Ajit Lloyd

Stop Asking for the Feedback !! When you ask for feedback, people's first instinct can be to point out what's wrong or what they dislike. This can lead to a focus on criticism and can sometimes feel negative or deflating. However, by asking, "What is the best advice you would like to give me to do better?"... You are signaling that you are open to learning and improving. This question encourages people to: Offer solutions, not just problems: Instead of just saying what's wrong, they'll likely suggest a path forward. That's why stop asking for the strait feedback!! #GrowthMindset #CareerTips #LearningAndDevelopment #FutureForward #Advice

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As an Amazon Director, a big part of my job is finding the inputs that reliably produce high-performance outputs. I am always looking for the flywheel. Lately, I’ve been deep in our AI tools, figuring out what is actually useful for teams. It keeps bringing me back to a simple truth: data only matters when it changes a decision. To lead today, you have to be bilingual. You still need to speak people and strategy: direction, culture, and standards. But you also need enough system literacy to know where the data lives, how the tools work, and where the risks sit. There is a leadership gap opening up. Too many senior leaders are trying to build before they understand the basics. They are skipping the logic. In GM roles like mine, you do not usually need to write the code. But you do need to own the logic. A few guardrails help: • The thread is disposable. Use AI to explore, then move the useful bits into your permanent knowledge bank. • Let AI write the prompt. It is tempting to do it all yourself, but “Write me a robust prompt that…” often gets better results. • Restart often. A fresh thread keeps the thinking clean. • Bet on logic, not prompts. If you need reliability, use the tool to write the query or the code instead of hoping for a perfect prompt. • Use an agent when it helps. You can get a lot done before you need a repeatable flow. This is the reality of leading at scale. If you cannot see how the people and the system are working together, you are not leading the strategy. You are just hoping it works. So for your next decision: are you betting on a lucky prompt, or do you actually understand the question? #Leadership #AI #DataStrategy #AmazonLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #BilingualLeadership 👉 Follow me for reflections on building a career and leadership system that does not follow a script. I share the reality of leading at scale and how to stay “Bilingual” as AI shifts what it means to lead. Image: There’s nothing AI about this picture. I’m still not great at selfies but who can resist taking one on a sunny day when spring has just arrived, at last.

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Where should CX sit in the org chart? I keep hearing: “CX needs a seat at the table.” “CX has to earn its seat.” 🙄 Here’s my take. CX is not a chair. It’s not a department fighting for visibility. And it’s definitely not a reporting line debate. If CX has to beg for a seat, you already have a structural problem. CX should operate as a transversal discipline. Across Product. Operations. Marketing. Finance. Tech. It’s the PMO of customer experience. Not owning every initiative. But ensuring every initiative connects to the customer. Challenging decisions that look good internally but hurt externally. Translating customer impact into business impact. When CX is reduced to surveys and dashboards, it becomes decorative. When CX drives prioritization, trade-offs, and accountability, it impacts satisfaction and the bottom line. The real question isn’t “Where does CX sit?” It’s “Who is accountable for the customer across silos?” ✨ If the answer is “everyone,” but no one owns the orchestration, you don’t have CX. You have good intentions.

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What happens after you drop off an Amazon return? Good question. I get asked this constantly, so I wrote an article about it:  https://lnkd.in/gV263bu5   Here's what surprised people the most: how much work goes into helping customers love what they buy in the first place, and making returns hassle-free if they change their mind.    We support purchase decisions through Virtual Try-On (you can see how shoes or eyewear look before buying), "Frequently returned item" and "Customers usually keep this item" badges (this can highlight return patterns to help inform decisions), and free product support (troubleshoot issues or get replacement parts without returning).    When customers do need to return something, we've designed the experience around clarity and convenience. We help customers provide specific return details through a conversational experience, which enables us to improve products and address issues faster. Customers can track their return status in real-time through a centralized hub. And we offer self-service troubleshooting, direct connections to brand experts, and partial refunds for minor issues.    For physical returns, we've built infrastructure for convenience: thousands of return locations throughout the U.S., kiosks completing returns in under 60 seconds, and refunds within 5 hours for most items.    Then comes what happens next. Each item gets inspected to determine how we give it a second life: resell as new if unopened, offer through Amazon Resale at reduced prices, repair through specialty partners, or donate through Good360 to 700+ nonprofits supporting families in need.    What the article can't fully convey is the care and attention to detail our frontline teams bring to every item—carefully evaluating product condition to maintain customer trust, maximize reuse, and minimize waste.    That's what excellence in every return means.

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Amazon Layoffs--------- To everyone impacted by today's Amazon layoffs: I spent nearly 5 years building talent programs at Amazon. I know the culture. I know the people. I know how hard you worked. And I know this hurts. Here's what I want you to hear from someone who's been on both sides of this: This is not a reflection of your performance. I've been in the rooms where these decisions get made. They're about numbers, strategy shifts, and market conditions—not about your value as a professional. You didn't fail Amazon. Amazon's business priorities changed. What comes next: > The Amazon alumni network is one of the strongest in tech. Lean into it. Your former colleagues will show up for you—because they know what you're capable of. > Your Amazon experience carries weight. You've worked at one of the most demanding, innovative companies in the world. That doesn't disappear because of a layoff. To the hiring managers reading this: > These are people who've operated at scale, solved complex problems, and thrived in high-performance environments. >They're strategic thinkers. They're resilient. They're available. > If you're hiring in HR, Operations, Tech, or Strategy—reach out to them. You won't regret it. To my former Amazon colleagues navigating this: > Your network is your safety net right now. Reach out. Ask for help. Make introductions. And when someone offers support—take it. I've been exactly where you are. The job search is hard, but you're not starting from zero. You're starting with credibility, experience, and a network that values you. You'll land on your feet. I'm rooting for you. If I can help—coffee chats, resume reviews, introductions—my DMs are open. UPDATE: I created a free resource to help → https://lnkd.in/g-BtzpKQ #Amazon #Layoffs #CareerTransition #AmazonAlumni #HiringNow

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Your frontline Teams know exactly where you are losing customers and money. In my almost 14 years at Amazon, I’ve learned that the most effective "business intelligence" often doesn't come from a dashboard. It comes from the people who speak to our customers every single day and have to use the processes that others created. The solutions to the biggest operational hurdles aren't hidden — they are usually sitting right there on the frontline, waiting for someone to look, be curious and ask genuine questions. I’ve built my career on the belief that if you want to protect your business goals, you have to value "Ground Truth." Senior leadership sees the strategic vision. Frontline teams see the process gaps and friction points. When we ignore the ground truth in favor of a "shiny" high-level roadmap, we leave massive value on the table and take wrong decisions. Two examples of what happens when you listen to your frontline teams: Fixing a $392k Issue: During an experiment our team found a small, even tiny, outdated process guidance. At some point long ago it became an invisible process defect that nobody noticed. It costed the business nearly $400k in unnecessary refunds last year. Boosting Saves by 25%: By refining retention workflows based on what customers were actually telling our teams, we achieved a 25% save rate for subscription cancellation requests without adding friction to the customer journey. I’m passionate about bridging technical roadmaps and operational reality. I don’t look for "perfect" strategies. I always look for the practical, real-world solutions that actually work and add value to employees and customers. I’d love to hear your perspectives in the comments. 👇 What is THE one insight your frontline teams have shared recently that sounded like a small inconvenience but turned out to be large issue? #CustomerSuccess #StrategyExecution #OperationalExcellence #CustomerExperience #ServiceExcellence

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I joined Amazon as a 21 year old L3 Transaction Risk Investigator. A team of 30 people in Product Quality that eventually became 300-500 or maybe a thousand I honestly did not know or keep a track. Graveyard shifts — 9pm to 6am. Music blasting to keep us going. It felt like an extension of college honestly. Same age group, first salary, just enjoying the work. No grand plan. No career roadmap. Just showing up. Here’s what actually took me from L3 to L6 Senior Program Manager over 10 years. And it wasn’t what I expected. Common sense is underrated. I’d look at a problem and think — surely I’m not the only one seeing this. Then I’d look around and realise no one was doing anything about it. So I’d just… go solve it. Or simplify it. Not genius. Just — seeing something broken, assuming someone else would fix it, realising they wouldn’t, and deciding to go ahead anyway. Seniors are not as scary as you think. Every manager I looked up to had sat exactly where I was sitting. Most of them were waiting for someone to walk up with a fresh perspective. I just stopped being afraid to be that person. The shift that changed everything. Then I started managing a team. And I realised — everyone around me was already seeing problems. They just needed someone to help them trust what they were seeing, shape their thinking, and back them to go solve it themselves. That shift — from being the person who solves things to being the person who helps others believe they can — is what according to me a manager is. No one tells you that explicitly. And the one thing I’d tell my 21 year old self? Honestly — enjoy it even more than you already are. It was a good time. Full stop. If you’re early in your Amazon journey — or any journey — the path up isn’t as mysterious as it looks from the bottom. See the problem. Don’t wait for permission. Make it simpler. That’s mostly it. #Amazon #CareerGrowth #Leadership #ProgramManagement #AmazonCareers #OperationalExcellence #CareerAdvice #Simplicity

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Built-to-Suit Warehouses: Who Should NOT Choose Them Built-to-suit (BTS) warehouses are often positioned as the ultimate warehousing solution. For the right business, they are. For the wrong stage, they become a long-term constraint. BTS makes sense when: - Demand visibility is clear - Volumes are stable or predictably growing - Location strategy is final - Capital is meant to be locked in long-term BTS becomes risky when: - Business models are still evolving - Market expansion plans are flexible - Demand fluctuates seasonally - Cash flexibility matters more than asset ownership The most common mistake is choosing BTS too early. What feels like control often turns into rigidity: - Difficult exits - Fixed capacity in the wrong geography - Capital locked in while operations are still learning Built-to-suit warehouses don’t fail because they’re poorly designed. They fail because they’re chosen before uncertainty reduces. Sometimes, the smartest warehousing decision isn’t building faster. It’s waiting until the business earns that permanence.

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During my 15 years at Amazon, we often started annual planning cycles with a Vision Planning process. This process required senior leaders to prepare a Vision Document. Here's how they did it. First, the Vision Plans centered on a different theme each year. Some themes were externally focused, such as “How to live in a world where the customer has perfect information?” or “How will Web Services change the way software is built?” Other themes were internally focused, like “How to increase software development speed?” In each case, every VP needed to come to the vision planning offsite with a vision document for their organization based on the assigned theme. A great Vision Document typically covers 7 sections: 1) The Five-Year Vision Start by defining the desired end state. Where do you want the business to be five years from now? This section is aspirational but should be grounded in reality. Think of it as your team’s answer to, “What does winning look like?” 2) Market Background What is the size of the opportunity? Who are the competitors? What are the macro trends? This is where you show that you understand the broader playing field and where it’s heading. 3) Current State Where are we today? As Jim Collins puts it, you must confront the brutal facts to achieve long-term success. Explain how each participant in the market creates value for customers, identify customer problems that aren’t being well served and describe the biggest challenges and opportunities for your team. 4) Strategy How are you going to win? What are the key strategic bets? Which customers will you serve? What tradeoffs are you making? One of the most important things is to state what must be true to achieve the vision. Some you have control over and some may be outside of your control. 5) Resourcing What people, skills, technology, and capital will be required? When will you need them? Suppose you need to acquire a new skill in the company. What are the paths to do so? Through developing existing employee skills? Hiring externally? Acquiring or partnering with other companies? 6) FAQ Use this section to anticipate and answer tough questions. A good required FAQ is to ask and answer: What are the best reasons not to pursue this idea? The point is not to talk yourself out of the idea. Rather it is to combat the bias and excitement of a new idea someone is trying to sell. 7) Appendices Include only what’s essential: relevant data, market analysis, org charts, etc. Appendices should support the narrative, not distract from it. A strong vision document doesn’t have a fixed format. Teams should tailor it to their context. However, the best documents almost always have a version of the above traits. Additionally, they almost always: - Are narratives, not slide decks - Use simple, direct language - Call out risks and uncertainties, not just upside - Make a balanced assessment that seeks truth (cont in comments)

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Of course I never like to hear of folks getting layed off…. But as a former Target leader…. YESSSS. Invest in the frontline employees 👏 The payroll struggles in stores are so glaring. It impacts productivity, culture, standards, customer service, everything. When an Executive Team Leader/Store Director who is payed to LEAD a team, is forced to BE the team for lack of payroll it creates so many problems. Good on you Target!

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How I Handle Ambiguity as a Program Manager at Amazon Ambiguity is the default setting in most big programs. Especially at Amazon… where the scope shifts… priorities evolve… and new constraints appear overnight. So instead of fighting it…I learned to operate inside it. Here’s how I handle ambiguity without losing momentum: 1/ I start with the clearest question I can answer ↳ What do we know for sure? ↳ What’s true today? ↳ That becomes my anchor…and I build from there 2/ I identify what success would look like ↳ Even if the path is unclear…defining the goal is powerful ↳ It aligns teams and focuses attention 3/ I break down the problem into smaller decisions ↳ What decision do we need to make this week? ↳ What’s blocking that decision? ↳ This keeps us moving instead of waiting 4/ I surface risksearly and openly ↳ “This might not work” isn’t a failure…it’s a flag ↳ Raising flags builds trust and invites help before it’s too late 5/ I keep stakeholders informed…even without all the answers ↳ “Here’s what we know…what we don’t…and what we’re doing next” ↳ That simple framing keeps alignment tight Working in ambiguity doesn’t mean working blindly. It means leading with clarity…even when the picture isn’t complete. If you’re waiting for all the answers…you’ll never get started. How do you move forward when the path isn’t clear?

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I’m excited to share that Amazon Business customers can now add fresh, perishable groceries to their Same-Day Delivery orders in over 2,300 cities across the U.S.     This is especially meaningful because it has been a top customer request for some time. Businesses are managing multiple vendors, processes, and deliveries. Now they can put bagels for a client meeting, milk for the coffee bar, and fresh fruit for the break room in the same cart as their copy paper and printer ink.     Thank you to the teams who brought this to life and looking forward to expanding these capabilities throughout 2026.     Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/g_f8nZQC 

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Most problems on Amazon don’t come from not knowing the rules. They come from knowing only the rules. The hardest part of operating at a certain level isn’t compliance. It’s navigating the grey areas between policy, automation, internal teams, and real economic impact. That’s where experience makes the difference. Two sellers can face the exact same issue. One stays blocked for months. The other unlocks it. The difference is rarely “better documentation.” It’s knowing where decisions actually happen, how signals are interpreted, and how to frame a case so it survives automation. Amazon doesn’t reward complaints. It rewards operators who understand its internal logic, even when that logic isn’t visible. That’s why serious work doesn’t happen through Seller Central screenshots or generic appeals. It happens through structure, timing, escalation paths, and often knowing when not to push. This isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about operating the system as it actually is not just as it’s written.

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3 transitions in 6 years at Amazon, into roles I had no credentials for. The email that opens the door takes 2 minutes. Three moves. In order. Every time. 𝟏. 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬. Sit with the job description. Go through every responsibility and ask one question: can you confidently tell yourself — not the manager, yourself — that you can deliver on it from day one. Then read it again and find the responsibilities that matter most: ↳ Described in detail vs. listed in passing ↳ Verbs that repeat across bullets ↳ First paragraph vs. buried at the bottom ↳ Skills the title is built around Those are the ones the role actually hires for. You're not looking for a role where you tick every box. You're looking for one where the boxes you tick are the ones that matter most — and where you bring a combination the role needs but can't easily find elsewhere. That's the role. Where your unique stack matches what the role hires for, and the gaps are growable. 𝟐. 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐧𝐨. Five lines. Each doing one job. ↳ Why you're reaching out — the specific role, the specific reason ↳ Your strongest proof — one piece of work that maps to what the role hires for ↳ A human bridge — one line of common ground from researching the manager: a shared school, a career path, an industry, a transition they made themselves ↳ The ask — 20-30 minutes for a coffee chat about the role ↳ Sign off Soft asks get ignored because they make the manager do the work of figuring out what you want. Direct asks get answered. A no with a reason is more useful than three weeks of waiting for a maybe. 𝟑. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐤. The move that feels wrong. Do it anyway. After the intro, run this sequence: "Here's where I can add value from day one. Here's where I see I have gaps against what you're looking for. Are you willing for someone to come in and grow into these gaps, or are they primarily what you need from day one? Here's how I'd plan to bridge them — and here's how I've done it before." For each sentence, pull directly from your audit in move 1. Specific responsibilities, specific proof, specific gaps, specific plan. Then stop talking and let the manager answer. This confirms or destroys your audit. If the gaps are growable, the bet is on. If they're central to the role, you just saved yourself from walking into a role you'd fail in. And it builds credibility because you volunteered the gaps before they had to ask. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. They're betting on people who know themselves. Three moves. In order. Every time. 🔖 Save this for the next role you want but don't fit on paper.

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Most new leaders focus on managing their team. Then wonder why they're still struggling. At Amazon, I learned the hard way: Great leadership requires managing in four directions simultaneously. 1. Managing Your Team → Clear expectations and context → Development paths that build capability → Performance systems that scale This is where most people focus 100% of their energy. It's necessary. But insufficient. 2. Managing Up → Keep your boss informed without overwhelming them → Manage expectations proactively → Build trust through consistent delivery Your boss's success depends on you. Make their job easier. 3. Managing Out → Stakeholder alignment across functions → Resource negotiation for your team → Collaboration that multiplies impact You can't succeed in isolation. Build the right partnerships. 4. Managing Yourself → Self-awareness of triggers and patterns → Stress management and sustainability → Continuous learning and adaptation You can't lead others effectively if you're burned out. Most leaders excel at 1-2 spheres. The missing ones are where your bottlenecks live.

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In Amazon's recent financial results report, it was exciting to see two major delivery initiatives spotlighted to improve customer convenience, speed, and accessibility across the U.S. 🚚 Expanding fast delivery in rural areas: Over the past four months, we’ve increased the number of rural communities with access to Amazon’s Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery by 60%, expanding Amazon’s reliable, rapid delivery service to even more locations. 🥬 Scaling grocery delivery: Customers in over 1,000 towns and cities across the U.S. can now add fresh groceries to their Same-Day orders for delivery within hours. And, we’re on track to reach 2,300+ locations by the end of 2025. Every Amazon delivery represents a partnership between advanced technology and the people who make it possible across Transportation tech, business, and operations teams, as well as delivery partners. I’m excited to see these programs continue to scale and reach even more communities as we grow them further into 2026.

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Across interview loops, the focus has been on distinguishing candidates who can deliver today from those who can lead tomorrow, strengthening succession pipelines and enabling teams to operate at higher standards year after year. https://lnkd.in/dBvH3sVs #amazon #hiringbar #leadershipPrinciples #talentBuilding #hireandDeveloptheBest #pecuilar #recruitment

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Fast delivery experiences are built on much more than speed alone. At Amazon Now, our teams are focused on creating operations that are efficient, safe, and consistent for both customers and associates. From processes to thoughtful store design, every detail plays a role in enabling reliable deliveries within minutes in a safe and reliable manner. Our stores are designed to be spacious, hygienic, and operationally efficient — built thoughtfully for the teams.   Amazon Now. Our stores are lit.   Abhinav Singh | Karan Chugh (KC) | Arun Kumar Singh | Shadab Anwer | Nikhil Umarane | Ashwini Samraj | Aditia Bhalla | Movit Ramwani | Anushila Gurung | Shivali Mittal | Manisha K Chettri   #AmazonIndia #AmazonIndiaOperations #AmazonNow #LITStores 

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