Last week I conducted a poll: your team member bursts into your room visibly shaken. “I need to talk,” she says, holding back tears. What will you do? 76% respondents said they will listen to her attentively. 24% said they would offer solutions or advice based on their experience. Well… here's the twist from real life. While many know … Continue reading Fixing vs Listening
Category: Musings
Self-interest & Shared-interest
“One Glass Won’t Hurt… or Will It?” Once upon a time, a king wanted to understand how deeply his citizens cared for others—not just in words, but in action. He came up with a plan. He placed a massive cauldron in the courtyard and made an appeal: “Each of you bring a single glass of … Continue reading Self-interest & Shared-interest
Different people. Different choices. Different outcomes.
What you do after work can change your life…Let me share three real stories. Different people. Different choices. Different outcomes⭕ Ravi works with a MNC. Tired, he comes home after work and heads straight to the couch. He watches TV, scrolls through social media, eats dinner, and tells himself he’s too tired to do anything … Continue reading Different people. Different choices. Different outcomes.
Curiosity and open-mindedness
Guess what was the first use of a telescope? Not laboratory, but as a toy for children! In 1607, Hans Lippherhey, a Dutch spectacle maker put two lenses inside a cardboard tube. This simple gadget made faraway things look closer. It quickly hit fairs across Europe. Children loved playing with it. Couple of years later, … Continue reading Curiosity and open-mindedness
Can too much discipline break a habit?
Professor Katy Milkman from Wharton conducted a large scale field experiment in 2017-18 in collaboration with 24 Hour Fitness, a gym chain in the US. It involved over 2500 participants across multiple locations. The experiment focused on the question: Strict schedules or flexible routines: What builds lasting habits? 🔬 Participants were randomized into two groups, … Continue reading Can too much discipline break a habit?
Monday Morning Meeting
Do you like Monday morning meetings?I do as a manager! For me, it is a good way to kick-start the week: take a quick progress update and discuss priorities for the week.I shifted away from Monday morning meetings, when I got feedback from a team member few years back. She said, “Padma, let’s plan our … Continue reading Monday Morning Meeting
Just joined the corporate world?
Have you just entered the corporate world?Or in the first few years of your career?The excitement is palpable: new experiences, new people, and a lot to learn.However, it can also feel overwhelming. How do you make the right impression? How do you build strong relationships with your manager, seniors, or even peers? How to share … Continue reading Just joined the corporate world?
The dragonfly moment
It was a warm, sun drenched winter afternoon. The garden outside was bursting with colour. I curled up near the bay window with a book in my hand.Soon, a buzzing sound broke my focus. A dragonfly was trapped inside the room. It was desperately trying to escape through the glass window. It flew toward the … Continue reading The dragonfly moment
Can we overcome this menace?
I was in Lonavla last weekend, a perfect monsoon escape — misty hills, rain showers dancing in and out. We sat at a cozy restaurant for lunch.Few tables away, a young couple were trying to pacify their restless 2-year-old. The child refused food and was crying. After sometime, I realized the child has gone quiet.He … Continue reading Can we overcome this menace?
Fear…
A couple of months ago, I asked my 80-year-old mother to join me for a short walk inside our condo complex. Just a few steps outside. She refused.She said, "What if I fall? What if it leads to complex health issues?"She stays indoors, not because she can’t step out, but because she fears what might … Continue reading Fear…
Perspectives 