As someone who works in multiple verticals and various team structures and corporations, I see firsthand how misinformation is altering discussions. Even more so on social media and online interactions. It’s becoming harder to distinguish real people from algorithm-driven voices, and this fuels division. But beyond these digital conflicts, I hope we remember that each vote and viewpoint has merit. Regardless of who won or lost in the election, both sides are filled with people / Human beings / whose voices deserve respect.

The growing wealth gap, divisiveness, and dissatisfaction with the government reflect the frustration many feel. People need to be educated to see beyond the misleading actions the people in power leverage to maintain and gain more control. People want change not out of loyalty to a party but because they crave a leadership/government that serves them and their loved ones. Our shared struggles and dreams unite us far more than politics and opinions divide us.

Through my travels and interactions across diverse cultures, I’ve learned that, beneath the surface, we are all remarkably similar. We all laugh, hurt, and care. If we could see beyond our differences, we’d realize that most of us want the same things: happiness, stability, and connection.

So, let’s approach disagreements with empathy, whether online or in person. We gain nothing from tearing each other down. If you find yourself debating politics or life online, ask if it’s improving your life in the long term and not just a quick boost. I believe in graciously respecting both victories and defeats and recognizing humanity on the other side.

Take care of each other, spend time wisely, and remember that we’re all in this together.

#humanbeings #respecteachother #gracious #inthistogether

When we are face to face with death at a young age, we tend to look at life differently. We develop a perspective that can see beyond the surface and propaganda.

Sometimes that can come off as detached and cynical. We have to work at nurturing the softer side and balance out using our heart and mind, while staying empathic and open minded.

Our world is full of division and derision. We have to do our part to reverse this.

We also need to try to work together to reverse decades, if not centuries, of greed and the need to control others by dividing and pitting one against each other for the sake of greed, power and a money-hungry group of people.

Instead, we should help each other to coexist peacefully, regardless of background and beliefs.

“The purpose of propaganda is to make one set of people forget that other sets of people are humans.” – Aldous Huxley

Throughout history, there have been many articles, books, documentaries and films warning us of the path we humans have been on…

Some songs that provide insights on this:
“Us and Them” by Pink Floyd
“Crime of the Century” by Supertramp
“Driven to Tears” by The Police
“Right in two” by Tool

Don’t blindly follow the path without looking beyond the surface with an open mind. Never place blame on others for the road you are on. It’s your own asphalt.


#thoughtsoftheday #divide #derision #propaganda #belowthesurface #supporteachother #coexist

Just because we can hear doesn’t mean we’re great at listening. And even if we’re good listeners, there’s always room for improvement. There’s a ton of info out there about why listening is so important, but let’s dive into a fun example.

Remember when AI models used to mess up simple tasks like counting the Rs in “strawberry”? They’ve come a long way, and so can we with our listening skills. Besides that, to get better, more accurate results, we need to provide additional details (parameters, prompt engineering). We need to ask ourselves, what other details we need to provide for the AI engine to better understand what we are looking for.

It got me thinking about this while listening to my music library with my various headphones. Each type—wired, wireless, in-ear—has its perks and quirks. Depending on the music genre, I pick specific headphones. Classical, jazz, live pop—you name it, I’ve got the perfect pair.

Listening to music this way has sharpened my listening skills. When I focus on different instruments like the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards, I’m not just hearing the music; I’m dissecting it. I analyze the production, the mix, and the arrangement to understand what the artists are trying to convey. This deep dive into music helps me listen better in conversations too.

When I talk to someone, I try to break down what they’re saying, how they’re saying it, what they’re NOT saying, and the emotions behind their words. It’s like listening to a song in a different language—you need to understand the culture and background to get it.

Growing up, I learned a few languages, which helped me keep an open mind and absorb details better. Whether someone’s speaking French or Armenian, I don’t just switch on my mental translation mode. I also switch to thinking in that language, turn on my knowledge of that language/culture, and tune into their unique way of expressing themselves.

Now, about the AK47 and M16 firearm sounds—yeah, I can tell them apart. Growing up and surviving through my teenage years in a political and civil conflict in a third-world country, I had to learn these sound signatures. This is my way of trying to take something positive from the terrible years and events of my teenage years. I do NOT condone gun violence. I learned from this experience that one aspect of listening is categorizing sounds with minimal emotional biases.

The point is, we learn from our environment, experiences, and open-mindedness. When we listen, we should minimize our biases and expectations to make others feel safe and open up. It’s like listening to someone in a different language; we need to understand their words and where they’re coming from.

So, let’s keep working on our listening skills. Listen with an open mind to better understand, ask the right questions, connect, and improve our listening skills.

#AI #listening #music

What does John Paul Jones, the bass/keyboard/musician of Led Zeppelin, have to do with the professional corporate world and project teams, or even climbing a mountain?

Hear me out.

Recently, I was listening to my music in random mode and the song No Quarter by Led Zeppelin (live 1973) came on and it shows how much of a positive influence John Paul Jones has on the rest of the band.

Even if you do not like Led Zeppelin, try to listen to their music to try to understand why people talk about them as a pivotal band to introduce a blended sound, genre, and style (rock, blues, jazz etc.).

The three other band members are all very talented and shine on their own. However, notice how John Paul Jones lays a foundation of groove and melody so the other three have the blanket to deliver their best. As a band member his focus, without any ego, is to serve the song, the other band members and in turn the listeners’ experience.

Similarly, every team will shine when there is at least one team member focused on the success of the team and project without any ego and ulterior motive. This was one of the main lessons I learned early on in my career. Every project and team I work with, my focus is always to serve the end result of successful project and satisfied client. Make sure that the experience is positive, memorable, and everyone learns something and improves.

Let us help you and your team climb those mountains and help you shine.

“Help someone climb a mountain and find out that you too reached the top.”

#teamwork #support #music #climb #shine #foundation #implementation

Why am I repurposing the same image from my last post?…

Mainly to make a point that everything is perspective. It’s all about how one looks at things, with an open mind and history/background.

You see, I am not sure why the person in this picture was doing that and I cannot ask them.

We should always keep an open mind and not quickly judge and react without trying to see things from various perspectives to try to come to an understanding. Even if things seem like they are going against our beliefs and knowledge.

Put yourself in place of the other person.

Think about different scenarios that happened to get to that point.

Prior experiences and what options did they have to choose from to get through things.

Others involved that interfered, guided/influenced.

They have enough autonomy to make those choices or were they restricted by others, financially, experience or self-sabotage.

They believe in Karma and how do they process to get through it depends on if that belief is superficial and learned behavior or willing to do the work to understand and get through it.

They have a history of relying on others to make or influence their decision.

They do not want to be accountable.

They lack the skill and experience to dissect and work through it and need help.

They fear failure or facing challenges or like to take shortcuts.

They were incorrectly sold a bunch of goods that really did not solve the core problem.

Maybe they are delaying it because they are dealing with another challenge.

They are so used to these challenges that this is their normal and do not know any better.

They struggle through it and blame others.

Throw money at it and take shortcuts without truly figuring it out and solving it long term.

They have seen and have been through something similar before and understand and know the process and take appropriate actions.

#methodology #process #implementation #hcmtechnology #Mondaymotivation #motivation #mentalhealth #problem-solving #eksperts

Someone once asked me: “Why do you love music so much?”

I replied: “Music is the only thing that stays with me, heals me and helps me look at things differently.”

Art, such as paintings and sculptures decorate space, Music decorates time.

#mentalhealth #openminded #perspectivematters #music #art #heal #space #time #eksperts

The Art of Helping: This is based on decades of experience from my many professions. It must be authentic and pure. But what exactly does it represent or stand for?!

The Art of Listening: Listen actively and emphatically. Listen to understand, with an open mind in order to learn and grow without any judgement.

The Art of Reading: Read text, tone, body language, to understand and learn, with an open mind not just to confirm biases or expectations.

The Art of Communicating: Speak with pure intentions to make sure you are understood, not just to sound smart and better than others. Ensure you are connecting with others.

The Art of Hybrid Consulting: The right mix of technical, functional, business, content, and marketing knowledge and talent to see your projects through from start to end.

The Art of Helping: The combination of the items mentioned before, enables us to provide support and lift others. It’s our passion, our purpose. it’s Ingrained in our DNA.

#brand #listening #speaking #communicating #consulting #hybrid #helping #analytics #insights #AI #implementation #integrations #SAP #workday #ADP #UKG #eksperts

It’s my annual New Year’s Day post. As usual, every year I have a hard time picking just one. This year I’m posting more than one song quote so hear me out. Pun intended

“I don’t know what to say about these days
I’m seeing people changing in the strangest ways
Even in the richer neighborhoods
People don’t know when they got it good
They got the envy and they got it bad”
– The Long Way Around by Jackson Browne

“I think I remember the dream that I had,
that love’s going to save us
from a world that’s gone mad.
I guess I just feel like: what happened to that?”
– I Guess I Just Like by John Mayer

“Oh well, happy new year’s baby!
We could probably fix it if we clean it up all day
Or we could simply pack our bags
And catch a plane to Barcelona ’cause this city’s a drag”
– Holiday in Spain by Counting Crows

(Jazz Instrumental)
– Together by Matthew Halsall

Wait! An instrumental? No lyrics to quote!

Over the many years and careers, I have had and continue to hone this art of listening.

One of the many things I learned during my film and audio career is the art of listening to music during the recording and mixing sessions. Since then I listen to music, fully engaged and present to each note, not to mention the silence between the notes.

I chose this instrumental because of the title and more importantly the performance. The musicians have so much restraint and respect to the arrangement and notes to ensure they are serving the song and each other. They give each note space to breathe and each other the space to shine. Together.

Similarly, together, we can help each other shine. We can create a beautiful world around us.

#newyear2024 #happynewyear #music #help #eksperts

Here are some of my additional thoughts on this performance, and a few takeaways…

I watched this performance again. Sam’s generosity and being brave to create this moment with those heartfelt lyrics and soothing melody. He asked for the audience to be quiet so his dad could hear him and kudos to everyone in the audience to respect that and provide that to Sam. In addition, he also asked to bring the house lights down and asked the audience to hold up their torches/lights. Beautiful, connected moment.

The metaphor is so poignant and powerful.  A perfect example of how one light can provide a bright spot, but everyone together can light up a large venue. Even the world.  So please keep in mind the power you have as an individual. Thank you to Sam, the audience, the stage crew, and the production crew for banding together to create such an amazing experience.

A few takeaways for those of you who like bullet points:

1. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.
2. Ask for what you want and need.
3. Reveal parts of yourself that can help others.
4. Be in the moment.
5. Let others into your moment and shine together.
6. Let others have their moment and help them shine.
7. Being vulnerable is not a weakness. It helps others relate and connect.
8. Do not be afraid to be yourself. We are more alike than not.

These apply to both personal and professional teams or groups of people. Do not ever think you are alone or cannot make a difference.  WE need to band together and make this world a brighter place.

Link to Part 1: https://eksperts.net/not-all-heroes-wear-a-cape-you-got-this/

#EmbracingSelfWorth #depression #suicideawareness #MentalHealthAwareness #youareenough #selfworth #itsokaynottobeokay #breakthestigma

I recently watched Sam Tompkins’ latest live performance of his song Hero, which he recently uploaded. It is such a beautiful, raw and emotional performance. Link is in the comments. It made me think about how some people struggle to get through the holiday season.

For some people, mental health issues such as depression and suicide are a daily battle. Just because they have survived before does not imply, they do not require assistance and support. So please keep that in mind during this holiday season.

Those of you who are going through this and somehow happen to come across this post, you are not alone, despite how it may seem. Reach out and, more importantly, let others in. You are not weak, or you are bothering people. There’s a reason you are still here. You may potentially be someone else’s hero just by existing. You’ve got this.

#EmbracingSelfWorth #depression #suicideawareness #MentalHealthAwareness #youareenough #selfworth #itsokaynottobeokay #breakthestigma #mentalhealth