For all those who claim that remote work is the future of work, is a great equalizer and saves organizations a lot of real estate costs, I beg you to consider my pains. I know I am not the only one. I know Google has extended its WFH until July 2021. When the pandemic lifts, vaccines are democratized and the world is safe again, if you keep me from working from an old-school office environment, I can guarantee I will likely kill myself. (Ok, I am kidding. I’ll live). P.S: For all those pro remote workers. It’s been four months now. When does it get easier?
Premature optimization: Learning from software development
HR needs to take a leaf out of technology’s book. We shoot down innumerable technology interventions worrying that they aren’t perfect. We struggle to pull together the budget for the perfect tech solution. We worry about scale even before we know if our idea will gain traction with users.
On Brand vs Generic
A few weeks ago I wrote about my disagreement with referring to the business teams we support as our customers. This isn’t a widely accepted thought and today I will take my argument a step further by attributing the poor design of our HR interventions to this reference. Sounds contrary to popular belief, doesn’t it? We have been conditioned to believe that viewing our business as ‘customers’ will lead to better service. But it doesn’t.
Data with a heart
I love data democracy, the power of being able to analyze data independently without being dependent on another individual. Products like these empower every individual in the organization to derive meaningful insights at team, business and organizational level. It doesn’t overwhelm nor fall short. Heartcount gracefully does all the hard work and allows you to jump straight to the meaningful insights.
Five steps for mental well-being during the lockdown
Ever since the world entered a lockdown, one thing has been clear – the mental well-being of employees has been put to test like never before. Layoffs, furloughs and the uncertainty of the future have helped accelerate mental breakdowns. For those fortunate, it may seem like a sin to complain but while productivity has shown … Continue reading Five steps for mental well-being during the lockdown
The cycle of engagement
Ever since I started working from home, I find myself hitting disengagement at an increased pace. I know I am not the only one. It is no wonder that new terms like dopamine fasting and rest ethics are making their way into everyday vocabulary at an increased pace. However, before we start looking for solutions, it is important to analyze the problem a little more closely. What does the cycle of engagement look like and why is it spinning out of control?
The Experimentation Budget
One would imagine that in forward thinking organizations, innovation would flow in a straight line. Instead, the journey begins to resemble a circus show with one jumping over constant hoops and hurdles until the idea dies a slow painful death. The journey includes encountering people who hate the idea, those who love the idea but … Continue reading The Experimentation Budget
31 Day Challenge: Hit Start
When the lockdown began, I embraced it with open arms determined to use the opportunity to get laser focused on some areas in life while I hit pause on the rest. This blog fell into the bucket of laser focus along with a few pet interests. However simultaneously, half a dozen life priorities landed into … Continue reading 31 Day Challenge: Hit Start
Backcasting: Imagining the future
Backcasting starts by taking a leap into the future and embracing all that is preposterous. It focuses on all that outrageous, unique and breaks the shackles of feasibility.
Client, Customer or Team?
Once in a while I get asked a question that leaves me stumped; not because it doesn’t make sense but because over time my world view has taken its own twist on reality. One such question I was asked very recently as a part of product design exploration was – “Do you refer to the businesses you support as client or customers?”










