I love art – sketching, drawing or painting. I don’t spend enough time practising, but when I get a moment to relax, I retrieve the pad, eraser, pencil and the watercolours. I find a quiet spot, shake off the accumulated stress from the week’s events and begin planning the next piece. On a particular Sunday…
I have a whistle that has four notes, obtained in Chattanooga in the United States of America. There is nothing particularly special about these four different notes and they are almost weak sounding, even when you blow on them individually with some force. When you blow them together, however, they produce the sound of the…
In terms of decision-making, teams are smarter than individuals, but only when they live the qualities of emotional intelligence. All members contribute to the overall level of emotional intelligence, but the leader holds unique sway in this regard. Emotions are contagious, and it is natural for individuals to pay extra attention to the leader’s feelings…
“The power to question is the basis of all human progress” (Indira Gandhi – Indian Prime Minister) One of the most challenging skills for all managers is to ask the right questions of employees. Frequently, conversations with employees end up as being vague, directionless, or meaningless. True growth, particularly in performance, comes from structured conversations…
“You could foster happiness and add to our joy – or sow hurt and discord. It’s a choice that you make each day, each hour, and with each thought” (Cathy Marie Hake) When employees feel that they can contribute meaningfully, when they feel valued and thus feel good about themselves, they work at their best….
“Average managers play checkers; great managers play chess” (Harvard Business Review) I understand the intent behind the saying, “treat everyone the same”, a slogan which is often aimed at managers – meaning “don’t discriminate and don’t have favourites”. The saying, however, doesn’t seem to take into account people’s uniqueness and giftedness. While I strongly believe…
“When the music changes, so must the dance” One of the many changes that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has initiated for knowledge workers is the ability to adapt effectively to the new rhythm of remote work. As the trend towards remote work grows, however, so does the need for effective virtual leadership. To grow the…
We need to be aware as a manager, having adopted and implemented a 21st Century approach of truly engaging our employees with authenticity and care, that there might be one or two employees who pull the ring out of things and attempt to get as much out of the manager as possible. These specific employees,…
There are a number of skills, in the eyes of many employees, which make a manager “good” – ability to articulate concepts well, knowledge of the industry, story-telling skills, humour, presence, listening ability, etc. All these skills are important indeed and work together to create a great employee experience. They probably also engender a sense…
