Agility in Business

In the 'theme reveal' post for the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge April 2023, I had indicated that I would be writing about Key business concepts in general of which the focus would be particularly on HR (Human resources) matters . As the challenge kicks off today I start" with the topic "Agility in Business"  for alphabet 'A.

 Businesses have for some time now, recognized the importance of being 'Agile' in a a world that has become volatile and uncertain. The customers of today have a lot more options to choose from. Therefore, the need to run faster and smarter to atleast remain in the same place!  Organizations cannot afford to be complacent and rest on past laurels. There is a  need is to be continously innovative in order to meet the new and increasing expectations of the customer, before the competition does. 

It is not sufficient to be the 'first kid on the block' . It is necessary to be vigilant and active for sustaining one's postion. Failure to do so, may result in the competion leaving you far behind. This had happened in the case of AT&T the American telecommunication multinational which was one of the first to acquire knowledge of mobile technology but gave way to other more enterprising competitors. Technologies can change overnight and even make the the old one redundant. As for example movies turned digital and are no longer made on films. There is no fear or the need to be careful to ensure precious film is not wasted for retakes.  What it meant was that a coveted business of manufacturing film roll became irrelevant.

The abrupt changes in the business scenario requires not only adaptability but also speed in the response. Stamina, speed and flexibilty have all become necessary. Even as you run the core business effectively, there is a need to keep your eyes and ears open and be prepared to shift to multiple businesses if need be, quickly  adopt and execute effectively. We have many instances when even older companies such as Shell, which started out as a sea shell company demonstrated flexility & agility to move into other diverse areas like petroleum. In India, Reliance Industries started as a small textile manufacturing unit in Mumbai and has gone on to become one of the largest companies operating in diverse business areas.

 The rapid rise of technology has added to the pressure on businesses to meet expectations. The customers are able to easily compare features offered by competitors and there are higher customer expectations in terms of look, feel and usabilty of products. Here, it is important to tune the culture of the organization to be 'agile' so that the employees are able and willing to meet the new challenges. HR has a big role to play in this regard. Technology is bound to have a bigger say in the way business is conducted in the days to come. The unexpected arrival of the pandemic Covid 19 has ensured that more and more of the 'common man' have been compelled to use it. We have been using Zoom for meetings and communication as never before; even small vendors, used to cash transactions, have embraced Pay TM and other digital modes for payment. 

It cannot be disputed that the VUCA(Volatile, uncertain, complex & ambiguous) world is here to stay and one will have to meet it by being agile and flexible. Yet, it is important to also keep in mind that the uncertainities cannot be be dealt with by pressing the panic button. When our mind is in a whirl, overwhelmed by a large number of debilitating thoughts, we cannot give an appropriate response. Panic will either result in freezing inaction or a desperate over reaction. Appropriate response would automatically come if you have 'agility'  as a part of the organization culture driven by a genuine desire to improve the lot of the customer. Innovation and new ways of thinking then, becomes  a way of life; not a strategy for a battle.  From this place of relaxed confidence, the organization would be able to handle any challenge! 

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

Blogchatter A2Z Challenge April 2023 (Theme Reveal)- Key HR & Business Concepts

I have participated in the A2Z challenge for two years when I wrote on random words related to the particular alphabet assigned for the day. This time though, I plan to write on matters pertaining to my discipline as a HR professional for over three decades. Accordingly, key HR concepts will be discussed during the challenge in line with the alphabet of the day. 

 Some of the subjects that are planned to be discussed are agility in business, bench marking, coaching , design thinking, employee engagement and flexibility in management. For three to four alphabets, it is hoped that clarity as to the actual subjects would evolve as we move forward in the challenge. Although the subject may appear niche, as my readers are aware, I write straight and simple sans jargons so that those engaged in other functions/ profession would be able to relate to the content and find it relevant and interesting. 

 Looking forward to your support whole through the challenge. I also plan to read as many as possible, the submissions of other participants.

Wisdom from the Workplace

Although I had written a blog on "Nuggets of Wisdom"  for my  'general subjects' blog, in response to a Blogchatter prompt, it turns out that the content is about corporates and  the corporate situation. 

Therefore , I am sharing a link of the post here at HRDian Speak. 

https://rajeevianlinesandverses.blogspot.com/2023/01/nuggets-of-wisdom-from-favourite-teacher.html 

Readers may also like to check out an old blog "Leadership in Action"  which is very relevant to the subject discussed. 

https://hrdian.blogspot.com/2016/10/leadership-in-action.html

Looking Back: A journey of Innovative Interventions

 

Mr Suresh Pugalenthi, Head HR (India operations) Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN), is an accomplished HR professional who believes that innovation is a way of life. He has successfully adopted it in achieving organizational growth in both the companies he has worked namely Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, and WIN. His success is laced with a number of OD initiatives in the niche areas of cultural transformation, innovation and change management. 

It was a pleasure for me (Rajeev Moothedath (RM)) to interview Suresh Pugalenthi (SP) to understand in more detail the nature and success of his HR interventions.

RM: I understand that you are basically from Tamil Nadu. After obtaining degree in Labour Management from the University of Madras, you went on to do MA (PM&IR) from Tata Institute of social sciences, Mumbai. Could you tell us something about your early life motivations as a child and youth?

SP:  I am from a small town called “Manjalar Dam” which is in the foot hills of Kodaikanal. My parents were teachers and we were 4 siblings. Therefore, my parents could not provide personalized attention to each one of us. There was a need to be self-motivated. I did the things I needed to do without being reminded. Being self-driven, became my natural trait. My father once told me that nothing is impossible, “if you can dream and work towards your dream, you can achieve it”. Reading and updating my knowledge has always been important to me.

RM: How was your experience in TISS?  Could you share anecdotes connected to learning and the social life at the college?    

SP: Even as I was doing my BLM (Labour Management) at Chennai, I dreamt about joining TISS which was a prestigious educational institution in the country.  You are one of only 28 candidates selected from among 1 Lakh applicants for the PMIR course. It boosts your self-confidence and for me, the feat reinforced my basic belief that “nothing is impossible”.  At TISS you are tested on a daily basis, competing with the best and I enjoyed the journey. 

The course itself is so designed with emphasis on practical training. You attend three days of theory classes and two days of field work in a week, to practice what you have learnt in the class. By end of 2^nd, year, we were exposed to best practices of 5 companies.

In the initial days our professor used to joke “If you have gained admission to TISS, two things are assured – naukri (job) and chokri (girl). Interestingly for me it proved correct, as I not only got my first job but also found my life partner at the campus. We got exposed to the Tata values such as respecting each individual and treating him/her with dignity. This served as a guiding light throughout our career.

Twice in a year, the canteen staff were given holiday. The students cleaned the kitchen utensils, prepared the food and served it to the canteen employees and their families. On this day, we also organized a host of entertainment activities for them. From these activities emerged my professional mantra “Take care of employees, and they take care of the organisation”.  

RM: Tell us about your first job at M/S Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited? What was your initial impression about the company as a fresher?

SP: My first job was a campus placement. I was happy with the role that they offered and was impressed by the world class ambience and physical infrastructure at the head office in the iconic towers at Nariman point, Mumbai

HPCL has an excellent induction program which helped me as a new employee to understand my role, goal, and organizational vision. HPCL understands the importance of retaining high talent especially those coming from premier institutes. They fast track your experience /exposure to various strategic initiatives.

The company’s open-door culture was amazing. You could meet anyone including CEO without appointment. I had an excellent boss who guided me during my journey with HPCL for almost 22 years. The organisation had a plan for my career and tracked my commitment, loyalty and deliverables at every level. I was also recognized for my contribution and values in terms of care, concern, empathy and commitment. I would like to credit whatever achievements I have had so far in my professional and personal life to the strong foundation provided by HPCL.

RM:  I understand that at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, premier initiatives such as HP- Path, HP- Radio, HP- pace and HP- Future leaders were implemented. Could you briefly tell us about the “What” and “How” of each of them?

SP: The initiatives mentioned were  designed and developed to achieve the company mission of becoming a “World Class Energy Company”. I will briefly explain each one of them.

HP PATH:

This is a “Behavioural Competency Model” that we developed to ensure the company had outstanding performers. The details of the PATH are the following:

 The P stands for “Personal Excellence”, which includes behaviours where the individual is SELF-DRIVEN and works through various situations for achieving long term sustainable goals.

The “A” stands for “Altro -centricity”, which includes behaviours that recognizes and take into account interdependencies across levels, between individuals and departments both internal and external for achieving organisational objectives

The “TH” stands for Thought leaders, who think both analytically and laterally to create robust solutions.

HPCL, used this competency model as a backbone in all the people related processes such as selection, Performance Management, Training and development etc. HP Path served as a guiding compass for nurturing talent at HPCL.  

HP: PACE:

It was a new, robust Performance Management System which sought to align individual employee goals to the organization's objectives. PACE had 4 stages of implementation namely (1) Discover and Define (2) Prioritize and Plan (3) Execute & Evaluate and (4) Reward & Retain.

The accent was on theme-based aspects such as Innovation, Cost, and Process improvement. HPCL witnessed huge growth in volumes after the implementation of PACE.

 HP On Air - 'Hamari Aawaz. Hamara Parivaar':

 Taking cognizance of the importance of Internal Communication, HP on Air was conceptualized. The objective of the net based corporate radio was to inform, educate, and stay connected with the employees anytime, anywhere and on any device. It enabled us to communicate in an innovative way to the employees about new initiatives, department plans and overall progress of the Organization.

Music was also used to keep the listeners engaged. interviews with the leadership, relevant news and events, important HR notices, performance highlights, reward & recognition and interactive segments with employees and their families were featured in these programs.

 HP - Samavesh” - Future Leaders Forum:

 “Samavesh” is a unique induction program designed by the company for facilitating new joiners to “Learn” about the Organization, “Grow” as an individual and professional, and “Lead”  towards Organizational excellence. The program is for a period of 12 months with clearly demarcated five phases for imparting the inputs. At the end of the program the new joinee undertakes a project which helps him/her to get a deeper insight into the assigned roles. The program has been very successful in bringing about reduction in the attrition levels. “ Samavesh” is a vital  investment towards  developing the future leaders of the organization.

 RM:  In the year 2016, you had obtained a Certification in “Driving Growth through Innovation” from the Harvard Business school. Tell us more about this certification and to what extent it influenced your approach and initiatives thereafter.

SP: The competitive landscape of the present times relies heavily on innovation. Business leaders are constantly looking for new ways to innovate because you can't solve new problems with old solutions.

The certification gave me an opportunity to learn the best practices in the field of innovation. This in turn prompted me to revisit the existing practices in HPCL so as to promote innovation in the company. We set up “HP House of Innovation” for implementing Innovative practices across the organisation. A culture of innovation was promoted across the organization by encouraging employees to take up innovative projects.

 RM: After a stint of over two decades in the public sector HPCL , why did you decide to change your job and join a new company?  

SP: I was 42 years of age and heading the OD function of the organisation. In the year 2020, the company identified 100 young leaders for preparing them for the future roles and I was one of them. During this exercise of identification, my coach asked me “Are you happy with what you are doing now? Where do you wish to see yourself in the next 5 years? This set me thinking. While I was grateful for the opportunity to serve and learn from the company, I felt it was time to look beyond HPCL for realizing my full potential and meeting ‘bigger purpose of life’.

RM:  Could you briefly tell us about your present role at WIN?

SP: Currently, as Head (HR) for India Operations with Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN), I am driving people transformation with a focus on achieving strategic and operational excellence.

We have implemented various organization wide initiatives such as ‘One Wipro’ “Wipro First”, “BOLD”, “Pathfinder”, Leadership development, “WINSTAR” etc which have helped in achieving the highest ever production and profitability.        

RM:  You have had a wealth of experience in Industrial relations Could you share your basic approach and methodology for successful industrial relations?     

I believe that it is important to understand people’s perspective- the perspective of those you are interacting with. Once this is done, you can solve any problem. I follow a 5 C model for solving any people related issue. The 1^st C stands for “Connection” - Your ability to emotionally connect with the union or employee.  This is achieved by spending time and energy to understand the other person’s perspective and building trust with them.

The 2nd C in the model is “Communication”- Your ability to communicate the reason and the logic for your decision or action. Once the union and employees know that you always act with clarity and without bias, your credibility level goes up.

The 3rd C stands for building “Competency”- Here, we are talking about building the competency levels of union leaders to understand issues so that they can appreciate the decisions taken by management and also take just and unbiased decisions themselves. In this connection, it is important to impart to them relevant knowledge and awareness of the consequences of decisions taken.  

The 4th C is “Collaboration”- The best decisions and smooth implementation happens when it is done in a collaborative manner. Therefore, it is important to discuss, consult your union prior to taking important decisions so that there is smooth implementation and a Win-Win for both parties.

The 5th C stands for Culture. It is important to have a culture in the organization that is in line with the vision and corporate values of the company. With the appropriate culture in the company, no attempt will be made by anyone to look for quick fixes or short-term solutions to problems.

RM: You have had a very successful professional journey so far! What are your future plans and aspirations?   

SP:  I feel that the time has come to give back to the HR fraternity whatever learning and wisdom I have gained over the years by Mentoring and Coaching young HR Professionals.

I also, plan to work with Start-up companies to help them build & grow their organizations. If everything goes well, I will be writing a book (“HR Playbook”) in the near future that captures my experience and learnings of more than two decades.  This will be my gift and contribution to the HR fraternity.

RM:  What advice would you like to give, the young readers who have opted to take up HR as a profession in these challenging times?   

SP: I would advise young HR professionals to always remember that our primary role is to support the company’s business and growth. Focus a lot on enhancing employee engagement and experience.  In the present times, it is most essential to embrace being ‘digital’ and enhance your skill sets through continuous learning. Finally, it helps to always have an open mind and a positive mindset.

RM: Thank you Suresh for a very enlightening and holistic account of your thoughts and experiences.

SP: It is my pleasure, Rajeev. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. 

Practice of Emotional intelligence by Leaders at Work Place

In the webinar organized on 7th September 2022 by Ms Bija training under their Mask Leadership/ Leaders connect program , Mr Manish Gupta Founder Director, Buddhi World spoke on the topic of emotional intelligence (EI). The speaker has several years of experience in research study and practical application of EI. This was evident in the clarity with which he spoke on the subject sans a lot of jargons. The simple definition of EI given by the speaker was "the ability to know/be aware of one's own emotions, know/be aware of other people's emotions and take appropriate decisions keeping in mind emotions of both parties and the circumstances ." 

EI is most essential in the work place to susatain and grow as a company. There is a need to learn skills for emotion and social management. The key is shifting focus from just "Me" to include others as well. When this happens there would be empathy, caring, practice of listening, self regulation and ability to motivate. Being self aware would include asking questions to yourself such as "Why do I get angry?", "Why do I get irritated?", "What are the triggers?", "How do I behave in a given situation?", "How does my behaviour affect others?", "How does my behaviour affect my own self?", "Does the behaviour motivate me ?" , "Does it depress me?", "Does my response end up in rude behaviour?". The first step before setting out to understanding and correcting others is correcting oneself after gaining insights through the questions discussed above. 

If you are looking for someone else to motivate you, it has limited shelf life. It wouldn't last very long just as you need to take a bath everyday to stay clean and not just take baths on and off. It is here that the importance of self motivation comes in. A strong goal attached with an intense emotion for achieving it, serves as a big self- motivator. EI can be learnt like any other skill by devoting 20 to 30 minutes to it daily. You will soon start seeing the benefits in terms of a new calmness and better judgement while decision making. At the same time, you will no longer have the desire to judge people. 

Practising EI helps you in 'accepting the realities of life'. As a professional HR person you are able to take decisions based on the actual realities on the ground without being influenced by aspects such as fear or favour. As for example, you have a task of handing out  'pink slips' to 50 people and you are able to take action without being influenced by thoughts such as "He is my friend and therefore I have to save his job."  

Mr Manish Gupta gave some tangible and practical tips on the application of EI at the work place and in day to day life. He advised to jot down all those matters discussed earlier that gives us information on self  awareness which can then be used for 'self regulation'. The exercise in turn will enable you to understand other's emotions. Self awareness and empathy are the twin requirements for gaining emotional intelligence. To know whether you are empathetic, ask yourself at night  "How many times during the day did I use the words 'Please', 'Sorry' and 'Thank you'?"  Saying "Please sit down" instead of "Sit down" makes a lot of diffrence. Do this everyday! 

The speaker signed off by observing " When your empathetic levels increase, your self awareness levels will automatically improve". My understanding from the discussion is that the twin factors influence each other. Therefore, we would do well to enhance both our self awareness and empathy for achieving high emotional intelligence. The session was for me one of the most rewarding ones in recent times. Many talk about the subject but few explain it with clarity and in simple terms as done by Mr Manish Gupta.

What does your Personal Brand Stand for?

 

Personal branding is a concept that developed  as a  strategy in the competitive business scenario. When I started work in the year 1981, although it was still difficult to land a good job (it was pretty bad in the seventies in India),  the compelling need was yet to be felt for showcasing yourself to get  ahead of others. At that time most people were content to serve a single company and receive that 'Wrist watch' or similar  gift at the time of retirement, taking pride in themselves for having served the organization as  loyal employees.  

A lot has  changed over the years and it slowly became a norm to  jump as many jobs as possible for getting  ahead and leaving others far behind. By the time I neared the retirement age, the situation had changed so much that the feeling amongst corporate executives was "If a guy stays for more than three years in the same company, he must not be good or competent enough." Today, cultivating a personal brand has become very important . 

Personal branding differentiates you from the competiton and generates trust and confidence in the prospective clients and employers. Personal branding includes a brand statement in a couple of sentences that explains what you do and why you are unique in your field. It sums up your experience, skills and passion and gives a clear picture to people of what you stand for and are capable of accomplishing. As for example a person may have a brand statement that reads " I help people to reassess their life goals and find new paths to success". Notice how it is short, catchy and yet strong and compelling. Another statement could be "I develop sustainable business models and marketing strategies to fuel small business growth". Here, authenticity is an important element of branding apart from expertise, visibility, growing online presence, following experts in your field, networking etc.

Coming to the  Blogchatter #Bloghop prompt as to what "my personal brand stands for",  I would like to view my personal brand as not merely in the business sense but a personal brand for life itself. After my retirement, I have been engaged in corporate training, teaching MBA students and blogging. In all of these activities, the aim  is "to make a difference in the lives of  my clients / readers." As I also bring my life perspective into the branding, it would also read "Exhibiting compassion, love and respect for all". 

To my mind, if your personal branding for life as a human being is clear and in alignment with your natural and basic nature, it would work for you in all areas including that of the business. It need not then be seen as a mere strategy but a core that defines who you are and what it is that is important to you. In such a scenario, the steps for enhancing your personal brand would happen spontaneously, easily and effortlessly. 

• NB: This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop www.theblogchatter.com   

Effective Management of Company Mission

On 17th August 2022, in the webinar  organized by Bija Training under their Mask Leadership series , the speaker Mr Zaved Akhtar, CEO and MD at Unilever, Bangladesh shared his experience of effectively contributing to the goals of the company while at the same time catering to the interests of the country. In the initial part of his talk, Mr Akhtar traced the history of  his 50 year old country that underwent various periods which he called (1) the lost decade (2) Military regime (3) Democracy restoration (4) Gathering momentum and finally the present times of economic progress. 

The speaker said that his company Unilever has always linked itself to the destiny of the country. The policy has been  "Whatever is good for Bangladesh, is good for Unilever". The products of the company are in the areas of home personal care, nutrition, safe drinking water, oral hygiene and sanitation. They account for 60% of the business in the country that was built over a period from 1962 (presence prior to formation of Bangaladesh). The company has always believed in "building a nation, not just a career"

Mr Akhtar said that it is important for companies to be clear about their purpose. It is brands with a purpose that grow. Unilever's purpose is "Sustainable living" with a focus on making a positive impact on society. He said that 50% of the population want to buy products from brands that are sustainable (Brands that undertake sustainable practices in the workings of their business and champion them). Unilever collects back 50% of the plastic that is generated.

The Unilever products such as Life buoy, Surf excel, Horlicks, Pepsodent, Domex etc have been associated with initiatives impacting the quality of life in society. As for example child mortality rate was reduced by the hand washing program associated with Life buoy. Similarly Horlicks has been associated with campaigns for balanced nutrition and pepsodent with oral hygiene. Glow and Lovely (GAL) is a product that is associated with enhancing the levels of women in the work force by imparting to them career skills. The company has been pitching in  "for serving people everywhere" during times of emergencies such as occurance of  floods or Covid 19 faced by the nation.  

Moving to the subject of performance and transformation, Mr Akhtar said that focus should be on purpose & service, agility and  personal mastery with an attitude of  "I can do it". At the same time, one has to be realistic and cautious about the challenges. Prioritization, by giving high priority to high impact matters, is the key. Excellence should always be aimed for rather than perfection. The speaker said that while delegating, always ensure that authority is being delegated and take care not to delegate accountability. That the approach and initiatives of the company has worked is borne out by the fact that in spite of challenges posed by Covid, in 2022, the company has recorded the best performance in 10 years.   

Mr Akhtar said while recruiting, job assigning or transfer of employees, it is necessary to ensure that they are not only in the right bus but the right seat in the bus . If there is a mismatch, take them out and put the person in another bus if necessary. On continous improvement, the speaker gave an analogy from the game of golf. Success is when you are not only been able to beat your last handicap but are able to repeat it over and over again. He said that "opportunities are lurking in every corner"; we only need to have a 'Growth mindset' in place of a 'Fixed mindset'. A coalition of the willing core transformation agents and "unleashing" their collective input can be very powerful. It is important to 'keep educating yourself' and value the key values of the company like ethics, respect, honesty, integrity, daring to dream big and making it happen. 

Finally, Mr Akhtar took questions from the participants. To a question as to what Unilever did to enhance the number of  women working in the company, he said the basic focus and challenge has been to get men to understand the need for women to work and remove the patriarchal bias. After all, 95% of the company's products are bought by women. Therefore, having more women in the workforce would be beneficial in understanding and appreciating the psyche of women customers. Another step taken to facilitate women working was to ensure sufficient women's toilets are available not only in the companies premises but those of distributors so that women managers face no difficulty while visiting them. In order to ensure female managers are feeling secure, security guards are assigned for their protection. Kindergarten and creche facilities are also provided. In short, a woman friendly environment is created by the company for encouraging more women to join its workforce.  

To another question as to what steps are taken for inculcating company values in all the employees, the speaker said that "Purpose workshops" are conducted to enable employees to see the overlap between thier own  and the companies purpose and values. It is the core business principle of the company that company 'Values" are non negotiable and are to be followed whether you are being watched by others or not. People are empowered to call out if and when there is flouting of or deviation from a value. It is a continous process of educating and reinforcing. It would involve correction, disciplinary action and coaching. 

With that, curtains came down on a very enlightening and rewarding webinar. I am so happy to capture it for my readers!