War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy spans over 1200 pages. While I loved other works of Tolstoy, and wanted to read this masterpiece, the sheer size of the novel seemed daunting. That’s when a friend suggested, “why not read 10 pages every day, you will finish it in 4 months.” Embracing this approach, I began … Continue reading How MEMEs can help achieve big goals?
Courage to stand up for what’s right
~ 50% respondents said that they least experience this form of courage. (Recent LinkedIn Poll conducted by me) I was not surprised by the results…. We lack the courage to stand up for what we believe in. Couple of examples: #1: I knew that a colleague (senior to me in hierarchy) was ill-treating her team … Continue reading Courage to stand up for what’s right
The Six Faces of Micromanagement
I once worked with a manager who expected me to report progress thrice a day. And send a detailed report end of the day. I wasn’t a rookie; I had 15 + years’ experience and was managing a team. Here’s are the 6 faces of micromanagement: Seek frequent updates: either you send the updates or … Continue reading The Six Faces of Micromanagement
Overwhelmed at work?
Ever found yourself buried under a mountain of tasks with deadlines looming ominously? Times like this lead to confusion and frustration where you don't know where to begin or end. I have been in such situations many a times. Here’s a simple method that has helped me whenever I felt overwhelmed with work. Step 1: … Continue reading Overwhelmed at work?
When you dread Mondays….
You had a lovely weekend that wrapped up with brunch with friends. It's Sunday evening; as you start preparing for the week ahead, a sense of dread begins to settle in. Bad days at work are inevitable. We all have those moments of frustration when the thought of going to work feels overwhelming. But if … Continue reading When you dread Mondays….
Not my problem
Is your employee focusing on solving the problems that directly impact his or her workflow, and ignoring all others? Such a person is labeled as siloed or self-centered. However, it is worth considering the possible reasons from the employee’s perspective. What if the person is - Overwhelmed with sheer volume of challenges and hence forced … Continue reading Not my problem
Productivity Puzzle: Employees vs Leaders
“87% employees say they are productive, 12 % leaders are confident their teams are productive.” Microsoft 2023 Work Trend survey.What could be the source of this glaring productivity perception gap?Imagine this situation: Sonia, a marketing executive, spends her days meticulously crafting campaigns, attending meetings, and engaging with clients. To her, every task completed is a victory—a … Continue reading Productivity Puzzle: Employees vs Leaders
Flock with birds of different feathers
Research indicates that we naturally tend to move towards similarity. Thus, it's easy to build relationships with people just like as. They help create a social world where we get to work with people who understand us, trust us and cooperate to meet our goals.However, we grow only by doing diverse things and building on different … Continue reading Flock with birds of different feathers
Kill the hierarchy – flip the script
“I will check with my superior and let you know”, said Sid. By superior, he meant his manager.At times, team members are also referred to as ‘subordinates’Aren’t these words – superior and subordinate – undermining equality; laced with assumption that manager is inherently better than the employee.Does being higher up in hierarchy necessarily make someone … Continue reading Kill the hierarchy – flip the script
Demystifying Culture
Couple of weeks back, I interviewed a candidate. He spoke about his experience on developing a learning culture. I asked him, “What is culture?”He said, “it’s the behaviours and decisions made leaders and employees”What more?“It’s the physical layout, structure, even the system.”OK, anything else? He thought and finally said, “belief that learning is important.”He made … Continue reading Demystifying Culture
Perspectives 