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Measuring Knowledge Work in Hours
Since the who's who of the corporate world is singing praises about hard work, I want to put on record that I agree with them 100%. But the problem is that we immediately translate 'hard work' into 84 hours, 96 hours, or 120 hours a week. So before...
Recent Posts
You Will Never Feel Ready – Take the Shot Anyway
All my life, for any big goal I set my eyes on, I always felt underprepared and under-confident -- be it an exam, a job, or a startup. I never felt...
Why Articulation Matters More Than Performance
The last few days, my wife has been busy writing recommendation letters for her junior IAS officers applying for Fulbright and various other...
Why Struggle Never Ends – Even After Success
There is a 99% chance that your struggles will never cease, no matter how successful you become. But this can't be true! What if one achieves...
How the Need to Fit In Shapes Our Choices and Behaviour
An ex-colleague used to show up at work with a Tumi bag. When I learned how atrociously expensive these things were, I asked him, "Why did you buy...
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Why Prestigious Jobs Still Leave So Many People Unhappy
About half of the IAS/IPS officers who reach out to me ask me about career opportunities outside the Services. Of course, there is an obvious self-selection here (why else would they reach out to an ex-Civil Servant). Yet, the number of...
Early Struggle Is Not a Signal of Failure
During my tenure at McKinsey, a new colleague got started at the Firm. And in the initial days, this person really struggled despite a stellar academic background. The work in consulting is often ambiguous, and no matter how intelligent you are, it...
Why a Packed Calendar Is Killing Your Productivity
A packed calendar seems like the ultimate productivity hack. Yet, it is a terrible idea. Here is why. When your calendar is packed, your mind feels a time scarcity, as if someone is constantly whispering -- "Hurry up! There is not enough time."...
When Bad Luck Turns Out to Be a Blessing
In the 2008 financial crisis, most of my MBA classmates working in Wall Street lost their jobs. The rout started with Bear Stearns going bankrupt and ended with Lehman Brothers' collapse. When the first set of layoffs happened, we felt terrible for...