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

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* 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 person’s 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

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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.

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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 today’s 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. It’s no surprise therefore to find that the values such organisations claim to espouse often get lost in translation. With greater power,

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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 that’s 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 company’s 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?

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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 it’s 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.

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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 management’s 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 Leader’s 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

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• 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 today’s 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 client’s 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 applicant’s 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 don’ts. This information can be shrewdly incorporated by the candidate in the interview answers, thus showing that he is both well-informed 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 candidate’s 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 that’s comparable’. Also, coach him on

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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.

What’s 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 don’t 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 company’s 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 company’s 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 don’t 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 employee’s 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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