It’s Thursday evening. You finally have one free hour. No meetings, no looming deadlines, no chores to close or planned catchups. You tell yourself — I will just sit quietly and relax. But an hour later, you don’t feel refreshed. Not even close. You feel oddly restless — as if your mind never really took … Continue reading Where did the hour go?
Stages of Learning
I still remember my first few months of making formal presentations. I cluttered my sentences with hmms, cleared my throat every few minutes, and stood with my arms locked across my chest. I had no idea I was doing any of it. That’s the first stage of learning: unconscious incompetence. You don’t know what you … Continue reading Stages of Learning
Slip of a thumb
I remember this project from years ago. One task on the critical path was delayed. I got anxious and kept following up with the team member responsible. My phone buzzed, a WhatsApp message from this team member popped. It said, “I am so bugged with Padma. She is just driving me nuts with her follow-ups. … Continue reading Slip of a thumb
The art of war
Your manager gives feedback “You need to be more assertive in meetings,” You know you spoke up plenty. The feedback feels unfair and you want to defend yourself. You have two options: Option 1: Dig your heels in.You argue your case, explain why the feedback doesn’t make sense, and walk out feeling like you “won.” … Continue reading The art of war
Verfreude
I feel really happy as I plan my vacation: the searching, making bookings, or even just marking the dates on calendar. At times, the build-up feels even better than the trip itself. For a while I wondered if I was the only one… turns out, I am not. The Germans even have a word for … Continue reading Verfreude
What is your Relational Energy
We have all experienced it, at times without having the words to describe it.👁️🗨️ Experience 1: You present an idea to your manager. He listens, encourages you, and adds thoughtful suggestions. You walk out motivated and ready to do more.👁️🗨️ Experience 2: In a cross functional team meeting, you suggest an idea. Several members in … Continue reading What is your Relational Energy
MUM Effect
We see ourselves as honest communicators. In a poll I conducted last, 97% said that they will pass on a negative news. However, experiments and real life scenarios indicate the opposite. When it comes to delivering bad news—whether telling a colleague their presentation flopped, warning a friend about a mistake they made, or informing a … Continue reading MUM Effect
When your emotional battery runs low…
Have you ever experienced this: Situation 1: You have spent few hours handling a difficult customer. You kept your cool, stayed polite, and reassured her through every complaint. By the time you log off, you’re so drained you can’t muster energy to answer a simple text from a friend. Situation 2: Your manager is stressed, … Continue reading When your emotional battery runs low…
Spot-light effect
Do you ever walk into a meeting and instantly feel like all eyes are on you? You mispronounce a word, lose your train of thought, or someone disapproves your idea — and suddenly you imagine a panel of silent judges. Psychologists call this the Spotlight Effect — the tendency to think people are paying way … Continue reading Spot-light effect
Boomerasking
"Ever had someone ask you a question… only to hijack the answer?" That’s boomerasking — when curiosity is just camouflage for self-promotion. Last evening, an ex-colleague called me out of the blue. We hadn’t spoken in 5 years, so I was pleasantly surprised. He asked, “What’s your son doing? How is he settling in the … Continue reading Boomerasking
Perspectives 