Great Story: A Manager’s Function
April 17th, 2013 // 5:48 am @ Tanmay // No Comments
I recently re-read a fantastic book “Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams” by Tom Demarco and Timothy Lister. The book is filled with hard-won wisdom about executing projects and managing people for highest productivity. Here is a real-life story from the book that underlines importance of the “human aspect” of our work; especially creative work that [...]
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In 100 Words: Bitter or Better?
November 19th, 2012 // 5:55 am @ Tanmay // One Comment
Nick Vujicic is a hero. He was born with no arms and no legs! After struggling initially as a depressed kid who contemplated suicide, he was transformed when his mother showed him an inspiring article about a man who was also dealing with a [...]
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Review: The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
July 10th, 2012 // 6:48 am @ // No Comments
Through his new book titled “The $100 Startup – Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love And Work Better to Live More”, Chris Guillebeau shares amazingly inspiring stories of people who transformed their ideas and skills into viable businesses. Some people start on their own because of situations and others start based on their internal [...]
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Leadership, Self-Awareness and A Story
April 16th, 2012 // 6:51 am @ // 2 Comments
Last week, I delivered a talk at a leading b-school and interacted with final year MBA students who are now ready for their first jobs. Their faces radiated hope and aspiration. To me, they seemed like caterpillars who are changing into butterflies, ready to break the cocoon of academics and enter into the world of [...]
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Lifelong Learning: Lesson From A Cab Driver
April 3rd, 2012 // 5:53 am @ // 11 Comments
There was a sparkle in that cab driver’s eyes. A slim, young and enthusiastic fellow who drove me from airport to home while returning from a business travel. His greeting was cheerful and conduct, professional. As the wheels started moving, he initiated a conversation with me about economy, the state of jobs and why he [...]
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Great Story: Improvement and Tending the Garden
March 20th, 2012 // 6:57 am @ // 4 Comments
Improvement is not a product. It is process. On the journey to improve constantly, you can never announce that you have arrived because there isn’t a destination. If you get certified against an external standard, that is a milestone which can provide a framework to improve further. Organizations often fall in trap of thinking about [...]
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Enjoy the Process – 2
March 6th, 2012 // 6:40 am @ // One Comment
In 2010, I wrote a post titled “Enjoy the Process”. The central idea of the post was: “My point is – if we constantly keep our goal in perspective (and get overwhelmed by it), we become less efficient. Anxiousness (and sometimes fear) kills creativity. We rush through the process to see if our efforts are [...]
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A Steve Jobs Story on Simplicity and Focus
November 10th, 2011 // 6:07 am @ Tanmay // 6 Comments
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is on my reading list and I was curious to have some initial reviews about the book. Matthew E. May recently reviewed the book on his blog. In a post titled “The Zen Master of Subtraction: Steve Jobs”, Matt shares some very interesting stories/snippets about how Steve Jobs generated extreme [...]
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Leadership: Not Rank But Results!
March 17th, 2011 // 6:14 am @ Tanmay // No Comments
In organizations, I have seen people who are “designated” as leaders. I have seen many such designated leaders, who raised their game to meet the expectations that come along with leadership. They make an effort to learn about leadership, read books, blogs and consciously put those lessons in action. On the other hand, I have [...]
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Employee Engagement: A Story and a Few Resources
March 3rd, 2011 // 6:30 am @ Tanmay // 10 Comments
People deliver their best work when they are fully engaged with the purpose of their work. In an organizational setting, people only deliver their best when they are engaged with the purpose, vision and values of the organization they work with. They look at their work as a part of a larger whole – and [...]
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