion at the International Women’s Day 2026 webinar, proudly hosted by CIMA Australasia. This year’s theme — Give to Gain — explored a powerful yet often counterintuitive idea: that generosity, collaboration, and shared opportunity are not signs of weakness in competitive industries like finance, but rather the most strategic advantages we can cultivate.

In conjunction with International Women’s Day 2026, CIMA Australasia brought together a diverse group of industry leaders, professionals, and changemakers for a thought-provoking session examining how giving — whether through mentorship, advocacy, knowledge-sharing, or simply lending a voice to the voiceless — can accelerate progress for women in finance and beyond.

The webinar opened with a compelling keynote address by Amanda Rose, a leading voice in women’s leadership and advocacy. Amanda shared her personal journey of building purpose-driven businesses, the importance of knowing your value system, the art of saying no strategically, and how confidence, when rooted in authenticity, becomes the foundation for meaningful impact. Her message was clear: if you want it bad enough, you’ll do it — but you must protect who you are while doing it.

A sincere thank you to the team at CIMA Australasia — including Peumika Karunaratne and Jana Griffiths — for bringing this important discussion together with such care and purpose. Thank you to our keynote speaker Amanda Rose for her candid and energising address, to our moderator Devika Mohotti for guiding a rich and meaningful conversation, and to my fellow panelists Annelize du Toit, Caroline Edwards, and Stephen Walsh for their generosity in sharing personal stories and hard-won wisdom.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who joined the session. It is conversations like these — honest, practical, and deeply human — that remind us why community matters, and why giving remains one of the most powerful forces for professional and personal growth.

Great to see these conversations continue. Let us keep giving, keep gaining, and keep lifting each other forward.

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We often drift to purchasing something new and shiny, fresh off the shelves, when we think of buying something. Retail and advertising industry techniques are also made to influence us into purchasing “unused” and “unopened” products by offering a perfect, clean look and an unboxing experience tailor-made to entice and excite us. With such a mindset setting the norm for how products are purchased, it has been difficult to change our lifestyles to appreciate preloved products. But change is on the horizon.

As the years have rolled by, the preowned product market has surged, with such items being considered “cool” and “stylish”. The adoption of online marketplaces such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree has made it easier for people to sell and buy used products, leading to further acceptance of used and pre-owned products.

Before we dive into the benefits of pre-owned products let’s first look at some facts about how purchasing happens.

Typically in a purchasing process, the customers go through several steps according to research. These include problem recognition, product research, comparison and evaluation, product purchase, and feedback. Factors such as brand, price, risk, and seller location, also play a significant role and are considered closely by consumers/buyers in purchasing decisions.

The steady increase in the pre-owned and used product market shows that people are considering these factors more diligently.

• The global used goods market is expected to grow by 24% in 2022.
•  62% of Gen Z and millennial consumers said they look for used items before buying new ones.
• The used apparel market value worldwide is estimated to rise by 83% by 2026. This is a good sign considering that currently, 84% of clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators.
• The global used car market is projected to increase by 8.3% by 2027 to reach $1,355 billion USD.
• Used book purchases have increased by 5.5% in 2022

Considering these numbers, we can see the trend moving towards a more sustainable market position.

And with this trend comes some benefits. 

Reduce demand for natural resources

Buying pre-owned products allow us to add items to our life without using additional resources in the manufacturing process. For example, the fashion industry which is responsible for 8-10%of global carbon emissions uses massive amounts of water and exploits workers and animals worldwide. Buying clothes that already exist slows down the fast fashion cycle and avoids other garments from being manufactured.

Increased affordability and accessibility

Used and pre-owned products typically cost much less than those fresh off the shelves. This makes expensive products such as phones and electronic items which are considered essential today more affordable for consumers in lower price brackets.

Less overstocked and underused items in our wardrobes and shelves

If we think about buying for the need, and not for the “new” experience, we are more likely to make purchasing decisions as the need arises rather than falling prey to overconsuming. This reduces the number of products in our lives and gives us better utility management with what we own.

Making it a lifestyle choice, decoupling from affordability, and purchasing power

Lifestyle can be defined as “a pattern of consumption that reflects a person’s choices about how they spend time and money, but in many cases, it also refers to the attitudes and values attached to these behavioral patterns.”

This mindset can be established by increasing the awareness of the consumer on the benefits of living and being conscious of the impacts on the environment.

A fact that is undeniable considering the purchase of preowned items is that, there is a reasonable level of stigma associated with it. Especially, in consumer products such as clothes and shoes, the factor of compromised hygiene plays a critical role. There is an underlying assumption that pre-owned items are often made available targeting consumers who can afford to buy them but not the new. However, pre-owned items are not only for those who purchase them because they are affordable but also for consumers with higher purchasing power who could buy new but choose to purchase them as a lifestyle choice.

What actions can be taken to influence further adoption of pre-owned products?

1. Create a positive purchasing experience when buying preowned goods

As we all know, the experience of unboxing a brand-new product has its charm. If pre-owned goods are to build a greater market demand, they should be presented in an appealing and desirable manner. Presenting the products in the best light, refurbished to provide a clean and polished look to the product could give the product more appeal to customers.

How we talk about used and pre-owned and/or used products matters a lot as well. There is typically a greater negative connotation associated with the term second-hand and the term “used” or “pre-owned” is more on the neutral side. Identifying them as “pre-loved” items provides a positive association with the product as is often seen to be used by marketers.

2. Create ambassadors for pre-used buying 

It can not be denied that influencers (such as celebrities) have a significant impact on market trends and cultural norms. Partnering with these influencers could help send a positive message about championing a more sustainable lifestyle that embraces pre-owned goods. This trend has already begun with examples such as Tasha Ghouri who became eBay’s first ‘pre-loved ambassador.  Kate Middleton from the British royal family is often observed to recycle her wardrobe,  discarding the tradition of wearing new as a celebrity all the time.

3. Active promotion by brand owners with a positive connotation, encouragement, and incentives

As market demand for pre-owned goods increases it would be beneficial for brand owners to initiate programs and incentives for their adoption. For example, Apple has a certified refurbished program that repairs and resells preowned products as good as new. Companies such as Thredup, the RealReal, and Depop also specialize in resiling products.

Be it environmental, financial or simply a lifestyle choice, going for pre-owned products comes with its own challenges and benefits. But, when we look at its objectives, the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Our choices will not only influence our own life but also send a message to manufacturers and the community at large to encourage a shift towards a future that appreciates the purpose of a product than its mere existence as a new unboxing experience.

The post Looking at Preowned Goods in a New Light appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Gift-giving has been an age-old practice and has evolved to fit different traditions and cultural norms over time. They were given on special occasions to display one’s affection or as incentives and rewards.

But over time, this wholesome practice has turned into a well-oiled machine of consumerism. We, as consumers have turned to practices such as giving gifts that often lay collecting dust on forgotten basements or landfills. Not only has this act of thoughtfulness turned into a shallow expression of instantaneous gratification but has also led to a lot of unutilized or underutilized products, hence wasted material.

Let’s look at some facts,

• The overall cost of unwanted gifts over the holidays worldwide is approximately $24 billion USD with an estimated waste of £700 million in the UK, $400 million in Australia, and $13 billion in the US.
• In the UK in 2018, it was estimated that Brits threw away the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper after Christmas was over.
• Five million tons of waste is generated over Christmas, four million of which is wrapping paper and shopping bags in the USA
• It is estimated that around 50,000 trees are cut down each year to make enough wrapping paper.

Impacts of gifts on the environment

The first aspect to question about a gift is whether it would be useful and desirable to the receiver. If it is functionally not useful, technically, the valuable material in the wrong place, in other words, waste, that has an environmental cost in creating a gesture.

Another aspect is the extent of value added to the product to make it look and feel “special”, which is often boosted through unnecessary packaging.

So, for giving to be worthwhile and less burdensome on the environment, what would we need to do?

Questioning the practice of gift giving

As every product satisfies a fundamental human need, the thoughtfulness of giving a gift can simply be shifted to questioning, “what needs of the recipient do you intend to fulfill by giving?”

It would not be difficult to identify the “service” or the “utility” that a gift is associated with if you look at it from that point of view. Going for low-impact and regenerative ways of satisfying that need and communicating thoughtfulness or affection through it can be a good place to start.

What are 6 ways to rethink gift giving?

1 Give services as gifts for growth, experience, and satisfaction

This is a great opportunity for a person to try something new, grow and learn. Compared to a tangible item being produced, when you take part in an activity, there is less environmental impact in general. In addition, they are very personal and memorable. Some examples could be music lessons, intriguing online classes, or a subscription to an entertainment platform.

2 Look for preloved or second-hand gifts

Though gifts are sometimes valued based on how new and expensive they are, they do not need to be. If the product has the same utility and is still usable, giving a preloved gift is a great way to reduce the impact of producing it brand new. There is immense potential seen in this sector of pre-loved and used items with a study in the retail sector showing that the resale market is expected to nearly double between 2015 and 2022 with apparel and electronics leading the way.

3 Give access to gifts and products rather than the product itself

Gifting a means of accessing products instead of the gift itself can be worthwhile. Providing a membership to a toy library rather than buying a toy, or library membership rather than a book could open up a world of new gifts. These types of gift ideas might also introduce your loved one to a new lifestyle and a way of living, in addition to having the ability to experience a wide variety of choices, instead of just one.

4 Give the choice to the receiver

Rather than buying items that would be kept on shelves and discarded, giving gift vouchers is a handy way to help the receiver to buy an item they need. This will prevent them from spending unnecessarily on additional products and replace their consumer spending with your gift.

5 Say no to expensive packaging as a way of differentiation

It is evident that some packaging is made exquisite to communicate how special/unique it is. The packaging is used as a differentiator to charge premium prices. Some classic examples include perfumes and home care items with lavish packaging.

The more these tactics are encouraged by consumers, the more they will be used as a differentiator, to upsell regular products. Customers can question this aspect by asking for more information about the packaging and making informed decisions about how to spend their money.

6 Say no to trinkets

Souvenirs and replicas, coming in the form of stuffed animals, plaques etc. are often items that collect dust and bring less practical use on a day-to-day basis. While some might carry sentimental value, there is a limit that we can accumulate more and more of these items which we don’t use and keep it close to us. So, it is likely that they will clutter up where we live and be relegated to the basement or attic.

How we overcome this from the givers’ point of view would need thinking. As an example, if the same thing is given to a mass of people, gifting products that have a high frequency of use and high utility, which people usually do not have a particular taste for (e.g. towels, cups, and mugs) may ensure its use more than otherwise.

Ultimately, the gifts we give in a regenerative society, are gifts to celebrate – not just because it means something to the receiver, but because it is respectful to the environment.

The post Rethinking the way we give gifts appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

“You’ll Own Nothing and You’ll Be Happy,”

A statement in an essay by Danish MP Ida Auken sparked countless debates about a dystopian future looming on the horizon. Yet we all tend to agree now that there is some truth behind the undeniable trend of accessing things for use without owning them.

Be it, lending a helping hand or letting your neighbor borrow your lawnmower, sharing has been an integral part of society and communities for a long time. From the humble library accessible to anyone to bustling online portals like Airbnb and Uber show us every day that there is a demand for “sharing instead of buying.” But what happens when this concept is applied to things other than books or expensive assets? And more importantly what type of goods can this be applied effectively?

Why borrow?

Under the broad umbrella of circular economy, we talk about sharing as one of the most preferred strategies to increase the utilization of existing products that are manufactured. The idea is to avoid the production of another item by making the product accessible to a broader community other than the owner, and almost wholly avoiding the resource and energy footprint that would have otherwise been spent.

On the other hand, sharing is the cornerstone of a collective community helping one another. Being a valued partner to share and hence contribute to consolidating strengths to make up for shortcomings of the society, so that the broader society can collectively prosper leads to equity in distribution.

So, what items are usually more suitable to borrow than buy?
The answer is almost anything that you do not use on a regular basis. In general, items that have

• lower frequency of use (such as drills, tools),
• seasonal use (such as camping gear, fishing gear) or
• where the consumer needs to outgrow the product quickly (e.g. toys, kids items)
• single use, mostly as the product has exhausted the needs of the user with one cycle of use (e.g. books)

So, what are the benefits of borrowing over buying?

Save money by paying a fraction of the purchase cost

Buying a tool or equipment is at times expensive, particularly when the item will be used at a low frequency. Items such as lawnmowers, drills, and garden sheers can be borrowed for a fraction of the price of buying new.

Ensure items get a full life of use

Some tools we buy are used once or twice and are then left to collect dust in the garage or attic. Going to a borrowing system will ensure that these items will be used by those that require them.

Reducing over-manufacturing leading to de-materialization

As more tools and equipment are borrowed when needed, it will avoid manufacturing another, saving the environmental footprint associated with the process. Now, to answer the question of whether the manufacturers will run out of business due to this – not really. Manufacturers may need to shift to different revenue models where they can charge per use rather than charge for purchasing the product. With higher accessibility, we can expect that the need for services will rise, so it would a different mode of revenue generation for manufacturers, rather than a reduction.

Free up space in homes

As we move into living in more dense and smaller houses, storage space becomes quite the issue. When, we have large equipment we seldom use, hogging up our space, it becomes inconvenient. Borrowing this equipment when needed and freeing up space is less hassle in the long run.

Knowing that you would use the item for a shorter time will enable borrowing items you would not usually buy. One such example is the toy slide/toy truck in the picture, which I personally would not consider buying as it occupies a lot of space but wouldn’t mind borrowing from a toy library for my son to play with for 2 weeks.

Taking it forward

Libraries for books have been in existence since the 7th century BCE. As way back as 1943, tools and equipment libraries have been operational. The first of these libraries opened in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where they offered a collection of tools for the use of the community due to the scarcity of tools during the war. Over the years organizations like library of things and the thingery have opened worldwide to offer similar services.

With the concept of the circular economy gaining wide attention, it is never a better time to broaden the use of the concept and to do it more often, not just for the environment or to optimize resource use, but for community benefits at large.

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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

A famous saying that outlines the impact of textile and clothing is,

“The most sustainable garment is the one that is never made!”

With textile and clothing manufacturing generally involving an alarming amount of pollution while the finished garments have few recovery options for post-consumption waste, that statement makes perfect sense.

To hammer home the point, here are a few facts about the impact of textiles on the environment. (Impact of the Textile Industry on the Environment, n.d.)

• 20 percent of all freshwater pollution is made by textile treatment and dyeing.
• The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and is the second-largest industrial polluter.
• About 90 million items of clothing end up in landfills.

When we talk about extending the useful life of a product, including garments, one concept that strikes and ticks quite a few boxes on the reuse aspects is the idea of convertibles.

As consumers, whether we realize it or not, there is a cost of “wanting” a product to fulfill our needs and a cost of “owning” a product.

As an example, the time spent on searching for a product, filtering search options based on attributes that we want, and commuting to try it out (or paying to ship and return the product if it does not work out) are some of them.

Additionally, a product will occupy a space for storage, and require cleaning as well as maintenance (as an example a shoe may need polishing). In case of not providing the required utility that we want, it may need to be repaired (and with a lack of options available for that), finally discarded.

That is why having fewer things, and providing multiple utility options is not a bad idea.

Convertible clothes are becoming more of a household staple as more consumers are becoming aware of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. This trend is prevalent in developed nations and research suggests young consumers lean more toward sustainable clothing options (Koo & Ma, 2019).

Convertibles save us the trouble or consumer cost associated with many of the points below. Additionally, it saves the cost of switching.

One example is having a backpack that can carry a laptop used as a carry handbag which is used to carry daily utensils. Every time, the product that we use is switched, there is a need to transfer the essentials that we need (e.g. phone, purse, etc.) to the other. A product with multiple uses will simply save this trouble too.

A few types of convertibles are:

1. Products extended by design to have multiple uses

In this instance, the product can be used for a different purpose with a few alterations, and it contains extended features for the second purpose.

A trouser that is designed to be worn as a hiking trouser by zipping out the bottom part is an example of this type. Another could be a trolley that is designed to be carried in hand with covered wheels when empty and extended to drag along with wheels when it contains goods.

2.  Products extended by design to provide additional features of the same functional use.

This can be the answer for consumers seeking a new look with one product. The utility of the product does not change, however, the appearance and the experience of the product change with what it converts to.

A jumper that can be turned inside out to give a new look or a blouse that provides multiple designs are some examples.

3. Products built as modular products to provide extended utilities with modules

A core product is designed first in this instance and additional utility values are provided through optional extra modules. For example, a table designed to be stationary with extra wheels to be fitted in so that it can be used as a trolley.

Design is key

Convertibles provide the opportunity to be user-centric catering to multiple use cases at once and hence avoid the production of another.

A few things that we need to establish this model is to include increased consumer awareness about their own needs and demanding aggregated products from manufacturers. Consumer forums, product feedback, and reviews are excellent platforms to communicate those desires.

Manufacturers in the meantime need to identify that their products are attractive in markets with the ability to provide a precisely user-centric product and a unique selling proposition (USP) that goes with it. Demanding premiums out of these products is an opportunity to be profitable, gaining that edge of design excellence and user-centricity, while contributing to a regenerative economy.

The post Convertibles Are the New Black! appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

The effort to minimize food waste along its value chain has become more important than ever in light of rising inflation. As the prices sore sky-high, it is important to make use of every bit and bite. Disruptions in the food supply chains and volatility of the global economy has resulted in the rapid rise of global food prices. The Agricultural Commodity Price Index rose by approximately 30% reporting the highest ever increase within a year since Jan 2020 (World Food Programme, 2021).  

And yet, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted each year amounting to roughly US$ 680 billion in industrialized countries and US$ 310 billion in developing countries. (Worldwide Food Waste, n.d.). Let’s take a closer look.  

How much is wasted and where? 

What is alarming to know is that, despite the issues around the unfulfilled demand, food supply generates a significant amount of waste prior to and at consumption. Roughly one third of the food produced for human consumption goes as waste along the supply chain (Food Loss and Food Waste, n.d.).  the studies say, where, 

• Nearly 14% of total global food production is lost from production up to (and not including) the retail level.   (Global Food Losses, 2016) 

• While, 17% of total global food production ends up as waste from households, food services and retail. (Tom Quested et al., 2021). 

Food production as well as waste treatment costs to the environment 

Food waste does not just lead to more hunger, it costs to the environment.  

There is already a significant environmental footprint associated with food when it reaches the point of consumption, as nutrients and energy has already been consumed to grow, harvest, refine and process them. Reducing food waste therefore contributes to reduce these impacts. 

On the other hand, the way that the Australian bin system operates now, organic food waste and other mixed waste are collected together. This leads to food waste getting entombed in an anerobic landfill or when it degrades,  it produces a worse environmental impact than most of the inert material, due to the rapid release of methane (Levis & Barlaz, 2011). 

Role of commercial food preparers 

The contribution to total food waste by the hospitality sector globally is nearly 12% (Dhir et al., 2020). In the US alone 93% of the food waste generated (18.3 million tons) comes from restaurants and similar food services, where more than half (52%) of this waste ends up in landfills (Wasted Food Report, 2018). 

Looking at how to address avoiding and reducing food waste in preparation in the hospitality sector, is critical, as the food wasted has travelled so far  by then and is ready for consumption. 

Sustainable food preparation goes hand in hand with sustainable food choices and these two together change the way food is demanded, prepared and consumed along the value chain associated with it. 

What can food preparers do? 

As in most great cuisines, a few little changes to the recipe and ingredients will add a whole new flavour to the meal.  Here are a few changes we can make to make our food preparation and consumption more sustainable.  

1. Know your requirement – and manage the demand

Demand monitoring and tracking and using it forecasting patterns and trends will enable planning out purchases accordingly. Forecasts based on historic sales data and future considerations such as major events and festivals will not only improve utilization but will definitely save costs. 

2. Know the food’s footprint – and make correct choices 

The inconvenient but the ultimate truth about the environmental footprint of food products come from life cycle assessments (LCA). LCA studies show the difference in food products as well as the impact on where it can be sourced from. Addressing the dilemma whether locally sourced food make a difference at all, the facts say that the impact due to selecting food that have a higher footprint is much greater than shifting to local sourcing.   

As an example, red meats like beef produce 60kg of GHG equivalent (GHG-e) per 1 kg of product, whereas for poultry meat it is 6 kg GHG-e and for fruits/vegetables it is <1 kg GHG-e.

“Shifting your choice from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally, even if you do it one day a week.” (Weber & Matthews, 2008).

             3. Know you menu – and optimize the recipe 

There are creative ways to look at conserving food, at the menu design itself, without having to alter the verity of dishes on offer. Providing value to the food parts that are typically unused with a creative menu, have seasonal menus designed to absorb excess supply of a certain type of food, offering variety in the menu by providing half-half choices to discourage consumption of certain items are some of those. Seeking out new opportunities to cross-utilize the different parts of the same ingredient on multiple menu items or designing “food sink” dishes that can absorb leftovers of the last meal, are few of the other ways.  

4. Know how packaging matters – and avoid and reduce when possible 

Single-use packaging is to be avoided at all cost despite it being made of plastic or any other material. While plastic persists in the environment for some time and have received the biggest attention as a polluting material, other materials such as paper are not better as it has a significant environmental footprint associated with production Purchasing packaging with recycled material , if these are certified as safe for use, will encourage purposeful design of packaging to include recycled products. 

However, the best packaging for the environment is the one that is not used.  

If you can encourage customers to bring their own reusable packaging and offer benefits for those that follow through such as discounts or special offers, that not only does the best for the environment, but will also entice customers to return. 

5. Know what to do with what’s left – and have plans to divert for use, recover,  or recycle 

Even with all the steps taken to reduce the food waste, some amount of food will be left over or thrown away. But, that does not mean that it needs to end up in a landfill. The options below can be pre-identified while you make plans to minimize waste.  

Food donation 

Food that was prepared but not sold can be donated to food banks and soup kitchens, and partnering with charity organization will help distribute meals to those in need.   

Onsite or Centralized Composting  

Onsite composting can be a good option if you have the adequate area and means to perform it. This will lead to reduced or negligible hauling and disposal costs for the waste produced. With an initial investment and an appropriate area requiring for this, the next best would be to divert it to a commercial facility. 

Diverting to other places such as animal farms may be an option to explore if such is available in the locality. 

Continual Improvement 

The goal to achieve zero waste is not just a vision – It is a practical reality if the commitment for continuous improvement remains. The proposition for such improvements is not purely environmental, rather it creates value for businesses. A review of 1,200 business sites across 700 companies in 17 countries found that nearly every site evaluated achieved a positive return, with half seeing a 14-fold or greater return on investment(Craig Hanson & Peter Mitchell, 2017).  

At testing times such as this, however invisible it may seem, humanity directly or indirectly competes for resources, and food is one such basic need. Being the privileged to have access to food, there is never a better time to make the best use out of what has travelled in a global value chain to feed us, so that it conserves the produce for many others.  

The post Inflation Is Rising, Why Reducing Food Waste Is More Important Than Ever appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Women’s day came and went on the 8th of March with promises of change and cracking that ambiguous glass ceiling and yet we keep wondering what visible and impactful changes will occur in our workplaces for the rest of the year.

Pondering this question, I thought it would be a good idea to share my own thoughts on a topic that we often talk about – female leadership.

There is so much attention on why women at the top of the ladder at lead corporates, politics, or other organisations are so few and far between.  In the year 2020-21 less than 20% of CEOs in Australia were women though the workforce comprises a 50-50 split between men and women (Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard | WGEA, n.d.). This is when research shows that between the ages of 25 to 34, 46% of women have obtained bachelor’s degrees while only 36% of men have done the same(Parker, 2021).​

Clearly there is glaring disparity between the workforce composition and the same for high-level positions. Does this mean that women leave the workforce early, or do they simply get stagnated in lower and mid-levels while their male counterparts rise faster and more consistently?

As a woman who has both been in a corporate and an academic career, and then started my own professional practice, I have worked with a diverse group of people both male and female. Over the years I have been lucky enough to learn some standout lessons that has helped me and inspired me to reach further than I thought, and I want to share some with you.

“The road to becoming a leader is long… it’s best to prepare a backpack.”

Here are three key elements I would add to your backpack when you get prepared to be a female leader

1. Purposeful, direction and strategy may matter more than the speed

The old saying “leaders are born not made,” has waxed and waned over the years but I cannot deny that having a strategy to guide yourself along the advancement ladder gives a competitive edge.

When I was a fresh graduate from university, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by a few corporate leaders, who shared their lessons in advancement and helped me map out a mental blueprint for my development. Through our conversations, I saw the possibilities in front of me, and one grain of wisdom was the way they thought about success and advancement.

To my surprise, they did not look at success or advancement in a career ladder taking a sequential, linear approach. They approached it like a game with an intense level of result orientation and purposeful action towards reaching a goal.

A lot of us (women) may argue that a career is not a competition and contributing to the community and enjoying what we are doing matters a lot more to us than the constant and intense pursuit of a goal. One thing we need to be aware of though is that our biological making does not help us much there. Men as hunter-gatherers were biologically made for releasing adrenaline and pursuing targets strategically, whereas women typically nurtured offspring and collectively enjoyed the community and protected the base as carer/collectors. There is beauty in both ways and cultivating and sharing a few treats among the sexes will help us reach our full potential.

When we struggle to balance life and work as carers and givers and then add advancement to this precariously balanced portfolio, we need to be aware that we are in a working environment with strategic, result-oriented counterparts who purposefully work towards advancement. We may not be able to “do it all now” or “have it all” with other demands of life but having a clear map and directions of how to get there mapped in our heads, constantly motivating ourselves and reviewing avenues and alternatives consistently to explore them would definitely help.

2. To get the trophy, you first need to join the competition…

A reason that often comes up when explaining why it takes women longer to advance in the workplace is that many do not believe they are ready. It is common to say that “Women put their hand up for advancement when they are 100% (or more) ready, whereas men do that when they are 50%.”

Some research suggests that extreme prudence, combined with humility and integrity, which leads us to downplay our own position and to communicate conservatively does not work well for our advancement and hence rises to leadership (Gourguechon, n.d.).

Whether the barrier is fear of rejection or failure or expectation of perfectionism, what I now tell myself is that “the first pre-requisite to qualifying is to enter the playground” – so submitting to leadership believing that you are enough and as many, you could figure out the rest along the way is so important.

3. You only get what you ask for

Negotiation – is not something I was comfortable with in the early parts of my career. As a loyal employee, I hated when I had to ask for something explicitly after visibly accomplishing something for the organization, and even more when I had to justify that.

On the contrary, I was truly amazed by how my husband managed a workplace negotiation when he received a competitive job offer. It was a straightforward conversation to talk about his value in the market and the cost for the organization if they lost him and ask their position about increasing his offer. Research also suggests that men are four times more likely than women to ask for a raise—and when women do ask, we typically request 30% less than men do (Women Are Still Not Asking for Pay Rises. Here’s Why, 2018).

If we take the emotion out of the conversation, it finally ends up with the fact that we have a situation, where our manager or the organization is not our opponent, but the counterpart. On one hand, we seek advancement, knowing that we are worthy of it. On the other, the organization likes to have us engaged and motivated. The situation is what we both want to be resolved amicably and gainfully.

Being explicit about what we want and reaching the table of negotiation often (directly or indirectly) and with the correct mindset is definitely an attribute that I would recommend that we put into our backpacks. Leaving the table with more information but nothing else is never a worse outcome than not arriving there at all!

Support along the way matters too.

While more workplaces need to believe in and be ready to welcome female leaders, a lot of us working women have a role to play in saturating the top layers with more of us. While the backpack may need more and more things the higher you go up, the support, rest and accommodation received along the way with an open heart definitely will encourage more and more to take the journey to leadership!

The post 3 Things That Come Handy in Our Backpacks When We (Women) Prepare for Leadership appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Most of the products we use every day are influenced by the ideas and mindset that originated from the industrial era (when resources seemed infinite, and sustainability was a mere niche). Designing to produce at the lowest cost (i.e. for products differentiating on cost) or the optimum cost (i.e. for products differentiating on quality and optimizing economies of scale opportunities) are at the heart of this industrial era design mindset. Manufacturing products with superior performance that earns a competitive edge in the market is also a similar aspect. In trying to optimize costs, aesthetic appearance, and performance, incorporating aspects that consider the environment in that era is given little thought.

The trade-offs of that model are evident. A few would be, economies of scale that need excessive resource extraction or manufacturing in regions that offer the lowest cost and shipping across the globe. Both have detrimental impacts in terms of resources and emissions respectively.

Regenerative design that aligns with circular economy has a different line of thinking. One such concept is to design for end-of-life management from the perspective that it will be converted to a different product. End of life in this instance does not necessarily have to be dismantling the product into components and recycling the components to recover the materials. The design of the primary product can be considered enough to take into account the design of the secondary product that uses the same components as the primary.

One such example is the do-it-yourself (DIY) projects of IKEA, which provides design challenges to use the components and remanufacture new products. Another example would be designing a gift wrapper to be wallpaper or a calendar, or designing an envelope to be a file cover at the end of its first useful life.

With all that said, as consumers, we have our part to play as well.

1. Question the end of life of the product at the time of purchase

We should be able to visualize what would happen to the product and how we use it during and at the end of its life. If you are buying a souvenir and branded merchandise, for example, a thorough questioning will help you understand whether it will be a dust collector at the use phase and end up as a mixed waste following spring cleaning.

2. Demand end of life information

A product design that has carefully considered the end of life and has at least provided disposal or recycling instructions is worthy of your consideration. Products that go the extra mile and encourage upcycling are even more desirable.

3. Embrace creativity

Though some products have detailed upcycle pathways, the majority of products do not. Does this mean we must throw away the products that are reaching their end of life? No. If we sprinkle in a little creatively and look at the products in a different light we can give them a new purpose and a new lease on life. For example, teapots to flowerpots or old ladders to bookshelves, and many more. The safety and practicality of the new use of the product is the only aspect needing a little extra consideration.

4. Patronise products with multiple service cycles and designed for secondary life

Buying a product makes the consumer a custodian of the resources that it constitutes. Better performance for the resources paid for comes with multiple cycles of regenerative use. Products that provide a specific material pathway that caters to two different needs of the same consumer would indeed be a prized buy.

For example, Patagonia, in one of their Black Friday Sales campaigns in 2020 had the tagline “buy less demand more.” Making a statement about the consumer’s power to ask for more things in a product rather than buying more things to fill in the needs.

Using the discretionary power of consumers and asking the manufacturers to rethink the optimum resource use through multiples cycles of regenerative products is a reality not too far away. So let’s take our first steps to achieve this goal.

If you’re interested in the other articles in this series please feel free to read my other work,

• Matching Does Not Mean Identical
• A Product Can Still Be Functional Even Though It Is Imperfect

Follow Anvarta for more of these stories and insights.

The post Purposeful Design Is the One That Thinks of the Next Life of a Product appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

We dread to have our favorite kettles, toasters, mixers, or irons broke. Not only is it hard to repair them, having to let go of something that we liked and was working perfectly fine is also not an easy thing. What comes on top of that is the extra burden to now search for a replacement, compare, evaluate and make the purchase.

Research suggests that people’s purchasing habits are such that they do not like to keep on buying or upgrading all products the same way (Cox et al., 2013). The perceived lifetimes of various products can be broken down into 3 categories,

• Up–to-date products are replaced before they are broken because the consumer perceived them to be out of date. (Eg: Clothes, mobile phones)
• Workhorse products are more in line with the functional durability of the product. (Eg: small appliances, replicable furniture)
• Investment products are perceived as ‘special’ in some way and therefore worth investing in. These are generally expensive products and/or have an emotional connection and can be unique for each consumer. (Eg: Vehicles, or the favorite cooking appliance)

When we are looking to replace these products, our behavior is influenced by a range of factors that affect each category differently (van den Berge et al., 2021). How we value a product is at the core of whether we keep using, repairing, or replacing it.

Here are some of the things to think about when deciding on the fate of such products.

Is it safe to keep on using it is it one of the key questions to ask? If a product breaks down exposing the users to a potential safety hazard, it is out of the question to keep using it. On the other hand, if it is aesthetics or a minor glitch, it makes sense to try out several other solutions. Our current problem is that the product manufacturers are not geared or equipped yet to provide us more options other than buying another brand new or discarding the product entirely (Even though the right to repair movement is gaining traction in some counties it will take some time before it becomes a mainstream practice. )

Here are some of those services in the middle that we should make ourselves ready to accept and considering that these options had been available, are we ready to settle with a less than perfect product but good enough to function on for its intended purpose.

What we can do as consumers and what should we increasingly demand from producers?

Here are some of the things we can do as consumers 

1. Cleaning

At times products are thrown away due to sheer discoloration from use. Fingerprints created with prolonged use, stains that have persisted which may require some specialized knowledge of chemicals to apply are some examples. If a cleaned product provides a renewed appearance for an otherwise functional product, that is worthy to consider.

2. Servicing

Often mechanical equipment is discarded due to their noise while operating. A bit of lubrication and mechanical parts cleaning may be all it needs.

3. Minor repairs

A kettle handle may break or a toaster would have one of the rubber cushioning pads which provides a perfectly flat landing may go missing. The product remains functional but needs additional consideration from the user.

Discarding an item such as this is only the third option, where the first option is to keep using it with additional consideration in operating the product, and the second is whether there is anything that can be done to fix/reduce the effect and use it. If we do not have the mentality of “perfection” in a product to provide us the “perfect convenience” several safe options may be uncovered.

What can manufacturers do,

1. Encourage product care and maintenance.

People only take care of products that can be maintained easily, have the means to repair, and are motivated to keep using the product without replacement. A few strategies to encourage product repair are making the maintenance process enjoyable, less technical, and providing a trigger such as a notification to remind the consumer.

2. Offer product buyback and subscription models

Manufacturers that offer products that are in the up-to-date product category such as mobile phones can offer buyback services that will provide discounts on future purchases. This creates a win-win situation where the customer is satisfied and the manufacturer retains the loyalty of the customer. Offering a product service system and access to services rather than the ownership of the product is another great way to go so that the product remains in use.

3. Provide services for major repairs

This is where the safe use of the product has been compromised or functionally it is inoperable so having it sent to the manufacturer for proper repairs might be the obvious choice. Therefore providing an easy and hassle-free process for customers to receive this service is important.

4. Provide support for minor repairs

Introducing buying options for spare parts for do-it-yourself (DIY) minor repairs and providing repair guides for such are other options, which would come as a value-added service to the product.

5. Testing and certifications

Manufacturers are still far away from refurbishing and recertifying products for reuse giving pre-loved and used products the credibility it requires to create consumer confidence.

If we shift from the “privileged ” mindset that resources are infinite and the notion of “a new product is always within hands reach as long as there is means to afford it”, a whole new set of middle-level consumption options start to appear.

A product’s operability is not always one or zero, there are many in between if we care to notice.

Follow Anvarta for more of these stories and insights.

The post A Product Can Still Be Functional Even Though It Is Imperfect appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Dinner sets, tea sets, cutlery, plates, and dishes – You may have received them as a gift or purchased them at your fancy, yet one common thing is that they needed to match, or in other words, be a complete set.

“Match” is a tricky word we usually tend to associate with similar things when it comes to sets of items available in a pack. There is often the tendency to have them in packs of 4, 6, 8, 12, or 18. The bad part about these things coming in a pack is that when one breaks, it creates a feeling of “incompleteness” with the user. Marketing research suggests that people generally prefer to buy things as a package or pack and that is often a strategy used to promote and sell more items by producers.

In one study when participants were presented with a four-pack container, pre-filled with one, two, or three bottles of beer—they overwhelmingly said that they would purchase only the extras needed to fill all four slots, no more and no less (Barasz et al., 2017). The discomfort created by incompleteness is real!

What is likely to happen when a cup of a 4-piece tea set breaks may be different from what happens when a plate of an 18-piece plate set breaks. With the first one, there is the realization that you may not be able to provide tea for a family of four anymore and that may trigger a new purchase of another complete set sooner.

But does the “matching” need to be accomplished with identical designs? Can producers produce somewhat standardized, yet can be differently matched items? Or more importantly, as consumers can we still feel “complete” if we complete a set with mismatched items?

Here are a few things that you can do as a consumer

1. Associate your preference with the item itself, not the matching set

Pick the ones that you like best, and feel free to love them. If you break one, there is no need to lose the whole set, as you still have the option to use what remains.

2. Make it a lifestyle, do not associate with affordability

You may have money to afford a new set, but the temptation you need to manage is whether you should. The happiness you associate with still having the items you liked best, even though it’s imperfect, and the benefit you do to the environment (and the pocket) by not purchasing another should outweigh the trouble of finding another matching set.

3. Declare your choice upfront to visitors and guests

How we will be perceived when serving guests with unmatching cutlery is a concern we might have? Would it be seen as a lack of preparation or respect? But, tackling it is easy – Be bold enough to tell why you do it when you lay out the table or offer tea. You may end up being an ambassador of a message of regeneration.

4. Favor the brands that provide mismatching options that go together

Brands that offer options for mismatching items to match are something to seek and favor in the long run. Sellers need to develop the capability to offer exit to consumers (such as return an earring of a lost pair and get another set) or options to mismatch. Different patterns in the same color, the option to purchase one or many, custom order a replacement at a reasonable price are a few things producers can do to help improve this trend.

5. Gain awareness of alternative sources and schemes to purchase

It is a great idea to know where the local op-shops (or recycled items stores as we call it technically) are at because they may have several mismatched options that match. Using subscription or renting for occasions is another great alternative, where you may even get the chance to find similar matching items without having to own them at all and get a chance to have mismatched sets at your discretion for day-to-day household consumption. If we think about it deeper, a match is what we define and find appealing- rather than a set of identical items. That definition and appreciation is something we all can do, whether we have similar items or not.

Follow Anvarta for more resources for brands and producers on the “Matching does not need to be identical” theme.

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