The Monday Morning Conference Call is Scene 1. Client (USA): “We need clearer action points and responsibility for every deliverable!”Team (India/Philippines): “Yes, yes… got it.”Client: “So, who owns what, exactly?”Team: [Long, courteous silence] “We’ll talk about it internally and get back to you.”Client: “Hold on, what does that mean?”Team: “Yes.”Client: “What do you mean by […]
(Why the most important talk at work is also the one people try to avoid the most) Scene 1: Meeting Room 3B on a Monday morning Manager: “We need to talk about feedback.”Team Member: [Heart rate goes up three times] “Uh-oh.” “Am I getting fired?”Manager: “No, I’m just giving you some advice to help you […]
“Hey, do you ever feel like you don’t have any energy?” That’s how a recent talk with a 42-year-old IT project manager started. He grinned a little and said, “Spark? I’m just trying not to become too tired. This is something that people in IT, banking, media, BPO, finance, and entertainment are saying in boardrooms, […]
“People used to live through wars. Now we get anxious when an email is late.” I heard this snarky comment in a leadership workshop once, and it sums up a rising fact about our times: Our ability to handle stress and bounce back from setbacks is getting worse very quickly. Even while workplaces are getting […]
Scene 1: A modern office on a Monday morning Manager: “Hey, do you have time for a quick call?”Worker: “Of course.” Right after my wellness session, stand-up meeting, LinkedIn post, two team syncs, and coffee catch-up.“Next year?” asked the manager. Welcome to the age of distraction, where being “busy” is a brand, multitasking is a […]
The First Scene:The Office of Malevolence (A regular morning on a Monday). (The coffee maker is moaning, the printer is yelling, and the ghost of perfectionism is hovering.) Boss: “What gives this report its 99% accuracy rate?”“I didn’t know we had to check the alignment of commas,” the employee explained to the supervisor.We do, Boss. […]
The Stockdale Paradox: A Lesson in Hope and Survival The “Stockdale Paradox” is one of the most profound lessons about how to be strong that Admiral James Stockdale, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than seven years, taught us. It is simple but deep: Have the unwavering faith that you will […]
In his books “Mastering Emotional Intelligence” and “Navigating Through Emotions” Dr. Pratik P. Surana discusses the “Goldfish Syndrome” and how manipulative leaders use their followers’ emotions to their advantage. Our Collective Memory and Its Discontents Throughout my years of observation, I have noted how leaders who are adept at manipulating others can effortlessly influence their […]
We live in an interesting time when two worlds come together every day.On one side, we have Gen Z—the digital natives who were born into a world where Wi-Fi is oxygen, cellphones are like extra hands, and information moves quicker than dinner table talks. Their parents, employers, and leaders are on the other side. They […]
The Boiling Point: When Economic Despair Turns into Emotional Revolutions By Dr. Pratik P. Surana, Author of Mastering Emotional Intelligence and Navigating Through EmotionsWhen Empty Pockets Turn Into Loaded Guns In my presentations and publications, I’ve mentioned many times that emotions are the real money of the world. When emotions crash, they don’t just cause […]
