Gowri Baba

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Life Lessons: Pistachios theory for time management

Pistachios are known for their health benefits, but beyond nutrition, they can teach us valuable lessons about clarity and priority management.

Imagine a scenario where a marketing team excels in generating leads, yet the sales team's performance declines. To address this issue, I devised a simple activity involving pistachios.

I gave two team members, X and Y, bowls of shelled pistachios to eat. To X, I instructed to put the shells back into the same bowl after eating. To Y, I provided an empty bowl for the shells.

After 10 minutes, I asked X how much more time he needed to finish. Uncertainly, he replied, "Maybe another 10 minutes." When I posed the same question to Y, she confidently stated, "I need exactly 5 more minutes."

The difference? Y had clarity because she separated the shells into a different bowl, keeping track of what was left to do. In contrast, X, putting shells back into the same bowl, lost track of his progress.

This clarity parallels the challenge faced by the sales team. Despite abundant leads from marketing, they struggled due to unclear priorities and task management. Just as X needed to organize pistachio shells to manage his task efficiently, the sales team needed to prioritize leads effectively to meet their goals.

Simple activities like this underscore the importance of clarity and prioritization in daily tasks. By maintaining clarity on completed and pending tasks, success becomes achievable even amid numerous responsibilities.

Remember, time management is not just about productivity—it's a key to happiness.

Keep spreading happiness.

- Gowri Baba