I was traveling in a remote part of India couple of months back. We went for dinner to a small inexpensive restaurant. It served good local food, albeit with no frills that we get so used to in good restaurants in cities. A family seated next to our table was celebrating their son’s birthday. The … Continue reading Ignoring small pleasures in life? It’s time we start savoring them…
Cost of Freedom – A Short Story
I remember fleeting glimpses of the house in which I was born. I remember a large courtyard with big trees. I would suckle milk from my mother along with my brother and sister. During night, I would cuddle into her tummy for warmth. On colder nights, a big man would cover all of us with … Continue reading Cost of Freedom – A Short Story
The Dangers of Generalization
Generalization is fairly common in our lives. It happens at multiple levels – country, state, race creed and even at individual level (based on life style, style of dressing, age etc.). There are reasons for generalization. Needless to say, some generalization helps us, especially in terms of getting a broad understanding of a culture or … Continue reading The Dangers of Generalization
Facing difficult times? Look at the long-term and take holistic view
Few months back, I spent several hours counseling a junior colleague. She was disturbed that her salary was far lower than others in similar roles, with similar experience and qualification. She felt that despite being the most hard-working member in the team, she was not getting due recognition. And her promotion was delayed. She was … Continue reading Facing difficult times? Look at the long-term and take holistic view
Scarcity: the Fountain of Creativity
The other day I came across some beautiful paintings done by an artist with no arms. He uses his feet and mouth to paint. He lost both his arms in an accident when he was still a child. But, this did not deter him from painting, something that he always wanted to do. He has … Continue reading Scarcity: the Fountain of Creativity
Manage Agreement: Don’t let it become a Dysfunction
Leaders often find themselves managing conflict. And focus their efforts on resolving conflicts and helping teams work towards common goal. Can we consider agreement – the opposite of conflict – a boon? Is it good for teams? Will an agreement bring a team closer to success? Not necessarily; inability to manage agreement can also be … Continue reading Manage Agreement: Don’t let it become a Dysfunction
Life lessons learnt from my father
Today is my father’s sixteenth death anniversary. Being the eldest daughter, I have always been very close to him. He was my first teacher. He taught me my first alphabets, my first Sanskrit and Telugu Shloka*, my first English rhyme… the firsts are so many; the list can simply go on and on. More important … Continue reading Life lessons learnt from my father
Leading a team? Be aware of your mood; it could dim your team’s performance!
Annie walked into the CXO floor with a concerned look on her face. She had received a cryptic message from her boss asking her to meet right away. Before walking into his room, Annie couldn’t resist asking the secretary, “how’s boss’ mood today?” The secretary wasn’t surprised by her question, he responded with an understanding … Continue reading Leading a team? Be aware of your mood; it could dim your team’s performance!
Engage in difficult conversations; ones that are needed and matter the most
We often come across situations that we find challenging to engage in. Consider few scenarios: Scenario 1. A senior executive is behaving in a dysfunctional way; his behavior is negatively impacting several people. But the business head procrastinates having the difficult conversation with him. Scenario 2. A business leader strongly feels that a delivery head … Continue reading Engage in difficult conversations; ones that are needed and matter the most
When not to delegate?
Delegation is one of the first few skills taught to professionals once they transition into managerial roles. It is considered to be one of the good management practices; helping leaders get more work done and also enabling development of team members. However, we have all witnessed situations where improper delegation by the leader ended up … Continue reading When not to delegate?
Perspectives 