An HR Life – Vikasblog

April 1, 2024April 1, 2024

Whose got the Appraisal?

It is MOST PROPHETIC that the blog on Performance Appraisals is getting published on April 1st….All Fools Day!! Appraisals are about making a fool or getting fooled!!

Am sure most of my readers have got appraised & received feedback in their careers. It is that time of the year!!! but tell me sincerely & truthfully How many of you were HAPPY with your appraisal? How many felt it was fair & correct? That you indeed got their legitimate due? That your Boss did “justice” to their efforts and contributions? My 34 years in HR & 9 Years in consulting have taught me time & again that no one is ever happy!!! Happy with Appraisal is a NULL SET!!

Even on the happenchance that you feel good with your feedback & rating, the joy lasts till you exit the Boss’ cabin : as soon you come to know that Falana got the same Rating (“How could he?”); Dhikana got a better salary increase (How could she? we all know her work in the whole year!!) & that Third Person got a promotion!!! ( My God! is management blind? Or are they appraising over drinks in a most casual manner? I should never trust the system”). Sounds familiar? Welcome to the Annual Appraisal Cycle.

Sometimes I feel this is one sure shot time when the entire employee strength is unhappy, across the length & breadth of the company!! Remember the Anna Karenina principle: all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way. Similarly each employee is upset for his/her own reason. Some HR heads have confessed to me that it takes nearly 2 months for employees to overcome their “appraisal depression” & get back to normalcy & team-working.

One part is to wrap your head around what the appraisal lottery got for you. After a while you do reconcile, as you know that nothing will change, now you have to wait another year. The more hurting part is to see others’ promotion, others’ increment. तेरी साड़ी मेरी साड़ी से सफेद कैसे ? as Lalitaji made famous in the iconic Surf ad years ago. It is not what you got or did not get, but what your colleague got that adds fuel to the fire raging inside.

The bleeding heart, the raging fire requires assuaging & you most naturally turn to your boss. And here you hear the most classic reply ringing from times immemorial in all such interactions,” Your appraisal is not in my hands” “I tried a lot for you, but the seniors did not agree”. “You know the Moderation Committee, some unknown people take decisions without knowing the details”. “I did my level best. But the process is set by people bigger than me. Can’t help”. “I argued a lot, took up multiple times & yet…Your final rating is not in my hands”. And if you insist on meeting the Boss’ Boss to press your case, his reply is also the same from years, ” We had recommended, but you know HR”.

Interestingly, the Bell Curve guideline, the appraisal system, the process of review, the appeals process, the Promotion Policy is all discussed in Senior Managers’ meetings. It has the tacit acceptance & consequent approval of all. It has always been so!! But as soon as an individual challenge comes, the solution is standard….Blame HR!! They do not appreciate what we go through. How we have to get work done. They sit in their offices & pontificate. Let them manage my department for once. All such discussions invariably succeed each Appraisal Cycle. Par-for-the-course?

Lalitaji had made a plea for समजदारी in her ad. But in the corporate world this समजदारी is a rare bird. Personal pressures, individual agenda, & relative equity rules the roost. I am never happy with the one piece of mithai in my thali. I am always more bothered by the two pieces in my neighbor’s thali or the fact that his mithai looks better than my plain white one. My happiness is determined by what you have got & not by what I have. This could be the general human condition, but it is never more exacerbated than at appraisal times!!

Maybe all this is normal & after so many years it is what an employee should expect & accept. But what I cannot get is my boss saying It is not in my hands. Then whose hands is it, pray? Through the year have worked for you. You gave me projects. You got me to work extra hours. You got the desired output from me. And you thanked & complimented me from time to time for my work & maintaining time-lines. But when it comes to the finish line, suddenly It is not in your hands!!?? I struggled, I worked & delivered for you. What if your style was my approach when you were giving me timelines & deliverables? At that time we were best friends & close colleagues, in the boat together. So now why try to push me off the boat? Why distance yourself from me? Why do I suddenly become an orphan?

Having worked in HR for 34 years I am quite used to being used as a whipping boy. After all we are the last mile! The blame accumulator!! But it’s high time the line leaders stood up & accepted that HR was never in the equation for 11 months of the year. So how come they become so important in the 12th month? Do they have the power & clout to change things which the line leaders are passionately pushing? Or are they just convenient pegs in the blame game of corporate appraisals cycle?

Having said this let me put down my conclusions:

Bell Curve began purely as a budgeting exercise. While there are issues with the Bell Curve, no one has yet found a viable alternative.
There is no simple solution to this issue. I have yet to come across a company in my 43 years HR experience, where employees are happy with appraisals & the compensation system
Managers must learn to take responsibility both for their actions, as well as the corporate guidelines. They are senior leaders & telling their teams that I have no control does not behoove their status. Managers cannot shun accountability.
Moderation Committees exist for a purpose. If no ratings from immediate supervisors are changed, then Moderation Committees are not fulfilling their purpose. Managers must understand & communicate that ratings & increments which go to Moderation Committees will change. That is the nature of the beast
Employees must remember it is employment at will. If you are not happy, walk. Being a bleeding heart and cribbing, helps none.

Let me end with an advice I got from Khandekar who was Personnel Director in Siemens. He told us. ” Keep an updated CV in your top right hand drawer. Once in a while float it in market. You get a higher salary, higher title, just GO. You will be happy & the company will survive… If you don’t get another job, be happy with what you have. Put your head down & work”

Remember it is not the load that breaks you down, it is the way you carry it: vikas

PS: many thanks to my nephew Abhishek who challenged me with the “It’s not in my hands” line & motivated me to pen this blog

December 18, 2023December 19, 2023

HRD Concave at NDDB, Anand

NDDB (www.nddb.coop) has been one of the initial clients for BasilHR (www.basilhr.com) when we started consultancy. My dear partner Ramchandra Rao knew Dr SS Gill the-then Head of Training & Development for National Dairy Development Board situated at Anand, Gujrat. Dr Gill gave us some training assignment and since then BasilHR has been regularly working with Gill and NDDB for various training and OD initiatives. Any new HR initiative Gill has discussed and involved us. So it was no surprise that Gill shared his desire to host an HRD Conclave at Anand for all the MDs & CEOs of Milk Cooperatives, Milk Producing companies, the subsidiary companies of NDDB spread all over India and the IRMA & NDDB employees based at Anand.

Dec 15th and 16th saw nearly 450 Dairy professionals and 100 plus students of IRMA attending the HRD conclave at the TKPatel Auditorium at Anand. Gill and his HR team got together in real earnest to make this a memorable event for every participant. The 2 days saw a galaxy of speakers addressing the packed gathering. We managed to get academics like TV Rao, Anup Singh & Sunil Shukla; practitioners & consultants of the stature of Anil Khandelwal, Vivek Paranjape, Aquil Busrai; & close friends of the HR community like Marcel Parker, Pramod Sadarjoshi & Alok Sheopurkar. Even an old dog like me (after having spent 42+ years in the field of HR) learnt some tricks. The speakers shared their experiences and learning. The event was stimulating & momentous. Besides being a Speaker myself, Gill asked me to summarize the main learnings from each speaker. For a change, I had to sit, in the first row, continuously in rapt attention and take copious notes so that I could do justice to the summarization I was charged with.

The learnings were so great that I realized on return they can be interesting input for every student and practitioner of management. We all know management is no pure theory, Body of management thought is the culling together of the rich experiences of practitioners who are further down the road than you are!! Hence I decided to pen this blog and share the main points made by each speaker. I hope you will find these pithy epithets of wisdom as energizing and motivating as I did while listening to them first hand. So here goes…

Neemesh Shah, Chairman NDDB
a. Great Organizations are made by people. Development of people is the main agenda.
b. This Conclave will give you an external; Ouside-in perspective; What other organizations are doing.
c. Lack of competent manpower will hinder innovation and employee satisfaction
Anil Khandelwal ex Chairman, BoB
a. NDDB itself is a great Institution so it is right that they are hosting the Conclave on building great institutions
b. In today’s environment; anyone who has customers can disrupt your business
c. Dare to be different. Have the courage to create a new future
TV Rao, TVRao Learning Systems
a. We need to invest in constant Self Renewal
b. Between A & B, P is a point which may totally change your life
c. We must always have Respect for People & lots of Perseverance
Anup Singh, DG, Nirma University
a. When you create a purpose, you are born again. eg Gandhi on return from Africa
b. गियर बदलने के लिए टाइम चाहिए : Find Time to Act
c. The movement must be from Deficiency to Sufficiency to Efficiency. From Aspiration to Imagination to Actualization
Sunil Shukla, DG, Entrepreneurship Institute of India
a. Knowledge & Skills can be taught but more imp is Aptitude & Attitude
b. Be prepared for Risk Taking & develop Failure Tolerance
c. Entrepreneurship is all about value creation
Vivek Paranjape, Coach & Strategic Consultant
a. Make a business case for Diversity and Inclusion in your organization
b. Institution’s Culture needs to be worked on to ensure D&I takes roots
c. Affirmative Action & D&I actually results in better business results as data shows
Aquil Busrai, Consulting
a. Give leadership to others around you
b. Earn Respect: Do what is Right, not what is popular
c. Employee Engagement earns money
IRMA Prof.s Madhavi & Sushanta
a. HRD is minimal in Coop, mainly Admin & transactional stuff gets done
b. Lot to do, Huge Scope to make a difference
Pramod Sadarjoshi, Cornerstone Consulting
a. Transform while performing
b. Exorcise 3 demons : Fear, Doubt & Worry
c. Work with PACE : Problem Solving, Agility, Creativity, Empathy
Alok Sheopurkar , Head HR HDFC AMC
a. Culture must enable you to win in the market place
b. Leaders must have grass root connect
c. Leave a smile on the customer: Customer Service will help you win always
SS Gill, DGM,NDDB
a. Create your own “Why?” Define your purpose first
b. Purpose will be achieved through people
c. There are 3 Layers of Culture: Most fundamental : the way we do things here
Marcel Parker, Chief Mentor, Quess Corporation
a. Take responsibility for your career
b. GROW model of coaching : Goals, Reality, Options, Will
c. Benefits of Coaching
Vikas Shirodkar, BasilHR
a. Empower employees to drive an innovations and foster a consumer first mindset
b. Road to innovation is not easy, requires courage from leaders & employees
c. Never sell a brand, sell an experience

Am sure you will agree if we can imbibe even a modicum of these insights we will take giant strides ahead professionally. Enjoy the journey: vikas the seeker

PS: these are my notes, so humbly E&OE

PS2 : Thanks NDDB for the great learning experience

July 11, 2023

Green HR

HRAI (HR Association of India) recently asked me to be in a panel discussion on Green HR. HRAI is led by some enthusiastic, young HR professionals. So when they reach out, I always agree. But one peculiar characteristic of HRAI is that they first sign you up for a talk/panel discussion & only much later, after you have accepted, they inform you the topic. Sometimes this can be disconcerting, as it was this time. On my own, I would never have said yes, to such a topic. Green HR?? What is that? Have I done anything in this area in my 40+ years of experience? Will I be able to add value to the listeners? Will my co panelists take me for a fool? ( which I am of course: but why make it public?)

Total self doubt clouded my mind. ( Sotto Voce: those who know me will tell you that is my तकले आम…. my signature tune… faced with anything new. I am a follower of Napoleon in that regard who advised : Train Hard, Fight Easy!!) so then I thought, I can prepare myself for the topic & that is what I did. With homework done, on that fateful day, I was confident & prepared. Though I am saying it myself, I think I was the best speaker on the topic that day. This was validated by many who attended the Panel Discussion & spoke to me after the event. Having done all the prep, I thought why let it go waste? Why not capture my thoughts in a blog, so that I can reach a wider audience? so here goes…hope this adds value to you, my readers.

So what is Green HR? The simple way to understand this is to ensure that every HR touchpoint must promote sustainable practices and increase the employee awareness on issues of sustainability. There is no gainsaying the importance of sustainability in today’s world. So this is HR taking an evangelist role for making sustainability top of the mind, through spreading awareness & engaging all employees in this important task. De facto, HR has to expand its traditional role to emerge as the chief supporter for the organization’s pursuit of sustainability. The first step in this journey is for HR to ensure that “environmental responsibility” becomes an integral part of the corporate mission statement. This will ensure that 1) it remains top-of-the-mind in all organizational initiatives & 2) it gets tracked regularly by the management for fulfilment. HR plays a key role by working towards participation of all organization members to create & keep the organization green.

In a way this is not a new concept. Green HR is not New Wine in Old Bottle; it is a NEW WINE in NEW BOTTLE. For long, organizations have been socially responsible to reduce the environmental impact of it’s operations. A path-breaking example would be Tushar Tanti building a totally Green Corporate HQ way back in 2009. A million square-feet of ground plus two levels in a 10.4 acre urban setting achieved a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum & Teri Griha 5 Star certification, with its annual energy generated on-site through photovoltaic panels and windmills. No other buildings have achieved this kind of cost efficiency. 92 % (4 MW) being consumed by the project is ‘sustainable energy’ making this a Zero Energy Project!

The refrain ,” Do not print this mail, unless absolutely necessary” was a green initiative ages ago. Relocation of factories from cities to remote locations were the sustainability governmental regulations willingly followed by companies like Asian Paints, Cadbury & J&J. The focus on energy usage & efforts to drive down consumption was not only economic need but also a green initiative. Alternate sources of energy championed by Thermax helped corporates to walk this path. Recycling and Waste Disposal in an environmental sensitive way, reducing water consumption and ensuring zero discharge plants achieved by Mahindra & Mahindra in their plants all show us the way. All such initiatives help achieve the Triple P objective: People; Profit & Planet!!! Following such Green HR practices, organizations can save money and at the same time reduce the carbon footprint to further sustainability goals.

The word Green HR also has long legacy. It was way back in 1996, Walter Wehrmeyer in his book aptly entitled “Greening People” first talked of Green HR viz. joint focus of sustainable use of resources and preserving the natural resources.

A host of practices have steadily grown up under this head of Green HR: Going Paperless; Energy Audits & action plans; Using Recycled Materials in offices and shopfloors; Walking, Cycling, Car Pools to reach workplace; Bring your Own Mug for coffee at office reducing plastic/paper/washing requirements; Flexible Work arrangements as we all experienced during Covid; Reducing Travel; Recruitment & Selection online; On Boarding, L&D and PMS online, Procurement only from Vendors who are into recycling… these are just a few examples which people are experimenting with. Setting up Employee Committees to generate more such ideas helps new thinking and also ensures involvement & buy-in of employees.

Such greening of policies & practices has significant benefits. To name a few obvious ones: Improved Communication & Collaboration; Increased Employee Engagement; Reduced Costs; Reduction in Carbon Footprint; & Reduced Costs of Operations. In India many organizations already have enacted such policies and are following such practices to reap business benefits. Notable amongst the early movers are: HCL Tech.; Idea Cellular; ITC; IndusInd Bank; Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper; Wipro; Suzlon; ONGC; & TCS , to name a few

Clearly this is an idea whose time has come. So implement for your organization & start reaping the benefits. And to my younger HR brethren: you are always looking for ways in which to move closer to the line of business in your company & to add value & make an impact:- Green HR is the way to go. You will become an important driver of business , cost and sustainability agenda creating a niche for yourself and ensuring a place on the strategy table.

Travel this interesting path to a greener future for yourself and your organization: vikas

PS: Remembering the song penned by the Bard (As You Like It):

Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me,

And turn his merry note

Unto the sweet bird’s throat,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

April 30, 2023

Tu Jhoom

The song ‘Tu Jhoom’ is a part of the album ‘Coke Studio Season 14’: written by Adnan Dhool, composed & mixed by “Xulfi” Jabbar Khan. The song is in Punjabi, & genre is fusion music. Tu Jhoom is rendered to perfection by the maestro Abeeda Parveen & Naseebo Lall. They sing about moderation, self-love, & self-sufficiency & how running after worldly things will not get you peace. I have taken a lot of inspiration from this song & want to look at my life through the lens of the song. I hope you like the song & can look at your own life in this light.

O, Peeraan nu main seene laavaan Te main hasdi jaavaan (I have embraced all hardships; while remaining unfazed) Doopan de naal lar-lar ke mai Labyaan apniyan chaavaan (I have fought all my hardships finally to find solace)
Dukh vi apne, sukh vi apne Main te bas eh jaana (The joys & sorrows of this life are mine to endure; This to myself I assure)
Sab noon samajh ke ki karna ae Dil noon ae samjhaavaan (Why delve into things which are beyond my control; This philosophy is my heart’s greatest cure) Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom (Transcend into a greater realm; to discover the soul’s gem)

Being a gangly, dark, lonely individual I always felt awkward & rejected during my growing up years. This despite being the only son. Isolated, without friends, moving from one place to another every 2/2.5 years, I had to laugh & live alone through many a hardship & pain. My condition was purely my own; so learnt that I will need to face the challenges alone. Being an misanthrope, I never considered acceptance & support by others as a sine qua non for my joy. Learnt to seek it & enjoy alone. And that made a difference.

Mai deewani, kuch na jaana, mast ho ke gaawaan (Forgetting my being, I go into a trance. Lending words to my heart, I let my feelings flow)
Duniya raazi karke kamle, phir vi chain nai aauna (all the adulation from this world Still does not resolve my woes)
Saari khushiyan mil jaavan te picche ki reh jaana( If all my wishes were to come true, What would be left in the world to do)
Tere bas me kuch vi nahi eh, dil nu eh samjhavan (My destiny is beyond my control; I always let my heart know)
Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom O, tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom (Transcend above my me Beyond what the eye can see)
Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom,

All good till stanza one. But when it came to transcending to a greater realm, larger being was where the disconnect started. I was a self-sufficient “prick” in my growing up days and could never see a larger reality, a superior being. An exposure to J Krishnamuthy, Ramana Maharshi and Ramkrishna Paramhansa did not heal. Reading the Geeta, Bible and Koran did not reveal. Public approbation, mainly through academic achievements, quickly showed the hollowness of it all. Landing good jobs in good MNC and private organizations again revealed the facetiousness of ” worldly success”. In fact I remember , I did look for growth and promotions as a shadow variable of personal growth, but internally I felt all this meant nothing. I was seeking more, without exactly knowing what I am looking for. And when I did get promotions and growth, it did not satisfy me. My eyes were focused on the next milestone. Forever listless & hungry.

Main raazi apni zaat toon ( I have found contentment in my being) Main uttay apni aukaat toon ( I have risen above the status I am deemed) Ae duniya meri fikar naheen (worldly pleasure do not elate me)Main samajh gayi har baat nu ( I have fathomed the word of Thee)
Ki karna eh oonchyaan shaanaan nu (why strive to grasp beyond reach) Ki hath laana aasmaanaan nu (why let unattainable desires unleash) Main hasde-hasde hai jeena (when the secret to true bliss) Main nikal gaye gumaanaan toon (is to embrace yourself wholeheartedly)

I think, what kept me even keeled & sane, I was well aware of my caliber and capabilities. I knew my level & was well reconciled with it. Which meant no hungering after assignments, growth. If it comes, great. If it does not so be it!! Securing rank of First Class First in the Bombay University BA was momentary joy. Following it up with First Class First in MA or getting admission in the Fellowship Program of IIM Calcutta was a damp squib. As were the subsequent jobs. Being elevated as Asia Pacific Director in J&J was also a high that passed away momentarily. The question of So What?? soon followed. I kept remembering that every year there is someone who stood First Class First, so what is so great about that? Working for top MNCs like Siemens, Johnson & Johnson and General Motors only exposed the truth of the phrase, no man is a hero to his valet. The underbellies of all these shibboleths left me cured of the quest for worldly honor.

Mai to mere wargi aan ( I am truly worthy of myself) ee Khud kolon sharmana (Why should I shy away from myself) Duniya raazi karke kamle, phir vi chain nai aauna (all the adulation from this world Still does not resolve my woes) Jo hai tera lab jaayega (what you are destined to get) Kar ke koee bahana (Will find a way to you, do not fret Tere bas me kuch vi nahi eh, dil nu eh samjhavan (Your destiny is beyond your control; This philosophy will make you whole) Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom O, tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom

A high spot was being awarded at the hands of President Abdul Kalam for Innovative HR Practices that drive Business Results. Zenith of my professional career. But how long can that feeling last. There has always been a sense of healthy disrespect for the world & whatever external accolades I received. I took my joy from my internal self-worth. Possibly the many accolades and recognition I got only helped me feel, I am still contributing, & giving back to my HR community & my family. Way back in 1967 when I was choosing Humanities in Senior Cambridge, my father had warned me: you will ruin your life & marry & get a girl from another family & ruin her life too. That has been my Litmus Test since then. Have I given a good quality of life to my wife & daughter? and Have I stood on my own feet in the race of life?? Unequivocally the answer is yes. So whether providence or luck brought me here, or it was sheer serendipity, when I look back sans regret, I feel joyful.

Mai deewani, kuch na jaana, mast ho ke gaawaan (forgetting my being, I’m entranced) Mai mastani kuch na jaana (So immersed I am that nothing else remain Tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom O, tu jhoom, jhoom, jhoom, jhoom Tu jhoom, jhoom (Transcend above my me Beyond what the eye can see)s)

To end, Remember: Nigah-e-yaar jise aashna-e-raaz kare Wo apni khoobi pe kyon na naaz kare (The fortunate one who is bestowed with the insight into Thy realm Then why should he not on providence’s favour dwell) Tu Jhoom, Jhoom, Jhoom: vikas

January 26, 2023

Serendipity

Serendipity is defined as, ” the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way” The word originated in 1754: coined by Horace Walpole, suggested by The Three Princes of Serendip, the title of a fairy tale, in which the heroes were always making discoveries, by accidents & sagacity, of things they were not in quest of. There are many many examples of serendipity aiding & abetting our lives. To exemplify, look at the discovery of penicillin. One of the first & still one of the most widely used antibiotic agents, derived from the Penicillium mold. In 1928 Alexander Fleming first observed that colonies of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus failed to grow in those areas of a culture that had been accidentally contaminated by the green mold Penicillium notatum. He isolated the mold, grew it in a fluid medium, & found that it produced a substance capable of killing many of the common bacteria that infect humans. Even today infection control is largely dependent on the serendipitous discovery of penicillin.

In my 67 long years, indeed a la Ulysses, ” much have I seen and known” …”Myself not least, but honour’d of them all” But today I sit in confession. Maybe I did not deserve the credit…it was serendipity at play; & I thought I should share some notable occurrences.

अब अपनी रूह के छालों का कुछ हिसाब करूँ,
मैं चाहता था चराग़ों को आफ़्ताब करूँ| ( Now let me take account of the wounds on my soul; My desire is to make the lamps as beautiful as the Sun)

When I look back on the events of my life there are a great many examples I can quote where events developed by chance in a beneficial way ( the classic definition of serendipity) But if I look on my life as Chapters, the whole Chapter associated with my 6 years in Atul is replete with serendipity. Let me explain how & why.

I was a Factory Personnel Manager in the Kalwa factory of Siemens, on Thane Belapur Road. Doing well career wise, as well as financially, after 10 years of service. Important job where I was making a difference. Unfortunately I made myself indispensable in Kalwa & so opportunities to grow in Siemens were passing me by. The last straw on the camel’s back was the promised deputation/training in HQ at Germany was given not once but thrice to people I felt were less deserving than me. Siemens then was golden cage & no one thought I would leave.

मुझे अब देख कर हँसती है दुनिया,
मैं सबके सामने रोने लगा था| ( Today the world looks at me & laughs; But I had started crying before all)

Along comes Serendipity & a consultant talked to me about an opportunity in Atul Products at Valsad. I interviewed, got selected as Asst. General Manager HRD. We went & saw the location and fell in love with the greenery & quality of living at the campus. I resigned & went to Atul, to the disgust of all my Bombaiyya friends. The day I went to join, Serendipity struck again. The GM HR & Admin had resigned just a week ago. So before joining, I was promoted!!! The MD told me I would take over as General Manager & head the Department!! I tried to tell I am ready to join as Asst. General Manager; see my work & then promote me. But Serendipity had struck!! I was given a higher title, higher grade, more compensation, bigger bungalow, bigger car all on my joining day!!!

Atul township gave us the best 6 years of our lives. Huge bungalow to live in & 3 mins commute from factory to house. All my free time I could spend with Rashmi, who was 6 months then. We had become parents 10 years after our marriage. So what one had hankered after, was served on a platter. Till Rashmi become 6 years of age, every day 515 pm to 730 pm, I was with her in the children’ park. Would Bombay & Siemens give me this luxury? Serendipity helped.

HMB the secretary allotted to me, was another signal from heaven that someone up there loved me. The bond he developed with my family was blessing personified!! Every day he would get fresh Mola Ganthiya for Rashmi to chew as she was teething. Giving her scooter rides when she grew up became part of his daily routine. Doctor visits for inoculation & minor sickness, we were always accompanied by him. HMB was so critical to our lives that Vinita used to say, you can travel when you want but then HMB must be in town. I got not a colleague but a brother & that relation continues even 25 years after I have left Atul. There are far too many such contacts to recollect individually. The Finance Head, the Company Doctor, the Legal Advisor all became family. As did the union leaders who are still in touch!!! The limit was our neighbors JMT & family, who would come on their own if they heard Rashmi crying, pick her up & take her to their house. They would feed her & then we were expected to go to their bungalow & have our dinner there, while the son and daughter regaled Rashmi. A confirmed Rum drinker like me had more Scotch in Atul than I have ever consumed before & after Atul. Happy & beneficial occurrences indeed, serendipity guiding our lives.

वो अब आईने धोता फिर रहा है,
उसे चेहरे पे शक होने लगा था| ( he is now washing the mirror; he was doubting his very face)

My team members especially MAB & MRC de facto took over the entire IR workload. Brilliant professionals in their own right, they had a hunger in their belly to prove themselves. I just had to let go & they picked up the ball and ran, made goals, made the department win. Frankly my contribution was just managing the periphery. The MD & other Directors had to be convinced by me. We had common union agreements for all companies on campus. So those MDs & Boards were my responsibility. Representing Atul with the Senior Union Leaders who were National & State level politicians and aligning our agenda with their demands was my role. But MAB and MRC made me a de facto “absentee landlord”. I had to just give directions & get out of their way. They delivered on the grunge work. And I basked in the glory. Serendipity? 101%

Still remember when we were recruiting a HR senior professional from StanChart the consultant told me ” Vikas it will be like riding a tiger. Are you sure you want to hire a threat for yourself?” I told him I am happiest when someone else does my job, then I can find something else to do. After 6 fabulous years at Atul, my Siemens HR Director came & invited me to re-join Siemens. I took that chance to come back to Mumbai, the mecca of professionals. Again a happy development that chance put in my lap, literally.

There are many other events & occurrences where I felt I lived a charmed existence in Atul. The friends I made in Atul are in my life even now & they play a most important role in my well-being even now. When I look back & think I did not want to join a family owned organization which had no brand value compared to Siemens way back in 1991, I see the strong hand of Serendipity at play. कालIय तस्मै नमः There was a time I used to feel proud of myself, as a great HR professional. Humility has taught me to thank Serendipity!!!

चुराता हूँ अब आँखें आइनों से,
ख़ुदा का सामना होने लगा था| विकास ( I now steal my eyes from the mirror; Coming face to Face with God: vikas)

PS all quotes are from Rahat Indori, first appearing my friend Shri Krishna Sharma’s blog आसमान धुनिए के छप्पर सा.English translations are my own. E&OE

PS2 My youngest sister says she likes only those of my blogs where I share stories. This one is full of them. Hope serendipity propels her to like this one.

July 8, 2021

What a lifetime in HR has taught me

I am a die-hard, confirmed HR professional who has spent 32 years in Corporate HR and now 6 years in HR Consultancy. But it was Serendipity that brought me into HR. As a student, I was a English Literature aficionado and my career objective was to be an English Professor. I chose Humanities in my 9th standard in Senior Cambridge, much to the chagrin of my parents. When I came into college, an Uncle advised Psychology, rather than Literature. I went into Psychology only on the promise that if I did not like it, I would be able to transfer back to Literature in 1 semester. I continued & after my MA in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, the field of Management beckoned and I went for Fellowship in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations. And thus became a Personnel Officer.

Many opportunities came for me to change my field. But I remained glued to Personnel/IR/HR as I was enjoying myself too much. This is a field where, my fellow professionals would agree, every day is a नया नाटक: you are never bored, always challenged, forever stretching & continuously struggling… learning all the way. That is why even after 34 years in the job, I still am happily giving consultancy in the same field… as engaged & enthused, as I was in my first job in HCL. HCL, Siemens, Atul, Johnson & Johnson & finally General Motors. Had the opportunity to work for some great companies and learn a lot. And at 65 years of age, I am still learning daily as I work with a diverse set of companies. Family owned companies, Professionally run large corporations, Educational institutions, Co-operatives…all have taught me a lot. And I am sharing with you What a Life Time in HR has taught me.

First learning was that HR is an opportunity to serve others. Many friends unfortunately see HR as a power center, a chance to control, to say no, and throw the policy book at the employees. I have rather looked on HR as a chance to help others, support them and serve them & indirectly their families. To my HR team members, my challenge was, when an employee comes to meet us, can we begin the meeting by saying,” My answer is YES! now tell me what is your question?” By this simple mind change, the focus is on HR to interpret policy liberally, make exceptions when they are justified, change the policy book if it is restrictive. Good managers are not afraid of discriminations and bending rules. Find the logic for it, convince your stakeholders, But SERVE. HR gives us that chance and I have learnt a lot from that.

Second thing that HR has taught me is Gratitude. As a black sheep in family, choosing Humanities, everyone had written me off. But I rose to be an Asia Pacific Director in Johnson & Johnson. I feel grateful for what HR gave me. When I was travelling 20/22 days of the month for professional commitments, for the support my wife & family gave me I feel grateful. The colleagues and friends who helped me achieve professional goals, the brilliant colleagues I met in Siemens & General Motors, the Union leaders and workmen who guided and piloted my decisions, creating a safety net all around, that I would not break any bones, regardless of the mistakes I made….I feel immensely grateful. As HR we hear so many sob stories, hear so many challenges that people face, difficulties they need to overcome. Compared to their stories, I have indeed had a smooth sailing, for that I am grateful.

Third learning was Humility. I have always tried to underplay the fact that I was a first Class First in BA & in MA, that I went to IIM Calcutta…that was because I saw so many smarter and more capable people around me. The chance to work with all these brilliant minds, who were much better at planning & execution made me a humble learner. All my peers and bosses have taught me. My team members and so-called subordinates were such great self-starters that I quickly learnt to get out of their way & let them run with the ball. The accolades we received were always because I was surrounded by people better than me & they helped make my path smoother, the goals achievable. My worker friends in Atul & Siemens and J&J & GM still continue to mentor and guide me. I feel like the Chosen One, one who has received more than what he can hold, and hence so very humble.

Every HR professional knows that solutions which work with one individual do not necessarily work with another. The same solution may work today & fall flat tomorrow. Most of the decisions we take in HR have long, long lead times, before we get to know whether the decision was right or wrong. There are no magic wands and spells which transform in the tool box of HR. All this, teaches me the virtue of Patience. HR is like farming, planting seeds and nurturing their growth…all in its own time. You cannot hurry the process and soon you master Patience. Patience while dealing with a plethora of “customers” & problems, both internal and external. Hand holding and waiting for the “flowering” and ensuring that during the wait, people trust the process and remain positive … certainly, this teaches Patience.

HR is about Human Relations. Human Relations require an investment of time and great effort, a commitment to the long term. There are really no shortcuts in Human Relations. But possibly the time has come for us to put the Relations back into HR. Even in today’s fast-paced life, the fundamentals of HR do not change. People basically turn to HR to get a sympathetic ear. They do not expect us to solve all 100% of their issues. I have found that if you give them a patient listening, half of the issues die out then and there. Somehow we have to make that journey from a Human Being to BEING HUMAN. The positivity you build by BEING HUMAN can open many doors and help you cross many fjords. Are you ready to BEING HUMAN?

I remember when I went IIM Calcutta for my Fellowship interview I was asked why do you want to join HR? Impromptu, my answer was ,” Everyone makes their own career…as HR I want to make other people’s career”. It was just a smart & sexy answer at that point of time!! But the last 34 years, I have day by day lived the truth of that pronouncement. HR gave me a chance to put Others before Self, work on making other people’s careers and in that process I have led a very fulfilling life.

So I end by repeating with ABBA:

If I had to do the same again, I would my friend…..vikas

August 18, 2020August 20, 2020

Look Ma, no hands!!

After the last blog I wrote, “Letting Go” I got 2 buckets of feedback….

said wow, what a career, you went from strength to strength, your story will be an inspiration for people searching for “the way”
asked was it all hunky-dory ? how about the challenges & what they taught you?

That is where this follow-through blog took shape. I felt I must share with you where I royally screwed up & what I learnt from those experiences….inspiration for the title of this blog.

Some of you may know the story of a small boy who was learning to cycle. His mother was cooking, & watching him through the kitchen window. The boy made his first round very tentatively, cycle shaking vigorously, trying his best to maintain balance. In the second pass, the boy was confident, rode the cycle well, maintained perfect balance. As he passed the window once more, he shouted to his mother….” Look Ma!” and whizzed past. Third round he had acquired the confidence & skill and shouted out,” Look Ma, no hands!” … he could ride the cycle without holding the handle!! The Mother clapped. Emboldened, the boy increased speed & was more experimentative. In the fourth round, he shouted, ” Look Ma, no teeth!” ….obviously he had had a fall, & broken his front teeth!

In 34 years of my Corporate life I too have fallen often. Why only teeth, I have lost many more things….my confidence, courage, arrogance, faith and my trust. This blog recounts some of these stories. So hear ye, hear ye, hear ye….how this fool lost his teeth, bruised his ego, and much more!! Some journeys need no roads, only a willing heart!

The nadir of my professional failure was when I left my AsiaPacific Director’s job in Johnson & Johnson and joined VVF as Global Head of HR. I was doing well in J&J but the travel was burning me out. A consultant friend (whom I later realised was no friend of mine), sold me on a stable job in Mumbai as Global Head HR for VVF. It seemed a logical progression from AsPac to Global role: company had solid growth , 8 plants in India, 6 plants abroad, all good! Too good to be true I realised when I joined, as it was a company with zero professionalism, family owned and managed heuristically, no systems and processes and worst : no appetite for change! Directly from being on top of my professional career, I was dumped into a black hole in Sion. Except protecting my monetary package, the company gave me nothing….no freedom to operate, no chance to learn, no opportunity to contribute. Decisions today, were overturned tomorrow. People were treated as fodder for egos of owners and entrenched “mulajim” who knew how to do “han-ji han-ji” to survive & thrive. In true noir humour, my friends said your title should not be Global Head HR but Global Head HR (Sion)!! That was the job I had!!!

I was desperate to quit …first time in my life I dreaded going to office, as i did not know what surprise awaited me. Vinita saw how badly I hurt every day I had to go to office. She advised me to just quit. Tough call, but I was clear : having done no wrong, I would not quit without a job in hand.

Fortunately I could leave in 9 months, but the role I landed in, I had to adjust to a 20% lower compensation. There was no choice (the proverbial Devil and the Deep Sea); at least I was protecting my soul & sanity. Again I left in 4 months. After this short-lived adventure I joined General Motors, who placed me at Pune where I wanted to be & even restored my comp to pre-existing levels. While I was leaving Onida, the gracious Chairman asked me why I was leaving so soon after joining. My answer was “Never reduce someone’s compensation as that becomes a festering tumor which hurts the person daily” Big learning for me was: never think you can win by vanquishing the other person. Leave him his life, leave him his space so that he retains his dignity & honour. A principle which has stood me in good stead in life. A time tested formula followed by the Greek Kings as well as our own Chatrapati Shivaji. Long Live Win-Win!!!

Early in my career, I realised I must learn to face my fears. The head in the sand model may work for the Ostrich, but for us humans the sand storm sweeps us away, if we do not proactively plan our way forward. I remember many examples where I fell grossly short. At HCL I took responsibility for a Marketing launch meeting, relied on others who promised they would do their part, & ended up with egg on the face in front of Directors as no preparation was complete; as others had not done their bit & I had not checked. At Siemens Corporate Office I called for a walk-in interview in morning at office opening time. Since my staff bus came in late, there was a 150 people’ melee around the Corporate Office reception which could barely seat 10. I reached 75 minutes late. I did not know there was a Board of Directors meeting scheduled same day & they could not enter the office because of the crowd. The Personnel Director had to arrange Security to escort them to the back of the building and bring them in from the Garbage entrance! The US Army has coined a great word to describe such things: SNAFU: ie Situation Normal, All Fu..ed Up!

Another classic memory is of a training event arranged in Atul, Valsad where the program was wrongly scheduled on a festival holiday, got rescheduled and all people informed….only we forgot to inform the external visiting faculty who travelled from out-station all the way to face an empty training room. In Siemens, once I rescheduled the weekly off for the Maintenance group of a 4500 employee strong factory. Maintenance people protested and did not follow the revised schedule, resulting in 2 mandays lost for the entire group.

दिल ही तो है इसने शयाद भुल भी की है
ज़िन्दगी है भुल कर ही रIह मिलाती है
माफ़ करना बंदा भी इक इन्सान है…अपनी तो हर आह एक तुफान है

My lack of numerical ability often created errors in increment/promotion letters, where we had to withdraw letters and issue fresh ones. This happened with so much regularity that one kind hearted colleague offered to always become an “audit step”, before the letters were issued to employees. I rejoined Siemens after a gap of 6+ years as GM HRD. But the company & culture has changed so much in that period that I felt like a fish out of water, and was scrapping daily with friends & colleagues who had welcomed me back!!! Quickly I left again, as I was miserable in Siemens. My list of faux-pas are legion and so I must cut short their litany. But all of them had to be faced, accepted, apologized for, changed & corrected. My bosses trust was often shaken; but intentionality & help from friends ensured I never got fired, though I was lectured often.

So where does all this lead us? I tell you: Life is what it is. And Shit happens. Especially when you are least expecting it. And that is ok. The glorious uncertainty of life makes it all worth living. If it was all predictable we would have long been bored. Chess is the best game only because of the possibilities and probabilities are enormous. And indeterminate. So my learning in this game of Life, and of HR, is that you need to play the game best as you can. Do not try to control , as like sand it will slip out of your hand. Face every challenge and every day with a smile, keep a true heart, focus on the max good for the max people and you will come out right. Be Open. Do not attempt to be a Master of the Game. Rather be a Player. Just pick up the learning each mistake brings to you. Trust the Process. Go with the Flow. You will be a Winner.

I end with advice from one of the best influencers in my life, Ayn Rand who says,“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark. In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all, do not let the hero in your soul perish ... The world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.”

खुबिया इतनी तो नही की सभी का दिल जीत सके,
लेकिन….
कुछ पल ऐसे जरूर छोड़ जाएंगे कि भूलना भी आसान ना होगा: आपका अज़ीज़ विकिबाबा learner

From People Matters: applies to every day, don’t you agree? सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिंदुस्तान हमारा

July 29, 2020August 25, 2020

Letting Go

There was an old school-time joke we had: Question: How do Porcupines make love?

Answer: very very carefully

Life today has proved the veracity of this joke. Complexity and uncertainty has multiplied manifold. Unless we are very, very careful we will not even know what hit us. Spines and quills all around are ready to poke us & queer our pitch, vitiate the direction we have chosen! So indeed the basic question in front of all of us is: How do I proceed? Where do I go? and How to be successful?

To Go Ahead, we must Look Back! See the road travelled. And jettison what will not help us to move ahead. Reduce the bulwark, make the yacht lean, and then press ahead, full steam. Sorry for the mixed metaphor, but I have taken inspiration from our BMMC who has put up a board just before the Bandra Flyover: To turn Right, Stay Left!!! If you don’t believe me, see when you have crossed the causeway and need to take a turn to the WE Highway. BMMC cautions: To turn Right, Stay Left. Good advice for Life itself!!! So to be successful, Let Go and Move On!

What I have realized is, in the hurry to get ahead, and reach the destination, often we are our biggest enemy in moving forward. And this is because of our natural tendency to Hold On. Clutching at straws, or well rooted trees, both have the same effect: they arrest progress towards the goal! We do not realize that Holding On is the way we stop ourselves from moving on, getting ahead, and reaching our target. To reach our true potential we must be able to dispassionately analyze and understand, what is actually helping us move ahead, and what is toxic or excess baggage which is actually holding you back. Robert Frost’s two roads will always beckon, but we must let go of one road, to progress on the other!

In my professional career of 34 years in Corporate India, I changed 5 jobs. If I look back on each of those changes, they epitomise the Letting Go & Moving On gyan I am selling to you now.

My first job was with HCL I was reporting to the Personnel Director and responsible for Recruitment & Training. Since in a nascent computer industry in late 1970s, personnel turnover was high, Recruitment was an year long activity. Before HCL, I had sat in an aircraft twice…once when I was sick and had to be urgently moved for an operation and second time was for the HCL final interview from IIMC campus. Suddenly, in HCL, I was flying all across India, a flight every week, for campus recruitment and walk-ins. Every new product or software launch also required the Training guy to show all-India presence. Though by entitlement & grade, I was not allowed air travel, the high profile role with regular interactions with Shiv Nadar & Arjun Malhotra, besides being the blue-eyed boy of Personnel Director helped. After 2 years of limitless travel and heady recognition and compliments, my wife gave an ultimatum: enough of Delhi, let’s go back to Mumbai. Choose : Wife or HCL!!!

Having to Let Go and Move on, I applied for HR role in Siemens Corporate. 5 day week, 35 hours a week, 21 holidays a year. 50% higher salary. Recruitment & Compensation role. Started dabbling in Training, against the wishes of the Training manager, still enjoying the blue-eyed boy status of the Personnel Director, of Siemens now. Enjoyed Siemens parties and get togethers, hardly any work pressure. The bug hit me again. Must let go! Must be challenged! Must stretch!! Must learn and grow experience wise. Asked for a transfer to the Industrial Relations role in the factory which had 4500 employees of the 7000 in Siemens India. Siemens had very turbulent and violent IR history. Everyone advised me against the move. To add to it, no one wanted me in Kalwa Factory. Was seen as a “Head Office plant” not to be trusted. Was stretched and pilloried. Rough shod and tested. Baptism by fire! But I grew. I learnt! Developed my own niche and acceptance!! Became the perfect double agent: accepted by both factory and Head Office as “their” man. After 5 years, wanted to go back to Corporate. But neither Factory Management nor the Union were ready to release me. Had no choice but to fly out of the golden cage. Let go my hard earned respect and position in the hearts of managers and workmen in Kalwa and moved to another Company. Atul Products, Valsad, Gujrat.

6 years thoroughly enjoyed Atul & company township living. But after 4/5 years I realized I was not learning anything new. Challenges were past. Enjoyed great trust of the management, as well as the external Union leadership. But felt stifled because of repetitive tasks and experiences. Time to Let Go and Move On. Fortunately Siemens offered to take me back as a Head of Human Resource Development. Came back to Mumbai, but felt odd being the Boss of people whom I had reported to earlier. Siemens itself had significantly changed in the 6 years I was away. Took me a few months to realize this was not the company I loved in the past. Again a Letting Go, again Moving On to Johnson & Johnson India as Shared Services HR Head.

J&J after so many years in Chemicals and Engineering industry, was truly a breath of fresh air. Very professional and fast paced work culture. Lots of operational freedom. Multiple reporting, 3 Bosses in India (one per SBU) and the Functional Boss in the Region. The challenge was invigorating; culminating in national recognition at the hands of President APJ Abdul Kalam for Innovative HR Practices that drive Business Results.

With lots of achievements and recognition under the belt, got a chance to join Global HR Transformation Project Team as an AsPac Director. Letting Go of the comfort of JnJ India where I was accepted. Moving on to make my name in the Global Team. Suddenly the person who had sat in a flight twice till the age of 22 was spending 20+ days abroad living off a suitcase and airport lounges, as the responsibility involved 14 countries of AsPac.

With such a hectic schedule, it was natural I missed many family events. My parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary, My Father’s and Mother’s 60th Birthday celebrations, etc etc. One day my daughter Rashmi went to Vinita and asked, “Do you have Baba’s photograph? I have forgotten how he looks”. When Vinita told me this I decided time has come for me to Let Go & Move On again. And I took a simple desk job in General Motors India. Spent last 3 years of my parents’ life near and with them, serving and making up for staying away throughout my academic and professional life.

The last Letting Go was when I retired from GM in 2014 and Moved On to set up Basil HR Advisory with 2 friends. It has been a great and memorable journey and now Letting Go and Moving on is on lower stakes as it involves clients and assignments. With consultancy projects, the roots do not grow that deep as the time commitment and the emotional connect is not at the same level as in the jobs earlier. One knows, that you are a midwife or a nurse, and not the real mother, so the contract is itself defined with Letting Go and Moving On.

Tony Robbins the best selling author of Unleash the Power Within & Date with Destiny puts it very beautifully: ” Will you live inside your story or Let Go and Move On?” Very important question to keep asking yourself as you live and grow? The attraction “living inside your story” are legion. Comfort & security. No new questions or challenges. The ship is safest in the harbour. But it was not built to remain there. Rough seas make skilled mariners. Move On and face the rough seas.

Letting go is a process. You cannot do it overnight, especially if you have spent your life holding on to things you know and love – even if, deep down, you know they are sub-optimising your full potential. Focusing on moving forward and creating a new story for yourself will help you deal with the inevitable pain of conquering new territories. It will also help you gain confidence, develop empowering beliefs to live by and Move On with elan. The power of Letting Go helps you to Move On in your life. If you can not get out of the story you’ve constructed for yourself, then you cannot move on to bigger and brighter things.

So Don’t look back; the Grass is Greener on the other side: vikas

May 21, 2020

Redesigning Leaders by Reinventing HR

On 10th May, I was invited by my friend Shyam Iyer on a webinar to discuss the above topic. I had made notes for my talk and am reproducing my notes on the topic in 2 parts. Here is the Part 1.

At the outset, I must compliment Shyam Iyer & 60BitsConsulting for choosing a very relevant & important topic for today’s deliberations. We are in the throes of a crisis and hence the importance of leadership, to drive us out of the woods!! As the actions will have to be implemented by people, hence the importance of HR, as a function, is doubled at the present moment.

I have structured my talk in 4 buckets:

Context: and here I will not speak about COVID19 & the impact on the economy, etc as there is enough discussion already on these. Rather, I will focus on trends and implications we must understand, to be able to overcome the present crisis.
Journey of HR: Having worked in Corporate India, for 34 years, and now 5 years in Consulting, I have seen a fair bit of change in the way the HR function operates. We should understand this base-line, to learn how HR needs to be ‘reinvented’.
Leadership: The ‘What’ & ‘How’ of Leadership in the present context, especially given that we are looking up to our leaders at present, to lead us out of the crisis.
HR’s new role: What are the areas HR has to focus on, to support the Leaders & the organisation at the present juncture.

So let us dive into the Context & Journey of HR. Leadership & HR’s New role will be Part 2 of this article.

Context: The last blog I wrote was titled A Crisis too Precious to Waste. I wrote that when the First lockdown was announced & I have listed many advantages we can derive, from the present crisis. As an incurable optimist, while mostly people see this with gloom, I believe there are many advantages and benefits. In the words of Charles Dickens (The Tale of Two Cities), ” It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…..in short the period was so far like the present period” Don’t those words fit beautifully to today’s times? We are facing a common challenge for everyone on the planet. This crisis is larger than the Spanish Flu, the London Plague, the Swine Flu, or any other pandemic mankind has ever faced. It is indeed larger in scope & impact than the 2 World Wars we have been through. In the WW, some countries were thankfully left unaffected. But the present Pandemic has affected and involved entire mankind.

One major effect of this will be that !! We cannot fall into the ‘vacation syndrome’ trap…we go on vacation, we go back and think all will be the same. This won’t happen now. We can never go back to doing business, the way we used to do in the past. BAU is DEAD! Both Personal and Professional lives will never be the same. A New Normal will emerge. In the Chinese language, the word for crisis is written with 2 characters: WEI and JEI. Wei Jei is Crisis, but WEI is Danger and JEI, by itself, is Opportunity. So the crisis brings together, both Danger but also many Opportunities.

As you look at the impact & implications of the global pandemic on organisations and people around us, on a 5 point scale, how would you rate our state of preparedness and understanding of what needs to be done?

Let us accept, that most of us were unprepared. I heard Mr Patu Keswani the other day. He openly accepts that Lemon Tree had BCPs…of 3 different scenarios. What if 20% business is affected; what if 30% and what if 40% business stalls? But the 3 scenarios did not help. What emerged was a totally different scenario, for which they were not prepared; the actual reality overtook all. BCPs is like driving by looking at only the rear view mirror; the actual reality will still surprise you. But “Don’t let the Phantom of the Opera scare you. Remember, collectively mankind wins”. This is beautifully illustrated by my friend Adil Malia.

Lockdown has brought in several restrictions. But, at the same time, there are opportunities galore. At the age of 65, I am attending webinars & learning on different subjects. I am excited with ideas of virtual lunches and tea breaks. Much is locked down, but many new things have emerged, like this platform we are interacting on today. One of my clients, CtrlM which is into print management, has launched a thought provoking campaign on #InOurControl. I invite you to see their campaign on the social media platforms like LinkedIn. Faced with problems, we are quickly coming up with new approaches, learning new skills & new solutions are emerging.

Marcel Proust had noted, “Real Voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.” A change of perspective is necessary. We talk about the VUCA world. First introduced by the US Army War College in 1987, this term is liberally used in management/organisational context, thanks to Warren Bennis. Indeed today we live in a VUCA world characterised by Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. So we don’t know what to do. We first need to change the way we see the world we are creating. Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future has given VUCA a new twist. He redefines VUCA as V Vision; U Understanding; C Clarity and A Agility. What a positive frame of reference, for all of us to look ahead. All of this is going to be done by people, so the need and importance of HR.

Journey of HR: Let us look at how the HR function has been evolving. Looking to my grey hair, you will know I have witnessed many changes in the way HR functions. I have worked for 40 years in the field of HR., seeing a lot of changes. When we began our careers in late 70s, we were called ‘Bharti Officers’ because Recruitment was primarily what we did. Time Keeping, Attendance Records, Leave Records, Salaries and Wages were related tasks. It was so bad, that many a times the TK or Admin department, as it was called then, was physically situated at the gate of the factory, along with the Security Office! From there we have indeed come a long way. From Admin to Personnel to Human Resources, to now being called the People Function. Remember Human is the only Resource which does not depreciate. Unlike other factors of Management, Human Resource has the potential to always appreciate, if handled properly. From being treated as problem solvers, sitting separately to whom issues would get referred, HR has taken first a baby seat at the strategy table & now emerged as a partner, playing an active role in the running of the business. Industrial Relations have become an anachronism with the waning union militancy and more educated workforce. Some colleagues and friends, who were masters of the IR game did not see the writing on the wall changing, & got lost when the skill requirements changed for HR managers.

Where would you rate the HR function as it operates today? Service Provider OR Support Partner OR Strategic Partner OR Board Seat?

We have indeed moved up as a function. But still much remains to be done. COVID is a huge opportunity for HR to take a pivotal role. People and Talent are now centre stage for all organisations. Recovery plans will be executed by this important resource: people! Business challenges require people to stretch and deliver: this is a golden chance for HR, to move into a more active role. We have a choice. Do we become an Albatross around the Leadership’s neck, a weight they carry & look to ditch? OR do we become like the Phoenix, burn ourselves on the embers ranging at this crisis time, and the rise from the ashes in a new avatar & take wings? Albatross? OR Phoenix? What will it be?

Next time we will look deeply at Leadership and the new role requirements of HR to redesign and reinvent.

To be continued……..

March 8, 2020March 8, 2020

Mentoring: A win-win relationship

Historically, the word Mentor originates from Greece. Ulysses had little time to groom & develop his son Telemachus. Busy with his kingly duties, and waging war on neighbours for his conquests, Ulysses asked his friend Mentor to coach, counsel and guide Telemachus during his growing years. Today’s process of Mentoring was once a proper noun and the name of the first recorded practitioner. Plutarch caught the essence, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Telemachus was a king in the making. So Mentor was charged with making Telemachus an independent thinker and doer, albeit guided and supported by the wisdom of the experienced warrior, Mentor.

Today also the Mentor is supposed to provoke and encourage, guide and support, empower and enable as the Mentee charts his/her own course. In the end, if the Mentee/Protege does not become capable and independent, the Mentoring relationship has failed! Benjamin Disraeli guides us thus, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” So true…it is about teaching a man to fish so that he becomes independent and self sufficient. Be a signpost to show the right path, but let the protege walk on his own. A lot of people, yours truly included, have gone further than they thought they could, because someone else thought they could!!

In that respect my father was the greatest mentor we siblings ever had. Even when we were unsure of ourselves, he would always sound the bugle of confidence. Around him, “I can’t do it” was unacceptable. His approach was…try it out. Till you attempt it, never say you cannot do it. And if you fail in your attempt, learn from the failure. Then try again. Success will always be yours. When I look back on my school and college education, on the diverse companies I worked in, & the jobs I handled, I indeed had to struggle often to keep my nose out of the water. But Baba? he was always sure I would emerge successful. And his confidence was so infectious that a pure play Humanities student made it to IIM Calcutta and had a very successful career whose zenith was recognition at the hands of Abdul Kalam for innovative HR practices; and successfully shouldering an Asia Pacific responsibility for Johnson & Johnson.

At IIM Calcutta, an Arts students having to understand and master the quantitative methods and math based teaching, I was at the lowest possible ebb: looking at all the IITians and smart people around me. But my Provost Dr Zahid Gangjee enabled me to see hope within myself. His deft mentoring, restored my aspirations and defined for me, a new trajectory. At the very start of my career, my experience in a highly entrepreneurial HCL, working closely with Prof. George Koreth was another high. “I am not a teacher. I am an awakener” thundered George who single handedly mentored the 7 DCM Data Products break-away engineers to form HCL, and make it grow into the main catalyst for the fledgling data processing industry in the 70s/80s. Under George’s tutelage, HCL HR was the brain to pick, the sounding board to bounce your ideas, question your strategies and iron out the glitches. We did it well and can take some credit for HCL becoming the power-horse of the IT boom in India. Mentoring Works!!! and how!!

PW Khandekar, Shrinivas Pandit, my most favorite Arun Bhende (all in Siemens); Siddharth Lalbhai, Dr Venkateshwarlu, CD Patel & Sanat Mehta (in Atul) ….looking back I wonder what I did to deserve so many brilliant minds helping and supporting me, as I was finding my way. Naren Ambwani, Pradip Shroff, Dr Ajit Dangi, Rajesh Dalal (in J&J) all contributed significantly to making me what I became. All these mentors truly epitomize what Mary Angelou had written, “In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you’re sharing with.” Their caring was the placenta within which this embryo survived and flowered.

Somewhere in the late 90s in Atul, & Siemens, & JnJ, and later General Motors, I suddenly awoke to the design of the universe. I was being given all this, so that I could give back in return, in full measure. Time came when suddenly I found the tables turning! Even as I was learning & growing, I found Mentoring being thrust on me. Suddenly I saw people expecting guidance and support from me. Now, I had to be the brain that others could pick, the ear they could talk to, a shoulder they could lean on ….and the most difficult thing….expected me to nudge them in the right direction. “Holy Smokes!!” I exclaimed, ” I am stupid guy! Don’t rely on me. I am a fool. I am still learning. I cannot claim any expertise. You are making a mistake”

Still the noise outside the door did not subside, the crowd did not move away. Slowly I understood this is the way of the universe! Life comes a full circle. And I cannot step away from the treadmill. My task in life now is to call out as I see it, and help others make their decisions, help them stand and be counted, help them become independent, and as a good Mentor….push them in the right direction. Success is when you have reached your goal, but Real Success is how many others you have helped along the way.

It is unfortunate that in Corporate India today, we have so few companies which have successful Mentoring programmes as a part of their Talent Management suite. Many understand the power of Mentoring and how it can benefit upcoming talent. Many have even started Mentoring programmes with much fanfare and aplomb. But the lack of clarity on the mechanics of Mentoring, and the inability to set the right expectations for both the Mentors and the Mentees/Proteges, have left many dead bodies, and programs, along the path!!

Of course the times have changed and so have the talent. Today’s new gen millennials who account for nearly 50% of the employees, do they still view mentors as the way we viewed them? Probably not. Our generation viewed mentoring as support to advance careers, while today’s talent need mentors to help them meet urgent learning needs or new skills. Moreover, with virtual learning the new gen doesn’t find face to face communication to be mandatory, in contrast to the good old mentor mentee relationship. Finally, earlier employees had one mentor. But now employees look for diverse connections & wider learning avenues. So, will one mentor be able to provide it all??? These are challenges for the corporates, but my request to Talent Management gurus….do not throw the baby with the bath water. Mentoring is a win win relationship.

I have lived my life to be a learner and a mentor. I know I have to be mentored -constantly!! Everything in the world has been passed down. Every piece of knowledge is something that has been shared by someone else. If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give to others. As John Wooden says,” It is why you get up every day-to teach and be taught.”

To end, I will say our karmabhoomi is Here & Now. We must make progress today and develop talent for our requirements today! I am inspired on this by Omar Khayyam, ” Men talk of heaven, – there is no heaven but here;
Men talk of hell, – there is no hell but here;
Men of hereafters talk and future lives, –
O love, there is no other life – but here.”

Live to Learn & Learn to Live; Mentor and Be Mentored: vikas