17 -18 Jan 2023 – the 12 hours spent in Terminal 2 Mumbai – will remain etched in my memory. 28 ABGites were set to fly to Colombo for annual Planning and Budgeting meeting. Weeks of thinking, brainstorming, and planning were about to culminate into even richer conversations and final plans for FY’24. The excitement … Continue reading The 12 hours in Terminal 2
Tag: #leadership
Question with disclaimers
Few days back, a colleague walked over and said, “this might be a silly question, but I want to ask if……….?” Why do we tend to add a disclaimer before asking a question: a simple question or unnecessary or trivial question or even complex question. Contrast this with how children ask questions; uninhibited and straight … Continue reading Question with disclaimers
What commands respect – you or your position?
We all want to be respected and valued! It’s an inherent desire of most human beings. I still remember the day I became a team lead, a manager for the first time. I was elated and rushed to share the good news with my father. He was already gravely ill but was fully conscious and … Continue reading What commands respect – you or your position?
Iceberg of Trust
Trust – be it for products, organizations, government, or people – is soft; yet it’s presence or absence can be distinctly felt…. When we trust an organization, we buy more product or services from it and recommend it to others. When we trust something or someone, we tend to engage and bond more with them. … Continue reading Iceberg of Trust
When work becomes boring
You take up a new area of work; you are excited about the challenges, opportunities, and the learning. You work on it and over time you learn the ropes. What happens after few weeks or months, depending on the nature of the work? Does the same work which excited you a short while back begins … Continue reading When work becomes boring
Micro hierarchy
An incident from yesteryears remains etched in my memory. It was late in the evening; I was on a call. My son, who was barely 7-8 years at that time, needed something urgently from me. But he patiently waited for the call to finish. He said, “I knew you were speaking to your boss, so … Continue reading Micro hierarchy
Mistakes: A Threat or An Opportunity?
Effectiveness and sustained performance of a team pivots on one critical element. The way mistakes are dealt with in the team. Say, you are working on a critical project, and you make a mistake. Or you sense a potential problem that might negatively impact the project. Three critical questions: Will you share it with the … Continue reading Mistakes: A Threat or An Opportunity?
Learning to Learn 
Internet has truly democratized information. In today’s world of information overload, what differentiates individuals, teams and organizations is the ability to learn, the willingness to learn to learn. Four interconnected aspects that make a difference are: • Am I CURIOUS to understand things that I don’t know, or never knew existed? • Do I OBSERVE others in action, be leaders or co-workers (or even children, family, friends)? • How do I APPLY it to my context –what works, doesn’t work, why so? • Do I have the courage to engage in honest SELF-REFLECTION?