Standardise and elevate people experience at GSK, globally. My team and I work at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology to improve how our employees perceive services from HR. This helps GSK  fulfill its purpose unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GXO - Global Experience Owner | Human Resources 

DXC Technology

As global head of Operational Excellence at DXC Technology I lead a team that is committed to help DXC deliver on it's promises. 

My team helps improve and simplify DXC's delivery to client. We aim to prevent projects and engagements running into trouble and if they land there then we do what we can to recover. We also relentlessly apply Continual Improvement across the organization and establish compliance to all key quality, information security, and business continuity standards.

Director - Head of Operational Excellence 

As global head of quality at DXC, my team and I, strive to help DXC keep its quality commitments to customers. We do this with sustained focus on:

- Process, Tools, and Metrics
- Standards, Audits, and Certifications
- Business Continuity and related Compliance
- Process Improvement through Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma, and Automation
- Performance reporting and workflow tools to simplify processes.

We are here to make an impact. 10x or more!

Director - Global Head of Quality and Continual Improvement

At DXC I lead the Delivery Excellence team to assure world-class delivery to clients, globally. 

DXC is the world's third largest IT Services Firm with over 100,000 employees and $20bn in annual revenues. More on DXC at https://www.dxc.technology/ 

I lead a global team to improve and simplify DXC's delivery to client. We aim to prevent projects and engagements running into trouble and if they land there then we do what we can to recover. We also relentlessly apply Continual Improvement across the organisation and establish compliance to all key quality, information security, and business continuity standards.

Global Head of Delivery Excellence

I lead a team of transformation specialists at the Global Delivery Services (GDS)  of EY. My team of 100+ is spread across locations in India, China, Philippines, Argentina, and Poland. We undertake high impact projects to significantly improve the capabilities of GDS to help EY create a better working world. 

We manage a multi level improvement projects architecture including Kaizen, Six Sigma, Lean, Automation, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) and Maturity Frameworks.

Transformation Director | Global Delivery Services | GCC Locations

HSBC

At HSBC I managed the offshore Process Re-engineering and Implementation team based in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Together we delivered large and high impact process improvement projects for the bank, globally. We delivered over $100 m in impact over 2016-17. 

As a program leader I also lead the Waste Elimination and Robotics (RPA) programs across HSBC global operations.

Head of Process Re-engineering and Implementation | GCC Locations 

Process Consulting is a part of the Global Change Delivery function at HSBC. Our team manages large high impact process improvement projects globally. I am currently leading transformation programs in Insurance and Retail Account Servicing.

Vice President - Process Consulting

ANZ Support Services

As Vice President - Business Excellence (Retail, Commercial, and Wealth), my role is to develop and deploy plans for achieving key operations excellence goals including productivity, utilization, turn-around time, accuracy, cost, and customer satisfaction. This includes programs to improve accuracy, reduce waste, cross-skill staff across teams, establish customer centricity, and improve productivity using a unique mix of Kaizen, Rapid Root Cause Analysis, Lean, and Six Sigma projects. As part of the leadership team I also lead change programs.

Achievements and Highlights 
•	Over 15 % improvement in productivity and  customer satisfaction 
•	Over 50% reduction in errors from priority teams 
•	Over 50% improvement in staff committing zero errors for a month 
•	Completed improvement projects leading to savings of over 50 staff 
•	Global trainer for ANZ's flagship operations excellence program with Cranfield University.

At ANZ I have realized my passion for leading teams to make a positive impact.

Vice President - Business Excellence | GCC Locations 

Infosys Technologies Ltd

As Principal - Quality Programs I head Infosys's Business Excellence program globally.  This includes driving beneficial change across business units and enabling functions, nurturing a global team of senior examiners, and leading over 25 assessments annually.  I also mentor select Lean Six Sigma projects.

Principal - Quality Programs

As Principal - Quality Programs and earlier Program Manager, my role was to lead a significant change program across the organization. This program, based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) of the USA, was designed to measure and improve management performance across Infosys. This included developing business excellence criteria, training and coaching examiners, conducting assessments, and presenting results to the board.

Achievements and Highlights 
•	All key units achieved a 600+ points goal during the three year program 
•	Conducted over 25 assessments annually and shared insights with senior leadership 
•	Developed a solution for to balance budget and benefits for a global marketing campaign 
•	Trainer for Six Sigma and Infosys Quality programs 
•	Managed Infosys' Customer Satisfaction Measurement and improvement program in 2007 
•	Won org-wide Excellence Award in 2007 and the best Quality program in 2008.

At Infosys I honed my passion for the Malcolm Baldrige framework for performance excellence.

Program Manager - Quality

Qimpro Consultants

As a COO, BestPrax and Business Leader, Qimpro Consultants, my role included consulting for key clients and managing the BestPrax Club.  Most client engagements were long term change (MBNQA/Deming) assignments linked to improvement in business metrics.  Others included training on quality and creativity tools. I also did business development, alliances, product development. 

Achievements and Highlights 
•	Trained over 1000 quality professionals across over 25 clients 
•	Clients included companies from the Aditya Birla, ICICI (Insurance), Reliance, and Tata groups  
•	Co-authored the International Quality Maturity Model for change management assignments 
•	Developed new businesses including Six Sigma, Best Practice insights, Courseware sales, etc.

I joined as a Consultant and rose to Principal Consultant.

Business Leader

MindaRika

Assisted in up gradation of ISO 9002 to ISO 9001.
Developed and conducted training modules on QS 9000.

Quality Assurance Engineer

Raymond Limited

Conducted several productivity improvement projects in manufacturing.
Conceived, designed, developed, and managed training for 3000 workmen in less than 100 days.
Managed stores and purchasing co-ordination including sanctioning indents.

Junior Officer

Global Head of Operational Excellence @ DXC Technology | Business Process Transformation and Mid-Career Coach ✅

With about 30 years in transformation, innovation, quality, and simplification (TIQS ✅), I work at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology to drive long term and beneficial change for large global organisations. 

I am currently the Global Experience Owner (GXO) for People Services at GSK. We aim to standardise and elevate the experience of our employees, globally. I am bringing better tools and methods including real uses of Artificial Intelligence to improve the day to day and longer term experience of our colleagues. 

Earlier as the Global Head of Operational Excellence at DXC Technology, I lead a global team to simplify and transform DXC's delivery to customers, deploying works class processes, ensuring compliance, continuity, and improvement.

I am also an ASQ Fellow since 2013, a LinkedIn Top Voice since Jan 2022, and a mid-career coach, who loves to share my knowledge and expertise with others. I have taught quality principles, methods, and tools to over 10,000 professionals, and helped my clients win several quality awards, including the Deming Prize. I have also led initiatives that generated over $250 million in benefits, focusing on composite outcomes around revenue, cost, customers, and employees. 

My mission is to make an impact and to lead people to deliver 10x results.

----
I have spoken at over 100 companies in 15+ countries, including Amdocs, ANZ Bank, Birla Group (25 Units), HDFC Bank, Hindalco, HSBC, Indian Navy, ISRO, Infosys, One.com, Reliance, Tata Management Training Centre, and more.

Also been a guest or keynote speaker at ISB, IIM Raipur, IIM Lucknow, Symbiosis, IIT Ropar, Somaiya, Christ College, GIBS, Alliance University, BITS Pilani, and many more.  I also run a LinkedIn Live show called ManageBetter, a YouTube channel, and a podcast series. The Live show is over 100 shows.

Excellence and Qimpro Foundation have been inseparable since the late 1980s. And last week was one more such celebration,

On 14 November, Qimpro celebrated distinguished professionals who have made Quality happen. 

35th year in a row.

Qimpro Gold Standard 2025

Business: Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & CEO, Marico Limited

Education: Mr Nilesh Nimkar, Founder Director (CEO), Quality Education Support Trust (QUEST)

Education: Rashmi Misra, Founder President, VIDYA Integrated Development for Youth and Adults

Startups: Dr. Vaibhav Tidke, CEO and Co-Founder, S4S Technologies

Healthcare: Dr Rachita Dhurat, Organising Chairperson, Trichology Update, Professor & Head Department of Dermatology, LTM Medical College & Hospital

Qimpro Platinum Standard 2025

Education: Dr Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder & Trustee, Ashoka University

Healthcare: Dr Dr. Shekhar Bhojraj, Founder, Past President and Chief Trustee, The Spine Foundation

This mission is a lifetime of effort of Suresh Lulla, founder of Qimpro. And it was inspiration from Dr J M Juran that led to these awards to celebrate individual excellence. 

Jigisha Lulla, CEO of Qimpro Foundation manages the rigorous selection process and the event each year.

I had the honour of serving on the panel this year as a Trustee of the Foundation.

The event this year was attended by distinguished guests and past winners. Some prominent names include 

Dr Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Pro Chancellor, Symbiosis International University, 
I V Subramaniam, Managing Director, CEO & CIO, Quantum Advisors Pvt. Ltd., Burjis Godrej, Executive Director & COO and Head - Business Development, Godrej Agrovet Ltd, Dr Dr. Narayan Hariharan Ph.D, Faculty Mentor & Visiting Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Amrita Sadarangani, Senior Director & Head, Ashoka Global Research Alliances

Other trustees at the event included Surendra Baliga and Nita Luthria Row

A celebration of excellence.

Who would you want to see on the awards list next year? 

🏆

Anshuman Tiwari

AI for Awesome Employee Experience | GXO - Global Experience Owner for HR @ GSK | Process and HR Transformation | GCC Leadership | 🧱 The Brick by Brick Guy 🧱

What can a 5 time World Chess Champion and a legend teach you about managing people?

Last week, I had this rare opportunity to be in the audience with the Legend Vishwanathan Anand. 

And since I had a front-row seat, Anand was sitting 2 ft away. And I remember shivering. The man who single-handedly brought down the Soviet/Russian dominance in Chess and turned India into a superpower was sitting next to me. 

He is a shy, introverted, and almost reluctant speaker. But the power of his presence and achievement is such that you listen. 

What did I learn?

1. It's your team
For a sport that seems 'individual', Anand spoke in 'team' mode. While I know a bit about Chess, the extent of it being a team sport was surprising. A lot of preparation goes into a game. 

2. Keep learning
What would a genius want to learn? Well, firstly, a Chess World Champion is not playing with us mere mortals. He is playing with other champions. And the game also keeps changing. So, keep learning.

Anand was clear that the game he plays today is vastly different from the game he started playing as a 6 yr old. The board is the same but the game is at another level. 
 
3. Humility - learn from youngsters
Anand was humility in action. Just the presence exuded a calm and serene outlook. Nothing was rushed. He told us how he assembled a world-class team twice in his career. The first time in 1998 Anand was the youngest in the group but the next time in 2007 he was the oldest. 

Computers had arrived big time by then, and the game had changed. Learning from youngsters is key. And today he is learning how esports streaming works. 

Chess is very predictable. No unknowns

But there was one more key lesson...

As I was sitting near Anand, the thing that amazed me was that he did not check his phone even once. He came, thanked the audience for the applause with a shy smile and a nod and took his seat. And sat exactly in the same position for the next half hour. No phone. No fidgeting. Just calm. 

And in that moment, I felt terribly ashamed. Anand surely has a busier life than any of us. And yet the calm he exuded was unreal. 

And to make it worse, the photographer has captured me on my phone and Anand sitting serenely. ☺ 

This one was special. I have never wanted to meet a movie star, really. I have met some but don't remember much, and can't recall what I learnt. The kind of people I want to meet are Anand, Leander, and Harsha. ☺ 

Have you ever been in a room with a legend and come back with lessons for life?

+++
Thanks much to HROne and Pulkit Joshi for the invitation. It was an event I will never get over. 

Photos - Evidence. 😂  And that one photo of Anand and me in the same frame will remain with me.

You need to be in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore if you want to make it big on LinkedIn. And you should be super fluent in English. SOBO style :)

Rubbish.

Shraddha Shrivastava proves this and many others wrong. 

She has built a strong following of over 100k and a business that just keeps growing. Shraddha helps clients create a presence on LinkedIn and then grow it. Most of this for B2B founders.

Shraddha has been building for 10 years. Quietly. 

Her company, Digital Height helps clients build a presence and use digital marketing to generate leads. 

We met on the LinkedIn India Creator Accelerator Program in 2022 and have stayed in touch since then. 

If you want to see a 'quiet' building, look no further. Coming from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and with English not her first language, she has fought all odds and WON.

Much to learn from such friends.

🫡  

+++
And those who did not get what SOBO is, it is South Bombay. Now you get it? 😂

I started as average in almost everything. 

Education. Confidence. Conversations. Speaking. Relationships. Work. 

And more. But I am getting better. 

Thanks to a reading habit, pushing myself into conversations, and knowing that there is a lot to improve. 

And of these three, reading is the easiest. Start there. 

Reading helps you..

1. Build a world view beyond what you know

2. Helps you think, speak, and write better 

3. Often changes something inside you. Forever.

So do yourself a favour. Build a reading habit.

If you find it tough, start with 1 page a day. And build from there.

What am I reading these days? 

Ghaban by Munshi Premchand.

A forever classic. At par with the works of Dickens and Austen. 

What are you reading this week? 

brick by brick 🧱

The joy of meeting colleagues whom you can call friends is always special. 

Sudhir Dasamantharao and Murthy SN are two such people. 

Sudhir was in Bangalore for a conference. It was a working day for me, and it was tough to step out. But where there is a will, there is a way. We met at a restaurant just 5 minutes from my home. Easy.

And Murthy joined in as a surprise.

Strangely, this was the first time we were meeting together. But none of us realised it till much later.

We are ex-colleagues from EY, but we never worked together. Strangely, that did not matter when we met. 

Sudhir and SN are both accomplished leaders. Sudhir has recently written a book on coaching. SN is very active in Bangalore. There is always something to learn from both. 

What binds us? 

Operational Excellence and Coaching. 

What I will remember from this meeting is that we met together for the first time and none of us realised that :)

Has a recent surprise meetup made you smile like this? Who was it with?

+++
Relationships are built brick by brick too.

With over 25 years of experience in transformation, innovation, quality, and simplification (TIQS ✅), I am a passionate and results-oriented leader who delivers world-class operations excellence to clients across multiple industries. 

As the Global Head of Operational Excellence at DXC Technology, I lead a global team to simplify and transform DXC's delivery to customers, deploying works class processes, ensuring compliance, continuity, and improvement. We keep our promises. 

I am also an ASQ Fellow, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and a mid-career coach, who loves to share my knowledge and expertise with others. I have taught quality principles, methods, and tools to over 10,000 professionals, and helped my clients win several quality awards, including the Deming Prize. I have also led initiatives that generated over $250 million in benefits, focusing on composite outcomes around revenue, cost, customers, and employees. 

My mission is to make an impact and to lead people to deliver 10x results.

This book has ruined more careers than it has made or saved.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

I’ve read it twice.

Still can’t figure out why it’s so widely recommended, especially for career guidance.

Here’s my take:

1. The idea that “the universe conspires to help you” sounds beautiful. But in real life, it’s your effort, not the universe, that does the heavy lifting.

2. It glorifies destiny and passion but skips the part about discipline and routine, the things that actually build a career.

3. It makes quitting your job to “follow your dream” look noble. In reality, most people can’t sustain that dream without skills, planning, and income.

4. It’s too simplistic for the messy, unpredictable nature of real careers.

5. It makes inspiration look like progress. But feeling inspired and doing the work are two very different things.

I see many mid-career professionals quote this book as life-changing and then make choices they can’t sustain.

It’s a nice fable. Just not a career playbook.

What about you? Did The Alchemist truly change your path, or just make you feel good for a while?

+
Most careers are built on grit. It's a school of hard knocks.

Work life balance is a topic where the 1% want to decide for the 99%. 😊 

The idea of work and life balance matters to maybe 1% of the world's population. But the noise this 1% makes...

I am yet to see a farmer, soldier, driver, nurse, carpenter, electrician, delivery people, retail staff, etc talk about work from home. 

All the things that make your work from home possible and a joy are delivered by people who can never work from home.

So, spare a thought for them.

Also, most work practices are a demand and supply issue. 

India has limited jobs and unlimited supply. So salaries and working conditions remain tough. Other parts have the world have limited supply, so conditions are better. 

WFH and related debates matter to us on LinkedIn. But they don't matter much for the larger and more real population.

Okay. Lecture over 😂

If everything was smooth, some of us were not needed.

Work isn’t meant to be perfectly planned and peaceful.

If every project ran on time, every leader was clear, and every system worked as designed ...

we’d all be out of work.

We’re needed because things go wrong.

Because:


Projects change direction mid-way.

Teams clash over priorities.

Processes break when scale hits.


That’s when experience, judgment, and calm matter.

So the next time you wish for complete clarity...

remember, that’s not how the real world works.

Handling chaos is the job.

🧱

#BeThatManager

The real joy of LinkedIn is not in finding jobs. It is in finding people. And Sampark Sachdeva is one such joy I found here.

Sampark and I met on the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program in 2022. And it was an instant connection. He is one of the nicest people you will meet here.

For a sales consultant, he is hardly salesy. And that is his superpower. 

After successful stints with Asian Paints, Ola, and Oyo, Sampark plunged into entrepreneurship. And this is one LinkedIn success story you need to know.

Sampark is one of the OG TopVoices on Linkedin. Before TopVoice there was a program called Spotlight. And Sampark was on the spotlight. His writing style and the work related topics he picks ensure that...

Sampark is in the room before he gets to it.  

And this has happened to him. One of his first clients for his brand management work came to him because they already knew about him. And this is the essence of marketing. 

Sampark now runs a sales training and coaching firm and a personal brand management firm. And more recently a HR consulting practice as well. All in the last 5 years.

His brand firm SamparkSeSampark is itself a brand and manages brands of many people whose content you admire on Linkedin 😉 

I fondly recall something he said when he was a guest on my LinkedIn Live...

99% of my business comes from LinkedIn with 0 marketing expense.

Read that again.

You still want to know what LinkedIn can do for you?

+++
Photo - Sampark and me a couple of years ago when he was in Bangalore. I am glad I went across the town to meet him. Delightful person to know.

The best non salesy sales trainer you will know.

I remember eagerly scrolling the Top Voice list on 25 January 2022. I was in it and wanted to know who else was....

The first name on the list was Aditi Sharma.

I know, first on the list was by virtue of alphabetical order. But that's the name I noticed first. As I read more, I was surprised to see her accomplishments at what seemed to be a mid-20s age group. 

The other names on the list were a bit older and already popular. Aditi and I were the lesser-known ones, and that helped us bond.

I will share a link to that post in the comments for your reference.

Aditi is a career coach and guide, not because she is an expert in one career line. It is because she has been working since her teens and has tried multiple careers - and excelled in all. 

So when she visited Bangalore recently and messaged me, I knew I had to meet her. I have wanted to meet all who were on that TopVoice list.

Aditi has been on Josh Talks twice. She has two national records to her name. But what's sets her apart is - she listens and wants to help. And these two qualities are enough for a coach. 

She now coaches on Resume Writing, Interview Preparation, Leadership Development, and Communication.  

I have been sharing how I met some LinkedIn celebrities over the last 4-5 years every Friday for the last few weeks. And hoping to bring more. 

Which top voice would you like to meet?

+++
Photos - Aditi and me at a Cafe in J P Nagar, Bangalore. November 2025

The story of how I brought the biggest car plant in India to a stop. And lived to regret it...

The road to Quality is not just endless; it is also a tough and lonely one. 

The year was 1997. 

I learnt the most valuable lesson in Quality management that I could.

It is finally up to us to keep the quality flag flying. Individual conviction and action matters. 

I was working with a vendor to one of India's top car makers. My role as Quality Manager included reviewing inspection results. And this is where the conflict between production and quality takes seed.

We had a major order to be shipped, and production was in full swing. I was in full swing too. These heavy production days are a nightmare for quality managers. Production wants all batches passed and wants it done - Fast.

And 'fast' is not something I have ever been accused of. 😀 

I checked all production lots diligently, and the worst fears of the management came true. I rejected one full batch. And this batch was ready to be shipped.

As expected, chaos followed.

I was asked to change my recommendation and let the batch go. I did not budge. The pressure increased, and finally, the Head of Production spoke to me. 

I relented and let the batch pass.

It was shipped. And as expected, the parts failed the test on the assembly line. The customer, India's biggest car maker, rejected the whole lot. Entire lot of 3 days of production. 

The car plant was almost shut down. And I was to blame. 

And as expected, the Head of Production and other senior managers just looked at me. I had been put under immense pressure, and now it was my fault.

We managed to rescue the situation by having our staff inspect the entire lot individually. We lost the rating we had, and for 6 months, we were not part of the just-in-time program - a flagship and respected program. 

That was the day I learnt the biggest lesson in Quality Management.

Courage. And Conviction.

Had I stood my ground and not passed the lot, the subsequent chaos could have been saved.

And since that day I have tried my best to not back off when our quality was poor. Never.

What is the one lesson from your early career that shaped how you work?

🧱

Most of us hit mid-career, thinking we should have figured life out by now.

But mid-career is messy. Your responsibilities grow. Your confidence swings. And suddenly everyone around you looks smarter, faster, clearer.

In times like this, a good book can give you clarity and courage.

Here are 5 books that can genuinely help you navigate mid-career.

1. Crucial Conversations

Mid-career is full of difficult conversations. With your manager. With peers. With your team. This book teaches you how to stay calm, stay curious, and say what needs to be said.

2. Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

At this stage, careers are judged by outcomes, not intentions. Execution teaches you how to bridge the gap between ideas and action. A must-read for anyone who wants to be known as someone who gets things done.

3. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

The skills and habits that got you promoted may not take you further. This book helps you identify blind spots, course correct, and grow into your next version.

4. Grit by Angela Duckworth

Mid-career goals are long-term. Promotions, influence, mastery, credibility. Grit reminds you that passion plus perseverance beats talent. A powerful mindset if you are playing the long game.

5. Mindset by Carol Dweck

A fixed mindset holds many people back at this stage. A growth mindset helps you embrace learning again, see feedback as fuel, and stay adaptable in a fast-changing workplace.

For learning skills quickly when your plate is full and time is tight.

Mid-career is not a crisis. It is a reset.

Which book helped you the most in your journey?

++++
I try and share a book review or list every Monday. Follow Anshuman Tiwari if you like to read or want to start reading better (not more or faster).

5 Books That Help You Navigate Mid-Career Reset

Difficult colleagues are not going away.

You just get better at handling them.

We all meet these characters at work.

- The colleague who never replies on time but always complains when you miss a deadline.

- The idea-stealer who suddenly finds their voice in front of senior leaders.

- The constant critic who points out every gap but never lifts a finger to fix anything.

- The overly sensitive teammate who takes feedback as a personal attack.

These situations get tough for a few reasons.

- We need their support to get work done.

- We do not want to escalate and look petty.

- We fear becoming the “difficult one” in the story.

Here are five ways to deal with them while keeping your sanity.

1. Keep communication written and clear. Documentation protects relationships.

2. Focus on what you want, not how you feel. Emotions are valid but outcomes matter.

3. Set boundaries early. Silence is seen as permission.

4. Loop in your manager only for patterns, not one-off irritations.

5. Stay professional even when they go personal. Your reputation is always watching.

You cannot choose your colleagues but you can choose how you deal with them.  Managing people is often the art of managing personalities, not just tasks.

What is one behaviour from a colleague that you want to handle better this month?

🧱

30 years at work. Here is what actually makes you shine.

I am like all of you. The 99%. 

We often want to learn from the 1% and apply it to the 99%. And that does not work. 

The 1% have the brains and the gift, and of course, work really hard. That's the IIT IIM gang for you. 

What about us? The rest?

We should....

1. Do the basics so well that people stop worrying about you
2. Update our manager before they start chasing you
3. Help colleagues win. Work becomes easier when people want us around
4. Give stakeholders clarity. Even tough news feels lighter when it is clear
5. Deliver quick wins. Small progress creates big confidence
6. Speak with intention. Meetings reward sharp points, not long stories
7. Take ownership when things get messy. That is where reputations are built
8. Share credit freely. It comes back in unexpected ways
9. Keep learning. Even one new skill a year separates you from most
10. Stay steady when others panic. Calm is a career advantage.

Shining at work is not about noise. It is about how people feel when they work with us.

Play well with the team. Be that player. 

What is one thing you want to play better at work this month?

+++
Photo: That's me on a long walk, not very different from our careers.

🧱

Your job is not what’s written in the JD.

Real work begins where the JD ends. In the grey zones nobody talks about.

That’s the part people struggle with… and the part that makes you valuable.

Think about it:

- When teams disagree and someone must align them.
- When the plan falls apart and someone must steady the ship.
- When a client quietly loses confidence and someone must rebuild it.

None of this shows up in the JD. But this is 70% of the job.

If you master the grey zones, you grow faster than the people who keep waiting for “role clarity.”

No one is ever 'clear'. Get things done while clarity emerges.

#BeThatManager

Conversations do not become easier by avoiding them.

They only grow teeth.

Every workplace has these classic tough conversations.

- Telling a team member their performance has slipped.

- Telling your manager their plan will not work.

- Telling a colleague their behaviour is affecting the team.

- Telling a stakeholder that the deadline needs to move.

These conversations feel difficult for three reasons.

- We fear the relationship may get damaged.

- We worry the other person will react emotionally.

- We doubt our own ability to say things clearly without sounding harsh.

Over a long career I have been in many such situations. Here are five ways to navigate them with confidence.

1. Prepare your key point. A messy mind creates a messy message.

2. Stick to facts and examples that cannot be debated.

3. Keep your tone firm and friendly at the same time. People respond to respect.

4. Listen without interrupting. Most people soften once they feel heard.

5. Close with next steps so the conversation leads to action, not awkwardness.

And to make all this work, create a safe space. If needed meet in a neutral place - not your office. That shows you are not talking from a place power.

Tough conversations are part of growing up at work. They protect relationships instead of breaking them.

What is one difficult conversation you have been putting off?

Time to talk? 

🧱

The attendance and participation certificate your kids are getting in school today, are setting them up for failure at work later.

Yes. Read that again.

Attendance and Participation in events is part of a child's job. Why give out a certificate. When these children grow up they expect a reward for just showing up or doing what is expected. 

And this has messed up the workplace big time.

We can't change how schools operate but can surely teach our children and temper their expectations.

Be that parent. 

And this holds true at work later. 

Be that manager. 

🧱

Your manager didn't support you. They didn't care for you. They didn't help you. 

You know that script...

The victim mindset script. 

Now you are a manager. Be the manager you didn't get. 

#BeThatManager

The Why What How of being an Employee Creator

We think content is for founders or influencers.

But employees who create regularly are quietly building stronger careers.

Not to sell.

To think clearly, express ideas, and build a brand beyond a job title.

Writing forces clarity. It keeps you relevant at 40 or 50 when roles shift. It opens networks outside your office. It surfaces opportunities you didn’t know existed.

What to write? Lessons from your week, mistakes, industry insights, stories, tools you use.

Start small. Post twice a week. Focus on expression, not likes.

Create to stay visible.

Create to stay future ready.

+++
I wrote a longer post on this in my now reasonably regular newsletter on Substack. Will drop a link in comments. Subscribe if you think I add value.

Visible leadership is not about grand speeches. It is about small, daily actions your team actually sees.

You don’t earn respect by hiding behind dashboards and email threads. You earn it when your presence makes work easier for others.

You don’t need another leadership model if you

1. show up when the team is under pressure
2. take five minutes daily to check in, not check up
3. recognise good work without waiting for a formal review
4. roll up your sleeves during crunch time
5. respond even when you don’t have all the answers
6. explain the “why,” not just the “what”
7. give credit publicly and feedback privately
8. step in to remove obstacles, not create new ones
9. stay accessible, not aloof
10. keep your promises, especially the small ones.

Respect is not demanded. It is observed. Every single day.

Bonus 11th point - If you can't be with your team in their hour of grief, stay away in their joy and victory also. 

I call all of this Visible Leadership. 

What is the ONE visible leadership act that makes you follow your leader?

🧱

taplio

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