It’s not just about ‘lending an ear’ — Listening deeply is a topic I am passionate about, not because I am good at it (far from it!) but because it is so deeply needed – not just in research but in our everyday conversations with people. If only more people knew the power of listening and being heard…

Understand your mentees deeper and go beyond ‘what went well’ and ‘what went wrong’. — When I first learnt about Indi Young’s Advanced Training Courses in Problem Space Research, I was intrigued by the course “Listening Deeply”. Surely, I do listen and don’t need help with that. In the past, some people have told me that I am a good listener, and friends come to…

A leader’s journey is nothing without those whom they are leading. — This post has been a long time coming, since it would trace back to year 2016 when I first built my team from scratch. Initially, it was about what I learnt as a first-time leader at a tech startup and I hoped it would benefit those struggling as a first-time…

I first met Devina Sivagurunathan in early 2018 when I worked as an independent UX Researcher and Content Strategist at MABECS to revamp their old website to a new one together with a designer and developer. As an independent consultant and writer for many years, I’ve worked with many clients…

When I first became a Design Lead at 27, just like many first-time leaders, I was unprepared and went in with my best intentions. I learnt that the best intentions are not always enough, and it was through much sweat, tears and the grace of God that I overcame some…

I started the year 2020 with new energy and hope — a little more than previous years. My major contract with a large tech startup was coming to an end, and instead of feeling lost, I felt super excited to explore new opportunities ahead of me. I had my new…

When you feel overwhelmed but you’re supposed to provide direction… what do you do? — I will be the first to admit that during this period of helplessness for millions of people, I too feel incredibly anxious at times. As I scroll through news and social media, considering the perspectives of family members, friends, the media, politicians, designers and design leaders on Twitter and LinkedIn…

In my previous article on preparing for job interviews as a hiring manager, I mentioned that the battle is half won in preparation. Here is the other half of the battle, and the lessons I have learnt in the actual interviews. We have all been there — the cold sweat…

Many speak of job interview jitters from the interviewee’s perspective, but rarely from the hiring manager’s perspective. Here’s one, and perhaps an embarrassing one. During my stint as Content Editor at Traveloka (Malaysia) more than four years ago, I was just expecting an editing job after five years working in…