BW Communities

Analysis: Passion, Not Fashion

BW Online Bureau Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Trendian is the classic case of a socially responsible organisation, working passionately with a purpose, running headlong into conflicting values as new entrants arrive. As COO Krishnaa struggles to take people along, it makes her ponder over what it means to be a leader.Krishnaa has one part of what it takes to be a successful leader — a very important one at that — her passionate belief in the vision and values of the organisation. The emotional exchanges with Pragnya and other trainees, have made Krishna realise that believing in the vision is not enough. Her vision and values must find willing subscribers all around Trendian.Trendian's core value is to empower artisans in the process of keeping old art forms alive. For everyone to be aligned on this value, it should be more than just a nice sounding statement. Rather, it must be central to key HR processes such as recruitment, performance management, training and rewards.Recruitment: Pragnya, Lila, Radhika and Sajal do not have their fingers on the pulse on what the company stands for. They seem very puzzled with Krishnaa's non-business sense. Organisations with a social mission do need to hire people who are ideologically aligned. The hiring process should never be a rushed affair. The candidate must be met by different senior members in a relaxed setting. A planned process with well-structured case discussions can help uncover a candidate's thinking and beliefs. This investment in time not just prevents hiring mistakes, it allows for rapport to be built and is a significant first step in building shared values. Recruiting people is a long-term investment. Trendian must take the time to define what it wants. Krishnaa must consider the organisation as it is today, and how it needs to be in one, three and five years. The very act of writing down requirements will force her to think through what capabilities her ideal resources should bring. This step is fundamental, as the whole recruitment process will use this as a reference. Integration: Post-recruitment, Trendian must solidify the new employee's relationship with the organisation. Not by bombarding them with facts, figures and presentations, but by a deep familiarisation with ‘what we do and why we do it'. Integration involves spending time with the new hires explaining how the values translate into day-to-day decisions, challenges that organisation faces and its expectations from the staff. Case studies, role plays and field visits can help in creating shared pictures of the organisation. Getting a newer entrant to shadow a mentor and learn about the organisation ethos would be an important step.Arrival into an organisation should be made a celebration. It should make them say, "I am welcomed, therefore I belong." Modelling the right behaviours: People in any organisation are "professional boss watchers". They will ultimately mimic the behaviours of leaders. While Krishnaa is powerfully modeling a commitment to empower the artisans, her decision not to give advances to Parmen printers or Mrs. Doshi or rejection of the Sindhi Tankhas is seeming to the newer entrants as inconsistent decision-making. Krishnaa must now articulate the reasons for all her decisions are — like why she believes Munnisami deserves support and why judging his decision to get his daughter married at 16 is crossing the boundary. Inclusive leadership: Krishnaa has strong empathy for artisans. She needs to develop a similar empathy for her staff. Pragnya's participation in the organisation is a manifestation of her need to be an "insider" and increase her contribution to the organisation's success. Krishna must now make it a priority to practice inclusive leadership — engaging Pragnya in dialogue, influencing her, without making her feel snubbed or small in the process. Time must be provided in meetings for people to share their endeavours, promote successes and explore difficulties. Creating alignment: Krishna must educate her staff that they are a socially responsible organisation, even though they make profit. Through their business they contribute to creating a world desirable to live in. By empowering artisans, they are creating a more democratic (choice-based) society. Trendian is not about being an organisation that is forced to do CSR as a branding exercise. Being a socially responsible organisation involves much more than planting a few trees or educating a few children in the nearby slum. If the culture has to be widely owned, then Krishnaa has to spend some time involving people in dialogue — talking about vision, values, feelings and convictions — igniting a fire in their hearts. Her primary job is to create an organisation of passionate workers aligned in pursuit of a common purpose. This purpose is what will enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.Aruna Gopakumar is director of Navgati, a Bangalore-based provider of innovative learning events. <script type="text/javascript"> var intro = jQuery.trim(jQuery('#commenth4').text()) var page = jQuery.trim(jQuery('#storyPage').text()) if (page.indexOf(intro) < 0) { jQuery('#commenth4').attr('style', 'display:block;') } </script> (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 19-10-2009)