HR Era,     Issue # 26,       Oct 27th, 2002

 


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CONTENTS

1. Moderator's Space

2. Turnaround & Downsizing - by Poonam Chandoke

3. Tomato Soup for the Soul - by G Sugumar & Ramakrsihna Rao

4. New Members

Tarkesh Gupta, N. Venkatramani, Lakshmi Vikraman (Ms.)

5. Readers' Forum

Help on Terms for Project Trainees - Deivasigamani J
Reply on Designing career paths for Knowledge Workers - C Srinivasan
Reply on Balanced Scorecard - Chendil Kumar
Offer of mutual help on HR Score Card - Sathyamoorthy Iyer

6. Quotation Corner - by Rajan Nagarathinam

7. Inspirational Story: The Ant Philosophy - sent by Ambar Nanavaty

8. More from our Members & HR Era Website

9. HR Training Programs (India)

10. Best HR Jobs (India)

11. What is the OBJECTIVE of HR and do we need to quantify it?
- by Vinayakan Barat

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

1. Moderator's Space

We wish you a very happy Diwali. May Lakshmi, the godess of wealth, shower lot of prosperity on you in the coming year.

We have a new member to introduce who is also Lakshmi! Read about HR Era's Lakshmi in New Members column.

Regards.

Alka Bhatnagar


2. Turnaround & Downsizing - by Poonam Chandoke


I had attended the National HRD Conference held at Mumbai during 3 -5, October, 2002. It was an interesting one. To share the learning I had there, I have put together some points, which the speakers mentioned. Incase you have a doubt on something written or want further clarification, please feel free to email me back.

There were almost 1000 participants in the Conference and 22 Speakers. I attended the Concurrent session on Turnarounds & Downsizing. The panel consisted of representatives from Philips / Siemens / Thermax. Some key learning shared by them were: -

Identifying People

One method of identifying people for downsizing was to build an ability v/s willingness matrix. High & low ability on one axis and High and low willingness on the other axis. Accordingly identify people for CRS. No open VRS was recommended by any speaker.

Move Top-Down

CRS starts from the top. If the business has failed the head has to go first, before others follow.

Communate, Communicate, Communicate

There is no such thing as over communication. Get into dialogues with all in the organization, at all levels and communicate why you need to downsize. This helps create transparency in the organization. Infact some of them asked their Marketing people to talk to others in the organization on how difficult it was to get orders and how the company was going down under if they did not resort to drastic steps like downsizing

(Infact that is one common thing that almost all sessions talked about - the need for communication by HR and the top management with the people on all that is happening in the organization - the good, the bad, the ugly)

Profesional Help

Professional counselling for the CRS cases is useful. Counsellors can help them plan finances, help in coming out of the trauma. Connectivity to placements consultants to help them get jobs if possible. Siemens even allowed them to come back as suppliers.

Continue with key recruitment

This should be one of the tools for turnaround along with many others tools to ensure that people who stay back are motivated and continue to perform.

How to Avoid the Mess?

Final learning was that there is no need for VRS or turnaround if you have been doing a good job right from the beginning. One speaker akinned it to cleaning the house everyday. If you don't do it for years, then the mess would be unimaginable. Similarly in organizations, timely actions would mean not resorting to drastic measures as these.

Tata Steel Experience

The next day, J J Irani of Tatas also spoke extensively on CRS. Yes, he said clearly ours is not a VRS where anyone can opt for it but a carefully targetted CRS while sharing his experience at Tata Steel. They have reduced 33000 jobs at Tata Steel and it is still a moving target.

He shared that downsizing at Tata Steel was done in a very humane way. They rely on communication - in other words persuation & counselling. A generous settlement is also made.

One thing he mentioned was that 100% job security and efficiency do not go hand in hand.


Contributed by Poonam Chandoke,

Larsen & Toubro Limited - ECC Division, Mumbai. Contact: poonam@lntecc.com


  


3. Tomato Soup for the Soul - by G Sugumar & Ramakrsihna Rao

Heaven & Hell

Heaven is an American salary, a Chinese Cook, an English house, and a Japanese wife.

Hell is defined as having a Chinese salary, an English cook, a Japanese house, and an American wife." James H. Kabbler III

Sent by G.SUGUMAR

DGM (Group HRD & Admin), MGM Group of Companies, Chennai. E-mail : dgmhrd@mgm.co.in

Magic Lamp

A junior manager, a senior manager and their boss are on their way to a meeting. On their way through a park, they come across a wonder lamp. They rub the lamp and a Genie appears.

The Genie says, "Normally, one is granted three wishes but as you are three, I will allow one wish each"

So the eager senior manager shouted, I want the first wish. I want to be in the Bahamas, on a fast boat and have no worries.

"Pfufffff, and he was gone.

Now the junior manager could not keep quiet and shouted " I want to be in Florida with beautiful girls, plenty of food and cocktails.

"Pfufffff, and he was also gone.

The boss calmly said,"I want these two idiots back in the office after lunch"

Moral of the story is: "Always allow the bosses to speak first"


Sent by Ramakrishnarao

People Excellence, Tata Telecom Ltd - Gandhinagar, Tele : 079 - 3221773 / 3246467, Contact: rthallam@tatatelecom.com


4. New Members

Tarkesh Gupta, Executive -HR, Dabur India Limited, Delhi

Tarkesh is not a new member. He has shared many contributions with HR Era members - Why Young Executives are Chronically Unhappy [Issue 13A], Outsourcing HR Function [Issue 11A].

Tarkesh had sent us his collection of 36 Inspirational Stories. If you like to have a copy, you are welcome to email us or Tarkesh directly.

Tarkesh is also an active member of HRinIndia discussion group.

Contact: tarkeshg@DABUR.com

N. Venkatramani, Senior Manager ( Personnel and Legal )

Here is Venkat's favourite quote :

" THAT MAN IS GREAT WHO CAN USE THE BRAIN OF OTHERS TO CARRY OUT HIS WORK".

Venkat is a B.Com and has done his PGD in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations. He is also a PGD in Export-Import Management and DCA.

He has been in service from 1980In these 22 years he has worked with public sector undertakings, quasi government companies & in and private sectors. Venkat has worked in various capacities in Personnel, Administration, IR, HRD and Legal Department holding responsible positions. He is a corporate member of NIPM.

Contact: blho@gnmds.global.net.in

Lakshmi Vikraman, Executive- Human Resources, Suntec Business Solutions, Trivandrum

Lakshmi has done BA in English Literature from Kerela University. Thereafter she completed her MBA in 1998 specialising in HR and Management from Amritha Institute of Management , Coimbatore.

She has successfully completed All India, Southern Region and Kerela wide large scale recruiting exercises for difefrent companies - including TCS. Prepared HR Manual and Employee Handbook and also designed and administered employee satisfaction survey. She has also organised many social & cultural programs in her organisation. Her hobbies include gardening, music, arts and interior decoration.

Contact : sakhee96@yahoo.co.in


5. Readers' Forum

Please email your replies to the person asking, with a copy to us at Alka@HREra.com for publication. Email new questions to us.

Help on Terms for Project Trainees

Dear All

I need clarifications from HR professionals on the below.

i] Do organisation pay Project trainees who are doing projects through college?

ii] In such case, Is there any limit to their pay(Consolidated/Stipend)?

iii] Is that pay taxable?

iv] Any legal rule governs the students earning while they study?

Pls send me your inputs those who have some information on the above questions.

Regards

Deivasigamani J

Senior Associate- Human Resources, Visteon Software Operations, Chennai, India. Phone 91-44-8205399 Ext. 156 and 91-44- 8205366.
Contact jdeivasi@visteon.com


Reply on Designing career paths for Knowledge Workers - C Srinivasan


Hello Shilpa,

I have just some time back seen your request in HR Era.

These days, career paths for knowledge workers are not that significant. The reason being knowledge workers have their own personal agenda and hence organizational agenda never fits.
Further, no one reveals his/her personal agenda.

Therefore, career paths developed by organizations have only paper value rather than any organizational value. Instead, we should develop structural value to capture the knowledge of the people for sharing with in. HR can not do a job which has no intrinsic value. Every thing needs to be business related.

Hope I have given my point of view clearly.

best wishes,

C Srinivasan

Group Corporate Head-HR, GMR Group, King Street, Richmond Road, Bangalore - 25

Contact: srinivasan_blr@rediffmail.com

Reply on Balanced Scorecard - Chendil Kumar

Hi All,

I got many mails to say that they were not able to open the pdf file on Balance Scorecard, a newsletter from Harvard Business Review

hope this helps.

http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/files/newsletters/bsr-sample.pdf

cheers

ck

Offer of mutual help on HR Score Card - Sathyamoorthy Iyer

Dear Friends,

Thanks for the compliments. The HTML links given in my previous reply direct to review of a book 'HR Scorecard'.

I also welcome queries regarding the HR score card from the HR Era subscribers. At least i can share whatever i know about/sources of info on this.

I am also gathering info on this hot & happening topic in HR , like training / seminars happening around.


Regards

Sathyamoorthy

Larsen & Tubro Limited, Mumbai. Contact: vssm@lntecc.com


6. Quotation Corner - by Rajan Nagarathinam


If you read a lot of books you are considered well read. But

If you watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well viewed.


Sent by Rajan Nagarathinam, Contact: rr.trg@fie.co.in


7. Inspirational Story: The Ant Philosophy - sent by Ambar Nanavaty

1st PART PHILOSOPHY

ANTS NEVER QUIT

If they’re headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they’ll look for another way. They’ll climb over, they’ll climb under, they’ll climb around. They keep looking for another way.

LESSON:

To never quit looking for a way to get where you’re supposed to go.

2nd PART PHILOSOPHY

ANTS THINK WINTER ALL SUMMER

You can’t be so naïve as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in the middle of summer. You’ve got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun.

LESSON:

It is important to be realistic. Think ahead.

3rd PART PHILOSOPHY

ANTS THINK SUMMER ALL WINTER

During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won’t last long; we’ll soon be out of here." At the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they’ll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day.

LESSON:

Stay positive at all times.

4th PART PHILOSOPHY

ALL-THAT-YOU-POSSIBLY-CAN

How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All that he possibly can.

LESSON:

Do all you can.and more!

IN A NUT SHELL...

FOUR-PART PHILOSOPHY

Never Give Up

Look Ahead

Stay Positive

Do All You Can


Contributed by Ambar Nanavaty,

Larsen & Toubro Limited, Ahmedabad. Contact: ambar_nana@yahoo.com


8. More from Our Members and HR Era Website

Relationship Glue - by Jon Henshaw

On the different types of love and the one which keeps marriages together.

Quotes - sent by Rajesh V Kamath

Rajesh, one of our members, has an intellectual disposition. He has given us a blanket permission to lift material from his "Musings" & "Triggers" that may be of interest to HR Era members. So we will include his contributions from time to time.

Triple Filter Test - sent by Ramakrishna Rao

Here is a story on three filters to apply on what you listen or chit-chat or gossip!

9. HR Training Programs (India)

Free Service: Training Institutions & Trainers can email their Programs to Alka@HREra.com . We reach them to 1200 + HR professionals for free.

For detailed calendar of major Institutes visit http://hrera.com/trainings.htm

The 21st century competencies for HR Professionals: Framework for developing an HR Scorecard, 12th & 13 December 2002, Mumbai

Dear HR Fraternity,

HR role and activities have been treated for so long as low in strategic value and in priority. There is increasing awareness that the key to strategy achievement is a High- Performing Organization (HPO). An HPO needs reinvented HR Leadership and revitalized HR Practices. Unless the HR Department is transformed, the organization is in danger of being overtaken by its competitors and abandoned by its talented employees.

Workshop Objectives:

This workshop is to provide Senior Management and HR practitioners with a framework and selected tools for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of its
Human Resources Management in aligning with Business Strategy

Benefits of the Workshop:

Insights into the ingredients of a High-Performing Organization
A prototype HR Scorecard
A clearer understanding of the strategic role of HR

Who Should Attend:

HR Professionals, Division/Department Heads, CEO, Managing Directors, General Managers

Workshop Leader

NING C S de GUZMAN, CMC, MBA, MSHRI, BA

Mr. Ning C S de Guzman is the Senior Advisor of PT. OTI Transformasi Lintas International.
He specializes in Change Management.Formally a Director of a Big Five firm, he has worked
with numerous organizations all over Southeast Asia.

Fees: Rs. 25,000 per participant

Seats limited to 20 participants

I Look forward to your participation.

Best regards,

Ajai

Ajai Singh
CEO, Organization Transformation International, India

Tel: 91-22-6366164, Tel/Fax:91-22-6366286, Handphone:98201.58285

ajai_singh@yahoo.com

10. Best HR Jobs (India)

Free Service: Employers can email their job vacancies to Alka@HREra.com . We reach them to 1200 + HR professionals for free.

[70] Trainers in Software - Temporary Assignment [Not an HR Job]


Dear Professionals,

Zen Centre: We have great pleasure in introducing ourselves as one of the premier competency enhancement service providers. Our aim is to bring changes, effectiveness and facilitate to develop learning and performing organizations. We have conducted several training programs on soft skill for the Corporate & for the Public.

We are currently looking for corporate trainers / senior consultant who can handle training programs for Software development Companies [in Chennai] with good communication and presentation skills with 3+ years of experience in the following skill sets: -

Training Requirements: VC ++, C++, Java, J2EE, EJB

We would like to invite freelancers / consultants wishing to associate on need basis. We would like you to come in person after fixing an appt at our office with proper details like course syllabus, time duration, course material, prior experience, remuneration, etc. The trainer must me a STRONG & TEACHING EXPERIENCE in the above skill sets only need apply. And this is a temporary assignment.

Thanks

Chandru

Zen Centre for Growth, 72/139 Eldams Road, Teynampet, Chennai - 600 018

Contact: ksss@eth.net, Ph: 044- 435 66 69

PS:

1. Participants are already software professionals and have hands on working experience

2. Other than the above mentioned skill set, other subject/s technical trainers also welcome.

3. Whether a Full Time Trainer or a Software Consultant or Freelance Trainers or Training Institutes who are interested, can also contact.

We welcome training programme enquiries, from the Corporate; write to us with specific requirements

Thanks

11. What is the OBJECTIVE of HR and do we need to quantify it?
- by Vinayakan Barat


Objective of HR

I am a Second year student at SCMHRD specialising in HRM. At this stage of my life i have very clear and strong views on the objective of HR , as far as i am concerned there is just one [objective of HR]:

making the workplace more competetive by empowering people with responsibilty and commesurate authority rather than a comfortable place.

whatever is required to acheive this objective needs to be done i would not want to list all of them down as they will not be objectives of HR but procedures of attaining the above mentioned objectives.

And About Quantifying:

YES absolutely it needs to be quantified, for HR no longer is to be seen as a cost center , we are the backbone of the company and every activity either originates or terminates at HR directly or indirectly.

To start with if HR does not facilitate the hiring of the right people in any other department how will those departments ever acheive their so called quantifiable numbers.??? so everytime a department which has quatifiable objectives acheives a goal we at HR need to be gievn a certain percentage of the points. This way we shall be forerunners of acheivers in the numbers game.

Limits to Quantifying in HR

I am aware of the fact that if everyone runs after the numbers certain key issues which need attention will be ignored that is why i have suggested the above approach. It is somewhat akin to a home wherein the father goes out to earn and a mother keeps the home , both of which are equally difficult time consuming taxing and stressful jobs , in some cases more so for the mother who has to do it all by herself without social company as compared to the father. So do we say that the father is doing a better job because he brings home a pay packet at the end of the month? How would he have had the energy to work and earn if the mother had not sent him healthy home cooked food everyday? have we thought about that.

That is exactly what is happening nowadays, all this talk about stress , burnout , worklife and personal life balance , violent children etc, what do you think is the reason for all this, very simple THE MOTHER AND FATHER BOTH ARE RUNNING AFTER THE NUMBERS.

They have been caught in the circle of quantifying their contributions. Why did this happen , it hapened because of continuous neglect of the mother function and building up of the perception that the father function which is more quantifiable is more important . This approach drove the mother to do the same and now look at the consequences.

Softer Aspects Need Due Importance

So I very strongly believe that HR needs to be left alone to do its job , yes quantification is neccessary but pls do not make it so obvious that we end up being the mothers who went to work driven by non-appreciation of the wonderful and supporting function which they used to perform.

Hope that I have made sense and that I have typed what I wanted to actually communicate as all these metaphors just poured in. I would like to discuss this further with anyone who is interested and maybe i could gain a different perspective .

regards
barat.


Contributed by Vinayakan Barat,

Contact: hr_bart@hotmail.com


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

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 Alka@HREra.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.

Visit our Website at http://hrera.com 

 

Copyright (C) 2002 by HREra.com