Managing Change

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

The first thing about managing change for an individual is to have a clear idea about yourself.

You must have clarity of vision, mission, goals and values. Most people resist change and recognize resistance to change in others but not themselves. Fear is the principal reason for resistance to change.

Recognition of your resistance and the reasons to change, is a good second step, towards developing the ability to manage change

With clarity of goals and objectives, you can set about the task of focusing on what you need to change in order to stay on course to achieve your aspirations and dreams.

The next and probably the most difficult task is anticipating external factors that will cause change, in order to be better prepared to handle it. The immediate external factors are family, friends, your profession or business, health. Here the need is to establish clarity of roles, relationships and mutually acceptable goals.

Unforeseeable circumstances like the forces of nature, governmental regulations, technology, etc. should be taken into account, but not be dwelt upon too long to result in inaction.

Change forces choices upon us and one should muster the courage to accept the need to make the choice. You should leverage the positive changes that arise and cope with the negative ones.

It is important to recognize that most change is for the better. You need to go through the difficult process of acceptance. This spurs positive action towards change.

In an organizational context, rapid and extensive changes face organizations. They need to adapt to the rapid changes being dictated by the forces of globalization, consumer demands, technology, competition etc.

The most important measures that heads of organizations could take in order to survive on a long term basis is to make the decision making process of change to be an organization-wide one. They need to create a culture of continuous proactive change and to focus on the imperatives. They need to set clear objectives and time frames to implement change. This is easier said than done. Respect and trust of all ideas and views is critical. There should be an empathetic approach to dissention or resistance.

Finally you should look for and leverage synergies internally and externally to optimize the benefits of change.

Everyone cannot adapt to change at the same pace. Researches have found that those exposed to turbulent environments cope with change, faster.

Thus you should focus on your objectives and goals put in the special effort to leverage the benefits of change, to your advantage. You should not fear change but embrace it.

Contribute by:
Afsheen Ahmed
(Globsyn Business School)

Source: Success Yogi, your guru for success & happiness, Dr. Hiru Bijlani

Office Essentials

Have you tried hard to create an impression at work? Here is a list of few office essentials to ease your effort and mark you a true professional.

Soft skills may be the success mantra these days but there are a few essentials that go into the making of a true professional. Apart fromoffice infrastructure, cordial relations with your colleagues, convenient commute, there are a few other things that help you manage your everyday tasks and can take your career to the next level.

If you are one of those who plan to invest time, effort and resources to heighten the impact of a'true professional at work' but are either too occupied or wondering how to go about it, here are a few tips.

Take 5! -Five office essentials

A planner
A planner helps you to make a note of important assignments, appointments, telephone numbers, etc and helps you schedule your day without missing on significant matters.

Smell good
So you have tried hard to create an impression at work? You go berserk shopping for formal clothes and accessories? Perhaps it is the fragrance that you wear to work that can get you a mention in the good books of your boss. Caution, do not overpower your appearance and the other person's senses by overloading on the cologne.

A good pen
You are glued to your computer 24x7, agreed! There's hardly a chance when you need to use a pen at work? Perhaps that's what makes it all the more important to invest in a good pen that matches with your personality at work. Endow an appreciable investment to this office accessory and be a proud owner of a good branded pen. You can use an ink pen to sign documents."It is also an ideal gift for bosses and colleagues,"

A classy watch
A fine watch distinguishes a person who values time and also adds a touch of class to your appearance. Endow an appreciable amount toacquire this accessory, for it's not everyday you buy a watch. Go for a formal, basic watch that is not too loud for professional environment and at the same time gels with your attire.

Attitude
They say,'Your attitude determines your altitude'. Amplify the impact of your appearance with the'right' attitude. Your approach to meet challenges in life decides how smooth your sail can be through the rough sea of the corporate world. Be ready to take initiative, grow as a professional and work hard towards your long term goals. To conclude, believe in yourself.

Contributed By:

Anjali Mishra

(Globsyn Business School)

Pygmalion Effect

Dear Students,

Have you heard of the ancient Greek sculptor Pygmalion?

Pygmalion principle finds its origin from an old Greek myth. A sculptor named Pygmalion sculpted a statue of a woman. He fell in love with the statue. His love was so strong, that it transformed the statue into a real woman. It is this transformative effect resulting from expectations which is the basis of the Pygmalion Principle. It states that expectations affect performance.

The Pygmalion effect enables employees to excel in response to the supervisor's message that they are capable of success and expected to succeed. The Pygmalion effect can also undermine employees'performance when the subtle communication from the manager tells them the opposite. As an example, the supervisor fails to praise a staff person's performance as frequently as she/he praises others.

So, in coming days, when you step into the shoes of a manager of a team, tell your team -members, "I expect you to achieve this because I believe in you and I know you can".

The outcome of such Pygmalion effect will be marvellous.

With best wishes,

Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay

(Globsyn Business School)

Self-Appraisal

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits (phone numbers).

The store-owner observed and listened to theconversation:

Boy: 'Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?

Woman: (at the other end of the phone line): 'I already have someone to cut my lawn.'

Boy: 'Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now.'

Woman: I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.

Boy: (with more perseverance): 'Lady, I'll even sweep your curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida .'

Woman: No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner: 'Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job.'

Boy: 'No thanks,

Store Owner: But you were really pleading for one.

Boy: No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady, I was talking to!'

This is what we call 'Self Appraisal'

Cotributed By:

Debasree Chattopadhyay
(HR Executive, Kotak Securities Limited)

Holland's Typology

Dear Students,

People differ in personalities.

Given below are personality-attributes of people engaged in various professions:

TYPE: Realistic
Prefers physical activities that require skill, strength and co-ordination.
Personality Characteristics: Shy, genuine, persistent, stable, conforming, practical.
Congruent Occupations: Mechanic, drill press operator, assembly-line worker, farmer.

TYPE: Investigation
Prefers activities that involve thinking, organizing and understanding.
Personality Characteristics: Analytical, original, curious, independent.
Congruent Occupations: Biologist, economist, mathematician, news reporter.

TYPE: Social
Prefers activities that involve helping and developing others.
Personality Characteristics: Sociable, friendly, co-operative, understanding.
Congruent Occupations: Social worker, teacher, counselor, clinical psychologist.

TYPE: Conventional
Prefers rule-regulated, orderly, and unambiguous activities.
Personality Characteristics: Conforming, efficient, practical, unimaginative, flexible.
Congruent Occupations: Accountant, corporate manager bank teller, file clerk.

TYPE: Enterprising
Prefers rule-regulated, orderly, and unambiguous activities.
Personality Characteristics: Self-confident, ambitious, energetic, domineering.
Congruent Occupations: Lawyer, real-estate agent, public-relations specialist, small-business manager.

TYPE: Artistic
Prefers ambiguous and unsystematic activities that allow creative expression.
Personality Characteristics: Imaginative, disorderly, idealistic, emotional, impractical.
Congruent Occupations: Painter, musician, writer, interior-decorator.

Check where you fit in.

Best wishes,

Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

Current Talent Management Outlook

The current talent management for Organizations has undergone a major change and some of the key features which are looked into are as follows:

• Increased emphasis on assessment
• Internet networking emerges
• The emergence of workforce planning
• A focus on the internal deployment
• Employment branding
• Continued emphasis on sourcing
• Renewed focus on the contingent workforce
• Emerging new technology arrives
• Focus on leadership positions
• Strategic metrics becomes king

Elaborating on the last but surely not the least point it is the critical differentiator for any Organization which is on its way from good to great.

However while measuring metrics is important, it is effective only if the following do’s and don’t are taken into consideration while doing so.

Some of the important factors which make metrics good are as follows:

• Aligned with business
• Actionable & Predictable
• Consistent
• Time traceable
• Peer comparable

Some of the common mistakes made in capturing the metrics are:

• For the sake of metrics
• Too many
• Not doing the intended action
• Lack of follow up
• No record of methodology
• No benchmark
• Not peer comparable

Contributed By:
Mr. Ranjan Sarkar
(Vice President-HR & Corporate Communications)
Acclaris Limited

‘HR personnel happiest despite workload’

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
London, 18 August

Human Resource (HR) professionals have emerged as the happiest lot in the country, even as they face mounting workload, a latest study says.

According to the latest ‘Happiness at Work Index survey’ by international recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark, about 94 per cent of HR professionals insist they are still happy in their role, despite facing mounting workload and bleak career outlooks.

The current level of optimism at 94 per cent is much higher compared with 76 per cent seen three months ago, the study states, but does not mention the reason for it.

Interestingly, it says that the optimism persists despite the fact that the sector has witnessed the highest increase in work pressure since the start of 2008 among all other industries surveyed.

Work has increased manifold primarily due to the current global credit crunch. Within the HR sector itself, the high workload forced many to put in their papers. According to the report, about 88 per cent of HR respondents believe their workload has gone up, with one in four (25 per cent) saying it has increased bythe equivalent of an extra day per week.

Meanwhile, nearly one in three (29 per cent) have handed in their notice as a direct result of rising workloads. But almost as many are taking a more pragmatic approach by delegating lot more tasks inan attempt to deal with the situation, the survey revealed.

According to the report, the rising workloads may be one of the key drivers behind plummeting levels of career confidence among HR professionals, as over half (56 per cent) the respondents say theyare less confident about their career than at the beginning of the year.

“The results of the Index are particularly revealing for HR workers. It seems the job is becoming very labour-intensive. When it comes to career prospects, confidence is dropping fast,” Badenoch & Clark’s Allison Gray said. The key message for employers is to not misread the unprecedented high levels of happiness forlong-term genuine engagement. HR as a profession is facing serious challenges at the moment, and employers need to be seen to be tackling them head on,” Gray added.

Happiness at Work Index was launched in early 2007 as a quarterly survey of UK office workers. It is used to track happiness at work over time based upon a series of standard questions.

Contributed By:

Arjun Pal

(Knowledge Cell - Globsyn Business School)

The Preacher and the Farmer Story

An old hill farming crofter trudges several miles through freezing snow to his local and very remote chapel for Sunday service. No-one else is there, aside from the clergyman.

"I'm not sure it's worth proceeding with the service - might we do better to go back to our warm homes and a hot drink?.." asks the clergyman, inviting a mutually helpful reaction from his audience of one.

"Well, I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't leave it hungry."

So the clergyman, feeling somewhat ashamed, delivers his service - all the bells and whistles, hymns and readings, lasting a good couple of hours - finishing proudly with the fresh observation that no matter how small the need, our duty remains. And he thanks the old farmer for the lesson he has learned.

"Was that okay?" asks the clergyman, as the two set off home.

"Well I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't force it to eat what I brought for the whole herd..."

From which we see the extra lesson, that while our duty remains regardless of the level of need, we have the additional responsibility to ensure that we adapt our delivery (of whatever is our stock intrade) according to the requirements of our audience.

Contributed By:

Dr. Shalini S.

(Globsyn Business School - Ahmedabad)

Human Assets in Balance Sheet

Though your Balance Sheet is a model of
What balances should be,
Typed and ruled with great precision
In a type that can see ,
Though the grouping of the assets
Is commendable & clear,
And the details which are given more
Than usually appear,
Though Investments have been valued
At the sale price of the day,
And the Auditors Certificate shows "Everything O.K",
One asset is omitted and its worth
I want to know
The asset is the value of the Men
Who run the show.

By: Sir Mathew Webster Jenkinson.

Contributed By:
Prof. Jayanta Mitra
(Globsyn Business School)