Vedanta pill for US crisis

By K. P. Nayar

Houston, Feb. 4: The second fastest growing county in America, Harris County of Texas, is offering downturn-affected US corporations a model that combines Indian spiritualism and business.

A trade delegation from the Greater Houston area that visited India recently began its mission with an unusual weekend at the Vedanta Academy in the picturesque hills of Malavali, 108km from Mumbai.

Stress among CEOs and other business leaders has been identified in recent months as a fallout of the financial crisis that is threatening US businesses even as doctors and counsellors across America have reported a steep rise in their corporate clientele. More...

Contributed By:
Prof. R. C. Bhattacharya
(Director - Globsyn Business School)

Source: The Telegraph

Strategic Leadership in the Turbulent Environment: The People Management Perspective

Dear Students,

NIPM (National Institute of Personnel Management) recently deliberated on the above subject in a CEO's Conclave and the following points emerged therein:

• Improvement of communication to promote leadership courage and conviction by weaving a story of success.
• Removing the sense of panic/fear/scare.
• Keeping the morale of the employee high.
• Ensuring leadership is felt/focused in all operations-HR preparedness.
• Cutting down hiring/wage costs as a symbolic measure.
• Restricting international mobility-resorting to video/teleconferencing.
• Aligning right people for the right work.
• Promoting creativity/innovation-people dimension.
• Keeping the long-term strategic HR planning/vision intact.
• Organizing/Training/Retraining so as to make it more useful for production.
• Efficiently deploying manpower/assets.
• Introducing productivity/performance linked incentive scheme-giving rewards, recognition and benefits.
• Increasing per capita productivity of the employee-(Output per hour worked).
• Organizing training/workshop for non-performing blue-collar workers.
• Trying to decline "absenteeism" to a zero level.
• Engaging People through cross-functional teams.
• Injecting Talent & Succession Planning.
• Hiring talent otherwise unavailable based on reality and optimism.
• Becoming a True Human Being.

So, check on the above while you are at work.

Best wishes,

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

CSR – Today’s Perspective

In contemporary management literature, the issue of alignment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with the core business to ensure that the same is meaningful and sustainable on a long term basis has been highlighted. Presently, many organizations believe that CSR is the extension of their business and vice versa and that good CSR has to be sustainable and should create long term impact even in small dimensions.

It is important for Organizations to ensure that their respective CSR model are in line with the strategic initiative and should align the core business needs of the organization with a relevant ISR (Individual Social Responsibility) angle. The model should address some of the key differentiators for the Company such as Sourcing, Readiness, Cost, Retention, Redundancy etc which are the core ingredients of any business as this is the key to make it sustainable and value driven for the Organization.

To me a model is long term and sustainable only when it teaches to fish instead of giving fish as this is one of the biggest challenges with most of the CSR initiative around us. In addition a model should also help us to reach out to a larger mass providing direction in life which maybe negligible as of now but certainly rewarding in the days to come considering the impact it will have on several families directly and indirectly.

The scale of a model at the beginning can be small but it should be scalable and replicable for a large section of the society. However one should start with an idea however small it maybe as referring to what Mr. Robin Sharma said in his book “Who will cry when you die?” “The smallest of action is always better than the noblest of intention.”

Contributed By:
Ranjan Sarkar
(Vice President - HR & Corporate Communication)
Acclaris Limited

5 Ways to Deal with the Negative People in your Life

By Lori Radun

"It is easier to avoid the effects of others' negativity when we question if an action or attitude is appropriately directed at us. If it isn't, we can choose to sidestep it and let it pass." - Sue Patton Theole.

Dear Students,

Have you ever been faced with trying to stay positive when others around you are negative? Negative people can be a challenge to be around. They will bring you down and drain your energy. A negative person can throw your best laid plans to be positive right out the window. Whether your child or spouse has an occasional negative day or you deal with a family member, friend or co-worker that is chronically negative, there are things you can do to remain positive in the face of negativity.

Let the Negativity Pass

Whatever you do, do not argue with a negative person. Arguing only adds fuel to the fire. A negative person will feed off any negativity that will strengthen his mood or attitude. I have noticed when my children are in a crabby mood, it is best to avoid trying to convince them to analyze and adjust their attitude. As soon as I take the approach of being in opposition with them, they seize the opportunity to prove to me that life stinks. Their negativity intensifies and the situation gets worse before it gets better. Sometimes the best approach is to remain silent and let the negativity pass.

Negative People Need Love

You know how difficult it can be to give love and positive attention to negative people. Unfortunately, that is often exactly what they need. Deep inside that mean and critical person is a person that is usually afraid he or she is unlovable. It is our challenge to rise above the negative attitude and love the injured person inside. How do you show love when someone is negative? You must listen to what she is trying to tell you. Acknowledge the feelings she has by saying something like, "You sound very angry right now". Even if you don't quite understand the person's feelings, know that your reality is different than someone else's. Ask how you might help the negative person. This shows legitimate interest in her happiness. Offer a hug even if you get rejected. Remember not to take a rejection of your love personally. A negative person often has difficulty receiving love from others.

If you've ever lived with a teenager, you know it can be an emotional roller coaster. My teenager is no different. One day he is a loving and happy young man; the next day he acts mean and grumpy. On these days, his self esteem and confidence is waning. As he searches to feel good about himself, he takes his struggles out on his family. In these moments, my son needs to know he is lovable. When I acknowledge his pain, he is more apt to open up to me and share what's truly on his heart. The negative feelings inside him are released because I am able to listen and love.

Set a Time Limit with Negative People

You have two minutes to complain and then time is up. Negative people need boundaries and giving them a time limit lets them know you will only tolerate a small amount of negativity. Check your watch and allow them to vent for two minutes. At the end of two minutes, tell the person it is time to focus on solutions or stop complaining. Play a game with your negative friend. Take turns coming up with solutions to her problem. Brainstorm together until you have at least 10 solutions. If your friend doesn't like this idea, simply excuse yourself from the conversation.

Stay Away from Negative People

If you have negative people in your life that are critically affecting your mental and physical health, you need to evaluate whether or not you want these people in your life. Some people are so chronically negative that you have no other choice but to remove them from your life. It's possible to do that with friends. You can find another job if your boss or other co-workers are bringing you down. Other people, such as children and spouses, are more difficult to remove from your life. In this instance, professional counseling may be the answer. To protect your well being, you need to enforce very strong boundaries with negative people.

Keep Your Own Negative Thoughts and Behaviors in Check

If you do nothing else but focus on managing your own negative thoughts and behavior, you will come a long way towards remaining positive. A negative attitude is contagious, but a positive attitude is infectious as well. Hang out with positive people that encourage you to be your best self. Use positive affirmations to overcome negative self-talk. Express your gratitude for all the positive things in your life. Take the time everyday to watch all the beautiful things going on around you. Read inspirational material and listen to joyful music. Take care of yourself spiritually. Do whatever you have to do to remain positive and happy despite the negativity you face. The world will be a better place because of you and your attitude. And you never know; you just might help a negative person make a change to a better way of living.

Best wishes,
Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

Source: An e-magazine: Trans4mind

Thinking 'out of box'

Dear Students,

Are you keen to stimulate your 'out of box' thinking skills?

Try out the following:

• Solve crosswords and puzzles within a stipulated time.
• Cultivate ambidexterity. Switch hands for knife and fork.
• Close your eyes, during dinner, and try to identify food on your plate only by smell, taste and touch.
• Learn to mind-map.
• Write down your ideas, thoughts and observations.
• Play computer brain games.
• Create a joke.
• Keep an idea bank.
• Learn a foreign language.
• Spell long words backwards.
• Change your physical-setting.
• Start a blog.
• Learn a musical instrument.
• Get in touch with nature.
• Relax.
• Surround yourself with unlike-minded people too.
• Develop your reading skills.
• Find metaphors to illustrate a concept.
• Manage stress.
• Explore different routes to reach your destination.

Best wishes,
Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

Essentials of an Ideal Boss

Dear Students,

I am sure all of you would like to be termed as a good boss in an organisation.

This raises the question, "What are the essentials of an ideal boss?"

Here is a checklist in terms of "Do's" and "Don’ts".

Don'ts:

• Never belittle an employee in public.
• Never take credit for something an employee did.
• Never cause fear to employees.
• Never be a " no excuse allowed type".
• Never shout or yell at employees.
• Never try to humiliate an employee as punishment.
• Never play favorites.
• Never try to meddle into everyone's work for quality.

Do's:

• Correct employees in private.
• Try to give employees full credit for what they do.
• Start building a caring image.
• Clearly define job duties and deadlines.
• Speak to employees with respect.
• Provide feedback and training fror problems on the job.
• Treat all employees fairly and equally.

Best wishes,
Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)