G Ragu Review

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about an account team that chased me by phone for updates before I had even reached the office, and how I finished my deck early but held it back until minutes before the call to avoid last-minute changes. I have rewritten it into advice on when to share a draft.

After an early call where I was not needed, I was getting ready for the office when the account team rang to ask whether I had arrived. I already had everything I needed from the previous day and planned to start once I reached my desk, but they chased every update. At the office I checked with the delivery expert, understood the expectations within minutes and got to work. I finished well before the deadline, but held the deck back and shared it only a few minutes before the call, because I expected the team to ask for unnecessary changes.

Why do people hold back finished work?

To avoid endless rounds of edits. If a team keeps changing things, sharing late feels like a defence. It often backfires: reviewers have no time to read, questions come up live, and trust drops.

When should you share a draft?

• As soon as it is complete enough to review: with a clear label of what is final and what is not.
• With a deadline for comments: "Comments by 3pm, please; after that I will lock it."
• With a short summary: so reviewers know where to look.

How do you stop unnecessary changes?

Ask for comments in one list, accept those that improve the response, and explain briefly why others are not needed. A comment deadline does more to limit changes than sharing late.

How do you handle a team that chases constantly?

Send a morning note with what you will deliver and when, and a short update when it is done. Chasing usually stops when people can see progress.

What would I do now?

Share the finished deck early with a comment cut-off. It gives the account team confidence and keeps control of the changes.

Keep reading

• Your Manager Promised a Weekend Deadline. Now What?
• When Your Manager Does Not Back You in Public
• After a Good Kickoff: Keeping Project Scope in Check

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about finishing a weekend bid despite tool problems, then chasing the delivery expert for the final submitted deck, as my team's process required, and hoping for some recognition. I have rewritten it into advice on closing out a bid properly.

I worked from home over a weekend with my office Skype not connecting, signing in from my personal laptop and sharing screens over WebEx. I still finished the deck and met the onsite account team's expectations. It was submitted to the client early the following week. Our team's standard process was to get the final version from the delivery expert, so I asked him for it. Another weekend came, and he said he would send it then. I went to my home town and checked mail now and then, hoping for the final deck or some note recognising my work.

Why keep the final submitted version?

Because it is the version the client holds you to. If the deal is won, delivery will be measured against it. If it is lost, the final version is what you learn from. Drafts are not enough.

What should a bid close-out include?

• The final submitted documents: stored where the team can find them.
• Client questions and answers: as issued.
• Key assumptions and estimates: with who approved them.
• Short lessons learned: what went well, what to change.
• Reusable content: added to the team's library.

How do you get the final version from a busy expert?

Ask the account team instead, since they submitted it. If the expert must send it, ask for a specific date and remind them once, briefly.

Should you expect recognition after a bid?

It is nice when it comes, but do not wait for it. Send your manager a short summary of your contribution after submission. That record is more useful than a hoped-for mail.

What does a good close-out save?

Time on the next bid for the same client, and arguments later about what was promised.

Keep reading

• Your Manager Promised a Weekend Deadline. Now What?
• Said Yes Too Fast at Work? How to Weigh a Request
• Helping Your Old Team? Tell Your Manager First

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about a colleague who travelled a long way to check on me after the 2015 Chennai floods, guided me as I drove out through knee-deep water, and rode with me part of the way to my home town. I have rewritten it into advice on helping colleagues during a disaster.

I was packing to escape the floods when the doorbell rang. It was a colleague who had travelled a long distance to see how I was. It was a huge relief. I told him I planned to drive through the knee-deep water to leave Chennai, and he offered to guide me through it and come along if he could. With his help I had the confidence to drive out. It was smoother than I feared, and within seconds I was through. After three days, I felt free. He rode with me part of the way and got off at a bus stop near his home.

Why does checking on colleagues matter?

People living alone can be cut off for days, with no power or signal. A visit or a message from a colleague may be the only contact they have. Many companies now run check-in lists during disasters for this reason.

How can you help a colleague safely?

• Do not put yourself at risk: travel only on routes known to be safe.
• Bring basics: water, food, a charged power bank.
• Help them decide: whether to stay or leave, based on local conditions.
• Tell someone where you are going: and when you expect to return.

What can teams do before a flood season?

Keep a list of who lives alone and where, agree a check-in routine, and share emergency contacts. Managers can confirm that everyone is safe before asking about work.

How do you thank someone for help like that?

Tell them directly, and tell their manager. Returning the help when they need it is the best thanks.

What stayed with me?

Not the water or the drive, but that a colleague chose to come. That is the part of 2015 I remember best.

Keep reading

• When Your Only Teammate Leaves: How to Cope and Plan
• Helping Your Old Team? Tell Your Manager First
• Assigned to a New Team Overnight: First Steps

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about deciding whether to replace my four-year-old iPhone 6, which had a new battery, with the iPhone XS, tempted by the camera and a relative travelling to the US who could buy it for less. I have rewritten it into a guide to timing a phone upgrade.

My iPhone 6 was four years old and had a new battery under Apple's replacement programme. The new iPhone was due on 12 September 2018, and the rumoured features did not excite me the way earlier iPhones had. The camera and the iPhone 6's ageing design were the only reasons to upgrade, while the high price and yearly model changes argued against. My uncle was also travelling to the US later that year, so I could buy the new phone for less and sooner. I was torn.

When is the best time to upgrade a phone?

• When software support ends: the clearest signal.
• When a feature you use daily is missing: such as camera quality or 5G.
• Just after a new model launches: older models often drop in price.

Is buying an iPhone abroad worth it?

It can be cheaper, but check the details. Customs duty may apply above the duty-free allowance when bringing it into India. Warranty service may be limited to the country of purchase. Some US models use eSIM only, with no physical SIM tray, so check that your Indian carrier supports eSIM before buying.

How much is a camera upgrade worth?

If you take a lot of photos, a newer camera can be a real improvement. Compare sample photos in low light, which is where older phones fall behind most.

What does waiting cost?

Very little while the phone is supported and works well. Each extra year of use lowers the yearly cost of the phone you already own.

What should you do with the old phone?

Back it up, sign out of your accounts, erase it, and then sell, trade in or recycle it.

Keep reading

• Last Year's Apple Watch or Wait? How to Decide
• iCloud+ on an Old Mac: What Works on a 2012 MacBook
• Forgot the Coupon at Checkout? Sale Buying Tips

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about a bid where another team, burned by earlier experiences with our difficult delivery expert, avoided us, and the expert's demands for clarification mails caused more friction. I have rewritten it into advice on repairing a strained relationship between bid teams.

I was assigned another bid with the same difficult expert and was already worried. The other team on the bid, after bad experiences on earlier bids, simply ignored us and sent a short mail asking my team for our questions. The expert again made a fuss, and I worked hard to draft a few questions from my own understanding. He then created problems about sending clarification mails, so I wrote to the other team, who had already raised the same concern. They replied as diplomatically as possible, clearly tired of answering what they saw as pointless questions from him.

How do bad experiences between teams spread?

One person's behaviour becomes the team's reputation. After a few bids, the other side stops engaging and communicates only in the minimum formal way, which makes every bid harder.

How do you rebuild trust with another team?

• Make contact yourself: a short call, separate from the difficult person.
• Check before sending questions: avoid repeating what they already asked.
• Be precise and brief: in every mail you send.
• Thank them for answers: it matters more than it seems.

How do you handle an expert who creates friction?

Channel their questions through you, filter duplicates, and send one consolidated list. Keep your manager aware of the pattern, as it affects every bid on the account.

Should you apologise for someone else's behaviour?

You can acknowledge that earlier bids were difficult without blaming anyone by name. Focusing on how this bid will run differently is more useful.

What is the lesson?

Relationships between teams are built one mail at a time. Careful communication can repair what one person's manner damaged.

What can a manager do?

Agree with the other team's manager how questions will flow on future bids, and who speaks for each side. A simple agreement at that level takes pressure off the people doing the work.

Keep reading

• Helping Your Old Team? Tell Your Manager First
• Your Manager Promised a Weekend Deadline. Now What?
• After a Good Kickoff: Keeping Project Scope in Check

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