HR Era,     Issue # 42,       Sep 21st, 2003
 

Sharing & Growing

Writing down what we have learned from experience or reading, sharpens our own understanding & thinking on the subject. Publishing it (in HR Era) adds value because we gain from critical as well as appreciative comments of readers. Publishing also makes us well-known amongst fellow professionals & makes our contribution permanent.

We invite you to use HR Era as your medium of self expression, sharing, and growth.
Email your contributions to Rajeev@HREra.com or Alka@HREra.com
 


Contents

1. Moderator's Space

2. Managing Performance Every Day - by Lora J Adrianse

3. Tomato Soup for the Soul

4. New Members

Richard J Byrne, Director (Compensation & Benefits), Kaiser Aluminum &
Chemical Corporation, USA

5. My Favorite Quotes - sent by Neeta Bhatnagar

6. Inspirational Story: A Gift More Powerful Than Sight - by R. Rajan

7. The 5 Layer Framework - by Ramkumar R S

8. Readers' Forum

Query on Payment of Salary to Foreign Nationals - G Sugumar

9. Best HR Jobs (India)

10. Training Programs

 


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1. Moderator's Space

Dear Friends,

We live in an era of Down-Sizing, Right-Sizing, Opti-Sizing. In India, many know it as Voluntary Retirement Scheme.

Even though I am a hard-core HR professional, such drastic HR interventions always affect me. I wonder: is there what can we do to avoid or minimize such  actions?

Yes, there is. Please read Lora's article on Performance Management! We need to introduce & stabilise appropriate HR systems & processes for performance feedback and coaching.

warm regards

Rajeev B Bhatnagar

Rajeev@HREra.com

 


2. Managing Performance Every Day
- by Lora J Adrianse © 2003

The scenario

The company has decided it needs to eliminate costs. Hundreds of jobs are on the line. The executives of each division have been directed to cut costs by 35%. The tension throughout the company is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You know some departments will be totally eliminated because the work can be outsourced to save money.

You are a manager with over 20 years of seniority and you know your department is NOT being eliminated. You breathe a sigh of relief; after all, you do have personal ties to the owners. You show up for a weekly meeting with your boss, and he catches you off guard…your job has been eliminated. Your world changes in an instant! You don't understand! Your performance reviews have been good for 20+ years! You've done your job! Nobody has ever told you that you're NOT doing a good job! The shock consumes you in the months to come as you try to make sense of it all.

(What you don't know is that you have long had a reputation of someone who is extremely difficult to work with. Your many internal customers have complained about you all along. You shrugged off the complaints, and your boss chose not to deal with it or reflect it in your performance reviews.)

This scenario is in fact real! Unfortunately, corporations dealt with the same scenario (with a few details changed) over and over again. The lesson learned here"Inadequate performance management systems" damage individuals and companies.

For the past few years' companies have furiously worked to upgrade the effectiveness of their performance management systems. They are establishing core competencies, identifying performance objectives and measures, and even talking about ongoing coaching.

A 2002 study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting reveals that ongoing coaching is still in short supply! The data indicates that 78% of employees surveyed said their managers routinely conduct annual performance reviews. It also indicated that 26% said managers routinely provide ongoing performance feedback and coaching.

Reality Check

Could you be blindsided by a scenario similar to the one mentioned earlier?

My personal belief is that managers (at all levels) don't give feedback or coach on an ongoing basis because they don't know how.

Today, there are a multitude of training programs and support systems for managers who really want to learn to coach on an ongoing basis. They can get their own coach or they can attend a workshop like "The Coaching Clinic ©". More info can be found at

         www.connectionscoach.com

In the meantime, here are three ways you can begin to manage performance every day through coaching:

Acknowledgement

Make time to acknowledge contributions. Give credit where credit is due. Challenge them to play a bigger game. Inspire them to give the performance of a lifetime.

Development

Partner with them on projects. Do more asking versus telling. Become genuinely curious in their ideas and concepts. Give them the lead role. Support them when they stumble. Encourage them to get up and try again.

Provide Feedback

Be specific about what exactly makes the difference. Teach them how they can make a difference (do more, do less, keep doing). Incorporate "lessons learned" discussions into every project.

If your company is one that says, "Our employees are our greatest assets", now is the time to walk the talk. By providing ongoing coaching, you'll be managing performance every day.

And most of all, your employees will feel like they are your greatest assets.

Contributed by Lora J Adriaanse

Lora J Adrianse is the owner of Essential Connections. She is a Coach, Consultant and Facilitator who specializes in the development managers and business owners. She recently left a longterm corporate career to focus on her passion for helping others bring out the best in themselves through the use of Emotional Intelligence. She can be reached through her website  www.connectionscoach.com
 


3. Tomato Soup for the Soul

The little boy sat next to the older lady sitting on a bench at the beach." Do you believe in God?" He asked, "yes" she said intrigued.

After two minutes he cleared his throat and said,"Do you go to church?" She nodded."Every Sunday?" She nodded again wondering what it was all leading upto..

A Brief silence and the boy looked at her again " How much money do you put in the collection plate?" "A dollar or two"she said.

The boy looked relieved and dug into his pocket." Do mind keeping my quarter while I go for swim?"

Contributed by Vinod Unni,

Email: vinodvariar@yahoo.co.in

 


4. New Members

Richard J Byrne, Director (Compensation & Benefits), Kaiser Aluminum &
Chemical Corporation, USA



Richard's last assigmnt was as Director (Compensation & Benefits), Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, USA, till Oct 2002. Proir to that he worked with Crowley Maritime Corporation, San Francisco, CA.

He has done B.A. in Liberal Arts from University of Washington and is also has a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification.

Richard has worked in Executive level positions in HR with emphasis on employee benefits and compensation and accounting management. He works effectively with people has solid business acumen.

Richard is looking for a leadership position in Human Resources.

Email: Rjbyrne226@aol.com

 


5. My Favorite Quotes - sent by Neeta Bhatnagar

"Crowds part. Eyes follow. Heads turn to look. It's as certain as the sun: people make way for someone who is on Purpose. This is the person who knows what they are DOing, where they are going, and thus why they are here. " - Nanci McGraw

"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem." ~ Theodore Rubin

"Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely and the likely definite." ~ Robert Half

Sent by Neeta Bhatngar

Email: Neeta@mdli.com
 


6. Inspirational Story : A Gift More Powerful Than Sight - by R. Rajan

Due to a medical misdiagnosis, she became blind.  And all she had to cling to was her husband.

He was an Army officer and determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.

Finally, she felt ready to return to her job. She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. He volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.  Soon, however, he realized the arrangement wasn't working.

Just as he predicted, she was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me."

His heart broke to hear these words. He promised her that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it.

For two solid weeks, he accompanied her to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.

Monday morning arrived.  She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love. Each day on her own went perfectly. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.

On Friday morning, as she was about to exit the bus, the driver said, "Hi, I sure do envy you."  Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"  The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are."  She had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?"

 The driver answered, “Every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."

Tears of happiness poured down her cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt his presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.

Do we have someone in our life who has been there to support us through thick and thin?

Tell them how much we love them and how much they mean to us.

 

Sent by R Rajan

Training Centre, Delphi TVS Diesel Systems Ltd. Email: rr.trg@fie.co.in

 


7. The 5 Layer Framework - by Ramkumar R S

Dear Friends,
 
Please find enclosed an explorative paper "Titled 5 layer framework", It would be very helpful if I could get some feedback, thoughts and comments from group members on the usefulness of this model, so that I can go forward in developing it further.
 
Thanks and Regards
 
Ramkumar R S
Senior Manager
Promanns Management Services Private Limited
+91 44 6210640 (4 lines)
Mobile 044 31025462
 

Applications of this Framework

Each human being continuously evolves and develops in all the 5 layers given in this article, over his or her lifetime. Similarly an Organization also evolves and develops in all the 5 layers.

One can map an individual or an organization and also match them with each other, using this framework.

This 5 layer framework can be also be useful for

  • Organizational Diagnosis and Analysis
  • Systemic Approach to Organizational Development
  • Harmonizing and Synchronizing Organizational development with Individual Development
  • Individual Appraisal, Career Development and Career Planning
  • Job Design, Job Profiling, Internal or External Recruitment

Now let us look at what these 5 layers are

1. The Physical Layer:

This is the body - which is by itself a complex system - an integration of various sub-systems working in harmony with each other.

There are three dimensions in which a human body could be mapped:

  • The Internal health dimension
  • The external appearance dimension
  • The kinesthetic (energy level) dimension

These dimensions translate in to "Medical Fitness, Appearance / Looks, and Energy Levels of an Individual

2. The Personality Layer:

This represents the static patterns from which a human being most often reacts to external situations. This is an accumulated imprint of all past experiences and conditioning. In Transaction Analysis Terms, this can be called as the "SCRIPT". A particular stimulus almost always produces the same type of habitual reaction.

Psychology, Psychometrics and Transaction Analysis belong to this layer.

3. The Being

This is often referred as the HEART of a human being, even though it does not refer to the physical heart. This is the seat of Emotions that make a human being RESPOND to emotional stimuli.

The Emotions that are part of the Personality layer, have to be clearly differentiated from the Emotions of the Being, because, the former is a reaction / replay of past experiences and the later is a DYNAMIC GENUNINE RESPONSE to a given situation in the Present moment.

If cultivated Virtues form part of the Personality layer, spontaneous virtues belong to the Being.

Love, Compassion, Genuine care for people and relationships are some of the qualities that belong to this layer.

4. The Intellect or the Human Consciousness

The Intelligence of a human being cannot be equated with the accumulated knowledge in memory. Accumulated knowledge in memory is part of a person's personality. This will only help a person to handle familiar situations for which the answers and solutions come from past experience.

On the other hand, real Intelligence is the ability to dynamically create value and solve unfamiliar problems. The Intelligence of a human being has four dimensions

  • Dissect, Analyze and understand - Analytical
  • Connect, Integrate and comprehend - Holistic thinking
  • Create value - Innovative / Entrepreneurial
  • Communicate, Co-operate - Communication / Team building

5. Connection Layer to the Supreme Intelligence or the Supreme Consciousness

The Supreme intelligence represents a larger system within which the human system is embedded. If the Human system is considered as a Wave rising and falling, the Supreme Consciousness is the Ocean from which these waves rise and fall.

The Supreme Intelligence is the One that drives all nature. A human being's ability to connect and be in sync / harmony with this is critical.

Similarly, the limited human intelligence often has to connect, tap, replenish, and re-align itself to the Supreme Intelligence. Like the music instrument that needs tuning at regular intervals, this process has to be done periodically.

The following qualities belong to this layer:

Flexibility, Self-awareness, An ability to face and use suffering, The ability to be inspired by a vision, An ability to see connections between diverse things (thinking holistically), A desire and capacity to cause as little harm as possible, A tendency to probe and ask fundamental questions, An ability to work against convention

The 5 Layers of an Organization

Now let us look at the 5 layers of an Organization

An organization, is a system of a higher order - a harmonious integration of various sub systems.

Much like a Human system, which is made of cells structured and interconnected in a particular order, an Organization is predominantly made of Human beings.

So the 5 layers of an organization will be similar to the 5 layers of a human being.

  1. The Physical layer

    (The collection of a body of human beings + all other inert materials used by the organization)

     

  2. The Personality layer :

    As time passes, an Organization also acquires a personality, which is an accumulated imprint of its past experiences, and conditionings. Most often an Organization reacts from this layer.

     

  3. The Being

    Like a Human being, an organization also develops a core / heart / being which represents the spirit of the organization.

    Much like a sentence whose meaning is more than the sum of meanings of the individual words, an organization's being is more than that of the human beings with which it is made of.

     

  4. The Intellect or the Organization's Consciousness

    An Organization has its own intelligence with which it responds to situations, creates value and solves problems. It is indeed derived from the intelligence of the human beings in the organization, but goes much beyond that.

    The focus here is more on the systems and processes that interconnect the individual intellects. The resulting intelligence of the organization is many times more than that of the individuals.

     

  5. The Connection layer to the Supreme Intelligence

Like a Human being, an organization also has a connection to the supreme intelligence from where it derives its mission, vision, and social responsibilities. An organization too has to tune itself periodically to connect, tap, replenish, and re-align itself to the Supreme Intelligence.

The following qualities in this layer apply to Organizations as well.

Flexibility, Self-awareness, An ability to face and use suffering, The ability to be inspired by a vision, An ability to see connections between diverse things (thinking holistically), A desire and capacity to cause as little harm as possible, A tendency to probe and ask fundamental questions, An ability to work against convention

Mapping and Matching the 5 layers of Individuals with that of the Organization

While trying to harmonize these two maps, we should look for convergence or divergence over a period of time instead of a static matching at a particular point in time.

Suitable tools should be developed to map individuals and organizations on these 5 layers. This however will require multidisciplinary expertise corresponding to each layer.

Contributed by R S Ramakumar

The author is a Senior Manager at Promanns Management Services Private Ltd and can be contacted at ramkumar@promanns.com or ramkumar@rsrinnovations.com

 

 

8. Readers' Forum

[Please email your replies directly to member asking the question with a copy to us at Alka@HREra.com  for publishing. Email new questions directly to us. ]

Query on Payment of Salary to Foreign Nationals

Dear fellow members,

Allow me to introduce myself as a HR professional working for MGM Group of Companies, Chennai, as GM. I am writing this to seek the help of our fellow members in connection with the rules/procedures governing remittance of salary to a foreign national taken on contract.

Following is the background of the subject :-

* A foreign national (with technical background) is proposed to he hired on contract for 12-24 months

* The foreign national wants his salary to be remitted in his bank account abroad

* What is the procedure involved in remitting his salary from India to a foreign bank account.

* Who is the appropriate authority whose clearance is required ? Is it RBI ?

* Which clause or section does this nature of transaction figure in FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act earlier FERA) or Income Tax.

May I appeal to our fellow members who have dealt with the above or have the

knowledge of the above subject to help me with the required information please.

Regards,

G.SUGUMAR

GM (Group HRD & Admin.), MGM Group of Companies, Chennai

E-mail id : sugumar@mgm.co.in


 


9. Best HR Jobs

[Free Service: Employers & Consultants can email their job vacancies to Alka@HREra.com . We reach them to 2500 HR professionals for free]

L & D Consultant, IT Multinational, Bangalore & Hyderabad

I represent a recruitment firm in Hyderabad (www.optionsindia.com), I have an excellent opening in Hyderabad and Bangalore in a IT MNC which ranked among Fortune Top 100 organisation and a global leader in its field.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Responsible for design, implementation, administration, delivery, and operation of professional, Leadership and Management Development programs to all levels of personnel. Prepare curriculums including the method media and documentation to be presented. Would be responsible for talent management and Development of Front Line Managers. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.         Develop concise content, methods, and materials.

2.         Develop and implement methods for evaluation of program effectiveness.

3.         Coordinate specific activities for employee training and development programs.

4.         Instruct participants in classroom and/or group sessions.

5.         Conduct research to develop specifications for content of courses and training manuals.

6.         Coordinate class arrangements.

7.         Maintain records of customer training to provide accurate information for self-maintenance certification.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

·           Advanced Organizational Development skills.
·           Advanced Curriculum Design skills.
·           Advanced Facilitation skills.
·           Advanced Needs Assessment/Diagnostics skills.
·           Advanced research and evaluation skills.
·           Advanced Adult Learning Theory and subject matter understanding.
·           Advanced Consulting skills.
·           Advanced PC software and spreadsheet applications.
·           Authoritative training/delivery skills.
·           Authoritative PowerPoint skills.
·           Authoritative presentation and interpersonal skills.
·           Authoritative verbal and written communication skills.

·           Prefer an MBA in HR  (or equivalent) with 6-8 years experience in Human Resources or related field.

Pl send your CVs on Word format ASAP to tazeenrahman@yahoo.com

Thanx and regards

Tazeen Rahman

Options Executive Search Pvt Ltd, 84 Anandnagar Hyderabad


 


10. Training Programs

INSTITUTE OF HRD
BANGALORE

Presents
A Two Days Workshop on
Performance Management

We  are pleased to inform you that a Two Days  Workshop on  "Performance Management"  is being organized  by   Institute of HRD  on  Sept. 26 & 27, 2003 at Hotel Atria, Palace  Road, Bangalore -560 001, for the benefit of HR Managers & Executives, Team/Project Leaders, Personnel  and Manpower Professionals. The details of the workshop are as follows:

Workshop Contents:
The following aspects will be covered in the workshop
1. Role of Performance Management in a Competitive Era.
2. Designing a Performance Management Systems.
3. Competency based approach to Performance Management.
4. Assessment Methodologies.
5. 360 Degree Feedback & Appraisal.
6. Creating a Performance oriented Culture.
7. Performance Counseling.

Workshop Particulars:
Dates:   Sept. 26 - 27, 2003(Fri & Sat )
Time:    9:30a.m- 5:30p.m
Venue:  The Atria Hotel, Palace Road, Bangalore-  560 001

For more details kindly contact:  J.Reuban ( Ph:  080-3436406, 3549645 )
.
Regards

J.Reuban
Coordinator

INSTITUTE OF HRD
# 12, I Floor, 80 Feet Road
Near UTI Bank
R.T.Nagar Post
Bangalore- 560 032, India
Phone: 080-3436406, 3549645,
E-mail: ihrd@vsnl.net

Redefining Excellence in Corporate Training


 

Announcing!

A two day Learning Packed Workshop on:-

Communication:
Enabling Relationships…

 

Registration on a First Come First Basis

Perspective

For details Click the links below

Imagine life without interactions…
Imagine interactions without relationships…
Imagine relationships without communication…

The words life, interaction and relationships would be meaningless without communication. Communication facilitates interaction, interaction results into relationships, and relationships form the basis of life. To excel in life is to excel in relationships.

To make relationships more fruitful, to minimize conflicts, to get most out of people, to be understood in the desired way… the wish list is unending. The key to this wish list lies in understanding the dynamics between communication and relationships. That is exactly what this workshop attempts to achieve.

This workshop will be accented towards professional and career related relationships.

Workshop Design 

Methodology

Schedule & Venue

Participant Profile

Faculty's Profile

Workshop Benefits

Registration & Fee

Follow Up

 

Contact Details:

Mr. Shailesh Pandey
Vitasta Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
311, Ganatra Estate, Khopat, Thane (W), Maharashtra, INDIA - 400601

Voice:

09821681912 / +91-022-25476846/47/49

Email:

shailesh.p@vitasta.com / vitasta@vsnl.com

Web:

http://www.vitasta.com

 

 

 

 

Workshop Design

The two day workshop has been designed to enable participants to appreciate the basic concepts of the communication, unlearn some commonly held myths, absorb new understanding and internalize it with activities, games and techniques of androgogy. The participants will be able to apply this learning to his/her relationships at work and at home as well.

  • Icebreakers.
  • Relationships: The why and what and the how’s.
  • Understanding communication; Concepts and Applications.
  • Understanding Communication as a “Process” and as a “Skill.”
  • Some commonly held Myths and mindsets about communication.
  • How self perception of the receiver and sender affects communication process.
  • How perception of receiver in sender’s mind affects communication.
  • Role of Transaction analysis in maximizing parallel transactions.
  • Summarizing and Closure.

Methodology

The workshop is offered in a highly interactive mode to internalize the learning. There will though be some inductive inputs while detailing some critical concepts. The technique that we have perfected in numerous sessions is to introduce a concept, then maximize internalization by various techniques that help adults learn. The general approach is one that induces spirit of inquiry, participation, free exchange of ideas and is lots of FUN too.

The trainer encourages two way learning. He is approachable, committed to help you maximize your learning from this workshop.

Schedule and Venue

 

Dates

On 27 & 28 of September 2003

Venue

At INDUS HALL,
J W Marriott Hotel,
Juhu Tara Road, Juhu,
Mumbai, Tel. 56933049

Timing

Start Time : 9: 00 a.m. Sharp

End Time : 6:00 p.m.

Participant Profile

Who should attend: Persons or professionals who feel they can draw more out of their current relationships!!! Professionals who have other people reporting into them, professionals who have a lot of co-ordination work with other departments. It will be useful for people who deal with customers, vendors, dealers and/or employees. Typically, it will be suited to people who have at least three years of working experience in organizations.

Who should not attend:

  • Professionals who expect this workshop to be a two-day miracle.
  • People who expect language transfer skills.
  • People who are not open to change.

Faculty’s Profile

Mr. Pradeep Dhar is a '85 batch biosciences graduate and a '88 batch MBA. He has rich and varied experience of 15 years. He has worked with various respected Indian companies like Blow Plast Ltd, Usha International Ltd. and Sterling Holiday Resorts Ltd. His last assignment was as the National marketing and sales head. Five years back, he joined Vitasta Consulting Pvt. Ltd. to head the organization. He picked up the reigns when Vitasta inc. was a tiny little start up. He has helped Vitasta Consulting to grow to its current size and market stature. Today the client list of Vitasta Consulting makes an impressive reading. His strengths are strong Leadership; Customer focus and People sensitivity. He operates on the basis of strong Indian Values.

Mr. Dhar has also been a visiting faculty to City's business schools. Pradeep has more than 1200 training hours to his credit. He has successfully concluded business advisory assignments with 06 Indian companies. These assignments included among various other things, compensation design, organization structure re-design, OD interventions, training and business coaching.

He is a certified member of NFNLP USA and is trained in NLP techniques and also a basic member of ISABS [Indian Society of Applied Behavioral Sciences].

Workshop Benefits

a.    This workshop will focus on the refreshed understanding of how communication process works, which will help you achieve more through your current and new relationships.

b.    This workshop will also generate understanding as to how do you affect your own communication processes.

c.     This workshop will help you revisit some age-old concepts and acquire some new learning regarding communication as a process as well as skill.

Registration and Fee

Registration:

·         ·         Email your request for registration on shailesh.p@vitasta.com with a CC to vitasta@vsnl.com with "September 03 Communication program" in subject line.

·         You can also call Mr. Shailesh Pandey on 25476846/7/9 for a registration request. 

Fees:

§         The Program fees for two days per participant is Rs. Ten Thousand Only
(Rs. 10,000/-). The program fees will include participation fees, Workshop material, lunch and two teas only.

§         A single corporate entity sponsoring two or more participants will be offered discount.

§         Individuals without corporate sponsorship wanting to participate in this program will be offered 5% off on the program fees.

§         Cheque will have to made favoring Vitasta Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

Follow Up

·         This is the level-1 of the program. There will be a Level-2 announced in due course. These participants will be given preferential treatment and rebate in the participation fees.

·         Participant automatically becomes a member of an e-group moderated by Vitasta Consulting that shares new knowledge, experiences and experiments within the group. This unique tool reinforces and internalizes the learning that was picked in the workshop.

·         A 60 day free hand holding period is offered to all participants to discuss and clear all queries regarding the workshop either by voice and or email.

·         A feedback call post the above mentioned period is made to analyze the internalization of the learning and how in their each unique ways it is being implemented by the participants.

Copyright (C) 2003 by HREra.com