Who should you learn from?

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Who should you learn from?
What a question! Who should we learn from? Of course, we should learn from the best. We should learn from those who are experts in their fields. This has been one of my criteria for selecting my teachers, coaches and mentors all these years. I now realise I’ve overlooked another important criterion, which is whether the expert is a practitioner in his/her…
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Is process a single or double line?

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Is process a single or double line?
A couple of weeks ago, a potential client and I were on a call. This client came to us via a blog post I had written back in 2015. The client is based in the United States of America, and we were on a call at an odd hour. The potential project we were discussing involves working with 10 country heads and…
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Corporate culture and fish in the water

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Corporate culture and fish in the water
Look at this image, like a fish, when we no longer “see the water,” it’s a clear signal that we have assimilated into our surroundings or culture.
Back in 2005, when I was working in Australia, I remembered working so hard to fit in and be like an Australian that I had put a lid on the diverse perspective I could have …
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You don’t give responsibility you take it

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You don’t give responsibility you take it
If you observed the trainings at the Badminton Training Academy, you will notice that there are two styles of training that are being conducted. One group of kids undergo intense training and are pushed harder by the head coach, while the other group of kids experience less intensity in their training. Anyone observing this would perceive the first group of kids to …
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Why Indra Nooyi ran 2 hrs sales meetings?

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Why Indra Nooyi ran 2 hrs sales meetings?
Last week, a client called and said, “I really need my sales people to be better storytellers. Can you conduct a one-hour storytelling workshop for them?” To help someone become a storyteller within an hour is a big ask yet not uncommon. Time seems to be a very important topic of discussion when it comes to our learning initiatives but not when …
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Stories on Social Media

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Stories on Social Media
These days, we post almost any and everything on social media. When we attend a workshop, eat or work on a speech, we post our activities on social media. During the times of Circuit Breaker and now, the new normal, we post our Zoom call screenshots! The story we tell ourselves is the need to shape our narrative through the consistent posting…
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Storytelling :Women in Boardrooms Part 5 of 5

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Storytelling :Women in Boardrooms Part 5 of 5
Recently, Sarah (not her real name) told me that she had received feedback from her boss that she needed to demonstrate more empathy. She was perplexed because she considered herself to be someone, who was not only professional but had strong social intelligence. Feedback on personality traits and workplace demeanor can be a double-edged sword —women have been known to be penalized…
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You spoke well but didn’t communicate well

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You spoke well but didn’t communicate well
While I was in high school, I lost a debate competition. I was devastated, especially because before the results were announced so many people had walked up to me and said, “You spoke so well.” I was quietly confident that the trophy would be mine but to my shock that didn’t happen. Perplexed, I went to my teacher. I was hoping that …
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