Men And Women Interview Differently

Published on January 9, 2013

Link to 'The Hindu - Opportunities' - http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/men-and-women-interview-differently/article4288698.ece

Hiring managers conduct interviews in the same manner across the board so as to effectively assess candidates and find the best man or woman for the job. But relying on the same criteria turns out quite skewed as what interviewers fail to realise is that men and women tend to interview quite differently. Considering that organisations today genuinely want a diverse workplace and strive to hire more women who still form a minority in the workforce, they need to urgently recognise the gender differences in interviewing behaviour. Apart from variations in men and women in terms of self-projection, hiring managers should also overcome their own subconscious gender biases. Only then can they have truly diverse teams that amalgamate the varied strengths and viewpoints of both the sexes.

Where the differences lie

Men generally tend to play up their strengths and proficiencies, placing the accent on what they can do! They are supremely confident of their achievements and may even oversell themselves in a bid to engender a positive view in the minds of the interviewers. They are more likely to make assertive statements to impress and almost feel entitled to the job they are interviewing for. On the other hand, anything that is negative or even skills that a male interviewee may lack are casually pushed under the carpet. Sometimes even to the extent of making them seem insignificant to the job in question!

In sharp contrast, women job applicants are more modest and tend to downplay their capabilities and skills. Many are even embarrassed to talk about their accomplishments. In addition to the reticence, they also undervalue what they have done and undersell what they can do! It’s not to say that women are shrinking violets, just more inhibited and cautious.

What is most unfortunate is that many women are more inclined to focus on their weaknesses or the skills that they lack for the job which gravely influences their image. They easily get defensive and take pains to justify the negatives. And all the explanations only further multiply their deficiencies in the eyes of the interviewers.

Stereotyping at play

Another angle enters the fray. Women interviewees are often expected to be bashful and circumspect. Therefore, confident women who unhesitatingly portray themselves as assertive, capable and ambitious have to bear the brunt of this subconscious gender bias. They are unfairly marked as over-aggressive, belligerent and ruthless.

Conducting fair interviews

Hiring managers should realise that men are naturally good at self-promotion which may make them appear as a better job candidate vis-à-vis a female one. Conversely, just because a woman may hesitate to boast about her skills and achievements do not necessarily mean that she is not good for the job.

In order to establish more women-friendly and fair hiring practices, interviewers need to encourage female candidates to speak about themselves and their accomplishments. They should try to draw them out and persuade them to openly express what they can do. Only then will the final employment decisions be fair and just.

Then again, interviewers must also recognise the inherent stereotypes that subconsciously influence how they analyse the responses of male and female job candidates. They have to make conscious attempts to recognise the differences in acceptable behaviour based on gender. Overcoming these social biases will lead to non-discriminatory evaluations during employment interviews and ultimately better employee selection decisions.

Hiring managers may genuinely believe that they are being fair in their analysis and evaluations. But the best way to ensure that things are going right is to get it straight from the horse’s mouth. Feedback surveys will help fill this gap and implementing the responses will stimulate judicious hiring decisions.

Payal Chanania

Equip Students with Emotional Intelligence

Published on August 22, 2012

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/equip-students-with-emotional-intelligence/article3805304.ece

Most educational institutions excel at developing the intellectual skills of students and prepare them for academic success. Teachers too concentrate on nurturing the young minds in the best way possible – but what about their heart, spirit and emotions?

Pause and think – isn’t today’s generation marked by strong feelings of anger, frustration, agony, confusion and distress? Aren’t respect, compassion, patience, perseverance, hard work and sincerity conspicuous by their absence?

Ms. Amritha V, Faculty in Soft Skills, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kerala substantiates, “The intolerance of students towards failure and rejection owes its origin to fast paced technology, momentary excitement from social networking sites and high demand from peers and family to be successful. The emotions are channelised only into the path of success, without any expectations of fallbacks.

We are moulding a generation of impatient student community. They don’t know what to do with their emotions and feelings, whether to express them or to bury them or just how to manage them.”

The impulsive emotions themselves make them feel threatened and overwhelmed and they manifest these by yelling, bullying, inability to accept rejection or failure, unwillingness to take risks and a predilection for safe ways of doing things. As a result, they are ill-equipped to face future challenges. All this is because they lack control on their feelings or what is known as Emotional Intelligence. As Dr. G. Srilatha, Senior English lecturer, P. B. Siddhartha College, Vijayawada opines, “Today, our youngsters lack emotional intelligence balance as they are carried away by whims and fancies wherein they give more importance to pleasure than values”.

Mrs. Neha Singhal, teacher, DLF School agrees, “70% of the students are not emotionally intelligent these days as they get upset with small things very soon, they are falling short of this maybe because they are running after money more than their dreams of becoming something. They just need easy money.”

Needless to say, students today face undue stress which can wreak permanent damage as well as fuel a self-destructive system of human society. So, can we still afford to ignore the importance of cultivating emotional intelligence in the children?

And there lies the difference!

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognise one’s own moods and behaviours, control them and as a social being, be attuned to others’ feelings as well.

Having control on one’s emotions helps in more ways than we can imagine. It improves brain functioning with better concentration, attention span and ability to learn that translates into higher scores and thus academic achievement.

More importantly, it inculcates character building – confidence, responsibility, self-control, resilience, dedication, determination, tolerance, flexibility, honesty, positive attitude, sense of purpose, dealing with stress and so on.

As Mrs. Meenal Arora, Executive Director, Shemrock and Shemford Group of Schools points out, “Emotional intelligence affects a student’s ability to perform under pressure and also affects the achievement rate. It instils good values, positive attitudes and the ability to judge between right and wrong. It also enables a student to have a clear aim and goal which makes it possible to choose the right career.”

The emotional wherewithal also forms the building blocks of social competence that not just helps in making friends but also reduces aggression and violence and inculcates cooperation and communication skills, thus enabling them to skilfully navigate the interpersonal relationship waters. Obviously, this enhances career prospects and prepares students for the workplace.

The overall development translates into a happy, fulfilling and successful life with strong physical health in tow as they are well-equipped to effectively deal with the demands and pressures of daily living.

As acclaimed psychologist and researcher John Gottman sums up, “Once they master this important life skill, emotionally intelligent children will enjoy increased self-confidence, greater physical health, better performance in school and healthier social relationships!”

The what and how of emotional learning

After parents, teachers are in an unenviable position to positively affect the development of a generation of emotionally healthy adults. Yet, emotional learning is not happening consistently as both parents and schools concentrate solely on academic results, totally ignoring the vital social-emotional quotient.

Little wonder that today’s students are overstimulated and lack the crucial inner balance. They are at a loss as to how to express themselves, let alone control the overpowering emotions or even empathise with others.

At this critical juncture, schools should broaden their narrow vision of education by integrating emotional competencies as a fundamental component of their culture, pedagogy and curriculums. Educators too need to learn to value the emotional well-being of their students and incorporate emotional learning in the classroom.

This is not as easy as saying, ‘Be kind’ or ‘Be respectful’. Teachers have to first be aware of the students’ emotions and help them understand what they are feeling. Always try to calm them down first and encourage them to talk through the emotions.

Listen empathetically and validate the intense feelings by labelling them as love, fear, anger, disappointment, excitement, humiliation, etc. so that they feel supported and comfortable.

For this, teachers have to be understanding, patient, empathetic and able to guide them in right direction. Mrs. Meenal Arora concurs, “A teacher should work on the emotional intelligence of their students by being sympathetic, kind and firm but not strict. Teachers should exhibit emotional intelligence in themselves and develop an empathetic attitude to analyse and assess the Emotional Quotient of their students.”

Once the self-awareness and acceptance sets in, use the emotional expressions as opportunities to teach them to control their impulses and react properly.

Merely saying that their reactions are inappropriate or excessive will only make them feel as if they should suppress them. Instead, model more constructive ways to express their feelings.

You may help them to come up with appropriate ways to solve a problem or deal with an upsetting issue.

Use stories, role plays and audio-visuals, practice techniques to relax, pay attention and incorporate moments of reflection.

Even Dr. G. Srilatha offers, “Emotional intelligence of a student can be improved by creating healthy learning environment, constructive thinking and by providing an opportunity to solve problems and foster leadership qualities.”

This will enable students to rise above self-doubt or impulsiveness and take responsibility for their emotions. Self-discipline and motivation to control emotions, responding not reacting, making responsible decisions and developing positive behaviour set in slowly.

In respectful, safe and challenging climate, teach students to tune into others feelings and accept them. As Mr. R Sreenivasan, Director, IWSB points out, “We need to find ways of making the learning process interactive and collaborative.

The dialogues and arguments that would emerge out of such a process will lay emphasis on every learner to prepare more thoroughly, take stance, hear others’ viewpoints, and appreciate and accept counter-arguments, be more open to accommodating and learning. Exposing children right from the school age onwards to things beyond the books, encouraging them to take interest and participate in activities beyond, is the key.”

Group discussions and team work can be helpful. This will teach them how to manage relationships, negotiate, solve problems and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Ms. Amritha goes a step further and says, “Every educational institution should have counsellors and soft skill trainers who can help students to mend their minds to respond and not to react.”

This kind of holistic development is needed for harnessing and controlling reactions to situations and developing caring, trusting and respectful relationships.

Payal Chanania

The Power Of Doing The Right Thing

Published on August 22, 2012

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/the-power-of-doing-the-right-thing/article3805302.ece

Everyone makes mistakes – but what happens when the blunder is committed by a big organisation? An advertisement that hurts the sentiments of a section of people or worse, a serious product defect, major manufacturing problem, health hazard or lethal defect discovered after a product is launched in the market.

A wave of panic is bound to ensue, aided many a time by unyielding and adverse media coverage. And how does the organisation react in the eye of the storm? Some run for cover, others stay mum while most of the others persistently absolve themselves of all responsibility.

The guilty organisation may present an obstinate front – spin stories, make excuses, deny all allegations, make counter-allegations to cover the bad news, downplay the severity, unflinchingly withstand public wrath – but reputation and credibility are definitely at stake as public rancour will not let them live it down.

Amidst this frenzy, how many organisations actually take the tough road and accept responsibility for their fault without bothering about the dire consequences? How many would do the right thing and undertake corrective measures despite financial repercussions? In other words, how many would uphold personal integrity over and above common expediency?

Johnson and Johnson took the ethical route in 1982 after a batch of its top-selling product Tylenol was tampered with and turned lethal.

The instant responsible behaviour of recalling $100 million worth of products, launching public awareness campaigns and complete transparency with the public is considered the gold standard of the right thing to do!

Owning up faults may seem like a no-brainer that will only make matters worse by damaging reputation and eroding profits. However, the initial denials and cover ups followed by forced acknowledgment of the error only cements the view that the organisational priority is to cover its back and not safeguard people.

Step in the right direction

The alternative to this narrow-minded, short-term view is abiding by ethical standards and doing the right thing. This is definitely tough, challenging, complicated and very expensive as well. It may involve decisions like recalling products, revamping production lines or even simply taking responsibility. It may seem better to cover up and fool people to ride out the wave. In contrast, it takes a lot of courage to make the right decision and face the odds.

So, when things go wrong and there is a looming crisis, ask yourself, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and follow the gut feel booming in your heart. Or, simply put, when in doubt, just do the right thing!

There isn’t much choice either. As Bob Grupp, President of the Institute for Public Relations, an industry-funded think tank points out, “These are uncomfortable situations to be in. But in today’s 24/7 society, you have to step up and acknowledge your reality very quickly!”

You should move quickly to act responsibly, acknowledge the fault and prepare to bear the brunt - the sooner the better - even while you go about investigating the problem and setting things right. Make all attempts to allay the fears of customers and employees as well. Ben Allen, CEO, Kroll Inc., the world's biggest risk-consulting firm always advises clients, “Be clear, be honest and say what you don't know.”

Taking the issue head-on will definitely pay off in the future. Once the furore dies down, the public and workforce will – albeit slowly – be quite forgiving as they start appreciating the quick action, candour, sincere intent and transparency. The organisation will soon bounce back with not just restored but markedly improved company image, goodwill, trust and confidence.

For instance, a top confectionery brand put up a brave front and decided to do the right thing when worms were discovered in its chocolate bars, and it lived to tell the tale with sustained value and customer trust in its pocket.

After all, doing the right thing everywhere, every time reflects an increasingly rare integrity and strength of character. Modelling ethical behaviour also builds integrity into the DNA of the organisation with employees inherently wanting to just ‘do right’.

The organisation can take pride in always putting consumers/employees first and thus build great companies the ‘right way’!

To sum up in Peter Drucker’s words, “You can make many mistakes which will be forgiven by others inside and customers and the government outside of your organisation - but not a lack of integrity!”

CAN YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR BOSS?

Published on June 6, 2012

For a link to the Hindu Opportunities please click here

Befriending and socialising with co-workers is one thing, but what about the boss? Again, being on good terms with the boss in the office is one thing, but what about hanging out with him after work?

Conventional logic dictates that it's better to keep a distance from the boss and avoid building potentially uncomfortable, improper relationships. Not only does befriending the boss cut away at their authority, but a perception of favouritism is bound to creep in soon enough.

Such friendships fall victim to malicious office politics and can also get the boss in trouble with the management!

It also blurs the lines and makes it difficult for both boss and employee to switch between the friendship/professionalism modes as and when needed.

It can be quite difficult to really see someone as a boss after becoming close friends. Hardly surprising then, as per a recent survey, only 21% of respondents are Facebook friends with their work supervisors, compared to 74 percent who aren't! Yet, feelings often have a way of defying the sanest of logics! Think when you work together for long hours on a harmonious footing, is it not inevitable that good friendships will blossom? What when you have common interests and complementary sense of humour?

Just like co-workers, out-of-hours friendship with bosses has the makings of some great work relationships. For one, it gives you a role model to look up to and motivates you to work much harder.

It makes work enjoyable and promotes loyalty as well. In fact, a professional HR consultant supports, “I actually encourage friendships between bosses and their employees. People like to work with people they like, and if you can develop a friendship with your boss, you'll want to be more productive. You'll want to work harder, and you'll probably want to stay in the company.”

Rising to the challenge

You can forge valuable, intimate and enjoyable connections with the boss. However, this friendship needs some definite and sensible rules as operating on unclear boundaries will surely set the odds against you. So, outline an explicit list of dos and don'ts right from the start.

Always maintain professional decorum and don't do anything that can embarrass you later. So, you can always have dinners, watch cricket or play football together, but never make the mistake of going on binge drinking or gambling expeditions.

Confiding intimate details or spilling other secrets is another bad idea. Keep your guard and be careful about what you speak as it can be used to judge your performance potential.

Maintain a genuine friendship and not just use it for expediency. Also, try and keep it low-key without boasting about your friendship in the office. Another point – never gossip with the boss about other staff members or discuss the boss' affairs with co-workers behind his back. Never ask the boss personal questions or offer needless opinions about the work either.

Keep the friendship strictly external and let it not impinge on the work. Remember, he is the boss first and has to be tough, give you orders, reprimand your behaviour/performance and can even fire you anytime. Do not take it personally or feel offended when he is just doing his duties.

You also cannot take him for granted and have to respect him and his position of authority. In other words, treat him as a boss and do the job expected of you! Keep the relationship on a fair footing. Do not build inappropriate expectations or unrealistic concessions like granting favours, sharing confidential information, ignoring blunders, shielding you for performance issues, standing up for you or according any kind of special treatment.

On the other hand, do be prepared that your genuine successes and progress can always be attributed to brown-nosing by jealous co-workers!

In short, continue to keep work relationships courteous, friendly and above all, professional.

And if at anytime you find yourself overstepping the boundary, move back immediately and keep the relationship primarily work-based.

To sum up, bosses are people too. And there's no reason why you cannot be friends with your boss as long as you both can remain professional in the working environment and know where to draw the line!

Payal Chanania

VOICE IN PRESENTATION

Published on June 6, 2012

For a link to the Hindu Opportunities please click here

Presentation skills are the sum total of your voice! Content matters for sure, but once that is taken care of, what is most important is delivery. In fact, the most innovative, interesting and top-notch material can fall flat if it is not articulated properly!

Voice is one of the most important tools that enables the speaker to express the essence of his thoughts, deliver a telling message and gives life to the presentation. It is what carries most of the content that the audience takes away. Else, you can be brimming with ideas but people will tune out all too quickly.

Most of us think that we speak reasonably well, but put on a stage we may just rush through the presentation at top speed, stutter around and end up gasping for breath. Others may sound high-pitched, frail, squeaky, and panicky or just drone on boring the audience to tears.

Contrast this to popular speakers who speak with such ease in a measured voice that seems to effortlessly inject thoughts and ideas into the minds of the audience – be it small or large. How do they manage to touch hearts and disturb minds in such a way? It is all in the power of the voice – that which can conjure up fantastic images to express the speaker's meaning as well as wow the entire world!

For a sonorous orator

Voices need practice, practice and some more practice so that they can get past the initial discomfort and hold up under pressure. Throat muscles and vocal cords are obviously unaccustomed to such demands and need numerous preparatory runs.

Start by getting used to hearing your voice. Try talking out aloud in an empty room or record yourself when speaking and you will be surprised by the unnatural loudness of your voice. Remember you will have to speak louder when there is an audience as bodies absorb sounds and have a muffling effect.

Attempt to project your voice in such a way that it has carrying power and gets across to everyone. For this, you will have to be at ease and intend to be heard. In fact, top presenters are those who intend to be heard and will be heard!

Moreover, as Janet Howd, a leading voice coach advises, “When you practise to deliver a convincing message, speak as if you are on a mobile phone in a noisy area. You will discover that by intending to be heard you automatically achieve the vocal pitches and volume necessary to connect you to your anticipated, real audience!”

Learn to control your breath and breathe out fully before breathing in deeply. The deep breath will activate your voice and help you to speak out loudly. Most importantly, speakers have to control the tones of voice so that spoken words are understood the way they are meant to be. Practice pronouncing words distinctly with crisp consonants and strong vowels to both increase your audibility and make your meaning crystal clear. Soften any sharp accents as far as possible.

Learn to modulate the volume (raise to make a point and lower to draw the audience in), vary the pace (slow when emphasising and fast when skimming over something) and alter the pitch (low when serious and high to generate excitement). Build in regular pauses as moments of silence when the audience can calm down, clean their palate and prepare for a new idea or change of mood. The pause also gives you a much-needed respite to catch your breath, think over what you will say and articulate better. Endeavour to add warmth and rhythm to your words as well so that people can believe and connect with what you are saying. Also, sip water at regular intervals to avoid your voice getting dried out.

Keep in mind that voice training under a professional too can help you develop a clear, fluent, vibrant and healthy voice. Along with the voice, posture needs working as well. Startling as it may sound, voices necessitate bodily support, so holding your back and shoulders upright, knees slack with feet a little apart and firmly on the ground, face and neck titled at the right angle will add power to your voice as well! This firm stance needs effort and training as well. You also have to speak with confidence as even internal squirming or discomfort will get amplified to the audience.

Another tip from Ms. Howd, “Let voice do most of the communicating and use only small amounts of pertinent visual aids!” So, polish up your oratory skills and go ahead and have your say.

Payal Chanania

EQUIP STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3423617.ece

Published on May 16, 2012

Most educational institutions excel at developing the intellectual skills of students and prepare them for academic success. Teachers too concentrate on nurturing the young minds in the best way possible – but what about their heart, spirit and emotions?

Pause and think – isn't today's generation marked by strong feelings of anger, frustration, agony, confusion and distress? Aren't respect, compassion, patience, perseverance, hard work and sincerity conspicuous by their absence?

Ms. Amritha V, Faculty in Soft Skills, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kerala substantiates, “The intolerance of students towards failure and rejection owes its origin to fast paced technology, momentary excitement from social networking sites and high demand from peers and family to be successful. The emotions are channelised only into the path of success, without any expectations of fallbacks. We are moulding a generation of impatient student community. They don't know what to do with their emotions and feelings, whether to express them or to bury them or just how to manage them.”

The impulsive emotions themselves make them feel threatened and overwhelmed and they manifest these by yelling, bullying, inability to accept rejection or failure, unwillingness to take risks and a predilection for safe ways of doing things. As a result, they are ill-equipped to face future challenges. All this is because they lack control on their feelings or what is known as Emotional Intelligence. As Dr. G. Srilatha, Senior English lecturer, P. B. Siddhartha College, Vijayawada opines, “Today, our youngsters lack emotional intelligence balance as they are carried away by whims and fancies wherein they give more importance to pleasure than values”.

Mrs. Neha Singhal, teacher, DLF School agrees, “70% of the students are not emotionally intelligent these days as they get upset with small things very soon, they are falling short of this maybe because they are running after money more than their dreams of becoming something. They just need easy money.”

Needless to say, students today face undue stress which can wreak permanent damage as well as fuel a self-destructive system of human society. So, can we still afford to ignore the importance of cultivating emotional intelligence in the children?

And there lies the difference!

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognise one's own moods and behaviours, control them and as a social being, be attuned to others' feelings as well.

Having control on one's emotions helps in more ways than we can imagine. It improves brain functioning with better concentration, attention span and ability to learn that translates into higher scores and thus academic achievement. More importantly, it inculcates character building – confidence, responsibility, self-control, resilience, dedication, determination, tolerance, flexibility, honesty, positive attitude, sense of purpose, dealing with stress and so on.

As Mrs. Meenal Arora, Executive Director, Shemrock and Shemford Group of Schools points out, “Emotional intelligence affects a student's ability to perform under pressure and also affects the achievement rate. It instils good values, positive attitudes and the ability to judge between right and wrong. It also enables a student to have a clear aim and goal which makes it possible to choose the right career.”

The emotional wherewithal also forms the building blocks of social competence that not just helps in making friends but also reduces aggression and violence and inculcates cooperation and communication skills, thus enabling them to skilfully navigate the interpersonal relationship waters. Obviously, this enhances career prospects and prepares students for the workplace.

The overall development translates into a happy, fulfilling and successful life with strong physical health in tow as they are well-equipped to effectively deal with the demands and pressures of daily living. As acclaimed psychologist and researcher John Gottman sums up, “Once they master this important life skill, emotionally intelligent children will enjoy increased self-confidence, greater physical health, better performance in school and healthier social relationships!”

The what and how of emotional learning

After parents, teachers are in an unenviable position to positively affect the development of a generation of emotionally healthy adults. Yet, emotional learning is not happening consistently as both parents and schools concentrate solely on academic results, totally ignoring the vital social-emotional quotient.

Little wonder that today's students are overstimulated and lack the crucial inner balance. They are at a loss as to how to express themselves, let alone control the overpowering emotions or even empathise with others.

At this critical juncture, schools should broaden their narrow vision of education by integrating emotional competencies as a fundamental component of their culture, pedagogy and curriculums. Educators too need to learn to value the emotional well-being of their students and incorporate emotional learning in the classroom.

This is not as easy as saying, ‘Be kind' or ‘Be respectful'. Teachers have to first be aware of the students' emotions and help them understand what they are feeling. Always try to calm them down first and encourage them to talk through the emotions. Listen empathetically and validate the intense feelings by labelling them as love, fear, anger, disappointment, excitement, humiliation, etc. so that they feel supported and comfortable.

For this, teachers have to be understanding, patient, empathetic and able to guide them in right direction. Mrs. Meenal Arora concurs, “A teacher should work on the emotional intelligence of their students by being sympathetic, kind and firm but not strict. Teachers should exhibit emotional intelligence in themselves and develop an empathetic attitude to analyse and assess the Emotional Quotient of their students.”

Once the self-awareness and acceptance sets in, use the emotional expressions as opportunities to teach them to control their impulses and react properly. Merely saying that their reactions are inappropriate or excessive will only make them feel as if they should suppress them. Instead, model more constructive ways to express their feelings. You may help them to come up with appropriate ways to solve a problem or deal with an upsetting issue.

Use stories, role plays and audio-visuals, practice techniques to relax, pay attention and incorporate moments of reflection. Even Dr. G. Srilatha offers, “Emotional intelligence of a student can be improved by creating healthy learning environment, constructive thinking and by providing an opportunity to solve problems and foster leadership qualities.”

This will enable students to rise above self-doubt or impulsiveness and take responsibility for their emotions. Self-discipline and motivation to control emotions, responding not reacting, making responsible decisions and developing positive behaviour set in slowly.

In respectful, safe and challenging climate, teach students to tune into others feelings and accept them. As Mr. R Sreenivasan, Director, IWSB points out, “We need to find ways of making the learning process interactive and collaborative. The dialogues and arguments that would emerge out of such a process will lay emphasis on every learner to prepare more thoroughly, take stance, hear others' viewpoints, and appreciate and accept counter-arguments, be more open to accommodating and learning. Exposing children right from the school age onwards to things beyond the books, encouraging them to take interest and participate in activities beyond, is the key.”

Group discussions and team work can be helpful. This will teach them how to manage relationships, negotiate, solve problems and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Ms. Amritha goes a step further and says, “Every educational institution should have counsellors and soft skill trainers who can help students to mend their minds to respond and not to react.”

This kind of holistic development is needed for harnessing and controlling reactions to situations and developing caring, trusting and respectful relationships.

Payal Chanania

WORKING WOMEN AND THE EXAM SEASON

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325873.ece

Published on April 18, 2012

Picture this: It is almost 7 p.m. by the time working mothers reach home after a full day's work.

There is an exam the next day but the children are sleepy with rapidly waning attention. Not to mention that dinner is yet to be cooked.

Time is in short supply; stress levels are at all-time highs; tears, tantrums and anxiety reign all around. What's more, the examination stress carries over to the next day, spilling into the work day as well.

Managing everything and still keeping your sanity intact is a tough balancing act indeed.

As Ms. Chitra Shyam, Group Manager-Diversity, HCL Technologies articulates, “For a working mother, managing the kid's homework and work itself can sometimes be really tricky; exam times may seem really testing!”

Then there is the overriding guilt of not being able to do justice to any of the demands!

To add to the prevailing apprehension, surveys place the blame of poor academics squarely on the working mothers' shoulders asserting that their children fare worse in various assessments and examinations!

Getting it as right as possible

For starters, keep those guilt pangs at bay as other studies reveal diametrically contrary results – they state that working mothers have positive effects on the social development, educational progress and intelligence of children (especially on girls)!

The key to the examination quandary is to ‘prepare in advance'. Instil good studying habits in the children so that they do their lessons regularly.

Keep a methodical track of their studies (use weekends) and clear their doubts as and when they arise.

As Mrs. Vandana Khosla, Founder, Director of Elvy Lifestyle elucidates, “When you get lesser time for your kids after work, all you need to do is set up a routine for your child and yourself.

The 3-4 hours you get after office should be utilised for your child. Have daily chat about his day while he drinks his milk and has his snacks after he comes back from school.

This helps you chalk out the evening accordingly.”

Armed with adequate advance preparation, children will only need to revise the day before the exam, putting paid to last minute burdens and tension.

When examinations are coming up, work out an appropriate study schedule along with the child (discuss syllabus and invite suggestions).

Show that you are always there to help and focus on ways to escalate your involvement in a sustainable manner.

Ms. Chitra Shyam explains, “Every night I ensure that I am well versed with her day/school routine, check her homework and the tests. This way I am much updated about her strengths and weaknesses in different subject areas.

Therefore during the exam time, in order to make the study schedule more predictable, I discuss with my daughter and freeze the study time and cartoon show timings.”

Mrs. Neha Singhal, DLF School, reiterates, “Always keep communication open with your child no matter how old he or she is.

Make a habit of leaving notes for your children, which they can read when they return home from school or tuition classes, discuss things with them and ask them how they feel about things.

During exams if proper care is not taken or if the small problems are not discussed then it may create chaos and frustration to a child.”

Apart from this, working mothers should accept that their work schedules may come in the way of studies.

Create a support system accordingly - split the responsibility with the husbands or seek the help of other family members. Else, opt for private tuitions if needed. Seek flexi-time work options if possible – work from home or come back home early. One working mother rationalises, “Try to work from home and follow the same routine but finish your work in the child's absence so that you will be able to spend more time with their studies once they are home…”

Prioritise very firmly; for instance the mopping can take a backseat for a while or cooking chores relegated to paid help.

Mrs. Neha Singhal, DLF School elaborates, “When the exams are approaching, a mother must give adequate time, love and attention to their kids.

A little rearrangement of schedule and a change in perspective will help”.

Above all, remember that the mother being stressed, nervous or unsure is extremely detrimental for the children and their performance.

What they need is peaceful care, support, guidance and encouragement at this crucial juncture.

No anxiety and definitely no nagging! And don't forget to celebrate once the exams are done!

What's more, the manner in which you handle examination time will set a precedent for shaping the children's own attitude to challenges in life! As Ms. Chitra Shyam continues, “The baseline is not to scare the kid with the term ‘exam time' but to try and keep it as normal as always and work to leverage on the child's strengths. As children of this generation face too much of peer pressure, so as parents, the least one could do is to not build any extra pressure in the name of exams!”

Payal Chanania

CORE STANDARDS OF TEACHING

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325872.ece

Published on April 18, 2012

All teaching is designed towards preparing students for success in such a way that they emerge as responsible and grounded adults of tomorrow.

Teachers are the guideposts that show them the way for achieving high-quality paths ahead. But attaining such meaningful development requires educators to hold themselves up to certain definitive standards.

This comprises of the basic philosophy underlying their teaching and governing their conduct in the classroom.

What standards do you expect of yourself?

The personal vision or critical rationale that a teacher is committed to achieving is quite difficult to define. The challenge lies in carefully reflecting on and conceiving what you are really committed to (and how).

Most teachers echo that they see themselves as more of facilitators. Mr. Rajiv Sethi (Retd.), PhD Registrar and Professor of Finance, TERI University voices the sentiment, “The first thing I look at is to move away from the traditional role of a teacher - which was to ‘teach', and move into a slot where I as a teacher, ‘facilitates' learning.”

Ms. Joy Puvana, Faculty, Business Communication, TalentSprint expands, “The role of a teacher doesn't consist primarily of lecturing about a specific subject to students who sit in rows at desks, dutifully listening and recording what they hear, but, rather, offer every student a rich, rewarding, and unique learning experience!”

This will prompt a true love for learning in the hearts and minds of the students. But encouraging active learning requires the educator to be equally passionate and committed to the subject, as it proportionately influences student motivation.

Students will then be willing to push themselves, explore new dimensions and seek new possibilities. Promoting critical thinking and problem-solving is considered imperative as well.

Helping students identify and explore their passions so as to find what they truly love doing is next on the list.

In the words of Mr. R. Srinivasan, Co-Founder, CL Educate Ltd. and Director - Indus World School of Business, “It is all about enabling an individual to set goals for oneself and chasing them. Once that happens, everything else will fall in place!”

Imparting true understanding of the subject is an important teaching standard. Prof. R. Dheenadayalu, Dean (ICT), Saveetha Engineering College, says, “My personal vision is that every student understands the topic clearly and should be able to apply that when he encounters a problem.”

Even Mr. Ishan Gupta, Founder and CEO, Edukart.com agrees, “We aspire to make our participants understand the concepts of the subject and also imbibe experiential learning.”

Mr. Sethi especially mentions, “I should be able to connect new knowledge to today's context, so as to be able to pass-on a better understanding to the students.

I must be able to foster cross-disciplinary learning, so that the students can understand the nuances of every aspect of a problem and can then approach the problem in a holistic manner.”

Teachers also wish to build an engaging and joyful classroom atmosphere as it helps students truly understand and learn. Accordingly, they should draw on their expertise and aspire to make their subject matter as meaningful as possible.

Developing good ethics and values is considered important as well. This calls on teachers to highlight the importance of hard work, perseverance, honesty, integrity, courage in the face of adversity and so on as the ultimate path leading to true success.

The importance of fostering a collaborative, interactive and supportive environment is not overlooked either.

Incorporating a variety of instructional strategies deserves a special mention as it enables teachers to easily adapt to diverse learning styles of the students.

“Although there is no ‘right' method for teaching a particular lesson, but a teacher should be efficient enough to choose the right instructional method depending upon concept, context, topic and needs of learner”, so says Mrs. Meenal Arora, Executive Director, Shemrock & Shemford Group of Schools.

Putting the standards to work

To achieve these teaching standards, educators have to model the expectations.

Mr. Srinivasan explains, “I create experiences in the learning environment that enables learners to realise and comprehend the concepts through experiential learning, more than the theoretical lectures of the concepts.

So, for me, learning is bottom-up.” Even for Ms. Puvana, “Constructivism approach to teaching is best - activities that encourage students to construct pieces of learning by themselves.”

Mr. Sethi feels, “By moving away from just classroom lectures, to much more of classroom discussions and assignments which stimulate critical thinking.

By moving away from rote learning to learning from role-plays where one gets a chance to explore one's own knowledge, what one lacks, and what needs to be learnt to be able to meet the challenges ahead.” Believing in the students' abilities while providing due support and encouragement is also important.

When it comes to evaluating whether one has really accomplished the standards, Ms. Puvana offers, “I would like to evaluate my success not only by the student's scores, but also by their progress in their lives and careers!”

For Mrs. Arora, “The result of a teacher's efforts is visible in the accomplishment of her students.

If a child has understood and inculcated the subject and values being taught by the teacher, she would surely demonstrate a positive change in thinking and behaviour.”

To sum up, teachers play a very strong influence in students' lives.

But the core effectiveness of the teaching community does not rest only in their knowledge of the subject but also encompasses the overall standards, characteristics and behaviour when they actually teach!

Payal Chanania

EMOTIONAL SKILLS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN TECHNICAL SKILLS

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325871.ece

Published on April 18, 2012

It goes without saying that team leaders need to be highly intelligent, skilled, knowledgeable and experienced as well as energetic, determined, forceful and charismatic. Analytical reasoning, big-picture thinking, visionary mindset and inherent charisma form a crucial part of the success equation. But is that all? Is the premium on technical and cognitive skills really justified? What about the emotional aspect?

Fact is that a high degree of emotional intelligence is the differentiating factor that can transform good team leaders into truly outstanding and successful ones. Little wonder then that people with high IQ levels still seem to struggle in their jobs and their analytical skills can hardly predict leadership abilities. Even extraordinary talent is often rendered useless sans the key ingredient of emotional perspicacity.

What is emotional intelligence and how it helps

EQ (Emotional Quotient) is a broad term encompassing awareness of one's own emotions and their effect on others as well as how to manage and restrain those emotions in a healthy and productive manner. In addition, it helps to intuitively read people's reactions and treat people accordingly which enables to build good rapport, trust, relationships and networks.

Emotionally mature team leaders are also intensely motivated and have a driving passion for their work. They are optimistic, resilient, adaptable, trustworthy and persuasive. Not only are they open to change, but can also lead change pretty triumphantly. The people skills help them to understand what makes team members tick and thus build, lead and inspire efficient teams towards success. Members depend on them for consistency, good judgment and the ability to do the right thing at the right time.

Emotionally intelligent leaders are often blamed as being too soft, nice and emotional.

But they can confront sticky situations with extreme self-confidence and behave assertively when necessary. This enables them to keep the team in an engaged, participative and collaborative mode while subtly moving them in the right direction. By successfully connecting with the entire team, they directly affect team morale, performance and efficiency.

Tipping the balance

This is not to say that good, old-fashioned intelligence or technical skills are rendered any less relevant.

They are essential drivers of a team leader's success but never as important as the emotional skills factor.

As Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence and co-author of Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence highlights, “They do matter, but mainly as ‘threshold capabilities'; that is, they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. But my research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won't make a great leader!”

According to Warren Bennis, author of On Becoming a Leader, “In those fields I have studied, emotional intelligence is much more powerful than IQ in determining who emerges as a leader. IQ is a threshold competence. You need it, but it doesn't make you a star. Emotional intelligence can.”

Daniel Goleman further adds, “When I calculated the ratio of technical skills, IQ and emotional intelligence as ingredients of excellent performance, emotional intelligence proved to be twice as important as the others for jobs at all levels!”

Putting emotional intelligence to work

Powered with the compassion and understanding of human nature, team leaders can successfully manage emotional issues of their teams, deal with contentious members, respond genuinely to members' frustrations/concerns, handle unexpected disappointments and also accept rapid changes in the workplace, all with a level head and strong sense of self.

This is not to say that one has to be born emotionally astute per se. It can be strengthened and even learned with the right attitude, commitment to change and willingness to face one's own flaws. A combination of careful listening, observing and seeking feedback can help eliminate old behaviours and imbibe new approaches. But it is not easy and takes lot of persistence, practice and dedication to truly change for the better.

Even big organisations have taken to building competency models to help identify, train and promote emotionally intelligent employees for future leadership positions. To sum up, technical and emotional skills form two parts of the whole for a successful team leader. A right blend of both is what makes a team leader gifted and complete.

Payal Chanania

DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP IS THE FUTURE TREND

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article3325875.ece

Published on April 18, 2012

Traditional bureaucratic structures have clearly given way to new, flatter forms in hierarchies, team-based structures and permeable boundaries in today's organisations. There is no longer a ‘great man at the top' as such.

Yet, most work teams are still frozen in the traditional authoritative leadership model with the team leader at the top of the hierarchical pyramid. The top-down format makes team leadership an extremely tough task today, given the rapidly changing financial, social, political, technological and environmental forces at play. Things are moving just too quickly and complex challenges cropping up everywhere, to rely on the efficacy of one sole team leader!

Given this situation, the next frontier for leadership is to spread it across multiple team members. And this paradigm shift is what distributed leadership is all about. This democratic format neutralises rank to an extent and calls on the collective efficacy of the entire team. With the liberating spread of influence and authority, unexpected people are bound to spring up and take charge of complex situations in the most unexpected of ways and thus successfully handle the complexities of today's business environments. They no longer need a formal leadership role but simply leap up and assume responsibility depending on the need, opportunity, expertise and personal desire to lead.

Collaborative or shared leadership signifies the end of team hierarchy and heralds the days of networks – both formal and informal. Even the team leader's responsibilities shift radically from the command and control approach to a more subtle cultivating and coordinating of the team members. And that spells true empowerment for the team. As top management expert, Ken Blanchard pronounces, “None of us is as smart as all of us!”

The consequences: Not only does distributed leadership mitigate risks and improve performance, it also enables the team to innovate and respond successfully to new opportunities. It proves especially valuable for virtual, globally-dispersed teams.

Instituting distributed leadership

Its true that we all need to lead and any team member who feels they can make a contribution should be able to do so by donning a leadership role. But actually instituting such distributed leadership is not as easy as it sounds. Powering teams is often done in a very non-effective way leading to further chaos, not to mention gross misuse of power.

Distributing leadership is a complicated process and requires organisations to craft a corresponding culture that truly shares real and effective leadership across the team. Effectiveness depends on the quality of people. As the head of the organisation, begin with fostering leadership ability at every level through adequate training and coaching to deal with the conflicts, dilemmas and challenges on one's own. Encourage them to look within for leadership rather than outside and willingly rise to take initiative whenever possible. Factor in sufficient ownership and accountability as well.

Shared values, responsibility, purpose and priorities are critical for success. Provide team members with access to necessary information to be able to act effectively and even take decisions on their own. Enable them to the extent that they can even redesign their jobs, yet keep them aligned to the objectives of the team and organisation.

The team as a whole has to take steps to protect the distributed culture with guiding principles and right mindset. Possessing an ‘I can' attitude goes without saying. Team leaders on their part have to be willing to let go a bit, boost innovation and accept ideas/initiative of others.

Yet, for all the collaborative leadership, there is still a need for maintaining a sense of centralised leadership when it comes to making key decisions and accountability. This has to be a strong visionary who serves as a clear and decisive authority in keeping the team aligned with the big picture.

To sum up, leadership exists throughout teams and organisations. Team leaders just have to recognise and accept the fact to be able to tap into the overflowing intellectual, interpersonal, rational, intuitive, conceptual and creative capacities of their team members. People are hungry for leadership and desperate for opportunities to shine. So, why not power them to play such key roles!

Payal Chanania