Tillitonse - A Transformational Journey Together

Do you ever wish that you could go back and begin afresh with someone? I just did…WOW! What an energising experience! I have known Shankar for over a dozen years as a colleague. While we did not work on the same projects, our paths intersected ever so often providing multiple opportunities to get to know each other. I did…somewhat…..Shankar has recently taken over as the Managing Director of an exciting new venture. I was very pleasantly surprised when he reached out and asked if I would be interested to support him as a coach/mentor.  In our first meeting, he suggested that we walk and talk. And, so began this new journey. As we paced on a cool winter morning in Delhi, the layers started peeling. And in that hour, I really got to really KNOW Shankar!  Curiosity and empathy were the foundations from which the questions emerged and I was amazed to learn about so much about what makes him tick. Pieces of the jigsaw fell into place and my admiration for his im...

The first time you see Hari, you can’t miss the prominent ‘Namam’ on his forehead. It’s tempting to categorize him as a proud Brahmin with all the usual behavioral traits one associates with someone who displays his ‘religion’ so prominently….. A decade ago, we had worked together and while I can’t say I knew him very well, I was always impressed with his sincerity and willingness to learn. So, a few weeks ago, I was delighted  when he asked if I would coach him. (He is looking ahead two years down the road when his current project ends and wants to invest the time now to better prepare himself for the future – and this investment includes doing an internal deep dive to figure out what he truly wishes to focus on and what capabilities he could start working on now to get there!) Coaching conversations often tend to have a life of their own. There is something magical that happens when two people are truly connected. This journey of co-creation is exhilarating and...

“WE INVENTED TIME…AND THEN BECAME A SLAVE TO IT…..” Can’t recall where I heard this a few weeks ago, but it stayed with me ever since. Indeed, its quite something how we tie ourselves down feeling the pressure of time! Most of it ‘self-imposed.’ For instance, I found myself criticizing a young person who had recently graduated from college and in my opinion did not seem in a ‘hurry’ to get a job or move on with life. Then, a thought occurred. If this person had taken a year off before his final year in college to explore or do anything else, I would have lauded him. So, what has changed – just a year…..actually, it’s not even that. It was the ‘event in time’ – the graduation – that made me so dramatically change my mind. Hmm…….So today, I told myself, to hell with ‘time.’ Or rather, to hell with being tied down by a plan, a routine etc…..I spent this morning with one of my oldest and closest friends – Anita, who was visiting from the US. Anita and I were classmates in sch...