Professionalism

Professionalism is the hallmark of any organization
In my long corporate  innings
I have come across a few leaders
and many more in leadership positions

From the ones who could be called 'Leaders'
perhaps one or two could be called 'Professional'
in the strictest sense of the term
the ones who retain the purity of quality
refusing to mix the professional with the personal

So, you may be a very dear disciple
yet,  rest assured that you will receive
no favours or compromises
from him for  you
at the time of  promotion

Similarly, the professional
may dislike a person of  poor  reputation
but does not allow that
to influence decision
on a genuine request of the employee

Contrast that with the 'Non professional'
 at the other end of the bar
who takes decisions not at the office
consulting the entire team
but in a resort or a bar in the evening
with cronies whose biggest contributions
are  drinking,clapping ,smiling
when he would like them to...

Yes, professionalism is the hallmark of any organization
yet, do we give this 'line' it's due
while choosing people for a position
for that matter, even leadership positions?

Legacy

What legacy  do you leave behind
after a career of 25 to 30 years
Have you left behind followers
sharing your values, conviction and drive?

Or is your legacy one
in which everything
falls like a pack of cards
the moment you are gone?

Is it possible that you are the victim
of a conspiracy that does not allow a legacy
with everything being dismantled
all traces removed by the new person
who would like to create his own legacy?

For a Better Impact

Get off  the high horse
Get off the fads,
and get going...
how long will you hold on
continue playing these games
if others aren't fed up
aren't you  fed up yourself?

Surviving on jargons and big talk
that mean nothing on the ground
no difference to day to day work
of internal customers

customers see you
as talking gibberish
360 degree appraisal, change management
core competency or empowerment
mean nothing to them
unless and until you first solve
contribute to solving simple 'real' problems
of say absenteeism or attrition

More time explaining concepts
and convincing customer
of its use to him
generate better enthusiasm
ensure better impact
for  the HR role

If not, you are doomed to be seen
as a nuisance or at best
a necessary evil....

Value Add

Running around a pole
a number of times
purpose not known..
yet it looks busy,feels busy
appears effective in the
eyes of self and others!

Work flowing smoothly
yet putting spokes
rules, regulations
to prove your existence
feed your ego!

So much more achieved
so much more gained
by looking into the mirror
for the truth of what you're doing
and taking corrective steps
and ensuring value add
in all that you do!

With Leaders like These....

Bosses, they say are always right
what then, can one say of CEOs
 that they are always, always,always  right ?


So, in a senior executive  review meeting
everyone watched silently
as the CEO took phone call mid meeting
then spoke for 5,10, 15 minutes...
oblivious, scornful
of wasted  executive time


Some started talking to neighbour
the mood of meeting temporarily disrupted
no surprises, or complaints though
they knew their leader well
had  got used to his style of functioning

As the presentations resume
 clarifications are sought and given
when the presenter proceeds to the next slide
leader talks of something else
to someone else attending the meeting


The presenter is left high and dry in mid sentence
no one pays any attention to him
all eyes are on the leader, to what he is talking
and to whom he is talking
our presenter, a senior executive waits in discomfort
 for five to ten  minutes
like an actor on stage who has forgotten his lines!

A repeat of drama happens with subsequent presentations
the trend established for all review meetings...

With leaders like these ...
what is the message?
"You may adorn  a senior executive designation, ,
but, you are simply there to do my bidding
Humiliation is a part of being a junior to a senior
and you don't count,.you just don't count!"

If parents are the role models for children
leaders like these become role models
 for the future CEOs, leadership aspirants


With leaders like these
damage caused is  not to one generation
but generations of employees
the culture scarred for many years to come..

Damage is caused  to the mother,  the organization herself
with leaders like these....
...

The Point is...

The other day
I was part of a
professional evening event
speaker with impressive credentials
and an exciting topic
"Winning qualities of Highly successful People"

The session started well
with tales of a couple of
successful people and
 their winning qualities

Later came many more
being proactive,overcoming adversity
persistence, self discipline
self believe, pursuing excellence....

The heroes cited included president Roosevelt
Arnold Schwarzenegger. M.K Gandhi
Bill Gates, Charlie Chaplin...

As the number of examples
 came as a deluge
I  and some in the audience became
a little distracted, a little bored...

The speaker though, was back with a bang
after all, he was a multi dimensional talent
author, speaker, ventriloquist            
cartoonist and  hand shadow expert!

While he drew caricatures
of  some heroes mid presentation
towards the end entered
charlie the monkey
who enthralled the audience
with his witty remarks
It was ventriloquism at its best!

This was followed
by the hand shadow display
if only all this, one wished
was part of main presentation
and connecting to the topic,,,

 At the end it was a standing ovation
for the multi talented speaker
who deserved every bit
of the applause and  ovation!

Did he entertain?
share valid thoughts?
have the audience eating out of his hand?
yes, yes, many times over!

Yet, the point is...
when you have a live person
speaking face to face
you would gain
much more, understanding
how he avoided procrastination
instances of how he benefited
from being proactive..
how the speaker went about setting goals
and how the process helped him achieve ..

While fine are the  tales  & examples of achievers
 whether,JFK, Jim Cary or Varghese Kurian
these  can be  accessed and available on net
yet,the story, learning and insights of speaker
are  unique and can be shared
by him and him alone!

Yes, the point is "How"
makes a more lasting impression than "What"
"What"  connotes knowing
while "How" is all about doing!

Hypocrisy

A friend shared his experience

that is shocking, chilling, horrifying

shows present day corporates

in poor light!

Recruitment done by someone

for someone else

in another part of the world

interviews over skype, telephone calls

with left hand not knowing

what the right hand is doing or wants!

When my friend joined

he found that his JD

explained & approved by recruiter

was not what his place

of joining wanted!

He was dubbed

incompetent and unsuitable

terminated six days

 Short of one month!

Who is to blame for the callous approach?

Is it ego or lack of homework?

Or lack of Synergy between departments?

Who will compensate for

the loss of previous  job,

for the  costs of relocation

for the humiliation

and loss of self-esteem?

Or is accountability alien

to big branded companies

that espouse corporate values

but seldom practice?

Are values only for the book

and for the speeches from public platforms?

How many more such cases

are out there in the jungle?

If this is the true face of branded companies

What can be expected from the small little companies?

Ps JD refers to Job Description