I used to get angry and preachy when my kid threw tantrums till I heard this wonderful statement from a leadership expert, “The more you tell, the less you sell.” Leadership starts with listening. In face of a conflict, reacting is our natural instinct. We want to tell/justify immediately without an attempt to completely understand […]
2012 was a fantastic year. Lot of writing, a few speaking engagements, many inspiring conversations some recognitions made this year a memorable one. This year, I contributed a 23 page chapter in “The ASTD Management Development Handbook” published by American Society for Training and Development. 2012 also bought me the recognition amongst “Top 20 Indian […]
This is the third consecutive year when I am hosting the Annual Management Improvement Carnival organized by John Hunter. Hosting this carnival is an opportunity for me to thank a few generous folks who extended significant learning and influenced me through their writing. This year, I review three blogs that I have loved reading. Seth […]
I once read a story of a boy who found a bag full of dried clay balls when he was playing in the field. Not sure about what to do with them, he started throwing them in the pond to enjoy the ripples. Just then, he dropped one of the balls and saw a glittering […]
I recently heard someone saying, “Project management is just science.” “Do I agree?” I asked myself. Here is what I think: Project management is both science and art, but it is the art of project management that makes great project managers. It is science because there are essential processes and elements that make up project […]
Seeing someone turning a mundane activity into art is always very gratifying. Meet Dr. Soda. He sells flavored soda on the roadside. He loves his work and calls himself a “Ph.D. in Soda”. For him, making soda is the medium to entertain people. He juggles soda bottles, makes a soda blindfold, speaks three languages, entertains […]
W. Edwards Deming, the pioneer and guru in quality revolution wrote the following paragraph when commenting on Peter Senge’s book “The Fifth Discipline” and it instantly struck the chord. Our prevailing system of management has destroyed our people. People are born with intrinsic motivation, self-respect, dignity, curiosity to learn, joy in learning. The forces of […]
In an organization, work flows horizontally but organizations are structured vertically in hierarchies. With seniority and promotions up the order, a person tends to drift away from the place where real business value is created; the place where real action happens; where problems are clearly visible. They end up expecting results without caring about the […]