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How Seniority Can Hide Incompetence
I once knew a guy who had spent decades in investment banking and had climbed up the hierarchy but he was clueless about finance and deal-making. I often wondered how he got there. My guess is that in many organizations, if you don't antagonize the...
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The Power of Small Actions
Every time you innocuously glance at your WhatsApp or Instagram, you are building a habit. Every gratifying action builds a habit -- no exceptions....
Why Big Organizations Struggle While Startups Thrive
Big organizations can't compete with startups having 1% of their resources. Not because they have too few people (or resources), but because they...
Focus Sprints with Breaks: Secret to Productivity
When I do focus sprints, I have found that the key to productivity is taking frequent and generous breaks. Here is what works for me. 1. Since I...
Purpose Destroys Procrastination
Even the most hardcore procrastinator forgets to procrastinate when a family member falls ill. They run around like crazy to provide the best...
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Work Culture Differences
While talking to someone who moved from India to Europe, I learned that in Europe, if the work ends at 6 pm, you can't schedule a call at 7:30 pm -- people are fiercely protective of their time. But on the flip side, people take their time...
‘Focus Dens’ in Offices for Deep Work
Whenever I worked out of a client site at McKinsey, I used to look for a closed room where I could close the door and work with complete focus. I may sound like a misanthrope but I promise you -- but it was worth it. 😃 I once took over a project...
We don’t need long hours to be productive
Conventional wisdom states that, as an entrepreneur, I should be slogging 12-16 hours a day. Yet, on any given day, I never exceed 4-5 hours of real work. Of course, I work beyond that as well – e.g., on administrative work, emails, etc. But I...
Beat Decision Fatigue by Building Habits
Imagine this: Every morning, when you get up, you have to take these decisions: 1. Should I brush my teeth? 2. Should I take a shower? 3. Should I meditate or do some yoga? 4. Should I do some walking or running? Or maybe gymming? 5. Should I write...