Manoj Bhat, currently Group CFO, will take over as the MD & CEO of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (MHRIL) on May 17th, 2024, succeeding Kavinder Singh who is leaving the group. Amarjyoti Barua, executive vice president – group strategy, will simultaneously step up as the Group CFO.

“Talent development is crucial for us,” says Anish Shah, Group CEO & managing director. “We offer tailored career paths and encourage rotations across businesses. This has enabled us to promote Manoj, who brings diverse experience and a customer-centric approach.”

Further emphasising their internal talent pool, the group announced Vimal Agarwal, CFO of Mahindra Lifespaces Developers (MLDL), will move to MHRIL as CFO, while Avinash Bapat will replace him at MLDL.

These appointments showcase the group’s focus on nurturing internal talent and ensuring a smooth transition of leadership.

Bhat’s proven track record and Barua’s strategic expertise are expected to propel the respective businesses forward. This reshuffle also opens doors for other leaders within the group to pursue broader roles and contribute to Mahindra’s continued growth.

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group, with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries, stands as one of the largest and most admired multinational federations of companies. Enjoying leadership positions in various sectors, the group focuses on driving positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

The post Mahindra Group promotes internal talent in key leadership reshuffle appeared first on HR Katha.

During this period, these labourers endured darkness, isolation, and the uncertainty of their fate. Their ordeal, however, served as an extraordinary display of human resilience and unwavering leadership, epitomised by Gabbar Singh Negi, the tunnel foreman.

Amidst the chaos and despair, Negi emerged as a beacon of hope and a pillar of strength for his fellow workers. His calm demeanour, decisive actions, and unwavering belief in their rescue were instrumental in maintaining order, ensuring safety, and fostering a sense of camaraderie among the trapped labourers. Negi’s leadership during this crisis provides valuable lessons for corporate India and serves as an inspiring case study for management schools.

Calm demeanour and decisiveness

Negi’s ability to remain calm and make quick decisions under immense pressure was crucial for maintaining order and ensuring the safety of the workers. He immediately established a sense of order, organising the workers into teams to maintain sanitation, ration supplies, and communicate with their families. His clear communication and regular updates kept the workers informed and engaged, preventing panic and despair from taking hold.

This highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and composure in leadership roles. Negi demonstrated how leaders need to be able to manage their own emotions and understand the emotions of others in order to effectively lead in crisis situations.

Negi’s effective communication was essential for keeping teams informed, maintaining morale, and preventing misunderstandings. His approach underscores the importance of transparent and consistent communication in fostering trust and cooperation within teams.

Effective communication and clarity

Negi’s clear and concise communication kept the labourers informed and maintained morale. He recognised the diversity of the workers, who came from different parts of India, and ensured that his communication was inclusive and accessible to all. He shared stories of resilience and survival, reminding the workers of their strength and the power of the human spirit. He also encouraged them to engage in activities that would take their minds off their predicament, such as singing, reciting poetry, and practicing yoga. These morale-boosting measures helped to keep the workers’ spirits afloat and maintain a sense of camaraderie.

Negi’s effective communication was essential for keeping teams informed, maintaining morale, and preventing misunderstandings. His approach underscores the importance of transparent and consistent communication in fostering trust and cooperation within teams.

Empathy and compassion: leading with humanity

Negi’s empathy and compassion towards the labourers helped them cope with the emotional stress of the situation. He understood the fears and concerns of the workers, and he provided them with emotional support and reassurance. He reminded them that they were not alone, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.

This underscores the significance of emotional intelligence and empathy in leadership, enabling leaders to connect with and support their team members. Negi’s actions demonstrate that leaders who show empathy and compassion can create a more supportive and inclusive work environment, fostering trust and loyalty among team members.

Hope and unwavering belief: inspiration through adversity

Negi’s unwavering belief in the labourers’ rescue and his ability to instill that belief in them were crucial in maintaining their spirits. Throughout the 17 days that the workers were trapped, Negi never gave up hope for their rescue. He maintained a positive outlook and encouraged them to persevere, demonstrating the power of hope in overcoming challenges. His unwavering belief in their eventual safe return became a source of strength and inspiration for the workers.

This highlights the power of hope and optimism in leadership, inspiring and motivating others to persevere through challenges. Leaders who maintain a positive outlook and inspire hope can motivate their teams to overcome challenges and achieve success.

Conclusion: a legacy of leadership

The rescue operation was a complex and challenging one, but thanks to Negi’s leadership, all 41 workers were safely evacuated on November 28th, 2023. Their ordeal served as a testament to the power of human resilience and the importance of strong leadership in times of crisis. Negi’s actions have set an example of how to lead with courage, empathy, and determination in the face of adversity. His unwavering commitment to the well-being of his fellow workers serves as a beacon of inspiration for leaders in all walks of life.

The post Gabbar Singh Negi: lessons in leadership from the Silkyara tunnel crisis in Uttarkashi appeared first on HR Katha.

Communicate

“When moving with a team or doing a project together, the foremost step is to communicate the expectations,” says Pradyumna Pandey, CHRO, Mother Dairy. It’s essential for the managers to communicate with the slow-moving team member(s) and set clear expectations regarding timelines and deadlines. The specific needs have to be put across unambiguously, and the team members have to be made aware of the importance of meeting the deadlines. When everyone is on the same page regarding what is to be done and when the output is supposed to be delivered, the task becomes easy.

“When moving with a team or doing a project together, the foremost step is to communicate the expectations.”

Pradyumna Pandey, CHRO, Mother Dairy

Assign clear responsibilities

“Since team leaders are always aware of their members, it’s important that they clarify the roles and responsibilities to each team member,” says Mukul Harish Chopra. This will help the slow movers understand what and how much they are expected to contribute and when. This will also make them feel included and valued as they will realise that they also have an important place in the team and in the manager’s eyes.

Set realistic goals

While setting deadlines for projects, leaders sometimes focus so much on timely delivery that they tend to lose sight of their team’s competence, looking only at their performance. Hence, they may try to make the delivery possible in six days when it is actually possible only in ten. They may end up overcommitting without even communicating with their teams. “One team cannot have all the top or excellent performers. There is always a mix of people, each one with a different pace of working,” points out Pandey. Therefore, people have to support each other.

Set goals and monitor progress

Set specific goals for the slow movers and monitor their progress closely. This will help identify any potential issues early on and allow managers the time to address them before they become bigger problems. “A leader will never put together a team that is programmed to fail,” observes Chopra. Hence, it’s important to monitor the progress of each individual, and the team as a whole, at every step and help the slow movers align their pace with the set goals.

Offer support

Sometimes, slow movers may need additional resources or support to get their work done. Be open to providing any necessary help, such as training or additional guidance, to help them complete their tasks more efficiently. As Pandey rightly puts it, “Many slow movers need support, and it is up to the leaders to assess where, when and what kind of additional support is required”.

“A leader will never put together a team that is programmed to fail.”

Mukul Harish Chopra, CHRO, ConveGenius

Chopra agrees and adds, “It’s vital for the leadership to help them get the context of their role right. One can only perform a task successfully when they’re aware of their role completely and have the liberty to ask for help wherever needed.”

Consider reassignment

If the slow-moving team member continues to struggle, it would be a good idea to consider reassigning them to a different role or task that better fits their skills and strengths. This can help them become more productive while also benefiting the overall project. When slow movers are given a big task, they tend to get bogged down by the pressure. “A leader can break those bigger projects into smaller tasks, short-term deadlines and bit-sized milestones. This will help them understand the project better and achieve their goals quickly.”

Additionally, it’s important for the leaders/mangers to put the right team on the job in the first place. ‘If I lead large projects and choose people to be in my team, it is not because they are the best and the brightest, but because I know they’ll be able to get the job done right,” believes Chopra.

Be empathetic and patient

Lastly, it’s the responsibility of the managers/leaders to make the slow movers feel valued. Even if the project is lagging, they should not be made to feel that it is their fault. “A leader needs to understand exactly why they are not able to deliver and deal with the issue in a positive way,” advises Pandey.

To summarise, dealing with slow movers is a delicate matter that requires patience and understanding. By using smart strategies, leaders and managers can help them become more productive and contribute to the success of the project.

The post How leaders can deal with slow movers in a project chain appeared first on HR Katha.

However, ever since the business world changed, after surviving the pandemic, people have realised that they do not need heroes but ‘human leaders’ or ‘people’s leaders’.

Servant leadership

Leaders are support systems. They are there to build the required capacity in their teams and achieve their objectives while working together to accomplish organisational goals. “The concept of servant leadership is focused on serving and supporting the team, enabling their growth and success, rather than always being in a supportive role,” says Uma Rao, CHRO, Granules India. This approach is considered powerful in uniting teams around a strong purpose and allowing them to function autonomously, with the leader staying behind to provide support as needed.

The whole idea of having an empathetic leader or ‘peoples’ leader’ is to work together towards a common goal, with each person interacting with the others to build capacity. It not only fosters increased interaction among team members — without relying solely on the boss — but essentially, helps the team gain the ability to drive its own goals, rather than being reliant on a single leader.

“Competent leaders have the awareness to recognise situations and adapt their style accordingly.”

Nihar Ghosh, senior HR leader

Adaptability

Nihar Ghosh, senior HR leader also points out, “Leaders tend to have a preferred leadership style based on their personality type, but competent leaders also have the awareness to recognise the situation and adapt their style accordingly.”

In other words, while capable leaders may have a default style, they are also able to adapt their approach based on the demands of the situation. In other words, leaders will not always behave the same way regardless of the situation.

Agreeing to the same, Prasadh M S, workforce research and communication specialist, Xpheno, opines, “Leadership, though the oldest facet of an enterprise, is an ever evolving one. Enterprises’ leadership models and expectations vary based on age, industry, size, stage, geography and so on, of the enterprise. While job descriptions / ads of leadership roles invariably seek approachable and people-oriented individuals, there’s no common yardstick for the agreeable level of these aspects.”

Ability to connect

Being able to connect with people is the first thing that stands out. This quality shows that instead of trying to be in the limelight always, the leader’s focus/ attention is on the team. “True leaders focus on their teams, as they are the ones driving the process,” opines Rao. However, this does not diminish the leader’s role and responsibility. Rather, ideal leaders empower their teams to make decisions collectively. The leaders themselves simply help facilitate the process, not direct it. “A leader in this model (servant-master leadership), must become a normal team member who can facilitate when needed, while still retaining authority,” says Rao. While responsibility is shared among the team members, the leaders themselves cannot shy away from their role as servant leaders by claiming to have no leadership responsibility.

Facilitating & empowering

The teams perform much better when the leaders act as comrades rather than dictating orders. This is because they are working towards a symbiotic relationship and their goal is to empower and improve the well-being of the people. The business-development team probably knows the customers better than the leaders who are away from the action. Therefore, it’s important to facilitate decisions rather than create obstacles. This shift from controlling to empowering helps to develop more leaders and increase accountability.

However, at a time when people’s leaders are much sought after, why is the concept more an expectation rather than the norm?

“People-oriented leaders are expected to selectively set themselves apart, by exuding brilliance and superior cognitive capability. They execute a fine balancing act that not many leaders are naturally good at or trained in. It is, therefore, common to see first-time managers and leaders struggling with their conscious competence of exhibiting analytical and strategic skills at work,” says Prasadh. The need to consistently exhibit superior skills and the highest levels of competence is a load and pressure that new leaders can easily buckle under.

“True leaders focus on their teams, as they are the ones driving the process.”

Uma Rao, CHRO, Granules India.

Etymologically, to be a leader means to be the first or the most prominent presence to guide or conduct a group. Our leadership models and definitions have traditionally embodied this definition of perfection and excellence.

However, analytical leaders, who are used to relying on their rational side, may find the idea of introspection daunting or even risky. They may fear what they might uncover about themselves and worry that it could disrupt the status quo. “The high ‘say’: ‘do’ ratio expected of leaders is to set them apart and create a reference to look up to. With all these superlative metrics in play, leaders who are vulnerable are often considered misfits and rated low on resilience. Further, leaders who blend in too deep and wide are criticised as low on efficacy,” says Prasadh.

Empathy/emotion vs logic/analysis

People often believe that there should be no place for emotions at the workplace. Leading with empathy and emotion requires a different skill set that some leaders may not possess, especially those who rely heavily on logic and analysis. These leaders may fear failure and doubt their ability to succeed in this new leadership style.

Vulnerability

People are socially conditioned to consider ‘vulnerability’ a weakness. Hence, it is taboo in an enterprise setup. The vulnerability quotient, if there’s one, is expected to dip as one rises up the organisational ladder. Leadership often entails being alone at the top, where many moments of vulnerability may arise. However, acknowledging or exhibiting vulnerability is looked upon as a threat to one’s authority in a role. “Expression of vulnerability is akin to letting one’s guard down, and therefore, a high-risk act that leaders try to avoid at any cost,” states Prasadh. After all, leaders are a fragment of their enterprise, and hence, tell themselves to express and behave just as their enterprise would if it were a person. “The alignment to the visual and emotional model of one’s enterprise, comes with the threat of estrangement if seen as vulnerable,” points out Prasadh.

However, Ghosh believes, “Organisations today recognise the importance of having leaders who are sensitive to their team’s needs and the changing environmental situations.” Such leaders not only exhibit flexibility, but also calibrate their actions and behaviour accordingly. Therefore, good organisations often look for leaders who exhibit sensitivity and flexibility, rather than being authoritarian and driving their teams too hard.

Citing the example of the recent layoffs, Prasadh also points out, “Big tech enterprises that were considered strong and perfect personalities, came across as vulnerable and unattached during the recent layoffs. The message, tone and body language these enterprises presented through the voices of their superhero CXOs showed the world that leaders can be vulnerable too. In fact, they established that being vulnerable does not dethrone them from their position of supremacy. Leaders can take a leaf from these recent examples and learn the new VUCA of being Vulnerable, Unattached, Communicative and Agile.”

Sensitivity & responsibility

“Leaders can take a leaf from these recent examples and learn the new VUCA of being Vulnerable, Unattached, Communicative and Agile.”

Prasadh M S, workforce research and communication specialist, Xpheno

Ghosh also points out, “It’s important for the organisation to understand the demand of sensitivity and act up on it. If people need sensitive leaders, the organisation should not shy away from giving them such leaders.”

However, being comrades doesn’t absolve leaders of their responsibilities. It is important to assess the situation and determine when servant leadership is most appropriate.” Servant leadership means empowering others, but not passing on one’s own duties. It’s important to empower people while also being aware of one’s own role as a leader,” asserts Rao. For instance, in a new team or during an emergency, the leader needs to step forward and take charge. However, in a steady state or in situations where collaborative effort is required, being a servant leader and stepping back can be effective.

“People’s leaders possess a leadership style built on the foundations of technical excellence clubbed with compassion and simplicity, with a pinch of reasonable vulnerability in situations that demand them to be. Leaders should remember that intelligence quotient (IQ) and relationship quotient (RQ) can comfortably and productively coexist, and make them the kind of leaders that people look forward to being led by,” states Prasadh.

“To say that all hero leaders are authoritative is not accurate. Hero leaders are usually people who aspire to live life to the fullest. However, there are different types of leaders with varying styles. The most successful are those who can adapt their style to the situation, even if they have a default style. This is the essence of being a sensitive leader,” concludes Ghosh.

The post Why leaders don’t always have to be heroes appeared first on HR Katha.

In conversation with HRKatha, Manoj Kumar Sharma, CHRO, Aarti Industries, shares that the special highlight of this initiative is that the Company has onboarded all 260 future leaders in a single event, which is rare, especially in the chemical- manufacturing sector in India.

“This is part of the Company’s efforts to build a talent and leadership pipeline,” says Sharma.

As per Sharma, it took Aarti Industries almost five months to complete the whole sourcing, talent acquisition and onboarding process. All the 260 people— quite a large number by chemical industry standards— have been onboarded in a single shot, through a combined three-day event at the Company.

A combined onboarding process was decided on to ensure that every newly-hired trainee is on the same page.

“We could have chosen to do the onboarding in a segregated manner. However, as a culture, we wanted to make all new recruits understand the ‘One voice, One Team Spirit’ philosophy, right from the very start,” eplains Sharma.

In the three-day onboarding process, all leaders — from the CEO, CFO, business- development leader, to the manufacturing leader and projects leader— will be conversing with the recruits and telling them about all the upcoming opportunities in the Company.

Furthermore, the new hires will get an idea of how they will be trained, coached and mentored in the next one and a half years of their career at Aarti.

“This way, when these new recruits reach the manufacturing sites or the corporate offices, they will already be well aware of how to approach things at work,” enunciates Sharma.

All the new recruits will go through a year’s training in different areas, including functional training, cross-functional training and live assignments. This phase is termed as ‘Aghaas’ at Aarti.

“We are one of the few companies in our sector that do not ask for any returns from the new recruits in terms of performance. They will just be focussed on training. Only after one and a half years will they be expected to deliver. Till then, they only need to hang on and learn at Aarti”

Manoj Kumar Sharma, CHRO, Aarti Industries

“The one-year training will strengthen their problem-solving skills, operational functionality and all the compliance and safety skills,” asserts Sharma.

After a year, these future leaders will be trained on real-time projects and real projects for a period of six months. Post this, they will be deployed in different areas or roles such as technology development, project controllers, shifting charging roles and R&D.

“We are one of the few companies in our sector that do not ask for any returns from the new recruits in terms of performance. They will just be focussed on training. Only after one and a half years will they be expected to deliver. Till then, they only need to hang on and learn at Aarti,” explains Sharma.

Of these 260 students, 85 per cent will go into technical roles based out of the manufacturing plants and the R&D centres. The remaining 15 per cent will go into business-enabling roles.

All these students are campus hires recruited from across the country, including Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and Manipur. “It is very heartening to see people from the North-East, Jammu and other parts of the country,” admits Sharma.

Initially, about 300 candidates were shortlisted through the application process. Then, all of them went through the technical round, HR round, psychometric tests and finally, personal interviews.

As the Company is building a talent pipeline for future leaders, a psychometric test is done to check for leadership qualities.

“We check for leadership competencies such as team leadership, resilience, courage, strategic mindset and more,” reveals Sharma.

By the end of the hiring process, only 260 out of the 300 candidates could make the cut.

“We have hired people from all IITs, IIMs, TISS and other top technical and management institutes of the country,” shares Sharma.

Aarti Industries currently employs more than 7000 people in the company. In this future leadership lot, women will account for 15 per cent of the talent and most of them will go into technical roles.

“I am very happy to see more women going into technical roles and joining the manufacturing sector, which will further strengthen our diversity goal,” says Sharma proudly.

As per Sharma, even though chemical manufacturing is a niche sector in India, it will see much larger growth in the coming years.

The post Aarti Industries’ massive onboarding programme inducts 260 at one go appeared first on HR Katha.

Catching them young

The Company has its own ways of nurturing leaders. It identifies young professionals, who are below the age of 30, and prepares and grooms them for challenging roles within the firm. “The idea is to identify high-potential talent under 30 and place them in roles that have traditionally been the bastion of employees over 40 years of age,” says Kinjal Choudhary, SVP-HR, Cadila Pharmaceuticals.

After years of grooming young talent and developing leaders in the finance and sales roles, Cadila has now started a similar talent-development plan for the HR department. In fact, as per Choudhary, the Company has already begun the process of identifying high-potential talent in the HR domain, and will soon start priming them for bigger / challenging roles in the organisation.

These roles are ‘challenging’ because they are fairly difficult to manage and are highly critical at the same time, for instance, the plant HR roles in case of Cadila.

Managing HR operations for the plant is rather challenging, involving management of workers at the shop floor. Since the HR operations at the plants directly impact the production of the Company, these roles are highly critical too.

Managing HR for frontline sales teams in a pharmaceutical company is yet another challenging role admits Choudhary, as more often these frontline sales teams are unionised.

Equal opportunities

There is also a conscious effort by Cadila to give equal opportunities to everyone including women in challenging assignments.

Himanshi Jain is one of the first to be selected through this programme. She has been identified as a high-potential talent and has been given the role of HR manager for the largest formulations manufacturing sites of the Company with close to 2,000 employees.

At 29, she is the first in more ways than one. Not only is Jain the first woman HR manager of this manufacturing facility in its almost 25-year old history, but she is also the youngest HR manager of this manufacturing unit by a mile.

“The idea is to identify high-potential talent under 30 and place them in roles that have traditionally been the bastion of employees over 40 years of age”

Kinjal Choudhary, SVP-HR, Cadila Pharmaceuticals

In her current role, Jain is required to manage industrial relations (IR), talent and contract labour, and also handle trade unions, ensure statutory compliances, optimise employee costs, look into succession planning and develop talent for a manufacturing site with about 2,000 employees. “This is a challenge I had always dreamt of taking on, but never expected to get an opportunity to do so this early in my career. The on-the-job learning for me is immense and I am sure it is preparing me very well for more senior roles later on in life,” admits Jain, sharing her experience with HRKatha.

Jain joined Cadila in early 2019 and Choudhary shares that in the last three years, she has demonstrated immense potential in the talent-acquisition function, managing the Cadila Young Leaders Programme, the management-trainee programme of the Company. She has also played a significant role in attracting senior talent across functions, without the support of traditional search partners.

Qualities sought

Cadila is in the process of identifying more young high-potential leaders such as Jain in the HR function, who can take up challenging roles and emerge as future leaders.

“Cadila is looking to take this initiative to more individuals who demonstrate the right competencies and show potential for leadership positions,” reveals Choudhary.

As shared by Choudhary, some of the competencies that are sought in such high-potential talent under 30 include, eagerness and bias for action; High result orientation; ability to take others along; ability to articulate one’s point of view convincingly; perseverance and steadfastness in the face of hurdles and the ability to maintain pose and equanimity under pressure.

“These qualities make a difference as one takes on senior roles, and hence, the endeavour to identify young talent who show these qualities early on in their careers,” explains Choudhary.

Training and assessment

The high-potential candidates chosen for this programme are assessed basis on-the job training. The Company evaluates the talent on what and how they achieve consistently, on the job.

The young talent identified for grooming are slowly exposed to the actual jobs and responsibilities of the roles they are chosen for, and the functional leaders continuously coach and mentor them in preparation for the same.

“As and when we feel the person is ready to take up the role, the transition into the same is completed,” reveals Choudhary.

Since Cadila is now trying to build a strong leadership pipeline in the HR function, it hopes that this initiative will create some great HR leaders for the Company.

In addition to building a leadership pipeline, this initiative also allows Cadila to engage with young potential talent and draw innovative ideas from them.

The post Cadila puts under-30 HR executives in challenging roles for leadership development appeared first on HR Katha.

The rising uncertainty in the sector caused even students of hotel management to begin considering alternative professions or rework on their career preferences. This has led to a talent crunch in the hospitality industry as a whole.

This is not the only reason that has contributed to the scarcity of good talent in the industry. “We are also seeing a lot of talent migrating to offshore locations such as the Middle East, where the market has opened up, attracting a lot of talent from India at great packages,” says Gautam Srivastava, VP-HR, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, speaking exclusively to HRKatha.

To attract the best talent in the industry, The Leela launched ‘Leela Leadership Development Programme’ (LLDP), in collaboration with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH).

The objective is to create a leadership talent pipeline for The Leela chain of hotels, while also giving an opportunity to young and budding hotel-management professionals to find a new purpose in their careers.

“When we thought of conceptualising LLDP, we wanted to come up with something which is relevant for today’s time and far different from all other development programmes which we have seen in the past”

Anuraag Bhatnagar, COO, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

“When every other company in the industry was laying off people and cutting their pays, we have seen growth. In fact, we have recently added three new properties in India and created more than 1000 jobs,” shares Srivastava proudly.

The LLDP programme was announced in the month of February 2022, and now, after three months of rigorous assessment and interviews, The Leela has shortlisted 25 candidates to be part of this 15-month long programme. These candidates / trainees are being given hands-on practical training in three levels — general management, housekeeping management and sales management.

“When we thought of conceptualising LLDP, we wanted to come up with something which is relevant for today’s time and far different from all other development programmes which we have seen in the past. In the last three decades, the hospitality industry has changed so we wanted to come up with something which is future oriented,” says Anuraag Bhatnagar, COO, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts at the launch event of the LLDP programme at The Leela.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process was spread over three months, with the LLDP programme receiving more than 450 applications. The applicants were put through six rounds of interviews and assessments.

At first, they were asked to send a small video clip basis which their personality and communication skills could be assessed.

Interestingly, this batch of LLDP participants does not comprise freshers. The Company chose to recruit people who had at least one year’s experience coupled with a degree in hotel management.

“We wanted people who really had the passion to make a career in the hospitality industry,” shares Srivastava. The programme was open for internal employees and external talent in the industry as well.

After few rounds of virtual interviews, the recruiters met the applicants face-to- face. The candidates also went through a psychological assessment, which gave additional data points to the recruiters on the applicants’ soft skills.

“We had defined some leadership competencies for the people such as high levels of confidence, emotional intelligence, resilience, perseverance and integrity, along with great communication and languages skills,” mentions Srivastava.

Unique approach

After thorough assessment and tests, The Leela identified 25 participants to be trained under the LLDP programme, with an unusual approach.

“Rather than rejecting people, we looked for reasons to hire them as part of LLDP,” points out Srivastava. This very intent of The Leela brand is reflective of the fact that this programme was not all about the selected people alone.

Each candidate gained something out of this recruitment drive. The Leela made 70 offers to people who were rejected in the process. “We had vacancies at the three newly-added properties. Therefore, we offered jobs to the ones who were rejected in the process but were fit for the given roles,” mentions Srivastava.

“This is not just a programme for development. It is a career path-building exercise for all participants. We guarantee that in the next 10 years, they will be senior hospitality leaders”

Gautam Srivastava, VP-HR, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Moreover, The Leela also took various workshops to train its recruiters for the hiring process on removing certain unconscious biases through workshops.

What is going to happen next to the selected participants? As per Srivastava, the LLDP is designed with much focus on practical and hands-on training.

For the first seven months, participants will work at one of the properties of The Leela in India and for the next seven months, they will be trained at a different location. “These new recruits will be trained in all functions such as sales, finance, HR and many more,” shares Srivastava.

On Mondays and Saturdays, the participants will also attend theory classes.

Focus on diversity

The Leela consciously wanted to create a diverse batch for this programme, and therefore, 50 per cent of the participants are women and the rest are men. Also, half of the people part of this programme were selected internally, while the rest were selected from outside.

Future hospitality leaders at The Leela

As mentioned earlier, these participants are going to be the future leaders of The Leela brand. After graduating, they will be deployed as assistant managers, and the Company proudly claims that this first batch of the LLDP programme will go on to be the future CEOs of their respective hotels. “This is not just a programme for development. It is a career path-building exercise for all participants. We guarantee that in the next 10 years, they will be senior hospitality leaders,” asserts Srivastava.

Srivastava further reveals that the recent turmoil caused by the pandemic, has caused the attrition levels in the hospitality industry to stand anywhere between 40 to 50 per cent.

The LLDP will not only act as a great pipeline for building future leaders but also be an exclusive opportunity to attract great talent. It can bring the industry to life and draw more youngsters.

“Talent development coupled with competitive salaries will attract the best talent in the industry,’ says a confident Srivastava.

This will be the first LLDP batch at The Leela, and the Company will keep tweaking and making changes to this programme as and when required.

The post The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts kickstarts leadership development programme appeared first on HR Katha.

Raymond has two marquee leadership-development programmes in the Company. One is the ‘Emerging Leaders Programme’ (ELP) and the other is called the ‘Raymond Leadership Academy Programme’ (RLA).

These programmes started almost six years back at Raymond. In the last two years as well, when most companies were focusing on the safety and wellbeing of their employees, Adhir Mane, CHRO, Raymond Corporate, shares that Raymond never lost its focus on developing leaders at the firm.

Developing leaders in all domains

Both RLA and ELP programmes are meant to develop leaders all across the organisation. The organisation has employees working in its corporate offices, as well as its garment-manufacturing facilities. “Many leaders and future leaders have emerged from our manufacturing unit in their respective domains,” reveals Mane.

Therefore, RLA and EPL are both designed to develop future leaders from all management domains such as sales, marketing, HR and so on.

While RLA is meant for junior experienced employees with at least two years of experience, the EPL is for the senior-level managers in the middle management of the company.

Both RLA and EPL programmes are fairly long, where the participants spend two years while also working in their original roles. To be a part of this programme, the participants are first assessed on their performance in the company and secondly, psychometric assessments are conducted.

“Our marquee leadership development programmes help us to identify the best talent within the organisation and then develop them into brilliant future leaders’

Adhir Mane, CHRO, Raymond Corporate

Mane shares that currently, 150 people are undergoing the RLA programme and about 35 people are part of the ELP at Raymond.

Under these programmes, Raymond has tied up with global universities such as University of Cambridge. The focus of this programme is based on three areas of leadership — leadership of self, teams and the organisations.

The modules for the programmes are designed and co-created by the HR at Raymond as well as the learning & development (L&D) team in collaboration with the faculty of these global universities.

Extensively designed on a classroom-based learning methodology, the classes for EPL and RLA took place virtually during COVID-19.

After undergoing these programmes, all participants of the EPL programme are promoted and deployed into key and critical leadership positions in the Company. On the other hand, those part of the RLA programme move up the ladder into senior mid-level roles.

“Both these programmes at Raymond help identify the best talent within the organisation and then develop them into brilliant future leaders,’ shares Mane.

Raymond’s EPL and RLA are both great examples of how the Company truly believes in developing leaders internally, but as per Mane, the Company follows a mix of building leaders and buying leaders from outside.

When it comes to some skills such as data analytics, talent is not available internally at Raymond. In such cases, the Company prefers buying talent from outside. “For niche roles and skills, we hire leaders from outside,” asserts Mane.

Upskilling at the stores

As a fashion retail brand, the Company has more than 1500 stores in 600 towns across India. There is a huge workforce working at these stores of Raymond Lifestyle. To continuously skill people at the stores, Raymond came up with the ‘One button connect’ initiative, where all learning was just one click away for the employees.

An online learning was designed for the employees at the store, so that they can learn by watching small byte-sized videos sitting at home. “During the lockdown, this initiative was the key to keeping our employees engaged at a time when most of the stores were closed,” says Mane.

“Being a large workforce scattered all around the country, it is difficult for everyone to gather at one place. The one-button initiative has been a success within this workforce,” admits Mane.

Currently, the adoption rate of the ‘one-button programme’ stands at a healthy 75-80 per cent in the organisation.

The post How Raymond is developing future leaders appeared first on HR Katha.

This 15-month programme is designed to identify and groom the best talent in the industry and nurture luxury leaders of tomorrow. The programme is created in partnership with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) and in alliance with Les Roches.

A tailored management training programme, LLDP will integrate a combination of classroom and on-the-job training with blended learning modules on global hospitality competencies.

Leela aims to facilitate functional training including knowledge, skills and behavioural aspects through a combination of classroom and on-the-job training with blended learning modules on global hospitality competencies. It will be conducted through boot camps and online classes, including capstone projects, assessments and extensive training at the iconic Leela properties. The programme will also include immersive knowledge sessions at ISH’s campus in Gurugram and will offer an applied learning format through various expert sessions and workshops delivered by their faculty.

Speaking on the launch of the Leela Leadership Development Programme, Anuraag Bhatnagar, chief operating officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts says, “Our Leela Leadership Development Programme is targeted at finding talent that has the potential to become future leaders of luxury hospitality, and we are committed towards strengthening and developing these talents to take on leadership roles. We are extremely delighted to partner with a renowned institution such as The Indian School of Hospitality in alliance with Les Roches to help us in this endeavour.”

Available for both internal and external candidates, this programme requires applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and one year of working experience with a luxury hotel. The programme will develop the finest hospitality talent with a passion for hospitality, and transform and fast track their growth into managers and future general managers within The Leela.

The programme is inviting applications for three levels, general management trainee, housekeeping management trainee and sales management trainee.

Interested candidates may apply at lldp@theleela.com with the relevant subject line as follows:

Internal Candidates: Application for LLDP/ Full name of your hotel

External Candidates: Applications for LLDP/State of Residence

The candidates are also requested to share their updated CV with two pictures (one passport size and one full length picture) along with a 30-second video describing what makes them unique by sending that as a link or an attachment of under 25mb size.

The post Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts launches leadership development programme appeared first on HR Katha.

“I believe in a 2+2+2, that is, any CEO must have experience in two functions, in two businesses, and in at least two different regions/countries in order to be fully capable of handling the responsibilities that come with the position.”

P Dwarakanath, former chairman, GSK Consumer Healthcare

However, the duties of CEOs depend a lot on the kind of organisation they work in, and therefore, can appear to be rather nebulous for people on the outside. They are entrusted with the task of overseeing the smooth running of all aspects of the business —from the financial to the technological and even the marketing. Therefore, CEOs usually communicate with the c-suite executives such as COO, CFO and CMO to get the work done.

Being such an important part of their organisations, are the CEOs expected to be well versed with every function they deal with at work? Do they have to possess thorough understanding of finance, marketing, technology and so on to be able to do their jobs well? Are they at a disadvantage if they aren’t acquainted with certain aspects of business?

“It depends on the kind of business model, domain expertise, and technology they’re dealing with. For instance, companies that are largely consumer based will require their CEOs to have thorough knowledge of marketing, points out David.”

Emmanuel David, former director of TMTC

P Dwarakanath, former chairman, GSK Consumer Healthcare, says, ‘Ideally, the person should have experience in two functions.”

He elaborates by describing his own policy, 2+2+2, that is, any CEO must have experience in two functions, in two businesses, and in at least two different regions/countries in order to be fully capable of handling the responsibilities that come with the position.

A lot also depends upon how a person communicates with diverse people, and understands the gravity of challenges presented with, explains Dwarakanath.

“For CEOs to effectively do their job, they have to possess an understanding of the key performance indicator (KPI) strategy-management system, leveraging the entire eco-system as a resource, and making everyone follow this process.CEOs should also have full control over the value chain activities that an industry needs to perform in order to create the final product for its customers,”

Pankaj Lochan, CHRO, Jindal Steel and Power

If CEOs are able to essay the leadership role with confidence, and are open to learning new things while also using their experience to achieve the work, then they will be successful at their job.

Pankaj Lochan, CHRO, Jindal Steel and Power says that, “for a CEO to have all round experience across all functions is neither necessary nor sufficient.”

A CEO has different functions, and it is important that he/she gives importance to formulating a long-term plan for the business, and drive people to follow the plan and achieve the desired results.

“CEOs should have business acumen and the ability to understand their job perfectly, because if they are unable to perform due to their lack of knowledge, they’re immediately marked out as not being able to contribute.”

Debjani Roy, CHRO, Mind your Fleet

Is HR experience important for a CEO?

“Not at all,” Lochan says, stressing that the skill to understand people and their needs doesn’t need to be learnt in any specific department, but comes alive through daily interactions with the employees.

“In an organisation, knowledge needs to cut across all functions,” states Debjani Roy, CHRO, Mind your Fleet.

She recalls her own experience as a CHRO at SRL Diagnostics, where she had to sit with the board members at the meetings for all kinds of business decisions, and had to perform different kinds of functions as well. Roy believes that CEOs should have business acumen and the ability to understand their job perfectly, because if they are unable to perform due to their lack of knowledge, they’re immediately marked out as not being able to contribute.

Emmanuel David, former director of TMTC, says that the expertise of CEOs “depends on the kind of business model, domain expertise, and technology they’re dealing with.”

For instance, companies that are largely consumer based will require their CEOs to have thorough knowledge of marketing, points out David.

Clearly, CEOs should have in depth knowledge of their area of work, without which they are likely to flounder.

“Expertise can be bought, but relationships have to be built,” David rightly states, stressing that while technical skills can be learned with the right kind of education, it is important that CEOs also create connections through good communication, which will stand them in good stead in an hour of need.

At the end of the day, the fact remains that CEOs are also human beings. They need to be aware of whatever is going on around them in the organisation, for their own good. It is essential for them to be in possession of the primary skills required to understand different functions. Valuable insights and knowledge can be gained by interacting with various officials from diverse domains and learning from these exchanges on a daily basis.

The post Does a CEO need to be a smart aleck? appeared first on HR Katha.

International-level talent development

Bansal reveals that Piaggio has an international or global-level talent development programme called Piaggio Way, where every region nominates the best of talent who undergo a four-year rigorous programme, which gives them global exposure. The curriculum is designed at a global level, aligned to the business strategy of the Company. Offering a mix of classroom sessions and hands-on real-time projects, the most exciting part of Piaggio Way is that its participants get to meet the global population of the Company. “The larger objective of the programme is to give participants global exposure. They get to interact with other participants from around the world,” tells Bansal.

Only the best performers of the Company, from each region, are selected for the programme. Employees who have spent at least three years in the Company are eligible. They are evaluated on the performance and consistency over their tenure at the Company. With the help of the robust performance-management system that Piaggio has in place, the best talent is identified and nominated for the initiative. Feedback from the immediate managers is taken into account, and the behavioural competency of the candidates is also checked through psychometric tests.

Under this programme, the skills that every participant should possess are decided on the basis of three levels — organisational, functional and individual. The participants become part of various cross-functional teams and spend time at various action learning programmes, where they can apply their newly-acquired skills.

“At Piaggio, we strive to identify great talent at a very early stage and develop them to be future leaders”

Pooja Bansal, head-HR, Piaggio India

The participants selected under the Piaggio Way programme are sent to the global training- assessment centre, where they are trained for four years. This is very specifically aligned to the business strategy of the Company. “The career paths are very clearly defined for all the participants,” reveals Bansal.

Those who go through this programme are promoted and given higher responsibilities. Some are even assigned special roles. Bansal shares that amongst the current executive leadership team at

Piaggio, three have been part of the Piaggio Way programme. Clearly, the international development programme is a vital to the Company, to nurture young talent and build a pipeline for future leaders. Usually, the aim of this programme is to identify the best and high-performing talent at a very young age.

Local-level talent development

The Company also has another programme called the ‘Next Mile’ initiative. The procedure and processes followed under this programme are very similar to the Piaggio Way initiative, but the only difference is, Next Mile is meant to nurture young talent at the local level.

“At Piaggio, we strive to identify great talent at a very early stage and develop them to be future leaders,” asserts Bansal.

Executive-level coaching

Piaggio has an executive-coaching programme, which is meant for all the senior leadership, including the business heads and functional heads. All leaders receive personalised training under an executive coach, which defines the learning journey of the leaders. The coaches are all certified and come with relevant experience.

Till now, the executive-coaching initiative of the Company has focussed on two areas in which its leaders are coached and trained. The first area is design thinking, where workshops are held for 21 days and till now, 37 leaders have participated. At Piaggio, middle managers are also part of the executive coaching programme, though the curriculum and the focus for the middle-management level is very different. “It coaches the middle management on how to progress and move on to the next level in their career,” says Bansal.

The second focus area of the leadership-development strategy is social competency. The services that Piaggio offers involve dialogues with the Government. It requires leaders to communicate with high-ranking government officials, and coaching helps hone their communication skills.

Measuring impact

Piaggio employs various mechanisms to measure the impact of the learning initiatives. One of them is the net promoter score (NPS) model, which is actually used to get the satisfactory score of a customer. In this, all participants are asked to rate how likely they would be to recommend others to go through the learning journey.

The ones who give a rating of six or below on a scale of 10, are known as ‘detractors’, while the ones who give a rating between nine to 10 are the ‘promoters’. The difference between the percentage of promoters and detractors is the NPS score of the learning initiative.

Bansal tells HRKatha that after every learning activity, the learning team and the HRBP managers start taking feedback from the participants, their immediate managers and peers. “In fact, it is mandatory for all managers to give a feedback on how the person is using the newly-acquired skills on the job,” says Bansal.

Moreover, every talent development programme involves an action-learning project where the immediate managers, HRPBs and the L&D team evaluate the participants on how much of new learning they have been able to retain and apply to the project.

The post What’s in Piaggio’s robust leadership development programme? appeared first on HR Katha.

To accomplish this change, the Company came up with its leadership-development competency model known as Aspire-Motivate-Perform or AMP.

Now, the Company is training its leaders on various sets of new behavioural skills of resilience, innovation and inclusion.

For every set of leaders in the Company, from a first-time manager to the MD, high-intensity programmes were developed to prepare for the future.

For the first-time managers

As Tewari shares with HRKatha, all first-time managers and high-performing individual contributors go through this programme, for which the Company has tied up with XLRI. Almost every year, about 100 new leaders are created at Tata Power within the batches that undergo the emerging leaders programme. “These are usually people with six to 10 years of experience in the Company,” shares Tewari.

For mid-level managers

‘Achieving your potential leadership (AYPL)’ is a six-month learning journey for mid-level managers and leaders. This programme has been created in partnership with SP Jain University. Every year, leaders are trained under this programme in batches of 50.

For top leadership teams

Tata Power has tied up with IIM-Ahmedabad, where all top leaders attend classes, including the MD of the Company.

“Some of the greatest strategic ideas have germinated from action-learning projects at Tata Power”

Himal Tewari, CHRO, Tata Power

All these programmes have been designed under the AMP framework at Tata Power, to help the Company transition to Tata Power 2.0. Comprising mainly classroom-based learning, the pandemic and lockdown have made the training go completely virtual. As per Tewari, these programmes are not just fun-to-have activities, but also include action-learning projects undertaken by participants. “Some of the greatest strategic ideas have germinated from action-learning projects at Tata Power. These programmes are not just about attending classes for fun, but are high-intensity leadership development interventions at the Company,” enunciates Tewari.

For mid-level and first-time managers, action learning projects are mentored by the senior leadership team, whereas for top leaders, they are mentored by the professors.

Tewari further throws light on the kind of future leaders being developed at Tata Power. As part of the AMP leadership-competency framework, there are six such skills or attributes, which all leaders across levels must have. They must be powerful and nimble; possess the ability to energise customers; be able to deliver desired results; should fuel excellence; and be powered by purpose; and be great learners. In addition, the senior leaders of the Company are expected to have business acumen, be partners for success and be capable of powering people.

The Company has introduced horizontal learning academies, which are run to give domain expertise knowledge in four different areas, to support the Tata Power 2.0 transformation.

Tata Power identified four different areas — digital analysis, sales, customer service and project management — where new skills need to be inculcated to transition from a B2G to a B2C and B2B model of business.

Under these four areas, the Company has collaborated with various learning partners to run certification programmes at four different levels — foundational, beginner, expert and champion.

As per Tewari, almost 400 to 2000 employees are benefitting from these horizontal learning academies and this learning framework is facilitating the Company’s transformation.

“All these programmes are co-created, based on the feedback from employees, and are designed by Tata Power. We believe in building our own set of competencies rather than taking help from external vendors or partners,” asserts Tewari.

The post How Tata Power fosters transformation through the AMP leadership development model appeared first on HR Katha.

Sailesh Menezes, senior director & head of human resources, India, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, believes that good individual performance may not necessarily translate into good leadership.

“I have seen great individual performers struggling to get their teams in line with what they want to achieve. I think the mistake that the industry often makes is of assuming that a great individual performer automatically becomes a great leader”

Sailesh Menezes, CHRO, HPE India

“Leadership is about ensuring collective victory, as a unified team. Individual performance, on the other hand, involves focus on ensuring one’s personal output isn’t compromised. As a team leader, one has to inspire the entire team to perform and give their best. Great individual performers who are unable to inspire performance in their teams cannot make good leaders,” points out Menezes.

“A team is only as strong or as weak as its weakest link. Good leader tend to bring up the performance of their teams along with their own,” he adds.

Menezes also believes that talent pushed too soon towards a leadership position ultimately ends up creating more issues for them rather than giving them an opportunity to grow.

“I have seen great individual performers struggling to get their teams in line with what they want to achieve. I think the mistake that the industry often makes is of assuming that a great individual performer automatically becomes a great leader. This also ends the careers of many individual performers, because they are promoted to a leadership role before they are even ready for it,” he explains.

“Categorisation for senior leadership should be on the basis of how those people were a success in the first place. Were they able to achieve in a personal capacity only or did they involve all the stakeholders to make it a ‘team’ success?”

Viekas K Khoka, head – human resources, Dhanuka Agritech

Viekas K Khoka, head – human resources, Dhanuka Agritech, believes proper analysis is required before promoting a performer to a leadership role. “Categorisation for senior leadership should be on the basis of how those people were a success in the first place. Were they able to achieve in a personal capacity only or did they involve all the stakeholders to make it a ‘team’ success? I think those are the questions that need to be answered before deciding to promote someone to a leadership role.”

Khoka also shares that the ability of a true leader lies in pulling the team members towards the vision or targets, rather than pushing them. This quality often doesn’t come easily to those who are more accustomed to focusing solely on their own performance.

“Rather than looking at the number of people reporting to them or working under them, leaders must try to influence more people around them to work together as a team. It is not about how many people they are able to push towards the target, but how many team members they are able to positively influence, and hence, pull towards the target. That’s what makes great leaders,” explains Khoka.

“It is essential to train individual performers before promoting them to leadership positions, to make them good leaders”

Deepti Mehta, assistant vice president-HR, Luminous Power Technologies

Deepti Mehta, assistant vice president-HR, Luminous Power Technologies, believes that even though individual players may not be the best fits for leadership positions, they can be skilled by the organisation to become more efficient in those positions.

Mehta personally feels that employees who work best when they are not in a team cannot make good leaders. However, proper grooming for the role can ensure that they are able to take the challenges associated with a leadership position head on. “It is essential to train individual performers before promoting them to leadership positions, to make them good leaders. This can be done by giving them an opportunity to learn under the first first-time manager training programme. Here, we try to get them to imbibe all aspects of leadership,” enunciates Mehta.

The post Do strong individual performers make better leaders? appeared first on HR Katha.

The first batch of the programme started in the beginning of this year itself.

A total of more than 30 leaders are currently taking this leadership-development programme, of which 17 are part of the senior leadership team and around 15 are first-time managers.

Each leader has been provided an individual coach, to ensure personal attention and design a learning path for each one, as per their individual needs. The coaches are all professionally trained and come with a lot of experience in the field of coaching.

“This leadership-development programme is like a gift to all our leaders. They will get an opportunity to develop themselves for the future and be better versions of themselves, which will be good not just for the Company, but also for them,” says Ankit Tomar, co-founder & CTO, Bizongo, speaking exclusively with HRKatha.

“All the co-founders at Bizongo, including me, have experienced the benefits of personalised coaching from an executive coach, and we realised that the experience was worth extending to all the leaders at Bizongo,” he adds,

Tomar has observed that in many companies, the benefits of personal coaching are only enjoyed by the senior leaders. However, he strongly believes that one should not wait for people to first prove themselves and then train them for executive leadership roles. Instead, they should be trained for leadership well in advance so that whenever these first-time leaders reach that stage, things are much easier for them. They should be trained to become visionary entrepreneurs early on in their careers.

“All the co-founders at Bizongo, including me, have experienced the benefits of personalised coaching from an executive coach, and we realised that the experience was worth extending to all the leaders at Bizongo”

Ankit Tomar, co-founder & CTO, Bizongo

The senior leadership batch will go through an eight-month long training, while the first-time managers will be trained for three to four weeks. The content and curriculum for each leader is tailor made by their personal coaches. In case of first-time managers, there are group-learning sessions first and later they get the opportunity to be trained and coached personally. This ensures personal attention to each one.

As per Tomar, this programme is not some kind of a succession-planning initiative with all the participants being promoted or given additional responsibilities. It is more about self-development, which will benefit not just the Company but the very sector and business in which Bizongo is operating.

“What makes the programme unique is that while it is meant more for employees and their career development, at the same time, the organisation also stands to gain in the form of strong leaders who are capable of taking up crucial and key roles in the future,” mentions Tomar.

With this leadership-development initiative, the Company wants to build two key leadership qualities in their leaders — first is of problem solving and second is of empathy and care.

“I believe leadership skills are universal in nature and can be applied in any sector. However, for us, the ability to empathise with team members and be problem solvers are the two critical skills which we aim to equip our leaders with in this programme,” tells Tomar.

Bizongo’s employees, like so many other professionals across the world today, are working remotely. So how are they managing to achieve the best out of this programme, considering that executive coaching works best when experienced face to face?

Tomar reveals that at the beginning of the programme, there are some chemistry-building sessions between the coach and the participant, which helps them to get to know each other and get along well with each other during the process.

Like all other people initiatives, the foundation of this programme is also the values of the Company, collectively referred to as ‘CULT’, an acronym for collaboration, upskilling, leadership and transparency.

Collaboration – The Company strives to build an ecosystem where leaders and employees collaborate with each other and follow a tech-first approach.

Upskilling – Employees skill themselves to prepare for the future and this leadership development programme is designed to facilitate that.

Leadership – The Company aims to make its leaders live and lead with an entrepreneurial mindset — taking all the tough calls, keeping in mind the success of the Company, making important decisions even in situations where there are less approvals, and owning their decisions.

Transparency – The Company believes in a complete 360-degree feedback where all leaders give a transparent review in a civilised way, and at the same time, also receive feedback from their subordinates.

Apart from this, to build a culture of learning, the Company has an LMS system installed. It has also allocated a budget for employees, who wish to upskill themselves externally or from outside, as per their choice. This gives employees the flexibility to design their own learning paths.

The leadership-development programme ensures that these leaders are visionary entrepreneurs and torch bearers of organisational values.

The post How Bizongo is democratising executive coaching appeared first on HR Katha.

The LEAP programme will be a one-year long certification programme. The design of the LEAP programme at WayCool has three dimensions to it. It includes academic knowledge, on-the-job learning and mentorship. The academic modules for the programme have been designed by the faculty at IFMR GSB, at Krea University. The academic interface of the programme will also include interaction with industry experts and hands-on experience with different departments at WayCool working on flagship projects. The mentorship programme under LEAP will directly come under the leadership team at WayCool, that has immense experience in the industry.

“We have invested in massive capacity building over the last six years. On the capability front, we have doubled our human resources strength in the last one year, to 2000. As we continue to expand our reach and operations, talent needs to grow continuously. Agri-commerce, unlike any other sector, is very complex and demands specific skill sets and capabilities. With this partnership with Krea, we aim to not just breed future leaders for WayCool alone, but, for the industry as a whole,” shares Lakshmipriya Somasundaram, head-HR, Waycool Foods.

The maiden batch for the LEAP programme started in the first week of August.

“Working closely with the practising leaders at WayCool, the highly-experienced IFMR GSB faculty members have curated a unique programme that addresses the specific needs of the emerging leaders in the agri-commerce sector. The programme will be delivered using multi-modal learning (online and on-premise) coupled with experiential learning through the application of concepts on the job, working closely with managers and mentors at WayCool,” Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, pro vice-chancellor, professional learning, Krea University.

The post WayCool kickstarts its leadership development with LEAP appeared first on HR Katha.

Typically, the first step of leadership begins when one is appointed the team leader of a small cohort. With time, one grows and goes on to manage larger teams, and then groups of teams before eventually becoming the leader of leaders. Going from a team leader to a departmental head and finally a CXO, at all these stages, the behaviours or skills required from a person are different. The expectations are never constant, but keep changing and one just needs to adapt.

Manoj Rajimwale, group CHRO, Endurance Technologies, describes the different levels of leadership roles that a person starts with. As a young fresher, one is just an individual contributor in the company.

Individual growth

Ranjith Menon, SVP-HR, Hinduja Global Solutions, explains that at the entry level, one grows as an individual, for which the right foundation is required. He shares that when he started off as a young professional he used to pen down all the tasks for the day and complete them. This is a habit he continues and finds useful even today. The first step of the leadership ladder comes when one becomes a team lead, with the responsibility to manage a group of 10-12 people. When one is an individual contributor, one is just responsible for what one does. However, when one is managing others, the responsibility to get the work done by the others is also becomes one’s own. In this role, HR leaders feel, one wears the hat of a supervisor, which makes it essential for one to be an expert at one’s domain knowledge to be able to lead others.

“When the number of team members grows, it is more difficult to micromanage. Here, indirect management has to be practised. One cannot talk to everyone or interact with each person on a one-to-one basis”

Ranjith Menon, SVP-HR, Hinduja Global Solutions

“In this first step of leadership one enjoys the liberty to make personal relationships with the team members and micromanage things. One has the time to get into every issue, which is related to one’s work and the team,” shares Menon.

Managerial skills

The leadership role that follows is that of leading the team leaders or the supervisors. This is more of a managerial role, where the requirement is not to just manage people. One has to see the geographical nuances as well, depending on the role one is into. “In this role, one is also required to understand the needs of the top management and implement the same,” says Rajimwale.

Tactical skills

When a person is further elevated to the role of a regional head or a departmental head, one ends up managing the managers from different cities and states. The bandwidth of the teams that one now handles grows bigger. In this role, it is more about having tactical skills as a leader. Here, one is trying to execute the strategies coming from the top leadership. One has to make tactical plans to be able to do that. For instance, if one is into sales and marketing, then, as the regional head, one’s top priority will revolve around that function alone. Therefore, maintaining good relations with clients or the quality assurance of the product will be one’s top priority.

“When the number of team members grows, it is more difficult to micromanage. Here, indirect management has to be practised. One cannot talk to everyone or interact with each person on a one-to-one basis,” says Menon.

“At CXO or organisational level leadership, one is required to be visionary and futuristic” 

Manoj Rajimwale, group CHRO, Endurance Technologies

Strategic skills

When one goes one step further, from regional head to business head, the requirement of skills changes again. Here, more than tactical skills, one is required to demonstrate strategic skills. “In this role, one has to move beyond a particular function. One has to think about the organisation as a whole. The regional heads will try and push for their clients, but as a leader, one has to think about the organisation. See the bottom line cost and the top-line requirements and take decisions,” asserts Rajimwale.

Vision and emotional quotient

Next on the ladder are the organisational-level responsibilities. The CXOs are required to be visionary and futuristic. “In this role, more than domain knowledge, one has to be a visionary and make plans for the next five to 10 years, and visualise the level one wants the firm to attain,” says Rajimwale.

“A good level of emotional quotient or EQ is another requirement. Many small decisions will be taken without one’s consent. One has to accept that. Things will not go exactly the way one wants them to go because one has to give liberty to people to work the way they want,” adds Menon.

Apart from this, building leaders and managers below one becomes another task. Creating a succession pipeline becomes more important than anything else. “When one starts climbing the corporate ladder, one has to nurture leaders under one, because going into the nitty gritty of each and everything is impossible when one has 25 things on the table to attend to,” shares Menon.

Another important thing is to prioritise things and accept the fact that some projects will get delayed due to many reasons, such as lack of attention.

As one ascends, the need to have domain expertise decreases, but Rajimwale still believes that in India, there are times when one has to get into the nitty gritty of things to resolve issues. Therefore, possessing domain expertise serves as the cherry on the top.

From managing oneself to managing teams of teams and becoming a leader of leaders, the skills required keep changing. Moreover, one needs to broaden one’s vision of looking at things.

The post How leadership qualities change at different levels appeared first on HR Katha.

Need for the digital-leadership programme

The digital-leaders programme consists of a large overall programme and two main tracks post a mandatory journey. The programme is meant for mid-level and senior-level leaders. It is designed to equip leaders with the latest learning in digital technology in operations such as how to use block chain in supply chain management, and artificial intelligence and its application in marketing. The participants are grouped according to their expertise in the specific field and become part of the lectures aimed to build their capabilities and expose them to the latest in digital transformation with respect to their domain. The programme will include webinars, covering various topics related to upskilling leaders in digital skills.

Design of the digital-leadership programme

The programme has been designed to offer individualised learning tracks and post-discovery conversations with learners and HOD. It is created to impart digital-leadership skills, such as digital procurement, digital transformation in financial services and so on.

Peer-to-peer learning and cross-industry learning for the participants are some of the key features of the programme. It also includes a learning and action diary for better retention of concepts.

As per the Company, 100 mid-level and senior leaders are part of this programme.

“We will soon announce some other very exciting industry-level programmes for skilling our workforce. Many more upskilling programmes for the workforce in association with NASSCOMM are in the pipeline”

Bidisha Banerjee, global group vice president – learning, culture & employer branding, Welspun Group

“Multiple webinars on ‘Scouting digital technologies’, ‘The human factor in digital transformation’, ‘Lean and digital technologies’, ‘Digital marketing strategies and new revenue models’, ‘Digital transformation in financial services’ will be taking place to enrich the knowledge base of the managers and help them be more future ready,” shares Bidisha Banerjee, global group vice president – learning, culture & employer branding, Welspun Group.

Objective of the digital-leadership programme

The initiative to launch this programme comes straight from BK Goenka, chairman, Welspun Group. The Company’s vision is to be a transformative organisation and make all employees digitally savvy. To make this vision come to life, the learning and culture team at the firm came up with the concept of Welspun Digital Play Book, which integrates all of the Company’s digital learning platforms under one large initiative.

The Welspun Digital Playbook is a futuristic set of interventions aimed at equipping the employees with future skills across the organisation. The first intervention under this umbrella is the Digital Leaders Programme. Banerjee shares with HRKatha that the Company will launch other skilling programmes for all of its employees in collaboration with NASSCOM. “We will soon announce some other very exciting industry-level programmes for skilling our workforce. Many more upskilling programmes for the workforce in association with NASSCOMM are in the pipeline,” reveals Banerjee.

The Company believes that the future belongs to technology and it wants all its employees to be equipped with the skills required to stay relevant in the times to come. “We want all our employees to be ready for the future, as the current scenario has only taught us that the future is uncertain. The people along with the organisations that are ready to accept change and work in accordance will be the ones to thrive. Hence, we came up with this programme to ensure that Welspunites are ready for whatever challenge is thrown at them,” tells Banerjee.

Impact of the digital-leadership programme

The impact of this initiative will be felt all across Welspun, as the learning of the mid-level and senior-level leaders will cascade down to their team members. Apart from that, the Company already has plans to launch various other digital-learning initiatives to equip employees at the lower levels with digital-transformation skills.

After the completion of this programme, the participants will be considered for horizontal and vertical movements. However, the larger philosophy of this digital-leaders programme is to build skills for the future. All the participants will be awarded certificates on completion of the programme. “We envisage that these leaders, going ahead, will contribute to various aspects of the business in many roles, and have an enlarged portfolio of responsibilities,” asserts Banerjee.

The post Welspun prepares to build future digital leaders appeared first on HR Katha.

The members of such groups lead activities and workshops to sensitise the workforce, including the leadership team and managers. What is not known to many is that such ERGs can also serve as great tools to build leadership skills and competencies in individuals! As a leader of such a group, one needs to have multi-disciplinary skills to collaborate with different departments to drive initiatives within the company. In fact, it can be a great tool for people who have never been exposed to leading teams in the past. Companies can check the leadership potential of individuals and further develop them into future leaders.

For instance, Oath, a Verizon media company operates 9 ERGs and it believes that these ERGs drive cultural awareness and competency across its workplace.

Leading an ERG group is a bit more complicated than leading a normal project team, because the work ERG members do is not part of their deliverables. Therefore, the long-term sustainability of the group becomes a challenge.

Leadership skills

Sudipto Pal, senior data scientist at Uber, was chairperson of one such ERG when he was part of Walmart IDC. Pal was one of the founding members of the ERG, which represented the LGBTQ community. Though no longer part of Walmart IDC, Pal was the chairperson of the ERG for two years.

“ERG can really be a great tool to assess the leadership potential in individuals, testing their skills and putting them into use for further organisational growth”

Sushil Barkur, AVP-L&D, talent management & organisational development

Talking to HRKatha, he shares that leading a 12-member ERG was a great experience for him. It helped him acquire leadership skills, such as using influence without authority, leading people out of their comfort zone and storytelling abilities, which he feels are very important skills as a leader.

“It required collaborating with different departments, so it helped me to acquire collaboration skills. Moreover, when one is leading, it is more about the people aspect. Naturally, it helps develop leadership qualities. Rather, in my case, as I already possessed the experience of leading teams in the past, this experience helped to further enhance my leadership qualities,” tells Pal.

Confidence and Prioritisation

Another example is of Steven Rybicki, who is now a tech lead at Asana, a computer software firm. In one of his blogs featured on the Company’s website, Rybicki mentions that he was just a software engineer in the Android team with no experience in leading teams when he became the co-lead of the Rainbow Team, an ERG group which was the voice of the LGBTQ community at the workplace.

Rybicki admits that it was the experience of leading an ERG group that gave him the confidence to lead teams in his future roles. He went on to successfully lead an intern programme and the android team, before eventually becoming a manager.

“ERG somewhat works as a cross-functional assignment as one is driving initiatives with people coming from various functions. Also, as a leader, one is co-ordinating with various departments”

A group organisational development head from the financial services industry

From his stint as an ERG leader, Rybicki learnt to define a mission for the team and then execute it. The second lesson he learnt was how to recruit the right kind of people. As mentioned earlier, the activities carried out by the members of such groups are not their day-to-day mandate. As an ERG leader, one has to assign exciting roles and define the purpose so as to engage the members. Third, he learnt to balance priorities. He managed to strike a balance between prioritising ERG responsibilities and his routine work.

100% on-the-job training

According to Sushil Barkur, AVP-L&D, talent management & organisational development, Alkem Laboratories, leading an ERG, gives a 100 per cent on-the-job training to a person. Other management training programmes follow the 70:20:10 model for building leadership skills in an individual, where 70 per cent is on-the-job learning. “ERG can really be a great tool to assess the leadership potential in individuals, testing their skills and putting them into use for further organisational growth,” says Barkur.

“ERG somewhat works as a cross-functional assignment as one is driving initiatives with people coming from various functions. Also, as a leader, one is co-ordinating with various departments,” shares a group organisational development head from the financial services industry.

“I believe ERGs can help people develop meta-skills, which act as catalysts to learning other skills faster. These can help build foundational leadership competencies”

Anil Santhapuri, director – L&D, CGI

Anil Santhapuri, director – L&D, CGI, shares that sometimes managers are unable to find the right opportunities or projects for their subordinates to hone their leadership skills. In such cases, they can be made part of the ERG and given a chance to lead it, to hone and practise their leadership skills.

Santhapuri shares an example from his own company, where recently some ERGs were created, with Santhapuri himself being part of one. “We have a women’s ERG, which drives initiatives to empower women. As of now, senior leaders, such as myself, are supporting the group, but slowly we will recede backstage and let the members take over and lead the group and its activities,” asserts Santhapuri.

Though all L&D and HR leaders agree that an experience in leading an ERG can have a positive impact on the succession of an individual, very few consider ERG as a leadership- development tool. In a survey, it was found that only 40 per cent of the respondents were likely to evaluate a person’s ERG leadership skills. While it does have a positive impact in succession planning, and the survey reveals that organisations are three times more likely to assess or review the effectiveness of ERGs as a leadership development vehicle, only 14 per cent of the respondents actually do so.

“Leading ERG requires collaborating with different departments, so it helped me to acquire collaboration skills. Moreover, when one is leading, it is more about the people aspect. Naturally, it helps develop leadership qualities”

Sudipto Pal, senior data scientist, Uber

Why do companies not see ERGs as a tool to develop, practise and hone early leadership competencies? Most often they take it as an extracurricular activity for employees.

“The issue can be short sightedness of organisations. I believe ERGs can help people develop meta-skills, which act as catalysts to learning other skills faster. These can help build foundational leadership competencies. However, I think companies will start realising the importance of ERGs as a strong leadership development tool in the coming years,” opines Santhapuri.

“Ever since the pandemic struck, many ERGs were created in the form of task forces. In another two to three years, the relevance of ERGs will increase amongst Indian businesses,” asserts Barkur.

The post How ERGs serve as a testing ground for potential leaders appeared first on HR Katha.

With so much of variation from one region to another, one state to another, there are bound to be differences of opinion in political, religious, moral and cultural matters.

These differences are significant in the corporate world too. Managers learn to deal with a diverse set of consumers and workforce. This makes them a right fit for global roles where a major prerequisite is the ability to manage a diversity in both consumers and employees, and that ranges from nationalities to continents and cultures. This requires special skills, abilities and acumen, which can be learnt and developed in India market.

Ajay Banga, executive chairman, Mastercard; Rakesh Kapoor, former CEO, Reckitt Benckiser and Leena Nair, CHRO, Unilever, are some of the corporate leaders who have used their experience working in Indian markets to grow into successful global leaders in their respective domains.

“Working in different cultural contexts in a multi-cultural sub-continent like India is a great plus. One does understand the nuances of various pluralities. The need to flex, align, empathise and understand is well learnt working in different parts of India. And yet, by itself it is not a guarantee to succeeding in a global context.”

Prabir Jha, HR leader & CEO & founder, Prabir Jha People Advisory

Another important name in this list is that of Raja Rajamannar, CMO, Mastercard, who started his corporate journey in India and made it to the global stage, to be recognised as a transformational leader. Not surprisingly, a study by HBR reveals that almost 30 per cent of CEOs of global MNCs are Indians.

Indian CXOs have an upper hand

Surely, Indian CXOs with experience engaging with diverse groups will have an advantage over others when it comes to getting picked for global role. The maximum advantage is enjoyed by CXOs who have had the opportunity to work in different geographies within India.

These leaders have had the chance to explore and penetrate new markets and engage with assorted groups of people, internally and externally. This kind of exposure helps them understand the nuances of different Indian markets and cultures.

“India provides the opportunity to develop talent with multi-cultural sensitivity, understanding finer nuances of cultural differences coupled with diverse business environments & customer preferences, in different geographies”

Gajendra Chandel, former CHRO, and business growth mentor

“India provides the opportunity to develop talent with multi-cultural sensitivity, understanding finer nuances of cultural differences coupled with diverse business environments & customer preferences, in different geographies,” says Gajendra Chandel, former CHRO, Tata Motors, and business growth mentor. Chandel himself has worked in multiple locations within the country and experienced working in European markets.

Senior HR leader and CEO & founder, Prabir Jha People Advisory, Prabir Jha, opines, “Working in different cultural contexts in a multi-cultural sub-continent like India is a great plus. One does understand the nuances of various pluralities. The need to flex, align, empathise and understand is well learnt working in different parts of India. And yet, by itself it is not a guarantee to succeeding in a global context.”

“The industries which are thriving in India such as the IT services or some manufacturing firms such as  the automobile industry make products for global consumers as well. So people working in such companies who have global presence anyway do have some exposure in engaging with foreign markets.”

Shashikanth KS, COO, Chai Point

“Indeed there are some who will leverage this experience and have the savinness of working in various global contexts. But many still have a deep grounding in the realities of ‘Indianness’ of work habits and related cultural archetypes, that is not necessarily helping to offer enough exposure to cultural variety,” he explains

A similar opinion is voiced by Shashikanth KS, COO, Chai Point “I feel Indian CXOs are poised to go into global roles because first they are exposed to multi-culture and diverse set of people within India, second they have a high learning agility and the curiosity to meet new people which help them to understand different markets and consumer behaviours and third, they have high resilience. They have this attitude to not give up easily even in tough conditions,” shares Shashikanth.

Geographical presence

The knowledge gained also depends on how much presence a company has in India. Only if the company is widely spread across the Indian states, will a business leader get the opportunity to work in different regions.

“For Indian CXOs, it also depends on how much exposure they get in their organisations in addition to the extent of geographical presence their company has,” shares Karan Sandhu, former chief learning officer, Jindal Steel & Power, and consulting mentor for German and European startups.

In fact, Sandhu shares that many of his friends working in global roles in the UAE and European markets, “use diverse cultures as enablers, enjoy them and seek opportunities in this cultural diversity. They are experienced in engaging with a diverse workforce and getting work done.”

“For Indian CXOs, it also depends on how much exposure they get in their organisations in addition to the extent of geographical presence their company has.”

Karan Sandhu, former CLO, consulting mentor for German and European startups

Working with global clients 

CXOs in India are able to make the most of the opportunity to not only work in different geographies but also be exposed to working with foreign clients, even while being based out of India. That way, they are more than familiar with handling overseas customers.

Concurs!, Shashikanth,“The industries which are thriving in India such as the IT services or some manufacturing firms such as  the automobile industry make products for global consumers as well. So people working in such companies who have global presence anyway do have some exposure in engaging with foreign markets.”

“I have myself worked in multiple roles such as finance, marketing and HR, similarly, working with diverse set of people in India gives an exposure to diversity which helps in succeeding at global roles because one experience builds on the other,” he adds.

“Yes, in terms of working in different markets, Indian CXOs do have the ability to work in diverse cultures and find success in business elements, but does this really help them in embracing diversity?”

Rattan Chugh, former CHRO and HR consultant

Adaptability

Rattan Chugh, former CHRO and HR consultant, feels that in India, business leaders who have travelled and experienced working in various geographical areas do have greater adaptability and market penetration abilities. Whether these experiences help them embrace diversity at large is something that still needs to established. “Yes, in terms of working in different markets, Indian CXOs do have the ability to work in diverse cultures and find success in business elements, but does this really help them in embracing diversity?” asks Chugh.

He feels, in India for one, there are very few business leaders or CXOs who possess the experience of working in the different regions of the country, because it is mostly only the MNCs that follow the practice of training managers at different locations. Second, he believes that in Indian companies, the practice of training managers in different geographical areas has very little to do with exposing them to cultural differences and more to do with expansion purposes. “Indian companies do not really believe in investing much on embracing cultural diversity. In India, it is more about gender diversity and we are at a very nascent stage there,” points out Chugh.

Handling complexity and ambiguity

In addition to being exposed to a variety of cultures, CXOs in India are also comfortable working with complex situations and ambiguity. There are very few governing norms for what is the correct behaviour in business and in public at large. Our society is quite disorganised and we are comfortable making decisions without precision or clarity. We are used to operating in an indisciplined structure even in the corporate world, as compared to Japan, China or Europe. This also makes it easy for Indian CXOs to adapt to foreign markets easily.

The post What makes Indian CXOs a great fit for global roles? appeared first on HR Katha.

“Organisations should look for such talent and get them into the limelight. However, many a time, organisational politics and dynamics prevent such people from getting their due appreciation”

Sriharsha Achar, Jt ED & CHRO, Star Health & Allied Insurance

Not just a title, but a trait

Ganesh Chandan, CHRO, Tata Projects, asserts that leadership is an attribute. It is more of a trait, a competency, and has very little to do with the title. Those with leadership attributes demonstrate high levels of ownership and accountability, deliver consistent results and need very little supervision. “In the absence of a title, they tend to rely more on their influencing and collaboration skills to achieve their goals. To such talent, a leadership title is only an enabler and recognition of their talent,” he explains.

Chandan further adds that those who believe that title is essential for demonstrating leadership are unlikely to succeed because they tend to excessively use authority and hierarchy to drive results, and quite often, they don’t work in the long term,. “Organisations should explore developing leaders based on their potential and traits without assigning specific titles. Give them leadership roles, not titles,” Chandran elaborates.

“’Leaders without title’ should be promoted by assigning them new roles and responsibilities. Their performance should be linked with incentives, both monetary and in kind”

Irfan Shaikh, head – HR, GITS Food

Sriharsha Achar, Jt ED & CHRO, Star Health & Allied Insurance, echoes the same sentiment. He believes leadership is all about inspiring and having a positive influence. Therefore, title or no title, one should strive to do the right things.

“Organisations should look for such talent and get them into the limelight. However, many a time, organisational politics and dynamics prevent such people from getting their due appreciation. The ‘Unsung Heroes’ award is one way of recognition. Identify such talent and offer them opportunities. Training will definitely help hone their skills,”Achar suggests.

“In the absence of a title, they tend to rely more on their influencing and collaboration skills to achieve their goals. To such talent, a leadership title is only an enabler and recognition of their talent”

Ganesh Chandan, CHRO, Tata Projects

Titles do matter

It cannot be denied that designations or titles do come with their advantages. Perks aside, it is seen as an official seal of authority, which is unquestionable. At times, people in the team who are good at leading their members often find their decisions being doubted because they don’t have the title. It also brings accountability, as pointed out by Irfan Shaikh, head – HR, GITS Food.

Shaikh adds that title enables clarity of direction, authority, right pay scale, decision-making power, and so on. “A title personally helps an individual to grow to the next level, and that is why, in a company, levels and grades are defined by the HR. It motivates a person to take the leap to the next level or title,” adds Shaikh.

Every organisation has ‘unsung heroes’ but throughout their career journey they remain where they are. Not many such leaders are identified and pulled up to the next level. They should be rewarded by providing them the right amount of leadership training so that they become future / global leaders/managers. “They should be promoted by assigning them new roles and responsibilities. Their performance should be linked with incentives, both monetary and in kind,” Shaikh suggests.

Appreciate and reward

If employees feel sidestepped for not possessing a title, despite a proven record of being a leader, should they demand it or just exit? Shaikh is of the opinion that they should talk about it before it is too late. “After a point, they are considered as redundant. If the current organisation doesn’t recognise their capabilities and efforts then they should not allow themselves to be exploited. They should look out for opportunities to add value elsewhere,” Shaikh advises.

Achar also thinks such employees will leave if the decision making is slow. Therefore, someone will need to push such cases for closure.

Titles are important, because, strangely, people tend to bow down to titles rather than the people who hold them. There will always be leaders doing a great job of leadership, without the titles, and HR professionals believe they need to be rewarded justly for the same.

The post At times, leaders do need a title appeared first on HR Katha.

Alka Mittal, director – HR, ONGC Academy, called upon the participants to unleash their energy and act as “torch bearers” of ONGC as they start off on this journey that has been very thoughtfully designed and structured for them. Manoj Barthwal, executive director and head of ONGC Academy, urged the women to “realise their full potential”.

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), ONGC’s knowledge partner, with over 3,00,000 HR and business executive members in 165 countries, has positively impacted the lives of over 115 million workers and families, globally. The representatives of SHRM welcomed the participants and encouraged them to take utmost advantage of the learning opportunities offered and apply them to real-work situations.

Ashissh Kaul, head- PSE and associate director-knowledge and advisory, familiarised the participants with the programme and its adequate blend of all elements put together by SHRM, especially for ONGC.

The virtual launch was also attended by Neetika Mittal and Swati Thakur, Knowledge and Advisory Services, SHRM India.

The ONGC Academy is committed to fostering excellence through enhancement of knowledge, skills and attitudes. An ISO-9001-2015 certified institute with a global presence, it emphasises inculcation of technical, managerial and soft skills through quality training and accreditation courses all conducted through world-renowned faculties and institutes – both from within and outside. On the Industry-Academia front, emphasis is being given to industry-academia interface. A large number of training programmes are conducted through centres of excellence of ONGC.

The post ONGC launches a women’s leadership development programme appeared first on HR Katha.

Bose, a very familiar face at the Tata Group, has created some award-winning designs for Tata Motors. Martin Uhlarik, who was head of design at Tata Motors for its European Technical Centre, has taken over from Bose. It is speculated that Bose may join a competitor brand of Tata Motors.

Another senior executive on the way out is Richa Sharma, who was leading the packaged food business for Tata Consumer Products. She joined Tata Chemicals in 2014, which later acquired the food portfolio from Tata Consumers.

Apart from this, V Ramakrishnan, S Subramaniam and Muralidharan HV, the chief financial officers of TCS, Titan and Tata Elsxi, respectively, are superannuating. Also, recently, Renu Basu has retired as the VP – sales and marketing, from Indian Hotels Company (Taj) after a two-decade stint.

According to the HR policies at the Tata Group, senior executives superannuate at the age of 60, executive directors at 65 and non-executive members at 70.

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The company has shortlisted its 100 future leaders on the basis of analytical and critical thinking, developing and managing networks, managing change, as well as skills of managerial communication and emotional intelligence.

These 100 shortlisted employees are undergoing a 9 to 12-month long training and development process. Out of these 100, only 50 will get promoted to higher roles this year.

The programme is conceived by the training and development team of the organisation, is executed under the guidance of its senior leaders. Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO and leadership team of TPDDL are personally involved and also conduct sessions to build expertise in participants and provide required mentoring.

This programme is essentially conceived for mid-level management employees who will be selected on the basis of their ratings and performance. The programme is also open to B-rated employees as the Company wants to ensure diversity of thoughts at leadership levels.

According to the current roles and behavioural competencies of the participants of the programme, the firm has developed future roles for them. This has been done in consultation with the managers and the employees themselves.

On completion of the programme, participants can choose to go into any future role of their choice. “Employees are welcome to change their field, if they so wish,” shares Subir Verma, head – HR, Tata Power DDL.

The development process has a mix of coaching and training sessions, e-learning modules and projects.

“Participants I have interacted with have given great feedback for this programme, because they see tangible outcomes in terms of learning and growth.”

Subir Verma, head – HR, Tata Power DDL

Senior leaders in the organisation, including Verma himself, conduct coaching and training sessions. Other industry coaches and trainers are also brought in to conduct sessions for the participants.

Apart from this, the Company has organised power speaking sessions, which are conducted by diverse sets of business leaders, such as Kunal Shah, founder, Cred; Sunil Mathur, CEO, Seimens India; Sandeep Bhatnagar, MD, Accenture India and others.

“These sessions have given diverse perspectives to the participants, have made them aware of what is happening outside their industry and learn from these,” shares Verma.

“We follow a 70-20-10 model of training and development where in theoretical knowledge was given through e-learning and blended training programs, interactions with senior management and industry experts were organised so that employees can learn from experiences of industry leaders as well,” he adds.

Procedure

Its’ not a one way (top down) approach where in HR-Talent Development decides the interventions for employees, but a two way approach where employees chose the areas in which they want to improve and grow. All employees shared their career aspirations, training needs which were assessed by Talent Development team. On the basis of analysis; customised learning interventions were designed, some of the needs were covered through classroom training programs and some are covered through action learning projects.

The whole journey is gamified to create a sense of healthy competition among the participants. On successful and timely completion of learning intervention, participants are awarded with points and based on accumulated points, a scorecard is created for each participant. The participants are ranked basis their performance in Talent 100 journey which encourages them to participate in the process enthusiastically.

The participants are expected to go through e-learning modules and also submit cross-functional projects. It is mandatory for participants to do a project in a field other than the one they come from. The topics or subjects for these individual cross-functional projects are chosen by the participants themselves.

Additionally, all the participants have to submit one project each covering CSR, innovation, business as well as safety.

The training and development interventions aim to give the participants product knowledge and behavioural competencies that are characteristic of leaders.

All of the afore-mentioned learning interventions carry some points, and the participants are assessed, evaluated and then marked accordingly.

Training interventions carry 50 points, while coaching carries 100 points — divided into attendance (carrying 25 points) and mentor feedback (carrying 75 points).

E-learning carries 50 points and cross-functional projects carry 100 points, with equal weightage given to timely submission and quality.

The CSR project is worth 50 points, while the innovation one carries 100 points and the safety project carries 50.

To ensure transparency, the firm maintains a leaderboard, where the results, with rankings, are displayed for all to see.

Apart from the promotions the chosen 50 will get, participants of this programme will also receive financial rewards. The first 25 people in the ranking will get 100 per cent variable of one month as financial reward and the remaining will get 50 per cent variable of one month.

“Participants I have interacted with have given great feedback for this programme, because they see tangible outcomes in terms of learning and growth,” explains Verma.

A panel of senior leaders, including the CEO, will perform a quarterly assessment.

According to Verma, Tata Power is growing rapidly and its distribution facility in Orissa requires a new set of leaders. The Company feels quite prepared to meet the demand, as it has already promoted six to seven people till now, and within a period of nine to 12 months a total of 50 will be promoted.

What happens to the rest of the 50 participants who are part of this programme? Verma explains that while the Company did not want to make an overwhelming commitment in the beginning, the fact remains that it will anyway require 100 skilled leaders in the future.

As per the current status, behavioural and leadership interventions are underway. The cross-functional projects have already been assigned to participants and soon CSR projects will also be allocated.

At the end of the programme, Tata Power DDL will be ready with 100 capable leaders, 50 of whom are already in their future leadership positions.

The post Talent 100: Tata Power DDL’s leadership development programme appeared first on HR Katha.

The problem is not unique to mid-level manager. Even CXOs may suffer from the same problem. They feel stagnant too. One may argue, what more is left for a CMO or a CFO or a CHRO to achieve? They are leaders in their respective domains, socially they have arrived in life, and have almost reached the pinnacle for their career. Having said that why do they still feel stuck up in their positions?

“I have seen not only the CFOs and COOs feeling stagnant, but at times even the CEO may share the same feeling and may want to join a bigger organisation.” 

Sriharsha Achar, ED & CHRO, Start Health and Allied Insurance Company

A senior HR leader shares that she herself felt stagnated at one point of time. She had been working in the BFSI sector as an HR leader in many global organisations for over 20 years. She then took a sabbatical for almost 18 months because she felt that she needed a break. During this period, she decided to focus only on certain things on her bucket list which had nothing to with her professional life. Post that she felt rejuvenated and rejoined the corporate world as an HR head in a company.

The reasons of stagnation could be each to its own. As Ashish Anand, CHRO, SAR Group, says, “The feeling of being stagnant may differ from people to people. While for some their role may become boring, there will be others are simply too scared to get out of their comfort zone to try something new. And the other thing is the aspiration. People desirous of growing further in life may feel stagnant at times.”

“CXOs who feel they are stuck, should consider training themselves or getting experience in some other function to widen their horizons. If they are working in an MNC they should consider taking up a global role to gain exposure to different kinds of markets. If working in a home grown conglomerate, they should consider getting experience at the group level.”

Amit Sharma, VP & head of HR, Volvo Group

However, here are the few common ones.

Routine: Work is bound to get mundane at some point. Obviously, if one person does the same job for six to 10 years, boredom will eventually start to set in. Doing the same work over and over again makes people feel as if they are stuck somewhere and start looking for a change.

Learning: When people stop learning and upgrading themselves, they feel stuck. If learning stops in anyone’s life, a feeling of uselessness comes in. If there is no learning, gradually there will be nothing new for one to do at work.

Challenges: If the job stops being challenging, it becomes boring. By doing the same work over a period of time, in the same field, one tends to master it. That is why, the work becomes very easy to accomplish. With no challenges encountered, the projects or tasks get done with no difficulty at all. This definitely leads to a feeling of stagnancy.

Aspirations: People are ambitious and wish to keep growing and getting bigger as time goes by. The truth remains that there can be only one king in the jungle. Everyone is not fortunate enough to reach the topmost peak of their career. In our case, every CXO does not get the opportunity to become a CEO.

“The feeling of being stagnant may differ from people to people. While for some their role may become boring, there will be others are simply too scared to get out of their comfort zone to try something new. And the other thing is the aspiration. People desirous of growing further in life may feel stagnant at times.”

Ashish Anand, CHRO, SAR Group

Amit Sharma, VP & head of HR, Volvo Group, says, “People tend to stagnate when they stop expanding their horizons. They reach a particular level and start to feel stuck up in a role. For any CXOs the next level would be that of CEO, and for that, they need a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of each and every function.”

Sharma advises that CXOs who feel they are stuck, should consider training themselves or getting experience in some other function to widen their horizons. His second suggestion is that if they are working in an MNC they should consider taking up a global role to gain exposure to different kinds of markets. Third, if working in a home grown conglomerate, Sharma suggests looking at getting experience at the group level.

“Working in each and every portfolio of the business can help one to stay relevant at all times,” enunciates Sharma.

Sriharsha Achar, ED & CHRO, Start Health and Allied Insurance Company, shares that many a time people have come to him and said, ‘I feel that I am stuck. What should I do?’
Achar more often than not advises such people to take up some other role. In other words, he suggests making a horizontal shift in career.

He recalls how in one of his previous organisations, the CFO was going through the same problem. Achar advised him to move to sales and try something different. The CFO followed his suggestion and experienced positive results too. He performed really well.

“I have seen not only the CFOs and COOs feeling stagnant, but at times even the CEO may share the same feeling and may want to join a bigger organisation,” explains Achar.

At the end of the day it is all about being relevant and useful. For this, one may have to always keep on the learning hat, try different roles or even change the industry one is currently working in.

If one keeps challenging oneself, one may not feel stuck in a rut at all.

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Nobody could do anything about it. We could only sit back and wait — wait for some semblance of normalcy to be restored. The morale of the workforce took a big hit with layoffs, salary cuts and so on. At that point of time, all that business leaders could think of was to just sail through the bad times somehow. Most of the businesses were in survival mode. They were just waiting for things to get a little better.

“COVID will not vanish any time soon. It is almost close to impossible to predict when things will return to 100 per cent normalcy. So, we will need fearless people with the ability to thrive and perform in these times.”

Sharad Sharma, CHRO & chief business ethic officer, Pramerica Life Insurance

Just when things had begun to look up, with the economies opening up and everything starting to limp back to normal, the number of cases have started rising again. Nevertheless, it is certain that things will soon get back to normal again. Businesses will again need to change their gears and shift to the ‘thrive’ mode. A big transformation will need to be undertaken from the ‘survive’ mode to the ‘thrive’ mode.

Talking to some of the HR leaders and experts, we have come up with five factors that can help organisations try and get back on their feet and shift to a ‘thriving’ culture again.

Building or acquiring a new kind of talent

Given the times, organisations will certainly need people who can thrive amidst uncertainty — fearless people who can drive a transformational shift. Either organisations will have to build these qualities in their people or acquire people who possess the right attitude.

“COVID will not vanish any time soon. It is almost close to impossible to predict when things will return to 100 per cent normalcy. So, we will need fearless people with the ability to thrive and perform in these times,” shares Sharad Sharma, CHRO & chief business ethic officer, Pramerica Life Insurance.

“During the lockdown, layoffs and salary cuts gave a message that things are not good. Now we have to do the reverse. We have to show people the positive signs to build morale and bring them back to a thriving stage”

Manish Majumdar, HR consultant, and former head – HR, Novo Nordisk

Positive communication & messaging 

During the pandemic, layoffs and salary cuts had become common. These were indications of all not being well with the companies. Now, organisations will have to indulge in reverse communication. While acknowledging the current circumstances, a communication, such as ‘Yes, we know things are bad but we assure you that normalcy will return,’ can be very reassuring. While organisations may not want to hire, they can still give assurance that they will not take away jobs from their people. Releasing a bit of budget for people to implement and execute some formulated ideas will also give a positive sign.

“During the lockdown, layoffs and salary cuts gave a message that things are not good. Now we have to do the reverse. We have to show people the positive signs to build morale and bring them back to a thriving stage,” says Manish Majumdar, HR consultant, and former head – HR, Novo Nordisk.

Giving bonuses or salary hikes

For morale building and motivation, it is important for people to see positivity in the organisation’s attitude and actions. Giving bonuses and salary hikes can really motivate people and put across the message that the company is getting back to normal and eyeing growth.

Changing the mindset of leaders

It is not just the employees who were demotivated by the pandemic. Managers and business leaders were equally affected. First, the leaders are the ones who need to change their attitude and return to their high-performing days. This will help the organisation cascade the thriving culture down to each and every employee in the organisation, across ranks.

New interventions for transformational change in the organisation

People will have to brainstorm and come up with ideas internally or consult some experts about bringing in new interventions to change the mindset of the people and restore a high- performance culture in the organisation.

Nobody was really prepared for such a situation. Therefore, people are unlikely to have definite answers or solutions to ensure that things are brought back on track. Each industry will face a different kind of challenge, which will have different solutions. It is time for the big HR-consulting firms to do some R&D and come up with some practical solutions to help organisations make this shift.

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At least 70 employees from the middle-management cadre of Jindal Stainless were drawn from different functions across the Company, including HR. The objective was to prepare them for leadership roles as future business executive heads. The training session, or “learning programme” as SK Jain, CHRO, Jindal Stainless likes to call this unique model, has concrete pre- and post-sessions, where learning is integrated with the everyday work of the employees.

“Change is inevitable and in view of the current scenario, with work arrangements having changed drastically, business models had to change as well,” says Jain. Learning also has had to take a new form where employees’ capabilities need transformative thinking unlike traditional methods. Acquiring the right talent is also important to turn the vision of a business strategy into reality.

At the time of conception of the flagship leadership development programme, the Masterful Management model had seven modules, which touched upon communication skills, conflict management and collaboration, learning and growth, project management, process management and quality, staffing and productivity and lastly, performance management. Each module functions on the 70:20:10 learning approach with experience (64 per cent), exposure (25 per cent) and education (11 per cent) promoting the idea of ‘learning with the flow of work.’

Masterful Management 1.0 was initially run for two days a week in a classroom, led by a trainer/facilitator. After a total of 14 sessions, the trainees were expected to take up projects to put their skills into practice (post-sessions).

The upgraded 2.0 version is fully online with six sessions of 2.5 hours each, with only one session taking place in a week. After each module, a two to three-week gap is allowed for the trainees to work on the post-sessions projects, or indulge in self-study and pore over what they imbibe from the online sessions.

“Change is inevitable and in view of the current scenario, with work arrangements having changed drastically, business models had to change as well.”

‘Contemporary skills’ are a bonus for the 2.0 model, with digital literacy and learning agility as the leading skills, closely followed by leadership etiquettes — communication, body language, gravitas, and virtual etiquette. Creativity and innovation underlying traits that keep employees engaged, while allowing them to grow.

“In today’s context, a really highly talented person is somebody who is very high on learning and adapting,” Jain explains, as agility forms the foundation of the digitally-enhanced Masterful Management 2.0.

So how do they implement the metrics of success? The Company uses a precise measure called the Kirkpatrick Effectiveness Model. It has four layers in the form of a pyramidical structure, namely reaction, learning, behaviour and impact.

Reaction The first or base level comprises 8,320 learning hours. An overall feedback of more than four and an average engagement score of 76 per cent was recorded throughout the program. The carefully chosen modules get introduced to the employees here and “the new model was well received, with almost 100 per cent attendance rate,” shares Jain.

Learning The second level is evaluated by the retention factor, measured by facilitator assessments of the post-workshop assignment submissions. The average retention factor was recorded at an encouraging 65.92 per cent throughout the programme.

Behaviour At level three, behaviour was measured midway, between the six sessions. The result was calculated by the reporting manager (RM) and positive changes were recorded at 83.3 per cent.

At the behavioural level, it was observed that communication skills had enhanced considerably (39 per cent) and time management had improved. The programme helped to eliminate time wasters and save up to 1.5 hours per day.

Impact The best results were obtained at the fourth level, that is business impact. With 71 projects undertaken for process management and quality, the participants were able to impact the business in multiple areas and were able to generate cost savings of a whopping Rs. 24.29 crores!

Integration of agile practices of flexible learning into the workflow is a good way forward towards ensuring the self-development of employees. This will enable companies to be future ready if and when a period of uncertainty emerges. Jindal Stainless is also adopting agility in terms of surveys, opting for periodic surveys instead of annual ones.

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From Ratan Tata to Anand Mahindra, Ronnie Screwvala and Gautam Singhania to Harsh Goenka and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, India Inc’s crème de la crème frequently feature on ‘must-follow social media influencer’ lists, while their tweets and comments often make it into news headlines.

CEOs-turned-brand ambassadors

Having an active online presence has turned senior management into brand ambassadors. “Social media can be used as a very strategic communication tool,” notes Dr Prince Augustin, EVP – group human capital & leadership development, Mahindra & Mahindra. “Therefore, senior leadership is encouraged to put out their thoughts.”

Industry leaders sharing candid opinions add value to the brand’s positioning. “Many of our senior people on social media actually help propagate the company’s image,” says Augustin. “It helps to position the organisation’s philosophy, value system and purpose. It also builds credibility for the company’s communication because it comes from an authentic source.”

 “We’ve encouraged our leaders to extensively use social media for brand representation.”

While senior management’s online advocacy helps make long-established MNCs such as Mahindra & Mahindra become even more accessible, it helps young companies, such as upGrad build brand awareness.

“We’re not a tangible product or into manufacturing. We’re in the services industry, purely driven by technology,” says Preeti Kaul, president – HR, upGrad. “So how does one reach out to mass numbers to create brand awareness?” That’s where the company’s honchos with an active social-media presence come handy. “We’ve encouraged our leaders to extensively use social media for brand representation,” informs Kaul.

Attracting & acquiring talent

#NowHiring posts have been doing the rounds on social media ever since social-media platforms became a part of our lives. However, the pandemic-led virtual reality has prompted senior executives to reconsider job postings on social media with renewed vigour. “Earlier, no one really paid attention to them because there were many physical channels through which they could reach out to candidates,” points out Kaul. “The amount of meticulousness with which we use these platforms for hiring purposes now has absolutely changed.”

Active senior management on social media have also helped organisations up their brand value as employers, making them aspirational places to work, for more potential talent. “Earlier, one could physically get people into the office environment to meet the leaders. One could organise hiring drives to provide a touch-and-feel experience to passive candidates. That dynamic of the office ecosystem has been missing this year,” notes Kaul. “Now, as employers, there is no other way to reach out to a wider audience, that the digital platforms. Everything that worked before March, doesn’t anymore.”

“Social media can be used as a very strategic communication tool.Many of our senior people on social media actually help propagate the company’s image.”

Thought makers & shakers

Convocation speeches and Ted Talks are not the only platforms for CEOs and industrialists to give life to their quotable quotes any longer. Now, they can simply tweet, host an Ask me Anything (AMA) or go live on video. This, in turn, further helps advance the organisation’s overall image. “As a senior leader, one plays the role of shaping thoughts and views. If senior leaders are very strategic in their communication, they are able to evoke public opinion and shake philosophies,” explains Augustin. “And since the person represents a brand, that association boosts the company’s image.”

Whether or not one decides to comment on a touchy topic is left to the leader’s discretion. “There are some who speak out, some are very restrained and some outright refuse to comment on certain things,” notes Augustin. “From a communications perspective, it’s a position that an individual takes in the context of the business and view being represented,” he adds.

Crisis waiting to snowball?

For all its merits, it is not like HR is entirely at ease with leadership being online at all times. Enough sleep has been lost over a tweet gone viral for the wrong reasons, and the constant fear of a crisis waiting to snowball. “I do wake up to things, such as a 50-mail chain of ‘this happened’, and ‘somebody wrote that’, ‘how do we contain’,” shares Kaul.

“I think it’s always a double-edged sword, but at the end of the day, freedom of expression is the philosophy we want to maintain as an organisation. One can’t have a selective approach to the social-media policy as HR,” she adds. As for Augustin, he prefers leaving it to the individual. “I only give my views and thoughts when it is absolutely essential. Therefore, a company should leave things flexible.” He recommends that HR “leave it to the senior leadership to decide how they want to articulate their thoughts.”

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This doesn’t fascinate anymore!

Macho leaders are now considered to have an inflated self-belief. They are convinced that their judgement is superior and tend to ignore other’s opinions, attracting a lot of criticism.

The global chaos wrought by COVID-19 has changed the game. So, what is in now? Empathetic leadership! The first rule for which is to keep people at the forefront of the decision-making process.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern emerges as a shining example. While international headlines describe Ardern’s win for the second time as “stunning” and “historic”, the leader has been a long-time advocate of empathetic leadership.

Ardern’s navigation of the country, through the pandemic, has rekindled the conversation around leadership driven by compassion. Some wonder whether this means the death knell for the traditional leadership style, which is inclined towards aggression.

HR Katha too was curious to find out whether organisations are finally making room for empathy in the boardroom.

“The ‘my way or the highway’ attitude may still exist but doesn’t work anymore.”

Year of lessons

Tangible change may still be a distant dream, but HR leaders do believe the year 2020 pushed leaders and decision makers to discard aggression.

“COVID-19 has taught everyone a lot of lessons,” notes Sriharsha Achar, Jt ED & CHRO, Star Health & Allied Insurance. “Most leaders are speaking a different language in today’s context, because they themselves are homebound.”

Virtual meetings offered a peek into each other’s personal lives and remote work conditions compelled teams to adapt to each other’s circumstances. “The playground of work is changing,” adds Achar. “We can’t think of one-size-fits-all solutions, and aggression certainly doesn’t need to be displayed at this point in time.” Sharing highlights from a webinar he attended, Achar says, “The need for compassion is a sentiment being expressed by companies across sectors.”

“Initiatives should take into consideration the larger and overall interest of the institution and its people.”

Numbers with compassion

The focus needs to shift to output rather than the number of hours being clocked. “People cannot be micro-managed at this point in time. There is so much stress all around, one has to have the empathy to understand what is happening in somebody’s house,” notes Achar. “One has to now assess a situation thoroughly before resorting to harsh action.”

The HR leader points out that aggressive leadership is usually found in a culture driven by sales and targets. “It cannot be all about targets and numbers. It has to be numbers with compassion now. There has to be some reasonableness.”

Thinking for people

Since it is the people that make an organisation, “empathy and compassion definitely have to be there” to run it,” says Dilip Pattanayak, president & CHRO – steel & corporate, JSW.

“A leader has to be transparent and communicate right. That is when people will trust you. Initiatives should take into consideration the larger and overall interest of the institution and its people,” adds Pattanayak.

The ‘my way or the highway’ attitude “may still exist but doesn’t work anymore,” observes Irfan Shaikh, HR expert. “I think most of the successful organisations have adapted to more empathetic and inclusive styles of leadership. It starts from the top, and hence, these ideas should be encouraged more than before.”

Old habits die hard

It is an unwritten understanding that, to be a leader, one must be strong, tough and put together. How else can leaders expect such large numbers of people to have faith in their decisions? The decision-making process too is believed to be most efficient when based on straight logic, instead of subjective emotions.

Enough has been said and written about the fallacies of aggressive leadership and why empathy is needed at the top, but it seems it will be a few years before we see leaders feeling confident in their vulnerability.

“Most leaders are speaking a different language in today’s context, because they themselves are homebound.”

“If we focus only on being seen as the strongest, most powerful person in the room, then I think we lose what we’re meant to be here for. So, I’m proudly focused on empathy because we can be both empathetic and strong,” says Ardern in an interview with author Geoff Blackwell.

New Zealand’s example of surviving the ultimate litmus test – aka 2020 – may have perhaps been the demonstration of effective leadership that the world needed. Hope leaders around the world are taking copious notes from Ardern’s book!

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How Sandeep Bakhshi led a cultural shift at ICICI Bank that starts from the top

As a leader, Sandeep Bakhshi believes in letting his team grow and take initiative. This philosophy is having a major cultural impact on ICICI Bank, wherein team members are being empowered to take decisions. Throughout his career, Sandeep Bakhshi has followed a customer-first approach, which balances customer interests with value generation for stakeholders and shareholders. He believes that his staff should be independent thinkers, and feel confident in taking decisions to further the organisation’s goals.

Under Sandeep Bakhshi’s leadership, ICICI Bank has seen a shift in its operational environment over the past two years. The Bank prioritises building a work culture that brings out the best in its staff, by creating a synergy between all the brand’s attributes, such as product, distribution, and human capital. The teams are all galvanised by a common goal: ‘fair to customer, fair to bank’.

To this end, the frontline employees have taken the core responsibility of providing the best possible banking experience to the customers. A significant sign of this is that zonal heads have the authority to establish branches in a specific region or geography, and even have the freedom to organise their workforce. ICICI Bank has around 21,000 touch points, which include about 5,300 branches across the country. The Bank also has about 15,000 ATMs.

Boosting co-operation across teams

The Bank is now working towards simplifying its vertical and horizontal hierarchies. Managers are now expected to rely on their connections with large corporates to collect opportunities, which will be passed on to business leads. Teams have an increased sense of responsibility and ownership towards the Bank’s performance.

Additionally, the Bank has replaced titles such as senior general manager (SGM) and deputy general manager (DGM) for its 400-strong leadership team, replacing them with titles that are indicative of the team members’ responsibilities. This streamlined, simplified approach to team structures boosts the spirit of cooperation within the teams.

The Bank is also increasing its culture of experimentation. It is breaking down markets based on PIN codes, where it is conducting micro-experiments, whose results it expects to replicate on a broader scale.

Making employees feel appreciated

A good leader knows that happier employees work better. Under Sandeep Bakhshi’s leadership, the Bank has gone the extra mile to ensure that frontline and customer-facing staff are appreciated for their work and service during the ongoing pandemic. Around 80,000 employees of the Bank have received pay hikes of about 8 per cent. These employees, who form about 80 per cent of ICICI Bank’s total workforce, have been indispensable in ensuring the normal functioning of all branches during these unprecedented times.

At the two-year mark of Sandeep Bakhshi’s tenure as MD and CEO, the Bank has seen inspiring changes at every level. It has gone through transformative cultural and structural reforms that have been swift, decisive and effective. The philosophy of “One Bank, One Team, One Goal” has brought the teams closer by breaking down symbols of hierarchy, and has increased the collaboration within teams across the Bank.

Even during these challenging times, under the guidance of Sandeep Bakhshi, ICICI Bank remains committed to emerging stronger as an institution. It is participating in the nation’s economic development with the sole focus on nurturing a lasting relationship with customers and creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.

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Says Bhawna Kirpal Mital, general manager, human resources, Hero Future Energies, “I have certainly used this tactic to my advantage during presentations. It gives the attendees time to assimilate what I have said and ask relevant questions. This also propels the discussion towards a meaningful outcome.”

Pooja Anand, head – human resources, India, IDC Technologies, rightly points out that different age groups react differently to a strategic pause in the middle of a discussion.

Having worked in the HR domain for almost two decades and specialised in leadership hiring and campus hiring across levels, Anand has observed that the younger lot — those in the 18 to 25 age bracket — tend to use the pause to introspect and reflect.

However, those in the 30 to 40 age bracket are the ones who are likely to come up with relevant questions and suggestions, viewpoints worth considering and even brilliant ideas.

The more senior lot will delve into their treasure trove of experiences and fish out some incident related to the topic and try to apply it to the current situation.

“The ones who speak the most after such an awkward silence are also the ones who are otherwise shy — the so called introverts,” observes Anand.

“A planned pause immediately after mentioning an interesting or key phrase, such as ‘growth opportunities’, can actually transform the passive listeners into active participants in no time, especially the younger lot.”

Why is an awkward silence good?

Not many people enjoy talking. Some are happy just listening. However, not even those who speak less can sit in a room with ten others in absolute silence. In a group, pin-drop silence can make those present feel very uncomfortable and anxious. Sooner or later, somebody will surely say something to break the silence, and that is exactly why the ‘awkward silence’ can be, and should be, leveraged.

This kind of silence can force people to think, reflect, meditate and introspect.

“A planned pause immediately after mentioning an interesting or key phrase, such as ‘growth opportunities’(in the case of the younger lot), can actually transform the passive listeners into active participants in no time,” explains Anand.

She strongly believes that as an HR leader, opting to be silent in an emotionally charged moment helps one to look at the situation from a different perspective. It gives more clarity and helps one make a more informed decision.

“I have certainly used this tactic to my advantage during presentations. It gives the attendees time to assimilate what I have said and ask relevant questions. This also propels the discussion towards a meaningful outcome.”

How can HR benefit?

During interviews, if the interviewer opts for a prolonged silence, it really pays. In fact, the interviewer can actually take the reins of the conversation firmly in her/his hands by choosing not to speak at strategic points, and leaving it to the interviewee to fill in the gap. Opting to be an ‘active listener’ will not only cause the conversation to slow down a bit, but also force the candidates to keep talking and revealing more of their true nature.

Even while dealing with employees who are anxious, upset or worried about something, HR can truly benefit from not speaking. Instead of directly attempting to resolve the issue, HR professionals may consider remaining silent and lending a patient ear. By doing so, they may actually allow the other person to hit upon a solution herself.

Most successful leaders do not hesitate to take their time to reply. It allows them to measure their response. What finally leaves their mouths at the end of the ‘pause’ is worth the wait. Elon Musk and Steve Jobs are two of the best examples.

It may not come naturally to everyone, but the truth is that by shutting up at the right time, one may actually open the doors to great deals or innovative ideas.

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It was Immelt’s successor, John Flennery, who found out that the well had been drained of its resources during his predecessor’s tenure. The American multinational company’s balance sheet showed big problems — the profits were mostly on paper alone, costly inventory had been accumulated just when the market for that inventory was shrinking, and essentially the business was out of cash.

This goes to reiterate the importance of a CEO’s role within the company. A good leader can make or break a company, even pull it out of a crisis. Titan’s miraculous recovery of its Tanishq business under its new leader can be taken as the perfect example.

Being the top dog at a company, even the smallest of acts can have huge repercussions. Therefore, there are certain things that a CEO should avoid doing at all costs. For instance, meeting with one employee right after assuming the chair, rather than first approaching the entire team, may give the impression to the other employees that there is already a ‘favourite’, setting off alarms in their heads.

“CEOs cannot afford to avoid criticism. Instead, they need to review the merits and respond suitably. the right degree and manner of response is absolutely essential.”

Suffice to say, the job of CEO requires one to walk a tightrope at all times.

We have outlined a few qualities and acts, which CEOs should avoid at all costs if they wish to lead the organisation to success or sustain its growth.

Being arrogant

Confidence in the face of adversity or doubt is a good quality. However, too much of it can become toxic, leading to arrogance.

More than alienating employees and damaging relationships, arrogance in a leader can adversely affect the business as well. Confidence will certainly boost one’s perseverance to face adversity, but at the same time, overdoing it will leave one unable to take any inputs, all the while leading a functioning business to ruin. Even well-established corporate giants are not impervious to setbacks. Although they may assume they can take a few hits, in the longer run, this usually leads to failure.

The downfall begins when those at the helm lose touch with reality and begin to assume the ability to do things, which they cannot. Just like that, the focus shifts from the business to one’s own self.

This is how leaders lose credibility.

Window dressing

Spinning positive stories when there really are not any to tell, can be called too much of optimism or straight out lying. Either way, the results are not going to be pretty. If we take the example of the current crisis, for a leader to keep the employees in the dark about the condition of the company would be unfair and could induce a huge shock when things go south.

This does not mean that optimism is undesirable, just that its dosage should be limited. Optimism needs to reach a balance with a realistic approach. The CEO should take into confidence those in the upper ranks, about the company’s status and the exact numbers, if it is in a crisis. For those in the lower rungs, complete communication of information may be unnecessary, as it will lead to a decrease in morale among the workers.

Samir Bhiwapurkar, head-HR, Japfa Comfeed India, believes in a 70:30 approach in such cases. He says, “A leader should be 70 per cent optimistic and 30 per cent realistic in his approach. With the upper management, one needs to be more realistic and open, while at the employee level it is important to keep the motivation and morale high.”

Being intolerant of criticism

It is true that criticism is a natural part of leadership. If nobody is criticising the leadership, then maybe one is not leading correctly. Leaders who do not like to hear their ideas criticised would seldom hear objections from the managers, who would rather play it safe than jeopardise their career prospects.

An inability to take criticism results when the leader has a vested interest in the decision-making. Eventually, this stereotypes the leader, weakening his or her authority. To reinstate oneself in the eyes of the rest, leaders may end up making poor choices to validate their leadership, both to others and their own selves.

Babu Thomas, CHRO, Shalby, says, “CEOs cannot afford to avoid criticism. Instead, they need to review the merits and respond suitably. A right degree and manner of response is absolutely essential.”

Taking cost-saving measures too far

Maintaining the financial health of the company is a huge pressure on the leader and a constant source of concern. In times of crunch, it is intuitive to go into crisis mode and focus on cutting costs across the board. External pressures may tempt one to focus on immediate gains only and ignore long-term considerations. However, excessive pursuit of cost-cutting measures may leave the company with no way out of the problem. Even if the times demand frugality, certain investments in specific areas need to be made, or rather, sustained. The people aspect in this matter is of particular importance. It is quite all right to admit a financial crisis to employees, who are more than willing to take the journey.

Treading the tested path and avoiding risks

As the times have shown, a crisis can force leaders to take risks and think out of the box. It is not just the current crisis but in trying times, the organisations that have climbed out of the disaster pot have been those with adaptable leaders. Leaders who are open to embracing unconventional measures are usually the ones who manage to reach solutions. Of course, risk taking is a calculated decision, and best avoided if the health of the organisation is at stake.

“A leader should be 70 per cent optimistic and 30 per cent realistic in his approach. With the upper management, one needs to be more realistic and open, while at the employee level it is important to keep the motivation and morale high.”

For any CEO, the real test of strength is when they hit rough waters. In a crisis, the CEO will have to walk the tightrope, balancing all decisions on the hope that they will be able to lead the organisation out of danger. Even when it is smooth sailing, being unaware of the reality and making bad decisions will ultimately lead the business straight into stormy seas.

The post Five mistakes a CEO should avoid appeared first on HR Katha.

Bhaskar Bhat, former MD of Titan and board member, Tata Sons, believes, “It is important to welcome mistakes and errors as they provide important learning opportunities. One cannot learn as much from success as from failures.” Acceptance in such cases becomes a two- way street, with acknowledgement from the person who made the wrong decision and an acceptance from the leadership to forgive and give them a second chance.

The point is illustrated in the well-documented story of Titan’s foray into the jewellery business with Tanishq — in the mid 1990s — and its subsequent revitalisation after seven years of running at a loss. In 2002, months after Bhat had joined as the managing director at Titan, a meeting was called where the top brass of Tata came in to weigh how to proceed with the loss-making jewellery business. Tanishq lost a lot of money in the first few years of its existence. Those involved viewed it as a big failure. During the meeting, the former COO of the jewellery company, Jacob Kurien, made a presentation to the top team on how Tanishq plans to up its game and recover.

It was magnanimous of the top team and the chairman at that time, according to Bhat, to decide to give Tanishq one more year to prove that it can get back on its feet. He recalls what a great act of leadership it was on the part of Ratan Tata, who was willing to give the brand a second chance; and the others who arrived at the meeting without any preconceived decision to say ‘No’ to continuing the business.

Titan Engineering and Automation Limited (TEAL), which is now a thriving subsidiary business, began as a venture to supplement the watch-manufacturing capabilities in the early 1990s. The entire leadership community at Tata Group at that point in time, including the investor community, questioned the need to invest in the engineering business at all. They believed it was a mistake to encourage the team at the Precision Engineering Division (PED), formerly known as TEAL. However, despite the doubts, the leadership at Titan chose to go ahead and invest in the talent within the organisation, which Bhat believes, is a big lesson for leaders in encouraging and enabling talent to grow.

The team at PED comprised capable individuals and the results over time have proven the point that if people are trusted to achieve, they will. “Despite what the world says, if there is strength, commitment and competence within a team, and if they are encouraged to dream, they can achieve big in the future,” adds Bhat.

Over a period of time, what began as a watch-making business multiplied into several new verticals, including eyewear, fragrances, helmets and most recently, sarees. There is an inherent attitude to do more and think big at Titan, which Bhat terms as a ‘restlessness’ within the organisation. It originates from the top and seeps into employees at every level. In fact, new projects began with the entry into precision engineering, going up to the setting up of Taneira, the saree business.

This agility in movement and innovation, is something that Bhat witnessed and led during his own reign as the managing director, in 2004. It had been two years since the first managing director of the company, Xerxes Desai, had retired. It was Desai’s dream and vision, which had led the watch business into success. “After Mr Desai left the company, we had to change our strategy of being driven from the top to one of collective dreaming,” reveals Bhat.

To devise a long-term strategy, typically, organisations would hire a consultant to put a plan together or the business heads would come together to put their five-year plans into one long strategy. However, at Titan, things worked differently.

In 2004, Bhat unveiled Future Shock, which was the Company’s unique initiative to gather new ideas from employees at every level. Teams, of younger executives, were formed to look at possible growth opportunities, both in India and abroad. This brought about a sense of ownership among the employees. “A restlessness to innovate, to do more, is injected from the top. People should be allowed to explore and foster a ‘dare to try’ attitude,” asserts Bhatt.

An agile and innovative mindset, coupled with focus on talent growth, will surely go a long way to help organisations rise. Today, we are seeing a shift towards leaner organisations, even if by force of circumstances, to stay focussed on growth. However, at the core of it all, what matters is honesty and responsibility towards one’s stakeholders. “That a company needs to be a lean fighting machine is a wrong notion of business. It is about being good, doing things the right way and being responsible towards one’s stakeholders,” concludes Bhatt.

Bhaskar Bhat spoke on the core values, which are key principles for the leaders of tomorrow in the 100th learning latitude webinar hosted by the Tata Management Training Institute (TMTC). He spoke about rethinking of leadership’s approach to manage people, and shed light on a few learning lessons for the future leaders.

The post “It is important to welcome mistakes”: Bhaskar Bhat, director, Tata Sons appeared first on HR Katha.

Whether it is right or wrong is debatable and we are not getting into it now. Such changes in leadership are seen as necessary by the board because they are critical to the survival of the business. Layoffs are usually the last resort for a company needless to say the exercise requires a tough stance and an objective perspective. In such cases, the existing HR head may not be able to execute the layoffs. Why does this happen?

Familiarity and bonding

Rajesh Padmanabhan, HR specialist, says that such a situation may transpire because of the relationship between the existing leader and the employees. “Leaders tend to form an emotional connection with the people and it is not easy to dissociate or delink during a business downside,” says Padmanabhan.

“A new leader usually does not come with any legacy baggage, and hence, can execute a layoff decision with much more ease.”

After having worked with a team for so long, it is tough for any leader to have a difficult conversation with the employees. Working with one’s colleagues over a long period naturally leads to some form of emotional bond. Moreover, for any HR leader, the people come first. Hence, she or he may disagree with the option of layoffs.

For the business, on the other hand, a layoff may be the most viable option of staying afloat or making progress. In such situations, there is a stalemate and one party inevitably leaves, which is the leader.

Even if the leader agrees to execute the layoffs, a concern remains about the objectivity with which the task will be carried out. This, in the long term, will hamper the company even more. For instance, faced with the uncomfortable task, the leader may end up playing favourites or even asking the wrong person to leave. That is why, a change is seen as a necessary precaution.

Sriharsha Achar, HR specialist, says, “A new leader usually does not come with any legacy baggage, and hence, can execute a layoff decision with much more ease.”

It is not just the HR leader who moves out, but other senior executives too, such as the CEO of the company. For instance, whenever a new CEO comes in, anticipatory anxiety starts building among the workforce about organisational changes, which often translate into layoffs.

When company decisions clash with their own ethics and values, HR leaders may choose to move out of their own volition. Rather than face the stress and struggles of executing a layoff, they think it better to hand over the decision to someone else.

“Leaders tend to form an emotional connection with the people and it is not easy to dissociate or delink during a business downside.”

Change in business objectives

Another reason for leaders to move out is when business objectives undergo a change. For instance, when a new CEO joins the company, she or he may bring in a different set of agendas, which may not align so quickly with the rest of the C-suite members. Similarly, such instances occur during mergers and acquisitions as well when leaders disengage because they do not feel a part of the company anymore or feel their decisions are not valued in the new integrated entity.

For any CHRO, making the decision to downsize in a company they have had a long association with is not an easy task. It requires a bold leadership to go ahead and make such calls, which may be available if brought in from the outside. Companies, which do not see such decisions as a part of their culture, will struggle or take more time to do it.

Padmanbhan adds that such decisions are not necessitated in organisations where the emphasis on culture is more than the revenue. “We have a few tall corporate houses where culture overrides everything and their basic DNA is the promise to be together during good and bad times,” he says.

Rethinking workforce strategies is often painful. HR leaders or CEOs may not be able to take the tough call of having to restructure during a bad phase. They may choose to move out as a show of disagreement with company decisions. In such cases, organisations require an outsider, who can be trusted to carry out the decision with objectivity and as per business needs.

The post Leadership swap before a mass layoff appeared first on HR Katha.

So what is servant leadership? At the outset, it is not to be confused with being subservient. The word servant in the phrase implies a serve-first mentality or selflessness in a leader.

The term was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, in his essay, ‘The Servant Leader’, published in 1970. He wrote, “The servant leader is a servant first . . . It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.”

“Great leaders display qualities of being authentic, courageous and humble, and these characteristics automatically transform into servant leadership.”

In the typical corporate setup, where traditional leadership is incumbent, it is the top management, followed by middle management, then front-line employees and finally customers. Here, the leader sits in the ivory tower at the top, while the employees remain at the bottom. Bring a servant leader into the scenario and they will turn the pyramid upside down, creating a new order where the needs and well-being of the team members matter more.

Essentially, it boils down to whether one wants to be a boss and have merely employees in the organisation, or whether one wants to be a leader and surround himself with team members.

Emmanuel David, director-HR, Tata Management Training Centre, says, “At its core, servant leadership encompasses the values of empathy, compassion and humility. The need for servant leadership comes to the fore especially in times like these.”

What do servant leaders do?

Motivate and adopt a hands-on approach: First, they motivate their team by creating an environment where their team members feel empowered to contribute and be engaged. They lead by example and show that they are willing to do the same work as their juniors. Translation? It means not hesitating to get one’s hands dirty.

For instance, let us take a member of a sales team. If an employee is unable to do the work, and is falling behind on the sales goals, the supervisor can step in, join the team on the sales floor and help them reach their targets. Instead of berating the individual, a more hands-on approach is much more helpful.

The past few months have been tough on all of us, and we have often relied on our peers, juniors or seniors to get some work done. At other times, we have struggled to complete the work without any help. In such situations, we may have found our bosses sitting down with us to help us through the mess. These are examples of servant leadership.

Communicate clearly and transparently: Excellent communication skills is another attribute of servant leaders. They strive to be transparent, are active listeners and empathetic. This helps them understand the views and opinions of their team members and leads them in a way that shows their opinions are important.

Care about people’s personal lives: They care about their team members on a personal level. It hardly matters whether the leader is the head of a global firm or somebody’s supervisor. A servant leader will try to make sure that employees feel secure and happy in their personal lives. Alok Nigam, senior vice president and group CHRO, Bhartiya Group, shares an anecdote as an example of servant leadership.

He recalls his days working as a junior manager at a company and an incident when he had to attend a training session at Jamshedpur. Once on his way back to Kolkata, he chanced upon his MD in the same train. While parting ways at the station, his boss made sure arrangements were made for Nigam and his family to be safely dropped at the hotel, before he got into a car himself. A small gesture, but it conveyed the essence of what servant leadership envelopes at its core.

“Great leaders display qualities of being authentic, courageous and humble, and these characteristics automatically transform into servant leadership,” says Nigam.

Display humility: Even before the corporate world, servant leadership is found in the society from which it emanates. David shares a story of his own father, who was witness to an example of servant leadership by one of history’s greats. “My father went to see Mother Teresa with a group of five foreigners at Nirmal Hriday. They were ushered into the room, where there were five chairs. Mother noticed that there was no chair for my father, so she went out and personally carried a chair into the room for him. She did not allow him to carry it. We do not know what was discussed, but my father was so touched that he carried the memory of the incident in his heart, and did not fail to recount it to many later on,” recalls David.

What do we gain from it?

The benefits of servant leadership manifest slowly and in subtle ways, but the results are extraordinary. Leading with such a philosophy creates employees who look up to the leader as someone worth following. It creates a mindset where the employees feel the need to give 100 per cent dedication to work. Moreover, it empowers them to speak up. An empowered team is a happy team, which is more productive, innovative and creative.

When that happens, there is low turnover, because employees are more engaged, and this leads to building a great culture. Trust is both a defining part of servant leadership, and the end-result. Organisations with high levels of trust among members ultimately lead to great cultures and increased efficiency.

Another curious fact of servant leadership is that it not only creates more followers, but helps build great leaders. It is easy to see why. Acts of compassion, humility and empathy are modelled on leaders, and followed by the people they influence. A single act of empathy or kindness is remembered for a lifetime, as we have seen from the examples mentioned earlier.

“At its core, servant leadership encompasses the values of empathy, compassion and humility. The need for servant leadership comes to the fore especially in times like these.”

So what do servant leaders do?

At the same time, there are pitfalls as well. No good comes without a few faults. Overindulging in acts of empathy and compassion can result in overlooking underperformance. Instead of encouraging the team, it can create an opposite effect and bring down the whole team’s morale.

In addition, it is not feasible for a leader to constantly care for one’s employees. More to the point, it is not wise and can come at the cost of one’s own health and mental wellbeing. It can create mental and physical fatigue for the individual. It is safe to put some healthy boundaries in place.

The post Servant leadership: Why it matters appeared first on HR Katha.

Remote employees direly need motivation and a supporting hand to stay calm and work in a smooth manner. Therefore, HR leaders are opening up to new ways of remote leadership to guide the employees through these troubling times.

HRKatha spoke to various HR leaders about their remote leadership and behavioural aspects during this lockdown period.

Communication

Managing remote employees requires more than just giving employees a laptop and following up before the day ends. Communication is the ultimate key and remote leaders should have understood it by now.

Unless you are authentic as a remote HR leader, you will lose credibility much faster than in a normal work culture

According to a survey by Future Workforce, 80 per cent of the workers said they would have better relationships if their team communicated with them more often while working remotely. The study found that two-thirds of remote workers aren’t engaged and over a third never get any face time with their team. Yet over 40 per cent felt in-person meetings would help build deeper relationships.

Harshvendra Soin, chief people officer, Tech Mahindra, believes in the leadership staying e-connected with the employees during this difficult period.

During this crisis, Soin says, “We are e-connected with our employees at various levels. For us, being aware of the well-being of our employees is the first step of communication, followed by work.”

“Since remote working is relatively new for most of us, we are striving hard to keep our employees motivated and inspired. As the situation gets tough, the mind needs to be stable, to be able to deal with the stigma of the new work environment,” he adds.

As communication is the key, Soin makes it a point to send out personal messages and videos to his employees on a daily basis.

Responding to the current situation, Girish Menon, CHRO, Swiggy, says, “There is a lot of anxiety in the overall system and it is important and challenging to keep communication strong with the employees. We have to deal with a set of employees who will be super engaged, while the others may be disengaged.”

Understanding 

In troubling times like these, employees seek a leader who understands and empathises with their circumstances. Having believed in this firm leadership practice, Soin asserts, “During this lockdown period, the painful scenario around the world is pushing us to be more empathetic towards our employees, beyond the workplace.”

As a flexible work schedule is considered to be the most sought after employee benefits today, Indrajeet Sengupta, chief human resources officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages,  believes in a similar work environment and considers it to be a game changer in the long run.

Sengupta explains, “Technological advances have paved the way for remote workers to accomplish everything at a distance. And we have followed the flexibility in working hours not only at the workplace but even during remote work.”

Relationship

The best relationships are built through regular face-to-face contact. Therefore, getting to know employees with minimal physical interaction can be difficult.

As modern age leaders, Soin says, “It is our call of duty to inspire our employees, get them charged up and do the work remotely. In a professional environment, there is no positional power at work, but remotely, the power of ‘relationship’ helps to stay connected with the clients and the team members.”

It is our call of duty to inspire our employees, get them charged up and do the work remotely

Menon on the other hand, believes in the shift in three areas, such as mindset, tools set and skills set.

As we are dealing with a critical situation, Menon continues, “It is important for us to behave differently and communicate adequately. As a remote leader, if you address these three areas, you will positively make people productive and engaged.”

Expectation 

“I believe in wellness over business,” says Soin.

“As far as expectations are concerned, we work to keep our clients on foot, and therefore, can’t afford to miss the deadlines. As most of our clients are working in the essential segment, the idea is to fulfil the commitment to the clients. But it comes only after the safety of our employees.”

Swiggy is also  a part of essential services, but Menon has a different approach when it comes to ensuring productivity, especially when employees are working from home.  As some customers are solely dependent on them, Menon says, “We  like to ensure that the service is on the run. It is a period where we are concerned about the employees’ safety, fulfilling the customer’s expectations and ensuring the business continuity, all at the same time.”

“In this period, when leaders are watching, the ones who stand out and take ownership as  individuals, will be noticed and considered for future prospects,” Menon adds.

Visibility 

HCCB’s Sengupta believes in the leadership of visibility, as he thinks an HR leader has no longer a fixed role to play.

“With the current changes in the work structure, the complexity of the job has suddenly changed and become multi-folded for HR leaders, which means leadership has to become more visible,” Sengupta states.

According to him, visibility in a digital mode also means to be hyper connected with every employee, making them feel included in this difficult journey. He feels, “People generally look for leaders who are hyper communicative, hyper inclusive and genuinely care for people they represent.”

Trust  

Given the flood of information on social media, some of which is dubious, companies are focused on giving employees reliable information.  Remote employees should reach out to their leaders for any piece of information, which, in a way, builds a trust factor between the two.

In this period, when leaders are watching, the ones who stand out and take ownership as  individuals, will be noticed and considered for future prospects

A recent online survey in 10 countries revealed that more employees believe information from their company than from other sources, such as government websites or traditional media.

Commenting on the trust placed by remote employees on their leaders, Sengupta asserts, “The latter should be confident enough in what they say and deliver. In the current traumatic situation, where everyone is trying their best to cope up with the remote working culture, remote leaders should avoid being pretentious, while dealing with their employees.”

“Unless you are authentic as a remote HR leader, you will lose credibility much faster than in a normal work culture,” Sengupta adds.

The post Nuances of effective remote leadership appeared first on HR Katha.

Bhatia is the president of workforce management at Quess Corp and Azmi is the CMD at Futurz Staffing. They will be taking over from outgoing president, Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and EVP, Teamlease and outgoing vice-president R.P. Yadav, CMD, Genius Consultants.

Bhatia, commenting on his new role, says, “The current positive regulatory environment has accelerated India’s shift from an informal to a formal economy. Catapulting the flexi-staffing space as a major driver of the Indian economy is the key to solving the growing challenge of employment and employability. Look forward to closely working with the newly constituted board to ensure the momentum is sustained over the next two years.”

Sharing his thoughts, Farhan Azmi, vice-president, ISF, said, “We will focus on furthering the awareness of flexi staffing among the masses and building a stronger partnership with the Government to ensure the industry has its support in regulatory or policy aspects and its growth continues unabated in the years ahead.”

Outgoing president, Rituparna Chakraborty, says, “Over the past decade, we have provided a stepping stone to a better and brighter career for over nine million youth. We have enabled an eco-system that actively supports the growth and expansion of corporate India through ?exibility, administrative ef?ciency and ?awless compliance. I extend my full-fledged co-operation to the new team in their endeavour to take ISF to its next level of growth.”

“The new team takes charge at a really exciting time in our industry’s evolution. All the parameters are set for the industry to be propelled into the next orbit,” says R.P. Yadav, outgoing VP, offerng his full support to the new team.

India is the fifth largest market employing around 3.3 million flexi-staff in 2020. Currently employing a million flexi staff annually, ISF has generated employment for more than nine million over the last 10 years.

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The move is a sincere step towards curbing unnecessary spending and is a part of the plan to undertake multiple tough measures to keep overall expenses at a minimum. “Being an online company, the majority of our costs are variable. However, the situation demands that we take a hard look at all our fixed costs including people costs,” assert the owners in their official statement.

With the sudden loss of bookings on the platform owing to this fatal outbreak, followed by the restrictions on domestic air/rail/bus travel, the travel industry has been brought to a virtual standstill.

The Nasdaq-listed firm pointed out that in addition to this step, it will also continue to sharply reduce variable expenses on aspects, such as advertising, sales promotions and payment gateway costs, along with optimising IT infrastructure and expenses related to the functioning of their offices and other establishments. “We will immediately cancel all discretionary spends, such as events, trainings, and so on, and also suspend brand-building expenses during the following quarter.”

These developments follow a record October-December quarter for MakeMyTrip, when its gross bookings jumped 19 per cent to $1.7 billion, while losses also halved to $11 million. Unfortunately, ever since late February, the Company has been witnessing a fall in bookings, especially for the busy summer holiday season.

The post Owners of Make My Trip will take zero salary as a cost cutting measure appeared first on HR Katha.

With such uncertainty, it is upon the leaders to shine a light on the road their employees should take.

This is where the twin challenges arise — of trying to ensure that the employees, colleagues, customers, and their families are kept safe, and of attempting to prevent disruptions in the supply chain and stay afloat. Driving business continuity at a time like this comes with its own set of challenges and to-do’s since this is not business-as-usual.

The best leaders are very clear in what they want to communicate

Here are a few essential dos and don’ts that leaders need to keep in mind during a crisis situation.

Stay genuine and authentic

Leadership is successful when the employees believe in the leader. In such times, it is all the more important to know what and when to say, because people in an organisation have limited avenues to source information from and are most likely to believe whatever comes straight from the horse’s mouth

“A leader should not present flowery words to the employees in times of distress. Along with grace and dignity, being genuine in words and actions is the most essential element in leading people,” says Nihar Ghosh, CHRO, Emami Group.

Take the example of Jeff Bezos, who in an open letter to his employees on March 22, said, ‘It is only going to get worse before it gets better’. While the message is not all positive, it presents true facts without any sugar coating. This not only helps build an employee’s trust, but also paints a clear picture of the state of business at hand.

“Clarity, assurance and accountability have to be essentials of any leadership communication in moments of crises. The best leaders are very clear in what they want to communicate”, says Prabir Jha, HR specialist.

However bad the state of things may be, clarity in a difficult time is more assuring than flowery words.

Keeping the flock together:

Every company has experienced work from home, and while the concept is not new, a complete remote-work scenario is something nobody had ever practiced. This may prompt leaders to work harder and for longer hours to stay in touch with others within the organisation.

With everyone working from home, leading during this time translates to staying connected. People are more used to the physical space rather that the virtual one. Therefore, it falls upon the leaders to help them navigate through this every business day. Constant communication cannot be over-emphasised at this point.

Managing expectations:

As every organisation out there is trying to stay afloat, there may be dedicated teams working longer hours to ensure that business continuity becomes possible. However, not everyone may be able to pull in the same level of productivity that is expected of them. The same level of output as on a regular working day cannot be expected from the workers during such times, since this is a scenario they are not used to.

Sensitivity and empathy are key to keeping the employees engaged and motivated to continue working despite the challenges encountered in delivery. Now, there will be constraints that people may not be used to, and in this scenario, there may be multiple variables hindering work, which are not thought of. “Exacting standards of outcome is not the best thing to do right now because people may just give up or sign off,” points out Ghosh.

This is especially true for jobs, which are more outcome-based, such as sales or marketing. There will be a high degree of anxiety created around this time. Therefore, sensitivity and compassion are important elements in leading people.

Communicating consistently:

While there is a lot of pressure on employees to deliver, the leadership faces the pressure to provide answers.

A leader should not present flowery words to the employees in the time of distress. One should be genuine in words and actions.

Leaders are human too. Despite the tough environment, they have to project a sense of calm and assuredness to those under them.  Most organisations have blueprints on how to function during a crisis. Even so, people may merely be taking it one day at a time. Employees at this time will need answers to questions that one may not have.

So what can be done?

Honest, consistent and adaptive communication is the need of the hour. Rather than projecting false confidence it may help more to be honest about being uncertain and proactively following up on earlier statements.  This means, actively addressing any concerns that are raised and adapting to the ever-changing reality.

Preparing a plan B:

This may sound apocalyptic, but it may be time to have a contingency plan in place. There may be a need to start a dialogue around a plan B for the organisation. With business hit hard and struggling to stay afloat, workers are bound to wonder about the fate of the organisation and their own.

In such a case, all leaders must communicate with their employees about what a worst-case scenario may look like, and how the company is preparing for it. “The essence of leadership is to make people feel that their leaders are standing beside them, not just through words but through actions,” asserts Ghosh.

It is the times of distress that make or break a leader and with no clue as to when the lockdown is going to be lifted, leadership needs to heed these few points to drive business continuity and overcome the barriers of leading remotely!

To conclude, as Jha puts it, “Done well, an informed group of people can collaborate responsibly to effect a remedial game plan that finally wins them, individually and collectively, their day. And it becomes folklore to leverage in future storytelling in culture shaping that ensures a more battle-ready environment for the future.”

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“As a preventive measure, and to achieve social distancing, faculty members, researchers, scholars, fellows and non-teaching staffs (except employees attached to emergency services) are permitted and advised to work from home till March 31 or until further orders, whichever is earlier with immediate effect,” reads the notice.

“Foreign students and staff in the halls and hostels are permitted to continue in the same accommodation,” the notice adds, asking faculty members, researchers, and so on to be available on phone and e-mail.

Amit Khare, secretary, MHRD, said on Saturday, “In a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, the instructors and non-teaching staff of colleges, universities and schools are allowed to telecommute till March 31.”

The Ministry has asked all instructors and educational institutes to keep communicating with students and resolve their queries with regard to their subjects. The Ministry has also requested guardians, students, and teachers to not panic.

The number of COVID-19 positive patients in India rose to 396 on March 22. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), approximately 16,999 samples from 16,109 people have been tested for COVID-19 as of 10:00 am on March 22.

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The objective is to deliver a leadership-development programme for administrative functionaries — both middle and senior level — of Indian Universities. The programme is expected to improve the leadership capacity of the functionaries and also the quality of education being imparted in Indian universities. Not only will it help promote a global outlook but also ensure learning that is inclusive and in line with global higher education systems that support the economic and social growth in the UK and India. The idea is to encourage the functionaries to enhance their competency and performance, so that they will add more value to the institutional profile and contribute to the positive reputation of Indian universities.

The senior- and middle-level academic administrators will benefit from the programme as it will equip them to bring about systemic changes by adopting new models and approaches, and introducing new tools and skills.

The programme will comprise two workshops conducted by UK trainers, to train about 300 academic administrators at the registrar and joint/deputy/assistant registrar levels to enable them to professionally transform the higher education institutions.

From amongst the participants themselves, 30 will be selected to be future leadership development programme trainers. The selected participants will be given additional training.

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In today’s changing business scenario, companies treat their line managers and functional heads as entrepreneurs, who are responsible for delivering results and possess the freedom to make their own decisions. For this, they clearly need the support of their team members, and to garner that support, they need to have a fair idea of what their team needs and how to best run it to achieve good results. In short, they need good people skills.

Every manager needs a thorough understanding of HR to operate with efficiency. It is up to the HR leaders and business-unit heads to make the correct choice in terms of appointing the right people with the necessary people skills.

So what kinds of skills are sought after? We spoke to HR leaders to understand what skills they look for as indicators of a great manager.

Anant Garg, director-human resources, India and South Asia, BD, says, “As a people leader, you should be able to engage the team and develop them for higher levels of performance and bigger future roles. Many leaders are able to demonstrate one of these skills at a time, but what can make them great is the combination.”

Babu Thomas, CHRO, Shalby, say, “Teams which have lower attrition, high engagement, team work and have a positive business outcome reflect people skills in managers leading such teams.”

Striking a core balance between developing a team and engaging with them for effective performance is a clear requirement. Doing one at the cost of the other can give lopsided results.

There are a few other indicators of great people managers.

Proactiveness: This is a big factor, capable of making or breaking leaders. Functional heads and line managers need to think proactively about their people, instead of being reactive and trying to solve an issue only when it crops up. A reactive policy will only ensure that one is busy putting out fires rather than focussing on building a great team. Building people starts from day one.

Teams which have lower attrition, high engagement, team work and have a positive business outcome reflect people skills in managers leading such teams

Inclusiveness: How inclusive they are in their approach in dealing with people makes a  big difference. Every manager will have a particular way of doing things, which then applies to everybody they work with. However, people are different everywhere and have varying needs. Some may require more empowerment to carry out a task, while others may require more direction. Having a one-size-fits-all managerial approach will not sit well with every employee.

Approach to under-performance: The manner in which managers deal with under-performance and tough situations speaks volumes about their capabilities. It is a known fact that teams do fail at some point, and one cannot expect the best results all the time. It is up to the managers to understand this and take appropriate steps, such as provide feedback, and do it in a way that actually helps the person to grow. Managers often have to make the hard choice when an employee is constantly under-performing. Instead of shying away from a difficult conversation, they should be able to make the difficult choice of either letting the employee go or setting up a performance improvement plan (PIP).

“Ability to tackle under/mediocre performance is a big differentiator. Leaders sometimes boast of zero attrition in their teams over many years. But that may not always be good, as one needs to constantly upgrade the team and raise the performance bar,” says Garg.

Reaction to feedback:  Just as it is incumbent upon the employees to improve their performance, it is up to the managers to constructively use feedback and work on it. It is the managers’ responsibility to be self-aware and provide an environment where their team members can give genuine feedback, knowing that they will be heard.

Possessing these essential skills is what differentiates a people manager from a supervisor. People managers see themselves as leaders of their teams, responsible for the growth and the development of the members. On the other hand, supervisors will see their job as one that entails getting things done by the team.

As a people leader, you should be able to engage the team and develop them for higher levels of performance and bigger future roles. Many leaders are able to demonstrate one of these skills at a time, but what can make them great is the combination

Although having the right skills is essential, managers cannot be expected to come equipped with them or understand how to acquire them. For those managers, it may be more fruitful to organise a training programme. This will provide them with the knowledge required to gather good people skills.

“Most companies focus on supervisory skill development after someone takes a team leader role. But that’s slightly late, as these skills take time to develop and in the meantime, we are risking the team performance and engagement. People aspiring for team-management roles often feel they need to be given a team first to display their people skills. That’s not always true. Those with leadership talent can start displaying their influencing, mentoring and collaborating skills in individual contributor roles too. This then provides the confidence to the organisation to trust them with a management responsibility. And organisations need to start investing in this skill ahead of the curve for their potential team leaders”, adds Garg.

Thomas presenting a different view of the matter says,”It is not correct to assume that non-HR professional cannot effectively deal with employees. We can train and skill professional on people skills and to handle difficult people situations.”

At the end of the day, it is about getting results through people. This makes it extremely urgent for managers to possess adequate knowledge of HR to become effective in their work, in any industry and across functions. Naturally, HR can play a significant role here by guiding the first-time managers and those that need help to achieve the strategic vision of the organisation.

The post How to spot the right people skills in line managers and functional heads appeared first on HR Katha.

These cross-functional teams did not match at least three of the following five criteria –

1. Meeting a planned budget
2. Staying on schedule
3. Adhering to specifications
4. Meeting customer expectations
5. Maintaining alignment with the company’s corporate goals

Cross-functional teams fail to deliver the desired results because of certain reasons, such as lack of systematic approach, unclear governance, lack of accountability, unspecific goals and the organisation’s failure to prioritise the success of cross-functional teams.

Breaking siloes

A common problem that comes in the way of the success of cross-functional teams success is the very diversity that these teams represent and celebrate.
People coming from different functions do not work with each other in harmony. A person from the finance department does not get along well with the HR because they both share different values.

For instance, when a training programme is being run, the HR will always attempt to increase the training duration of the employees to ensure better and more learning, whereas the finance team will look at cutting costs, and will gradually try to reduce the number of days spent on training.

“An HR person will always have a people-centric mindset, while a finance person will always look at economising. Being contradictory in nature, it will always be difficult to follow these two values together,” says Rishi Tiwari, director HR, Hilton.

“The Synergy programme helped us to make people understand each other’s functions and and emerge as ‘one’. It particularly impacted the mindset of the people”

To overcome this problem, it is very important to build the capability to understand each other’s values.

Saba Adil, chief people officer, Avanse Financial Services, shares her experience in one of the organisations she worked with. The Company used to run a programme called Synergy, which includes workshops to change the mindset of people and work together as a team, in spite of belonging to different functions.

“This programme helped us to make people understand each other’s work and emerge as ‘one’. It particularly impacted the mindset of the people,” explains Adil.

Proper governance

Another problem that we face working with a cross-functional team is proper governance or leadership. The study suggests that comparing successful cross-functional teams with others, the difference came out to be that there was an oversight team of senior executives who were governing the cross-functional team.

In 2000, Cisco made a cross-functional team with representatives from software engineers, marketing, quality assurance, manufacturing and customer service. There was a core team of 20, members of which reported back to their respective functions. Leading the team were three senior-level executives who looked after the end-to-end functioning of the project.

“Aligning the goals of these different functions with that of the organisational goals is done by the project sponsors in a cross-functional project”

“Aligning the goals of these different functions with that of the organisational goals is done by the project sponsors,” says Mangesh Bhide, head-HR, technology & FTTx business, Reliance Jio.

“In our organisation, we keep one thing in mind while making a cross-functional team— meeting the expectations of the customers and the stakeholders,” adds Bhide.

Alignment with organisational goals

Quite often, representatives of different functions think about their own individual function and not the organisation as a whole. This is one of the major reasons for the failure of cross-functional teams.

“The members of a cross functional team should not have different KRAs according to different functions. The team should have one single objective to achieve, which is aligned with the organisational goals”

“The solution is not to have different KRAs according to different functions. The team should have one single objective to achieve, which is aligned with the organisational goals,” explains Tiwari.

The benefits of a cross-functional team are immense. It can lead to a high degree of success. To top it all, it also gives employees working in different departments an opportunity to understand each other, which creates a sense of unity.

The post How to make cross-functional teams successful appeared first on HR Katha.

Recently, a flyer by the name of @aviation analyst, posted an image of a woman flight attendant sleeping in the airline’s lounge at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, on Twitter, and tagged Kapoor in the photo. He complained that sleeping personnel did not present a good image of the Company and urged the establishment to improve its image.

In his response, Kapoor asked the user to take the image down from the platform as it was a clear violation of a person’s privacy. He added that the Airline does not approve of customers taking pictures of its crew without their permission, and that they have a right to take rest when they need it. He went on to say that the employees worked very hard and that they are just as human as anybody else. Kapoor also clarified that the crew member was napping while on a break, and was rightfully doing so in the lounge provided specifically for that purpose.

Twitterati rose in approval of Kapoor’s comment and lauded him for defending the rights of his employees. The user who posted the photo had to make his account private on account of the backlash he faced.

In an industry where the golden rule taught is that the customer is always right, Kapoor’s response came as a much-needed step in favour of employees and their wellbeing.

The post Vistara CCO defends employee on social media appeared first on HR Katha.

In one of the studies conducted by Gartner, the following four types of managers were identified, who help enhance the skills in their team members.

Teachers – These are the managers who coach and mentor team members through their knowledge and experience.

Cheerleaders – These managers will encourage their team members to build on their skills and let them find their own path to develop those skills on their own.

Always-on – This type of manager will constantly give and take feedbacks, and give regular coaching to the team members.

Connector managers – They are the ones who help their team members to the best of their capacity, sharing with them their expertise and further connecting them to the right people who can guide and coach the employees to develop the desired skills.

The Study reveals that while most managers do enhance the performance of the employees, it is the ‘connector managers’ who do it the most.

Organisations would do well to have connecter managers in leadership positions.

“We do not consciously identify and look for connector managers while hiring people in leadership roles, but at the back of my mind I do look at people who are well connected and have a wide network in the industry,” explains Kamal Vatnani, India leader- culture and people experience, Ensono.

For those who wish to hire a connector manager, there are specific traits and skills to look for in the candidates.

“We do not consciously identify and look for connector managers while hiring people in leadership roles, but at the back of my mind I do look at people who are well connected and have a wide network”

The most important asset in connector managers would be their wide network in the industry.

To check that, the candidates can be asked about the attrition rate of their team in their previous organisation. The right candidate should also be capable of convincing a person to not leave the company by helping her/him fit into some other role in a different department. Simply put, the right candidate should be able to build a network internally.

In addition, the common connections that such people may have on social media platforms is a great indicator of their ability to connect and network with the relevant people.

Seema Bangia, chief people officer, Mahindra Defence System, adds, “We can also identify connector managers by exploring their journey so far and their team size; by finding out whether they were individual contributors; how their team members grew in the team and organisation; and how they deployed resources; and what criteria they used to identify skill sets for the role.”

There are also other skills or traits that help us identify connector managers, because such people are:

Demand driven – They recognise the skills their team members require to stay relevant in the future and today. Also, they will be aware of how technological interventions will impact the business of the organisation.

“We can identify connector managers by exploring their journey so far and their team size; by finding out whether they were individual contributors; how their team members grew in the team and organisation”

Self-aware – While some managers misguide their teams with regular coaching and feedback, connector managers will be aware of their own capabilities and learnings. Therefore, they will ensure that the team members are given accurate guidance. They will encourage their teams to imbibe the required set of skills by either helping them to their capacity or connecting them to the right people who can guide and coach them to get the desired skills.

Understand their employees – Connector managers will get to the root of the problem which is disturbing their team members. They will understand what kind of challenges their employees are facing and what kind of support they need to overcome them.

Apart from hiring, a company can also build and develop connector managers in their organisation.

First, the organisation can encourage them to brand themselves and create an image of a thought leader. This will allow them to build network.

A company can also put leaders into a peer coaching programme, where they get to find solutions and solve problems through discussions with other leaders in the company. This will allow them to build a network internally.

While hiring leaders or developing people in leadership roles, it is natural for employers to seek out people with certain skills which are necessary for the role. But a connector manager is someone who can build leaders for the future.

“When you want to create best employee experiences, it is very important to look for a leader who can further create future leaders,” concludes Bangia.

The post Why do organisations need a ‘connector manager’ appeared first on HR Katha.

If we look at some of the successful Indian startups and family businesses, we will find that they are headed by CEOs who belong to the age group of 30 to 45. They are relatively young leaders, who are efficiently handling global operations for their respective companies.

Typically, people working as C-suite members are very senior professionals with over 20 to 25 years of experience. They may be better than the CEOs when it comes to their designated functions. Also, the reason why a youngster is a CEO is because of the extraordinary skills and competency the young individual possesses that makes her/him ideal to be appointed at that level.

“The CEO’s role is the same regardless of the experience, gender, level or age or the qualifications of the person holding the chair. Like any role, the CEO’s role is one that the person has to grow in to do justice”

Young CEOs need to keep in mind certain points while dealing with people who are way senior to them.

HRKatha had a chat with some of the HR leaders in the industry who revealed exactly what those points are.

“I can very well relate to the situation because I have been in one myself in my last job. I was a person with close to 25 years of experience and I was reporting to a 29-year old. These situations can get very tricky at times and for me the most important thing is right communication,” says Praveer Priyadarshi, former chief people officer, Jindal Stainless.

“When you are a very young CEO dealing with senior professionals, it is very important to explain the ‘why’ behind everything you decide”

Things that a young CEO should do

Be a good listener – At such a young age, dealing with senior people can be difficult. Therefore, the young CEOs should learn to empathise and understand that the people they are dealing with are the best at their respective jobs. At the same time, being such young CEOs means they are still in the learning phase. By patiently observing these seniors, they can learn a lot from them too.

Explain the rationale – There will be instances where the young CEOs may not like a suggestion or an idea from the other person. In such situations, they should not just discard the idea without giving any reason. An approach involving rationale and reasoning is very important. Explain the reason ‘why’ the suggestion or idea is beneficial. In the absence of such reasoning, people will start getting irritated and will think that the CEO is a very egoistic person.

“When you are a very young CEO dealing with senior professionals, it is very important to explain the ‘why’ behind everything you decide,” mentions Anish Philip, VP-people function, Mindtree.

“When you have a young CEO heading experienced professionals things can get very tricky at times and for me the most important thing is right communication”

Communicate appropriately – As a CEO, whichever form of communication you adopt with your team— from verbal to written—has to be appropriate. The CEOs should know what they are communicating and how.

Trust people – CEOs should trust their people and let them take things in their own hands. In short, they should give their team members a free hand. However, at the same time, they should be fully aware of the position of authority they occupy. They have to verify whether the other person is fit for the job or not.

“The CEO’s role is the same regardless of the experience, gender, level or age or the qualifications of the person holding the chair. Like any role, the CEO’s role is one that the person has to grow in to do justice. While each CEO may have their own style and approach to deliver the results, the stakeholders hold the leader up to the same high standards,” shares Abhijit Bhaduri, Digital transformation coach.

Project capabilities – At some point, people will need to understand that irrespective of experience, the CEO is THE CEO. Again, it is up to the CEOs to make people realise this and win their trust. They should conduct themselves in such a manner that they fully project their capabilities to the people and show them why they occupy the position of CEO.

The post The vulnerable relationship between a young CEO and Gen X C-suite appeared first on HR Katha.

There are several business cases where an inclusive and diverse environment has fostered a variety of perspectives and creativity. Some researches have even gone on to say that a high level of diversity directly reflects in a positive increase in profits.

A research by HBR reveals that an inclusive leader is 17 per cent higher performing and 20 per cent more likely to make better decisions.

So what do we really see in inclusive leaders? What are some of the traits we would want leaders to have for an inclusive environment?

High level of commitment – Inclusive leaders have to be full of energy and should be able to invest time to foster an inclusive environment in the organisation. Inclusiveness does not come in two or three months. It takes years and years of effort to transform and create an inclusive environment.

Ability to empower – To foster a culture of inclusiveness, the leaders need to empower their team members and encourage them to speak their mind. The leaders need to make sure that they have different points of view for every decision. There should be contradictions. Only then will different ideas come from all directions no matter who you are.

Cultural knowledge – Inclusive leaders possess knowledge of different communities and cultures and try to mould the policies of the organisation accordingly. This is one way of creating a genuine feeling of belongingness.

Impartiality – Inclusive leaders need to be free of biases. It is important to treat everybody equally— whether it is an issue of accountability of work or a case of giving out rewards. Before taking on the responsibility to help and remove biasness from the organisation, the leaders first need to look within themselves and remove any bias. This is very important because leaders are prone to self-cloning.

Ability to instill a sense of belongingness – All leaders have a strong relationship with their team members. Nobody in the team should feel left out at any point. Building good relations with the team inside or even outside workplaces creates a sense of belongingness.

Authenticity – Leaders should promote a culture where employees or team members bring in their whole selves to the workplace. They should maintain their unique identity or behaviour rather than adopt or imitate behaviours for the sake of the organisation. Simply put, they should be genuine.

Curiosity to learn – Learning about different things and skills gives leaders different perspectives, which further helps them respect every individual’s personality. It offers leaders access to different ideas and teaches them to respect diverse viewpoints.

The above list of qualities can be used as a check list by leaders to see how many of these traits they possess and how many they need to develop or inculcate. These are qualities that team members can look for in their own leaders, and evaluate whether their leaders possess all that is needed to ensure an inclusive environment.

The post What are the traits of an inclusive leader? appeared first on HR Katha.

“In my experience, I have seen many such cases in different organisations. If more than 60 per cent of the team comprises underperformers, the leader is at fault,” says Anil Mohanty, HR head, Medikabazaar.

A study suggests that unknowingly leaders can create underperformers in their teams with their attitude of distrust and overgovernance. Such behaviour leads the team members to lose trust in their work and their performance gradually begins to decline.

That is why, it is so important for leaders to be motivating. They should be able to give their members some level of autonomous decision-making power. They should also allow their team members the freedom to work in their own style.

According to HR leaders, in case a team is underperforming, the first thing required is to perform a root cause analysis of the situation. Talk to the concerned managers and their team members and try to find out what exactly is going wrong. There can be a few reasons, such lack of leadership quality in the managers, or the leaders creating a toxic environment with their attitude, which does not let the employees give their best.

“Generally, in such cases, the leader is at fault. To correct the situation, we can take the leaders through a training programme so that they can be guided. We can also look back and examine those whom we are promoting to become leaders,” suggests Mukul Chopra, HR head, Club Factory.

“In my experience, I have seen many such cases in different organisations. If more than 60 per cent of the team comprises underperformers, the leader is at fault”

But many a time guiding the leaders does not really produce great results. Changing the mindset of the leaders is very difficult.

“I have seen in many cases, that guiding and training the manager is pointless. They have reached a certain seniority level where it is impossible to explain to them that something is wrong with them,” shares Mohanty.

“Of course, you have to give a chance to the manager to improve, but more often than not, only harsh steps work, such as removing the person from the role,” adds Mohanty.

If the concerned managers and their teams manage to improve and show good performance, the leaders are retained. Otherwise, the managers are asked to move to another role, where they are responsible for their own individual performance.

Other than leaders being at fault, there can also be a problem in hiring. “I believe that hiring the right people is also as important as grooming good leaders. About 90 per cent of HR problems results from wrong hiring,” asserts Chopra.

The leaders need to pick their teams very carefully and hire people with caution.

“I believe that hiring the right people is also as important as grooming good leaders. About 90 per cent of HR problems results from wrong hiring”

“I feel this is the main problem for HR. To fulfil the mandate of expanding the organisation, we just start hiring without actually giving a thought to why we should hire someone,” mentions Chopra.

Sometimes, a good performer cannot become a good leader. A classic example is that of Sachin Tendulkar, who is regarded as the god of cricket. He was an exceptional batting sensation but when it came to leading the side, he did not turn out to be a great captain. In spite of possessing such deep knowledge of the game, he failed to deliver as a leader.

The HR community has to be careful about a few things which can prevent such situations. It is essential to hire the right people with a positive attitude. It is equally important to choose leaders and conduct leadership trainings so that the managers are aware of what it is like to be a leader. Lastly, we should continuously train the employees so that their performance levels remain steady.

“Making your leaders go through a robust training programme is very essential,” emphasises Chopra.

Clearly, if 70 to 80 per cent of your team is not performing as per expectations, individuals are not to blame. It is the leadership that should come under scrutiny.

The post Leaders are to blame for underperforming teams appeared first on HR Katha.

Given its hire and fire culture, it is common for the baseline workers, comprising manual labourers, to quit very frequently. Moreover, the sector struggles to attract competent talent at mid-levels too and fails miserably in terms of succession planning.

Prince Augustin, EVP group human capital, Mahindra & Mahindra, who works with SMEs on a daily basis, is of the opinion that every enterprise in this sector, needs to become more practical and its people philosophy has to be geared to reality. “SMEs have a big floating population of employees. Moreover, having a larger number of employees does not necessarily mean that productivity will go up. The question is, how effectively are people utilised there?”

SMEs are mostly run by families and often without hierarchical structures between the founders (leaders) and employees. The middle level should be developed as it is in constant touch with the leaders and should take responsible positions.

“SMEs have a big floating population of employees. Moreover, having a larger number of employees does not necessarily mean that productivity will go up. The question is, how effectively are people utilised there?”

“SMEs try to scale up by adding more people, when what they actually need is technology and experts to run them,” says Pankaj Bansal, CEO, People Strong, who provides HR solutions to the SME sector.

“Do we really need that much people in SMEs? Effectiveness is not in employing a greater number of workers, but in productivity and manpower efficiency,” says Augustin.

Now, how can they attract skilled talent, since they do not believe in building a brand value which so far has been little known to this sector? The SMEs that operate out of the metros find it very challenging to attract competent talent.

In addition, SMEs do not leverage social media and lose out on attracting qualified and competent talent.

Clearly, SMEs cannot continue to overlook the strategic role that the HR function can play in their business growth. By having an internal one or outsourcing it, they can remove the ambiguity that exists in this sector around defining roles, career-paths and learning and development.

“Another problem with this sector is that it is very conservative about making investments. That is a big roadblock that prevents it from taking meaningful HR decisions,” says Bansal.

The restricted growth of SMEs can be blamed on the founders’ conservative mindsets. They are usually control freaks and focused on cutting costs. Most decisions made by the owners of the companies reflect the same attitude. Moreover, the owner-run companies fail to understand that having policies for people practices will give them a competitive advantage, be it manufacturing or sales.

No businessman will change, if he does not see profit at the end of the day. SMEs have to see that direct value contribution before they change.

“Unfortunately, they do not have our education ecosystem, and therefore, lose out on very high talent. Also, the problem is with our education system, for instance work that can be done by a high school pass student is being done by a graduate,” opines Augustin.

At Mahindra, Augustin and team have created an organisational support system for the SMEs, because they realise that 50 per cent of their business depends upon them. “It is imperative that we build their capability. Since they cannot afford to have high-level HR personnel, they have to basically learn how to leverage competent HR resources, and thus, resort to relying on a share model.

Time and technology are slowly but surely taking over the sector, which is waking up to see the advantage of the HR function in terms of long-term employee experience, better cost management and more people bandwidth.

“The word of caution here is SMES are still penny wise and pound foolish, when it comes to choosing digital and outsourcing partners. More often, They get things right the second time, not the first time”

“Absolutely! I see a massive change in thinking. Most of the SMEs have adopted OKR (objective and key result) based on a popular book by John Dover, Measure What Matters. Most of them are open to getting newer technology to run internal processes,” remarks Bansal.

Apparently, 80 per cent of HR can be digitised or outsourced. However, the more the companies move towards digitisation the better, as activities, such as payroll can be outsourced.

“The word of caution here is they are still penny wise and pound foolish, when it comes to choosing digital and outsourcing partners. More often, people get things right the second time, not the first time,” chuckles Bansal.

On a more serious note, Augustin says, “They need to develop a visionary mindset, so we teach them not be dependent on one company, and highlight the importance of strategy, and the processes required to manage human capital.”

Definitely things have to be made very simple for them. “If we talk of complicated products, such as engagement models, the leadership does not have the bandwidth to appreciate and understand that. If I tell them, ‘When people will emotionally connect with you, your productivity will be high,’ that they understand,” opines Augustin.

Now, it is more critical than ever for the SMEs to develop employees at the managerial level to boost their growth trajectory and also create a robust culture, which apparently, they lack.

The post Why SMEs need HR for business growth appeared first on HR Katha.

The truth is that students rarely focus on high-end stipends when they think about internships. Their enthusiasm is more to do with the brand they will be associating with and the learning they will receive as part of the summer internship. But many companies look at interns merely as people who can be made to perform all their cumbersome and time-consuming work.

With an aim to bring about a change in this trend, Godrej India Culture Lab’s leadership programme is designed in such a way that all the desires of interns— in terms of receiving good exposure and experience —are fulfilled. The leadership programme, which was started last year, to create future culture leaders, is a mix of classroom training and on-the-job learning.

For this programme, Godrej India Culture Lab is only looking for humanities students, who come from the fields of history, art, culture, geography and mass communication.

“We always had interns at Godrej Culture Lab, but we wanted to make it a more formalised programme. The objective is to take a step towards building a strong pipeline of culture leaders as there are no schools for it,” says Parmesh Shahani, head, Godrej India Culture Lab, India.

For this programme, some eight colleges were targeted covering over 500 students. First and second-year students from colleges, such as the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA), Sir JJ College of Architecture, Industrial Design Centre (IDC) of IIT Mumbai, St. Xavier’s College and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) were evaluated and selected.

The Company followed a rigorous selection process via which only nine students were shortlisted.

The candidates were first asked to write a creative pitch or an essay, after which they faced an interview where they were qualitatively assessed.

“We always had interns at Godrej Culture Lab, but we wanted to make it a more formalised programme. The objective is to take a step towards building a strong pipeline of culture leaders as there are no schools for it”

As the leadership programme is more of a learning curve for the students, it has been divided into three main components— classroom learning, visits and the final project.

In classroom learning, master classes were organised by experts from various fields, such as writing, film making, art, painting and many more. Experts, such as theatre artist, Quasar Padamsee; the Dharavi Project Team, which offers a platform for hip-hop talent from the slums; Shilpa Kamble, author of the award-winning novel Nilya Dolyanchi Mulgi; gallerist Mort Chatterjee of Chatterjee & Lal; and writer-producer Nikhil Taneja are invited to interact with the students and talk about their experiences.

The Company has also prepared some content for the students, which they have to go through in their reading sessions.

The students are also taken to various locations of cultural significance in Mumbai — museums, art galleries, film and music studios, and so on — that are true representatives of the culture and society of the city.

As part of their final project this year, the students have to organise an event called the ‘Migration Museum’ in June at the Culture Lab in Mumbai.

The students will curate the event themselves, taking care of the logistics, promotion, and each and every aspect of the same, and also reach out to people, under the guidance of mentors.

This time the leadership programme not only has more student participants, but also offers more reading material than it did last year.

According to Shahani, with the kind of confidence boost that the students experience by undergoing the programme, they are equipped to add value wherever they go, irrespective of the industry they join.
And what is more, the students also get paid for the internship.

Some of the students who were part of this programme last year are now working in big companies, such as Piramal, while many were hired by Godrej Culture Lab itself.

By giving the right kind of skills, knowledge and exposure to these students, Godrej Culture Lab is ensuring a pipeline for cultural leaders, who can understand the culture as well as the society, in general, and do something to improve and celebrate them in different ways.

“Culture is one of the building blocks of our nation. Unfortunately, there aren’t many institutions dedicated to nurturing cultural leaders. With our leadership programme, we’re hoping to introduce students to the exciting possibilities in the cultural space, and we hope they will find their place in it as well,” says Shahani.

The post Nurturing culture leaders appeared first on HR Katha.

However, there is one more factor that these successful managers depend on — their teams. Managers cannot achieve their goals without the support of their team members. Clearly, they need skilled people around them to attain success.

Let’s take the example of a commander. How successful can a commander be on the battlefield, if he doesn’t earn the trust of his soldiers? The success of the commander will depend on how much of a people’s person he is. After all, it’s not an easy task to order your people to go and risk their lives. You need a high level of motivation for that.

Back to the corporate world, when managers —be it function heads or CEOs—need to achieve an uphill task, they need the support of their team.

“For a manager to be successful, she needs to know her people; their needs, aspirations and challenges. The only way to do that is to own her team’s engagement, motivation, learning and career development,” says Rattan Chugh, chief people officer, Times Internet.

“All managers perform HR-related work, to a certain extent, but an HR is a specialist guy with great expertise and education, who also performs duties such as dealing with employee issues and compensation and benefits, and handles the complexities of an organisation.”

Just take the case of a young assistant manager in a tea estate or a graduate engineer at a plant. This young manager has to get work out of people who are probably his/her father’s age. This is far from easy.

Emmanuel David, director, Tata Management Training Centre, says, “Whether a line manager or an HR manager, one has to learn to share power. In doing so, one doesn’t lose power, but graduates from execution to authority.”

Companies must realise that the people management skills of managers need to be enhanced from time to time for the smooth functioning of the department, and also for better output.

David recalls how at Gujarat Gas, the Company had organised a workshop in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, for its line managers. The objective was to equip them with leadership skills, help them set goals and ensure employee engagement.

“An organisation without an HR manager will end up in a chaotic situation, with no clear authority to look into recruitment, compensation and generally maintaining order and balance.”

Before the workshop, employee satisfaction was at 42 per cent. Post the workshop in 2005, it went up to 72 per cent, and subsequently to 87 per cent in the following year.

He shares that the workshop was a great way to enhance the efficiency of line managers equipping them with certain leadership qualities, which ultimately resulted in overall employee satisfaction and productivity.

If line managers should try and become great people managers, what role will be left the HR managers to pay? Will they be rendered obsolete?

Not all. In fact, the line managers and HR managers will have to work in sync for the better functioning of the department.

Ideally, there should be one HR manager for every 100 to150 employees. One shouldn’t forget that the line manager also has the key responsibility of performing the functional tasks along with managing people.

“Whether a line manager or an HR manager, one has to learn to share power. In doing so, one doesn’t lose power, but graduates from execution to authority.”

There could be smaller companies which can’t afford to hire full-time HR professionals. For them Chugh offers a piece of advice,“there should be a small HR function comprising of subject matter experts while the delivery of HR services could be part of line managers duties. HR function is such scenario functions as an advisor”.

Balachandar N, group director- human resource, Café Coffee Day, agrees that line managers are also responsible for people. Yet, he is quick to add that an HR manager is the architect of an organisation, who trains line managers on several important work-related things.

“An organisation without an HR manager will end up in a chaotic situation, with no clear authority to look into recruitment, compensation and generally maintaining order and balance,” Balachandar says.

Concurs Abhijit Bhaduri, founder of Abhijit Bhaduri & Associates, “All managers perform HR-related work, to a certain extent, but an HR is a specialist guy with great expertise and education, who also performs duties such as dealing with employee issues and compensation and benefits, and handles the complexities of an organisation.”

“For a manager to be successful, she needs to know her people; their needs, aspirations and challenges. The only way to do that is to own her team’s engagement, motivation, learning and career development.”

The functions of HR managers are not entirely different from that of other managers. HR is a managerial function, which assists managers with recruitment, motivation and maintaining employees within the organisation. So, all managers exercise HR functions irrespective of their department and level, considering the high level of human relations.

Ultimately, getting results through people is the name of the game. Therefore, it is extremely important for managers to possess adequate knowledge of handling HR in order to become effective managers and achieve maximum productivity. This applies to all companies across various industries.

HR professionals will have to assist and guide line managers consistently to achieve the strategic goals of the organisation.

Therefore, it will not be wrong to conclude, that every manager is an HR manager first.

The post Every manager is an HR manager first appeared first on HR Katha.