Serendipity and Learning

As a leader we often expect our subordinates to take whatever feedback we give in a positive manner. Somehow as a leader we put the onus on the receiver.  I have a different view on this.  As a leader, it is your duty to learn the skills of giving feedback. Just because you happen to be in a position of authority doesn't mean that you feeedback will be taken whichever way you give it.  So, at the first point when you have people reporting upto you - please do yourself and the organization and the people who work with a favour and learn how to give feedback (all types).  It is a great foundation for your career ahead, leadership skills and the culture of the team and the company.  Sure there are examples of people who did not have this skill - but you dont have to be that way. You can tread a different path. 

  In the 1950s Daniel Berlyne was one of the first psychologists to offer a comprehensive model of curiosity. He argued that we all seek the sweet spot between two deeply uncomfortable states: understimulation (coping with tasks, people, or situations that lack sufficient novelty, complexity, uncertainty, or conflict) and overstimulation. To that end we use either what Berlyne called “diversive curiosity” (as when a bored person searches for something— anything —to boost arousal) or what he called “specific curiosity” (as when a hyperstimulated person tries to understand what’s happening in order to reduce arousal to a more manageable level). [HBR] That got me thinking. Where does Curiosity and L&D intersect and how does curiosity motivate people to learn? A lot of times in an org context, people seek learning when they are looking for something specific or when there is a desire for knowledge. It may also be exploration of a topic. So, my argument is that L&D falls largel...

In the olden days when blogging was a thing, people used to link each others blogs, like this. This is a link to Ravi's review of my book . Thank you Ravi.  So, yes, I did write a book .  The goal was to reach about 35000 words. And as soon as the writing and editing work was done, I suffered from a deep imposter syndrome. The first copies arrived and I could not bring myself to read the book afraid that there would be some error or other in it. When I read it, I was relieved that there were no errors.  And the book sold well, and some people bought copies for their teams and so on. So, thats one thing ticked off the bucket list. Write a real book with an ISBN number.  And yay, I am an author!

 As someone who was sceptical of Virtual Facilitation (I practically learnt it only in the post pandemic era), I have come to terms with it . And at some point, got comfortable with it .  But a hybrid session - with a few folks online and few offline is truly challenging. For one, the rooms are not built to take it. The facilitator voice has to be carried from where the facilitator walks. Two, we need to be able to treat them a group (or groups). Net result is a bit of a broken sub optimal experience. You forget to engage the virtual folks. Or if you are using a tool - a physical tool - they cant use it. Or they lose your voice and so on and so forth. We somehow managed it the last time we did a hybrid session - but yes, this is a problem that has not been solved for fully.  Some companies which have a built video conference rooms - these have mic pick ups throughout, the participants can see each other, the facilitator and the room - such places offer truly seamless hybr...

I purchased my first digital camera in 2001 or perhaps early 2002. A few days back I realised I had some of those old pictures stored away. Those images had a royal resolution of 1 mega pixel. The size of the photographs - every single one of them was less than 100kb.  At that point, digital cameras were still new. So new that people will still buying non digital SLRs and film cameras.  Approximately 20 years later, digital camera resolution has grown by leaps and bounds - our phone cameras offer resolution that was deemed impossible then.  I was in awe of the technology then - but seeing those images of 20 years  ago - I was in awe even more to see how technology has progressed. At that time, I was a coder (or thereabouts) trying to find my feet in the tech industry.  10 years ago, I had another digital camera with the resolution of approximately 12MP. And a few years back we stopped carrying cameras anywhere - only phones. 10 years ago I made another shift in ...

 Had a small interaction with a sales team of a learning company on "How to sell to L&D" folks. What is unique about selling to L&D folks? Having been on both sides of the table, here are some of my observations: As a seller: L&D teams want complete solutions. That doesn't necessarily mean they will buy the complete solution - but they want to know that you have the complete solution.  On the other hand they will want to integrate everything you have to everything they have even if it is an xl sheet. Or competency framework. They want everything to talk their language. They love customization. They will want customization. They will ask customization. They hate to pay for customization though. How to tackle this? Almost always never get into price negotiations. Get into value conversations. And as the price reduces, convey the value reduction. For this price, you get this - and so on. That doesnt mean you dont reduce the price - there are situations you will d...

 DT really unlocks peoples creative confidence.  When people work in a default manner, creativity is lost - worth noting for people/teams/organizations that are forever in "full speed" mode. When you know a problem too well, you may be actually limited in looking at in a new manner.  Reframing the business challenge is often difficult when seen through the default lens. Brainstorming is limiting. 108% Indian (the tool we used) enables people to see beyond "safe" creativity.  The options teams came up were mindboggling when they were given the cards. While DT is fast paced in a workshop, the time enables them to get comfortable with the process and make it their own.  Notes from a recent Design Thinking workshop I conducted. 

 If you, by chance go to a recipe site these days, the recipe will start with a story. And then a pointless anecdote and then other recipes and finally deep down is the actual recipe. Some of the not so sadistic recipe sites have a "jump to recipe" button. The reason is probably misplaced incentives . But that does explain it fully.  While writing a book (as in my own experience) there is a temptation to write and fill pages. But the reader will lose interest. The trick is to keep it short and punchy. This is difficult when the goal is to write x pages or y words.  In a TED talk - there are so many rambling stories that I find it easier to dive into the transcript, get the core idea and move out.  I was recently tasked with looking for some good online courses on a platform. There is so much rambling - somehow that is seen as necessary for the course to be seen as something with gravitas.  Or a podcast. So many of them have so many unrelated anecdotes it is impo...

 As I reader of non-fiction, some books are just pathetic to read. What makes a non fiction book pathetic? 1. They all look like they are written by the same person. There is a style to it. First it starts with describing what they wore, what they ate, a description, then a few words and then the deep insight (which is neither deep not insightful)  2. They are basically rehashed versions of other (lots of) books .  3. They are repackaged greatness . A set of people appreciate one another and write books cross referencing each other. Almost seems like a insider trading scam. 4. They become more about the author than the topic at hand. I recall a great book that I was a huge fan of and was looking forward to this authors second book and the second book was all about herself.   5. They cash in on a trend (and I buy them). And very soon they are out dated.  Thoughts as I finish a book with a great cover picture, but quite a pathetic one otherwise. This book som...