H R Era,     Issue # 10A,       Apr 11th, 2002

1. Moderator's Space

2. Unintended Consequenses of Performance Reviews - by John G. Agno

3. Tomato Soup for the Soul

4. The HR Era Manager - by Rajesh Kamath

5. Buhari's Quote Corner

6. Control Every Conversation - by Peter Murphy

7. How to Improve Your Presentation Skills (Part-1) - by Rajababu

8. More from HR Era's Website

9. Aims of HR Era, How to Contribute Articles, Legal Stuff.

Earthquake killing thousands in Gujarat was somewhat disturbing. Bombing of World Trade Center killing at least 12000 was a bit more disturbing. What has happened in Gujarat after Godhara killings is one of the most disturbing events I have known.

Why? Quake was perpetrated by God, WTC was perpetrated by a few fanatic terroritst. But the killings & atrocities in Gujarat now are perpetrated by a large section of citizens!

What can an HR person do?

It has changed my belief system. We need something in addition to religion to civilise the modern society. That something is "Spirituality." There is considerable talk about "spirituality movement in workplace." Click here to read Joan Marques's excellent article explaining what is spitituality and how it differs from religion.

Rajesh Kamath, in his article on "The HR Era Manager" below, talks about the true purpose of HR and "Spirituality Quotient." Sounds new? Like the Pole star, he points to us the right direction.

Regards.

Rajeev B Bhatnagar

Positive organizational change doesn't take place unless the employee buys into the new corporate culture's intended conformity roles and behavior. The unintended consequences of a new employee evaluation system can send the company reeling.

Last year, we witnessed how Ford Motor Company's use of a new forced-ranking system resulted in a $10.5 million settlement of two class action suits with the company slipping into a crisis management mode of operation.

This year, we are learning some cultural and leadership lessons at Enron---how the emphasis on earnings growth and individual initiative tipped the culture from one intended to rely on aggressive strategy to one that relied on unethical corner-cutting.

BusinessWeek magazine reports that Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling meant to encourage risk-taking through a new peer-review system where a performance review committee (PRC) ranked more than 400 vice-presidents, directors and managers. The decisions of the PRC greatly affected the bonus and stock option grants of the person being reviewed. In practice, the management evaluation system bred a culture in which people were afraid to get crossways with someone who could screw up their reviews.

Just like at Ford, Enron's new employee evaluation system rewarded highly competitive people who were less likely to share power, authority or information---which undermined any teamwork or institutional commitment. That emphasis on the individual may have pushed many at Enron to cross the line into unethical behavior.

In a tough business climate, company priorities shift and more stringent performance reviews can affect employee raises, deny bonus payments and mark the poorest performers for dismissal.

Beware of the 'group think' impact on how you give and receive performance reviews this year. A down economy is not an excuse for unfair management practices. Please do your part to make sure the performance review process goes fairly and smoothly in these uncertain times.

_______________________________
John G. Agno, Business Coach
Signature, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI 48106-2086
Telephone: 734.426.2000 (US Eastern Time Zone)
Email: info@CoachThee.com
Self-Coaching Tips: http://www.12CoachYou.com

  

The Park

A couple walking in the park noticed a young man and woman sitting on a bench, passionately kissing.
"Why don't you do that?" said the wife.
"Honey," replied her husband, "I don't even know that woman!"

With Love from Kids

It was the end of the school year, and a kindergarten teacher was receiving gifts from her pupils.

The florist's son handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, "I bet I know what it is. Flowers." "That's right!" the boy said, "But, how did you know?" "Oh, just a wild guess," she said.

The next pupil was the sweet shop owner's daughter. The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, "I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets." "That's right, but how did you know?" asked the girl. "Oh, just a wild guess," said the teacher.

The next gift was from the son of the liquor storeowner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop off the leakage with her finger and put it to her tongue. "Is it wine?" she asked. "No," the boy replied, with some excitement. The teacher repeated the process, tasting a larger drop of the leakage. "Is it champagne?" she asked. "No," the boy replied, with more excitement. The teacher took one more big taste before declaring, "I give up, what is it?" With great glee, the boy replied, "It's a puppy!" SURPRISE!

What is in a Name?

Two guys were riding in a car, arguing about how to say the name of the city that they were in.

One said "Louieville" and the other "Louiseville." They went on arguing and arguing, until they came upon a fast-food restaurant. The one guy goes inside and says to the waitress, "Tell me the name of the place where I am right now really, really, really slowly." The waitress goes, "Bur-ger-King."

From the Net

Functions & Rules versus Essence

Shankaracharya in the renowned Sanskrit scripture Bhaja Govindam says:

" Seek Govinda, seek Govinda, seek Govinda, O fool!
When the appointed time for departure comes, Grammar rules will not indeed save you!"


Every literature, especially Sanskrit literature has two aspects. One is the exquisite literary beauty. The second is its deep philosophy. When the great Shankaracharya was travelling in Banaras with his disciples, he came across a Pundit very caught up in the Grammar of the scriptures. The Pundit was spending his life on the literary appreciation without any focus on the Spiritual and philosophical aspects of the scriptures.

Thus using the simile of the Grammarian caught up with literary beauty, he is addressing humanity to seek a higher way of life.

Similarly, it is with the HR Manager. We tend to get so involved with the functions and rules of HR, that at times, we miss the essence of the word itself. HR or HRD speaks of Human relations or more elaborately, Human Resources Development. Dwelling a moment on the terms will lead us to the knowledge that it does not suggest limiting ourselves to humans in the organization alone. The new age Manager, the Manager of this Era, the HR Era (to which this ezine and site is dedicated) has this realization that HR is the means, not the end.

The Purpose of HR

" Sight is a faculty, seeing is an Art "

The HR Era manager believes that HR is a faculty, but it is an art to really live HR.

Stephen Covey, the contemporary Management Guru and founder of Covey Leadership Center, advocates four levels of his " Principle Centered Leadership " – they are
" Personal, Interpersonal, Managerial and Organisational." which can be extended further in the form of Society and finally, Environment or Mother Earth.

• Personal refers to relationships with the self on physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual planes.
• Interpersonal denotes relationships and interactions with others – friends, colleagues, family, etc.
• Managerial speaks of responsibility to get a job done with others
• Organisational encompasses responsibilities to create structures, strategy and systems and align them with Organisational objectives
• Societal entails responsibilities towards local groups, community, country and society at large.
• Lastly, but most significantly, Environmental is that last Sphere of activity that embraces harmony with Nature and its wonderful and myriad resources.

Closer to home, Indu Jain of the Benett & Coleman group recently, in her keynote address at the India HRD Congress held in Mumbai redefined HRD as Hare, Rama, Dharma – Hare is driving away problems, Rama is invoking ones own radiance whereas Dharma is the prime duty of the organization.

The above reference as well as the opening one to the Bhaja Govindam is not used here
as references to religion, but , to the crux of the matter, the purpose of HRD itself. She likens HRD to a temple, an extremely holy place …a place to make oneself more wholesome, more complete. She speaks of a movement to mine talent and develop potential of individuals and groups so that they can reveal their innermost divinity and work congruent to their innermost being.

Spiritual Quotient

It is not uncommon, in recent times, to hear about SQ or spiritual quotient which today’s Management and Life coaches swear by. SQ is claimed to be a logical sequel to IQ and EQ, the intelligence and emotional quotients of individual. To me, this is nothing but a manifestation of the fact that HRD is ever changing and evolving and SQ signifies an awareness of the existence of the six concentric circles outlined above. Spirituality has lesser to do with God or religion, and more to do with consciousness of the self and its relationship with earth. Spirituality is not about platitudes and incantations, but about completeness.

We Need Knowledge + Awareness

My friend, philosopher and guide Mr Angajan (also a spiritual trainer) tells an interesting story which I shall use to illustrate the Idea at play:

When a car skidded on a wet pavement and struck a light pole, several bystanders ran over to help the driver. A woman was the first to reach the victim, but a man rushed in and pushed her back. " Step aside, lady ", he barked, "I’ve taken a course in first aid "


The woman watched him for a few minutes, and then tapped his shoulder. " Pardon me sir ", she said, " but when you get to the part about calling a doctor, I’m right here "


This story illustrates knowledge combined with awareness.



To sum up, the modern manager, the HR era manager is much more that just another department of the organization. He is not blasé to the outside of the organization viz. the rest of the planet. He is not one to get bogged down by the triteness of the term HR and its academic meanings, rather he is a more aware being and strives zealously and incessantly to expand its boundaries. …Everyday.



Contributed by Rajesh Kamath, Head – HR, Mahindra Finance , kamath.rajesh@mahindra.com

"Be flexible - its a sign of
strength, not of weakness"

"A successful man is one who can
lay a firm foundation with the
bricks others have thrown at him"

Contributed by Syed Buhari, sibuhari@yahoo.com

Making the most of any conversation presupposes that you already know how to express yourself well. Even so unless you are equally as skilled when it comes to taking charge of the dialogue that passes between you and another person, you can easily be left out and find yourself just observing and wondering what to do to get back into the conversation. This is especially true when you find yourself in a group situation.

Have you ever felt tongue tied as a group slowly forgot you were even present? Have you ever had a conversation with a salesperson and felt exhausted afterwards? In both cases it is likely that
you were not at all in control of the conversation. In the example of the group, you did not know how to get back into the conversation; while with the salesperson, you were jumping through hoops as she directed a focused line of questioning giving you little opportunity to take back control.

There is a better way. We can rebuild you! Let´s look at three highly effective ways to take back control.

Three points of leverage for controlling conversations:

1. Ask Questions:

Whoever is asking the questions is in control of the conversation. Even when the other person has power by virtue of their position you can still exert control by asking questions.

You could ask for clarification on key points, you might ask him to repeat an important issue or you could suggest that he explain himself in a different way so that you can better understand what he wants from you.

In this way you can exert your influence and ensure that you are not steamrolled into accepting something before you have a moment to think it through. Asking questions also gives you more time to decide how to respond.

2. Listen Effectively:

In the context of controlling a conversation, it is worth remembering that everyone has an ego and all of us are convinced that our opinions are correct and that they are worth hearing. Who does not love the opportunity to share their wisdom with someone who really wants to hear it?

The better you become as a listener the more easily you will command power in a conversation. It is a sad and unfortunate reality that husbands do not really listen to their wives; friends do not always pay full attention to each other; and, coworkers are in all honesty more interested in solving their own problems than giving you complete attention when you are talking to them.

This represents a huge opportunity for all of us. If you commit to becoming a great listener you will never have any difficulty making new friends, people will like you because you really give them your full attention. This demonstrates that you respect them and they in turn are more likely to respect you.

Make a point of giving each person your complete attention when they are talking. The other person will feel valued and significant and more open to letting you share your views and wants.

3. Give First:

In a conversation, give first without wanting or expecting anything in return. Giving could mean, giving information, advice or offering to help fix a problem.

By giving, you will feel better about yourself; and by acting with generosity you will feel more positive, caring and genuinely interested in the welfare of the other person. And when you feel good about yourself and others, people just cannot help picking up on those warm, loving feelings.

It is then relatively easy to have a meaningful conversation where everyone shares and you can ensure that you get to say what needs to be said.

In a work context, you may choose to give only in return for another favor, it depends on your assessment of who you are dealing with. Where possible though do give small favors just because it feels good and creates a great working atmosphere.

At a meeting at some later date you will be amazed at the goodwill you have generated when people want to hear what you have to say. It will only be then that you realize the power you have to influence with just words and an attentive audience.

To sum up, asking questions puts you in control, being a great listener earns you bonus points for when you speak, and giving first allows you to create a friendly atmosphere grounded in rapport.

Now it is over to you. Test it, play with it, use it!


Peter Murphy is a freelance business writer. He publishes a free weekly ezine full of practical tips for communicating at your best under pressure. All new subscribers receive a free e-book with powerful strategies for being at your best. To subscribe send a blank email to: AbolishShynessToday-subscribe@topica.com
Visit http://www.topica.com/lists/AbolishShynessToday

What is a presentation?

It is a structured form of oral communication whereby the person puts across his/her ideas and thoughts to the audience.

Why and where are presentation skills tested?

These are tested by institutions such as colleges, MBA institutions, Professional courses and even corporates for further appraisals or for day to day operations.

What is assessed by the evaluators through the medium of presentations?

a) Oral communication skills-How you talk, what you talk, when you talk, what you dont talk, when you dont talk, at which point you don't talk and what it means, your accent, your syntax, your diction, your voice modulation and confidence in your voice.

b) Command over languages-Ability to paraphrase your speaking language with (e.g.) Sanskrit phrases, your accent, you confidence on the language, whether you are 'faking' an accent, etc.

c) Ability to think and present ideas logically-There is a huge gap between 'knowing' and 'explaining' to others. Interest of the audience should never wane.

d) Ability to present things concisely and courteously-To a large extent similiar to c), but with the difference of a "KISS", Keep it short and simple. Very few people are able to achieve this.

e) Stage manners: Standing straight, not drooping, not repeating any mannerisms, like repititve one-directional movement of right hand, not scratching your head, etc, not shivering in front of a crowd, etc.

f) Understanding of the subject matter-More precisely put, the audience should feel that you have a grasp on the matter. There are all types of combinations: Person knowing the matter well, but the audience feels that he doesnt know, person not knowing the matter, but the audience feels he knows it, etc.

g) Poise and self-confidence: Means that you should carry yourself properly. Not to be mistaken with arrogance or self-pompousness.

h) Time management skills-Nobody likes long lectures, (or for that matter long e-mails). Tell them how much they want to know and dont push the limits.

To be contd......................

Contributed by Mr. Rajababu, HR Consultant, trainer & author based in Mumbai. See his articles at http://www.mumbai-central/likhaai/rajababu.htm

The Possible Role of Human Resources in Employee Motivation (Through the Application of Spirituality in the Workplace), Joan Marques

This article is excellent in defining spirituality and differentiating it from religion. I find Joan is guarded in recommending actions companies can take to promote spirituality in workplace - probably a reflection of strict business-like attitude that may be prevailing in USA. To read, Click Here.

Aims of HR Era:
It aims to enhance CAREER GROWTH of its readers by bringing to them practices & ideas they can apply in their work, opportunities to network with other Professionals, training opportunities, jobs available, and techniques for self-management.

Contribute Articles & Other Contents:
Contributions from readers are wholeheartedly solicited. Contributions are the things that enable sharing of learnings. Lead Article should be about 800 words, others 400 words. Please send details about yourself also as we would like to post them along with the article. Kindly note, no honorarium is paid now! Please email contributions to HREra@rediffmail.com

Legal Stuff!
All information in HR Era is presented in good faith. However, before using, please consult relevant experts. We do not accept any financial responsibility for accuracy.

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Copyright (C) 2002 by Rajeev B. Bhatnagar