Managers need to look beyond cost factor in outsourcing

Published on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2009

Outsourcing seems to be the hottest buzzword - a popular shortcut to cost cutting.

Many organisations fancy it as an easy escape route to reduce expenses by getting the work done as cheaply as possible.

But, if you feel that way and simply concentrate on the cost-benefit, you may only end up saddled with poor results.

This is because outsourcing often does not work like we want it to. In fact, many horror stories are emerging thanks to managers focussing solely on the cost variable.

Well, you have to look beyond the larger picture and not make cost cutting or getting cheap labour the only motivation for outsourcing.

The real reason for outsourcing lies in the quest for finding people who can do the work better than you can! Operating with this mindset of tapping into a larger talent pool alone can open up a world of new opportunities for companies both large and small. Like:

• Outsourcing delivers rich gains from the expertise and experience of specialists leading to better quality results and lesser mistakes i.e., maximum efficiency. You can also leverage the access to new and expensive technologies.

• Hiring experts to do your work not only helps you to exploit their proficiency but also saves time as they can obviously do the work much faster than you ever could. For instance, you no longer need to spend hours over your accounting – simply outsource it to an expert who can do it in a jiffy!

• You can now concentrate your time and resources on the core priorities and strategic initiatives so as to manage the business efficiently. Sans the stress of peripheral problems, you are free to enhance what you do best or what needs your attention most, leading to higher profits.

• This is not to say that outsourcing will not reduce your operating costs. You stand to gain a lot from the lower service expenses and are saved the need to set up extra infrastructure.

This is also a flexible option as you can pay for the services only when you need them vis-À-vis maintaining large, full-time staff in-house.

But, the key is to look at cost saving as a desirable offshoot of outsourcing and not let it become the primary focal point.

In fact, according to Gartner, “Saving money isn’t the only reason to outsource. It’s not even the top one these days!”

Getting it right: It’s easy to want to outsource – the challenging part is how to do it.

The dilemma begins with what to outsource. While outsourcing can be used in a variety of ways in different industries and sectors ranging from IT, data entry, back office and customer support to recruitment, payroll, employee training and even manufacturing.

Yet, not every application can be outsourced. You have to select a viable one based on size, complexity, stability, resources, skills or technology required. And, needless to say, none of the core functions can ever be outsourced! Stick to routine, non-core jobs that are either temporary or cause a heavy drain on resources.

Now comes the prudent selection of a suitable service provider.

Do your homework to choose the right outsourcing partner from a list of choices. Try to find out everything about the provider and then handle the impending process carefully.

Sit down and determine the minute details together like scope of work, time frame, performance indicators, quality assurance and reporting relationship. These standards of performance should be clearly outlined in the contract at the outset itself. Also, it is always advisable to retain the decision-making authority.

In addition, as Sun Services vice president and CTO, Dan Berg elucidates “The way to do it is looking at the existing process and its related outcomes and then asking the outsourcing partner how they would achieve the same or better outcome by leveraging their own established processes and best practices. The combination of process definition and process execution is crucial.”

Once the outsourcing arrangement is underway, be patient and allow for initial hiccups as the provider tries to familiarise with the work. Also, maintain constant communication with regular meetings where you are both updated of the progress and can also discuss any issues.

All said and done, the success and effectiveness of the collaboration will depend on your individual relationship.

So, try to establish a working partnership that is compatible, satisfactory and based on a mutual understanding of needs. This will turn outsourcing into a strategic tool that enhances both productivity and profitability.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Too much talk during interview brings in negative results

Published on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2009

Many job candidates tend to run off at the mouth during a job interview. They babble endlessly with long monologues that show almost no sign of ending. Even the most simple and basic questions invite garrulous 15-minute answers littered with elaborate personal stories ranging from previous bosses to family trivia.

While some of these jobseekers may be naturally talkative, others are simply nervous, excited or anxious to please which makes them go overboard with superfluous and long-winded replies.

The catch is that this tendency to go on and on can cost you the job even when you would otherwise have seemed appropriately qualified!

Talking too much during an interview creates a poor impression – it is interpreted as a negative trait. The interviewer is bound to doubt your job approach when you just cannot get to the point. Or, by over-sharing you may accidentally let slip irrelevant details that are better left unsaid.

The excessive loquaciousness also cuts into interviewing time, as the interviewer obviously wants to pose further questions to learn more about you, but is unable to get in a word edgewise. What’s more, he may even reject your candidature just to avoid being saddled with your ramblings on a daily basis!

According to a survey, 36 percent of recruiters reiterate that talking too much is the most common interview mistake that job candidates make. So you might have just blown an otherwise promising chance of employment, that too without even realising it.

But, don’t despair as it’s not like you cannot do anything about it.

Here are tips to getover the habit:

Know what you will speak about – Practise answering questions in a succinct, direct and focussed manner. You can even prepare short statements for expected questions that are powerful, engaging and yet to the point. A rule of thumb is that an answer should last no longer than two minutes with basic ones drawing 30 seconds or even less.

The key is to define yourself with brevity, using every minute to its best advantage to promote your strengths and show that your background matches the position.

Know when to stop - Remember that when an interviewer asks, ‘Tell me about yourself?’ he does not want or for that matter, need to know your whole life story! So, stick to the relevant points and refrain from digressing into extraneous issues.

A simple trick is to collect your thoughts before you start speaking, talk and remain silent later on to give the interviewer a chance to respond with further questions. You can always confirm what the interviewer wants to know with a ‘Should I focus on….’ before you commence answering and also check back on the adequacy of your answer with ‘Does that give you what you are looking for?’ or ‘Do you want more examples?’.

Watch out for the warning signs – You can always take your cues from the interviewer to grasp when he is bored or you have gone on too long.

Non-verbal body language like glancing away, looking at the watch, rolling eyes, tapping a pen, wincing or stopping taking notes are obvious hints that the interviewer is exasperated with your endless discourse.

Other factors –Listen actively to what the interviewer is saying so that you understand the question and then answer in an appropriate and direct manner to show that you value his time. This give-and-take will build a positive, respectful relationship as well as reflect on your communication skills.

To sum up, less is more as talking too much can render irreparable damage to your career. On the other hand, going to the other extreme and speaking too little, with the interviewer having to pull information from you will not do you any favours either.

So be an active and responsive interview participant who fully answers questions but does not go on giving irrelevant information either!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Twitter can help in your job search

Published on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009

Social media is all over the place. And the latest one that the world is going euphoric over Twitter.

This is primarily a social networking site, which people use to update others about where they are and what they are doing. But the good news is that this multi-faceted website can even facilitate your job search. Yes, most of us may not even think of using it for job hunting, but Twitter works as a high-powered job search tool providing much more opportunities than the other networking sites.

For example, Charulata Mehta found her current dream job as Public Relations Officer simply by tweeting to around 250 ‘followers’, ‘Anyone looking for a marketing or public relations person?’ She explains, “Within hours I had several emails, IMs, phone calls and tweets about open jobs and one actually resulted in a perfect position!”

How to

www.twitter.com works as a microblog where users can post short updates of upto 140 characters via a variety of technologies like instant messaging, sms or the usual web interface. These messages or ‘tweets’ as they are better known, are displayed on your profile page as well as automatically broadcasted to the whole world (i.e. those who have signed up to receive them). The best part is that you can easily connect to people you don’t even know. You can freely choose whom to ‘listen’ to simply by clicking on the ‘follow’ button.

Twitter offers an open forum for connecting with people you would otherwise have no chance of reaching. This incredibly broadens the field for networking, thus amplifying your job search prospects too.

Networking on Twitter may seem like the perfect way to find your next job, but how does it really work?

Shouting out to the world – Your tweets do not have to be limited to your personal activities. You can proactively write about your job search like what you are looking for, the people you have met and also the interviews you have attended. This will keep your job search on people’s radar and someone or the other is bound to know/have such a vacancy.

Making valuable connections – Twitter offers a simple and informal way to reach out to people you would like to network with - like those involved in your interest areas - without appearing intrusive.

This can range from recruiters and hiring managers to even industry experts, top executives and CEOs.

Not only do you gain the opportunity to listen and learn about what they are working on and what they are interested in, but can also attract their precious attention.

Information on open positions – Many companies and job boards have a presence on Twitter and use it to tweet about their job openings.

Also, Twitter offers a range of search tools like Twitter Search, Twellow, etc. where you can search the site by company name or other keywords.

Tweeting to a job

This online job-hunting tool is simple, but it delivers amazing results only when used correctly. Here’s how to make the best use of it:

• Sign up with a professional handle, preferably your real name and an optional job description.

• Lots of people will check out who you are and what you do. So, provide a short professional profile with links to your online resume, blog, personal website or even Facebook/LinkedIn profile.

• It is important to take the time to target, research and follow the right people instead of following people blindly and ending up with a Tweet overload. Build a strong, quality network by checking out the bio and links of a person before ‘following’ him.

• Update your tweets regularly with a prime focus on what you write. Provide productive tweets talking about your work, ideas, insights and expertise so as to portray yourself as knowledgeable in your field. You can even spread information, clear doubts and share links of professional interest to establish your credibility and also impress the right people enough to follow you.

• Twitter is not only about self-promotion. You also have to be willing to help others to gain better results for yourself.

• Also, be careful as Twitter can be quite addictive, eating up too much of your time.

To sum up in the words of an expert, “Statistics show that job search networking is much more effective when you make ‘loose’ connections - touching base with people beyond your immediate circle whose networks and contacts are much different from your own. With over three million users, Twitter offers an unparalleled opportunity to create an extended network!”

PAYAL CHANANIA

Mend those habits that slowly steal your time

Published on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009

Minds go off at a tangent all the time. But, sometimes the casual drifting becomes more than normal and we find that we are unable to pay attention to anything. The wandering concentration sucks away our valuable time and looking back, we are left wondering where did all the time go!

All we can do is go through the motions at work and start getting increasingly forgetful. Life starts spinning out of control, progressively impacting our quality of life and work. The situation is quite serious as the vortex can even unhinge the best minds!

Truth is that small things are to blame which slowly steal away our time without our ever realising what is really happening.

The result is that we lose attention frequently and end up just wasting time, as we are unable to concentrate.

But, this does not mean that you have to necessarily go with the flow and cannot regain control on your attention.

Here are a few tips and tricks, which once integrated into your routine, will help you to stay focussed on the tasks at hand:

Sit down to think – The battle to reclaim your time and attention begins with first determining what parts of your time are being wasted.

Take the time to ponder on your schedule and mark the everyday activities that sink your time and yet do not provide any value.

You may be surprised to realise the amount of time that is wasted in sorting through your mails/reports, gossiping around the water cooler, musing over your work or even daydreaming! Skipping or at least minimising these idling activities makes good sense.

Let go of those habits – Operating simply on habits or reflexes even when they suck away time is unhealthy. Think about such tendencies like carefully reading every report in detail or sitting through every meeting and alter your routine accordingly.

Control your online drifting – While the Internet forms an indispensable communication and information tool, the amount of time that gets wasted in the cyber world can knock you hard. For all you know, you may be spending most of your time catching up on the email deluge, reading RSS feeds, blogging or casually surfing the web.

It makes sense to budget your time on the Internet by say, turning off messenger alerts, setting email filters that prompt only when important messages are received and checking mails at allocated times.

Single tasking is the way to go – Working on multiple things at a time can seem quite timesaving, but ultimately the brain overload will play total havoc with your attention span.

While running from pillar to post, you will still be thinking about other things and become unable to get anything done at all. Going back to single tasking emerges as the best option as you can start concentrating solely on one task until it gets done!

Learn to say ‘No’ – A normal workday brings an endless list of demands that needlessly fritter away your time and attention. Everyone will want a slice of your attention leaving nothing for yourself.

You have to eliminate the interruptions and distractions by learning to put your foot down firmly but politely.

Start strategising – Experts advise that time management tips come in handy when it comes to reclaiming your attention. You have to decide what you want to do with your time and set priorities accordingly.

Plan out things in a to-do list (with reasonable deadlines) and deliberately focus your attention on the top ones, as they are truly important. Schedule downtime – Last but not the least; you cannot expect yourself to concentrate solely on work all the time.

Everyone needs some time to relax and simplify his or her life. Use the respite well by reconnecting with yourself, exercising or indulging in a hobby and not squander it away on watching television and the like. If you practise these simple time tested methods, you can regain some lost time.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Rejected? Don’t be dejected, but get to know reasons

Published on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009

Your job interview has gone really well. The interviewers liked you, your skills and experience are a perfect fit and you have passed with flying colours. The management is falling all over itself to take you on and is almost on the verge of making a job offer then and there. They keep telling you how great the company is and how well you would fit in. You leave the interview convinced beyond a doubt that the job is yours for the taking. A phone call seems like a mere formality!

Even as you dream and plan of starting off the new job with a bang, everything comes crashing down. You get the call but only to hear that you have been rejected – the company does not want you. Or even worse, you are left twiddling your thumbs with no response at all.

It’s true that nobody likes being rejected. But this implausible rejection comes as a huge bombshell much beyond your belief.

To say that you are left disappointed to the core would be an understatement. Your self-esteem and confidence is smashed beyond repair. Baffling possibilities race through your mind as the big question is ‘why?’ Lets examine some of the reasons:

Found someone better – Like it or not, but nine times out of ten this is the most obvious answer. As a job opening attracts umpteen candidates, someone better may have come along after you were interviewed. He may have been more qualified/experienced, a better fit or simply more suitable. It can be a major blow to your ego, but you just lost out to someone who was even better.

Too soon – At times department heads often start interviewing candidates just to test the job market for later purposes sans any immediate hiring intentions.

The mighty reference check – Most companies have now started conducting mandatory reference checks before taking on an employee. It is possible that the background probe may have revealed something unpleasant or a previous boss/client may have put in a bad word. Sometimes, the management may even contact someone you never thought would be approached and unfortunately that someone didn’t like you.

Foul play – Unluckily for you, an antagonistic ex-colleague may have spotted you at the interview and maliciously tried to get his own back by painting you as incompetent and thus blocking your appointment. Or, he may even be trying to save his own hide, as trainer Gerry McLaughlin remarks, “There’s also the possibility that the person who recognised you was sacked from the other place and doesn’t want someone who knows that starting at his or her new place.”

Another seemingly unbelievable possibility is that your own recruiter may have played dirty by recommending another candidate above you!

So, whatever be the reason, do not let the unexpected rejection reflect on your abilities.

Put the unpleasant experience behind you and rise like the phoenix to get on with your job search.

What you can always do is politely request a reason for turning you down. While most companies offer canned or trivial responses like ‘You will not be happy’ or ‘The company decided to go in a different direction’, if you are lucky you may get an honest answer.

You can even take heart as your elimination may just turn out to be a bad decision, which the organisation will rue later. Finally it’s their loss, not yours!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Create a personal brand with emails

Published on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009

We are constantly sending emails – for job hunting, work and even personal purposes. Most of these are carefully crafted to get the message across effectively as well as capture attention. Especially when it comes to a job search, the main aim is to impress the hiring managers enough to want to interview you.

So, when you take so much pain over composing an email message, how do you usually sign off the message?

Fact is that most recipients (particularly prospective employers) look at the signature immediately after reading an email. What’s more, in many cases the decision whether to read an email or trash it stems from the impactof your email signature!

But, what does the reader find? A thoughtlessly typed name at times accompanied by a hastily appended phone number!

An email signature carries much more value than we ascribe it with. It’s your chance to communicate your personal brand to the recipient and offer a unique promiseof value -whether internally within the company or externally to customers, partners and prospective hiring decision makers.

Not only can you show that you are professional and Internet-savvy, but also differentiate yourself from the rest of the competition by leaving a lasting impression at the end of an email. The additional information will also add a distinctive personality to your message, which is otherwise quite tough to achieve.

Signature block

It is quite easy to set up an email signature that gets automatically appended to every outgoing email message. Almost all email providers offer this service, but the challenging question is what goes in and what does not.

Following are a few guidelines on the same:

• Always begin your signature block with your full name (no short or nicknames allowed). This will feature right at the top and can even be in bold typeface.

• Following your name with your job title and company name lends further credibility to your email. If you are job-hunting, you can state your position title like ‘Senior Business Consultant’ or ‘Global Marketing Executive’.

• Providing a professional email address is obligatory. Many people tend to skip this as it already features in the ‘from:’ address field in the email header. But specifying your email address makes it easy to locate especially when your email gets forwarded around to other people.

• State your contact number - preferably cell phone - where you are always reachable. This will make it easy for the recipient to get in touch with you. You can also mention your postal address, though it is not always compulsory.

• Further, try to point the reader to specific areas by providing a hyperlink to your personal website, blog, visual resume, online career portfolio, professional networking profile (LinkedIn/Facebook), Twitter handle or even a book you have written. Else, you can mention important certifications or testimonials but take care that you do not overdo it with too many links.

• Provide a vibrant personal brand statement of 1-2 lines so as to showcase your strengths, passions, attributes or the unique value that you offer. This is a subtle sales pitch and should be compelling enough to differentiate you from everyone else. While this tagline carries a powerful impact, making it too verbose will only serve to turn off the recipient.

While it is essential to expand your signature from the habitual name, it should also be concise and uncluttered preferably trimmed to five lines. Keep it brief, interesting and informative where every feature stands out, insteadof a lengthy one, which only gets irritating. In fact, it often happens that some signature blocks end up longer than the message itself!

Generally speaking, including quotes or opinions is better avoided. Also, stay away from using fancy fonts, graphics, HTML formatting or emoticons in your email signature. It is better to be unobtrusive by sticking to plain text.

Apart from this, ensure that your signature block commences with a delimiter that separates the on-brand information from the restof your message. The customary delimiter is two hyphens.

Therefore, one of the easiest ways to strengthen your communication is to add a brand-building signature at the bottom of your email.

This will make both you and your message memorable!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Being laid off is not a reflection of your competency

Published on Wednesday, Aug 05, 2009

You have done all you can to secure your job in today’s recession-hit times. You are sincere, punctual, work hard and show initiative. You are doing all the right things. But one fine day your worst nightmare comes true. Your boss walks into your office and utters those dreadful words, ‘You are laid-off!’ You get your walking papers and are quite unceremoniously shoved out of the door.

After constantly working round the clock in the incessant struggle to keep your job, you suddenly find yourself with nothing to do and cannot cope with the fact that you do not have a job anymore.

Needless to say, this is the worst time for anybody to lose a job. You experience a gamut of emotions ranging from shock, denial, anger, fear, panic and desperation. You end up feeling overwhelmed, disoriented, traumatised and vulnerable to the extreme. In fact, many people end up depressed beyond belief.

Noted psychologist Edward Diener found that the loss of a job is one of only two life events powerful enough to derail a person’s normal sense of well being for an extended period of time. “The effects of a job loss linger long after the individual has returned to the workforce!”

Besides, the chances of finding another job during the current economic downturn are quite slim. Yet, you cannot afford to wallow in self-pity, rage, helplessness or whatever else you are feeling.

What you need is acceptance to be able to pick yourself up quickly from the crisis and move on towards recovery.

Following are a few tips on dealing with the trauma of losing your job:

Do not ignore your feelings - Withdrawing into a shell will only make matters worse. You have to give yourself time to express your feelings by talking it out or at least writing how you are feeling. This can be hard for some, but it is the only way you can come to terms with the reality.

Find support - Do not hesitate to ask for emotional help from sympathetic family or friends. You can even join a social group of people who have had similar experiences and learn how they are getting through the ordeal. If needed, you can also seek professional counselling, as it will provide clarity on how to deal with the situation and move on in life.

Take care - Never forget to look after yourself as it is all the more important now to stay healthy. Ensure that you eat properly, exercise regularly and maintain a daily routine so as to gain the energy to hunt for a new job. Also, go ahead and indulge yourself by learning a new hobby.

Live on a budget - Just because you are deprived of your livelihood, the bills will not stop piling up. Deal with the financial hardship by budgeting your resources and cutting down on expenses as far as possible. Having the foresight to build a nest egg will come in handy now.

Do not take it personally. Beating yourself up with suppositions like, ‘I am worthless’ or ‘If only I had…’ are a waste of time. Remember that it is not really your fault. Also, do not try to ‘get even’ with the organisation by lying, stealing or sabotaging the work. You will only end up burning your bridges for the future.

Not a disgrace - Some people feel ashamed of the ‘loss of status’ and make up excuses in front of others. You have to be frank and honest about your circumstances without letting the job loss affect your self-esteem.

For all you know, you will not only gain support and guidance, but your social discussions may also lead to your next job!

Maintain perspective - Ground yourself by focusing on the future and consider the job loss as a mere stumbling block. Positive thinking will help you to stay motivated for the tough job search ahead.

Also, remember that, with hindsight, many people who have been given their marching orders claim the experience turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to them.

Apart from this, being out of a job is a good time to think about where you want to go and where you are actually headed. You can explore your options and even change careers if needed.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Avoid these blunders, move ahead in career

Published on Wednesday, Aug 05, 2009

You know how hard you have worked to reach where you are. It has taken a lot of grit, determination and struggle to scale your position up the career ladder and craft a stellar reputation as well. And this is not the end as you still want to move up much higher.

But beware as your path is littered with several potential career landmines that can sabotage all your hard work and success. These are small, barely obvious mistakes which you may not even recognise, but even a few careless missteps can sound the death knell on your otherwise promising career.

Here’s a look at some of the top career killers that need to be avoided:

Sloppy behaviour: You cannot afford to slacken even after achieving a measure of success, as your behaviour, attitude and appearance will always be under scrutiny throughout your career lifetime. The choice is yours - how you present yourself, behave and dress can either set you apart from the crowd or paint you as an indifferent and careless slacker. So, concentrate on appearing serious, responsible and influential.

Putting off work: Break the habit of putting off things till the last-minute, especially the difficult or boring tasks. Habitual procrastination will not only make your work shoddy, but unexpected events may crop up at the last minute foiling your eleventh-hour plans for rushing the work. Such poor and inefficient performance will definitely put your career on the slow track. Instead, always take on tasks as they are presented and execute them well.

Limiting to JD: While it is imperative to concentrate on fulfilling your job responsibilities, restricting yourself to the same mundane tasks can also hinder your growth. Stop being satisfied with your job description and be on the lookout for new opportunities to demonstrate your untapped talents and initiative.

Not getting noticed: Working with your nose stuck to the grindstone can also work against you. You have to toot your own horn to shine the light on your contributions and achievements. Show that you are a valuable asset to the organisation but ensure that you go about the self-promotion in a very subtle way.

Shying from teamwork: This is the era of teamwork. If you prefer to work alone or are only concerned with yourself, you will only end up falling by the wayside. So, try to be an effective team player, but simultaneously ensure that your individual efforts and abilities do not get completely obscured in the team success.

Feeling ‘entitled’ to success: Expecting instant gratification with immediate promotions and growth can actually dampen your future career prospects. So, remember that harbouring a sense of entitlement that you ‘deserve’ to get what you want ‘right now” is self-defeating. Achieving career growth calls for sustained hard work and you have to pay your dues before you can move up anywhere.

Settling with skills set: Nobody can afford to sit on their laurels as there is a constant risk of being replaced. You have no choice but to keep your skills current and update them regularly.

Also, recognise and improve your shortcomings with requisite training. Using new ideas and approaches will also help enhance your effectiveness.

Failing to network: The importance of building and maintaining a network of contacts cannot be overemphasised.

You can never achieve success if no one inside or outside the organisation knows you. So, make it a point to hobnob with the higher-ups, build a healthy rapport and also keep in constant touch with your contacts. You never know when the association will come in handy.

Apart from these, even absenteeism, lack of punctuality, lying or failing to give credit where it is due can do real damage to your career success. This list of possible career blunders is almost unending. But even concentrating on these most important ones will enable you to keep your career on track!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Talent exodus bane of big companies

Published on Wednesday, Jul 29, 2009

Large companies have it good - they are high profile and well established which gives them a tremendous edge in attracting the best and brightest talent in the market. In fact, the top talent tends to flock towards them in droves with dreams of soaring careers in their eyes.

But the going is not always good for the big guys. How much of the favoured talent actually sticks around for the long haul? Fact is that as time rolls by, big companies face major troubles in keeping their best people on board. The initial fervour quickly dims in the face of day-to-day realities and the top talent is gradually either lured away by smaller companies or tempted to start their own business.

Recent surveys reveal that ‘few people today want to work at large organisations – especially those with 10,000 or more employees’.

And, with the economy taking a downturn accompanied by the mounting scarcity of talent, companies cannot afford to lose their top performers anymore.

This brings us to the question of what is the reason behind such exodus of potential, where are the top companies going wrong and what can be done to retain them.

Blame bureaucracy: The top talent enters large companies with dreams of carving a path for themselves, only to be terribly disillusioned by the excessive red tape. The harsh truth is that big companies go strictly by the book with explicitly laid out practices, processes and standards, leaving no room for deviation or improvisation.

Not only do top employees refuse to blindly follow the rules and regulations, but also expect an equal say in formulating the stipulations. The solution is they should be allowed to modify their work practices and encouraged to experiment with new approaches.

Lack of vision: Many large companies do not have proper strategic priorities and often don’t even know where they are going. Moreover, the priorities seem to keep changing jolting employees all the time. Top talent shirks from kow-towing to such shifting whims as it keeps them from working properly. What they need is a clear vision with lucid goals and exciting strategies.

Touch points: While employees of large companies crave empowerment to make decisions and do not want to be told how to do their jobs, they also lament the complete lack of accountability as no one bothers to check on their work once it has been assigned.

Top performers want to be held responsible for their work with regular touch points on their project status. They also need a shrewd supervisor to provide timely insight, observations, suggestions as well as guidance when it comes to resolving dilemmas.

Close-mindedness: Due to their sheer size, big companies often turn out to be quite fixated and are never open to opposing views, creative ideas or new approaches. Employees are simply expected to do their work and get on with it.

Top talent long to share their ingenious suggestions and new ways of doing things, but no one is listening. This makes it difficult for them to work in the inflexible environment, especially when they disagree with the work practices. Companies need to open-mindedly listen to the views and also incorporate the best suggestions.

Again, large companies are often so burdened that they lose sight of their top talent and forget to communicate with them.

Many a times, employees complain that they never even realise that they are considered as top performers. What is needed is constant positive reinforcement and encouragement. Managers should go to their top talent and show them that they are valuable with specific and genuine praise.

Big companies go all out to hire the best talent, only to leave them as they are once hired.

Top employees are easily bored and need to be challenged constantly with new and exciting projects. This will give them the opportunity to work passionately and enjoy their work while delivering top results.

Most big companies rush through their performance reviews without any talk of improvement or learning, let alone future career development.

Top performers are left feeling that the organisation is not interested in furthering their careers. Management should try to carve a clear path for the future by engaging in detailed discussions of where the employees want to go and what learning/advancement opportunities they need to reach there.

Top talent fosters passion among other employees. But they themselves end up frustrated and turned off by the lack of stimulating company.

Talented employees wish to work with other top people from diverse skills and backgrounds. The challenge of collaborating with such talent alone can revitalise their work and bring back the enjoyment.

To sum up, sustained and comprehensive talent management strategies are integral for staunching the exodus of top talent from large organisations. Learn to nurture and support them, else be prepared to bid ‘adios’ to this top talent forever!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Get your argument skills in place

Published on Wednesday, Jul 29, 2009

Some people can argue very well. They can win an argument on anything against anybody… and also easily persuade the other person to their way of thinking.

The rest of us find it extremely difficult to even get a simple point across in an argument, valid as it might be. It may be because we are afraid of speaking, clam up, stumble over words or cannot express ourselves properly. The end result is that ot hers don’t believe what we are saying and we have to resignedly give in to the argument. We tend to withdraw into our shell and hang back during arguments as we are unable to stand up for ourselves and say what we feel. But, being able to make your point in an effective manner is quite essential. Else, it is an open invitation for everyone to treat you like a doormat.

Healthy arguing is an important skill that will enable you to share your thoughts or differing opinions on a subject under discussion. Also, disagreements are bound to crop up at work and you will need to argue to state your views, resolve a conflict and even get what you want!

Here, it is important not to confuse arguments with fights, instead think of it as healthy debate and discussion.

Being effective

• Healthy arguing begins with a willingness to listen to what the other person is saying. If you keep thinking of what you will say, it will only distract you from understanding his point. Also, acknowledging his point of view will show that you respect his opinion even if you do not agree with it.

• Be patient and wait for your turn to speak instead of rudely interrupting the speaker or cutting him off. This courtesy may very well prompt him to return the favour.

• But, chances are high that you may still not get a chance to get a word in sideways. Now, you have to be firm and directly tell him to let you speak. Even if he interrupts you, always persist in finishing your point with a firm, “As I was saying…”

Coming to the actual issue of making an effective argument, first decide your goal and always keep in mind what you really want to accomplish. Accordingly, frame a forceful argument based on objective information. Concentrate on offering clear, precise and logical insight into your parameters with sufficient supportive evidence to back your claims. After all, your argument will be effective only when you can express a connected series of statements intended to establish a definite proposition.

Prepare yourself to counter the issues or weaknesses that the other party may raise with relevant facts and logic. Subtly point out that he is wrong, but also be willing to concede if your stand appears to be faulty.

To be convincing, it is equally important to properly form and vocalise your view. This calls for a good, firm posture that emanates power and confidence without appearing aggressive, confrontational or intimidating. Remember to look the person in the eye when speaking; never clench your fists. Speak assertively in a calm and collected voice when arguing your points. Maintain a steady, medium tone that is neither too soft nor high-pitched. Also, choose your words carefully to be able to clearly convey your point.

Keep a tight control on yourself without shouting, getting defensive or resorting to insults. A calm, logical approach will win you more points than lashing out in anger.

It is easy to get carried away during the argument and deviate from the main agenda. Ensure that you keep the dialogue on course and do not lose sight of the ultimate goal.

Last but not the least; remember that being persuasive does not mean always winning or getting your way. Your goal is to get the other person to simply hear your point of view and not necessarily induce him to agree with you (although that would be quite nice). Be willing to compromise and reach a mutually acceptable resolution at best.

PAYAL CHANANIA