Employee Experience

🏃♀️ Imagine a study on marathon performance that doesn't mention some runners are carrying 50-pound backpacks. That's the 2025 Women in the Workplace report from Mckinsey and LeanIn 60 pages on why women "want promotions less." Zero mentions of childcare, eldercare, or the invisible second shift. Their own data shows women and men are equally committed to their careers, over 90% on every measure. Young women under 30 has even more ambitious than young men. Latinas are the most ambitious group in the entire study. 🤔 So where does this "ambition gap" come from? Buried on page 10, in a small box, they note that women who decline promotion cite "personal obligations" at nearly double the rate of men. Then they move on. No follow-up. No analysis. No asking the obvious question: What are these "personal obligations"? 💔 I'll tell you what they are. 👉 They're the 2am feeding before your 8am presentation. 👉 The school pickup that can't be rescheduled. 👉 The elderly parent who needs a doctor's appointment during your board meeting. 👉 The mental load of remembering everyone's everything while being told you "lack ambition." The report measured ambition without measuring the invisible infrastructure women are running at home. 👉 Here's what the report should have asked: ⁉️ Do women with equal childcare support want promotions at the same rate as men? ⁉️ Do women with flexible work arrangements show the same career drive? ⁉️ Does the "ambition gap" exist in countries with subsidized childcare? (Spoiler: Research says no, no, and no.) Instead, they concluded women are less ambitious and moved on to solutions that don't address the actual problem. This isn't just a missed opportunity. It's a misdirection! ❌ Because when you diagnose "ambition gap" instead of "care gap," you get solutions like "women need more confidence" instead of "workplaces need to stop penalizing caregiving." You get women blamed for systemic failures. 📊 Here's what an honest report would say: ✅ Women aren't less ambitious. They're doing two jobs while being evaluated as if they're doing one. ✅ The workplace wasn't designed for people with caregiving responsibilities. It was designed for people with wives. ✅ Until we redesign the system, we'll keep "discovering" that women don't want what men want, when really, women just can't afford what men take for granted. That's exactly why we built "From Hidden Talent to Visible Leader", because the women I work with aren't lacking ambition. They're lacking a system that sees their full contribution. Next cohort starts end of Jan 2026. 👉 Join the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/gx7CpGGR 👊 Because women don't have an ambition problem. The workplace has a measurement problem, and it starts with reports that count everything except what actually matters.

IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) CRISIS WASN’T IN THE SKIES. IT WAS IN THE LEADERSHIP CABIN. Three things stood out. One: Employees were left alone to face furious customers. No leader should ever let that happen. If you don’t stand by your people in a storm, don’t expect them to stand by your customers in the sun. Customer experience collapses the moment employees feel abandoned. Two: In any crisis, honesty is the only strategy that works. This time, the communication wasn’t transparent. When leaders hide the full picture, years of goodwill can disappear overnight. A crisis can earn trust, but only if you tell the truth. Three: The belief that “we are too big to be ignored” has ended more companies than competition ever has. Customers always have a choice. And if they don’t, they will create one. We shouldn’t watch the Indigo crisis like spectators. This is a reminder for every leader to build their own crisis blueprint. Because crises will come, when they do, your response becomes your reputation. There is more to business than profits. There are people, trust, and how you show up when it matters most.

Change my mind: #Architecture is becoming decentralised, and the role of architects is quietly evolving. Over the past few years, I witnessed many more teams owning their architectural decisions. Not because architects are less valuable, but because speed, autonomy, and local context matter more than ever. That doesn’t mean we no longer need architects. It means the role is shifting: From design authority to coach. From gatekeeper to enabler. From owner of decisions to facilitator of good ones. Probably not in every company or industry, but I’ve started to see architecture teams more like security teams: small, agile, scaling through others by enabling teams to make decisions within guardrails that are clearly defined and regularly revisited. Some might see this as a loss of control. I see it as a sign of trust and a powerful opportunity to have broader impact. Curious to hear from others: Are you seeing this shift too? How are architecture practices evolving in your company? #architects #distributedsystems #teamtopologies #future #tech

I just watched a brilliant young mind quit after his first performance review.  The system didn't fail, it worked exactly as designed. And that's the problem. A close friend's son called me yesterday asking for advice. This kid has always been exceptional - top of his class, and one of the most hardworking young minds I know. He joined a company last year, excited to prove himself. His first performance review just happened. They put him on a PIP for "team collaboration issues." Here's what actually happened that past year: + On-time, flawless project delivery. + Zero complaints from stakeholders. + Often stayed late to get things right. But he wasn’t loud. He didn’t hang around in Slack threads and coffee chats or networked just for the sake of being visible. He focused on the work. And that somehow became a problem. When he called me, his voice was shaking. "I keep questioning myself. Maybe I really am terrible at my job." Just imagine an A-player, now doubting his entire future because our review systems punish introverts, misfit metrics, and non-traditional brilliance. I told him what I'm telling you: You're not the problem, kid. The system is. Four decades in this industry, and this still breaks my heart every time.  We're crushing exceptional talent with processes designed for a different era. We measure yesterday's activities instead of tomorrow's potential. The best leaders understand that real performance happens in real-time, not annual reviews. They coach continuously, celebrate wins immediately, and address challenges before they destroy confidence. ✅ Netflix eliminated performance reviews entirely.  ✅ Adobe replaced them with ongoing conversations.  ✅ Google shifted to quarterly goals with continuous feedback. These aren't experiments, they're competitive advantages. While traditional companies waste months on review documents nobody reads, smart organisations invest that time in actual development conversations that drive results. We need to replace annual reviews with monthly check-ins that matter. And most importantly, replace the assumption that people need to be "reviewed" like products with the understanding they need to be supported, challenged, and trusted to grow. That young man will find a company that values his work ethic over his small talk skills. His former employer will keep wondering why they can't retain talent while using the same broken processes. The difference will transform one organisation and devastate the other. So, stop managing performance like it's a quarterly report. Start enabling it like it's a human being's career and dreams. #performancereviews #thoughtleadership

Lowe's is quadrupling down on creators but with a unique spin. The home improvement giant just launched a Creator Program that’s already attracted 17,000+ creators—from DIY niche stars like Chris Loves Julia to the king of YouTube himself, MrBeast Now the MrBeast partnership is a big time paid collaboration, where Lowe’s is becoming the exclusive building partner for Beast Games, providing all of the materials and labor to build BeastCity. But their broader creator program is not built around fixed fee paid partnerships, but rather a tiered system where creators can earn based on performance. Here are the deets… 👉 It’s an open invite system and doesn’t require creators to produce a certain amount of content or number of posts  👉 There’s no guarantee creators get paid; the program operates on a tier system 👉 Creators have the ability to make custom storefronts with recommended products, and receive a 20% cut of any sales generated 👉 All creators who are part of the program also get product samples, training resources and a range of opportunities to help grow their businesses.   👉 Creators who performs best will receive additional perks and incentives, like project funding, long-term sponsorships and exclusive access to events like the annual Lowe’s Creator Summit Lowe’s is just one of many brands exploring a performance based system, where creators can earn either through direct sales (affiliate) or for hitting benchmarks. The sales side of that equation is fairly straightforward, you sell product, you make money. The problem for many brands is that this requires creators to actually be able to make meaningful income to stay in it. And for many brands, that is not a realistic outcome, given most sales don’t happen with direct attribution (creators get no commission). Which is where the tiered system comes into play - it’s not just about sales, creators can earn by hitting benchmarks. That could be engagements, views, clicks, number of posts, etc. I anticipate a large number of brands will try to implement this tiered structure in the coming years. And my advice for them is this… 1️⃣ Spend real time stress testing what type of incentives make any sense for the creators, because just like affiliates if they can’t make real money they will abandon ship.  2️⃣ Don’t expect significant gains in year 1. You are investing for the future and year 1 is more about learnings than outcomes 3️⃣ If you are going to do it, really do it. One foot in and one foot out is a guarantee of failure. If this is something you are just adding on to your next influencer campaign with little thought then just don’t bother. I’m happy Lowe’s is going down this path, and the fact that they are spending huge dollars with big creators in tandem with the incentive programs shows that it’s not just about efficiencies in affiliate. They believe in building a long lasting community where the relationship is beneficial for them and the creators.

I have a DEI secret… And it’s a big one. Ready? The accommodations I make for my neurodivergent team members… Also benefit my neurotypical team members. Ground breaking, right? 😏 I hear a lot about companies pushing back on accommodations, but I thought I’d show you just a few of the simple things we do here. I’ll use myself as the example, and let you see how it helps everyone. 👉 I like to sit on my legs and fidget in my chair. ✨ So we’ve got comfy chairs, wider than your standard office ones, for everyone. 👉 I regularly forget my breakfast or lunch. ✨ So we keep a fully stocked drinks fridge and snack cupboard. Open to everyone. 👉 Sometimes I find the main office overwhelming when I’m trying to focus. ✨ So we created two quiet workspaces in different rooms. Everyone can use them when it all gets a bit much. 👉 I used to get anxious about calling in sick and having to justify it to my old manager. ✨ Now? Just send a text. No explanations needed. If you say you’re ill, that’s enough. Applies to everyone. 👉 I had a habit of staying too late, sometimes working 3 or 4 hours longer than I should. ✨ So we finish at 4pm. And we mean it. Everyone is made to down tools and heads off. No late-night badge of honour here. I could go on, but you get the idea. There’s really no excuse not to make accommodations for your ND teammates. Because when you do… It makes things better for everyone.

Atlassian has been fully distributed for almost five years. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve learned a lot about how to keep teams thriving across time zones—and we’re applying those insights every day.  ➡️ Asynchronous work: Async tools are at the core of how we operate. Confluence is our virtual hub where we share stories, celebrate new hires, and collaborate effortlessly. We also use Loom to share videos and give feedback on our own time—avoiding those dreaded “this could have been an email” moments. In fact, we’ve saved nearly half a million meetings using Loom! ➡️ Designing workdays: We’ve learned to structure workdays for focus, collaboration, and meetings (only when absolutely necessary). Teams work across no more than two time zones, ensuring at least four hours of overlap to get things done together. ➡️ Intentional connection: Data shows that real connection happens when teams meet regularly—not sporadically in an office. We provide Intentional Togetherness Gatherings (ITGs), curated experiences, and focused in-person time to collaborate. ➡️ Adapting for different needs: It’s not one-size-fits-all. For example, new hires and grads often benefit from more frequent in-person meetups, so we make sure to offer opportunities for them to connect early on. https://lnkd.in/g2sSbe3v

Just by being Black, the level of latitude you're given for behaviour – especially behaviour deemed "bad" – is often completely different. The consequences are harsher and the scrutiny is sharper. Take disciplinary matters, for example. Black employees are often judged more harshly for the same behaviours as their white counterparts. A Black professional might be labelled “difficult”, “angry”, “intimidating”, or “unprofessional” for expressing frustration in a meeting, while a white colleague might be excused as “passionate” or “assertive”. You know the type of comments – “Elizabeth is just expressing how she feels,” or “Johnny was just a bit hot under the collar.” The disparity isn’t just anecdotal – it’s backed up by research into workplace racial bias. Then there’s career progression. Black employees are frequently held to higher standards to earn the same recognition. Feedback like, “You need to prove yourself more” or “be more of a team player” is often levelled at those who have already delivered exceptional results. Meanwhile, others are promoted based on potential or likeability rather than consistent performance. Not sure if this is (or has) happened in your workplace? 1) Look at patterns in employee relations cases – Are Black employees disproportionately disciplined or receiving harsher feedback compared to their peers in similar roles? 2) Examine promotion criteria – Are Black employees expected to overperform just to be considered for opportunities, while others get ahead based on vague ideas of potential or even subpar performance? How do performance and potential ratings for Black employees compare with others? 3) Observe how behaviours are labelled – Is there a difference in the language used to describe similar actions? Are words like “angry” or “unapproachable” disproportionately applied to Black colleagues? For Black women, how are their traits described compared to non-Black women? For Black men, what “advice” is given under the guise of mentorship to ensure they aren’t perceived as “intimidating” or “scary” – particularly when they express frustration or anger? To address this, the first step is noticing the patterns (or not dismissing or acting defensively when it’s pointed out), the second is to question and avoid making assumptions that it is an “unfounded accusation” and the third? Well, that’s up to you. You can either take action or ignore it. I say that only because too many organisations are still struggling to get past the first step 🤷🏾♀️ 📹 Sterling K. Brown

ESOPs don’t always work, but when they do its magical 5000 Swiggy employees made around 9000 crores in the IPO Some would have made 100 cr plus Many many more would have made 10 cr plus Life changing money for most people and will enable risk taking and another 100 plus startups from this set If you are evaluating offers from startups with significant ESOP component, this is how you should evaluate it For an employee to make meaningful money through ESOPs, 2 things must happen: - Growth in company value - Employee friendly ESOP policies that ensures employees make money when company grows a) Growth in Company Value This is where employees need to think like investors Just like investors are particularly wary of what valuation they are coming in, entry valuations should matter for employees too ESOPs are allotted basis the current valuation The likelihood of a 10x growth in your ESOPs if you are joining a startup valued at 100 million $ is much higher compared to joining a startup already valued at 5 billion $ A 75 lakh ESOP allotment in a 1000 cr valued org with chances of a 10x growth could be a better offer than 2 cr ESOP allotment at a 20000 cr valued org with lower chances of future growth The second thing to judge is the business model and the likelihood of the business to grow( very important for Seed/Series A/B startups) b) ESOP Policies The startup ecosystem is full of stories where employees didn’t make money despite the company growing and having multiple liquidity events. Swiggy, Zomato are examples of great ESOP policy. Many companies have extremely shitty ones Here are the things that should matter most while evaluating policies: 1. Vesting Schedule: The standard is 25% vesting after every year. Any schedule which has higher vesting towards the later years is a red flag Vesting should never be performance linked If performance is bad, it is management’s responsibility to fire 2. Vesting on Leaving/Startups Exit: If you exit, you should retain all options that has vested If a startup gets acquired before all your options vest, there should be accelerated vesting 3. ESOP Communication: There should always be written communication( preferably through ESOP portal) Verbal communication for ESOPs is a huge red flag 4. Strike Price: Strike Price should be as low as possible( Re 1 ideally). This maximizes the value creation for the employee 5. Holding/Exercise Period: Converting options to shares is a major tax liability exercise. With limited exercise period, it becomes impossible for employees to exercise as it means paying up to 40% real taxes on notional capital gains in an asset class that is not liquid Ideally, holding period should be infinite for vested options, even after exit This enables employees to wait for liquidity events without incurring upfront taxation to be paid out of own pocket

Leaders' overreliance on "DEI programming" is one of the biggest barriers in the way of real progress toward achieving #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion. Do you know where these events came from? The lunch and learns, cultural heritage celebrations, book clubs, and the like? Historically, these were all events put on by volunteer advocates and activists from marginalized communities who had little to no access to formal power and yet were still trying to carve out spaces for themselves in hostile environments. For leaders to hire figureheads to "manage" these volunteer efforts, refuse to resource them, and then take credit for the meager impact made nonetheless is nothing short of exploitation. If your workplace's "DEI Function" is a single director-level employee with an executive assistant who spends all day trying to coax more and more events out of your employee resource groups? I'm sorry to say that you are part of the problem. Effective DEI work is change management, plain and simple. It's cross-functional by necessity, requiring the ongoing exercise of power by executive leadership across all functions, the guidance and follow-through of middle management, the insight of data analysts and communicators, and the energy and momentum of frontline workers. There is no reality where "optional fill-in-the-blank history month celebrations" organized by overworked volunteers, no matter how many or how flashy, can serve as a substitute. If your workplace actually wants to achieve DEI, resource it like you would any other organization-level goal. 🎯 Hire a C-Level executive responsible for it or add the job responsibility to an existing cross-functional executive (e.g., Chief People Officer) 🎯 Give that leader cross-functional authority, mandate, headcount, and resources to work with other executives and managers across the organization on culture, process, policy, and behavior change 🎯 Set expectations with all other leaders that DEI-related outcomes will be included in their evaluation and responsibility (e.g., every department leader is responsible for their employees' belonging scores and culture of respect in their department). 🎯 Encourage responsible boundary-setting and scoping of volunteer engagement, ensuring that if Employee Resource Groups and DEI Councils/Committees want to put on events, it is because they are energized and supported to do so—not because they feel forced to run on fumes because it's the only way any impact will be made. It's long past time for our workplaces' DEI strategies to modernize away from the volunteer exploitation of "DEI programming" toward genuine organizational transformation. What steps will your leaders take to be a part of this future?