Learning at an HR Conclave

When the topic is Hi tech
speakers also would be from
Hi tech companies too
for  discussing  technology invasion
read AI ie 'artificial intelligence'
its impact on HR and
what it needs to do in
a changing, threatening scenario....

Yet one wonders whether
it is at all necessary for an Indian
when speaking to Indian audiences
to use slang,  jargon and pretend
that he just landed from US
straight from airport to the venue..

All this 'style' is so distracting
jarring and a waste of time
as listeners have to wade through trash
with less time available
for focusing on the core issue

A speaker in the afternoon though
used simple language, scoops of humour
had the audience in splits
yet conveyed a lot more on the subject
than his jargon ridden counterparts

Learning happens not from pomposity
but from participation, participation
and  participation of the audience
in a simple, straight, fun environment

Leadership: Changing With the Times...

Is your leadership style flexible? adaptable?
or is it based on your old rigid beliefs
formed eons ago, when you were a child
or when you first started work?
what if they aren't valid, relevant anymore?

Would you insist that your child
have only five shirts in all, since in your time
the sixth was held a luxury? if no,
why insist that team celebration
be restricted, to samosas and tea
when the company today can afford a lot more!

Inflexibility, not only elicits response
from youngsters as "from old school "
but could demotivate them
when boss seen as mean & stingy...
with not his, but company's money

Is your leadership style really old school
closely monitoring, keeping your people
on a tight leash? stifling initiative?
do you need a set of crony juniors
around you at all time, applauding
hanging on to your every word?

Do you do, to your reportees
what the British did to India?
divide and rule, to be in control
angle carrots, tempt them with sops
so they remain  adversaries always
desperately trying to please you
before the other guy does?

Not changing with the times
will be nothing short of tragedy
you will be remembered, if at all
as the self centered empire builder
an apology for a  true leader!

Foot Note: Companies only give lip service to teamwork and good leadership. In reality very few selected to leadership positions put the  organization first before their own self interest.


https://www.facebook.com/rajeev.moothedath/videos/2206533736040718/

Best Work Happens When...

When people are encouraged
to do work their way
freely, spontaneously,with enthusiasm
and not necessarily "my way"
best work happens....

So long as goals are  reached
why agonize over "my way","his way","her way"
feed ego, at the expense of employee morale?
at the expense of best results?

When people have learnt the job
it is time to get out of the way
and let them do the best
they know how to do
even if it means giving up
your power feelings
of supervision and control!

The First Step

When the project looks too big,daunting
all it takes is the first step
'initiative' is all about beginning,
taking the first step...

Once started,it keeps rolling
and before you know it
you have reached the peak
that seemed so far away, unattainable
yes,"The journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step!" 

NB: The last two lines are from the quote of
the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu/ Laozi

Meetings aplenty

Hopping from meeting to meeting
hardly any time available
for actually doing the work
for the planning,organizing,directing and controlling

When most of the time in a day
is spent behind closed doors
doing post mortems, blaming
surviving, saving one's own skin...
its a miracle that any work gets done
work if any, happens not because of
but in spite of the umpteen meetings!

The Gaps between Theory and Practice

The buzz word in corporate circles 
is leadership, in  the VUCA world
a world that is volatile, uncertain
complex and ambiguous
pundits love to talk about it
but actually have no clue themselves of
how to  handle uncertainities of the future....

In an evening professional meeting 
the expert panel discussed an important weapon 
in the armoury of HRDians today
the current super star
the one and only data analytics!

Analytics is all about the discovery of data, interpretation

and communication of meaningful patterns

for describing, predicting, and improving business performance

the audience are excited to listen to speakers

to be able to claim as knowledgeable, abreast of latest trends....

But how much and how fast

are  they willing to implement

new knowledge, latest  trends

is a moot question

A member at question time

revealed sad story of how

his analytics  company  won

the 'showcase' award last year

yet not a single customer sought his services

after the hype and the applause died down

What matters most perhaps is filling gap

between theory and practice

with companies foucusing  more on  implementation 

and far less on the hype, discussion and debates!

Foot Note: The National HRD Network, Bangalore Chapter organises a competition annually to  "show case" the best and innovative HR practices

Action speaks louder than words

We have had enough
of proclamations and declarations
of how the employee is the biggest asset
of any oganization

Enough of the definitions
of ' employee engagement'
comparing & contrasting
it with ' employee experience'
or some other latest fad

At the end of the day
in simple terms, what processes
are there to ensure employees feel valued?
what opportunities for them to have their say
to feel good inside most of the time and
happy smiles, not just in team pictures..