Crucial Conversations

I attended an online talk on 16th December 2020 organized by Mr Praksah Sharma, Founder Director, Bija Training under their Mask Leadership initiative. The speaker was Mr Pandian Palaniappan - GM National Sales Training Hyundai Motor India Ltd on the topic "Crucial Conversations".  Mr Pandian said the topic  for the day  was selected inspired by the book "Crucial conversations - Tools for talking when stakes are high" by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny. Explaining the concept of crucial conversations he said that the following situations can be held as crucial- (1)  when dealing with opposing opinions (2) When stakes are very high and (3) When  high emotions are involved. He gave the "performance appraisal discussions" as an example of crucial conversations. 

How to handle crucial conversations: The first step is to recognize the conversation as a crucial conversation. It is seen that when emotions enter into the conversation, the logical brain doesn't work. It either tends to turn silent (not saying what you want) or engages in an emotional outburst which also results in not getting what you wanted to achieve through the conversation. It is important for leaders to be aware that they are  entering into a crucial conversation and be prepared for it. The speaker gave an example of Mr Muralidhar Rao who was his leader when he worked for NIS Sparta. If during a discussion, he realized that he had lost his cool , Mr Rao would announce " When I count from 1 to 10  I want everyone of you  in the room to disappear. We can come back and discuss this later". 

Just as it is important for the leader to be aware about himself/herself, he/she should also be empathetic and be  aware of the emotional state of team members. One can look out for tell tale signs such as a team  member 'gulping down glasses of water'- could it be due to  emotional  stress? The leader can create a safe environment in which  team members can share issues if they feel like it. 

Mr Pandian said that the principles involving crucial conversations would apply equally  to the interactions at home. Perceptions of individuals differ. A husband who is coming home after a hard day's work, looks forward to relaxing at home . When his wife who was watching a serial on TV goes to the kitchen to prepare tea, he changes the channel to watch his favourite cricket telecast. The wife is annoyed on returning . She feels that after being tied down to the house and working all day long,  she is denied the  only source of relief and entertainment, the moment her husband  arrives. The conflict can take the form of heightened emotional levels. 

In such a situation, it would be advisable to probe deeper as to what the real problem is. Is it just changing of TV channels or are there deeper issues? Are you inadvertently bringing home 5 S concepts from work and insisting that every room be spic and span all the time? Or is it about your always coming  back from work with a frown on your face? The issues are to be separated and addressed individually instead of seeing it as a big package of discontent. Instead of thinking I am OK, the other person is not OK ask the question “why is this person behaving the way she/he is?"  When you go by the belief that all human beings are basically good and humanize them , things begin to look a lot less problematic.

 In this connection the speaker shared his experience of frequently finding a two wheeler parked at this car parking place in the apartment. As he left early in the morning and returned late in the evening, he was not able to meet the 'culprit' who was doing it. Each time the scooter had to be removed before he could park his car and he internally cursed the guy who was causing so much of annoyance. However, one day he decided to follow the maxim of "humanizing" him and not think of the guy as stupid or a villain. He left a written note on the scooter explaining that it was his parking place and that the wrong parking was causing him a lot of bother.  The speaker was surprised to get a reply note apologizing for the misdeed, explaining that he had thought it was a vacant parking place and assuring that it would not happen again. 

When you humanize other people, you are able to respond in a kinder manner. In the absence of empathy, things can sometimes times go terribly wrong.  I was reminded of the incident involving the cricketer Navjot singh Siddhu in December 1988, wherein he had  hit a 65 year old man after a heated argument over wrong parking resulting in the death of the senior citizen. Having a human story in place of a villain story makes all the difference. In crucial conversations, we would do well to revisit the facts rather than the emotions of the story before engaging in a conversation.  

In webinars, at times conversations can ramble on aimlessly with the speaker talking  a little of this and a little of that of whatever comes to mind at the spur of the moment. However, the conversation of the evening was one of undiluted clarity as the speaker Mr Pandian was clear right from the beginning as to what he wanted to include in the discussion. It was laced with relevant examples to make it very engaging and interesting for the participants- truly a very rewarding experience! 

Towards a Self Disciplined and Result oriented Marketing culture

On 27th September 2020,  I attended a webinar organized By Mr Prakash Sharma Founder Director- Bija training under their Mask Leadership series. Under the series, accomplished leaders from the industry are invited to speak to an audience consisting of customers and invitees of Bija training, who are looking to enhance their leadership skills. The speaker of the day was Mr Kuldip Sharma, National head Sales and marketing of Amara Raja Batteries Ltd who gave insights on  developing a result oriented marketing culture.

Mr Kuldip sharma started out by saying that after the disruption caused by the covid 19 pandemic, his organization was recovering rapidly. The auto industry has seen an upturn post Covid in view of  people being reluctant to use public transport. Another aspect that went in the company's favour is an increase in demand for their batteries amongst those, (particularly employees in IT) who previously preferred to use imported brands. The company used the opportunity to win them over and convince them that the batteries made by them are equally good if not better.  

Moving on to the subject of sales, the speaker conceded that it is a very demanding job. Those working in this area have to be constantly on the go and cannot afford to relax. Excuses are not acceptable. A sales person is required to model himself on the "Hunter" rather than the "Farmer". A farmer tends to wait for the opportunity and right circumstances such as timely rains. The hunter on the other hand has to relentlessly pursue his target or he would have to go hungry. Similarly placed is a sales executive who needs to be a result oriented hunter. Mr sharma  said that there is a need for deep passion (He used the Hindi/ Urdu word "Junoon") peppered with discipline and effort. Halfhearted attempts simply won't do . " If you have the passion, opportunities will fall into place"  

The key word here is the effort. If  consistent efforts are put in, the results will come sooner or later. The speaker said that one has to ask oneself the question" Have I put in my 100%?" If the answer is yes, there is nothing to worry as results are bound to come. On the contrary if the answer is "No', suitable plan has to be devised and implemented giving your best shot consistently. 

Another thing that is very crucial to success is "Team effort". Nobody can work by himself and hope to succeed in the long run. Contribution by everyone is important. The speaker gave an instance of  an activity of  picking up as much rice as possible from a bag that one hand can hold wherein a condition is stipulated that you cannot use the little finger . It is obvious that a lot more quantity can be held in the hand if the little finger is also available for use. Many companies talk about teamwork but when it comes to compensation, individual contributions are valued. Therefore I asked a question as to what is being done in the company to enhance teamwork which has been identified by them as a key factor for success?. It was heartening to receive Mr sharma's reply. He said " In Amara, all incentives are team based". Practicing what we preach is so very important. 

The speaker concluded his talk with the declaration that "Self motivation is the key". He advised participants  to keep investing in themselves for learning new skills, understanding new fields and constantly upgrading oneself. The discussion  during the evening was matter of fact, yet insightful underscoring the basics for building a result oriented marketing culture in organizations. Indeed, it was a very rewarding experience!   

NB: Readers working in marketing may like to also read my post on "Dhakad Marketing" at this link   

https://hrdian.blogspot.com/2020/06/dhakad-marketing-how-to-build-brands.html 

Glimpses from the United Nations Virtual Forum Discussions

The United Nations Virtual Forum on Responsible Business and Human Rights : New Challenges New Approaches (for  Asia and the Pacific) happened from 9th to 12th June 2020. These webinar discussions  are to be seen in the light of the concerted efforts of UN to strive for responsible business and human rights discourse in Asia and the pacific. 

In 2020, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWG), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nations Economic and Social commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) have joined forces to provide further stimulus in this regard.  

As the conference was held virtually this year on account of the Pandemic Covid 19, it afforded an opportunity  for a larger and wider audience to participate from around the world. I registered for and attended four of the many sessions that were available. I chose the sessions  based on the relevance of the topic to India and  those with a panel that included Indians or persons of Indian origin so that more insights relevant to our country could be gained. In this blog, I propose to give the gist of what was discussed rather than who said what. The topics of the sessions attended were (1) Overcoming Human Rights challenges (2) Managing Human risks in supply chain (3) Business in times of disruption and (4) Responsible business and human rights.

• Companies have a big impact on people around the world. The process of Globalization  has necessitated Human rights policies. The UN operating practices are required to be reinforced by the states. There is a need for industry to respect HR, redesign and restructure supply chain to protect human rights. It is essential to promote, respect and remedy.  
• The sustainable development goals of UN are to be pursued relentlessly and continuously, monitoring the risks and opportunities (The sustainable development goals are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a " a blue print to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs  set in 2015 by the United Nations General assembly and intended to be achieved by the year 2030 are part of a UN resolution called the "2030 Agenda")    
• It is necessary to work closely with Governments to develop a National plan which in turn can help industries to develop framework and implement.  
• The labour challenges such as the ones thrown up by the pandemic can be addressed by looking at the root causes much before a crisis strikes- issues such as low wages/ under payment, non access to social security systems,  non access to food and nutrition.  
• The Covid 19 experience has dealt a blow to the motivation of migrant workmen to come and work in cities. Their trust is to be regained. Those returning should not be stigmatized. Companies should follow ethical recruitment practices. More information should be provided during the the on boarding process and Governments should intervene to ensure improved living conditions.  
• Covid 19 crisis has thrown up problems such as orders being cancelled by buyers, inability of many companies to pay workmen and the problems faced by migrant workmen.  
• A panel member said that in the Brisbane area in Australia vulnerable communities such as the aboriginals and indigenous communities living in remote areas have not been adequately educated on the importance of social distancing. There is a need of a separate fund to support them.
• A survey was initiated to understand how suppliers are affected as also the migrant workers. Migrant workmen have been stranded in international locations and are living in dormitories. Based on information obtained from the survey, follow up calls/ video calls were made with suppliers.  However, face to face interaction with workers have not been possible.    
• An innovation that happened in a company during the Covid setback, is that training was organized through QR code with participation of suppliers.  
• Another thing that Coco Cola did was not to stop their financial audits but to conduct them virtually - 20,000 audits in 200 countries. In a couple of regions follow up assignments were also taken up with third party audio and video facility. As the exercise was very encouraging the company feels that in future this method can be used to supplement the activity if not to  supplant it.   
• This is the time to examine cross sectoral collaboration. As for example in expenditure on CSR activity can be collaboratively made by companies to address major social concerns. This enables chipping  in by more than one company. Collaboration from impact investors could also come wherein finance can be extended at reasonable rates to manufacturers for the environment sustainability programs . The Government can also involve and contribute in this regard.    
• As Covid 19 has resulted in many people returning to their villages, scouting for local work force has become necessary and reverse migration could be a solution.  
• The challenges of the changed scenario would be meeting an increased demand  when the opening up happens, which would put a huge pressure on the supply chain. One has to be vigilant about increased working hours and increase in overtime working. Another problem that could come up is harassment. When more hiring happens once the economies open up, it is necessary to see that the foreign migrant workers are ethically recruited.  
• There tends to be a modern slavery of migrant foreign workmen. This happens when their supply is more as against the demand. Detailed study of the situation in the Middle East in 2007 revealed many wrong practices such as retention of the passports of workmen by employers, collecting fee for applying/ securing job, manipulation of contract etc. The auditory programs that followed provided for updated policies to avoid such practices.  
• One of the solutions to the kind of problems faced by migrant workmen in India during the Covid crisis is to start industries in the source states like Bihar and Jharkhand.  Reskilling and reintegration policies need to be developed. The Government should keep some emergency funds for handling industry upheavals.  
• Communication plays an important role in assuaging the anxieties and concerns of all those affected.The job issues  of white collared  employees also need to be addressed. National plan for businesses in India in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of UN is most essential. Empathy is the need of the hour.  
• The pandemic magnified social inequalities in the society with many job losses. Asian migrant workers and informal economy workers were affected the most. Earning from foreign countries was severely impacted with 9 million Bangladeshis, 10 million Indians, 1 million Nepalese working abroad, losing their livelihood. They tend to be stigmatized even when they come back. Further, it is not economically  possible  to stay back and not return  in  view of the uncertainty.  
• Protecting people is critical  more so in supply chain ( 70% of the work happens here) . In this connection industries, such as Petronas,  an oil and gas company based out of Malaysia have gone into manufacture of medical equipment such as ventilators to meet requirements of the day. Focus should be on strengthening finances and on the resolve to come through this period.   
• Companies have been receptive to their employees working from home, post Covid. Surveys show that travel, hotel and tourism industries have been hit the most. Crisis has enhanced the opportunities of businesses in the field of mask making and other medical equipment. 
•  This is a wake up call to business to make alternative plans. 
• It is however a fact that only large businesses may be able to plan long term and act in a more responsible manner. Malaysia's Petronas and a company in Bangladesh have adapted to the situation and are now manufacturing products like medical equipment  that meet the current needs. 
• Matching skills of your workmen with skills required by other companies will come in handy to help them find jobs when the company no longer needs them. It is to be noted that the scheme "PM cares" takes away the money that the company could have used for paying salaries to their workmen and meeting other obligations.  
• To a question as to whether reputed brands failed to show character in line with a branded company in  their action during the crisis, it was opined that some companies lived up to their commitment and bought the goods at the rates contracted. However, other brands failed to do so. 
• In difficult times Governments tend to relax labour legislation. In such a situation it is necessary  to be in the shoes of both the business and the workers and then take decisions and actions in overall interest. During the process it is very important to be  transparent. 
• Paying labour low wages or assigning them degrading work will not pay in the long run. Business should take the initiative to pay workmen better and acknowledge their skills.  
• As the way forward,  it is necessary to listen to the voices of all stakeholders who are affected and that of the Government and then jointly work for solutions. Questions need to be asked like " What will make sense to small scale industries? .  What is the space that has been created  to have an honest conversation for moving everyone to mainstream?" 
• How far should regulations and incentives go?  What should be the role of big organizations  and the role of industrial associations for coming out of the crisis?  What are the things we do well and what are the things we do not do well?   it is important to give enough time listening to each other.   
• To a question  "which are the countries if any that managed the situation well or better,"  it was informed  by a panelist that the Central and  North European countries have done well. They have more social dialogue and  developed trust. There is accountability for health and a collaborative approach is adopted for problem solving. 
• Asian countries don't do well in corporate governance. There are no internal challengers. The weakest link is the alignment of pay and reward.   
• The panelist from China stated that some industrial associations have social guidelines in terms of Human rights. Awareness amongst the business community and technical assistance are necessary to put UN guidelines into practice. There is also a need to share stories and best practices. 
• Supply chain management is a challenge area and more needs to done. UNDP rankings showing  the companies following the guidelines will go a long way, in alerting companies to do better. 
• In China, Multinational companies are better when it comes to following the UN guidelines. In Japan, only 45% are following the guidelines. It is necessary to ensure that all the tiers in the supply chain are covered in the implementation.   

I enjoy attending the monthly meetings of the professional bodies in HR and writing about them in my blog. This time. covering this virtual forum of UN  was a trifle more satisfying as the perception gained  from the discussions was more global in nature. The discussions centered around  a very important subject that of combating a global pandemic which is a challenge not just for  one or two countries  but the whole of mankind. It is my earnest wish and hope that my readers enjoy reading and benefit from the contents of this blog. 

Managers who make a Difference

I attended a  webinar 26/8/2020 organized by NHRD Hosur chapter featuring founding father of HRD practices in India Dr TV Rao who along with  Dr Udai Pareek mooted for the first time  the replacing of  personnel department with HRD department.  As a result the focus changed from traditional maintenance activities of personnel departments  to developmental activities..  The topic for the day was " Managers who make a difference" which is also the title of one of Dr Rao's books . 

 During discussion, the speaker  also referred to ideas discussed in his book "HRD Missionary" that talks about four levels in which a person may operate (1) Performer (2) Achiever (3) Visionary and (4) Missionary. Most people are content with  being performers. Organizations also prefer having on their rolls performers with a few achievers. They don't promote visionaries and missionaries, busy as they are with the bottom and top lines. 

Dr Rao said that one should aspire to be in higher levels than that of a performer. Not everyone would like to be missionaries like Mother Teresa or Dr Verghese Kurian Founder of Amul. But one could and should aspire to reach the level of a visionary. Dr Rao said that a person does not have to be senior in age or an IIM graduate to become a visionary. It is sufficient if you have a different way of thinking. He cited the example of Narayanan Krishnan, Indian chef turned social worker who preferred to feed the homeless and mentally disabled  in the city of Madurai Tamilnadu  rather than take up an an elite job in Switzerland. The speaker asked the participants to assess where they are at the moment in terms of the four levels and where they would like to be.   

Dr Rao said that the HR people are favourably placed to slip into roles of visionaries as they have the advantage of constantly dealing with people, be it the employees, customers or other persons related   to the organization. Today, with covid 19 staring at our face we become more conscious of the role of a doctor in saving human lives. HR is a profession that takes care of both lives and livelihoods of people. The challenging times are to seen as opportunities to experiment and come out with solutions for sustained employment and livelihood. HR should go beyond the rule book  and seek to explore and engage in building culture. 

 People working in organizations have the opportunity to use time beyond their 9 to 5 jobs for activities that would fortify them to become visionaries and later missionaries if they wish. For becoming an achiever from a performer ask questions, get feedback and do more and different things. As our actions are influenced by thoughts it is important that they are focused on matters  like life stories of achievers and being in the company of people with aspiration. It is when you aspire to be higher and better instead of being content and comparing with those who are doing less than you that you become an achiever. 

Visionaries exhibit a novel kind of thinking, always looking for opportunities in problems. As for example the covid 19 challenges, the migrant worker issues etc.  are all looked at from a problem solving mindset. Visionaries are always on the lookout for long term benefit of society in any area. Senior managers can look at providing opportunities to juniors for playing role of achievers and  visionaries.

There was a question from the audience as to what one should do if the bosses do not allow you to take up activities of an achiever/ visionary. The speaker said beyond your eight hours of duty, the time is your own, to be used as you wish for your development. If the boss does not agree even to this it is  advisable to quit the boss and the company.   The concept of 360 degree feedback  was evolved specifically for this reason to promote upward feedback and letting bosses know what their people are thinking about them.    

What I particularly liked about this session was that Dr Rao was very relaxed and candid while sharing his thoughts.  He encouraged participants to raise queries on the matters discussed. I would like to conclude by stating that this was a very rewarding session that gave interesting  insights as to how to  become effective managers "who make a difference".  After all, the talk was given by none other than the father of HRD practices in our country!

Dhakad Marketing: How to build Brands

I had the pleasure and  privilege of attending a webinar on the subject on 26th June featuring Mr Pradeep Gidwani, India's foremost Marketing Guru. He was in conversation with Mr Mukesh Kheterpal, CEO & Founder Indus Management consultants Pvt Ltd. The term 'Dhakad' Marketing can be understood in English  as 'aggressive' marketing. 

At the outset Pradeep explained the basic requirement for Dhakad marketing which he referred to as  "Brand architecture" . This should be concrete and thought through in detail  to achieve success. The basic questions such as "Who are you?"  "Whom are you targeting?"   "What is your price point?" etc should be answered with clarity. As for example brands such as Van Heusen, Allen solly and Peter England were very clear as to whom they were targeting. They were looking at people in the higher income group who would like to stand out from others in terms of power dressing or distinct Friday dressing. 

Mukesh then asked the question " How did you work on and develop the brand architecture for Fosters Beer , an Australian beer when it first entered the Indian market. After all, beer is just beer whether called by this or that name? "  The interviewee explained that building a brand architecture involves not only the quality of the product but the emotional connect that customers feel towards a product. The customer gets a kick out of a brand that he can relate to.The emotional connect battle is in the mind of the customer.

As Fosters was an Australian beer, attention was paid to bringing in a feel of the country and targeting the young Indians as customers. The Australians are more casual in their approach to life unlike the Brits who tend to be formal. The company's employees wore jeans and T shirts and began their Emails with an informal "Hi Mate" and ended them with "Cheers". The ideas you implement needs to link back to what you want to do. He said that pricing Foster 30% higher than Kingfisher and still gaining customers was also part of  the strategy of reflecting their brand architecture.

To another question on employing women and also getting people from outside the industry to work for them, Pradeep said that employing people with different experiences was deliberately done to circumvent the tendency of  "This is how we have always done" mindset and get their people to think and work innovatively. The employment of women was also done in line with the brand architecture in niche locations such as  Five star hotels. When asked if there wasn't any resistance from the industry and retailers to the Fosters policy of not extending discounts, the interviewee said that the company was able to convince their associates that the higher margins of their brand would offset any disadvantage of not receiving discounts. "We believed that merely selling more to retailers offering discounts was meaningless until actual sales happen with the consumer opening the bottle and drinking from it. 

If a company has developed  a brand architecture and positioned itself in a segment, abrupt deviation from the strategy can confuse customers. The case of Audi was cited which was competing with the Mercedes; both German cars of good quality. Slowly and steadily, the business grew and at one time it looked like Audi was beginning to win the race, when the company offered  discounts with an aim to capture a bigger size of the market. Contrary to expectations, Audi found itself losing customers after this move. There is a finite number in this market. A premier brand reducing price doesn't make sense. 

The prime aspect of the strategy is to share your brand architecture and vision as widely as possible, to your employees, customers and the public at large. Pradeep said that in the initial days advice was given by well wishers to seek the services of  Sachin Tendulkar or Amitabh Bachan as their Brand ambassador. However, Fosters in line with their brand architecture of Australian Life style - sporty and free outdoors chose to associate with Formula 1 racing events in India. Customers were shown having beer and samosa as they watched and discussed Formula 1. The experiencing of the beer by customers was a prelude to introducing it to five star hotels. Then there was the combination of Barbecue and Fosters beer for great Sundays. Launching a brand is not about launching a product. You should get the start point correctly- 'Who you are' and be able to say what your brand stands for in three to four words.

Building a brand is like developing the persona of your company and its products. Spend time on your thinking and developing the brand architecture. It is not just about achieving numbers but getting there on the path charted out in the brand architecture. The interviewee gave a tip  to capture pictures of advertisements from the past four to five years and then show them to your advertisers and  employees to let them know as to what you want your product to be.  Allen solly moved away from its original brand architecture and thereby confused its customers. The same happened with Fosters also later on. However, it may be noted that brands which are successful long time, tend to be faithful to their brand architecture. As for example the lifebuoy soap was always associated with health. Over the years although its shape and packaging changed, it continues to be associated with health.  The same is the case with Lux which is linked to beauty and film stars.

The webinar  concluded on this note that "You cannot be everything to everybody. You have to be something to somebody."  Of course you may have different segments for the business like the automobile companies  Maruti and Hyundai having different segments such as SUV, premium, mid size or the base car. They do not confuse their customers and the vital element of brand architecture is firmly in place. It was a very rewarding experience attending this webinar and the biggest take away for me was the information about  the importance of having a 'Brand architecture' if you want to build brands!  

Challenges for HR - Post Covid 19

Covid 19 and the lock down has adversely affected life in general including the livelihood of people all over the world. Locked down businesses  take time to limp back to normalcy. The schedules for delivering a company's products and the supply chain for receiving raw materials have all gone for a toss. Under these circumstances the role and challenges of HR also is bound to be different. I attended two or three webinars during lock down period  that discussed this subject . Although no one can tell for sure how the future will pan out, calculated or if you prefer educated guesses of experts could be a pointer for putting our best foot forward as we tackle an uncertain future.

I would like to share the following insights gained from experts in the webinars  by way of bullet points :-   

• The approach of HR has essentially to be based on the manner and extent to which the business of the company they are working for, has been impacted by the crisis. 
• Some of the challenges that business could face is the raising of capital.Venture capitalists are likely to be more conservative in investing.
• Job creation would be adversely affected and expansion plans put on hold.
• It would be important to sustain MSMEs (Micro, small and medium enterprises) in spite of challenges, as it is in this sector that more jobs are created. 
• An important challenge would be replacing the migrant workmen as many of them have returned to their native places.
• Financial costs are expected to be up by 10%. The challenge is to move the wheels of commerce to the old levels gradually.
• We could hope for diversification of supply chain management leading to some of the orders being diverted from China to India. 
• The new requirement would be for leaders who are adaptive. Those who play fair, take responsibility and have fun. HR has to focus on fulfilling this requirement.
•  Covid has added to the "high degree of  unpredictability" and VUCA would be the new normal.
• Employees are expected to be a lot more stressed and addressing this would be HR's  priority.
• HR has to contribute to solving of the new challenges such as managing costs, supply chain issues, manpower availability and weakening of Rupee. 
• It is important to achieve digital maturity at the earliest (Digital maturity is about adapting the organization to effectively compete in an increasingly digital environment).
• It is believed that 47% of the jobs will disappear and new ones will emerge. 
• In this scenario HR will have to plan for a flatter organization, networking of teams and "Gig economy" working. 
• By 2025, 75% of the work force will be millennials and HR would need to understand their nature of working/ drives and address their needs  effectively.  
• Reassurance and counselling may have to be provided to address issues of insecurity, fear, doubt or worry.
• Online learning is likely to increase with increased use of gamefication.
• HR needs to prepare its employees quickly towards a 'Digital mindset'. 
• It is an opportunity to engage in agile  retrospective (reflect on way of working and continuously become better) and renewal. Take L&D initiatives to proactively prepare the organization. 
• HR should sit in on business meetings ask relevant questions, purposefully initiate conversations in order to contribute meaningfully. 
• HR needs to build credibility in the organization so that people listen to them. 
• At the company level "What next" and "What else" questions can be asked for taking risks and being agile.

Webinar on Creativity and Innovation

During the locked down period, people have been trying out different things to keep themselves occupied. Some have also been hosting webinars with an aim  to  disseminate knowledge and help others to be more effective when they return to their normal lives. As for instance in a webinar organized by MHRD's (Ministry of Human Resources Development) innovation cell,  Mr BVR Mohan Reddy , Ex Chairman Nasscom & Chairman, Cyient, speaking on the topic "Impact of  current situation on education" said that it is an opportunity for students to learn new things that will be useful for them in the future. They could gain more knowledge on AI (Artificial intelligence), Machine learning and other subjects. Learning 'ahead of time' stands one in good stead. It is the time to  enhance what you have already learnt and also use the  period to learn a new skill. He opined that one learns much better while engaged in group learning online. Further, in online learning, one can customize (can replay videos) individual learning path with focus on assimilation and application. The use of learning management platforms effectively, makes one fit and future ready for higher skill jobs.

After I had attended the said webinar, I received an invitation on What's app from Dr Annamalai Natarajan, subject expert and Author of the book "101 Ways to Create and Innovate"  to attend his webinar on "Creativity and Innovation". Dr Annamalai was no stranger to me. while working for Hyundai Motor India Ltd as the Team leader of Learning and Development, I had availed of  the doctor's services a number of times for bolstering the knowledge and  skills  of our employees in creativity and innovation. As HOD, I used to drop in to classes whenever I was free and participate in the training sessions facilitated by external trainers. Therefore, I was familiar with the material shared by Dr Annamalai in the webinar and it was in fact a pleasant recap/ refresher for me. I am sharing the learning here for the benefit of readers.

The presenter started out by displaying this quote from George Bernard Shaw "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." Building on this quote, Dr Annamalai explained how it was the 'unreasonable' guy who insisted on viewing a sports event that happened in another city that led to the innovation of television. Similarly, the 'reasonable' guy doesn't feel it uncomfortable to get up a number of times and walk up to the TV to switch channels. But the lazy,  unreasonable guy looks at alternatives and comes out with the 'remote'.

The moral of the story then is that it is necessary to become 'unreasonable' . However this has to be  at a ratio of 80:20 in favour of being 'unreasonable' so that  the approach  is worthwhile and beneficial.There has to be a balance between system and performance. We tend to forget the reasons for what we are doing what we do. As for example the system tells us to water the plants in the garden every day. But are we doing it blindly even when it is raining?

A problem arises when there is a difference between "what I have" and "what I want". You can experience it in the form of botheration, uneasiness, worry, fear, anger etc. A person may attempt to solve the problem using the left brain (Logic, analysis, language and numerical skills etc) the right brain (imagination, music, humour, day dreaming etc.) or a combination of both. Most people tend to approach the problem with the left brain. Yet a problem does not have only one solution. You can look at it from different angles to solve it. Therefore it is necessary to use a combination of right and left brain thinking with right brain getting its due place.

The right brain is evoked when you keep asking questions like "What else?".  The question provides scope for a number of solutions. Similarly, the question "Are you lazy?" is significant. After all, it is the lazy guy who invented the remote for television. It is to cater to the needs of the lazy person that various modifications had to be made to wrist watches which initially was hand wound, then made automatic (required shaking), to quartz watch and now to eco friendly watches not requiring replacement of cells. Inconveniences are the sources of creativity. It was when he saw a family of husband, wife and three children travelling on a scooter that Tata Chairman, Ratan Tata thought of a safe and affordable car and Nano was visualized (though it may not have become a big commercial success, the need/ inconvenience triggered a solution.)

There are 134 crore innovative people in India. Creativity needs to be inculcated and sustained by encouraging the use of both right and left brain resulting in an innovative whole brain. Our brains can be kept in a continuously active condition by exposing it to puzzles, scrabble and other brain teaser exercises. Further, one should also set a deadline / put a time pressure for completion of project in order to get the creative juices flowing. Although we may start the "What else exercises" consciously, over a period of time, it becomes natural and unconscious. This is similar to learning to drive a car. We start out learning  to drive a car by paying full attention to the process and then reach a level of unconscious mastery.

 During the lock down time, this webinar on a very interesting and relevant topic of "Innovation and Creativity"  was truly,  a precious gift that the presenter Dr Annamalai gave to the viewers and it is  with  great pleasure that I  pass it on through this blog to my readers!   

( Here is a link to the preview of the book 101 ways to create and innovate by Dr Annamalai Natarajan :    https://books.google.co.in/books/about/101_Ways_to_Create_and_Innovate.html?id=kiJLzQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y )https://books.google.co.in/books/about/101_Ways_to_Create_and_Innovate.html?id=kiJLzQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y