Few weeks back, our team met for an informal catch up. With the Mumbai rains lashing on the glass windows, our conversation drifted to comfort food. We all described what we loved and intuitively go for in such weather – varying from hot Maggi to vegetable khichdi…. The word ‘comfort’ stayed with me that evening. … Continue reading Our comfort with discomfort
Enjoyable Performance Conversations
Can you think of times when you enjoyed a performance conversation? As a manager or an employee? I am not kidding… performance conversations need not be laden with anxiety or fear. It is possible to have an enjoyable performance discussion, all that’s needed is authenticity from both sides. Three aspects that underpinned every time I … Continue reading Enjoyable Performance Conversations
Feeling Relevant?
Few weeks back, I called my uncle; it was his 75th birthday. After a bit of chit chat, he said, “All considering, I am OK. Anyways, how does it matter to anyone anymore.” His comment tugged at my heartstrings. He was asking “does my existence make a difference? To whom – Family? Friends? Community?” Simply … Continue reading Feeling Relevant?
The masks we wear
Few weeks back, I interviewed a candidate. I asked him to narrate a situation where he faced a major failure. He shared an experience, but in a way that only accentuated his strengths. His response reminded me of the interviewing skills training that I went through in my early career: “make sure your weaknesses also … Continue reading The masks we wear
Zoom-out or zoom-in?
As leaders climb up the ladder and take on higher responsibilities and start to deal with complex assignments, what is more critical: ability to zoom-out or zoom-in? Zooming out is about looking at something from 30,000 feet. When we look at things from such height, we see the whole picture easily see the connection between … Continue reading Zoom-out or zoom-in?
Framing Bias in Action
Many of us would remember the young girl-old woman illusion. The experiment was done with two groups. The first group was shared a story about a young girl, and the second group listened to the narrative of an old woman. When the same picture was projected on the screen, members in the first group saw … Continue reading Framing Bias in Action
Future-proof Capabilities
Couple of weeks back, I had a lunch date with my ex-colleague’s daughter. Post her masters, she was working with a mid-sized organization. She was enjoying her work and doing very well. Full of energy and ambition, she asked, “aunty, what skills should I pick up - ones that will help me through my career? … Continue reading Future-proof Capabilities
Attention to Details
Several years ago, I worked with a #leader who was passionate about attention to details. Go to him with a document that has few typos, or inconsistent font, bullets, words, data and he will push the document back to you with a smile and say, “I am sorry, I can’t go through this note. It’s … Continue reading Attention to Details
Judgemental – A Natural Wiring?
Being non-judgemental is the foundation of many organization culture elements: inclusion, collaboration and empathy to name a few. It’s about accepting people for who they are, understanding their perspective, respecting their views and opinions I have been on this learning path for some time now. I was proud of the progress I made; I thought … Continue reading Judgemental – A Natural Wiring?
Banana Times @Work
I usually tell people, “give me a good book, a cosy couch in a corner and leave me alone!” That’s me… a typical introvert’s way of life. Yet, during COVID times what I most missed was just walking over to my colleagues’ office, chatting with them for few minutes before heading back to my desk. … Continue reading Banana Times @Work
Perspectives 