BasTalk - everyday at work!

And I'm back. It's Season 4! BasTalk continues its journey in 2023 with a new season and episodes. This year I have incorporated feedback from listeners and made subtle changes.  Leadership Studio: executive interviews from top leaders globally. What they say vs. what they mean: episodes will now incorporate a little fun element. BasTalk on  LinkedIn Live, Swell, and, if time permits, on...

Disclaimer: The information provided in BasTalk is intended to offer general guidance, insights, and entertainment. The podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, whether it be related to a career, personal life, or any other field. Copyright: All content, including but not limited to text, images, audio, and any other form of content associated with BasTalk, is protected by copyright la...

An Eagle doesn't need to explain to a Crow why soaring is better than stooping.  Soar high.  #2023 Join me in this season finale, where I share thoughts on an interesting introspective exercise Continue,  Start. Stop. for 2022- 2023. What are you going to take away from 2022? How will it be any different in 2023? What bad habit will you stop? Tune in to Bastalk.

10:10 Messi and Argentina had a dream run at the recently concluded Qatar 2022 Football Worldcup. However, behind the dream are precious lessons. Whether it's leadership, team management, competitive analysis, or process management.  In this episode, I pick the top 10  leadership lessons  watching Argentina's campaign in the world cup led by the iconic Lionel Messi. Tune in to part...

10:10 Messi and Argentina had a dream run at the recently concluded Qatar 2022 Football Worldcup. However, behind the dream are precious lessons. Whether it's leadership, team management, competitive analysis, or process management.  In this episode, I pick the top 10  leadership lessons I picked up  watching Argentina's campaign in the world cup led by the iconic Lionel Messi. Tune...

Do you need to be Master Shifu to hire a Dragon warrior? Do you have the necessary skill sets to identify the next big thing?  Or are you ignorant about it? Did you reject the top talent on the planet?   If there is so much of top talent available, why do we keep hiring bad ones?  Or if we are hiring top talent, why do we still hover around 20%+ attrition year over year? If you are...

Being a people manager, you need to motivate the team to deliver the best performance, isn't it? Yet, despite best efforts, there are times when the team misses the goal. So you have a tough love conversation, a hard look at performance, and expect them to turn around. But instead, you get a rude shock from the HRBP,  who walks up to you and has a tough-love conversation; the team does n...

Being a people manager, you need to motivate the team to deliver the best performance, isn't it? Yet, despite best efforts, there are times when the team misses the goal. So you have a tough love conversation, a hard look at performance, and expect them to turn around. But instead, you get a rude shock from the HRBP, who walks up to you and has a tough-love conversation; the team does not trust yo...

Being a people manager, you need to motivate the team to deliver the best performance, isn't it? Yet, despite best efforts, there are times when the team misses  the goal. So you have a tough love conversation, a hard look at performance, and expect them to turn around. But instead, you get a rude shock from the HRBP,  who walks up to you and has a tough-love conversation; the team does...

As people managers we often spend copious amounts of time managing the beta's in the team, leaving the alphas to do their magic, don't we? What if they turned up one day and said, we don't need you? Have you given that a thought? If not, tune in to this episode of BasTalk, where I discuss  how to manage the alphas in your team,  how to keep them motivated? how to challenge them to do bet...

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...

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 wal...

Can you negotiate a salary or compensation when you don't have an alternative plan? What measures can you take? Does not having a plan B jeopardise negotiation leverage? Tune in to get 3 tips to manage a negotiation situation  in case you have no plan B in place. #careers, #job, #negotiations

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...

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...

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 employ...

How did it feel when you won that MVP award? I'm sure it must've felt great. And how did it feel when you were left out for the promotion over your fiercest rival? Miserable, I guess. How did it feel when you got your dream job, and what happened when you were laid off?   For many, the feeling of loss is a far stronger emotion than the thrill of a victory, because no one taught you how to cop...

Is there a Burnol for sales burnouts? Chances are, if you are reading this or about to listen to this episode, you have Sales Fatigue! Here are three symptoms: Feeling drained on Monday morning forecast call. Unable to sleep without thinking about excel sheets Fearing the following business review Sounds familiar? Wish there was a Burnol for sales burns ? Let's get to the root cause and find ways...

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 sus...

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 wan...

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 BasTa...

It's an important question, isn't it? Will you hire people who are more talented than you? If yes, how will you cope with anxiety and a latent  sense of insecurity or competition? How do you identify top talent? What happens when a top talent challenges your belief system? Fight or flight? What is your response?. Or is it dodge and reject? Tune in to this episode of Bastalk where I share &nbs...

Did you spot the right trainer?  If not, the results could be disastrous.  Besides not yielding the proper return on investment, Instead of helping the team, it could confuse them.

What works better - working for a big brand or a small company? The answer might surprise you. People often think of it as a no-brainer. Join a big tech company, and the rest of it takes care of itself until they get jolted out of their silly perceptions. Likewise, some think working at a startup is the easiest thing to do until the paycheck gets delayed ten days and your bank  account is dep...