After a long Hiatus...#WFH The New Change

 After a  very long hiatus , I sit to scribble  a few random thoughts..The pandemic went by or it’s still going on ? Time flew and I am still lingering in my thoughts… The working environment has undergone a sea change so also has the human connections at workplaces. Faces that seemed familiar are now masked and  covered. A smile that greeted me in the office , a warm handshake that welcomed  me to office is now a distant dream…Smiles are all lost beneath the covered faces and handshakes are the most threatening a weapon now..I see many empty chairs and workstations as one slowly rejoins the office workplace. Some have already bid adieu to be in the other world and I have some new faces for companion ..

Suddenly there is an urgent meeting to discuss and decide about new policies at Workplace..

2020 has brought in massive the digital transformation  in terms of shifting the workplace from office to home spaces..The great Working From Home experiment has now resulted in making many organizations to permanently follow this norm of Remote work / Work From Home.

The main challenges are abound now specially maintaining the ecosystem  of creating workplace in home space , integrating the professional and personal life without overstepping each of the boundaries.

With such a complex system of having processes and policies in place while taking into account the human productivity, level of motivation vs targets achievement and the deliverables , it is a phenomenal task to create an atmosphere of balance amongst all the forces at work. Key challenges concerning health and mental well being, skill updation, data protection and privacy, technology etc have been creating a great havoc in our minds.

While developing and creating WFH policies the following pointers could add value :

1.    1. Defining the scope and the need for WFH policy
2.Eligibility criteria of the workforce
3.Streamlining  of the Channels of Communication
4.Maintaining the Security Standards
5.Defining the regular SOPs
6.The Code of Conduct including the dress code
7.Clear and well defined work hours according to the geographical locations
8.Evaluation of Approval Process
9.Directions to the managers regarding conduct of the team meetings
10. Equipment and technological support 

 

At the end of the day it’s  we human beings who make a difference to our lives and others around us. Nothing can replace the physical spaces  at workplace where we  would share our thoughts /vent out our inner most urges /smile, cry, shout or simply drown in laughter in those small tea breaks and those in those Chai Samosa team meetings..

Let me welcome all to the  NEW WORKPLACE..

Coaching and Organizations

Coaching and Organizations

The other day my friend Nisha asked me: Hey do you still feel   Coaching is an enhancer to the OD processes run in organizations. What do you think could be the attributes of the success factor ? Is there any workable framework or a model that works..

This set me thinking... Coaching as a process ,we have read has been an enabler to performance and processes... Development is fundamental to the survival of both the individual. All individuals need to adapt to the rapidly changing, and increasingly complex world in which we live – whether they adapt by opting out or by embracing newness. Development is defined as: A continuous process of growing and learning; by developing, we continuously become more than we were.

No doubt theorists have been vouching that it is a great performance enabler tool and  a process...But of one were to look form an organizational perspective s the success rate has not been very encouraging..

Most of the organizations have introduced coaching as a process where the Senior Management /Leadership team is exposed to the coaching climate and also has the opportunity to engage with an external coach. There is no denying of the factor that this does enhance/enable their development.

But when it comes to applying these same art Workplace for the teams or to make it applicable to the middle management , this has not found very positive success stories..

With organizations becoming more flat, focus is more on leveraging the senior leadership to hand hold and be a partner on progress to build the capability of the next level . Today’s the focus is more on people  management skills a s a key factor to be  a successful people leader. And Coaching for sure plays a major crucial role in this developmental tool kit for organizations. now with so much of emphasis on the 70:20:10 model of holistic learning ad development, if the organizations could leverage the senior leadership presence to build in a climate of coaching by developing more internal caches, then it is an effective way to further the climate of developing environment.

The process could be manifold in terms of building awareness about coaching for the people managers, creating a pool of internal coaches by both experience sharing, reflection and integration of the same with the pool.

Also ,the internal coaches are encouraged to work with a coachee [ who could be  hipo] and the through the coaching sessions the performance of the coachee  could be measured. Integration of the learning platforms like class room sessions, pre and post work knowledge enhancement though e-learning/book reading/discussion forums; building in communities of practice, leveraging social media to connect with leaders across the organizations etc are some of the ways to enhance the building of internal coaches pool.

Training leaders to be internal coaches is a more scalable, sustainable and robust approach to driving organizational change. By utilizing internal coaches , the organization is  potentially increasing people’s overall performance through harnessing the connections across this system.

This is a very well received process ,as it has several advantages like:

•     This process is consistent
•      Integration of  systems and processes are well aligned
•      There is more focus on developing the talent from within organization
•      It is a great intervention to be worked with the talent pool
•     The process also helps in creating self awareness, understanding of the environment, work on the enhancers , scale up skills, look at change drivers /triggers  etc.
•      It becomes more holistic to be integrated with 70:20:10 approach[refer my previous blog on this ]
•     It lifts performance as it is a consistent approach unlike hiring external coaches only 

Looking at 2014 : L and D what next?

Looking at 2014 : L and D what next?

I have been constantly asked : What perspective 2014 offer for L and D ...One of my response has been dealing with ambiguity/ arming oneself with the adaptability to learn things anew..This  reminds me of the book that I had read  Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb .. talking about the VUCA world..V is about Volatility, U is for uncertainty , C is for Complexity and A is for Ambiguity.

VUCA is an acronym : 
 used to describe or reflect on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions and situations. The common usage of the term VUCA began in the late 1990s and derives from military vocabulary  and has been subsequently used in emerging ideas in strategic leadership that serves to enhance the strategic significance of VUCA foresight and insight as well as the behaviour of groups and individuals in organizations.

The deeper meaning of each element of VUCA serves to enhance the strategic significance of VUCA foresight and insight as well as the behaviour of groups and individuals in organizations

·         V = Volatility. The nature and dynamics of change, and the nature and speed of change forces and change catalysts.

·         U = Uncertainty. The lack of predictability, the prospects for surprise, and the sense of awareness and understanding of issues and events.

·         C = Complexity. The multiplex of forces, the confounding of issues and the chaos and confusion that surround an organization.

·         A = Ambiguity. The haziness of reality, the potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of conditions; cause-and-effect confusion.

These elements present the context in which organizations view their current and future state. They present boundaries for planning and policy management. They come together in ways that either confound decisions or sharpen the capacity to look ahead, plan ahead and move ahead. VUCA sets the stage for managing and leading.

The particular meaning and relevance of VUCA often relates to how people view the conditions under which they make decisions, plan forward, manage risks, foster change and solve problems. In general, the premises of VUCA tend to shape an organization's capacity to:

1.  Anticipate the Issues that Shape Conditions

2.  Understand the Consequences of Issues and Actions

3.  Appreciate the Interdependence of Variables

4.  Prepare for Alternative Realities and Challenges

5.  Interpret and Address Relevant Opportunities

For most contemporary organizations – business, the military, education, government and others – VUCA is a practical code for awareness and readiness. Beyond the simple acronym is a body of knowledge that deals with learning models for VUCA preparedness, anticipation, evolution and intervention. [source http://en.wikipedia.org/ ]

It’s become a trendy managerial acronym: VUCA, short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, and a catchall for “Hey, it’s crazy out there!” It’s also misleading: VUCA conflates four distinct types of challenges that demand four distinct types of responses. That makes it difficult to know how to approach a challenging situation and easy to use VUCA as a crutch, a way to throw off the hard work of strategy and planning—after all, you can’t prepare for a VUCA world, right?

Actually, you can. Here is a guide to identifying, getting ready for, and responding to events in each of the four VUCA categories.[source HBR ]

By all accounts, the chaotic “new normal” in business is real.

To survive in this NEW order , organizations need to look at engaging their talent differently.

DDI for that matter refers to this as 6 levers of preparedness viz :

• ·        Business agility
• ·        Strategic workforce planning
• ·        The pursuit of readiness
• ·        Gathering and using data
• ·        The learning organization
• ·        Talent management sustainability

Business agility and Talent of the organization are a crucial link to establish the expected outcome of the common vision. A robust strategy and  a plan of action is needed to drive the talent planning in order to meet the business and organizational requirements. And when we talk of building in a robust strategically  crucial workforce plan, the road map must be agile and dynamic enough to create opportunities and for the levels for the new leaders to fill in, for new talent to grow.This has to be based on proper assessment and evaluation of the talent. A framework based on the proper talent audit, scientifically mapped talent need and properly assessing the current talent would be a great tool to predict futuristic needs.
 This would also be a favourable tool to plan and roll out developmental maps for the current talent as well as prepare them for the next higher roles with enriched profiles. To strategize, plan out, and roll in the initiatives for development calls in for objective measurement and assessment which give an accurate picture of the situation in terms of business alignment and talent mapping.

In this current environment of constant business change and shifting focus, it is pertinent for the talent in organizations to be able to able to lead change, driving innovation and bridge across different functionalities in the organization as well. Alignment of various departments, levels, across different processes give more direction to the business. Sustainable processes and initiative only work effectively.

The approach /model to learning would emphasise more on the 70:20:10 framework. As it is rightly believed that maximum learning happens on the job when one does it to experience and learning is very powerful.70-80% of the learning happens while completing the task and 10-20% learning happens in a formal environment. It is a fact now and an   increasing awareness that most learning happens through our experiences including practice in the  workplace.

This is  framework is an integrated approach where it encompasses experiential learning, social learning  and  formal learning i.e, it is Experience, Exposure and Education.

Framework	Direction	Elements
Experience	70%	On the job, projects, a assignments, stretched assignments
Exposure	20%	Mentoring, reverse mentoring, coaching, action learning
Education	10%	Structured programs, classroom training

Major challenges for effective implementation  would be :

• ·        Customization of the approach for each individual employee
• ·        Driving the initiatives
• ·        Measuring the changes
• ·        Create a shared understanding for supporting the learning environment

This new approach is an integrated  approach as it builds in the learning environment by linking it to both work and mind spaces.

Chintan : Nurturing self is the first step towards building great interpersonal relationships and building great teams..

While reflecting upon to write today's Chintan, there was a strange set of thoughts that had inundated my mind..yesterday's discussion with another friend from the fraternity was still fresh in my mind. He had asked : What is the first step to build in great interpersonal relationships specially at work place.. and the discussion continued around many such perspectives from trust to empowerment..but somehow what struck me was the poignant question : all these would be mere transactions in the  external world of the individual if the same is not replicated /experienced /felt internally as well.. how would it impact the thoughts /the feelings unless that inner connect is made..

And it comes when one nurtures one self..Self nurturence  is the first step to building sustainable relationships with self as well with others!!!

Nurturing Self

• Play positive : your

• Choose Words that Inspire

• Choose language that Heal

• Open the Lock : talk it out with your blocks

• Unclog your thoughts 

• Accept the past events script 

• Honour your spirit

• Love yourself to accept the YOU in you

• Rescript your new dialogues

• Look around : You are Lucky 

• Connect with others and do with all love 

“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” ― Marvin J. Ashton

I draw a lot of strength from the above lines  which still now reverberate as these words have semblance to what my grandmother often said...Make people around you feel better  in your company , you do not know what his story is ..Be compassionate.

This inbuilt  logic/philosophy has many a times made me feel good..as in these kind of situations where my mind would urge my tongue to spit venom , my inner I has restrained it ..and that has paved way to such beautiful relationships that we have nurtured.  

Conversation Series

It’s easy to communicate topics we support or even like. But how do you deliver messages that you don’t support or agree with?...
We wire ourselves along with our brains and thoughts in the context of conversation where we are well aligned to the context and the perspectives we wish to share and converse with others.
But at times we face situations where we are to deliver messages we do  not agree with . What do we do? What do you do?
My Take:

• Avoid Avoiding the perspective
• Speak Out
• Listen with empathy what the other person is saying
• Hold your instant impulses : listen
• Choose your words carefully when you preempt
• Be emphatic and firm in your perspective
• Support your point of view with lot of logical /analytical data
• Last but not the least : differentiate between the objective of communicating and the Communicator : Do not personalize point of views with individual and mar relationships

It is important to give  and have your own space while communicating : ONE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE BUT NOT CLIP THE RELATIONSHIP...If that happens we fail to build bridges to reach out to the other..!!

My Fav list of readings : GOOD TO GREAT : A peak into moving from SMART goals to BHAG ...

Moving from SMART goals to BHAG is like going from good to great..Today especially in the market place it is not enough to be the good..one has to be the best..An organization must play to win and not play to play.

Chapter 1: Good is the Enemy of GreatThe first chapter of the book lays out the criteria that Collins and his research team used in selecting the companies that served as the basis of the meta-analysis that provided the findings set forth in the book. The most important factor in the selection process was a period of growth and sustained success that far outpaced the market or industry average. Based on the stated criteria, the companies that were selected for inclusion were Abbott, Fannie Mae, Circuit City, Gillette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney Bowes,Walgreens, and Wells Fargo.Collins also offers a few of the most significant findings gleaned from the study. Of particular note are the many indications that factors such as CEO compensation, technology, mergers and acquisitions, and change management initiatives played relatively minor roles in fostering the Good to Great process. Instead, Collins found that successes in three main areas, which he terms disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action, were likely the most significant factors in determining a company’s ability to achieve greatness.
 Chapter 2: Level 5 LeadershipIn this chapter, Collins begins the process of identifying and further explicating the unique factors and variables that differentiate good and great companies. One of the most significant differences, he asserts, is the quality and nature of leadership in the firm. Collins goes on to identify "Level 5 leadership" as a common characteristic of the great companies assessed in the study. This type of leadership forms the top level of a 5-level hierarchy that ranges from merely competent supervision to strategic executive decision-making.By further studying the behaviors and attitudes of so-called Level 5 leaders, Collins found that many of those classified in this group displayed an unusual mix of intense determination and profound humility. These leaders often have a long-term personal sense of investment in the company and its success, often cultivated through a career-spanning climb up the company’s ranks. The personal ego and individual financial gain are not as important as the long-term benefit of the team and the company to true Level 5 leaders. As such, Collins asserts that the much-touted trend of bringing in a celebrity CEO to turn around a flailing firm is usually not conducive to fostering the transition from Good to Great.
 Chapter 3: First Who, Then WhatThe next factor that Collins identifies as part of the Good to Great process is the nature of the leadership team. Specifically, Collins advances the concept that the process of securing high-quality, high-talent individuals with Level 5 leadership abilities must be undertaken before an overarching strategy can be developed. With the right people in the right positions, Collins contends that many of the management problems that plague companies and sap valuable resources will automatically dissipate. As such, he argues, firms seeking to make the Good to Great transition may find it worthwhile to expend extra energy and time on personnel searches and decision-making.
Collins also underscores the importance of maintaining rigorousness in all personnel decisions. He recommends moving potentially failing employees and managers to new positions, but not hesitating to remove personnel who are not actively contributing. He also recommends that hiring should be delayed until an absolutely suitable candidate has been identified. Hewing to both of these guidelines, Collins claims, will likely save time, effort, and resources in the long-term. Chapter 4: Confront the Brutal Facts (Yet Never Lose Faith)Another key element of some companies’ unique ability to make the transition from Good to Great is the willingness to identify and assess defining facts in the company and in the larger business environment. In today’s market, trends in consumer preferences are constantly changing, and the inability to keep apace with these changes often results in company failure. Using the example of an extended comparative analysis of Kroger and A & P, Collins observes that Kroger recognized the trend towards modernization in the grocery industry and adjusted its business model accordingly, although doing so required a complete transformation of the company and its stores. A & P, on the other hand, resisted large-scale change, and thus guaranteed its own demise.
Collins outlines a four-step process to promote awareness of emerging trends and potential problems: 1) Lead with questions, not answers; 2) Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion; 3) Conduct autopsies without blame; and 4) Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into information that cannot be ignored.Chapter 5: The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity Within the Three Circles)In this chapter, Collins uses the metaphor of the hedgehog to illustrate the seemingly contradictory principle that simplicity can sometimes lead to greatness. When confronted by predators, the hedgehog’s simple but surprisingly effective response is to roll up into a ball. While other predators, such as the fox, may be impressively clever, few can devise a strategy that is effective enough to overcome the hedgehog’s simple, repetitive response.Similarly, Collins asserts, the way to make the transformation from Good to Great is often not doing many things well, but instead, doing one thing better than anyone else in the world. It may take time to identify the single function that will be a particular firm’s "hedgehog concept," but those who do successfully identify it are often rewarded with singular success. In order to help expedite this process, Collins suggests using the following three criteria: 1) Determine what you can be best in the world at and what you cannot be best in the world at; 2) Determine what drives your economic engine; and 3) Determine what you are deeply passionate about.
 Chapter 6: A Culture of DisciplineAnother defining characteristic of the companies that Collins defined as great in his study was an overarching organizational culture of discipline. He is quick to point out that a culture of discipline is not to be confused with a strict authoritarian environment; instead, Collins is referring to an organization in which each manager and staff member is driven by an unrelenting inner sense of determination. In this type of organization, each individual functions as an entrepreneur, with a deeply rooted personal investment in both their own work and the company’s success.Although this discipline will manifest itself in a high standard of quality in the work that is produced by managers and employees alike, its most significant outcome will be an almost fanatical devotion to the objectives outlined in the "hedgehog concept" exercises. Disciplined workers will be better equipped to hew to these goals with a single-minded intensity that, according to Collins, will foster the transformation from merely Good to Great. In addition, the author asserts, it is important that within this overarching culture of discipline, every team member is afforded the degree of personal empowerment and latitude that is necessary to ensure that they will be able to go to unheard-of extremes to bring the firm’s envisioned objectives into existence.
 Chapter 7: Technology AcceleratorsToday, many businesses have come to depend upon technology to increase efficiency, reduce overhead, and maximize competitive advantage. However, Collins cautions that technology should not be regarded as a potential panacea for all that ails a company. The folly of this kind of thinking was revealed in the aftermath of the crash of the tech bubble in the early 2000s. The market correction threw into sharp relief the differences between sustainable uses of the Internet to extend established businesses and ill-planned, unviable online start-ups.Collins contends that the good-to-great companies approach the prospect of new and emerging technologies with the same prudence and careful deliberation that characterizes all of their other business decisions. Further, these companies tend to apply technology in a manner that is reflective of their "hedgehog concepts" -- typically by selecting and focusing solely upon the development of a few technologies that are fundamentally compatible with their established strengths and objectives. Collins characterizes the ideal approach to technology with the following cycle: "Pause -- Think -- Crawl -- Walk -- Run." Chapter 8: The Flywheel and the Doom LoopIn this chapter, Collins describes two cycles that demonstrate the way that business decisions tend to accumulate incrementally in either an advantageous or a disadvantageous manner. Both, the author emphasizes, accrue over time. Despite the popular misperception that business success or failure often occurs suddenly, Collins asserts that it more typically occurs over the course of years, and that both only transpire after sufficient positive or negative momentum has been accrued.Collins describes the advantageous business cycle that, in some cases, can foster the transition from Good to Great as "the flywheel effect." By making decisions and taking actions that reinforce and affirm the company’s "hedgehog" competencies, executives initiate positive momentum. This, in turn, results in the accumulation of tangible positive outcomes, which serve to energize and earn the investment and loyalty of the staff. This revitalization of the team serves to further build momentum. If the cycle continues to repeat in this manner, the transition from Good to Great is likely to transpire. In contrast, the doom loop is characterized by reactive decision-making, an overextension into too many diverse areas of concentration, following short-lived trends, frequent changes in leadership and personnel, loss of morale, and disappointing results.
 Chapter 9: From Good to Great to Built to LastIn the concluding chapter of Good to Great, Collins makes a connection between this book and his previous work, Built to Last, which represented the findings of a six-year study into the factors that determined whether a new company would survive in the long-term. First and foremost, Collins contends that companies need a set of core values in order to achieve the kind of long-term, sustainable success that may lead to greatness. Companies need to exist for a higher purpose than mere profit generation in order to transcend the category of merely good. According to Collins, this purpose does not have to be specific -- even if the shared values that compel the company toward success are as open-ended as being the best at what they do and achieving excellence consistently, that may be sufficient as long as the team members are equally dedicated to the same set of values.
Although many of the conclusions of both of the books overlap, Collins notes that Good to Great should not be seen as the follow-up to Built to Last, which focuses on sustaining success in the long-term. Instead, Good to Great actually functions as the prequel to Built to Last. First, a company should focus on developing the foundation that is necessary to work toward greatness. Then, they can begin to apply the principles of longevity that are set forth in Built to Last.
 Source : http://www.wikisummaries.org/

My Mornings : Self Management is the key to further development

Mornings matter the most to me...How I begin my mornings decides my day..Mornings are a time and space in life when the hurricanes of tasks are not allowed to enter...It is MY time to pause and reflect..
The rising sun, the chirruping birds make it so beautiful..

At times to maintain that blessedness as the day passes is difficult but not impossible. It is my core belief that the state of my mind is reflective of my thoughts and gets articulated through my actions..Being with with L & D, I align my approach  through my CHINTAN series..
My Day begins with CHINTAN : Self Management is the key to further development

Self Management is really life management, is learning how to accept total RESPONSIBILITY for our self, have healthy RELATIONSHIPS, play the right ROLE and use the RESOURCES we have in the most effective ways. Responsibility - No person or situation is responsible for our happiness; we are the creator of ALL our thoughts, feelings and actions. Relationships - It's not what others say that hurts us, it's what we do - with what they say that hurts us, let’s stop emotionally abusing ourselves. Roles - We are the creators of every scene in our life and hence have the power to play the right role, in the right scene, in the right way, at the right time. Resources - How we use our resources - physical, mental and spiritual.

http://awakening.in/series