I was teaching a Management Course for the last four weeks now and everyone agreed that we could do better in the area of active listening.

Listening is a under-developed skill for the majority of professionals and managers.

We always have to have a say when simply the answer can be found in listening with intentions.

​80% of conflicts and misunderstandings can be prevented and resolved by simply listening with the heart and mind together.

We do not have to win every argument or be the last one to say something marvelous. We don't need to be 'the smartest person' in the room either.

We don't need to boost our ego for senseless showmanship. 

I heard one person talked about using 'verbal judo' in dealing with difficult people. 

I would say, try the active listening jujitsu first and see the difference.

What could possibly go wrong?


When vaccines are in short supply while thousands get infected everyday with the new variants overwhelming the health-care system...

When officials implement draconian measures to curb the transmission without due regard of rights, equity, and fairness and apologize with tears afterwards..

When science-backed findings do not get into the policymakers' heads.. or when science is distorted to reflect reality and not the other way around..

When simply going about your ways as if the COVID19 doesn't exists is a form of escape..

Where are the best minds in our country who can help out right now... 

Perception is reality.

When the government says that it's under control, it doesn't mean that it's all under their control.

What can possibly go wrong when everyone conforms to the desperation and no one appeals for collective wisdom and an enlightened approach?

In your organization, are you just adhering to the instructions or are you actually listening for what is not being said? Can you make an intelligent analysis and come up with suggestions when others act on the basis of fear? 

What's the name of your game? What business are you in?

Let's start with McDonald's. You might think that they're there for flipping burgers and selling $1 coffee. Think again. They hold the best real estate everywhere they go, all over the world.

If you're on-purpose organization is about saving the world, think again. There's no such thing as saving the world in general terms and hope that it sticks. The more precise you are about you're raison d'etre, the more power you have to bring your mission out into the world.

Focus on what you are built up to do, not what you are tempted to do. 

Focus on external impacts for your main customers/clients. You exist to give value, no less than that proposition.

What differentiates with you from other organizations doing the same things are you values, ethics, and culture. 

These three things permeate all throughout the organization, creating tremendous impact on your bottom lines and your impact achievement. 

Name your game and be ultra-excellent in carrying out your mission, that no one can ignore you!
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Tired of wearing mask? I hear you.

I was talking to a colleague from Australia last week.

She said that in her country, they are required to wear mask everywhere at a 250+ rate of new infections a day. While I said, I was driving by a lake last week for a presentation, people are enjoying every inch of the beach space. No mask at all.

There is a dissonance between what the public health authorities are asking everyone to do and what people are doing otherwise. People go to the beaches, enjoy public events and restaurants, avail of health services, and outdoor sports and recreations, like they used to.

The fatigue in keeping the rules of social distancing and wearing masks is a social phenomenon. There is a certain limit to how far the public can keep up with restrictions in the name of collective public safety, health, and well-being.  The social deviance is a response to this but there are deeper factors at play. 

It is beginning to show that individual registers to risks and rewards are very different and sometimes, antithetical to the establishment. In fact, I would surmise that instead of being able to curb out deviant behaviors through fines and penalties, it will rise up as force to reckon with. 

How much of what is perceived are purveyors of real risks? How much is pure fluff and can be dismissed as overreaction? 

Perception is reality. Perception is the only real thing. 

How do you manage remote teams and ensure that productivity and quality work are guaranteed?

There many ways to do that:


1. Communicate the outcomes needed to be produced on a weekly basis. Know what each of the staff will be delivering and give them the timeline to accomplish those.

2. Make regular check-ins to see how they are doing. Some would be sick and will be self-isolating and some will not be able to work at all due to childcare issues and other reasons.

3. Get a standby roster of contract staff that you can use in emergency situations. Let me them know that you might need them to complete a certain task, or a project that needs their expertise and skills on a short-term basis.

4. Confine your communication to a few emails per day. Too many communications can make them feel overwhelmed as a single email can have several agenda on it.

5. Create a tier of managers that staff can communicate on a regular basis. Even yourself can fall sick and not be available for days. Have a list of other people to connect with so that information flows smoothly. 

6. Empower them to make decisions at their level. Give them permission to make some mistakes as things are fluid and that today could be different from yesterday and the day before. Scheduling can be done online and let people know what's the best time to for the online meet. 

7. Take time to celebrate remote staffs' achievement by giving them regular feedback about their work. If they are doing well, let them know. If they are struggling, let them know you are available to support them. Remote work is tough and the first few weeks could be slow crawl for some.

I hope these are helpful. Stay healthy!

I don't know who started this in the provinces but travelling outside of the Canadian province which you are based on, can get you to be quarantined for 14 days too not just for international flights.

This policy is part of the 'overabundance of caution' that propels everyone to do the self-isolation without feeling the symptoms from the COVID-19 virus. They said that the symptoms can surface within 4-5 days after travelling and it is prudent to stay at home within those days.

The part that struck me the most was the information being peddled around that children can supposedly 'carriers' of the virus without them getting sick or feeling sick. How can one determine that unless the child has been tested officially? How can one say that the child can be a carrier so social distancing is no longer an option but a must? What is the best scientific evidence behind this assertion? 

Testings are those who are considered vulnerable, have history of international flights to areas where the virus is prevalent or exhibiting symptoms of the disease. For regular folks who are not feeling it, it is just best to do social distancing and refrain from going to crowded places where exposure is high. With this, only through testing can you officially know that you are positive or negative. 

People are dying with regular flu, other communicable diseases, and illness from cancers, hyper-tension, lungs, and liver complications. These diseases are the underlying causes of deaths from COVID-19 where seniors, small children, and people with complicated health issues are the most vulnerable.

We cannot be too blind and ignorant to follow anything that is said on the media or told by our relations. We have to question the premise and see if it fits the overall evidence paradigm presented to us by the public health authorities. 

We cannot allow paranoia to creep into our strategies to curb out the spread of the virus. We should stop hoarding and stop panic buying so that those who are in real need can get their supplies without hassle.  

The ugly head of division, hatred, and exclusion, and anti-Chinese statements are coming out now and we need to put a stop to these fear-based reactions. 

You cannot lead from a fear-based perspective.