Credit

Leaders who are reluctant
to share credit for success,
or assignments well done
will be resented by team & peers...
and in the long run they lose
all support and cooperation

Such leaders behave the way they do
more out of a poor self esteem
 they compensate for the
"I am not good enough" feeling
with  projection of self as a 'star'
around whom everything revolves!

The better way for long term gains
for both leader and organization
is to share credit with all contributors
real achievement after all
is when many own, give a hand
celebrate success together!

HR Analytics and the Four Abilities

HR and data analytics today, is hot

HR had been one of the pioneers

anyway of the analytic path

having had at its disposal

Plenty of employee life cycle data

The challenge is to make sense

of humongous data, by thinking, asking

probing multiple aspects

having an eye for details

having an open mind…

With persistence, patience, deeper probing

some HR goals would be within reach

that of work force planning

comp & benefits, succession planning

learning & leadership, engagement & assessment....

Analytics for sales revenue, productivity

Arresting accident errors, fraud

down time losses…

for customer retention, product mix

for quality, IT and business consulting expertise….

Real success of the analytic journey

is in moving from the level 1 reactive,

 operational reporting to

 level 4, predictive analytics -

development of predictive models…

It’s here that the 4 abilities matter

Ability to collect high quality data

Ability to analyse, make sense of

the data and relationships

Ability to connect to IT, sales,

Operation and finance…

Ability to consult, visualise,

tell stories and drive change!

Note: This poem was inspired by an evening meeting that I attended on the subject organised by NIPM, Karnataka Chapter.The speaker Mr Neeraj Kumar, VP (HR) Wipro spoke exhaustively. This is just a tip of the iceberg.... 

Backfire

Frequent criticism
in the garb of "Feedback"
with an aim to control
seemingly to  ensure
change and improvement
backfires most of the time...

Rather than changes for the better
employees  withdraw, turn numb
become reluctant to innovate
volunteer or take risks

Instead it  results in
diverting precious energy for
blame avoidance
and self preservation!

Sad, the same energy
could and should
have been spent
for the benefit of the organization!

Typical Character

Organizations have a typical character
not withstanding the buzz words of
lean, flat, humane, open door
and what not.....

It's all about the span of control
the power to exercise over others
not allowing  them to use their heads
getting  them to  follow instructions
simply do your bidding!

The other day I watched on 'you tube'
a Swami explain the reason, the need
to leave parent spiritual organization
and start one of his own..

It was all about hurting ego

of the head of the organization

when the swami did not

blindly follow orders from top

but did what he thought was right...

Yes, all  organizations have a typical character
whether spiritual, social  or commercial...

Chasm

An employee wants to leave
for better prospects
company offers more money
in order to retain him/her

Similarly, someone else
wants to leave, weeks later
reason could be different this time
cultural mismatch or an overbearing boss...

Once again HR intervenes
with counselling or promises
of  a change in posting
the aim being retention
any which way...

At times, you find characters
who have discovered your weakness
and so periodically dangle
offer letters from rival companies
for ensuring raises...

A better approach perhaps
is to delve deep in to reasons
and respond or make corrections
to arrest attritions in future

As for the one who
has put in his papers
the dissatisfaction lurks
deep within somewhere
and all your efforts
notwithstanding...


It's a matter of time
that he notices the chasm yet again
and puts in his papers
refusing this time to reconsider...

Best Practices

Attending a professional body meeting
for sharing 'Best Practices' is fun
you learn quite a bit
even more fun though is watching
reaction & response of the audience

Some among the young
are all ears to the speaker
trying to absorb the maximum possible
like a blotting paper

Others have an expression of
"So what's new? "
just tall claims, all these
balloons filled with gas
nothing really makes a difference....

Yet others exhibit
a tinge of envy
"Why did I not think of all this
in my times- when active and kicking?
now its the fag end of career
or career days are long  over
and I feel a little left out
listening to all this..."

"well, let me cross examine this guy
during our time, the question time
poke holes in his claims
divert attention from the core
perhaps this will take away
atleast some of the sheen
from the claims of his achievement
and that of his organization...." 

Motivators

Casual discussion with a young man
revealed work motivators
and expectations today's generation
has from the employer.

"It's important for me
to feel that I matter
to the main purpose
aims of the company

I need reassuring
that I am not another
cog in the wheel
like to know
what plans the company has
for utilising my full
potential in the future

what upgrades, training, 
growth assignments are
in store for me
if I get  the answers, I stay
or it is time
to move on...."