The SunilD Show: Recent Episodes
Sunil Dias
Welcome to The SunilD Show. A daily look at things that make your life and work better. We talk about a variety of topics. From building a better version of yourself. Personally or in your job. Or building a better business.
Business leaders are always on the lookout for potential superstars in their team. Employees with the mettle to become future leaders and even the future CEO of the business. But identifying these future leaders is difficult. Nurturing future superstars takes time and effort.
So, is the answer regular appraisals? this podcast episode looks at an alternate system to identify those elusive superstars.
In tradition organizations power distances are high. Employees had two unwritten rules. One- ‘speak only when spoken to’ and Two- ‘the boss is always right’. But, now some next-gen leaders believe in going in the opposite direction. So, what’s the correct way? As with anything, extremes aren’t great. In this podcast episode lets explore the middle path.
You have a clear vision for your business and know what to do to get there. But somehow your employees are not in sync with you. But can a few changes make your business an irresistible magnet for the right professionals? And make your current employees Superheroes?
This podcast episode looks at ways to do just that!
Organizational culture is important. All high-performing companies have a unique and differentiated culture. It’s difficult to grow sustainably without great organizational culture. So, what is this mysterious culture about? How do you create a great culture?
In this podcast episode lets look at how an orchestra (yes, an orchestra!) can teach us important lessons on building a great culture.
Inducting a new employee is a difficult task. So, how do you convert your new recruits to star employees? In today’s podcast episode I am going to share 6 pointers to reduce the time it takes for a new employee to start adding value.
Conflict is common in workplaces. Employees have issues with each other. Departments point fingers at other departments.
Conflict is great. Not something to be swept under the carpet. Yet, left unresolved, there’s nothing worse. So, how do leaders resolve conflict? In this podcast episode, I am going to share a 4-step conflict resolving method.
Businesses survive on paying customers. All functions within a business, directly or indirectly, serve customers. Yet, it’s the Sales team that contributes most to customer experience. They’re ambassadors of your company. And contribute significantly to how a customer perceives your business.
So, how do you ensure that your sales team keeps hitting your targets? In this podcast episode, I will share 7 tips to build a high-performing sales team.
The previous generation often stuck to one job, not because of a great sense of loyalty. It was more from a lack of viable alternatives. So, if sticking to one job is not loyalty, what is? In this podcast episode, lets looks at some signs which show employees loyalty.
How does a leader decide how much detail to get into? And when to zoom out for a bird’s eye view? How does a leader differentiate between important details and the fluffy stuff? In today’s podcast episode I am going to attempts to answer these questions.
Leadership is being a recurring theme in my podcasts. Today I will be talking about 'Autocratic Leadership'. There is no shortage of autocratic leaders in the world today. This podcast will revolve around one question that is ‘Does autocratic leadership work best?
There are bad leaders, good leaders and great leaders. In your case, it's likely you’re either a good leader or a great leader. What differentiates a good leader from a great leader? Very many aspects. In this podcast episode, let's look at 6 vital signs of a great leader
Our workday is chaotic. And now that we have stepped-in into the ‘New Normal’ that is Work from Home or remote working we find ourselves more in chaotic situations. You often wonder how the day went by so quickly. With so many things still pending, you have a nagging feeling that you really didn’t do too much. Despite being really busy.
So how do we make our day more efficient? In today’s podcast episode let’s look at a few ways to bring in efficiency. So, you have more time to spend with your family. And have more time and energy to follow those pursuits which you keep postponing.
A strategy is a terribly misunderstood term. All the management gurus seem to have a different definition of Strategy. Instead of exploring those, in today’s podcast episode I am going to discuss what Strategy isn’t. With the intent to bust the 9 strategy myths which will give us a clearer understanding of Strategy.
We make a lot of decision in our personal and professional life. Some decisions are routine, simple to make and are well supported by information. Others are more complicated. There is information and analysis to support the decision. Yet, somewhere deep down you are inclined to make a different one.
Call the feeling gut-feel, intuition, instinct, or judgement- all the same. So how accurate are our gut-feelings? That’s important to know since they play a part in many major decisions. In this podcast episode, I am going to tell you how much we should rely on our gut-feelings while making decisions. And what to be wary of while making such decisions.
For most of us, a sense of control over our destiny is a necessary ingredient of a happy and contented life. And the good news is that the more we perform some actions, the luckier we get. Think of them as good luck charms.
In today's episode will talk about 4 good luck charms to make you luckier.
There are a couple of things we learn when young that impact our behaviour both in personal and professional life.
The first, say out loud the nice things, don’t say the not-so-nice things. The second, when we join a work environment, everyone tells us that we need to be professional. In other words, caring more about the process rather than the person. These can result in significant dissonance. The dissonance between what we think and what we say.
In today's episode, I am going to talk about the significance of being frank and forthright.
Click the link to Know more about Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.
https://www.amazon.in/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509
Being busy is now a badge of honour. “I’m really busy” almost always has a tinge of pride. Perception of success is directly proportional to our busyness.
Being busy can be energising. Yet, being busy can result in a ‘good tired’ and a ‘bad tired’. You are ‘good tired’ when you’re ‘productive’. And ‘bad tired’ when just busy, not productive.
In this podcast episode, I am going to share some signs you’re being too busy.
It's nice to be nice to others. It feels really good when you are able to help or direct people.
What doesn't feel good is being taken advantage of.
In today's episode, I am going to argue Why it pays to be nice and how not to get taken advantage of.
Knee-jerk reactions have become common. We react based on our current emotions, and often, regret the reaction later. Often, it’s an angry reaction to what someone says. Sometimes, it’s a decision made hastily. Knee-jerk reactions are based on the emotions we feel in response to current events. Most often, anger, anxiety or fear.
Knee-jerk reactions are easy! Electronic communication channels have made us fast and furious. Face-to-face meetings are reducing. Snail mail is dead. So, the window of opportunity to think and reflect before reacting is now miniscule. In this episode I am going to discuss five tools to deal with knee jerk reactions.
We are often stuck while making tough decisions. You’ve looked at options and supporting data. You’ve talked to people for guidance. Yet, you can’t seem to pull the trigger and take that final step of deciding.There are upsides to taking time to make decisions. You have access to more information. You have time to do more analysis. You have time to talk to more people for their views. Yet, delayed decisions can cause problems and cost you money. It can bring your business to a grinding halt.
So, when do you know that you’ve spent enough time sitting on a decision?
There are some subjective indicators that you’re taking too long in your decision making. And that you need to decide now. In this episode I am going to discuss three decision making indicators which will help you decide in a better way.
It’s funny! The most important decisions or actions we need to take usually get postponed the most. These are the activities which have the greatest potential to have a multiplier effect. More impact for same effort over the long run. There are several tips to ensure your critical work gets done first. Yet, our problem is that we often don’t accurately identify critical activities and decisions.
In this episode I am going to discuss six ways to identify whether an activity is critical.
We deal with plenty of potholes on our roads. In life too, there are some pothole strewn phases. Where things are bumpy and it’s difficult to move forward. There’s a sense of monotony and predictability to life. Motivation and productivity go steeply downhill. While potholes in our personal life are frustrating, we pass them sooner or later. But businesses can also run into potholes. Some common potholes include stagnating sales, low employee morale, and unhappy customers. Business potholes are more difficult to pass by than personal ones.
So, what should you do if you find your business stuck in a never-ending stretch of potholes? In this episode I am going to talk about the six ways to pass the potholed stretch, and get onto the silky-smooth highway to success.
We’re often dumbstruck by the stupid things smart people do. For instance, how can a smart person park their car on the corner? Don’t they know it is going to obstruct the movement of other vehicles? Slightly less often, we realize that we’ve also fallen for the stupid trap. We do things which in hindsight seem stupid, at best. It’s possible that we fall into the stupid trap more often than we realize. Well, it’s a bit easier to see stupidity in others!
So what causes smart people to do stupid things? And how do we prevent ourselves from falling into this stupid trap? In this episode I am going to talk about the four causes and 3 ways to avoid the stupid trap.
We’re often advised to stay positive. To keep our chin up when adversity strikes. There are many books and quotes telling us that being optimistic is the answer to all our problems. ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people, do’, for example. ‘Nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing’. There is merit in what all these people say. But are there any downsides to positive thinking? Surprisingly, there are several!
In this episode, I am going to talk about some of the upsides of negative thinking. Or let’s call them the positives of being negative.
When was the last time you were negotiating? Is it when you started a new job or when you got a promotion? Or was it more recent–maybe in an email or at a conference? If you think about it, we're always negotiating! Negotiating shouldn’t be treated like a game where one party wins and the other loses. Treat it like a puzzle. Good negotiation is like solving a puzzle together.
In this episode, I’m going to talk about a simple approach to negotiating better.
Is there someone you look up to with awe?
Who inspires you to think or do something you otherwise wouldn’t have?
Who ticks several of the boxes of the type of person you would want to be?
We’ve all had a number of these people, They are the ‘Role Models’- in our lives.
A Role Model could be a business leader, a teacher, a writer, a sportsperson or a celebrity. And nowadays, ‘influencers’ on social media.
Role models are people we admire and want to emulate because they embody an ideal. We want to model our lives on them. We all need a little inspiration. And since role models inspire us to be better, it's great having one. Yet, conditions apply! There’s a dark, sinister side to having role models.
In this episode, I am going to talk about the 7 rules to follow when you have role models.
An invisible and elusive enemy has hit the Pause button in our lives. Every aspect of our lives has been disrupted. It’s an uncertain time. But worrying isn’t going to help. To lift everyone’s somber mood (including mine!), we are going to look at some positive data. Not data about ‘positive cases’ which you’ve probably had your fill of! But positive data which shows how super our lives are. Compared to any other generation.
In this episode, I will talk about 7 reasons to stay positive in these viral times.
How do you get more time out of your day? We always complain about not having enough time. Or not able to finish the task at hand. If we see we have 24 hours in our hand, out of which we spend 8 hours sleeping, an hour and a half in meals and an hour for our ablutions. We have around 14 hours left. That’s 840 minutes or 50,400 seconds. 50,400 seconds are a lot, yet we starved of time. We get our self-stuck in ‘Timewasters’.
In this episode, I’m going to talk about these big timewaster culprits. And explore a simple solution to get away with each timewaster.