Smile. It is a universal language of compassion, care and love. Greet people by their names. Share positive feedback about the work they are doing. Ask them about their advice on a critical problem. Listen with an intent to understand. Learn about them, their work, their process and their challenges. Help them in getting […]
A cat that lived in monastery distracted evening meditation of the monks. One day, teacher ordered that cat be tied up daily during the evening meditation. Years later, when teacher died, the cat was still being tied up in the evening. When the cat died, another cat was bought and tied up to maintain […]
“The tools of the mind become burdens when the environment which made them necessary no longer exists.” – Henry Bergson When solving problems, we love standard solutions and tools. What worked for us in the past becomes our tool to solve problems in the future. A psychologist named Raymond Cattell termed this as “crystallized intelligence” […]
A Rabbi used to tell a story of his tour to the heavens. He first went to the Hell and it was horrible. Tables were laden with sumptuous food yet people looked pale and hungry. Their arms were strapped with wooden planks such they could not bend their hands to put food in their own […]
Last week, I was invited to speak as a panelist at Agile Carnival, Chandigarh where I expressed my thoughts on Agile as a method and as a mindset. Agility in our approaches is one of the most potent ways to deal with the challenges of a constantly changing world. Here is the summary of a […]
Gallup finds that great managers have the following talents: They motivate every single employee to take action and engage employees with a compelling mission and vision. They have the assertiveness to drive outcomes and the ability to overcome adversity and resistance. They create a culture of clear accountability. They build relationships that create trust, open […]
I remember being inspired by a Maths teacher who once told me, “If you start loving the mental stimulation and excitement you get when solving a problem, mathematics is easy.” He did not try to inspire me by the grades I must achieve, but by something more deeper. That did not change the fact that […]
When it comes to decision making, there are two extremes. First one is analysis paralysis. Large organizations, multiple layers of management and risk averse culture breeds over analysis of facts, data and information before making a decision. Too much analysis paralyzes progress. Even when progress is made, it is often reactive and slow. Analysis paralysis […]
Progress is a powerful motivator. When individuals and teams achieve small wins, they have a big impact on the overall motivation. It also generates positive momentum and energy to take further steps in the journey of achieving the purpose. Authors Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer presented their research findings in a book titled “The Progress […]