Day-to-day work can sometimes feel boring, but we need to adjust the lens we use to see our work and focus on ‘purpose of the work.’ Two workers were toiling outside of a huge new structure. The first one was exhausted, disengaged and uninspired. “What are you working on?” asked a passerby. “Cutting some stones!” […]
Mark had joined this new company only a few months back, but he felt frustrated. He looked at problems from a very different point-of-view than his boss resulting in strong debates over solutions. One fine morning, Mark put up his resignation. “Why?” asked the boss. “Because my thought process is very different than yours”, replied […]
In manufacturing, “touch-time” is when the raw material actually touches the machinery and moves one level up in the production cycle. In a factory, more capacity to produce does not yield results if “touch-time” is low. In lean methodology, it is also referred to as “processing time”. As a professional, you have required skills and […]
When we encounter a change, we first perceive ourselves in a changed situation. So, our perception of the changed situation actually precedes the actual change and shapes our response. In the same context, I read two quotes by Luc de Brabandere. The first quote comes from Forbes India article by NS Ramnath about N. R. […]
Last week, Chip R. Bell and Marshall Goldsmith released the revised edition of their classic book “Managers as Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning”. This week, they open up in a free-flow conversation with QAspire on the art of effective mentoring. In my view, this interview is almost a definitive guide to become a great mentor! […]
For thousands of years in India, there prevailed a tradition of “Guru-Shishya” – mentor and protégé in other words. In this relationship, which was a primary form of education then, powerful and subtle knowledge was conveyed to protégé on a one-on-one basis in an environment of complete trust, dedication and intimacy. As realization grew, the […]
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other […]
Being into quality and organizational improvement, I have always worked with cross-functional groups. By definition, a cross-functional team is the one where members from different functional areas work towards a common goal. A few years back, I got an assignment to lead a cross-functional team (xFT) and it was a great learning experience. Our goal […]
Bill Watterson, creator of comic series Calvin and Hobbes, gave an inspiring commencement speech at Kenyon College in May 1990 and it made for a very interesting read. Here is an excerpt from this thought-provoking speech: Selling out is usually more a matter of buying in. Sell out, and you’re really buying into someone else’s […]