Talking about productivity is a slippery slope – especially when you stoke the fire of busyness.
It’s better to say: “I’m inundated with work”, rather than admit: “I’ve time, but I am not planning on filling it”.
If you’re not working 7 days and burning 80 hours (at least), then surely you must be at a meditation retreat – not a startup.
Still, when I speak with leaders, I often hear the same thing: a version of the Pareto principle in practice: “20% of my employees are doing 80% of the work”.
A particularly pessimistic CXO recently said only 50% of his workforce is truly contributing. I was tempted to say: “You’re lucky!“
And if that resonates, chances are, you believe you’re part of that 20%. Just like everyone else reading this does.
It’s rare to find leaders who step off the hamster wheel to pause and ask: “What other ways of thinking are available to make the next part of our journey as frictionless – and as meaningful – as money allows?“
Honestly, this kind of thinking is critical for me. Because the startup I’m building depends on it. I help teams rethink productivity through the lens of mindfulness, biology, and behavioral science. After all, we make decisions and build teams with human beings.
And I depend on bold leaders who are willing to experiment with radical ideas.
So when Orotex Chemicals India invited me to conduct a two-day training session on Mindful Productivity for their next-in-line leaders, I was thrilled. This was the leap I was looking for – to test these skills in an organizational context, rather than just with individuals.
Even more special; Orotex is a company I was once associated with. Back then, we were hustling to set up shop. I had helped them build some of their early production systems as per Toyota standards, and to my pleasant surprise, some of those processes are still being followed a decade later!
The outcome of the training session was fabulous:
- There were more “Aha!” moments than “Meh” ones.
- One participant shared: “I paused during something I do every day, listened to my body – and what I realized was a surprise”. This reiterated how easy and quickly you can apply the skills.
- Questions and doubts flowed freely as the beliefs were constantly challenged – a necessary outcome.
- It helped me too. I saw clearly where the Mindful Productivity skills can evolve – and where my own thinking needs to grow.
I’m filled with gratitude for getting this opportunity. Thank you, Orotex team.
🍪 Fortune Cookie:
“You get what you incentivize”.
Mindful Productivity is a set of skills to help you incentivize better decision-making at every level of your organization.
If you’re curious about how your team can start making better decisions, a Mindful Productivity workshop might be a great place to start. Drop me a DM or an email at kabadi@duck.com.
Or follow me on LinkedIn to know more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkabadi/
Nikhil Kabadi 