Understanding Human Psychology

Most conversations start off with "How are you?”..“I’m fine.” How many times have we had this conversation in our everyday? We say “I’m fine” so casually that sometimes it has almost become an automatic response. But when someone asks, “How are you?”, I think there are actually two questions hidden inside it. How are you physically? And how are you mentally? In today’s times, when there is so much stress in the environment in which we operate, I wonder if we should be checking the second one a little more often. How are you doing today? How are you feeling? What kind of mindset are you carrying into this conversation? How is your day looking? What do you want this day to bring to you? These questions may take a little longer to answer. Allow the person to ponder more. But maybe that is the point. In our work conversations, we often start with small talk. And small talk is not a bad thing. It is often the door that opens a conversation. But somewhere, we have started making it so r...

Are You Scanning the Boundaries of Your Work? I was reminded of something very simple the other day. Someone who works at my home was talking to me about something that came up, and she casually mentioned, "You know, if the house help doesn't come, there are now mobile apps and online services where you can call someone for even one or two household tasks, or for the whole day. There are different packages available." I stopped for a moment. She knew. She was aware of what was changing around her work. She knew what her alternatives and competition could look like. She knew that the way people get household help is changing and that there are new options available. And I thought — isn't that exactly what we mean by scanning the boundaries of our work? Whatever field we are in, there is a world around it that is constantly changing. New technology, new ways of working, new competitors, new expectations, new skills, new tools and sometimes completely new ways of doing t...

I often wonder who reads my blogs. I write because I genuinely love writing. I enjoy putting a thought together, reflecting on something I've experienced, or simply sharing an idea that has stayed with me. Yes, I post them on LinkedIn and sometimes on other social media platforms, but I have never really written with a very deliberate goal of making the blog popular or turning it into something commercial. So, naturally, I have wondered many times "does anyone actually read them?" And then, one day, at a family gathering, something happened. A very distant relative met me and, after the usual greetings, she suddenly said, "Hey Shazneen, I love your blogs! I follow them on one of the platforms you post on. I actually read them. They give me some great new topics to think about and some interesting insights." I was honestly flattered, because someone had praised my writing and that too someone I least expected was quietly reading something I had been putting out i...

  There is something interesting about growing older. When I was younger, I thought getting older meant losing something, youth, time, perhaps even a little bit of the excitement of life. Today, I look at it very differently. With every passing year, I seem to understand myself a little better. I have more experiences to look back on, more people to remember, more relationships to value, more lessons that were not taught in any classroom. And strangely, life seems to be getting more exciting, not less. Maybe it is because I am becoming more comfortable with who I am. As years add, I'm doing more exciting work professionally. Challenges keep the interest and curiosity burning. I don't feel the same need to explain every decision I make. I don't feel the same need for everyone's approval. I have become more aware of people, situations and the realities of life. I can see that not everything is black or white. Some things need patience. Some need firmness. Some need you to...

I have often heard people say to me, "How do you get it all right?" How do you manage a child and your career? How did you do your PhD while working? How do you study, work, write a book, keep learning, and still manage your family? How do you make your child study while managing your own work? Sometimes I smile because the question itself assumes that I have figured out some secret formula. I haven't. In fact, I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect work-life balance anymore. I think it is more about work-life integration. The boundaries are not always clear. While helping my child study, I may also have my laptop open. While working, I may take a call from home. While I'm at work, I may suddenly wonder whether my child has reached home or what she must be doing at school. And when I am finally in bed, supposedly in my "personal time", my mind may already be planning what needs to happen the next morning. That's life. We try so hard to sepa...