This is the 100th edition of "Elephant in the Room", and my most personal. It's the story of survival in face of uncertainty. Edition 100 is about the year that forced me to learn the difference—and what actually kept me intact when everything felt uncertain.
The Waiting Room We Never Left
"What if a demon were to creep after you one night... and say, 'This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more...' Would you throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse that demon? Or would you answer, 'Never have I heard anything more divine'?" - Friedrich... Continue Reading →
Wondering If You Should Follow Up After Interviews? Here’s The Answer.
Radio silence after an interview? Should you follow up? Or will it make you look desperate? I wrestled with this myself this year, sending dozens of follow-ups and tracking the results. My finding: while silence usually means rejection, there's a crucial 20% upside you're leaving on the table if you don't act strategically.
Finding Happiness in Everyday Monotony
I explore why happiness proves elusive even as you conquer your goals. We expect life to be full of purpose, meaning and passion. What we face is incessant monotony. How can we find purpose, meaning and happiness? I ponder at length.
Why Preparation Beats Planning
I posit that there are 4 broad modes in which you approach life. The mode you operate in makes all the difference. Also, why preparation always beats planning.
3 takeaways from Adolescence (Netflix series)
I talk about ADOLESCENCE, the new rage on Netflix. The series speaks about a critical social issue: the radicalizing influence of social media on children, particularly boys.
Best Practices for Communicating Layoffs
I talk about the best practices for communicating layoffs. I talk about the common pitfalls to avoid, and suggest a few precautions to do it with least friction. I conclude with a template of prerequisites for layoff communication.
Finding Purpose Beyond Work
“What do you do?” How many of us simply announce our profession in response to this question? Work is so central to our identity in the world today that this seems natural. If you identify yourself closely with your work, that’s great. But, for many people, work is simply a means to pay their bills.... Continue Reading →
Four Common Fallacies in the Marketing World
Like any other line of work, the marketing function too is prone to logical and cognitive fallacies. While there may be many more, the following 4 fallacies occurred most often in my marketing years. Feel free to write in the comments about the fallacies you encountered the most at work. Let’s dive in straight. 1.... Continue Reading →
How Social Media Changed Politics
I analyze how social media has changed politics and political campaigns. I argue that while social media has enhanced the freedom of expression, it has also created ideological echo-chambers. I borrow ideas from Jonathan Haidt, Neil Postman and Richard Hanania to build my case.
Musings by Madhav 