Avoid discriminatory overtones in appraisals

Published on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008

Performance reviews are never an easy process. It’s an agonising time for employees who worry that they will be unduly criticised. Managers are also burdened with the onslaught of paperwork, not to mention the unnerving emotional outbursts.
Yet, we cannot discount the fact that effective performance reviews are a crucial recourse for fostering staff morale, motivation and retention. When done properly, they not only help build better relationships but are essential for company growth and employee well being. In fact, recent research concludes that organisations with strong performance management systems are nearly 50 per cent more likely to outperform their competitors.
Therefore, the onus is on the managers to make appraisals a valuable process for everyone involved. To begin with, they should change their view that reviews are only meant to pass judgment on employees and berate their poor performance. Also, only if the supervisors themselves take the appraisal process seriously by putting in sufficient time and effort, will employees heed the advice and guidance provided therein.
Here are a few tips on what to do when review time rolls around:

Before the review
Inform the employee that you will be initiating a performance appraisal at least two weeks in advance. Clearly outline goals for evaluation, which could be rewarding good performance, improving performance, receiving feedback or establishing new performance expectations. Give the employee a copy of the job description and ensure that he is aware of the appraisal goals and knows what he is being evaluated against.
Base the appraisal on a thorough analysis of the job; you can also gather feedback from co-workers, supervisors or business contacts that work closely with the concerned employee.
Or, even ask the employee to submit a list of his achievements.
But, do ensure that your evaluation is consistent, relative to job requirements and sans any discriminatory overtones.
Schedule a convenient time and place for the review and set aside 30 minutes to an hour of privacy and quiet. Also, identify the key topics of discussion and plan what you are going to say well in advance.

Getting it under way
Open the review process with a warm greeting and some small talk to put the employee at ease and create a more conducive atmosphere. Summarise the performance and explain his rating in the beginning itself.
Else, the employee will spend the rest of the time trying to figure out how his overall performance ranks rather than focussing on your comments and suggestions.

The good…
Start by complimenting the employee for his major and minor strengths, exemplary efforts and valuable contributions. Recognising and praising his accomplishments will motivate him to take on more responsibilities and endeavour to surpass expectations.

And the bad…
Then move to giving feedback on the employee’s weaknesses and drawbacks. But, instead of merely criticising in general terms, state specific instances and also suggest areas for improvement. Like, for performance issues, explain your understanding of the situation, the outcome you had expected and the reason you would like it to be handled differently in the future.
Keep the review fair and objective by focusing on the performance and not the person.
You can make valid judgements on attitude, willingness to help, team spirit and interpersonal skills without harbouring any personal agendas. Also, adopt a matter-of-fact and constructive approach; do not scold or threaten the employee in any manner.

Healthy discussion
Encourage a two-way conversation where the employee is free to voice his thoughts, concerns and objections. If he gets upset or angry, let him vent his feelings and politely hear him out without getting defensive or argumentative. Some companies also offer the option of writing an alternate point of view for the review in case of disagreement.
Be proactive and delve into areas important to the employee like further training, future opportunities, career advancement and professional development. Besides, you can ask questions to solicit his ideas, possible solutions and even feedback on your leadership.
The interactive and supportive discussion will open the lines of communication and encourage employee participation.

End on a positive note
Encapsulate the overall performance and announce any salary change, bonus or raise in the end. Also, establish new goals for the next evaluation by explaining what the employee is expected to achieve and how. Be precise and tie them to company priorities so that the employee leaves feeling optimistic, motivated and excited about the job. Also, do not forget to thank him with a, ‘the company and I very much appreciate your work, and we are glad to have you here’.
Last but not the least, performance reviews should not be consigned to a half-yearly or annual phenomenon where employees hear about a problem for the first time. Instead of waiting for a formal appraisal, provide constant feedback by regularly discussing the work and challenges.
Address performance issues whenever they occur and fix problems immediately. This will confirm that employees are on the right track and aware of their overall effectiveness at all times.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Wake up to the power of recognition

Published on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008

Are you frustrated with the low productivity levels in your organisation? Is the rampant lackadaisical attitude driving you crazy? Are you racking your brains wondering how to develop an efficient, committed and assiduous workforce?
Every manager worth his salt is ridden with the plague of trying to give a fill up to the motivation and success quotient of his subordinates. In an obvious attempt to boost enthusiasm by keeping them satiated, he grudgingly offers a pay raise or promotion. But, does it work? Unfortunately, the answer is most often a nay.
Well, cash is no longer King. The manager may just have missed the boat when it comes to fostering fervour and productivity among the employees. As Pepi Seppal, editor of the magazine HR World observes, ‘Companies cannot just get away with traditional rewards of salary and bonus anymore.’
All of us crave recognition – it’s a fact. This yearning swathes the workplace too as a lack of acknowledgement manifests itself as an annoying frustration. This can colour the best of employees with resentment. Likewise, even a passing word of appreciation can uplift the most ‘down in the dumps’ of souls and have them raring to go.
According to a study by Dr. Gerald Graham, a management professor at Wichita State University, Kansas, ‘The most powerful motivator is personalised, instant recognition from managers’. So, wake up to the power of recognition!

Give back as good as you get:
When an employee puts in extra effort, it is the duty of the manager to recognise the achievement and show appreciation for the same. Once the stellar performance is acknowledged, it will spur him to perform even better. However, if the management fails to acknowledge the toil, he will not bother to expend the effort, the next time around.
Therefore, as a manager, you have to go a little out of your way to recognise quality and integrity as well as value innovation to provide positive reinforcement to the subordinates. As Spencer Johnson states in his book, ‘The One-Minute Manager’, ‘Observe employees closely to “catch” them doing right and praise immediately if possible’. Identify what is important to the company, spare time to notice corresponding achievements or behaviours and seek out the employee to reward him there and then. Also, as writer Alexander Hiam observes, ‘Giving someone a candy jar with their name on it is not what it is all about…..’ You have to be specific and point out what exactly was done right.

One-minute praises:
As the celebrated author, Mark Twain once remarked, ‘I can live for two months on a good compliment!’ You do not have to wait for evaluation time to roll around; appreciate the efforts spontaneously. A sincere word of thanks at the right time goes a long way in boosting self-esteem and optimism. Publicly recognising good performance with congratulations and a round of applause gives the employee a few minutes under the sun. Infact, personalised, spur-of-the-moment rewards like a thoughtful thank-you card or message can mean more than a salary raise or a whole wall of plaques. Even an unexpected gesture like arranging some balloons and a cake to celebrate an employee’s success is more valuable than a string of praises. In effect, 63 per cent employees rank such ‘pats on the back’ as the most meaningful incentives.
Moreover, companies can even keep a treasure chest brimming with gifts like free dinners, grocery coupons, and gift certificates to reward employees on the spot.

More formal overtones:
Good performance does deserve more than just applause or free airline tickets for two! Thus, companies should also bring into play a formal rewards programme like linking performance with bonus, pay raise, promotion, profit-sharing, stock options, prized assignments, training opportunities and paid vacations.
Also organise regular employee appreciation events with incentives in the form of ‘employee of the month’ to recognise and regard excellent attendance, loyalty, attainment of goals, cost-saving suggestions or superior performance.
Innovation is the name of the game, as managers have to go all out to make a song and dance of employees’ achievements. For example, Bell Atlantic’s cellular telephone division names cell sites after its employees to tout them as flavour of the month. Similarly, Federal Express inscribes the name of a top performing employee’s child in large letters on the nose of each airplane it purchases. No wonder, its employees are gung-ho to improve their performance. So, assemble your own box of goodies but do tailor it to individual preferences of employees.
Such recognition does not cost much. According to the ‘People, Performance and Pay’ study by Houston American Productivity Center, ‘It generally takes five – eight per cent of an employee’s salary to change behaviour if the reward is cash and approximately four per cent of the employee’s salary if the reward is non-cash’.
At the end of the day, let not your heroes go unsung. As Rosabeth Kanter, a management consultant based in Massachusetts puts it, ‘Compensation is a right; recognition is a gift’. And, who does not love a gift!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Company blogs – write with care

Published on Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008

Like never before, more and more people take to chronicling their activities, opinions and interests in weblogs. Personal blogging is slowly, but surely changing.
Though most of the stuff written on blogs is potentially harmless, it may so happen that an employee’s take on corporate life rubs the company the wrong way. Going public through blogs also opens up a wide breach as one can get carried away and make unintentional disclosures or comment on sensitive issues that are offensive and/or detrimental to company reputation.
In fact, a slew of cases are making headlines every day wherein employees are fired, or worse, sued for their blogs that criticise the company culture or go astray of corporate policy. The actions may be justified (employee blogs do reflect on the company), but there is no stopping the fallout with the public crying foul and even escalating it into customer boycotts!
Therefore, employers can no longer afford to simply pull the plug on or discipline employees at their whim and fancy.
With more and more companies scrambling to write their own blog policies, it seems prudent to put a lid on the conflict and chaos by setting down certain rules and guidelines on acceptable blogging behaviour.
Management should take to specifically defining parameters that not only serve as a basis for controlling blog-based mistakes, embarrassments and other damaging behaviour, but also provide a solid defence for any actions they may take.

Drawing the lines
Companies can and should outline certain restrictions on employees’ personal weblog conduct. This can include but is not limited to:
• Not to oppose company speak and brand image.
• Not to violate rights and privacy of fellow employees; bosses, customers or business associates with personal comments.
• No colourful language, insults, discriminatory comments, obscene attacks, personal defamation or inflammatory subjects.
• Not to leak proprietary, financial or other confidential information like revenues, share prices or roadmaps.
• Not to spill the beans on yet-to-be-launched products, technical data or business transactions that are still to be finalised. Like Sun Microsystems states, ‘...its perfectly OK to talk about your work and have a dialogue with the community, but its not OK to publish the recipe for one of our secret sauces.’
• Not to create cross-company conflict by needlessly criticising other organisations or their products.
Apart from these express dos and don’ts, a company blog policy should require employees to follow the law, respect others and abide by existing corporate policies. By reminding them that they will be held personally liable for their blog’s contents, it can call on employee bloggers to be professional and exercise good judgement with well-thought out comments. Like software giant IBM sets out, ‘Blogs, wikis and other forms of online discourse are individual interactions, not corporate communications. IBMers are personally responsible for their posts.’
Also, advise workers to be factual by steering clear of exaggerations, guesswork and contrived conclusions.
Then again, companies can necessitate employees to include a disclaimer on their blogs stating that the views and opinions expressed are theirs alone and do not represent the company. Also ask staff to check with their managers for appropriateness, when uncertain about disclosing any information or concepts (even if it is the employee’s own creation).
Finally, clearly set out the legal liabilities and the ramifications on violating the blog policy. You can taper the tone by reminding them that though the views they express in the blogosphere are their own, it does reflect on the company!
A well-rounded view
While it has become essential to define what the company is willing to accept and what blog writers cannot get away with, employers should remember that unnecessary monitoring constraints will limit effective communication, engagement and learning. In fact, such online dialogue is a positive marketing tool that, if cultivated properly, can not only raise company visibility but also make a statement about corporate tolerance and freedom of expression. This valuable component helps the company become transparent and boosts morale. Therefore, instead of discouraging employees from blogging, management should only set out some limits that encourage safe and healthy behaviour when authoring a blog.
Incorporating some flexibility will establish the company as an enlightened place to work that trusts its employees and is willing to adjust accordingly. As authors, Shel Israel & Robert Scoble advice in their book, Naked Conversations - How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, “Define the taboos in your company membrane. Then step back and let them say what they want. Yes, from time-to-time, some will be critical of company products or policies - and they’ll do it right out there in the open where your customers, competitors and the media can see it. And all of those people will see the openness and tolerance of your company culture!”
Hence, when it comes to blogging, spreading best practices across the organisation alone encourages positive communication and idea sharing.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Road show is a form of presentation too

Published on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008

Do you want to inform customers about your new services or tap a virgin market? Do you plan to motivate, inspire or excite employees? Or, do you want to sell your corporate vision to the media, investors and analysts?
To this whole spectrum of diverse needs and much more, one ‘uncrowned’ tool can suffice. But, for that, you have to go to the people; they will not come to you. Yes, it’s all about pushing the envelope by hitting the road with a road show.
As one road show veteran pertinently outlines, ‘A company can produce the greatest product in the world, be boastful of the most savvy management and brilliant organisation, and sport the most efficient processes known to mankind. But if no one outside the company hears this story, do not expect longevity to prevail. Getting a company’s story out means just that - spreading the word. As a vehicle for growing company awareness, building relationships and obtaining funding, road shows are imperative to the life of a company.’
A road show is essentially a platform to interact and connect with people directly on their home turf. Over a multi-week period, a group of company executives traverse the length and breadth of a country (sometimes overseas too) and organise a series of events and meetings in strategic cities. They can be in glamorous venues, public arenas, and hotels or even simply from the back of a trailer. Again, it can either be an exclusive, by invitation only affair or be open to the public at large.

Different strokes for different folks
A road show can serve almost any purpose under the sun; it can be a merger announcement, structured sales promotion message or a new product launch. It could also be an exercise to raise funds, recruit raw talent or an attempt to publicise the company. Road shows can be used to enhance staff motivation levels and improve work relationships as they facilitate an understanding of the company. Employees on their part get an opportunity to interact with managers and colleagues.
What is essential is to determine your requirements and prioritise accordingly and identify the target audience. Understand the issues and expectations of the key addressees to fine-tune the content.

Modus operandi
The communications strategy in a road show should comprise of creative concepts like persuasive theatrical performances or presentations. Ideally they should be accompanied by visual aids like videos, graphics, music and lighting. Strive to be engaging and interactive to put the message across profoundly. Also, encourage input, feedback and suggestions from the audience. Arrange product demonstrations, special offers, discounts, free services and samples to attract and win over people. Circulate leaflets, brochures and somewhere during the event distribute souvenirs to enable memory retention.

Jumping onto the bandwagon:
The work is cut out for the executives (sometimes CEO too) who will hit the road. Organising a road show calls for focussed planning to chalk out the itinerary and time it right too. Intense dialogue and practice sessions form a mandatory prelude to embark fully prepared with a focus on the message to be conveyed. Try to put together a structured, smooth, concise, reliable and well-thought out pitch at the presentation as well as discussions.
Also, arduously prepare your content to make it meaningful, informative and productive. Sufficient homework will help you to diplomatically tackle any tough situations that come your way.

Helping hand:
To perfectly orchestrate a road show right from transport, accommodation, catering and logistics to venue selection, pre-event communication, staging, entertainment and hospitality, you can even enlist the services of a road show-event agency.
A road show demands immense effort and stamina, which can take a toll on mental and physical well being of the organizers. The exhausting long days will leave you tired and drained. But, maintaining a fresh and unruffled demeanour is essential, so weave rest and sleep in your schedule whenever possible to combat the fatigue.

When the party’s over:
You may have left strong footprints behind, but will the road show translate into results? Post-homecoming, keeping in touch with respondents is a cog in the follow-up wheel. Omnibus the details integrate the data collected and evaluate the findings to develop new services from the feedback. Also, identify open issues and seek answers for lingering questions to gain coherence from the exercise.
So, make the road your playground with a road show up your sleeve and watch the world become your oyster soon.
After all, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little extra!

Narrowing realm can be career limiting

Published on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008

Specialisation is the name of the game today, with functional groupings being wholly dedicated to deep specialities. We pick one discipline, be it a programmer, a stock planner, a project manager or say a cardiologist, and go on to devote ourselves to the same.
Success has become all about an exclusive concentration focussed on gaining more knowledge in the same area of expertise. And very soon, we fall into a rut, as attaining proficiency in the same skill sets.
We may be highly skilled in what we do, but at what cost? Can we really afford to be ensconced in our ‘ivory towers’, languidly basking in the glory of our immense expertise?
Well, as we burrow deeper and deeper in a single field, too much specialisation can also turn into a gargantuan barrier of its own. The exceedingly narrow realm can become our own undoing.
Specialisation blinds us to other issues and we end up not knowing much about anything else. Floundering outside our so-called ‘area of expertise’, we become totally dependant on other ‘specialists’ for the smallest things. Psychologist, Konrad Lorenz hits the nail on the head with, “Every man gets a narrower and narrower field of knowledge in which he must be an expert in order to compete with other people. The specialist knows more and more about less and less and finally knows everything about nothing.”
But what if our speciality becomes ineffective or worse, defunct ?
Then again, while too much specialisation induces the ‘frog-in-the-well’ syndrome, generalists possess a wide range of knowledge, but lack specific skills in anything. By spending all our time trying to learn bits of everything, we can land up as a ‘jack-of-all-trades, but master of none’. The middle ground
To balance the extreme approaches and enjoy the benefits of both, consultant Scott Ambler propounds a new term of ‘generalising specialists’ that calls on people to maintain one or more technical specialties while actively seeking to gain new skills in both existing specialties as well as other areas. Though coined in terms of software development, the concept holds water in almost every sphere of work.
To evolve from being specialists/generalists to generalising specialists, we need to equalise specialisation with other skills. Moving away from restricting ourselves to extensive knowledge in a single subject area or trying to learn everything, we should develop a strong grasp in a chosen specialty along with learning new skills in different aspects of our relevant domain itself.
Only by spending less time on perfecting skills we are already proficient in and cultivating at least a working knowledge of other related areas, can we own all the skills necessary to be successful.
For this, you should first know yourself and become aware of your weaknesses. Once you become adept in your field, do not make the mistake of ignoring other matters.
Instead, try to expand your horizons beyond your core area and gain a good grasp of the whole picture.
Step outside your comfort zone and be willing and able to learn new skills. Stretch yourself and your knowledge by reading on diverse subjects, browsing the Internet or just talking to people.
For more profound understanding, you can even take up courses, cross-train or gain hands-on experience at work itself.
The varied knowledge and spread of skills (even if its based on rudimentary information) helps in understanding the whole process, end results and even potential solutions.
It facilitates variety in work and increases your survival quotient as you can pick the ball and run with it whenever needed.
By contributing to other areas, you will become more co-operative, agile and emerge as the natural choice for taking up the lead.
So, while every job does necessitate a degree of specialisation, why not know more than that to turn into a multi-disciplinary worker, or in other words, a ‘generalising specialist’.
To wind up, author, Robert Heinlein sums it up best with, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialisation is for insects!”

PAYAL CHANANIA

Engage staff in ‘learn by doing’ training

Published on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008

Learn and work is the new motto for success!
In the corporate world, workforce training is touted as the answer to almost all organisational evils. When employees know what to do and how, they can easily meet business challenges, adapt to change and tap new opportunities as they emerge.
Thereby effective training initiatives nimbly spin a motivated and committed team that boosts competitive advantage and determines long-term company health.
While advanced training techniques and resources are emerging, companies are still perplexed by the divergent perspectives of performance-based vs. content-based training. And, with poor training programmes triggering costly losses, the necessity to make the right choice is paramount.

What’s what
Content-based training is a time-honoured approach that concentrates on cultivating job skills with an unwavering focus on long-term employee development. It focuses on the big picture and fills gaps in knowledge by delving into intellectually complex subjects like leadership, problem solving, communication and ethics. In other words, this teaches more about the job, not just how to do it.In contrast, the performance-based training concept is more aligned with industry best practices as it centres on the tasks that employees have to perform. The spotlight is on teaching how to perform specific tasks based on what employees should be able to do and how well they can do the same.
Broadly speaking, content-based formats emerge as the better option when creativity is called for or where no clearly defined procedures exist. Like, when it comes to managing performance or developing interpersonal skills, such training equips the learner with the ability to act/decide off the cuff.
But, generally there is a lack of definite parameters, and the broad-spectrum definitions do not lend themselves well for training requirements. Analysts decry that this ‘superficial’ methodology does not delve into what is actually needed to get the job done. Like one user aptly puts it, “Learning a job through content-based training is like trying to learn how to drive a car by reading the manual — or in the worst courses, just the parts list. It usually leads to training that tells everything about a product except actually how to use it!”
On the other hand, the ‘learn by doing’ premise of performance-based training has emerged as the industry standard as it is all about practice. This task-specific ‘customised’ approach focuses on narrower tasks like how to sell a product, assist customers, build processes, complete specific forms, check for defects and so on. By focussing on the behaviours and level of performance necessary to complete specific tasks, it provides learners with practice and immediate feedback on the skills required to perform a job to meet management expectations.

Blended learning
As managers prepare to roll out training programmes, they are caught in the middle over which perspective will yield best results and greatest return of investment.
Before choosing any approach it is prudent to conduct a comprehensive needs analysis to precisely define organisational training needs and the requisite outcomes thereof. As trainer and consultant, Richard Galbreath exhorts, “Without carefully examining your needs, you get training only for the sake of training, or programmes that don’t fully prepare your employees or your organisation for an ever-changing future!”
Therefore, preparing a well-thought out list of specific competencies/skills needed will function as a blueprint for getting the results you want. This in turn calls for a thorough job analysis to truly understand work requirements like knowledge, skills, abilities, goals and other ideal job benchmarks. Comparing these pre-requisites vis-a-vis actual performance will shed light on both current and future job requirements in view of an individual’s ability to perform. In fact, this analysis also enables content-based programmes to become more specific and targeted.
Now it is a question of planning an approach that matches the needs with an appropriate type of training, thus effectively preparing the staff for all types of challenges. Experts opine that integrating both training methodologies will not only help meet the needs of diverse learners, but also develop better competencies and intellectual flexibility apposite to the outcome needed. As employees learn to perform specific tasks applicable to today’s job, along with the intellectual information for future development, overall training effectiveness rises manifold delivering real value for both time and money spent.

PAYAL CHANANIA

To build a team have a team outing

Published on Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007

Team-building programmes are the latest craze taking the corporate world by storm. As teamwork is currently the hottest mantra for success, almost every organisation worth its salt organises regular teaming events where employees ‘learn to work together by playing together’!
A top consultant highlights, “The rapid shifts in workplace environments and personnel eventually make it harder for people to work as a team”. With this acute necessity for and significance of encouraging staff camaraderie, numerous team-building event management companies have mushroomed across the world.
Though small team-building sessions can be held in the office itself, most employers prefer to remove them from the formal workplace turf to a neutral ground.
Cut off from the hustle and bustle of daily work – incessant emails, screaming bosses, project deadlines, assignments, responsibilities and other everyday concerns, employees think and behave differently. This provides a rare chance to get to know each other while having fun.
The advantages
The comfortable and stress-free atmosphere lends itself well to interpersonal interactions and shared bonhomie. By spending quality time together away from the office hierarchy, employees relax and bond on a personal level, horizontally (with colleagues from the same or different departments) as well as vertically (subordinates with managers and managers with higher executives and so on).
Team-building events also present a unique platform to revive plummeting enthusiasm, build a sense of direction and enthuse the workforce. They can be organised for brainstorming creative ideas, developing lateral thinking and communicating changed goals. Or could simply be a reward for exemplary and dedicated performance.
The ingredients
Huge groups of employees routinely take off to five-star hotels, posh resorts, wildlife sanctuaries or other cosy getaways for a solid dose of multi-activity team-building sessions.
Everything goes in the name of team building from adventure games like rock climbing, river rafting and go karting to team sports like football or rugby to initiative exercises like treasure hunt, building boats or cracking murder mysteries!
Know the latest in team building? Corporates making bulk booking for their entire staff for that latest southern star thriller!
Anything from spy games to organising a short stage show can be translated into an exhilarating activity as long as it neither compels participation nor humiliates participants. Teams though should be chosen at random so that employees effectively learn how to harmonise personality types and balance skill sets for a winning outcome.
The activities should also have undertones of interpersonal interaction and group perspective to foster a sense of collaboration among team members.
What’s more, the challenges can be custom-designed on the lines of workplace issues like delegation, communication, consensus building, problem solving, conflict resolution and time management to integrate them with real-time work goals.
The outcome
Engaging in healthy competition promotes individual development as employees learn to be more effective, efficient and result-oriented.
Besides, the element of cooperation not only brings the members together for a common cause but also encourages the cohesive concept of working together as a team.
When employees willingly join forces with colleagues and bosses to sail a yacht or solve a puzzle, their true attitude and behaviour surfaces.
This can transform negative perceptions. This helps them understand each other’s motivations, recognise weaknesses and realise how to make the most of individual strengths. With valuable insights into others’ way of working, they learn to plan together and iron out problems with workable plans and effective solutions.
The ensuing games, role-plays and discussions (of family backgrounds, hobbies and friends) also break personal and political barriers, as staff from different levels and departments come together and enthusiastically pool their talents for a shared purpose. A common vision binds them together and that goes a long way in inculcating mutual trust and support.
The resultant powerful sense of belonging with and on the team will spill over into the workplace and facilitate them to find effective ways of working together.
Increased commitment, morale, effective performance and lasting relationships are bound to follow.
To wrap up, a team-building event effectively breaks the monotony of work and improves working relationships. Employees have a good laugh, enjoy and get back to work with a sense of working as a true team player.

P. AGGARWAL

Recruitment takes a radical turn with ATS

Published on Wednesday, Dec 27, 2006

THAT turnover and attrition rates are going through the roof is old news. Nevertheless, employees' cataclysmic predilection to job hop spawns a huge recruiting volume and companies have to fill open positions speedily. Any delays in hiring or wrong hirings will work in favour of the competitors.
Even as resourcing directors have their hands full with meeting staffing needs, inopportune inefficiencies of the recruiting systems come to the fore. The long-drawn-out process of constantly formulating job requisitions and interviewing applicants takes an inordinate amount of time. Not to mention the entailed sifting through a deluge of applications in the exasperating hunt for the optimal candidate. Therefore, even as hiring managers work against time, more positions fall vacant before the previous ones can be filled.
The ongoing hiring also drains the company with mammoth costs and lost time that could be spent on other productive activities. According to the Corporate Advisory Board of Washington, USA, the cost of replacing staff can be anything between 50 per cent to175 per cent of that person's annual salary. Therefore, even after spending millions on recruitment, most companies are still unhappy with their staffing systems and fantasise about alleviating the hiring workload and simplifying the process.
What if someone said that they can actually manage their corporate recruitment right from their desktops!
Technology to the rescue
A degree of automation is the need of the hour as HR can no longer (and should not, either) meet the perpetual staffing needs manually. The time is ripe for revolutionising the hiring process with technology-enabled tools like an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
An applicant tracking system is an innovative web-based software that maintains a comprehensive database of applicant and job information which can be stored and retrieved electronically. It comprises of a corporate career site that allows companies to post job opportunities on their own websites or job boards, inviting applications. Thereafter, it catalogues the information from resumes in its massive and detailed record-keeping system.
As and when needed, the ATS automatically spews out matches between job openings and candidates, thus facilitating timely detection and hiring of well-qualified and competent employees. Its effective solutions allow constructive searching, filtering and routing of candidate data.
Even the previously time-consuming tasks of candidate comparisons and compliance monitoring are computerised leading to timely and unbiased evaluation procedures.
The hallmark of an applicant tracking software is its ability to standardise and streamline assorted hiring processes by linking information from various sources and integrating data storage on a single platform. As Jonathan Kubo, director of recruiting for a prominent hotel management company in USA states, "I like our applicant tracking system because we have the option to post positions on job boards and community organisation sites through a one-step process for posting on multiple sites, but then all applications are brought in to a single point. We can track the status of the application and manage on line all the data related to selection and interviewing".
Companies can customise an ATS to their needs by adding/eliminating functionalities to an existing system. They can choose from a wide array of recruiting solutions right from candidate-required mode to employee-hired to at times, even orchestrating final exit and everything in between (with multilingual options and audio support to boot). For instance, apart from regular resume screening and generating interview requests to potential candidates, an ATS can also be customised for seamless pre-screening through weighted job-specific questions to sort applicants by their probability of success in the job. Or, an online initial orientation service to onboard new employees and/or cyclical performance reviews can be chosen. Other personalised features include automated job requisition analysis, requisition tracking, input forms, resume acknowledgment email, auto-ranking criteria, interview scheduling/tracking, background checking, selection parameters, offer approval and welcome letters. Even paramount and concentrated processes like candidate sourcing, mining centralised candidate pool, employee referral programs, vendor management, ad hoc reporting, cost analysis, payroll integration and real time data management can be accelerated with an ATS. The possibilities are almost endless.
Key to survival
Needless to say, the electronically automated handling of overwhelming corporate recruitment needs expedites the hiring process radically. The ability, at a glance, to determine a candidate's suitability for the job he has applied for, individually and in comparison to other applicants plummets time-to-fill and cost-per-hire with significant reduction of inefficiencies.
The quicker decision-making facilitates filling urgent staffing requirements too. And, with the efficient organisation of candidate data, no applications will get lost or be misplaced in the wrong file!
Administrative, advertising and placement agency expenses fall drastically with a concurrent rise in new employees' time to productivity leading to gains galore. Even the talent acquisition team can work with a smaller squad thanks to reduced hiring workloads.
The right choice
With a glut of ATS providers available, organisations should carefully select an intuitive and flexible software application by meeting the suppliers and discussing their unique needs. In India, a plethora of popular software packages are available and patronised by leading organisations

PAYAL CHANANIA

Towards a cleaner desk

Published on Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007

HOW quickly can you find something on your desk?
Less than a minute
A couple of minutes
Not less than an hour (it must be somewhere under all those piles of papers !)
Needless to say, you will go red in the face if the last option strikes a chord. You are a disorganised wreck. The mountains of papers accumulated on your desk stand testimony to the fact. In fact, according to The Wall Street Journal, an average executive wastes six weeks per year retrieving misplaced information due to messy desks and files.
You may have tacked a post-it as a deadline reminder or placed an important document on the desk. But, it vanishes under the inevitable clutter of papers, empty coffee cups and miscellany.
There's not even a rustle --- old papers gone yellow in use. It's impossible to find it when you need it the most.
Workspace or a mini war zone?
With office cubicles getting smaller and cramped, the ensuing shortage of space transforms the workstation into a veritable dump yard. People are forever fumbling around for a pen or rummaging for misplaced papers.
Finding the visiting card of an important contact is akin to looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. `It's in here somewhere' - is all the defence that you can feebly muster .
Even the argument that a messy desk is the sign of a busy and creative mind does not hold water any longer. The opposite is very well true, as sloppy desks heaving under tons of clutter notoriously create confusion, irritability and stifle innovation. The psychological burden of the work backlog spawns a sense of panic reducing one's effectiveness . Moreover, it can say that either you don't care or are incapable of managing your work efficiently.
Orderliness, - a buzzword taught at nursery school, if ingested as an inherent quality saves time. More importantly you are in control and so can augment your performance and in turn the company's productivity.
A clear desk mirrors a clear mind. But how?
The problem of waste, scrap and rubbish has reached such gargantuan proportions that the second Monday in January is officially declared as Clean Your Desk Day. But, do we really need a designated day to spring clean our desks? Why not tame the monster before it overpowers us? Here's how:
First things first
Gain a semblance of order in the chaos by arranging your stuff. Equipment like, computer, printer, etc. could be set on one side of the desk. Keep the telephone in a convenient place, more so if other cubicle members use it too. Leave sufficient room to manoeuvre easily. Personalise your workspace, that's the new age novelty, but avoid overdoing least you should create clutter.
Invest in accoutrements
To get the clean- up campaign under way, prudently purchase some practical contraptions like wire baskets, file folders, etc. Use a holdall or hutch to store books, manuals and reference material. Stepped file-holder racks house assorted files conveniently. Use stacking trays or small light holders to keep pens, paper clips, letter openers, staples, tape, glue, and other small supplies of stationery within arm's reach. If the company provides them fine, or else buy some minimal things for personal use.
Go for the jugular
As the wise man's saying goes, `A proper place for everything and everything in its proper place'.
Designate specific and logical space for various items to facilitate ease of use. Streamline the process by going through every piece of paper on your desk and placing each one in the appropriate file. Else, store them electronically with a scanner. categorise and label files to facilitate easy recall. You may have sub files too if you are storing on your system.
Get the apple cart on track
A clear desk does not necessitate that everything should be out of sight.
It should merely give the feel of a comfortable work zone.
A general rule of thumb is: never have anything directly in front of you but what you are working on and the accompanying trimmings.
Even establishing a desk-tray system with `In', `Out' and `In progress' trays will help you to keep track of the volume of work and its progress more efficiently.
Separate grain from bushel
Avoid delays of any kind. Deal with each incoming item only once , deciding what is to be done - either act on it, file it or schedule it. Also, use the waste paper basket ruthlessly.
Weed out unwanted, expired, irrelevant and duplicated files and trash them immediately.
Keep the ball rolling
An investment today should transform into a lifestyle tomorrow. It's not a one time affair to maintain a tidy desk , place things back in their proper place once you are finished with them; also, clear out your desk before you leave work to gain a fresh and inviting start the next day.
That's it. Now you can boast of a much cleaner workspace!

Privacy invasion is here to stay

Published on Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007

OUR privacy is under siege. Nothing is sacred anymore. The fine lines of confidentiality are blurring, as privacy infringement flourishes with an Orwellian fervour. Whether we purchase a jacket online, sign up for a bank account or take up a job, there is always a chance that the personal information we disclose reaches unknown quarters.
Britain's Princess Margaret once bemoaned, `I have as much privacy as a gold fish in a bowl'. Today, this lament is no longer the privilege of the rich and famous. Even the common man is not spared a gross violation of the fundamental right of privacy. In fact, holding a job itself has become an invasion of privacy.
The corporate sentinel is always watching! Employers are not above monitoring telephone calls, tracking Internet access, screening e-mails and snooping through files. They even transmit as well as use confidential information like employees' medical records while taking critical decisions.
No longer do they need to perch over the employees' shoulders, with computer technology at their beck and call. A recent study by the American Management Association found that 55 per cent companies use electronic devices to record and review their employees' communications and activities on the job. The employees may go hoarse screaming, `none of your business', but no one is listening.
Playing `Big Brother'
Employers call the shots in this game. They have carte blanche access to employee information and can maintain imperceptible surveillance too. The companies provide some legitimate reasons for this blatant invasion of privacy.
Need to collect and use personal information from and about employees to comply with labour, tax and other laws besides administering benefits.
Surveillance is invaluable to the security and success of the organisation as it combats the constant risk of internal hacking, fraud, theft and sabotage by disgruntled workers.
Companies often undertake monitoring what employees are doing on company time to increase productivity and focus on company goals as well as restrict personal e-mails and web surfing.
They can even face liability issues when employees access illegal or inappropriate websites. As such, a top New York newspaper recently fired 23 employees for sending e-mails containing inappropriate images by keeping an eye on their mails.
The other end of the spectrum
American actor Marlon Brando once said, `Privacy is not something that I am merely entitled to; it is an absolute prerequisite'.
Every person guards his privacy with his life. The fact that `someone is watching' can be quite distressing and is a thorn in every employee's side.
If allowed to fester, it can snowball with quite a few repercussions. Alienation of workers, reduced interaction, increase in stress levels, and destruction of company loyalty, trust and reputation are the hard-hitting consequences of insufficient privacy strategies, which could be detrimental to overall company performance.
A question of balance
A watchdog on privacy intrusions is essential. Ensuring the security of personnel records and communication must be a priority for every organisation.
Employers should clearly define and disseminate their privacy policy to the employees. Consistent explanations should be given during recruitment and orientation stages itself.
Covert spying is a strict no-no; reveal the nature, extent and purpose of your monitoring. Employees should be aware of what information is being recorded and how it might have to be used. Also, the company should tread with discretion and use surveillance as a lawful business tool without misusing confidential information of employees or letting it fall into the hands of others.
All said and done, privacy invasion is here to stay. To a certain degree, it is necessary and normal. You can either grind your teeth in frustration or just grin and bear it. The choice is yours.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Troubleshoot problems the analytical way

Published on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007

THAT human relationships are littered with disagreements and conflicts is old news. Again, the fact that clashes are more pronounced in the friction-ridden portals of the workplace is nothing new. Dissent over roles, rights, duties, responsibilities, resource allocation marks a range of interactions between colleagues as well as managers and their subordinates. Neither is executive-level negotiation spared from the ubiquitous element of conflict.
Nonetheless, most minor skirmishes can be effectively settled through compromises and adjustments. But, when the sword of discord strikes an individual's fundamental values, beliefs and goals, it becomes another ballgame altogether.
The deep-rooted conflict is almost intractable; it does not lend itself well to pre-approved, accepted or politically `realistic' methods of resolution. Coercive strategies fail miserably as the disputants refuse to budge from their entrenched positions and there is no solution in sight.
To deal with this complex scenario, conflict scholars, John Burton and Herbert Kelman have developed an alternative approach that is both factual and holistic. Though their `analytical problem solving' technique was conceived in the wholesome context of international conflicts, its `peace-making' proclivity can generate successful results in almost any milieu.
Harnessing the needs theory
As against the previous approaches that ignored the cause of a problem, analytical problem solving is a comprehensive strategy that focuses on pinpointing the fundamental source that perpetuates a conflict. The social-psychological analysis concentrates on determining the degree to which the adversaries' basic human needs are being met. As conflict resolution-expert Bryant Wedge opines, "non-rational human needs, including those especially for recognition and justice, provide a driving force in conflict behaviour and need to be taken into greater account in conflict analysis".
Once this crucial core is unearthed, both the parties work together (with a mediator, of course) to examine mutually satisfactory options that will meet their needs. Therefore, fulfilling the rudimentary essentials holds the key to effective and continuing resolution.
However, it is quite obvious that any arbitrator will emphatically object that building coalition between warring factions is easier said than done.
Therefore, as an opening gambit, a mediator (can be either a manager, executive, neutral team member, other key individuals or even a hired professional) should gather information on the root cause underlying the issue through focussed and direct questioning to each side.
Then, try to get them to participate in a joint discussion targeted at cordial dialogue to reveal hidden behavioural realities dominating the conflict. This will expose inherent and vital unmet needs like a lack of identity, security, equity, autonomy or personal recognition that provokes individual behaviour in defiance of rules. Proceed with caution as ingrained and reciprocal stereotyping or profound distrust can ride roughshod over any attempts for conciliation. Yet, if they are averse to direct communication, the facilitator should separately present their respective views and concerns, even while encouraging `in-person' negotiation.
Armed with the eye-opening insight into the root of the conflict, proceed to exploring options and develop ways to restructure the situation.
Flavouring with an extra tang
Analysis-based problem solving does not merely culminate in containing conflict with congruous agreement. It is a broader concept that focuses on permanently eradicating potential grounds for discord by changing individual perceptions towards each other, thus setting the tone for an absolutely transformed and co-operative relationship.
This integrative approach of troubleshooting can be successfully modified to handle routine and major problems in manufacturing, technical or project-solving situations too. Assessing needs with reliable equations will help in identifying, adjusting and rectifying the areas of an operation or process where problems can crop up in the future.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Tune training plans to gain productivity

Published on Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007

Motorola calculates that for every $1 spent on training, there is a $30 productivity gain within three years!
Well, we are not here to belie the sweeping effects of employee training. In fact, the rapid changes in work demands and markets call for new competencies. These are necessitating ongoing learning. But the million-dollar question is, can just any type of training programme achieve such superlative results?
The answer is ‘No’. Ill-conceived training is simply worthless! Facilitating employee training does get the workforce to the next level of performance efficiency and prepares them for future projects. For this to happen, organisations must first determine the kind of training employees actually need. No wonder, most training programmes fail!
Instead of randomly selecting training plans, companies need to preface their decisions with an exercise in training needs assessment. This entails determining employee and organisational requirements apropos the type and scale of training.
Fine-tuning training plans with these criteria in mind will help the manifold rewards of successful training like increased productivity, motivation, loyalty and retention. As employees constantly seek to develop their careers, such opportunities for skill enhancement will foster lasting loyalty and can serve as a gratifying reward for performance too.
The essentials
Simply put, training needs assessment implies any tool that helps in identifying the educational courses or activities that should be provided to employees to improve their productivity.
Employers can choose from various techniques like:
• Company review – Study relevant literature like company goals and mission statement to understand direction of company growth and change. This will highlight what employees will be expected to do in the future and following from that, the specific areas where they will need training. As noted writer, Denise Ruggieri outlines, “A brief review of the company’s past and where they are headed for the future reveals valuable information for training”.
• Observation – An unobtrusive scrutiny of employees as they perform specific jobs or of their work samples will bring areas needing training to light.
• Discussions with supervisors – People in key positions like supervisors and managers who organise projects for employees and interact with them on a day-today basis are well aware of the true level of staff abilities. Consultations with them in the vein of specific things they would like to see people do, but they don’t/can’t will shed light on respective training needs.
• Talks with employees – Sit down with individual employees and ask frank questions about their struggles, problems, what can make their work easier or the skills they feel they require. Steer clear of confrontational overtones during the face-to-face session, as employees will shy away from revealing their deficiencies. Non-challenging queries like, “What do you think you need to meet the performance standards?” or “Where do you feel the need for new skills to improve productivity?” just might get the suggestions rolling.
However, ascertain that you stick to employees’ needs and not what they ‘want but do not need’! To elicit actual training needs, solicit related experiences and examples that support the expressed opinions.
• Surveys – Organising employee surveys is another non-controversial way to gain input on training needs. A top training provider shares this tip for the questionnaires, “Include some questions using a Likert scale of 1 to 5 and some open-ended questions”.
• Also, ask them to list specific proficiencies that need improvement like interpersonal communication, team building, and conflict resolution. Focus groups too can bring people’s thoughts, feedback and ideas regarding training needs to the fore.
• Performance appraisals – Study the contributions, accomplishments and weaknesses of employees revealed in performance reviews to gain a true picture of staff strengths and learning needs. Examining optimal behaviour (required competencies) vis-À-vis actual behaviour levels will reveal performance needs as well as the gap between staff skills and skills needed for business success.
Select the appropriate tools for assessing training needs from the available options. Then, carefully analyse the collected data to pinpoint actual training needs. Ascertain that training can solve the performance problems. Make sure that organisational issues that require employee counselling, job redesign, organisational change, amending management style or alterations in work environment are not mistaken for training needs.
Accordingly, develop a customised training plan that sets out the requisite type of training (courses, seminars, on-the-job training or job simulation), time lines, budgets and improvement measures. Also, ensure that employees know what learning opportunities are available to them and encourage maximum participation.
Bottom line- provide the ‘right’ type of training and watch your staff transform into an excellent workforce.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Veto a promotion, still keep your job

Published on Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007

This may sound audacious, weird and a downright anomaly of sorts, but some people do not go bonkers when a coveted promotion comes calling. Incredible! But yes, they actually say `Thanks, but no thanks'
Reasoning out
A case in point - Nancy Katz, Vice President at the investment firm McCown De Leeuw & Co. in California had a sure shot chance of becoming a partner. Who would refuse such an opportunity? But, Nancy did so. What makes people turn away from the `god-sent opportunity'? What do they seek?
Well, when the boss dangles the tempting carrot, it is impossible to say no. However, some employees do not choose to sacrifice everything to claw their way to the top. A promotion does not only lead to an impressive title on the business card, it brings with it additional work and responsibilities and sometimes even relocation. Additional work in turn implies lesser time for their families and other interests. It feels good to have the extra income, but, in the long run, are the longer hours and working weekends (they may of course be doing that currently too!) worthwhile? Yet others consider the timing is not right to take up the offer.
All said and done, it is a simple case of having realised that they are perfectly content as they are. As Nancy Katz argues, `My current job is challenging and I enjoy it, and at the end of the day I can turn it off. As a partner, work would be nonstop'.
Similarly, Dan Hackett, of Alabama, has held the same sales job at a major U.S. food manufacturer for 29 years. He says that there was a lot of pressure to move up. But, he did not want to forfeit the flexibility his job offers. It allowed him to attend his children's activities and spend some time on the golf course.
`Why spoil a good thing?' is the ubiquitous reasoning.
Whatever the reason, this `ultimate sacrilege' is bound to draw raised eyebrows and open mouths, not to mention raised hackles. It can paint you as an underachiever lacking the burning ambition to advance, which is `Oh so necessary to succeed' It can be professional hara-kiri of sorts as you may end up losing the existing job as well.
But, if you do decide to veto a promotion here's how to say no and still keep your job.
Chew it over
Before you deliver a resounding `no', think over your decision carefully. Make it the right choice by considering your goals, preferences and priorities. Else, your words will wind up unceremoniously on your plate. Regret or resent, but you will have to live with it.
From the outset, be upfront with the boss. Validate your decision with sincere and meaningful explanations. He may not give you a pat on the back, but might at least be willing to understand.
Not crazy at all
Your `impertinence' will inspire atrocious insinuations all around you and make you the butt of office jokes. Be prepared to ignore them. Concentrate on the larger picture that you visualise.
Reassure your superiors that even though you have not accepted the promotion, you are not afraid of change and are willing to assume new projects. Describe the skills, abilities and temperaments that make you particularly well suited to your present position.
No free lunches
This is not the time to turn complacent. Entrench yourself in the job by becoming a proficient performer. Be willing to spread your wings, polish your skills or mentor others on their way to the top.
You can get a raise too
It is often difficult to get an increment after rejecting a promotion as salary is tied to the post. Try to prove your worth as an active contributor to the company's success. If so, you can ask for a raise and enjoy a rising trajectory in the job itself.
Whatever course you choose, do follow your heart if it makes you happy. Risky, but it's your life after all!

PAYAL AGARWAL

Preventing culture shock key to successful mergers

Published on Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007

MERGERS and acquisitions - that's the name of the game! In today's highly-charged global scenario, a wave of mergers is about the only remaining tactic for continued growth.
The consolidation integrates two organisations to cut costs, reduce competition and consequentially increase market share. As such, the leaders meticulously design the strategic intent, resources, systems and structures to propel a successful union.
However, despite the scrupulous efforts, the hard work, money and time go down the drain as most corporate marriages fail! In fact, recent surveys reveal that hardly 15 per cent of the mergers are successful; about half result in culture clashes. Well, there is something to be said about the best laid plans... ... ... ... ..
Trouble brewing in paradise
During a merger, although executives diligently assimilate the various synergistic features right from assets and equipment to technology and strategies, they tend to discount the complexity of variant cultures. Most conglomerates barge into the acquired company and obliterate the long-standing traditions, practices and policies to meld it into a faceless subsidiary. Even in case of an equal alliance, the combined entity loses the erstwhile individualistic charm and appeal as they overlook the people factor.
Corroborating this is a recent "Making Mergers Work" study by the Society for Human Resource Management, wherein HR professionals listed "incompatible cultures" as the biggest obstacle to success in mergers and acquisitions. They emphasise that, `The companies may look at all the financial matters, but it's really the cultural and people issues that can mean the demise of a successful merger'. Therefore, despite staggering market opportunities and synergies, the amalgamations often lose ground.
Putting people at the heart of a merger
Well, simply wanting something will not make it happen; one has to find a way to make it happen! And, the recipe for getting a successful merger off the ground is shifting the spotlight from deal-making to merging-of-cultures. In fact, historians attribute the success of the Roman Empire in part to the successful merging of conquered cultures into itself. Therefore, the punch line is, pay more attention to people; not profits!
Following are some brief pointers on how to integrate cultural variations:
Middle ground - Every organisation has its own unique way of doing things. Everything from management, employment, compensation to investment varies. When two firms seek to merge, customary differences like structured - entrepreneurial, proactive - reactive, centralised - decentralised, formal - informal or extravagant - economical, will generate rocky terrain.
Management should step back to holistically examine the efficacy of both the cultures and incorporate the best in keeping with the shared goals and interests. As Nancy Rothbard, Management Professor at Wharton University cites, `Developing a culture that is adaptable - both to market conditions and to the firm's leadership - will help a company survive and grow.' This calls for setting a vision, selecting the right leaders to execute the integration and aligning them with the mission.
Assistance from outside consultants will also help ease the transition.
Handle with kid gloves - Culture change management is a tough volley and can be successful only when employees ascribe to it. However, predisposed workers lose motivation and experience job insecurity in the face of a merger. So, leaders should use persuasion, not coercion, to mobilise the apprehensive workforce.
Be upfront and share information about intentions, targets, benchmarks and the course of action. Establish a rapport by explaining the reason for imminent changes and letting them voice their views, concerns, queries and doubts.
Create buy-in by involving employees in selecting and merging the desirable procedures.
Patiently weaning away their resistance with frequent interaction and regular dialogue will go a long way in rebuilding trust and morale levels.
Even highlighting the new market opportunities, professional satisfaction and financial rewards will help them adjust to the new reality!
Play by different rules - However, when divergent cultures become a contentious zone and amalgamating them appears iconoclastic, leaders should let the individual companies retain their distinctive identity and learn to live with the differences.
They can accommodate variances by organising "firms within the firm" rather than pushing for "one firm". For instance, instead of wiping away Ben & Jerry's (U.S. ice-cream manufacturer) unique essence and strength, Unilever took the unconventional route and reaped windfall gains from preserving and complementing the former's divergent character.
Paradigm shift - Enlightened leaders deem cultural compatibility an important cornerstone in any alliance. They clarify, quantify and understand the different organisational cultures as well as the capacity for change.
If philosophies, priorities, practices and standards are diametrically opposite with harmonising coalescence unfeasible/impossible, they renounce the acquisition, well aware that obliviously surging ahead will court failure.
Finally, nothing sums it up better than what Chris Burand, President of consulting firm Burand & Associates said, `The merger of companies is very much like the joining together of different families to celebrate the holidays.
Each family has its own traditions, and those traditions must be merged carefully and thoughtfully to ensure future harmony". Then, two good companies will transform into one great company with a happily ever after culmination.

PAYAL CHANANIA

What's your defence quotient?

Published on Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007

EXPERIENCING a modest level of attrition is de rigueur and quite acceptable, but an unusually high walkout rate demands instant attention. It's time to look around you or... . the culprit may even be lurking in the shadows outside.
Yes, it's sad but true! With the escalating global war for talent, competitor organisations are not above poaching away top talent from their rivals. Third-party recruiters are forever on the prowl to raid leading performers at the behest of their clients. Alas, strong and popular companies fall prey more often and tend to bleed talent on a colossal scale.
Can you sit around and complacently watch outsiders steal your prime assets from right under your nose? The writing on the wall couldn't be clearer. When your organisation increasingly resembles a revolving door of sorts, it's time to take stock, consolidate your resources and strive to keep your prolific team together.
Agenda: Defence
HR experts advocate designing a protection system to block or at least limit future poaching attempts. A systematic blocking strategy includes:
Villain of the piece - Be extra vigilant and identify likely employee-poachers by studying competitors' recruitment needs. Tracking their talent requirements through job announcements, corporate website postings. Will give a fair idea of where raid attempts are likely.
Sitting duck - Identify the most vulnerable targets within the organisation by determining the key performers, those who hold high-value jobs and are associated with best practices. Also locate allies of employees who left recently, enquire about resignation details like notice or severance, employees who are facing rejection for project/promotion, grumble discontentedly, or have suffered a personal tragedy recently. Again, individuals who get public exposure through awards, press quotations, television appearances or conference speeches will be highly coveted. Dr. John Sullivan, well-known thought leader and advisor, discloses that many companies go as far as "asking their functionally aligned executive recruiters to conduct a "dry search", which is a scan of the organisational chart and employee profiles to see which individuals are least and most likely to be desirable by an outside firm".
Tricks of the trade - Recognise possible decoys, traps and baits to surreptitiously study poaching approaches of potential raiding firms. Contact former employees now employed by a competitor to discover the ruses used to lure them away. Common tactics include bogus telephone calls, direct and indirect emails, overt and indirect web advertising, ex-employee referrals, direct targeting at professional events, networking through association meetings or online community sites.
Thwarting the plot - Protect employee contact information. For this you would need to educate switchboard operators to recognise and screen subterfuge calls (fake name, common name, plea for help, critical emergency) and warn employees about possible pick-up attempts. Only then can you restrict the scope of potential raids. Blocking calls from telephone numbers of regular poachers and competing firms curbs latent attacks to a certain extent. Some companies also restrict Internet access or track surfing activities pertaining to job boards, rival company websites, job application e-mails along with mobile phone usage. Minimise the impact by requesting staff to report details of poaching attempts and reward the informants. Else, try to re-recruit a defecting employee through counter offers, lateral transfers, job redesigning
Offence is the best defence - As ethics go for a toss, griping or crying foul prove futile. Instead, some companies turn the tables by learning others' poaching approaches and leveraging them callously. Taking away more top performers from rivals seems to stem their efforts.
The other way out - Instead, some companies choose to enter into no-hire agreements with rival corporations and recruiters where each party agrees not to solicit the other's employees. Else, you can even block defection through restrictive covenants in the employment contract-like compulsory stay or restrict working for competitors after quitting - for a particular period.
Is it really worthwhile?
Critics as well as employees argue that such blocking strategies are vile and infringe on personal freedom.
They convey wrong messages and breed resentment, suspicion and animosity. In fact, some preventive approaches backfire, as they may actually provoke employees to change sides.
If a leading recruiter is bent on poaching your talent, the best battle plan will not be able to stop him. Indeed, a better way to `raid-proof' your employees is to make them love their jobs so much that they themselves are loath to leave at any cost!
Yes, instead of playing Big Brother and keeping the employees `locked', aim to get them hooked on their own. Inspire die-hard loyalty and trust by taking proper care of your employees. Providing above-average salaries, challenging jobs, growth opportunities, training facilities, appropriate recognition, fair standards, work-friendly atmosphere and healthy work-life balance will develop a company-of-choice which employees wouldn't want to leave for the most tempting bait.

PAYAL CHANANIA

On second thoughts, you can rebargain

Published on Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007

SO YOU thought that the worst ordeal in a job hunt was scaling the interviews and landing a job offer. Sorry to say, but there is as further dilemma in store - you also have to carefully evaluate the job offer to reach a momentous decision. And, if you do happen to nix the offer, presenting a courteous refusal is a trying time once again...
But is this really the end of the story? Think again!
What if by an absurd twist of fate, you happen to regret turning it down? Fickle as it may sound, numerous jobseekers actually wish to revisit a job offer they had declined. It could be due to misjudgment, lack of sufficient information, undue pressure, brief decision deadline or simply because they were holding out in the hope of a better offer which failed to materialise. Whatever be the reason, hindsight often causes a volte-face leaving candidates miserably yearning to turn back the clock.
As you endlessly berate yourself over the lost opportunity with, `Why did I say NO?' is it too late to change your mind now? Does a hasty rejection really shut that door forever?
Let's see -
The verdict is...
HR executives, managers and employers concur that the anxiety of job assessment is too much to take and can lead one to wrong choices. And wonder of wonders, they are actually quite open to reconsidering such front-running candidates as long as the position remains unfilled. Phil Timm, director of engineering for Verizon Wireless in New Jersey says, "If they were a good candidate then, then they are one now. I made them an offer once, so I would make it again".
In fact, most hiring executives do not preclude a reasonable change of heart and the acquiescent tolerance stems from coveting the skills and abilities of erstwhile-chosen candidates that fit the bill originally.
However, this is not universal, as some employers categorically refuse to entertain such re-entrants and dismiss them out of hand.
The return journey
Just because a manager whose job offer you turned down is still willing to rely on his first judgment and wants you on board, it does not imply that the job is yours for the taking. You have to cautiously resell yourself to get a second chance as reservations about your indecisiveness are bound to surface.
Instead of dithering over your prospects, make haste and contact the company as soon as possible, lest they settle on another deserving candidate. If the opening is still going, try to reopen discussions on an honest note.
The upfront candour gels well with recruiting executives who would have second-guessed the turnaround anyway.
Do not hesitate to reveal that you are keenly interested in the job. Carefully prepare a deft, sincere and convincing explanation that will put paid to their suspicions.
A top human resource executive offers, "When you are asked why you changed your mind, you might say that you have since learned things about the company that make the opportunity more attractive.
Or, you could say that aspects of the offer are more important to you than you thought originally. Else, I am looking at things differently and would love for you to reconsider our conversation".
At times, a carefully worded, "I was considering other offers at the time, but now realise that this was the best one", works as an acceptable raison d'être too. Alternatively, feed a good line about paucity of time without letting it reflect on your decision-making abilities.
Confirm the rationale by emphasising that you sorely apologise for having let the opportunity slip through your fingers.
However, the management may still be sceptical and unconvinced. So, brace yourself for a gruelling reassessment under the scanner, that too possibly by a higher-ranking executive. Highlight your new perspective to regain the lost faith in your decisiveness as well as suitability for the job over and above other candidates on the table.
Be in earnest this time around and it may just work in your favour leading you to shaking hands over an accepted job offer. At the worst, they may say `no'... nothing to lose really... except perhaps a bit of your ego!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Lead by asking questions

Published on Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007

WHAT'S your leadership style? Management trainers will vouch that this oft-asked question brings forth varying answers. However, what nobody ever mentions is that we can lead by asking questions.
Before you laugh out loud... let me clarify. The tenet of `leading by asking' finds an echo in the Chinese saying- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Most leaders swear by the `easy-way-out' management technique of telling subordinates what to do and how to do it. Providing such ready-to-use answers to problems is swift, expedient and convenient in the short-run. However, continually barking out orders or spoon-feeding solutions hampers employee development and slams the door on their inherent potential, ingenuity and enthusiasm.
Real leadership stems from constant questioning. Asking pertinent questions stimulates employees to exercise their brain cells and come up with fresh, innovative and powerful ideas. By forcing them to think critically, it unleashes their dammed creativity and paves the way to new opportunities and knowledge.
James Byars, founder of The World Question Centre that assembles thinking intellectuals, avers, I can answer the question, but am I bright enough to ask it?' So, rather than stating their logic and ideas, leaders should ask questions to prompt employees to explore ideas and come up with their own solutions. The active involvement also fuels greater buy-in, motivates performance and builds self-esteem. Even internationally acclaimed management consultant Michael Marquardt reiterates in his cutting-edge book, Leading with Questions, "Effective leaders use questions to encourage participation and teamwork, foster outside-the-box thinking, empower others, build relationships with customers and much more". Ultimately, the practice of reaching out to the workforce with an `ask, don't tell' philosophy will creatively transform the status quo and generate a successful corporate culture.
The art of asking questions
Jack Welch, GE's legendary former CEO believes, "Business leadership is all about knowing what questions to ask subordinates. That's all managing is, just coming up with the right questions and getting the right answers".
Merely posing questions is not enough; the kind of questions one asks makes a world of difference to the quality of responses. In fact, it differentiates between inspiring employee allegiance or sabotage.
To be successful, leaders should learn to ask powerful questions that generate short-term results along with learning and excellence in the long haul. The right questioning is that which achieves specific results by motivating and empowering individuals, teams as well as the organisation at large.
Frivolous, ineffectual, dithering, ambiguous or general questioning insults employees' self-respect and intelligence. Avoid rhetorical or leading questions as they just foist interpretations and ideas on the listeners. Again, operating on broad assumptions or prior conclusions will elicit inferior/useless answers. Even presenting closed questions only prospects `yes' or `no' answers.
Instead, concentrate on genuine, intuitive and searching questions that engage and persuade exploration. Address challenging queries to push the edges of employee thinking and motivate a pursuit for resolution. Such open questioning not only gives people a voice and stimulates effective discussions, but also broadcasts respect for their opinions, expertise and communicates value. It thus lends itself well to various settings like creative problem solving, team building, direction-setting and valuable learning.
If still unconvinced, try soliciting, `What do we need to offer our customers to make them stay on?' or `How can you make your job more effective?' and watch a flood of valuable suggestions flow in. Else, ask, `How can we save money?' and the next big breakthrough will leap from your workforce.
A recipe for lasting success:
Formulate a well-crafted skeleton script in advance to have a rich repertoire of good questions at hand.
Be on a constant lookout for opportunities to select transformational queries like how, why, what, who, when, and ask them effectively.
Keep the question succinct and explain it clearly to avoid misunderstandings.
Never answer your own questions; it's quite off-putting.
Wait for a response and patiently hear out the answer without needless interruptions.
Carefully listen to the ideas and show genuine interest. Be open to divergent, yet productive thoughts.
Request validation of opinions/ideas with evidence
Use techniques like mapping to capture the new learning and ideas in a conceptual or visual structure.
Enact solutions based on the discussions and do not hesitate to acknowledge/reward the value of individual suggestions.
A learner-friendly environment will transform good leaders into great ones. As Peter Drucker upholds, "The leader of the past was a person who told. The leader of the future will be a person who asks".

PAYAL CHANANIA

This time get your degree online, save time

Published on Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008

There is no denying the value of ongoing education at any point of our life and careers. Yet, as working professionals, most of us find it very difficult to pursue advanced degrees or even upgrade our skills to stay current with new trends and technology.
Then again, the advent of correspondence courses has spearheaded a ‘back to school’ revolution, as we no longer have to stop work to attend classes/college. And, the realm of comfortable distance learning has just gone a step further with online degree programmes!
So, don’t give up your dream just yet, as access to education was never easier. With technology-enabled global infrastructure for e-learning revolutionising education, advanced studies for adults are taking on a whole new dimension.
No longer can we cite lack of time or energy, as it is smoothly possible to enhance education or improve professional skills in specific areas without interfering with our work and life.
Indeed, things couldn’t get any better as majority of established universities around the world are offering diversified accredited online programmes as part of their curriculum. A variety of academic disciplines ranging from business administration, IT, science and arts to health care, hospitality, legal services and political science are available. Name it and you have it, that too in all forms - bachelors’ degree, masters, diplomas and certificates.

Education on order
Online learning is slowly emerging as the proven and effective way to earn the qualification you want. As students flock to the online learning environment in unprecedented numbers, geographic limitations are becoming a thing of the past. What if a specialised course like ‘Master of Science in Banking and Financial Services Management’ you are hankering after is not available in your country, in fact it’s offered only at Boston University, USA. With education at your fingertip, the course is just a mouse click away!
Here are the factors that are thrusting online degrees to the forefront of an educational revolution:
The uppermost advantage is scheduling flexibility as you almost always get to decide when and where you want to take classes. Bid goodbye to enforced 8 a.m. classes and three-hour lectures as you can choose any time and any place that is convenient to you and fits into your schedule.
Lack of commute adds to the time-efficiency and you can even buy course books online.
In addition to cost saving, some universities also offer financial-aid programmes to further ease the burden.
Structured courses do not allow procrastination because there are deadlines for completion even while permitting you to proceed through the course at your own rate.
In fact, fast track courses help complete the studies in much lesser time.
Experienced and qualified online instructors from all parts of the globe provide exposure to higher standards and practical learning that will not be available in any one college.
Cyber education opens the doors to a broad spectrum of content that can be accessed 24/7. Apart from the diverse study material, you can also retrieve lectures, explanations, comments and discussions whenever you want.
The student-centred teaching approaches can be modified to suit all type of learners. Students and faculty are connected on a network or website where you can interact with everyone.
Joint and open communication is facilitated through emails, newsgroups and other forums for exchange.
Such discussions allow anonymity and as author, Tom Kubala observes in, Addressing Student Needs: Teaching and Learning on the Internet, “Students are more willing to participate and the measure of anonymity serves as a motivator... people feel more empowered. They are daring and confrontational regarding the expression of ideas.”
While earlier pursuing a distance-learning course was weighed down by stigmas of lack of efficiency and inferiority compared to doing a regular course, perceptions have changed.. Not only are non-traditional online degrees gaining acceptance, but enlightened employers view successful online learners as more self-sufficient, self-motivated and technology-savvy than the campus-bound ones.
It is up to the online students to choose the right programme based on their career objectives, learning goals and skills required. They should choose the correct one based on level of degree, inherent value, and time period, quality of faculty and university reputation.
Yet working people still have to find a way around their hectic work schedules and attend the cyber classrooms!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Assessment tests do not always bring in right hires

Published on Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008

Candidate assessment tests have become the new benchmark in recruitment!
Multi-faceted assessment tools that measure all kinds of skill sets and personality profiles - right from simple ability tests to intricate evaluations for top executives. There are online testing and computerised scoring facilities too. These cogniti ve tests appraise candidates’ knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and personality, thus hinting at their employability.
While pre-hire tests do help streamline and improve recruitment, can they be considered the sole determining factor in hiring decisions as is becoming the norm?
This validity is coming under question, more so because some candidates do well on psychometric tests, but when hired, their performance does not live up to the mark.

Get a grip on assessment tests
For obtaining a more objective candidate appraisal, it is imperative to first establish clarity. Clearly defining the position to be filled, its specific needs and kind of performance one wants to predict will help the assessment be more relevant to the job requirement.
Towards this end, proper job analysis and profiling techniques can highlight the job demands and key competencies that should be addressed and met.
For instance, success in different jobs differs on varied parameters ranging from reliability, adaptability, teamwork, customer service, work ethics, and motivation for problem solving, decision-making and leadership skills or even specialist knowledge. Accordingly, a variety of assessment tests are available that can appraise ‘person-job fit’, ‘interest inventory’, ‘task preferences’, ‘work environment preferences’ and even ‘personal honesty assessment’.
Therefore, being swayed by an integrity test alone makes a poor hiring choice when the job necessitates not only sound work ethics but also supervisory and interpersonal skills.
Little wonder then that there turns out to be no correlation between test results and on-the-job behaviour.
Apart from running tests that reflect actual job requirements, hiring managers should diligently choose validated instruments that are administered, scored and evaluated by qualified professionals to add objectivity and legitimacy to the selection process.
One should select accepted assessment tests as they accurately indicate, if not, totally predict who would be able to perform the job. Also, one needs to understand the test well, administer it in accordance with professional guidelines and interpret the answers properly to avoid wasting valuable time and resources.

Measuring employability – the effective way
Assessment tests have great potential and can effectively screen talent, but they cannot completely replace other traditional recruitment methods. Utilising them in isolation will not get the right person for the job.
Balanced hiring policies alone can effectively predict future employee behaviour. In fact, experts reckon that pre-hire tests should form only one-third of the recruitment process. So, using them in conjunction with other selection methods will give a well-rounded view of the candidates.
Combining tests with other valid assessments like background checking, qualification screening and reference checking increases efficacy. Structured interview formats with behavioural questioning designed to identify specific skills and how they have been applied demonstrates a reasonable measure of performance.
As top organisational psychologist, Ben Dattner observes, “Testing, when used in combination with behavioural interviews, can substantially increase the “hit rate” in terms of the success of new hires.”
Also, job-specific skill testing is feasible through job simulations where candidates have to perform specific tasks related to their job in a ‘real’ work environment. This makes it easier to truly establish an individual’s capacity, as they have to demonstrate the skills they claim to possess.
The challenge is to determine which combination of tools will have the greatest impact, given your company’s particular needs, so as to capture the best combination of skills, training, education and personality in a candidate who will put in best efforts at the job.
Moreover, when recruiters do not overly depend on the results of assessment tests at the expense of other methods, it will lead to more successful hire rates!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Take the iPod to work

Published on Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007

THOUGHT you could use your iPod only to listen to music or see videos. You have another thing coming as the personal entertainment device just turned more functional when your back was turned.
Lo and behold, there is no longer any need to hide your iPod ear buds from your boss. In fact, he may actually encourage you to use it or even gift you one too.
Incredible, but true! Employers exasperated with employees tuning into their `distracting' iPods while working, have shrewdly turned the tables on the workforce. They offset the inexorable addiction by pitching these digital media players for work-related purposes.
Fascinatingly, following the likes of cell phones and Blackberries, the latest technological fad is making quick inroads into the place of work once again. Podcasting gains business value as companies exploit them to circulate information among their staff. They distribute free iPods pre-loaded with health-care information, security tips, sales support or recorded instructions (especially for telecommuters). They can create online podcasts of anything from project details, minutes of meetings and interview transcripts to messages from the CEO for employees to download.
This miniature hand-held device can play digital audio or video files and is easy to carry to factory floors, corner offices and even while working out or waiting in a queue. So, instead of spending additional time tied to their desks, employees can see/hear essential data while on the move. Similarly, salespeople can brush up their product knowledge or even receive offer/price/discount updates while meeting customers.
Above all, the iPod's role in skill updating and training goes unchallenged. Managers upload educative material in audio or video modules, which employees can access at their convenience - while driving, commuting, jogging, gymming or relaxing. Such anytime, anywhere `training courses' are a refreshing change from the monotonous traditional classrooms, boring lectures and dry textbooks, thus making the learning interesting even while freeing up company time. Moreover, unlike traditional textbooks, iPod content can be customised to better fit the learning objectives of the employee and/or company.
As Anjali Athavaley of the Wall Street Journal
explicates in `The Boss Puts the iPod to Work', `When Gaddis Rathel needed to learn Spanish for his job, his boss gave him an unusual tool to help: a black video Apple iPod, preloaded with language lessons'.
Mr. Rathel is not the only such recipient. Various companies like manufacturers, health-care suppliers, fast food chains, financial service providers, BPOs and computer electronics retailers are doling out iPods to their rank and file in order to relay the company pitch or financial results too.
As Sue Sonday, a project manager at a top financial-services company says, `I took a company-sponsored leadership and management course and listened to the materials a few times a week while on the elliptical machine at the gym. Instead of tuning in to my usual fare on the radio, I would listen to the materials in the car by connecting the iPod to the car stereo.'
Changing the workplace settings:
The iPod can be tremendously valuable as a powerful performance tool in the workplace if used properly. Though the young generation is iPod-savvy, the older lot may need initial assistance till they learn to navigate the new device.
Again, `inviting' iPod pursuit into the workplace necessitates certain leniency over its ubiquitous usage too. However, companies should review current policies to establish and enforce general workplace rules governing the use of portable electronic devices.

PAYAL CHANANIA