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What you don’t measure, you can’t improve.

I was once an avid Toastmaster, and my favorite part was the evaluation, which presented instant, honest feedback right after your speech or table-topic. It wasn’t about criticism, it was about growth. In under half hour of walking off the stage, you knew exactly what worked, what did not, and what to try next time. That rhythm of performing, reflecting, and refining built confidence and instilled improvement faster than anything else.

I miss that in the workplace. Imagine getting timely, constructive feedback after a presentation, meeting, or deliverable. Without that loop of reflection and measurement, improvement stays accidental instead of intentional.

Vision / Mission / Strategy

I always mix up vision, mission, and strategy until I saw the mountain analogy.

Mission: Climbing the mountain, step by step.

Strategy: The route we take from base camp to the top.

Vision: The view from the summit, the ultimate destination.

The mission drives your action, the strategy ensures you get there safely and the vision inspires your direction. 

Great leaders inspire their teams to yearn for the "Vision".

Quiet excellence

The best network engineer is the one you never saw.

That used to be the ideal, quiet excellence, systems that just worked, and engineers who stayed behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly.

But times have changed. Corporate visibility and personal branding have become just as important as technical skill. You have to be seen, not just effective.

It’s like a goalkeeper who doesn’t move during a penalty kick, even though statistically the chance of the ball going straight down the middle isn’t small, standing still looks like doing nothing.

In today’s world, being invisible can sometimes be mistaken for being inactive.

Team retention

It’s not a community if it keeps moving.

We often talk about “building a community” at work, a place where people belong, collaborate, and grow together.

But community needs continuity. If people keep leaving, what remains isn’t culture, it’s turnover.

To me, a company was identified by its people. When most of the people left or were let go, it didn’t feel like the same company anymore. The name, logo, and mission stayed, but the spirit changed.

Retention isn’t just about keeping talent. It’s about keeping identity. When teams stay, they build shared history, trust, and rhythm, the quiet things that make work feel meaningful.

Tech Layoffs

Tech layoffs have become a common part of the industry. With the constant wave of layoffs happening around the world, it feels like this is the new normal. Seems like we all need to accept a certain level of risk wherever we work.

From my experience, a few things have helped me navigate this environment:

- Giving my best while making sure I don’t burn out

- Making my work visible so others understand the value I bring

- Building strong relationships with peers, which has often been more important than relying solely on company loyalty

- Continuously learning and improving my skills to stay adaptable and employable

These are not guarantees, but they have helped me stay grounded and focused on what I can control.

Common Meeting Personalities

We’ve all been in that meeting where personalities clash, discussions derail, or some voices never get heard.

The six common meeting personalities sums it up:

» The Dominator: loves control, shows authority, shuts others down.

Tip: Acknowledge their input early and then redirect. Structure helps.

» The Dependent: agreeable, hesitant, often has great ideas but low confidence.

Tip: Encourage participation and validate their contributions.

» The Disinterested: distracted, late, mentally elsewhere.

Tip: Re-engage them with direct questions or relevant roles in the discussion.

» The Expert: challenges everyone, the “know-it-all.”

Tip: Respect their knowledge but frame it as a contribution, not correction.

» The Conversationalist: talks too much or goes off-topic.

Tip: Gently steer back with “Let’s park that and revisit later.”

» The Complainer: sees the flaws in everything.

Tip: Listen first, then pivot to solutions like: “What would you suggest?”

Meetings succeed when facilitation matches personality. It is not about control, it is about creating space where every voice adds value.

Motivation

Many managers think money is the ultimate motivator. 

But research (and experience) shows otherwise. 

If you want your team truly engaged, focus on these three levers: 

>> Autonomy: give people control over how they deliver 

>> Mastery: create space for learning and growth 

>> Purpose: connect their work to a bigger “why” 

Compensation gets people in the door.

Autonomy, mastery, and purpose keep them motivated.

Glassdoor reviews

In my opinion, taking a look at the Company on Glassdoor before accepting an offer is useful.

It can help you see past the HR-mandated reviews and get a sense of the company’s internal situation.

I used to think the bad reviews were from disgruntled employees, until I became one myself.

You might still accept the role, but at least you’ll be going in better informed.