Worklife Episodes

Welcome to another exciting episode of BasTalk! In this episode, I dive into the world of 1-on-1 meetings with your boss, exploring 10 effective strategies to make the most of these crucial interactions. From "The Shawshank Alignment" to "The Matrix of Communication," we'll walk through these approaches that will leave you feeling empowered and ready to conquer any 1-on-1 challenge. So grab your popcorn, tune in, and let's unlock the secrets to mastering the art of 1-on-1s with your boss! Don't ...

Last salary? Well, let's just say my salary was like a Bollywood movie - a lot of drama, not much substance, and definitely not worth the price of admission! Recruiters asking for my last salary? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was a job interview, not a Bollywood film where my financial history is the main plot twist! The question of whether or not recruiters should ask for a candidate's last salary is a contentious one. Now, I know what you're thinking - what does Bollywood have to do with salar...

Unlike the Bourne Identity, Twitter may never get to know what it really is, or was? If a loss making company lays off 50% of it's staff, and restructures its infrastructure - what's wrong you'd think? The question to answer is: how did we get to this point in the first place? Poor governance of some, can't become the bane of thousands! what happens to those "productive"employees who are mentally broken? what happens to fake profiles? what happens to privacy? how will $8 change/address any thing...

How much raise do you expect? The usual. The usual? Yes, 30%. Errm, but who said it was usual? -- That was an excerpt from an honest conversation about pay hikes. In this episode, I dive deep into the complex world of pay raises and employee expectations. As always, expect to hear a straightforward free-flowing narrative that explores all three proverbial sides of the story. I will walk you through some common perceptions, notions, and perceived realities to help you decide your next pay hike mo...

Many speak about being this picture-perfect image of a leader, full of poise, calm and collected, yet vulnerable, sensitive, and thoughtful, all critical traits of a successful leader, aren't they? Then you paddle, waddle, flip-flap, slip and trip, walk, talk, think, and plan about the next survival plan. The optics are terrible. Hours turn to days, days to quarters, huffing, puffing, pulling, and pushing through a difficult situation, and someone you can't stand asks how you are. You think I'm...

You are in a meeting. Yes, the same one you were in, the same time last week, yes again, the same one you were in at the same time, the week before! You've heard the message before, and you're pupils begin to dilate. You hear what's being said, but it's not registering in your head. Then the manager turns towards you and asks a different question! You are jolted. The mind is blank. Are you not listening? Asks the frowning manager. The people around the table are staring at you. And your mouth is...

Your honeymoon is over! How many times have bosses said that to new employees? How many times did employees get a chance to reply? And if they did, guess what the employee would like to say in return? What goes around, comes around! The curious case for moonlighting: simply put, it is a situation where an employee chooses to work for another organization simultaneously while being gainfully employed. Sounds unfair, right? Or is it fair? Let us examine this from both points of view, that of the e...

Shhh... quiet quitting now? Why should I give more when I'm not paid more? Why ask for more when you can't give more? Why quit when I'm delivering what I'm supposed to? Quiet Quitting the term might be new, but the phenomenon is old. It's been happening since Adam and Eve. In the modern workplace, burnouts are real. They happen quicker than the previous generation. Is extreme performance sustainable? What's wrong with employees scaling back from that extra work or stretch project? So, then are w...

Age is just a number when you are in your 20s; by the time you hit the 30s, it asks some questions, and in your 50's, you are known by the number more than the person you are! So why is age such a significant factor in the typical workplace? If you are competent, qualified, and able to execute the job well, what stops you from being gainfully employed? Turns out, people want to hire younger people at a lower cost. So what's wrong with that? Were you not hired over someone older when you were yo...

You wouldn't need to travel too far to find someone complain about their boring job, isn't it? What does an exciting mind do with a boring job? Does it get bogged down or does it make the job exciting? Are jobs supposed to be exciting? Where do you find excitement? If these questions float in your mind, then this episode will surely resonate with you. Tune in to this episode of BasTalk where I share a reality check about finding excitement in your boring job! #jobs, #worklife , #excitement

A typical Startup Founders dilemma #23: having conviction vs being in denia l! Some founders are blessed with the gift of the gab & over time they begin to view their own BS as the real deal. This is compunded more in nascent organizations, because no one questions them. So what happens? They succumb to confirmation bias. A tendency to search, interpret, and out logic people in a way that confirms or supports their own preconcieved notions, make it sound real and present it as the only truth. Gr...

Pressure and burnouts are real in modern corporate workplace. What do you do when you find yourself under the pump and not enough energy to keep going? Yet peer pressure and fear of failure add to the pressure to perform even when mind and body are not up to it. Fatigue sets in and you find yourself dragging to work on Monday morning. So what do you do? Join me in this fascinating episode of BasTalk where I share 3 ways to deal better with mental fatigue and burnouts. #workplace #burnout #fatig...

When was the last time you felt spoken down by a senior? Telling you that your logic stood no chance over their logic? Or when was the last time you felt frustrated unable to get your point across to your boss? Today, yesterday? Or everyday? If that's true, you are not alone facing the person with a god complex. Simply put , people with god complex have some of the following attributes: Low attention spans Sense of entitlement Over estimation of own talent Believe to be superior than others Love...

The first hundred things you hear when you fail are cliches. People make sure to console you in person, compounding the message in your head. You analyze, think and rethink what went wrong and then lose confidence, doubts creep in and mentally you are in a dark space with no way out. Question : Can you avoid failures? Answer : No. But you can deal with it better. Join me in this Gyanbite#56 to find 3 ways to tackle failures. #mentalstrength #failures #success

Given the recent admission of Tennis ace, Naomi Osaka, it opens a can of worms where a world of extroverts define the norm. Sensitive ,quiet and shy people are often referred as Softies, yet as it turns out, they are some of the strongest and most resilient of the lot. In a world where over communicating ,over stating, going over board with your thoughts and ideas seems like the new normal, someone who speaks softly ,is reserved and waits their turn is often considered incompetent. In this epi...

Are you being crappy trying be scrappy? Are you being Scrappy for the heck of it? Are you hiding beneath the garb of being Scrappy while in reality you are just being crappy? Are you trying to hide poor quality in lieu of moving fast? Many start-ups use the term be scrappy and get on with it. Yet, being scrappy does not give you the permission to be sub par in your play. So how do you strike a balance and maintain quality? Join me in this episode where I share some insights into quality managem...

Recently I was trolled over an article I wrote over a social media platform - this episode is an attempt to share insights which are often missed in words. Anyone who comments on a social media has been subject to a trolling incident somewhere or the other ,yet when you dive deep you find that trolls generally never take the time to understand someone else's point of view simply because either it does not correlate with their or they are simply ignorant. So this episode goes out to the trolls an...

Its so easy to criticise and so difficult to compliment someone isn't it? When was the last time you walked over to the support staff who work tirelessly behind the scene to make sure your work goes off smoothly , and thanked them for their support? I'm guessing not any time recently. So join me in the episode where I share experiences on criticisms and compliments at the workplace. #office #officeculture #workculture #compliements #brickbats #criticisms

When was the last time you called your teacher and thanked them for their contribution in your success? Do you need to wait for September 5 to do that? Join me in this episode where I share 3 scenarios from our education system and its impact on our lives. #teachersday #education #life.

In Sales, be unstoppable. But how? By breaking down mental barriers. Join me in this "salescast" which is dedicated to tech sales folks around the globe fighting each day to hit forecast. Every salesperson worth their quota needs to hear this one! For all those Sales leaders who lead sales teams, this podcast is for you to listen and share with your teams.

Most people leave their jobs because in their view, they are over worked and underpaid. Of course there are many other reasons, like bad manager, colleagues or ecosystem, but money by and large seems to be the biggest driver. It is also true, once you do land a new job, some newer problems come along with some same old earlier problems, isn't it? So, now you are in a fix. What do you do? Should you have remained in your current role? Join me in this #bastalk where we explore all the answers and ...

Yes, you read it right. The COVID University of People Management.What did we learn from this University? Tune in to find out what the professor of COVID university is trying to teach us about democracy in the country and it's similarity to your workplace. Hop on to the Omnibus now and listen to the latest #bustalk

Much like parenting, shaping careers is tough. This podcast is for leaders and leaders in waiting to get a sense on some of the key skills to develop,enhance or correct. It shares insights into ways you sculpt a team for success.

Think of nasty bosses. Sometimes at work, wouldn't you love to give it back instantly when you get hit? Instant Karma! But, what if you can't ? What happens when you may need to grin and bear it? Join me in this #bustalk where we talk about ways to better manage your cravings for an instant-karma.