This time of the year is the annual performance review cycle for many organisations. Having witnessed and participated in these reviews over three decades, I sometimes wonder about their actual contribution to performance improvement. What happens in most performance reviews? We do a self-review and then sit across the table with our supervisor. A form […]
How Much Space Does “Me” Occupy?
Looking in the mirror is a natural human habit. We don’t usually think about it much until it becomes an obsession. But many times, how we look physically, intellectually or as a leader or manager can dictate our daily lives. In my opinion, it can also become the biggest obstacle to a fulfilling life. So, […]
The Risk of Assumed Safety
The Gul Plaza tragedy is first and foremost a human loss, one that cannot be reduced to analysis, frameworks, or commentary. Our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy. At the same time, such incidents force reflection. Not the official or judicial inquiry type reflection – those are required and must happen to […]
When Authenticity Becomes a Career Risk
I had an interesting conversation with someone who has recently left their full-time job for an entrepreneurial venture. This person shared something profound. That he left his job, not because of workload or pay, but because he was tired of pretending! Many workplaces are highly political and filled with people wearing masks. These carefully crafted personas […]
Durability Is Not a Bug — It’s a Choice
Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I remember the first air conditioner to arrive at our house was this heavy “window type” model. People from my generation would remember, since it was the only model around at that time 😊 It lasted forever without gas leakages every 5-6 months, unlike today’s models, and we […]
In Defence of Having No New Year Resolutions
I do not have a new year resolution to share. In fact, I have no resolutions at all! If we are alive and reasonably healthy, the years coming and going do not really matter. We tend to treat life like a sealed exam; time is up, answers written, no revisions allowed. But life behaves far […]
Leading Without Noise: The Strength of Emotional Discipline
I was in a meeting recently where voices slowly began to rise. Disagreement turned into argument. Argument turned into noise. A few people tried to calm things down, and then, almost quietly, they became part of the noise themselves. I stayed mostly silent. But it stirred something in me. Because I have been there, more […]
Untapped Potential: How Pakistani Businesses Fail Their Young Workforce
Almost 65% of our population is under the age of 30. That is not just a statistic, it ought to be a national asset! Yet, almost every day, I come across poor young people in their 20s working in factories, retail shops, restaurants, car workshops etc. They are often underpaid, unseen, and written off as […]
When Gender Bias Becomes a Business Risk
Sometimes, the solutions to our problems are so obvious that we fail to see them. One such problem I observe is when I sometimes have the opportunity to attend management meetings in local businesses in Pakistan. I instantly notice the absence or minimal representation of women. Beyond the social and macro-economic implications that have been […]
The Invisible Growth That Actually Moves Us Forward
Most of us grew up with a very one dimensional idea of “growth”. More revenue, more clients, more employees, more products. Simply more of everything! In my consulting work, I often see businesses pursuing growth in numbers without a solid business model. They replicate mediocre solutions and copy paste strategies to show growth in revenue, […]
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