Effective advice-giving calls for understanding emotions..........................................

1
Staff career blues read ominous signs before crisis sets in.......................................2
Ensuring employee health must be first duty during a pandemic................................3
Align work ethics to corporate culture........................................................................4
Self control best weapon to deal with dominating boss..............................................5
Look beyond monetary ways to motivate staff............................................................7
Recruiters must essentially prepare candidates before interview................................8
Attitude surveys can reveal true facts about HR climate...........................................10
Variable pay tailor it right to avoid vexing issues...................................................13
Roadblocks to creativity impair competitive spirit....................................................14
Leave herd instinct behind when making career choice............................................16
Self-managed teams remain highly motivated..........................................................18

Effective advice-giving calls for understanding emotions

Often, while discharging your duties at work you are required to provide advice based on your
technical expertise to others say your boss, a client or a colleague. But to your surprise your wellintentioned advice frequently falls on deaf ears. You are baffled at why your suggestions though
technically sound have not been implemented. Herein lies the catch. To become a good advisor
technical brilliance alone is not enough. Along with good advice you must have some good
interpersonal skills too. You are wrong if you think advice giving is just a logical process. It has an
emotional undercurrent that you must take into account. Before you can influence others, you must
build a good rapport with them and earn their trust. Unless you learn to recognise and respond to
others emotions, you cannot become an effective advisor. Your success greatly depends on your
ability to understand their personalities and adjust the advice-giving process accordingly. Therefore
the next time you are asked for advice, remember to do the following to improve your
effectiveness:
Choose right words: While giving advice pay careful attention to language. Suggestions for
improvement may carry an implied indication that things are not being done well at the moment.
This feeling switches the other person into a defensive mode. So first you must find a way to
convince him that your intention is not to criticise but to help him. Choose the right words to
express your views so that it comes across with respect and any implied criticism is softened.
Understand perspectives: If you talk directly about how to improve things, you may not find
instant takers. To be really effective as an advisor you must know how to influence the thinking of
other people. As a first step, try to gain good insights into what they think and why. When dealing
with more than one person such as committees you must take extra pains to collect this data. Each
person in the group brings a different perspective to the problem you have been asked to help with.
So find out beforehand who is going to attend the meeting. Call each of them in advance to find out
their take on the issue. When you understand their individual views and concerns you will be better
equipped to provide expert guidance and secure a buy-in for a preferred solution.
Be a guide: The most effective way to influence a client, subordinate or a colleague is to help him
find the solution himself. Instead of saying what you want him to do, develop a gradual reasoning
process that helps him arrive at the logical conclusion himself. The whole process should involve
more of questioning and listening than suggesting improvements. While helping the person solve a
problem you can ask questions like:
* Why do you think this problem occurred?

* How can we do things differently?

* What pros and cons do you think exist for the various options?
* What do you think is the best option under the current circumstances?
By helping him discover all the available options, their costs, benefits as well as risks involved, you
can gently guide him to the preferred solution.
Emotional support: People in general look forward to support, affirmation, approval and
appreciation from others. This also applies to people whom you need to give advice be it your boss,
client or a colleague. In order to make them listen to your advice and accept it you must develop
the right behavioural skills that ensure the kind of emotional support they expect along with your
technical guidance.
Customise: Tailor your advice giving approach to suit the individual who has sought your help.
Depending on the situation and the other persons preferred style of interaction, you have to make
amends to your approach. The key to success is to be sufficiently flexible and discover what works
best in any given situation.
N. PURNIMA SRIKRISHNA

Staff career blues read ominous signs before crisis sets in

Your star employee has spent the better part of his youth building his career with your company. He
has worked long hours, pushed the envelope and achieved challenging goals that you have set for
him. He has done all the right things and superiors have glowing reports about his performance.
Just when you think he is set for a long and hallowed innings with your company, he quits saying
that he is disillusioned with his job.
Does this situation seem familiar? Many people, regardless of the career path they have chosen,
reach a point in their career when they start experiencing discontent, boredom or a vague feeling of
self-doubt and this has a serious impact on their confidence and productivity levels. What your
employee may be going through could actually be a phase of debilitating mid-career crisis.
It is important to understand that as an employee grows and matures with the organisation, his
expectations and aspirations change. These expectations may range from better remuneration and
professional advancement to recognition, better roles, greater autonomy and work-life balance. A
person with a few years of experience in an organisation will have higher expectations from the
company when compared to a person who has just joined the organisation even if he has
comparable years of experience. When the company fails to recognise this fact, it is setting the
stage for mid-career disillusionment.
Usually, mid-career crisis occurs due to confluence of a number of factors. The most commonly cited
factors for disengagement with the job are monotony and lack of challenges. Sometimes, poor
communication between the management and the employee may result in the employee perceiving
a lack of challenges and growth opportunities even though it may not be true. Other common
factors that that can trigger mid-career blues include transitioning into a role that requires the
employee to take up more responsibility than he/she can handle, friction with supervisors or peers,
a perception that the employee may be missing out on other lucrative opportunities outside,
extreme pressure, a fear of incompetence or the inability to keep pace with technological
advancements.

Managers are often caught off-guard when a performing employee claims to be disillusioned with
the job, but the ominous signs are usually there for the reading, well before it all comes out into the
open. Understanding the causes is the first step towards tackling the problem. Managers need to
keep track of major changes in employee behaviour and attitude. Issues like conflict with
colleagues, poor team management and drop in productivity need to be viewed seriously. Apart
from ensuring that they have the tools needed to do their jobs effectively and encouraging them to
take part in the decision making process, managers also need to take active interest in the
employees themselves. Get to know your employees better, understand their strengths and
weaknesses, what drives them, what their goals are and what success means to them. Recognise
the contributions of employees and reward them in ways that are important to them.
Companies need to be proactive about channelling their human resources in the right direction. One
company, for instance, has a performance appraisal policy where it is mandatory for managers to
discuss with employees who have completed a certain number of years in the organisation on which
area they would like to specialise or receive training in.
Others offer employees the option to change roles through job rotation and internal transfer
programmes. Yet others provide mentoring and one to one counselling for affected employees to
ensure that they do not get lost or disillusioned by what could essentially be a normal, passing
phase of a career.
People may go through mid-career blues even if they are in a very rewarding job. Talented
employees are particularly vulnerable because they get easily bored with routine and monotony. It
is all a matter of perception, and in such cases a little understanding, guidance and mentoring from
the management can go a long way in bringing them back on track.
BINDU SRIDHAR

Ensuring employee health must be first duty during a pandemic

Businesses have a great responsibility to ensure the health and safety of its employees at all times
and particularly at a time when the spread of the H1N1 virus has triggered panic the world over,
corporates need to treat it as an emergency and put in place preventive and safety measures to
counter this threat. Preparedness can help minimise the impact of any contagious disease or
epidemic on your staff and beyond.
In the event of an epidemic, the health and safety of your employees must be your prime concern
and you must let everything else including productivity and profitability take a backseat.
Re-evaluate the need for employees to travel to affected geographic areas (domestic or
international) for business purposes. If travel is absolutely essential, employees must be given
adequate protection including medicines, vaccinations or protective gear that can protect the
employee from a possible infection. Insurance cover, travel advisory, emergency medical care advice
and other precautionary measures are also deemed mandatory.
Precautionary measures such as health screening of employees who have returned after visiting
affected areas may also be undertaken to ensure that any infection is effectively tracked and
restricted.
Ensure that employees who are unwell recover completely before returning to office to reduce the
chance of their spreading an infection.
People who are suffering from other ailments are particularly vulnerable as their immunity levels
may be down. Take all factors into consideration and be liberal with leaves of absence.

Companies must also be prepared to allow employees to telecommute as many may not be able to
attend office due to sickness, transportation difficulties, quarantines or from having to care for sick
family members.
Postpone or cancel any public events planned by the company and wherever possible use
technology to minimise the need for direct close contact with clients or customers, especially in
affected areas.
Change office layout and seating arrangements to allow for more ventilation, air circulation and less
crowding.
All precautionary measures must be taken to fumigate and sanitize the workplace, including regular
cleaning of ventilators and air conditioning ducts. Keep windows open to allow for circulation of air.
Rest rooms, work tables, equipment, telephones and other frequently used surfaces must be
regularly sanitised.
Keep cleaning supplies such as soaps, tissues and paper towels handy to help maintain hygiene in
the workplace.
Communicate company policy with regard to health care and insurance to employees, and educate
them about safety and preventive measures put in place by the organisation.
Keep abreast of the latest communications relating to the epidemic and educate your employees
about the steps needed to safeguard themselves from the threat. Important updates and
information can be communicated through the Intranet or company website to keep employees up
to-date.
Plan ahead to minimise the impact of contingencies like temporary closure of offices or factories on
key business functions.
Most organisations are not adequately prepared to deal with crisis situations such as the spread of
epidemics although the crowded nature of todays workplaces makes them vulnerable to the spread
of contagious diseases.
These measures will help restrict the spread of infection, and ensure the health and safety of your
staff.
BINDU SRIDHAR

Align work ethics to corporate culture

At a time when bottomline issues and moral compromises are increasingly blurring the thin line
between right and wrong, there is a growing clamour to equip employees to handle the ethical
dilemmas they encounter in day-to-day work. Whether it is the shocking scandals that have rocked
the business world with alarming regularity in recent years or CEOs indulging in aggrandisement,
the problem of ethics-the lack of it rather- appears to have pervaded our work culture, changing our
values and the rules by which the game is played.
While it is mandatory for companies to include a code of ethics and conduct in the policy handbook
given to every employee, most employees tend to give it the go by or at best, a cursory glance. The
tedious and ambiguous nature of the document also means that many employees are unable to
understand and apply what is written to real workplace situations. Its no surprise therefore to find
that the values such organisations claim to espouse often get lost in translation. With greater power,

discretion and access to resources, there is also greater temptation to misuse them. Although most
organisations have included ethics/code of conduct training as part of their training programmes,
the need of the hour is to go a step further and imbibe the right values into the organisational
culture and help employees continuously remember and practice these values.
A well structured ethics programme has to be aligned with the corporate culture and must have
written policies and procedures to reinforce it. Typically, top management sets the pace for a milieu
of ethical integrity, for unless the top management reflects and upholds the value system, it is
unlikely that the message will percolate down to the employees. Choosing the right communication
tool too can play an important role in getting the message across to the employees and helping
them imbibe the values. The medium for communication can range from intranet postings and
messages to open house sessions to newsletters and e-mails from the CEO.
While external consultants providing ethics training are widely available and in popular demand, the
expert opinion is that internal programmes (supported by external assistance, if required) are more
successful in helping employees imbibe the values in their day-to-day lives. Some companies handle
ethics training through HR initiatives, while others have ethics officers and ombudsmen to enable
employees to seek assistance for their problems with full assurance of confidentiality. Yet others
have made ethics training part of a diversity or leadership programme thats directly tied to
performance goals and based on values. Many organisations also encourage peer groups and
committees that are responsible for recognising and rewarding employees for upholding positive
values in their everyday lives.
Are your wondering if your organisation provides a positive and ethically sound work culture for
your employees? If so, here are some of the questions you may need to seek answers for.Can you
ensure the value system that your organisation stands for is permeating into the decisions and
everyday lives of your employees? Do you have systems and people in place to enforce these values
and ensure integrity, fairness, and accountability in everyday practices? Are your employees
provided with a defined support system that they can turn to in case they encounter ethical or
moral dilemmas in the course of their work? Does your performance management system
encourage and reinforce ethical behavior, and is it tied to your companys values? Are the
consequences for any breach of the value system made clear and are they consistent throughout
the organisation?
Without proper training and reinforcement, employees may find it difficult to take a right decision in
situations where right is not defined in black and white, but in shades of grey. It is in this context
that ethics training provides much needed support. A successful ethics programme has the ability to
translate intentions and guidelines into effective management policies, workplace practices and a
positive organisational culture.
BINDU SRIDHAR

Self control best weapon to deal with dominating boss

Do you happen to work with a dominating colleague who always wants to run the show
and get his way by taking over all situations?
Or, do you have a manipulative boss who wants to control every aspect of your work
from what and when you do to how you do it, even to the extent of bulldozing you?

Yes. You are then saddled with an obnoxious control freak who is overwhelmingly
dominating and interfering. He leaves you with no choice as he always insists on calling
all the shots and if you are not looking, may just take over your whole life!
Needless to say, it is difficult to work with a control freak on a daily basis. Not only does
he make your life exhausting and stressful but can also affect the quality of your work.
While you cannot let such a person run your life, you do have to find ways to work with
him.
Here are a few tips on the same:
The oldest and simplest rule is to not give him control over you in the first place. Read
the warning signs of arrogance and superiority and try to maintain a distance from the
start. While this may appear quite difficult, what you should do is step around his
controlling actions and carry on with your work.
The control freak will try every trick in the book to dominate your work and use you as a
puppet. If you lash out in return or get agitated like him, it will only give him more power
over you. What you should do is stay calm and focussed in spite of the tension. Even if
you feel intimidated or threatened, do not reveal that the actions are affecting you he
will be stupefied and have no choice but to give up soon. Arguing with a control freak is a
complete waste of time, as he will continue to bicker to no end until you give in and he
has his way. Challenging him comes with its own set of risks, as he will never be open to
any sort of negotiation. Instead, a simple trick is to just pretend to agree with him on
especially the small things (particularly if he is the boss).
Realise that all he wants is to be heard. You have to be kind and patient as you hear out
everything that he has to say and its half the battle won!
Do not forget to show that you are considering what he has said and value his opinion so
that he feels acknowledged.While you may have to give in a bit just to keep the peace,
always stand your ground. You should know when to say no.
While the control freak will always try to control the agenda, you can attempt to subtly
direct him to decisions and conclusions, but without ever letting him realise what you are
upto.
Step back and let him hog the limelight while you shrewdly lead him around to your way
of thinking.
In spite of everything, it is easy to start feeling humiliated and incapable around a control
freak. The constant domination can hit your self-esteem making you feel degraded and
worthless.

You have to protect yourself by remembering that the controlling actions actually stem
from his hidden fears, anger and insecurities.
He is actually terrified of failure and is trying to control others just to protect himself.
All you need is lots of self-control and you can soon restore your control over both your
life and work!

Look beyond monetary ways to motivate staff

What will motivate these employees to go that extra mile? has been a question on the minds of
managements. The world over for a long time now. What motivates one employee does not appeal
to another. And what was once a successful motivational factor does not work the next time on the
same employee! Especially the outcome of applying money as a motivational factor seems to be
actually inconsistent.
To state precisely, money is a stimulus rather than a motivator. Its focus is short-term results, not
long-term goals and intentions to encourage career development efforts of employees. Michael Beer,
a Harvard professor says, Managers tend to use compensation as a crutch. After all, it is far easier
to design an incentive system that will do managements work than it is to articulate a direction
persuasively, develop agreement about goals and problems, and confront difficulties when they
arise.
Other reasons why money is not the right kind of motivator are because it hampers healthy
competition. People driven by money disregard the interests of the company in the chase to fulfil
their self-interests. It is not possible to convert performance into monetary rewards accurately. So
people unhappy with their reward show it on their performance and teamwork is disrupted. Yet
some companies still try to lure their employees with excessive bonuses. Jim Clemmer, the author of
The Leaders Digest opines that only weak leaders use money as a motivator. He says, The big
problem is that managers have consistently listed money as the number one factor that they think
motivates people. So they keep fiddling with pay, bonuses, and financial incentives in a futile
attempt to find the elusive combination that will motivate people to higher performance.
To drive better performance and productivity from employees, organisations should create and
nurture the right kind of work environment- an environment that caters to the different motivational
needs of employees. Some of the factors that help in moving in the right direction are: First is fair
compensation plan. Employees should be duly compensated for their efforts. The compensation
structure should match the best industry standards. And once it is in place, money should not have
much significance in employee motivation efforts. Then comes providing the employees with all the
facilities required to perform their duties efficiently and helping employees derive job
satisfaction.Here are a few low-cost quick tips to improve job satisfaction in workers:
Keep telling the employees how important they are for the organisation
Communicate- everything and anything related to them
Always discuss plans on improving facilities at the workplace even though you may not implement
them during tough times like now

 Be objective in assessing employees performance and do not form an opinion on them

Empower your employees
Appreciate employees when they try to do better
Believe in your employees and entrust them with responsibilities
Give employees chance to resolve mistakes
Motivation is not a force that can be supplied from outside. It has to be generated from within. And
it is a manager, who as a true leader can inspire his employees to grow personally and
professionally overcoming every inability and obstacle. A leader does not have to tell his followers to
improve; his charisma and actions bring transformation in others silently. So the next characteristic
of the environment is managers being role models to their employees.Respecting the interests of
employees assumes much importance in todays context. The managers should help employees
understand where their interests and strengths are. They should support development of each
individual employee. This is essential to establish a trust based relationship between the employee
and the employer and motivates the employee to align his goals according to the goals of the
company.
Motivating employees is not about buying better services by paying higher price. Money can force
employees to duly deliver their duties. But it cannot motivate them to excel.

Recruiters must essentially prepare candidates before interview

As a recruiter, you have found some real good candidates for the clients job. But, when
you place them in front of the hiring employer, none of them, not even the trophy
candidate, makes it to the final selection.
You have to keep searching over and over again with no end in sight. Many a times the
interviewing process itself happens to interfere with what can otherwise be good hiring
decisions!
Because the fact is that a seemingly strong candidate who clearly meets the job criteria
may still fail to make it just because he does not interview well or possesses a slightly
radical mix of qualifications. Else, the hiring manager may himself have poor
interviewing skills or his emotions/bias may keep him from properly assessing the
applicants competency. Such superficial reasons often cause a promising deal to fall
through.
Well, taking the time to prepare the candidates before they meet with the hiring manager
can eliminate a lot of these interview hiccups. This will help them to become confident
and come across as savvy, high-class candidates instead of remaining a nervous and
worried lot.
Obviously, this will boost your productivity enabling you to make many more placements
in lesser time spans. In fact, candidate prepping can improve your hiring batting
average (sendouts per hire) by 25- 30 per cent. Apart from closing more deals, it will also
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allow you to build more credibility on both sides of the hiring table. Promoting
candidates in this way shows that you care about them and they will certainly spread the
good word. And, sending well-prepared, capable candidates is bound to impress the
clients with your calibre and standing.
Do it right: Candidate prepping is much more than just telling a candidate where to go
and whom to meet with. It consists of sagacious advice that will enable them to do their
best during the interview.
Pre-interview counselling begins with helping the candidate understand the real job needs
and what is expected of him. For this, as the recruiter you yourself have to first realise
exactly what the employer is looking for.
Cover the basics about the hiring organisation like goals, philosophy, culture, work
environment, interviewers and other dos and donts. This information can be shrewdly
incorporated by the candidate in the interview answers, thus showing that he is both wellinformed and prepared. You can also provide links to the company website and recent
articles for further valuable insight.
Then, train them for the actual interview like - how to open the interview, what are the
common/expected questions and how to sell their strong points. For this, indulge in a
detailed discussion about the candidates strengths and weaknesses and how he can
present them. Also, help him to recognise his accomplishments and prepare proper
examples accordingly.
Explain that the key is to not speak in generalities but provide specific details as they are
more convincing. For instance, instead of merely saying that I like to work with figures,
am good at sales or have strong team skills, illustrate with In July 2009, I was part
of and achieved..
But it is again important to consciously limit yourself to helping the candidate plan his
responses and tailor them to the interviewer. Never go overboard by telling him precisely
how to answer questions or provide scripts as he will only end up sounding hackneyed.
Moreover, coach the candidate to take the lead if the interview does not seem to be going
anywhere by subtly guiding the interviewer towards his skills set, achievements or what
he has to offer.
Apart from providing meaningful and impressive answers, the candidate should also be
trained to ask insightful questions about the job content, position requirements, new
challenges and resources available.
He should know how to clarify whether his responses are adequate and also whether he
meets the job requirements with a timely, Is that what you are looking for or Should I
give you more examples of work that I have done thats comparable. Also, coach him on

how to show enthusiasm for the job, how to ask for the job outright and finally how to
close the interview.
Apart from this, providing information on how to dress, speak and present oneself is
crucial. Such an overall prepping will help the candidate to overcome his apprehensions
and portray confidence.
Whats more, as top trainer and consultant, Lou Adler elucidates, If you handle the
candidate prep well enough, you can also prep your clients without them even knowing
it!
To sum up, remember that the candidate represents you and your company to the client
employer. You obviously owe it to him to do everything possible to prepare him for the
big day. While not every candidate will get the job, they will definitely thank you
profusely for the assistance as well as help you to scale new heights of success.

Attitude surveys can reveal true facts about HR climate

Which organisation would not like to assess the opinions, morale, performance level and
other concerns of its employees? And which management would not care to measure the
satisfaction of its staff as well as track the changes in satisfaction over time?
But the question is : how? Well, all that you have to do is solicit employee opinion to
understand how they actually think and feel. Actually, employee attitude surveys form an
inexpensive diagnostic tool for taking the pulse of the workforce.
Collecting feedback from employees reveals a true picture of the internal health of the
organisation and its needs, the impact of its policies and procedures. It also helps explore
the root cause of various problems like low morale, declining productivity or high
turnover.
The management stands to gain valuable insight into how the employees actually
perceive the organisation in addition to which areas need their attention.
Not only can they identify possible barriers but also become equipped to revise policies
and focus development programmes so as to better meet employee needs.
The overall benefit is that the organisation can successfully assess employee attitude as a
way to enhance management-employee relations, motivate employees and also maximise
their job satisfaction.
In fact, management consultant Louis E. Tagliaferri likens an employee attitude survey to
A financial balance sheet providing a picture of the human resource climate at a
particular time!

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Going about it: Organising an employee satisfaction survey begins with a definite
identification of the end goals of the survey. Such surveys can be used to measure
different dimensions of the organisation ranging from communication, corporate culture,
working conditions, compensation, benefits, recognition and rewards, teamwork and
interpersonal relations to creativity, innovation, functional expertise, leadership,
mentoring, staff development, training and safety concerns.
The survey is generally designed as a self-completion questionnaire consisting of a series
of multiple choice questions with appropriate rating scales. You can also include a few
open-ended questions soliciting detailed, free-style comments. What is important is that
the questions should be clear, relevant and comprehensive with consistent phrasing. They
should also be regularly reviewed for changes and improvements.
Some sample questions are:
* I know my job requirements, what is expected of me on a daily basis.
* Management has created an open, comfortable work environment.
* My company values its employees.
* I agree with the mission statement put forth by my company.
* Management recognises, makes use of my abilities and skills.
* I am treated with respect by management and the people I work with.
* I have received the training I need to do my job efficiently.
* I am encouraged to develop new, more efficient ways to do my work.
* Management does a good job communicating information about changes that may
affect employees.
* Employees work well together to solve problems.
* I believe my company is committed to creating a diverse environment.
* Management has a strong focus on customer service.
* I receive fair compensation.
* I am recognised for my accomplishments.
* I am involved in decision making that affects my job.

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* Management is flexible, understands the importance of balancing my work and

personal life.
* What changes, if any, do you feel need to be made in the company to improve working
conditions?
The survey can be administered on paper, by electronic means or even use an online
system. It is essential to provide clear instructions and set aside a specific time for
completing the survey instead of casually handing it over.
Now comes the process of compilation, collation and analysis.
The employee ratings should be averaged and answers carefully summarised so as to
identify themes, recommendations and relevant conclusions. The results can be analysed
by items, factors or departments to discover both hidden strengths and weaknesses.
The process can be carried out in-house or handed over to a third party to utilize the skills
and experience of outside consultants in both designing and interpreting the survey.
One major drawback is that employees may be unwilling to honestly attempt the survey
as they fear negative repercussions. Management has to ensure confidentiality in the
feedback process to enhance valid and genuine answers. The anonymity will encourage
employees to be frank and open; else results will be quite ineffective.
Share results: It is equally important to share the survey results with the workforce in the
form of an objective summary of both the positive and negative findings.
Then again, employees are quite cynical that nothing ever happens after the surveys.
Instead of sitting on the results, management should ensure that they take action on the
findings and implement changes accordingly.
This will show that the organisation listens to its staff and values their views and
opinions.
This will in turn pay huge dividends in the form of dramatic improvements in employee
commitment, cooperation and satisfaction.

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Variable pay tailor it right to avoid vexing issues

Employee compensation represents a large percentage of overheads for an organisation,
and at a time when businesses are looking to bring in innovative business practices and
effective compensation programmes, there is a need for a closer look at pay for
performance models that can help organisations slash costs upfront while retaining good
workers. Pay for performance can be a real boon for high performers who expect to be
tangibly rewarded in ways that sets them apart from the rest. Organisations can also make
significant cost savings because they dont have to worry about across the board hikes
that result in the overcompensation of individuals whose performance does not meet key
business objectives.
While pay for performance can do much to motivate and increase worker performance, it
is not a panacea to all talent retention problems. When not implemented with the right
spirit and understanding, such programmes can even backfire. One of the first challenges
of implementing an effective pay for performance programme lies in understanding the
role of employee compensation in talent retention in the organisational context. Pay for
performance may not work well at all levels.
How important is compensation for your employees? The importance attached to
compensation varies from level to level in the hierarchy.
For example, training, growth and development opportunities gain precedence over
higher compensation for employees who are still in the early stages of their career. Pay
for performance programmes tend to be more popular in mid and senior levels of the
hierarchy where managing competition, compensation and talent retention pose
significant challenge for organisations.
These programmes also work exceedingly well on the shop floor and other areas where
performance can be clearly linked to tangible results. An organisation has to understand
the role played by compensation in talent retention if it is to implement a truly integrated
pay for performance programme.
These programmes need to be directly linked to the key strategic objectives of the
organisation-both short term and long term-in order to derive maximum utility. The
responsibility of managers does not stop at defining strategic objectives that are key to
the programme, but also extends to prioritising the objectives, which in turn will help
employees to focus on those objectives that are most critical and consequently most
rewarding.
It is important to get employees buy in for the success of a pay for performance
programme or it can easily become a bone of contention within the organisation. Such
programmes are often not well received by employees who fear for their job and
compensation security, and in many ways, their fears are justified. In an effort to cut
costs, organisations sometimes skewer compensation in favour of variable pay, making

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employees nervous about their ability to achieve targets, which may quickly be seen as
being unfair.
Harping constantly on pay for performance may also cause employees to think solely
about the money and lose focus on other important aspects of work such as job
satisfaction, engagement and fair play. Pay incentives should ideally be seen as a bonus,
not something that employees have to depend on to make ends meet. When companies
bet huge amounts of money on a variable component of salary, employees may be
tempted to go off the straight path to get that money. At the other extreme, failure to
achieve targets may cause excessive disappointment and frustration, which in turn can
again affect performance. It can also lead to glaring disparities in employee compensation
and create a perception of unfairness. To avoid all these problems, management should
ensure that there is a reasonable balance between the salary and performance incentives
so that everybody is encouraged to compete in a fair and amicable manner.
Organisations also need to communicate with employees and teach them to manage
expectations. If the stakes are reasonable and if employees know fully well how the pay
for performance programmes affects their compensation, they will have little
apprehensions about such programmes.
Last but not least, since a pay for performance programme on its own cannot address all
concerns relating to talent retention, it should be integrated seamlessly with other talent
retention strategies including succession planning, structured growth and training
opportunities and empowerment to get maximum benefit.
It is said that over 80 per cent of your companys results are delivered by 20 per cent of
your workforce. When performance levels and results differ, it is only fair that
compensation plays sport. A good pay-for-performance programme has the ability to
unleash the performance potential of your employees, motivate them to work harder, and
at the same time keep the bottom line healthy by giving more bang for the companys
buck.

Roadblocks to creativity impair competitive spirit

Today organisations are in need of creativity more than ever. The economies have
become fast paced and turbulent. Competition too has assumed global proportions and
becoming immensely fierce.
In this ever changing and uncertain business landscape the success of any organisation
depends to a great extent on the creativity of its leadership and people. An organisation
can gain the all-important competitive edge only when it succeeds at bringing in new
value to its customers at regular intervals. In a nutshell creativity is like a life jacket that
helps organisations to stay afloat in the tumultuous sea of competition. Realising the
importance of creativity as a survival tool organisations are urging their people to come
up with as many creative ideas as they can and quickly too. But it is equally important to

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note that creativity cannot be made to blossom over night. The roadblocks to creativity,
existing in the organisation must be first identified and removed.
Next a favourable climate for the growth of creativity must be developed.
Successful organisations pave the way for the development of creativity by removing the
following roadblocks:
Traditions: Generally traditional and time-honoured methods are continued long after
they cease to be useful. Too many organisations resist change saying, We have done it
this way all along. People resist change and therefore find it comfortable to use the
familiar methods. Progressive thinking leaders encourage their people to discover new
ways of doing things. They place more importance on productivity and ask their people to
reassess the logic behind existing processes from time to time.
Creation of new methods by replacing outdated ones is given top priority.
Anxiety: People tend to use their energies in maintaining the status quo rather than to
move ahead. Creative organisations do not let anxiety and fear to nip creativity in the
bud. They get fear under control and give new ideas a chance to mature.
Rigidity: For creativity to thrive flexible thinking should be encouraged. People should
be prevented from dismissing new ideas saying, It will never work. Highly creative
organisations are known to consider each idea on its individual merit instead of
prejudging them.
Stagnation: Organisations that do not wish to change stagnate. Treading along the beaten
path leads them nowhere. Therefore creative leaders do not fix things when they break;
instead they break things to create new ones.
Naysayers: There are people in every organisation who try to obstruct new ideas from
taking shape. It could be their professional jealousy or pessimism that prevents them from
encouraging new thoughts. The trick however lies in turning these detractors into
supporters. Effective leaders take up the idea with these detractors and ask them to
enumerate both merits and demerits of the idea.
This way they disarm the detractors and from complete opponents they slowly turn them
into helpful critics.
Incorporating the changes suggested by them is the next logical step to successfully enlist
their support for the new idea.
Great companies ingrain creativity into the organisational blood.
People hesitate to experiment with new ideas when they expect criticism. These
organisations openly encourage experimentation and stay away from criticism. When

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people try to do something new but fail they are not chided. Instead they are encouraged
to give it another try.
Creative organisations go out of their way to ensure that the mood stays light in their
offices and people remain in good spirits. Maintaining a cheerful environment is the best
way to keep a healthy and productive perception of things. Creativity thrives when people
are allowed to act spontaneously.
For creativity to flourish the scope of new ideas should be stretched to find newer
applications. Productive organisations think on the following lines:
Can the idea be modified in any way?
Can the idea be put to alternative use?
Can the idea be upgraded?
Creativity involves combining, rearranging and substituting different ideas to produce
better outcomes. This can happen only when the right environment free of roadblocks is
created.

Leave herd instinct behind when making career choice

With newer careers evolving each day, youngsters seem more confused than ever before
as far as their career decisions are concerned.
Ajay Pandyan, who at the last moment decided to pursue law after his graduation instead
of MCA which he was earlier contemplating, said: IT does not seem to be the right
career choice in these tough times.
But when pointed out that it would be another two years before he was ready to face the
job market, he quips, If the markets go down in another three years time, where does
that leave me? Was law then, his true calling? His bland answer, I dont really know.
Ramana took up science in his plus one, and when he found it tough, he decided to do a
B.A in Economics. In a quandary after his graduation, he is dilly-dallying on whether he
should pursue MBA or take up a BPO job. Suman could not find a job after her
engineering, so she decided to go for an expensive course that purportedly came with a
job guarantee. Educational consultant V.R. Padmnabhan points out, IT and ITES is not
the be all and end all of careers for young men and women. They may be the most
obvious, but they are not the best or even the most remunerative. Unfortunately, young
people often stumble into their careers by accident or simply follow the herd. Not
surprisingly, many feel unhappy and keep hopping from one job to another in an aimless
manner. One has to exercise great care and do a lot of research before choosing a career
and for that one has to start planning from high school onwards.

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The trouble, according to Padmanabhan, stems not because there is a dearth of

opportunities, but because there is a lack of information about opportunities. Students
start thinking about their careers much before they enter college. Schools need to be more
proactive about preparing students for wide ranging careers. In my personal opinion,
organised career counselling and guidance must be made a part of high school curriculum
just like any other subject because children need to understand their own aptitudes,
interests and truly explore all the options that are available if they are to make an
informed decision about their careers. These options are constantly evolving, and having
an experienced person guiding them at this crucial juncture can be of great help to them
in making an informed decision.
So how can students make informed decisions about their careers?
Get a head start. Students should start thinking seriously about their careers from high
school onwards. There are numerous ways in which you can get information about new
industries and career opportunities. Newspapers, books, television and the Internet are a
great source of information. You should take active part in seminars and forums that can
give an inside view of emerging trends. Interacting with knowledgeable people and peer
groups can also have a profound beneficial impact.Set goals. Although you will have
opportunities to change and make new career plans throughout your working life, you
will definitely increase your chances of success and happiness if you start out with a
reasonably clear plan in mind. Before you choose your major, discuss with your parents,
teachers and friends as to what career line you intend to pursue and what your other
options are. This will give you greater confidence and clarity in the years to come. Be
flexible with your plans. Flexibility does not imply a lack of focus, but it does mean
having a back up plan if your first plan does not turn out as expected.Grab opportunities
for internship and volunteer work. Paid or unpaid, these are a great way to find out if you
have the interest and aptitude for a particular job or industry. Schools too can play a
constructive role in helping students make informed decisions. Here are some tips:
Make counselling and mentoring available for students who want help in deciding their
majors after tenth.
Make students aware of the importance of making career decisions. Regular workshops,
discussion, guest forums, debates and brainstorming sessions can also be used to bring
more awareness about career related issues. This can be treated like a regular subject or
an extra curricular activity.
Provide an environment where children can develop the personality, confidence and
skills that will help them navigate the real world.
Where possible, organise industry tours and career fairs where children get to interact
with real life leaders and explore career options.
Choosing a career is a major life decision for young people, and making an informed
choice can increase their chances of success and happiness.

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Self-managed teams remain highly motivated

Motivating employees could at times be as dead ended as trying to grow vegetables in the
desert. The employees might be unwilling to perform a task or the manager might just not
know how to get the work done. The result is frustration and unhappiness.While it is no
doubt difficult to persuade employees to do what they do not want to do, they can be
forced. But nobody likes to work that way and managers will have to find better ways to
motivate their employees.
The success of managers in motivating their teams depends on how much time and
energy they are willing to invest in the right direction. If the efforts are spent on pushing
employees all the time, then it is a lot of energy wasted and leads to anger and
disappointment. The manager is frustrated with his team and vice-versa. There are better
ways to motivate the team and create a collaborative work environment.
One way to get the buy in of employees is to make them feel that their work is important
and will impact the organisation. Managers have to emphasise on the fact that a task
however trivial does play a role in streamlining the operations.
If a problem has to be dealt with, employees should be given the opportunity to solve
them. Getting employees to brainstorm on ideas is an effective way to involve them.
Employees can have a better insight into problems related to them and can even give
better solutions.
Employees have to be given jobs which put their talents and skills to best use. At the
same time they should be given opportunities to learn on the job. Training of employees
in new areas not only improves their skills but also sustains their interest. Prompt
recognition of a job done well is also important. Managers have to give timely praise and
find ways to reward employees in small but significant ways.
A command and control method of management can backfire; rather the manager should
find ways to help employees do their job well. He can facilitate this by providing them
the necessary resources and support needed to do their work. Organising employees into
self-managed teams provides the right motivation.The manager should meet his team
regularly. One-to-one and group meetings with the team not only help to understand what
they want but also decipher the goals and motives of individual members.
Providing prompt and meaningful feedback is another way to motivate employees to do
better. When commenting on the performance, the manager should be specific, factual
and direct it at the work rather than the person. The comments should be related to the
employees role. The feedback should be aimed at improving performance and the
suggestions for this should be feasible. Follow up on the feedback is essential as is praise
for any improvement.
Communication is the key here. Precise and adequate communication is necessary to
keep employees motivated. Business goals should be shared so that everyone is working

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in the same direction. It is equally important to communicate any change so that there is
no room for confusion. Inviting employee suggestions and ideas and implementing them
to improve work efficiency can also act as strong motivators. Involving employees in
decisions that affect them is also equally important. All this will increase their
commitment and accountability and make them receptive to new ideas and changes.
One of the strongest motivational factors is letting employees know that they are
competent enough to do their job and giving them the freedom to do it their way.

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