Oh what joy this Chana dal brought me today. A turbulent day ended in an hour of outdoor fun and coming home to make a simple Chana dal and appams that were a hit.

Chana Dal is my favorite. I like it both the punju style and being style. Today’s tadka was simple – onion, tomatoes, green chilies and jeera. And a lot of coriander on top.

I’ve done the same tadka with small minced ginger and that’s delicious too.

In the Beng version, the tadka is cardamom, cumin and cinnamon powder roasted in ghee.

Hearty and delicious 😋 Chana Dal was the highlight of the day.

In other news a half baked perf came out. Some really solid feedback. Exactly how I like it. Some was still fluffy, and some was more specific. I love it when it’s specific. Of course some of it is subjective and it’s amazing how that stands out. But it helps me see through the other person and their framework and sometimes their insecurities.

As a manager my goal is to maximize my teams output and give them a environment and resources that helps them deliver that output. I need to emphasize that goal more. Also sometimes I like becoming a life coach which I am not. I am to my friends, but not to this team. So drawing that line is very essential. And I will be doing a lot more of that moving forward. That’s where interpretations and perceptions come forth.

It was a rewarding cycle in terms of constructive feedback. In terms of positive feedback, I don’t have a good relationship with that. I should do something about it. Some day I will. I don’t trust anyone giving me positive feedback. They have some motivation behind it. Only my father could deliver that as convincingly as I like it. And that’s not an option anymore. Rest, just keep delivering the bad news. I am OK with it. As long as it is actionable.