Dronacharya basked in the glory of successful warriors who had been his students. When a teacher educates, does he look for material success of students as the measure of his effort? Nothing succeeds like success! The means are soon forgotten.Time washes the stains clean, and benevolent biographers do the rest. We have enough stories of dyed-in-success-awful-means endeavours. All it takes is smart success, many zeros, suits and ties and expensive cars. And the means don’t count any more. All can be covered over with the sheen of success, softened to acceptable levels for the bright lights. Truth can be reduced to opinions and opinions altered to make life just that bit easier.Shri Kundu refused to play this game, but wished that honesty and truth would prevail. That his life and his children’s will, somehow, be cleaner, purer, better. But the rewards of honesty are not visible, and on the contrary, shame, ridicule, and tolerance are his rewards. He endures, fearful of the consequences.In the name of pragmatism we are taught conformity, subtly. ‘Do what everyone does, or you will fall behind, be left out, only place with the losers.... See Kundu! Learn soon, or else....’ This becomes second nature; this is the education we receive, and no school is needed for this. Of course, schools are free to voice their moral rant. No one minds. The moral rant is for the moment, and isn’t cashable, so it’s of little value.Then what is the teacher-professor offered? An opportunity to engage with young minds and give them the tools for a good life. Surely part of this is earning a livelihood. But then what about the dilemmas? Life is not linear; crossroads confront us often. Then what is the teaching? Who is to provide the fibre to engage with the attrition that values take? Who is to help the young trust their dreams and inner intimations, uncover their predilections and callings?Surely, the educator is not a person who meekly endorses survival according to the venal pattern of scams and loot. Surely, the educator has to do something more than meekly support an ancient order of privileges.There is a myopic view that just sees the immediate. All too often, with the pressure of the immediate we lose the long view. And no one seems to help the young in handling this. Possibly there is another gaze that sees things not through the lens of mere utility. (Are we guilty of mauling or cauterising this gaze?) The unnerving gaze of children, unborn and innocent, is difficult to cheat, or avoid. Surely, our children will see what fripperies we played for, what coloured glass pieces. Surely, they will know — as we will, when we are near our end — that the success of accumulations and accomplishments, is fleeting.Even if it sounds impractical, Kundu should consider the gaze of unborn children as a truer audience than approval in the eyes of the immediate trendsetters. Therefore, he needs to accept the consequences of his choice and simply consider his investment as one for the invisible future. Sagar possibly sees that he may find himself in Kundu’s shoes all too easily. The children of the future will walk on what we leave behind. All walking is movement on what has been, what is beneath the feet. It is a question of whether we wish to recognise this or consider our life and right to enjoy gratification as the main purpose of life.Kundu seems to be pleading with Sagar. Is he is really weak? Could he actually be saying: Your work goes beyond merely mouthing words? Do you take responsibility for supporting students through the mazes of terror, uncertainty, ridicule, self doubt, loss, desperation and meaninglessness? Do you go beyond the sheltered academic walls where words are tossed about? And if you do, you will be an educator!Kundu offers his living practice, and asks, ‘Do you practice or only preach?’ Sagar shudders acknowledging a real question.The author is director-secretary, The Chennai Education Centre, KFI, Pathashaala & Outreach. He is a former principal of The School KFI(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 29-07-2013)
Read More
He will have to learn, I know,that all men are not just,all men are not true.But teach him also thatfor every scoundrel there is a hero;that for every selfish politician,there is a dedicated leader…Teach him for every enemy there is a friend…— Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his son’s teacherGurcharan Das, in his landmark book, The Difficulty of Being Good, gives a modern twist to the epic Mahabharata and takes us into the complex world of Dharma. When Draupadi asks the court, “Whom did you lose first, yourself or me?” Bhishma concludes in great distress that he is unable to find a straight answer, that the matter is complex, and says, “Dharma is subtle, my dear. I fail to resolve your question in the proper way.”Mr Parthiv Kundu’s dilemma finds enough corners in all our hearts, and Draupadi’s questions still seek answers. By design humans begin the day to do good; at least, a majority. Through the course of the day we encounter multiple challenges and struggle to find answers that give us balance. The daily journey from the abstract notions of the mind and heart to the actual happenings around us pull us into many directions. With so much connectivity and information around, Dharma becomes subtler. With so much talk of virtues of change, we struggle to know what to change and what not to change. The only constant is change, buzzes around so much that it becomes impossible to even stop and breathe.And then we see people like Parthiv, who, after a life-long pursuit of what he believed to be a value-based approach to life, questions the very tenets that he held so dear. That adds to the list of daily dilemmas.It is in this context that we seek answers to what is the purpose of education and what is academia doing about it. One is reminded of Mark Twain’s thoughts on this subject: “I never allowed schooling to interfere with my education.” The journey from knowledge to wisdom is a function of all that happens around us in our lives, since such education is only one part of it. Parenting, extra-curricular activities, friendships, family, religion, social life, happenings around us, reading and reflection, theatre and many more elements go into developing our view of the world.I would not like to conclude that education is just about skills. It is a package that comes in different sizes and shapes all the time, and from different quarters. All the actors in the journey of an individual play an active part in the journey from knowledge to wisdom. To engage with the child through the course of this journey is a continuous responsibility. And for parents and the child, it is life-long.All change is not progress. The universe around abounds with examples of things that don’t change. And we need to pay heed to that and find our own anchors. But, each one of us has to find her own solutions.A belief that is a personal truth needs to find utterance with values that are universal truths. And that pursuit is a life-long one as well. Yes, the world changes and there are generational gaps. But, effectiveness lies in our ability to constantly have a dialogue with all those around us, to have more questions and opportunities for reflections. Through such a course of events, we keep discovering what to keep and what to change. Through such realisations, we individually find our answers to the eternal question of Dharma. Within all this struggle and confusion, the needle will always point north. In concluding, let me close with another wonderful quote from the letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to his son’s teacher: “Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.” When such faith arises in the self, people like Punya Kundu will find his own answers that will lead to balance. Humanity is not a witless word and integrity an idealistic dream; they are sanathana Dharma. The roses will remain fragrant for many a December. The author is executive vice-president and global head of human resources, EXL Service(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 29-07-2013)
Read More
Krishna Sagar heard the cheerful applause of the students of the class of 2013 as he saw their happy faces through the glare of cameras and lights. Also present were happy and proud parents, dressed in their smartest and beaming with pride. Synergis School of Business Studies (SSBS), where Sagar taught Law & Business Ethics, had just completed its graduation ceremony. This year the students had chosen him to deliver the convocation speech. As Sagar walked into the crowd of students, they reached for him, shook his hand and some stopped him to introduce him to their parents.Until he came to Punya Kundu. Sagar had always felt that with a first name like that, the lad was going to have a tough time living up to it. Punya held a deep promise which Sagar could not place his finger on. Here he was now, looking his dandiest best in a suit and a blue tie. One glance at it and Sagar knew its antecedents. Punya was wearing his maternal grandfather’s Harvard Fellow tie, a gift he chose above various other objects. This was a story he had shared with Sagar many months ago. As he stood there looking exceptional, Sagar winked to let him know that he had noticed the tie. Punya grinned back and said, “Sir, please meet my dad, Mr Parthiv Kundu...”After the initial pleasantries, when Punya had moved to another part of the hall, Parthiv said, “I heard your speech, Mr Sagar. How powerful, how grand. These words are heady. My boy thinks the world of you. I have heard his friends and him discuss even the little things you have said. Did you not once say, ‘Life is an idea...’? Oh, how they hang on to every word you speak....” A long pause followed. Then with tears choking his voice, he said, “But sir, should you not be giving them more practical ideas? These power talks don’t help anymore.”Sagar led the senior Kundu to the verandah, where tables for two were set. Alarmed as he was by the sudden emotion, he knew there was nothing he should say now, just listen to the man.Kundu was a DGM in a large company, a level he should have reached by 40. Today, at 56, he remained 15 years behind schedule because he was seen as ‘slow’. “And why?” He said now, “Because I always shuddered and shivered when excise records had to be altered. I always grew weak when some documents had to be doctored. But not once did they force me, not once did they threaten me. They only looked at me sadly and said, ‘Kundu saab, koi baat nahin.’ But I understood what that meant. Soon they stopped asking me, but it did not make my life any better. “This is what you get for living on the fence and being unsure of what to do. I could have resigned. But I had three children in school. I was also looking after my sister’s children, who stay with me. She is in the US, does not want them to grow in that environment... but can I take money from her to educate them? How do I leave a job? “Then they make my subordinate my boss. Powerful lady. She once told me, ‘Kundu, inventory must be x per cent of debtors and y per cent of sales. Kaisa bhi karke number banao.’ But I could not! My whole team was present and she yelled at me using very harsh words. I was shaken and she said, ‘Kundu, it is not enough to be an elder; you also have to be intelligent!’ break-page-break“Do you know the truth? How many times I sat alone and told myself, give in to two or three crimes, do what they want, never mind... they will think well of you and living will be easier, karo! Maybe if my father and grandfather had not put values in my head, I might have been willing to cheat, who knows. But let this nonsense end here, hanh? This preoccupation with being clean.... Who is clean, sir, today? Who is?”Sagar: Please call me Krishna...Kundu Senior: Sagar ji, this boy, Punya, he came to pick me up from work one day. It was 6.45 pm. My boss was walking briskly and I was running by her side reading out some minutes and her secretary was running along on the other side with a bowl of cut fruit.... You should have seen Punya’s face. He had tears in his eyes. He said to me, ‘Baba, what is this? Is this how they treat you?’ “Yes, in the past 15 years I have become deadwood. I work very hard as DGM Accounts, but Punya does not know that I have been getting a paltry 3 per cent increment every year since the past seven years.“You will say if you have values, be prepared to have them challenged. But who are the people on whom it is taking its toll? Five children’s education, two parents, one son in b-school, and a salary that is frozen at 2007 levels! “My wife had to undergo hysterectomy last year. I could not afford a decent private nursing home for her; the cost would have gone through the roof. Tell me why are you telling the boys and girls about values? This IPL tamasha? Nice? This recruitment scam... nice? The Coalgate, Railgate... all governors of this country... nice? Was any action taken? Any resolution arrived at? My boss opens fraud companies and parks his money in benaami accounts... and we attach ‘Shri’ to his name? “You look left or right, there are lies. And these lies are all in hundreds of crores. This is the world the young are entering. If tomorrow my son has a boss who tells him to inflate invoices and increase top line, why should he not do it? Whereas, the poor fellow will think, ‘Sagar ji taught me to be clean and honest.’ But how will he live, Sagar ji? My days were different. When I was Punya’s age, there was hardly any consumer items available in India. We were happy with our Campa Cola. Today, a fancy Nexus phone costs Rs 65,000! My colleagues and their wives are often on Page 3. They are highly respected at work! The whole paradigm of respect has changed! So then, what is Punya’s future going to be like?“I am not sure if I can give Punya the guidance to practice the values I followed; I don’t even know if that will be a recipe for failure!“It is very easy to romanticise life and make it all look like a day in the life of Bill Gates. Real things happen where you work, not where you study. In a classroom of a business school all this is great because they don’t know any better!”Later that evening, Sagar was dining with his school principal and members of its governing body. David had been the headmaster when Sagar was in high school and he had worshipped the ground David walked on. Today, many years later, Sagar was on the governing body. David, now 76, did not miss the strain on Sagar’s face. “What happened?” he asked.Sagar: Grappling with the quintessential question of what worth our education is. Somehow it keeps coming back to stare me in the face.David: So it does, does it not? A few days ago it was reported that a 13-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed by his own cousins, MBAs, for ransom. They had lost Rs 30 lakh in IPL betting and now needed to pay up the bookies. “It is staring me in the face too, Krishna. I have to keep finding new vocabulary to discuss this with curious students and frightened parents. And what makes this completely insane is the society we live in, where the genesis of a problem is not even understood by the grown-ups!”Sagar: And that would be?David: You tell me, Krishna. Why are these parents tugging at my sleeve? Just because the little boy was a school goer? Just because the two MBA cousins were defined by their education and not by their ignorance? That night, a reputed news anchor had been foolish enough to ask, ‘Why are educated urban youth resorting to crime?’ This is what I mean. And I would like to ask: is this a doing of education or is this because there is no real education? break-page-breakSagar: We use our words so poorly. We don’t even know what education is, yet we apply it to everything where teaching involves a taught. Going by the news anchor’s query, the B-school, the college and the school where the cousins studied, must be taken to task for failing to educate. As my marketing partner would say, the product did not deliver.David laughed. Then on a serious note, he said, “I would say, confusion regarding the purpose of education is the main reason why we see the problems we see in society today. I don’t think anyone has thought about this. Not the parents who rush like manics to enrol their kids, not the students, of course, and often not even the teachers who choose teaching as their career. Can any one of them tell me why they teach, study or seek education for their child? Ask your marketing friend — why is this product being bought, sought, or taught?“I don’t understand, for finally all that we are doing is just teaching skills, isn’t it?” Sagar (completely taken aback): How right! Therefore, what Kundu Senior was trying to say is, if you have spent 12+ 4 + 2 years teaching skills and only skills, then what the student can bring forth as an outcome can only be skills. During Kundu’s time, his 16 years had a huge portion of values, and Sunday school in some cases. Today, it is completely skills. This will manifest as the skill of manoeuvring; the skill to twist laws, systems, and people; to extract for yourself what you want. I think he was telling me, let us not get too serious about values...David: Who Mr Kundu? What is this about? Sorry, you have lost me.Sagar: Oh, sorry. I imagined I had told you. Parthiv Kundu is the father of one of my students of the 2013 batch, Punya. He was at his graduation ceremony. There was much merry making and joy all around. The world looked awesome and everything held promise, every sin was forgivable, and life was good. But through the curtain of this joy Kundu Senior stood out as the only spot of unhappiness. And Kundu Senior said to me, ‘I heard your speech, how grand, how powerful. But these powerful words mislead, are pointlessly romantic...’ The word he used was ‘heady’.“The father felt he should not hold his son to a set of values which he has found does not work. And he told me about his life, which was very painful to hear, especially because he is such a mild-mannered person. He told me about his lifelong career spent chasing paper moons; where the smart guy got off easily by bending and breaking rules, and thus getting into his boss’s good books. Mr Kundu slowly receded to the background where resided dull men in dull clothing, with dull expressions, who carried lunch to work so that they can continue to work even while eating... “Kundu never broke the law, never bent a rule... never got his promotions. His wife never wore expensive silk. He found his peace being member or president or secretary of silly residents’ welfare societies, where he was useful for keeping that eye on the penny.“Kundu, therefore, wondered why hold his son to values if they would never let the lad see greatness, success, acceptance, or the happiness of being valued?” David: Not any different from the news anchor who says why are urban youth taking to crime. And your Kundu is saying, ‘The same education sees one chap fixing a cricket match, another shielding a match fixer, another selling insider team information and all of them ‘successful’? Hanh? So why should Punya be held to a value-based behaviour?’ Sagar: So what would you tell Punya? David (after a long pause): I would say, as I have on some occasions, to students… You can make a lot of money — it comes when you do what is needed. Everyone around you will be doing so.“But for a moment fast forward 20-30 years. You will be married, will have adult children of your own. What would you say to them? What would you wish for them? ‘Be happy doing what everyone is doing’? What ground would you like for them to stand on? In fact, the children of the future are watching us; we don’t know it, but they are. They are watching to see how we live. They watch with open, knowing eyes, somewhat sceptical, somewhat cynical. They have seen too much.. They have seen people living mostly the same way, lying, cheating, bending the truth, not only at work but at home too. They watch with little hope. What will you offer these eyes, these children?“And there will be temptations galore. People will call you staid, foolish and stuck up if you do not do what they are doing. At school, we live with hope. One day, now or in the future, the many things we have discussed, the many uncomfortable questions we gave shared, will resonate and give you strength to hold your head high. You will be able to return the gaze of the children with a serene look, with a gaze of a human being who is called ‘good’.“I wish you nothing more, and those who will gather around you will see your shining spirit and not the brand of your clothes. And you would have offered your children one firm piece of ground to stand on in a sea of quicksand. Fond wishes for your journey.”David stood with the distant look of one who has travelled miles. Then he said, “To Mr Kundu, my question is, where is the affection that adults are supposed to have for their young? Isn’t one of the signs of connection between generations care for the next generation? Is that care there? Have we any love for the young? If we did, would we dither? Would we not engage with them, engage with their struggle? Or would we give in to paltry material gains and give up values? Engage with Punya, Mr Kundu — in the sharing may be some courage would gather and also some clarity!” To be continuedcasestudymeera(at)gmail(dot)comRead Businessworld case studies on Facebook (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 29-07-2013)
Read More
The popular phrase “one rotten apple spoils the bunch” aptly captures the events depicted in this case. Teams are an integral part of organisations; yet, many teams fail to realise their true potential. This case is an instance of team failure due to conflict emanating from one person, Suyash. While observing the two main protagonists — Suyash and Apurva — we can draw lessons that might be helpful in our own workplace. An obvious question is: Who is responsible for the inefficient team showing — the employee, the boss, or someone else? Training programmes are a great place for triggering self-awareness and getting feedback. How others see you might be very different from your own perception. In spite of multiple cues from his boss, trainer and teammates, Suyash doesn’t realise that he is a very difficult person to work with. There is hardly any self-realisation on his part. Apparently, the training programme seems to accentuate his problems with his teammates. Let’s revisit some cardinal rules of teamwork that improve performance. Effective communication: This is a two-way process and needs to be channelised towards achievement of team goals. It is not just about expressing your views with clarity. Active listening is also necessary for communication to be effective. However, communicating properly is not enough. Timing is essential too. Knowing when to put across a point is a skill. Suyash is confident and expressive. What he lacks is timing. Similarly, Apurva must learn to lend an ear to Suyash’s ideas. This will help the boss earn the trust and respect of his employee. Open-mindedness: Not everyone’s ideas are or can be accepted in a team. One must not take it personally. One must be broad-minded to accept alternate viewpoints. Whining or sulking won’t help the cause. Always place the team before self. My-way-or-the-highway mentality is a recipe for disaster in a team. Suyash couldn’t accept even the slightest change of plan. He would often mentally detach himself from the team. He must learn to go with the team, especially after a consensus is reached. Me to We: Identify yourself with the team to foster the feeling of togetherness. Know your team and understand what it is trying to achieve. Align your goals with those of the team. Try to blend in. Support each other. Deliver what the team expects. Being nit-picky can be annoying and will slowly turn everyone against you. Offer solutions instead of pointing out the negatives. A secret to team effectiveness is everybody’s commitment to the course of action. Empathy: Being empathetic helps! Try being in each other’s shoes. Suyash is brutally honest to the point of being offensive in his comments. It is good to speak your mind but do it without sounding offensive. Not surprisingly, his boss is so doubtful of Suyash’s abilities that he simply cannot understand Suyash’s standpoint.Leadership: If you are a team leader, you must seek out diverse viewpoints, give every member a chance to speak up, show initiative, manage conflicts and be a role model. A team leader must have regular conversations with his teammates to sort out differences, if any. What else can be done? At the organisation level, here are three additional suggestions: 1) assess teamwork’s suitability; 2) align the hiring process; 3) align the reward process. Not everyone is suited for teamwork; we need to acknowledge the importance of ‘solo warriors’ and create suitable roles where the skill sets of ‘star employees’ are properly utilised. This has to start from the initial hiring process. Often, we hire for individual technical skill set and expect the new hire to be a great team player. It is crucial that hiring decisions are clearly aligned with job descriptions. The organisation runs the risk of becoming dysfunctional if the hiring process, the reward systems, and the organisational culture do not come together. As a famous scholar stated, “We run into the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B.” The author is an assistant professor of Organisational Behaviour at the Indian School of Business (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
Read More
As Francis Bacon said "nothing is good or bad — only thinking makes it so!" As the case unfolds, we see a different side of Suyash. A side that is both endearing and frustrating — clearly he is a man of many parts. His genuine concern for Bashir is touching, a side obviously not seen by anyone till now. I am not sure whether the other team members will ever acknowledge or see that other side of him because they have convinced themselves that he is a "difficult person " who will never change.Unfortunately, the corporate world looks to clone people, defining what "good looks like" — not necessarily making space for true diversity. Someone said "diversity is about counting the numbers but inclusion is about making the numbers count!" If we are to create a truly inclusive workplace, it is important for us to embrace the diversity of thought, ideas and views in a way that we can leverage those differences to create lasting value for everyone on the team. Being inclusive is a mindset — not a skill to be taught. Throughout the case we see that Suyash thinks about things differently. He is able to get to the nub of the problem or issue and challenges the status quo. But the team sees that as him being difficult and not operating to type.Suyash needs help to understand the impact that he is having on his team members. He needs to understand that if he is to build a successful career, then he needs to improve his ability to influence those around him. He does need to take ownership for his own frustrations. He needs to understand that his inability to communicate his views and thoughts in a positive and constructive manner is at the heart of his being misunderstood.Neuroscience principles have proven a few key principles that help us to understand what drives behaviours. The most important of these is that no two brains are even remotely alike. The second is that the brain is a connection machine — and it hard wires patterns of behaviours. Research goes on to say that it is very difficult to change hardwiring. BUT the good news is that it is EASY to create new wiring, which leads to different behaviours, which, in turn, impact the quality of results.Coaching models today have moved away from rational/logical problem solving to a more brain-based approach which focuses on improving the quality of thinking. I believe that teams in Morro Group will benefit greatly from a focused intervention in more contemporary coaching approaches, to change the way team leaders think about team members and improve performance and behaviours through creating a need for change rather than telling people to change. Such change will never be sustainable. David Rock has developed the new field of neuroleadership based on the principles of neuroscience. He has created the SCARF model which studies the five domains of human social experience and how this impacts and influences behavior. If we get a good understanding of these patterns of behaviour, it will help us to unlock ways of collaborating and influencing others. An individual's response in a group situation is influenced by their concern or need for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. While this could change from situation to situation, it certainly drives their communication and problem solving style. The more I read about Suyash, the more I can't help but think that perhaps, he comes from a great need for Autonomy and Fairness. This is seen by his team leader as rebellion and disruptive behaviour.I don't know whether the leaders in Morro Group have spent any time thinking about diversity, inclusion and individual motivation. Thus, I am not sure whether there is an environment or culture where people can speak their minds and share what brings out the best in them. If there was, perhaps there will be an opportunity for Suyash to share his concerns in a constructive manner and for people to leverage the strengths he has.To Suyash I would say that if he really wants to build a successful career in Morro, he needs to find a way to work with his team leader to help them to understand his needs and collaborate with them effectively.Creating the foundation for success in any relationship and particularly in organizations is a two-way street. It is about how we think about our role and our contribution. If everyone works on the principle that individual success is driven by collective success, then there is a possibility for genuine partnership and collaboration. I always remember the simple saying: you are only as strong as your weakest link. This team in Morro will succeed only when they have reviewed and strengthened every link in the chain.Matangi Gowrishankar is a Regional HR Director with an MNC and is based in Singapore. She is passionate about people and organisation development(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
Read More
A child who needs or seeks attention will engage in disruptive behaviour. He will break things, roll on the floor, cry 'wolf' when none exists. All this so that he is noticed.Suyash appears to be a grown-up, but is really a refined version of this child. People ask for attention when they feel neglected or unnoticed. Attention can be had either by doing quality work, or by disrupting work. Attention-seekers do not take help of quality work to get noticed. This is primarily for two reasons. One, they may not be competent enough to produce high quality work. Or, two, doing quality work brings attention in the future while they need attention 'now'. Disruption ensures that.Such people have yet another handicap. They are not fully satisfied with what they get. They may try hard, maybe in the wrong direction, and feel their effort is not being noticed. And this they hold against others who produce better results. They feel 'vindicated' when they see others being cut to size. This is why we find Suyash faulting other peoples' decisions. He does not help the team in arriving at a decision; he points out mistakes after they have reached a decision!Of course, when this is pointed out, he defends himself. Suyash tells Tripti, the assessor, that she "misunderstood" his interaction with his team members and that the low score that his team received in the rock-climbing activity was not due to his qualitative inputs but because the trainer-assessor team did not understand his 'positive' inputs and because of his boss's negative responses.Let's review his interactions.Suyash and colleagues: The interactions seem normal. He is friendly, concerned for their well-being, gets along reasonably well, and harbours no ill will. He perceives no threat from this quarter so his antennae are not up when dealing with them. But in a 'task' situation — be it rock-climbing or a discussion on interview process — he is not the same. His personality undergoes change - a cool cucumber as a friend, but a hot potato as a co-worker. Suyash and people outside his organisation: A participant can use a trainer in one of these three ways. In a passive-reactive manner, where the trainer takes the initiative of a dialogue with the participant and the latter reacts to the "allegation" (this is how the trainer's comments are perceived).In a passive-constructive manner, where the trainer takes the initiative and the participant works with the trainer; he takes the inputs constructively.In an active-participative manner — in which the participant initiates the dialogue with the trainer - he voluntarily bring up the problems he could be facing with the boss or colleagues, and asks for inputs.Suyash's interaction with the trainer is passive and reactive. Such participants treat the trainer as they would their boss — defensive and with the belief that the other is being unduly critical. Suyash and boss Apurva: Can Apurva be faulted for getting upset with Suyash? Yes and no. Yes, because bosses like him are not able to manage Suyash. Apurva seems to lack people skills, and needs inputs to this end. But Suyash is difficult with authority figures — be it a direct boss or even a trainer.The trainer, Tripti, is expected to have a balanced attitude. She is supposed to be an impartial 'witness' and report things as they are. Tripti tried playing this role effectively but was influenced by the request to "watch-out" for Suyash. Though she was more conscious of him than of others, nevertheless she did her job well.Based on the behaviours, words and thoughts of the team players, it is clear that they are all in need of real training to respond to and deal with emotional and professional situations. MCG needs to put its people on the path of development. Its calendar should comprise training, coaching and counselling at various levels for its employees across ranks and positions.Sniggdha Jauhari is a HR consultant, associated with Prabuddh Consulting. She is Involved in setting HR systems & processes, talent management via coaching, training & assessment and specific HR interventions(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
Read More
Bashir looked up, exhausted after his tenuous rock climb. Suyash stood by the rope cot, arms on his hips, looking anxious. Bashir was breathing very heavily, holding the side of the cot. Then he put up his hand to assuage Suyash, and between laboured breaths he said, “Stupid, not your fault… I am asthmatic… forgot to tell them about it.”Suyash was frightened, and between severe abuses he let Bashir know that once his breath was back, he was going to kill him. “Is this something to forget, idiot!? You could have let go and dropped 20 feet, 40 feet! I don’t even know how high we are!”Bashir (as Suyash rummaged through Bashir’s backpack to get his Asthalin): Okay, I did not forget. I thought I could do it….Suyash (handing him the asthma spacer): Look, at the end of the day, this is just a stupid job and these are just stupid make-believe games they design so they can believe they are training us! Life is for much more. To give up a good life for an organisation is by far the dumbest move you could make. I seriously think you must see a psychiatrist, and not a pulmonologist.Chetana, who had come after Suyash yelled for her to bring Bashir’s backpack, said, “We haven’t found anything more gripping than the adrenalin of work. We all need a passion. Then there will be sense, a purpose.As sweat streamed down Bashir’s face, Suyash fanned him hard with a newspaper. To recap, four teams from MCG were undergoing a team-building skills programme at Khandala. This was Team B, which was in the midst of the rock-climbing event. Suyash looked at the rock summit and saw that two others had taken position and a third was being urged up the rocky terrain. All was normal; everyone assumed Bashir was fine. As far as they knew, he was merely frightened. As Chetana and Suyash managed Bashir, Tripti announced the winners of the second event. Suyash’s team was second last. They had lost marks in the qualitative assessment.After lunch, Tripti distributed the brief for the next event: “Morro Group’s Health Equipment Division has been unhappy with the quality of sales staff it has been getting. Vittal Morro, the chairman, squarely blames the quality of the interview process and has asked the teams to review and make it robust.”Each team collected under different trees and got into discussion. Team B — Suyash’s team, in their blue team shirts — too spread out a rug and sat to discuss the topic. They allocated each one either an HR or a sales or a marketing divisional role before the discussion began. Abhir (marketing): Marketing and sales (and not HR) should do the initial screening of CVs. Because HR can never have the feel for the field and the market. They will end up focussing on ‘presentable’ and ‘can speak English’ kind of attributes, which don’t finally help.Bashir (sales): Why should there be a doubt over HR’s qualification? They have the JDs (job description), which is adequate.Chetana (marketing): I would go for a joint screening. Both functions have a skill to bring to the screening process and the eventual hiring.Shayl (from HR): Nahin yaar... joint screening does not achieve anything apart from making a point. It will take too long and everyone will be impatient by the end. HR does not only screen a candidate through the CV, they also call up, speak to the candidate, get a feel, etc. They call only those people for interview about whom they feel good. Apurva (marketing): I agree; joint screening is not required. CVs are to be screened against the JD. Either HR does that or we do. No need for both to join hands here. Let’s discuss who does the telephonic screening. I place importance on this. Vinay (HR): Let’s handle each aspect of the interview separately. Let us first agree on who does primary CV screening. I think HR should do this and I feel they will be happy to. But if you sales guys think you would like to do it instead, then you are welcome.Ganesh (sales): The way to resolve this is to perhaps make a list of pros and cons of having the screening done by HR or us.And so they threw suggestions around, some funny, some wild, some preposterous... Discussions followed. Finally, a consensus was reached: HR will screen the CVs, which will then be vetted by sales, and then HR will do the telephonic screening. Abhir: Everyone in agreement? Can we put this up as SOP (standard operating procedure)?Apurva: C’mon, let’s sign. It has taken us over an hour! Tripti, is it feeding time yet at the zoo? (Much laughter) break-page-breakSuyash (thoughtful): All this talk of CV screening is just detail. Examine the real issue... Why are we getting “not-so-good” candidates? Because there are not many in this field. The few who are there are with the leaders. Health equipment is not a big industry in India yet, so we end up taking what we get. And we get people with no experience or capability! People selling thermometers pretend to have sold a heart-lung machine! Why don’t we turn this around and propose a plan to take on four management trainees every year in Health and groom them for our business, or develop sales staff from our Hospitals business? Chetana: I think you are changing the brief itself. We’ve been told to examine the interview process, the screening process, not strategy.Suyash: But it is futile, because you are screening dead wood. Why do you think it is hypothetical? It’s real. We know our Health Equipment division has terrible sales people...Rajesh: Yaar, what is this? Then you could have said so right in the beginning, na? We have spent over an hour discussing! Why did you wait till we concluded? Suyash: Well, I am telling you now! * * * Tripti watched as everyone piled their plates with mountains of food. The last event had ended in a serious argument with Apurva telling Suyash that he was a disruptive element. She watched the team behaviours now. Three of the guys stayed with Apurva, the girls stood together whispering, Ganesh stood between Suyash and Apurva unable to belong anywhere... Suyash was busy listening to the chef who was narrating how he had once made dahi vada using bread and no one had suspected!Tripti stood behind Suyash where she could overhear his conversation. There was no strain in his demeanour, he was enjoying the chef’s banter and, well, Suyash came across as a keen cook himself.Tripti: How are we doing, Suyash?Suyash: Pretty good actually. (Spreading arms wide) Ready to embrace all rocks, beginning with the boss! (Both laugh)Tripti: Yeah, this is how most bosses are seen. Talking of rocks, did you enjoy the rock-climbing exercise this morning? Suyash: Yes. But I do think we could have done better had we switched to dark room. More mind-work; less physical work — which is not creativity really.Tripti: But most people opted for rock climbing...Suyash (laughs): Like infants, inhibited by the unknown, the dark... They should be used to it by now, considering they are kept in the dark every year during appraisal! Tripti(laughs): But since a majority opted for rock climbing, I guess the team could not have decided on dark room, no? Suyash: I could’ve convinced them. Tripti: Instead why did you not decide to do a good job of rock climbing? Suyash: Why spend time on a non-productive thing? Tripti: But Suyash, the issues you raised during the exercise were not seen as productive. Instances have been cited as to why your team lost out, and those mainly list your contribution, qualitatively.Suyash: That is the whole problem, you misunderstand the issue. The low marks were not because of what I said, but because of what others said in response to what I said. See? Tell me honestly, if others had responded positively, if my boss had responded with delight, would not the assessor be favourably inclined towards me? I see the low rating as an indictment for the response of others! The assessor has assessed me not for myself, but in relation to others. But then that is how life is, no? You have to have value for the world. Your assessor has interpreted my comments as communication breakdown. It is a perception problem.Tripti: So you are saying the assessors had a perception problem?Suyash: No. What I am saying is that if I were the assessor, I would have seen the perspective of the seeming ‘dissenter’ as well. Maybe he was trying to tell them something good. After all, who is to say that another perspective does not exist! break-page-breakTripti: At one point of time you said, “It’s not easy, we are losing time.’’ Yet, when Bashir wanted to be pulled up, you said he should try more. Isn’t that a contradiction in your approach?Suyash: I never said he is taking long or anything about time.Tripti: Yes, you did. Suyash: I think, I always talked of more effort on the climber’s part because this is about learning. Tripti (patiently): Suyash, you mentioned time. The other assessor and I have noted it down. Suyash (nonchalantly): Well, I may have used the word but the emphasis was not on ‘time’ but learning, which I think my team and the team leader did not realise when I brought it up. Had they done so, the exercise objective would have been met.Tripti: How about looking at it from this angle — if the discussion is on what to do, then we can debate/discuss all we want. But if a decision has been made, a certain path accepted, then all your effort, all your talk, should be directed towards ‘how to help’ instead of ‘what is wrong here’. Wasn’t that what happened during the interview screening event too? Suyash: Ma’am, have you seen a flock of sheep? (Tripti nods.) They all move in the same direction, but that doesn’t make them a successful team.Tripti: There is a difference, Suyash. That is not how it happened in your team. Here, discussions happened, and then a decision was taken. Then a concerted and motivated effort was expected from all team members to move in the chosen direction.Suyash: I see very well what’s wrong and what’s right. Why pretend all is good and just support because it is expected? If something is wrong, it must be placed on the table. Tripti: But why not give opportunity a chance? Rock climbing was a success after all. Except you and Bashir, no one needed help either to climb or to pull another team member. Suyash: I needed help as I have a sprained ankle. Else I would not have needed help. (Suyash’s ankle reveals a crepe bandage.)Tripti: So you corroborate my point — but for your sprained ankle the event was a hit. It went off well. Nobody needed help and you too needed that help owing to a physical pain. Hence, why not put all effort in getting something right than move in a different direction?Suyash: Ma’am, you have to understand it is not about ‘direction’, it is about expressing an opinion... which I stand by. Tripti: Tell me, in this entire exercise, what would you have done more constructively to make it a greater success for yourself and others?Suyash: I think I contributed well. I encouraged Bashir to give more than I felt he was giving. Despite my sprain I have been an active participant.Tripti: I am glad you feel positively. Your team was good and I particularly liked your take on yesterday’s Interview Process event... Good thinking!As Tripti walked towards the dining tent, Apurva (the team’s boss) caught up with her. “Chatting with Suyash?” Tripti (ignoring his question): What do you think of the sessions so far?Apurva: Quite good... not bad. Tripti: Quite good, or not bad?Apurva: It was disruptive....Tripti: In what way?Apurva: Isn’t there a methodology for you to ensure that the process is in place and a player cannot change it? I mean Suyash destroyed the spirit of Event Three.Tripti: These are team interactions. In everyday life, too, Suyash would have said what he said here. Then would someone be there to manage the ‘disruption’? No, na? You simply have to treat it all like an everyday event. If we doctor it, the results of the evaluations will not be dependable.Apurva: Well, so what is your diagnosis based on these ‘authentic’ results? What do you make of this situation? I am more interested in knowing how to make this fellow more productive in real life. I don’t really care what he does in a training camp!Tripti: It is common for people to think of training camps as magic sessions where undesirable becomes desirable and unproductive becomes productive. What we endeavour here, however, is to allow people to cast off their stiff professional personas and venture within to recover their real selves...Apurva: Don’t get me wrong. I sent these chaps here at the cost of work so that when they are back, I get better results... and better people. So let’s understand, I am looking for solutions. Specially Suyash... if we can’t shape him to the organisation’s needs, we will need to ship him out... Tripti: You know people go through 12 years of schooling and even B-school and come out writing ‘loose’ where they should write ‘lose’. Then again, this 2-day workshop wasn’t intended to redesign people but to help them work together despite differences, so they team better at work. I will be the wrong person to advice you on Suyash....Apurva: Then? I must talk to Shireesh?Tripti: Talking to Suyash will be a better idea, if you ask me! To be continuedcasestudymeera(at) gmail(dot)com Read Businessworld case studies on Facebook (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
Read More
A CEO has to work many strings to make a business successful. Clearly, no scalable business can rely on the brilliance of a single individual in these times of dynamism and innovation. There is a need for processes, policies, guard-rails, governance cadence, and a suitable incentive structure to promote a performance-driven culture besides others things.Often, in businesses, the focus is on the prime drivers of profitability — product life cycle management, go-to-market strategy, sales and channel management, labour and machine productivity, etc. These factors more often than not work in tenured or yet-to-scale businesses. In large, diversified, multi-product or multi-location set-ups, where complexity is high, due to the spread of product base and geographical coverage, conventional drivers of business need supplements. The issues raised in the case are more about governance cadence, performance management and incentivisation of top leaders. One has to have the right balance between delegation of authority and rewarding success.Let’s talk about the former first. A robust performance management system is one of the key success factors. A manager from my early career days told me that the best way to find what a person does is to ask for what he measured.An interesting concept. Now all well-managed companies are getting inundated with documents referred to as scorecards, dashboards, cockpits, etc. All very good stuff. But the question really is if the metrics used have been thought through, and drive the right behaviour.Those who have been part of a budget process know that often the key to a good budget discussion is to carry enough bad news and views to drive lower targets since such discussions are mostly about bargaining for a lower target or seeking significant investments.Budget discussions are healthy since this is the time when contrarian views can be aired, and with the right data and mind-sets, the most informed decisions can be made. But from an individual’s perspective the entire dynamics can get very tense, especially so if the unit manager has a significant portion of his compensation linked to revenue. The boss is always keen on pushing a higher number down the chain to build contingency while the subordinates want lower targets. It is a no-brainer that such conversations get more and more animated as the stakes are measured by the value of incentives.Does this process really drive optimisation of targets or is it more about testing the participants’ negotiation skills? The other complexity here is the metrics being defined to measure performance. The challenge always is to align performance criterion with corporate objectives, and make them as tangible and measurable as possible. For example, in the IT industry, where there are multi-year contracts, the business leader may be incentivised to deliver in terms of per-year revenue and/or the full contract value. The key here is for the leadership to invest a significant amount of time and effort in defining metrics for performance management.That done the next big thing is ethics. Can there really be ‘service before self’? Is there any correlation between ethical conduct and money at stake? In the same situation, do managers with differing performance incentives behave differently? This is an interesting paradox and would have differing views.To add it all up, senior managers in diversified companies often face the challenge of how to task and reward their teams, especially if the team is a high-performing one or the situation is such that their expertise is not adequate to opine. It is important that adequate time and attention is spent to find the most appropriate performance measure and have rewards based on performance to get the best out of the operating teams. The author is a CFO for global applications business for CSC . He has over 20 years of experience, including at GE and HUL(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 03-06-2013)
Read More
