Serendipity and Learning

Scott Galloways point that " Follow your passion" is bad advice somewhat resonated with me and I set thinking about it. I agree with him broadly. It took me a long time to realise what is my passion. And I realised that my passion is a stack - and has a couple of things at the core.  For one, I had to do something that was difficult for me - speaking in public in front of people and training them. It was through a fairly complex route that I reached here. This was neither natural not did I have a flair for it - it was pure effort and practice of getting better at it. It was also a derivative of something else - since I am not a natural speaker nor an extrovert.  The starting point was the design element of the training which I enjoy the most.  I remember from school times - I would read Brand Equity - the Economic Times supplement on advertising. And the creative side of advertising attracted me. But marketing was not something I was sure I enjoyed, so that fell by the waysi

Here is a list of books I enjoyed in this year. Most of the books I liked are here. I generally read non-fiction and do a lot of reading in the course of my work - in fact it is one component where my work and my passion intersects. I read fiction when it is recommended by a few people on whom I rely. So, a shortish list of the books I read in 2020. Note to myself (need to do a better job of tracking this list) To start with, Loonshots is a fantastic read on what it takes to create something truly innovative.  From the Beginning of Time - is a brilliant attempt to decode ancient Indian stories (Puranas) and map them to current day science. The Great Mental Models and Superthinking - something I read when I had to speed up my knowledge on mental models.  On Writing well - a book on writing that lives up to its promise.  Creative Selection - a fantastic book on designing a product/s.  Banaras - the city of Light - a book that makes me want to go back to Varanasi sometime! Unusual Billion

 Caveat: I tend to suffer from a bit of narrative fallacy .  As I read Upstream, I couldn't help but think how Learning and Development in any organization has to reinvent itself more and more as an Upstream process than a Downstream process.  It is something most LnD professionals know - that LnD has to be proactive, not reactive or that LnD must solve problems before they appear. But alongwith however, one question LnD often ends up discussing is about the metrics and there never seems to be any agreement on what metrics LnD should deploy since most of the metrics being looked at "reactive". Reactive metrics cannot work on Proactive work.  Upstream has many business, social, consumer and other examples of upstream thinking. As someone who is deeply passionate about the LnD process, I felt this is a must read for all of us to understand how to see the Org. And perhaps more importantly enable our stakeholders to embrace the Upstream view of LnD as well.  Would love to hea

 A few years back a recipe site would be like this: Google recipe --> Click --> Find recipe Now, it is like this: Google recipe -->Click-->Irrelevant story of the recipe -->Irrelevant picture ---> Still more irrelevant stories about the recipe --> Please check out my other recipes-->Useless version of recipe ---> Some more random pictures or ads --> and after what seems like 17 scroll downs is the recipe hidden away in the footer.  Obviously scroll through links pay in ads or page views I guess. Last week I went to the bank for a minor service issue. One of the "customer service" persons helpfully walks up, hears my problem so empathetically I actually make the mistake of thinking it is solved - and then helpfully says, "Sir, close the account and open another one" And after waiting for ages - when nobody could care about - suddenly on realising I was there for something more than a service issue - a swarm of people became interested in

 Like Cinema, Sports and possibly Restaurants,  the Learning industry thrived in getting people together under one roof. I say, was with intent.  A few years ago, 2 day and 3 day training were the norm. Over the years, it had shortened to a day or half a day. Or a somewhere in between - 6 hours. This was pre-Covid. What will learning look like in a post Covid world?  For one, all of us, virtual workshop naysayers have moved to virtual.  ( Read here ) 1. The duration of training is a maximum of 4 hours. Though I did attend a fantastic 4 day workshop ( details here ). But of late, much of the work I have done is for under 4 hours, often 2 hours. So, 8 hour workshops are dead forever.  2. More importantly, while we have started using tools like Mentimeter - the interface of these tools is still clunky - so expecting that to improve.  3. I also feel simulation led learning will be a game changer in these times. Because simulations accelerate the learning process, speed up learning and give

 A 4 day workshop in these days? Are you crazy? Sitting in front of a screen for 4 days?  Yes. And the fantastic team from Reflexive Lenses pulled it off. And I learnt a lot.  1. The sessions were tightly managed. Started on the dot, finished on the dot. (This is something I have come to love about virtual trainings. Almost every workshop has started and ended on time.) 2. There were many experts. Since this was a deep dive expertise was needed - and the team had an expert assigned to every virtual room. This was very useful - gave us the comfort of small group interaction, allowed us to dive deep and also allowed for expert interaction. This was very well thought I felt.  3. The break out room is a scream. The way it counts down and drags you into the main sessions is incredible. Usually as a facilitator when you get the team to work on activities, it is a struggle to get them to complete and come back to the main discussion. This was superb. 4. Almost all activities were in break out

 Yes, I can make tea. Not the la-di-dah English variety or the dipped in tea bag variety, but the thing Indians call as tea. It is what you get by the roadside - sometimes - not the roadside brown  kheer that is passed off as chai. But in most places in India (and Nepal), you will get well brewed, with milk, sugar, ginger or cardamom or an assortment of spices that is known as chai masala that is a satisfying brew morning, noon or evening. It all started with trying to go on a fast. And then, the one coffee that I had in the morning (a small cup, again - the filter coffee that is so dear to us) - if I did not have the coffee, I would get a headache. Tea does no such thing, so we tried to switch to tea.  And I wanted to get the perfect cuppa chai.  It started with unconscious incompetence - I had no idea how to make chai.  And so I tried. And moved to conscious incompetence. All my attempts to make tea will pathetic. Too much water. Too little chai. Too much water. Too much sugar. Wher

 I am one of those people who looks at a restaurant menu and asks - what is the most different item on this list. I am vegetarian and within those limits, I always make it a point to explore something different.  And I have been rewarded with delightful experiences across the country. Whether it is in a little shack in Gokarna or a restaurant in Panaji or a small Maharashtrian outlet in Parel, Mumbai. To me, this is a great way to get the mind used to stepping out of familiar zones. And that is an important aspect of divergent thinking. Cut to lockdown and I tried various dishes from across the country thanks to chefs on instagram. For each of these dishes, I had to source things that are not normally seen in our kitchen. Panchphoran, Cinnamon, Kalonji, Mustard oil - to name a few. And thus Big Basket is an outlet for building divergent thinking muscle.  I learnt that there are different types of raisins, many herbal juices (positively abhorrent by way of taste, but with health benefit

 The gennexts have taken to reading Tintin. And suddenly there was a doubt.  What is a barnacle ? Or what is a bashi bazhouk ? Or why Thundering Typhoons? And led me to this...

 As schools have gone online, after the initial hiccups it has somewhat started working well. Not perfect, but well. And around now has come the first hurdle. Exams.  How to tackle exams in a covid scenario. I am only referring to school internal exams - not competitive ones like JEE entrance or anything of that sort.  Like everything else, the default approach to a new situation is to force fit everything we learnt in the earlier situation to the new one. So, in the same way schools have asked students to keep the camera and volume button on, camera to always the student in view at all times. I don't see how an invigilator can actually keep an eye at multiple students - seems impossible.  This is apart from technology solutions like no alt -tab of browser, connection drop = exam submission and all that.  The reason that all this is being done is to stop the child from "cheating" in the exam.  Why can't this be tackled differently? Why not have the onus of "not c

About 20 years ago in our MBA class, the organization behaviour professor asked us "How many of you want to be CEOs". A plethora of hands went up. I think only a few hands did not go up. One of them was mine. And the professor asked me, why did you not raise your hand? I said, I dont know if CEO is what I want to become.  And 20 years later, I am actually sure that there are surely many other possible goals and roles than become CEO.  PS:You can argue that I was not good enough. But I consciously took a different path to measure my success differently. PPS: Many from the batch did go on to become Head of departments, functions, geographies. A couple did rise up to be CEO. But most CEOs were the ones who started off on their own. So, a question worth asking MBA students is, How many of you will take the entrepreneurship route - and notice that is far more than becoming CEO?  Of course if at that time we were asked that question only 2-3 hands would have gone up knowing my clas

As someone who has facilitated numerous workshops, sessions, labs and gatherings face to face like many others, I have been sceptical of Virtual facilitation. However in the past few months, I have handled Onboarding of leaders, run a virtual webinar with nearly 400 members in the audience, run sessions with 100+ attendees and run smaller cosier webinars with less than 20 attendees. The topics have ranged from Onboarding Leaders to Interview skills to Creativity workshops (who would have imagined) to Strategy workshops (indeed). Up until now, while I had handled virtual webinars, it never seemed like the real thing. It was seen as a poor substitute to face to face workshops.  I must admit, I am learning the tricks of the trade as I do so and enjoying the challenge! And every webinar I think I am unlocking newer levels of effectiveness. Some tips: Animation - used well is a great way to progress on a topic Chat window - Both the group response and the private window are fantastic tools

Children love to play. They love to play games or with their toys.  Children love to create. They like to imagine, create, make and build. If you can combine the two - they create/build and play with it - the joy is exponential. And thats why Lego is such a favourite from generations.  Stage 1: Make what is mentioned in the instruction book. (We called it the idea book) Stage 2: Dismantle it and play with your imagination but keep bricks from the newest set safe. Stage 3: Mix everything, make whatever you please and create your own stories. Stage 4: Learn advanced techniques from websites, youtubers and Lego experts Stage 5: Create your own things using advanced techniques Whatever stage you are at, the fact is that at each stage, you can create AND play. And that is why Lego is superior to other toys. You build and then you play. Over time the children learn to "make", use their hands to draw, paint, build and other things than just be passive consumers of entertainment/edut

The last few weeks I interacted with a few senior leaders who I admire and there was a certain commonality to the discussion.  One of them told me how their ex-boss of many years ago still calls them up on their birthday and anniversary. It might seem trivial, but he knew this ex-boss when he was a Management Trainee 20 years ago.  Another leader mentioned to me how today if someone falls like, they are fairly unlikely to get a call/ping/inquiry from the manager on how they are. It is "as if some work is affected, but nothing more than that". There were other people who took a day off only to find her inbox promptly filled for next days deliverables.  The third example was of a team that appreciated their leader. A leader who was simply present during 1:1s, fully. No phones, no distractions - turn on video and fully present. And the leader did the same during long review meetings - asking good questions. The net result? An incredibly motivated and charged team - who says, wow

I have always been uncomfortable with the descriptor of a "family" when it comes to work. A few years ago, we were at an offsite and the guest speaker, who shall go unnamed said, "It feels so good to be here. Feels like a family." Really?  "Feels like a family" is the most vacuous word you can use, especially when you are meeting 400 people for the first (and likely last) time in your life.  Ever since then I have heard this being said by many people in many organizations. And guess doesnt actually say it, yes, The family.  A family is a collection of individuals related by blood or genetics or legal association (to begin with) and a strong emotional bonding or attachment. Yes, there are people who may not be related by blood or genetics or legal association and you may yet share a deep emotional bonding. And there will be people in that family you absolutely hate - and they are family as well.  What is the difference between a family and an organization?

A few years back, we poured out milk from a toned milk packet for the cat. The cat came hungrily, sniffed at the milk, looked at us with nonchalance and walked off. It did not recognise this toned milk as milk - it failed the smell test.  Milk branded in cartons or tetrapack, written in bold and colour, white in colour, equally liquid - the cat doesnt care. If it doesnt smell like milk, I am out.  Humans otoh, can believe anything... So, who is better, cats or humans? My vote is for cats. 

Recently we were in a discussion about a new tool that was being commissioned. The world of tech tool is such that no tool does everything.  For instance, Outlook (or Gmail) will allow you to send mails, block calendars and mark important mails. But if you want to have a conversation, it has to be on Whatsapp (or some other platform). If you want to conduct performance reviews on Gmail or Whatsapp, good luck with that. Or goal setting for that matter. A learning management system is none of the above. An Excel sheet much less. A social media platform within work or outside work has some intersection with the a few things above, but it is not everything.  This search for a tool that will do everything is a futile one. There is no one thing that will do everything for you.  This is like the search for the mythical monster or the stone that will turn iron into gold. Or that single equation that will solve all of physics.  So, in such a forum, does the tool bake bread is a question that is

When I started writing a blog years ago, I wrote a few posts and I thought what next! The ideas seemed to have dried out. But no. Just as I finished writing, in came the next set of ideas and the next and the next. Creativity has to be used - like a skill it is something you have to access again and again and build over time.  And now, this blog is nearly 10 years old, 400 odd posts....

The value of jotting down an idea has been immense. Everybody knows this, but I realised another aspect of thinking. While working on a problem ( as I am at this given point in time), there are spaces of ideas, blockages, struggle, marination and flashes of insight. What I have felt is that unless the "current" idea/approach/thought is written down, expressed or captured in some form a new idea cannot flow, because this current idea is "blocking the way" in a manner of speaking. Like a traffic jam, unless the way is cleared by writing it, capturing it - the new idea cannot pass through. And it may disappear - as will that great idea that you got as an insight, but you thought no way you will forget it. So, jot them, clip them, write them, note them, snap them, whatever it takes... 

There is a trend if you have noticed when you read a set of books - the business pron as they are called. It started from the first TED talk gang. When any one of them writes a book - they cross reference the others book. So, a book by one will refer to a bunch of books by the others and so on. It obviously helps in cross selling and is a great product placement as well. Now, nothing wrong with that. The books in question are products of deep research and almost the placement is fairly relevant. Cut to today. Over the last 15 years, with the democratization of information, anybody can pour out aphorisms and platitudes and construct a jargon based construct for anything in question. And the recent covid crisis has brought many termites out of the woodwork.  You can see them dripping wisdom on Linkedin. They exhort you (in the middle of a pandemic of which there has been no equivalent in our living times) to adapt or perish. They have already declared that the agile will inherit

I have written about Zero before . The app is downright simple. All it does if really activate a timer appropriate to the fast you have chosen, apart from tracking history and all that. The fitband I have does the same thing - it adds a number to the step and aggregates data. Both these are driving behaviours. The button is the enabler. The band is the enabler. The data keeps you going. For instance, seeing the streak on the band or on the fasting app is a great motivator. Wondering a good way to get off junk snacking now! I

A question that I frequently run into is "How should a start up approach LnD". In the last few months I have spoken to a few people who have the responsibility of running LnD for start ups. Here is my take (still evolving): 1. If you apply a big company framework and shrink it for a start up. This may will not work. 2. For instance, in a big company you may train some of the managers every year. In a start up, you almost definitely want to train all of them. Especially if you have the first few hundred on board. And, you might want to repeat this atleast once again or till you have confident of a 'culture'. Measure it using surveys. 3. Training ROI - In general, measure ROI as direct business output. If you do a workshop on problem solving - assign a project and measure its outcome. If you build skill in giving feedback, assess Manager scores. 4. Distinguish between Needs and Wants. Big companies will address wants, but as a startup, you are neither geared for

Someone I know had posted recently that creativity requires you to swear. This is something I dont believe in. Yes, creativity needs a provocation - that provocation doesnt have to be negative. It doesnt have to a jibe or a sarcastic comment or a personal insult. The same thing can be achieved by tremendous motivation, empathetic questioning and enabling the 'creator' to think better. Fear is not a motivator of creativity. Sure fear is a motivator. As is adversity. But you can achieve the same thing via passion and constraints. And yes, keep those insults away. Think Olympic athletes. Think tough love. But swearing? And insulting people around you to achieve better creativity? Well, its is a theory I dont buy. Though I admit it has its takers since many great creative artists have had a nasty temper, a strong tendency to use cusswords and throw personal insults. And many wannabes have assumed that having a nasty temper, use of cusswords and insults are the gatewa

The better half mentioned that this has been her longest stint at home other than maternity. And it struck me - how true. We, the upper middle class of India - for all the family time that we crave - have never got so much family time at one go. Think of it - if you are a typical office goer, you spent about 5 days a week at work. With about 25-30 days vacation - most likely not taken at one go, one wouldnt have spent more than 2 weeks at home. And the other factor - as this generation, we have had help for everything. At the very least- a maid. Else a cook or a driver and so on. This time its different. There is no help, it is just us and we are at home working and doing housework. But this is a great opportunity to have those family meals, sit down and play together and do all the things you have wanted to do. We have done cooking sessions, created a game, played many board games (and lost), helped each other - of course fought with each other - but it has been a unique expe

A few days back someone mentioned the dish Wambatu Moju on Twitter. And it led to me googling about this brinjal based Sri Lankan dish. I was sufficiently inspired to try it out, bored as we were with our regular cooking repetoire. The ingredients were there, the enthusiasm was there and it was sufficiently out of the comfort zone from a taste lens (vinegar + mustard) and it was acted upon. The end result was a "meets expectations" but nobody knows what a good Wambatu Moju tasted like (in the family I mean). Why this story? This is a typical approach of how I work. I find something. Get inspired. Try it out. Some of them are easy like Wambatu Moju. Some of them are difficult and never see light of day like the Great Leadership Digital Simulation. Some of them are in between, sufficiently inspiring upto a point of trial and error. This is creativity for me. Constantly exploring an area just outside comfort zones. Pushing boundaries physically (till the knees give up

What is the kind of life you want to lead? This is a question I have asked myself. And in this context, I liked this article . Very often in the pursuit of our career, we forget what we want to do. Or we simply cant given the demands of a career. And what we want to do might be as simple as spend more time with children, parents. It might be getting better in an art or craft. It might be following a passion. It could be anything. He suggests a few things that resonated with me: Read books, Become a learning machine, Start a side business (not the multi level marketing kind please). But primarily, stop chasing vanity goals (material) and chase goals of self improvement (getting better at some thing - maybe one thing, maybe two things) I couldnt express it better than him, so here is the excerpt that resonated with me: B+ is finding something to aim for and going all-in on it for as long as you can. It’s not about the outcomes. Success doesn’t make you happy. Vanity goals

I saw this on Linkedin recently and it left me wondering. It said the future of learning is different. And had something like this. From Teacher Oriented to Learner Centred From Brick and Mortar to Virtual From SME to Collaborative From Formal Credentials to Individual Skill Inventories From Content Creation to Knowledge Curation From Push to Pull From Managers as Supervisors to Managers as Coaches From Fixed Learning to Blended Learning I looked at this list and wondered. This was true 10 years ago and heralded as the future of learning then. So, really what have we changed in Learning? Precious little if you ask me. Thats a bit harsh I know, but whats your view?

A few weeks, as the lockdown began the kids were bored. The board games were exhausted. And they wanted something to do. So I suggested, why don't we create a game? Having played a few board games (Settlers of Catan, 7 wonders and San Juan league), they understand the realm of games. This apart from the reasonably good knowledge they had of games.  I asked, what would you like to make a game on? The answer was not very forthcoming. So, we spoke what they really liked  - and pat came the answer. Cats.  We sat with a gaming mechanics card working on what game to make with cats as the centrepiece. Our building has a few stray cats - that we have seen since they were kittens. So, they are well versed with cat psychology. Ok, not psychology, but behaviour. They have observed what happens in a cat ecosystem. The following behaviours were discussed, debated, argued - we agreed that cats staked territories. They fought with each other to establish dominance. They hunted. A

If the process were gamified... Log in to the app. You reach level 1. Level 1, fail - there are no slots available If you pass Level 1 Level 2, fail - if you cant find what you want. [In some version of grocery games L1 and L2 are swapped] Level 3 - As you log in, slots are available, but just as you click checkout - the app says, sorry, the slot is no longer available or the item is no longer available. [Killing off main characters is a thing, I suppose] And then they tell you they serviced X000 orders - so that makes one feel even more miserable. "I am not good enough". Social Leaderboard Mega fail, but I dont give up. Each day I wake up, try the slot machine and go back...

I discovered zerofasting app a few days ago. I was trying out intermittent fasting largely successfully for a few months (with a few cheating days in between). And when the lockdown started, I stopped all fasts (the world is coming to an end anyway). And then out of curiosity (my main driver anyhow) happened to try out zerofasting. It is nothing - all it does is makes you push a button that says "Start fast". Thats all. Just the pushing of a button, makes a significant difference. 

I was thinking of some of the lessons learnt in this lockdown - and I dont mean philosophical lessons, I mean, practical issues and some humbling lessons. First up, I admit, like many others around us, we realised how dependent on our maids and cook. But we also realised that, well, we can get by, just the four of us. Yes, it is tough, thinking from meal to meal and demanding kids and vegetable and ingredients not exactly available, but we managed well mostly, substituting with dal-chawal when we could not. A few minor kitchen accidents happened because the burner was forgotten while a call was on. So, yes while it is not easy, it is a readjustment. While we were at home, the kids wanted our time and there have been times where we have been unable to be available for them. But we managed to open all our board games (that were waiting for time) and play all of them. This was the toughest part.  Our internet was overloaded. Of course, all networks were creaking, but with two

I had to make a presentation on building disaster proof careers. Now, nothing is disaster proof, so I told them I would make a small presentation on building resilient careers - that are take more shocks, can enable one to bounce back rather than prevent the fall. Here are some points: Stand on two feet - have two skills - so that there is always a backup Think skills rather than jobs.  Think cross industry application Remember that you can pivot What that also means is that one has to think long term - think ten years, not one year and therefore, short term blips, breaks, u turns, pivots dont matter as much as the gaining of experience over 10 year.  Think skills. A skill is something you can sell regardless of firm. The more skills you have - sales, marketing, creativity, design - the more fungible you become across industry. And maybe even independent. Built a network by giving. And start early. Your school, college - are all part of a multibagger (to use a stock par

When I was growing up, piracy was killing the cinemas. Was that just after the VCR was invented, I dont quite remember. But when I grew up, video parlours and video rentals were the biggest neighbourhood business. And it was said cinema will be killed. Then, computers and CDs came in, as did mobile phones - but then the multiplex arrived and through all this Cinemas has survived and thrived - morphed as they did from just movies to movies plus fun plus people.  Like cinemas, restaurants are all about people and interactions. Post covid, any business that is about bringing people together - cinemas, sports, restaurants, training, events, even travel/hospitality to some extent have to reimagine their existence.  And I dont know about the others, but will covid change the way we watch movies? Movies will need to be released, will they go entirely into homes? Restaurants are already delivering into homes. Travel - business travel has been forced to go virtual. As have training

Most of Linkedin is filled with stories of how the pandemic will alter human behaviour and how we will change for the better. And this has been going on since the first lockdown was announced. As the lockdown extends it is fairly perceptible that people are itching to go back to their routines - though, we hope, they will go back with more compassion, more empathy and suchlike. Somehow I am not sanguine. We are creatures of habit. And current habit have been drilled into us for the last few decades. Will we really change? I am not so sure. Yes, we will, for the immediate short term, a few days or a few weeks, but after that, slowly but surely, we will get back to our old Climate changing, consumerism driven worlds (or different types of course). And yes, at an individual level change might happen, but a collective level, again, I doubt it. And yes, some micro behaviours might change, but other changes - no, they need far more than this to jolt us into a more sustainable existence.

Today I met the founder of a start up. It is a very interesting model that upends the current model. They specialise in supplying daily essentials, fresh from the market. It is a specific location based self service model. Their USP is fresh, handpicked, self delivered vegetables. Users can choose which vegetables they like. Prices are slightly negotiable. All payments accepted. I also met another founder. who is using a different model. They specialise in fresh fruit sold at a really low price. Users locate the vehicle basis approximate time slot (it is slated to become GPS enabled soon) and pick up the fruits during their rounds at the point closed to them - solving the last mile problem by making the user do the work - and reduce costs in the bargain. Fruits are guaranteed fresh, handpicked from the wholesale market a few hours before, user selected, weighed in front of the user, thus assuring users of best quality. Two interesting models in which I have invested early in the m

This is a lockdown invention. It is known as a randomiser. Designed by the siblings to solve the vexing problem of "who will sit on which side of the sofa" especially pertinent in these days of extended lockdown where they have to necessarily bear with each other and have no other kids for company. How does it work? Drop a marble from the top . Choose a side. If the marble falls on the side you chose, you get to pick the side of the sofa. A friend pointed out that this could have been solved by a coin flip, but you know how geeks are. PS: Yes, the HR lens says, this is a human problem. But for now, enjoying the creativity. PPS: Process solves will only get you so far, human problems need human solutions - which I am sure they will learn in due course.

We will defeat the pandemic. This is a world where one has to be resilient. One has to change. There will be two types of people who will face this. One - the agile, the nimble and the others, the one who refuses to change. The one who refuses to change will perish in the pandemic. The one who succeeds will be one who is open to change. Work from home will be new norm. Companies have to embrace this future. There is no other way this can happen. Everything has to be reimagined. This is the VUCA world (god as much I hate this term, it is true, this is the real VUCA - a VUCA that nobody conceptualised). And for navigating a VUCA world, one has to be agile. There will be a lot of disruption. Things will change rapidly. And we will be the ones who will help navigate that change. No, all of the above are just words. The English does not make up for the shallow analysis. Please dont use any of them when talking to anyone about the pandemic. It is ok to say, I dont know. PS: I am

It is a global pandemic like never before. Never in the history of the world have so many areas been struck by emergency at the same time. That means, all failover plans, BCP plans, inter country BCP plans have come to nought. Yes, the companies that can work virtually are working, but the ones that cannot are struggling (so, our assessment is partial at best to begin with). The disease is one which has not been fully comprehended - there are rebound cases (people cured and sent back and coming back with an infection). The level of infection it can cause is severe - and that is an understatement. There is no vaccine. (another unknown) A couple of countries have come to conquering it almost completely, but they too have got it, after superhuman levels to manageable levels. And it is still unclear. (we have no experience) In the middle of all this, if I claim to see the future, who am I? Many analyses have been published - and like all analyst reports, they exude a certain sense

Everyday I walk on my terrace. And one of my apartment mates has a dog. The dog sees me everyday, jumps, plays, wants to be patted and then goes its way. Because of the lockdown, I can only walk on the terrace and the dog can only walk on the terrace. So, we meet, each day. A little hi, a little paw, a pat on the head and neck and I go back to my walk and he goes back to smelling every corner of the terrace. Every few rounds, he remembers my existence and pauses his walk to get patted. As we repeated this exercise for the umpteenth time today, it struck me that this whole lockdown has been a pause.  A pause button on our existence. The way we go about our lives. And a question, well, make that a few questions. A question about the needs of many things. About the so called wants. About the so called necessities. About so called likes, dislikes, do's, dont's and so on. So, as we wait to hit the play button - perhaps it is worth asking, what is playing...Before hitting that

This is the time To put in your share Of work at home, while you work from home Cooking, cleaning, clothes and floor everything is a chore Go you champions, Set an example to the minions Designations dont matter, when life's a scatter Do your part That sets you apart Let your kids see you as a worker shoulder to shoulder Be the role model as you work and yodel All Diversity and inclusivity starts from home Lets do it together in town as we stay in lockdown

First it is an awakening - you can see. Then it is a springy "get up and go". A walk. Then a canter. A jog. And then you run into your beloveds hands. Thats how I feel when I get an idea. The comparison ends there. After that it is a little bit of wrestling. A series of tight corners to escape out of. A few holds that are sometimes missed. And then, sometimes, the idea is floored and brought under control. And sometimes, the idea escapes never to come back again. I have had successes and failures. More failures than successes. But this is my process. It is a process that I am used to, aware of and a familiar feeling. Over the years, I have learnt how to tap into it. For me the essential ingredient is a deep dive into various aspects. Read as much as I can, soak up information and then think think think - and then give up. Then, maybe after a nights sleep or during a morning walk or at some time the problem has escaped the focused attention, the solution sneaks throug

This is the longest I have worked continuously from home - I much prefer the office in general - mainly for the discipline of working. And as I discussed this with a couple of people and there were some uncommon common factors - sometimes a child walks into the call, sometimes it is a dog, sometimes it is the doorbell. Now usually this doesn't happen because in a usual work from situation because the time is planned and shorter - and families work around it. At this point, because everybody is working, it is the equivalent of the office inside the home and sometimes spaces do get blurred. All the same, work is getting done, it struck me that, it is perhaps the next step of bringing our whole self to work.  Perhaps this work from home experience will enhance our empathy towards each other, our co-workers and even our families when a kid decides to join the call and makes us all that much more human and connected.  

These are the answers to my previous post 1. No, you dont. 2. Your job is to manage the learning in the organization and the culture. For therapists, the org can go elsewhere. There are enough psychotherapists, counsellors who do this for a living. 3. No, you dont, else you would be doing something else. 4. Well, sonder... 5. Raise the game - if the fish dont bite, either they are not hungry or the bait aint good enough. Training is not the answer to everything. Or many things. 6. Where is the change? 7. Buzzwords wont do 1 8. Buzzwords wont do 2 9. Ahem. Supply, Demand etc. (Refer to my post , and this one , for a little more elucidation) 10. Refer point 9 11. Groupthink anyone? The real stuff lies beyond that :) 12. Contribute, dont lurk. Why do we have such poor quality real research? (longer post for another time) 13. Correlation, not causation. Refer point 1 14. Basic gamification is over. 5 years ago atleast. When was the last time you clicked on a time bound 200

Recently, I was a fly on the wall on a couple of discussions by a gathering of LnD associates. Yes, I admit, it was a boring event, but instead of feeling bored, I switched roles to that of someone who observes dispassionately, and here is what I gathered (this is tongue in cheek of course) 1. LnD people run the business. They do more than the business teams, founders, top level leaders and everybody else. Without them, there would be savages and philistines running the company. 2. Lnd people are therapists, counsellors, coaches, psychologists and conscience keepers rolled into one. It is a pity they are paid the salary of one person only. 3. LnD people believe they know everything. Including and not limited to the "Theory of everything". Just that nobody asked them. Else, the Nobels would have been ours people - seemed to be a collective feeling. 4. Any more navel gazing, and they would be Buddhas with the luminosity of their high salaries as the halo around their head

And here are my achievements (slightly tongue in cheek, so...) Caveat: Work is happening. I have always seen that WFH is way more productive since the person has work within reach. So the person manages work in a way that it suits them. I often start earlier in the day, for example. And without the commute, it is possible to be way more productive. Meetings are also scheduled in general - unlike at work. Downside is quick 5 minute catch ups dont happen. Leaders opinions cant be sought like at work. So, keeping this aside... Pros: I learnt to make Chapatis the shape of Africa. World, here I come. Games that were bought long ago, but never managed to be played have been opened (weekend). Very little clothes to wash (rest assured, we are taking personal hygiene seriously) A long walk each day because the fitness class has also closed down A 20 minute power nap on some days My office bag got washed (I washed it) Cons: Walk to the kitchen and eat guilt free because no one is w

Every market is driven by supply and demand. In general the supply is there to satisfy the demand. For most mature markets, demand drives supply. Greater the demand, greater is the supply. So, in general if you find a supply side gap, the gap can be mapped to a demand side gap. The exception is when a new industry/service/product is being created - where the demand is created towards something new. This is a tough path to go forward on because creating new demand means educating customers, showing them something new/different/valuable/insightful and so on - and enabling them to see the value out of this new product. The LnD role is generally a risk averse role - rather the people who run it go after client needs and if the needs are not met - there is a ripple effect. Either they are perceived as incapable or out of touch with business needs or something to that effect. So, LnD typically toes the line of what business wants. And usually businesses are clear on what they want and

One of the laments I heard in a gathering of LnD folks is that consultants are no good. I disagree. I have worked with consultants and been a consultant myself. Think of it. A consultant comes into to work on your problem. (I stick to an LnD context here). Who defines it? Who validates what the consultant brings to the table? Who has the chance to modify that consultants approach? If after all this your work comes a cropper, who is to blame? It is you, because either you chose the wrong consultant or did not define the problem or validate the solution clearly or you messed it up in the execution. Or when you realised the consultant wasnt working out - you decided not to cut the cord. So, if you see here the only real issue is getting the right consultant (and the right price). Therefore my view is that it is a supply demand issue. If you define the problem better, you will get people who will solve the problem better. I will enunciate the supply demand problem better in a l

A lot of times, as Human Resources, we end up questioning the intent of people we work with or we hired. Whether this is intentional or inadvertent, I cant say for sure, but many a time this is what I have observed. And I strongly feel that the moment we do that, we question ourselves and our hiring judgement. Apart from sounding sanctimonious and arrogant - we are at that point, doubting a peer. And a lot of our assumptions stem from here - stated or unstated. Most of the times the argument is unstated - but it points in the direction of questioning intent. Intent can be questioned - no doubt - with the right evidence, but without the right evidence, questioning intent is just superciliousness. Recently, in the unconscious bias class - everything was about bias. The intent of the entire organization was questioned - without any credible data. During performance appraisal calibration - there is a question of intent. Why is someone being promoted? Why is someone not? Here is a

Ever so often one gets to be on a panel or see a panel as part of a conference. Here are my tongue in cheek observations. 1. See the topic. Again. And again. Underline it. 2. Now, stick to it.  With Fevicol. 3. Do not go here and there like a jumpy cat. Stay on point. The topic. 4. If you have never seen, held or spoken into a mike in your life, please see one and then come on the panel. Don't behave as if its the first time someone gave you the mike and hold on it for dear life. It is not a straw though you are drowning. 5. If people don't listen to you anyhow, the place to try and validate it is not on a panel. 6. There are other people in a panel as well - if you had to be given a voice to speak by yourself, they would have invited for the damn keynote. 7. Moderator, your job is to moderate. And that includes stealing mikes, ensuring panelists don't share their life story or meaningless information or ramble along. Thou shall herd the cats into the fence known a

I attended two Diversity and Incusivity trainings in the space of about a year. Done by two different vendors. They were exactly the same. And if it had been by a third or a fourth person, it would still be exactly the same. Why? Why are these trainings exactly the same? Why are they unable to think beyond a certain set of topics? I believe it is because people are lazy and dont read enough. The second, perhaps more importantly, is that they believe so strongly in DnI that they believe their conviction will see the day through. And in the process, they end up sounding sanctimonious and all questions are answered with that sanctimoniousness than actual data. The examples that the esteemed people shared were what we read in whatsapp forward 5 years ago. #fail. The so called business case with riddled with fundamental data errors. They said colleges have a 50-50 ratio of men and women. Truth is most colleges dont. A simple google search gives you this data  for IIMs. MBA colleges w

I was attending a session on design and the speaker referred to this book, "Creative Selection". Instantly I ordered it. And promptly finished it over the weekend. This is a fantastic book. If you are in the creative space or in the space of design or product or just want to get a deep inside view of design or creation, this is a must read book. And the single biggest takeaway? Great product or design is no accident. It is a combination of perseverance, diligence, risk, choices and decisions, among other things... Thats all I will say. Read it!

She took the sketch pen and asked for a notebook.  Then opening the page, what do you want me to draw?,  she asked.  I smiled.  I asked her to draw an elephant, a cat, a fish, moon, star, sun, dot, monster and she drew all of them in no time, one after the other asking, what next?  And, she drew all of them nonchalantly, asking for more things to draw.  All of 2.5 years old, every drawing was same as the other.  The dot was indistinguishable from the fish or the monster or the elephant.  But she did not care.  She was doing something very serious - she was drawing for me - and there was no fear of failure.  Most of all I loved her self confidence in trying.  And I wonder where we lose it in the fear of failure.

Clash Royale is one of the most addictive games we have played. We have been playing it on and off for a few years now - almost from the time it was launched. So, I have a view of the game from the time it was launched (and a spinoff of the wildly successful Clash of Clans - which we were again playing with some interest until Clash Royale came about). Both as a person who has more than a superficial interest in games and gamification and learning and as a person who plays - it has almost all features that push it to addiction levels. What makes it so addictive? Some fairly obvious mechanics: Most of these are new - not when it was initially launched. The battle button is highlighted and blinks. It also has special challenges mentioned on it.  (Gold Rush/ Crown Rush) When a Clan war is on - the battle icon at the bottom is animated Constant stream of rewards - Tier Rewards, Time Rewards, Collection and Challenge specific rewards The game play - including sound, light, the spe

I had to go to a slightly off track place (within the city) and dreaded the road closures (white topping and what not). On the way back, Google maps chose a route that avoided road closures (and fastest route). So, I simply followed it. And it took me through a series of back roads (all good except at one place where it was very narrow), got me past the road closure and what was even more surprising, at the start of the drive, it said, estimated time to reach is 1:41 pm - and I reached the basement at 1:42 - that last one minute because of a car reversing just outside the apartment. I thought that was incredible - because it needs to take into account the speed of the driver (not sure if the algorithm does that today) apart from the traffic. 

For me writing is a means of indexing thoughts, capturing it so that it can be used as a memory and thought capture, also to see how my own thoughts have progressed. Sometimes it comes in handy to talk to people, elucidate thoughts and so on. When I started this in 2011, I was thinking of the people who have blogged so far and about so much that has been written. Today it is 2020, 9 years, and approximately 400 posts. Thats is the power of doing a bit each day. Side note: I usually read about 2 books a month. That is 24 a year and 240 in 10 years. The actual number is much more because there are books I skim, speed read, dip into and so on. 

Down into Borra caves, the worlds oldest stalagmite cave, the place is lit up with colourful lights and photography points. At each point is an intrepid photographer with a printer who will print out your picture right there. And the incredible thing is that they do brisk business. What explains this? In a digital age where everyone has their own phone.  We tried it as well. I think two things. One as a senior leader in the industry told me a year ago - digital fatigue. Everything is digital that often one wants something non-digital, maybe a book. And thats why physical book sales (and the number of books being written) are going up.  Second, when everything is digital, everything is also that much ephemeral. Recently someone I know lost all their data because their device crashed. We lost a treasure trove of photographs because a device is not compatible. So, when someone makes the digital physical then and there, it was an attraction. We were travelling as a family and wan

As the books bought list from various people grows -a typical end of the year malaise- I have to admit - any book list usually makes me lose money in a literal sense. In a metaphorical sense, luckily, I have been brought up to believe that books are a great investment and that remains my approach to buying books. So, this year at this point, this is what my list looks like...Some of these books are in the started (it is tough to not start a book right away no?) mode... Behind the Cloud - the story of Salesforce - by Marc Benioff. The story of how a new category was created promises to be a fascinating read. Yes, late to the party this one... Forgotten Indian cities - the story of how the Indus civilization was discovered - by Navanjyot Lahiri. How were Mohenjodaro and Harappa discovered? Who were the people. A story that we dont know about since our history books covered Indus valley civilization in about a chapter while teaching about Aryan Invasion - a story which has now prove

A short summary of my learning from learning this year...and some questions... Digital learning does not happen by itself.  It has to be enabled. In an age of digital abundance and overdose, digital is likely to be shunned. Tell me, the learner, why should I. Give me a strong reason... Learning competes with Tik-Tok and Whatsapp on a bad day. With Netflix on a good day. Are you making me curious enough? A lot of elearning content is B grade as compared to what is available outside. I mean, very little has changed in elearning. How to make it meaningful (not entertaining) in a short span of time? Time is a real constraint. But time can be moved, shifted and even bent given the right motivation. But are you giving me reason enough to do so? Non-digital actually scores over digital. The unique things one can do using non-digital are really cool. Non-digital actually gives a better overall sensory experience. Why is that so? My view is that it is partly because digital has not b