Outrunning restraints

 As we marked the sad one-year anniversary of the pandemic earlier this year, the talking heads spoke of “pandemic fatigue” and “Zoom fatigue.” Understandably so. We had grown tired and frustrated seeing our freedoms restricted at random, especially when we hear of people in positions of authority granting themselves exemptions.

Of connections, coincidence, and karma

 It’s amazing how, in our personal and professional networks, lines diverge and intersect again, sometimes after years of zero interaction with people. You never know where your next lead comes from, who is connected to whom and when you meet again. It’s a fascinating dynamic, and I have seen many

Watching the Clock

 Photo credit: Evert Akkerman The end of the year is usually the season for all kinds of joyful stuff, and in many organizations this includes performance reviews. You know, the annual ritual dance that most participants dread – appraisers as well as appraisees – as it tends to represent a

Poking the Hive

 In this era of elevator pitches, sound bites and speed networking, you might think that everything in life has become instant, optional, superficial and fleeting, including our connections. Everyone seems to be overwhelmed and in transition, so there is no time or need to grow deep roots anymore, right? The

Why the Best Fit May Not be your Best Bet

 Hiring the right people is critical for a company’s future. Having been in HR for years, I’ve seen many examples of flawed hiring practices, with employers hiring people because ‘We had a good conversation and we liked him’. Other reasons I heard: the candidate ‘seemed like a nice guy’, ‘I

Killing the Goose

 What continues to puzzle me is the human compulsion to ruin a good thing by wanting too much, pushing too hard, poisoning wells and destroying resources. Among the root causes are recklessness, opportunism, arrogance, greed and folly. An unfortunate aspect of human nature is that, often, enough is not enough.