challenges to socio-economic faculties.

Organisations are often perceived as an outgrowth of local environment community needs. If such an environment lacks inherent resource capabilities or even basic potential, that can seriously impair the integrity of several socio-economic principles including those affecting human resources. Nevertheless, each community will have some core resources or abilities which it will try to barter for those resources or faculties it lacks. The main two resources that helps such barter or interlink are perhaps financial in first place and human resources in second place. That obviously will involve compromises. In such a scenario these functions, financial and hr , bear the brunt of even breaches of integrity. Often community survival and needs are focussed on preservation and selective exploitation of core resources and not on borrowed resources or abilities. What we see in the fabric is a plethora of consultants, quick fix hiring practices, functions valued based on Job content,lower priorities on mentoring and coaching for performance improvement,absence of career paths, ad-hoc compensation practices, thin veils of social security fabrics and low drive to cultivate professional brands and ethics; real challenges for a sustainable and ethical development of human potential.

Performance ratings and duration- need to deleverage from Reward management.

Year end is here; and so is the time for performance ratings. The objectives of performance assessment these days are getting complex to be laid down. At Macro level you see S&P and Moody's rate differently on largest economies for their performance of 2009. For a bystander, it gets confusing when same economy is rated differently by different processes. It raises questions on whether Performance need to be assessed only on the basis of successes and failures during the period or does it need to recognise the efforts made by economies to come out of recession, and therefore the assessment rating should encourage at these times, rather than demotivate or confuse with lower ratings. Richard Koo, Japanese Economist argued today, on Bloomberg, that an assessment at this stage is dicey and should not be hastly made.
Taking cue, at Micro level, this brings focus on the need to change duration of performance cycles to suit the objectives. Normal drivers are the need to grant increments over financial years and therefore the assessment period need to be tagged to financial years. This can be cutting once leg according to shoe. What perhaps neded is a more dynamic performance assessment format to support a process that gives scope for extending the assessment time to such durations needed to achieve the objectives. Iam yet come across systems that can be dynamic to such needs. One need to delink routine acts of increments etc from appraisal systems, and make it linked to strategic objectives with sufficient allowance to tie it to the necessary duration for achieveing those objectives.

KPI s for human resource management function

Conventional KPIs for hr functions are life less statistics and intangible results. To add credibility to the function, the KPI should reflect hr function's contributions to business strategies in a quantified way. As and when business strategies change these KPIs also should change. It can be based on criticality, speed, value added, competency enhancement, compliance to governance standards, flexibility, community perception/satisfaction, culture enrichment, cost control. It is high time HR directors stop carrying employee statistics, turnover figures, c&b details, training coverage, union agreements and disputes etc for presentations.

responsive organisations

human resource management has more to do with empathising with the aspirations of employees than in evaluating them and judging them against the commercial objectives of the organisation. only an hr professional can help management to strike harmony between the two; he needs to transform his role to that of a social worker in that limited environment; what an hr director needs to take to the board room is his ability to strike that balance; he then truly represents the human resource management function in the board; otherwise he becomes just another business manager.

Organisation design and development....

Conventional Organisation Development evolved around process interventions to trigger changes within the organisation for various business strategies. It was more of process oriented, behavioral interventions, and resulted in change management. Psychometrics and performance management tools were helpful. The impact was to cut across leadership levels to supervisory levels to mentoring. Overall changes trickled in or kick started development process. Here the role of structure and design , or rather the physical aspects, were not that focused. One need to research the impact of structure and design on processes. The levels, span of control, supervisory ratio, connecting links, are critical. Wired networks, open work spaces do aid. BPO environment and structures are classic examples.

Time is money

1. Stop participating in the cultural rules. Commit to getting out the door on time. Who decided that you should work until 7:00 p.m.? How much is the time "you're devoting because you're a salaried employee and obligated to do what it takes to get the job done" worth?

2. Start meetings before 4:00 p.m. If you have some say or control regarding meeting times, schedule them to end by 4:30. Preferably, start meetings right after lunch. Block out your calendar beginning at 4:00 every day so people can't schedule with you. And don't ask people to begin projects at 4:45 PM. Respect their right to a life, too.

3. Be assertive. Don't be afraid to tell others, "I leave work at 5:00, on time, every day. I have a 5:30 commitment I must adhere to." It's none of their business that your commitment is with yourself or your family. People tend to support others when their goals are made public.

4. Schedule fixed office hours. If you have an assistant, block off certain hours a few days a week to accept appointments. Perhaps Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you take appointments from 9:00 to 10:30 and 2:00 to 3:30. This way you don't have interruptions overlapping the time you're trying to leave the office. 

5. Make preparations to leave. Gather up your coat and put it in a visible spot so others can see you're on your way out. Close your door a few minutes before quitting time so people will think you're busy or already gone. Whatever they want, it can wait until tomorrow.

6. Challenge your assumptions. Long hours aren't "the way it is." To reduce the time pressure you feel, decide to reclaim your day, not by working longer, but to finish your work within the workday. Don't focus on "catching up." You will never catch up. There will always be more things to do than time to do them. By being more productive during the day, you'll get the same amount of work done and leave earlier.

7. Start small. Pick a single day, perhaps Thursdays, to be "the" day you leave work on time. To support this decision, you will automatically begin to be more productive on Thursdays and work your day more carefully. Keep working on productivity skills and adding more days, until you're working your 40-hour workweek again and accomplishing even better results.

Make it a productive day! ™

© Copyright 2007 Laura Stack, MBA, CSP. All rights reserved.
Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, is "The Productivity Pro"® and the author of Leave the Office Earlier. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or Laura@TheProductivityPro.com

Organismic working : Clues

Flexibility is a cornerstone. Work life is an extension of Life and organisation life should help employees to integrate both. Often the connecting link becomes Time spent. Say for eg : what time you leave office ? Have you ever tried to become effective by controlling this factor? If an organisation starts expecting all employees to give attention to this factor, the organisation climate between 9-5 will become more productive and satisfying.. Read :

http://www.hr.com/SITEFORUM?t=/blogs/blog.show&e=UTF-8&i=1116423256281&l=0&blogid=1186543715305&active=/blogs/mostdiscussed

missing elements

Growt_ & P_ofit

The world's most successful
companies have this
figured out.

Have you ?

fluidity and sensitivity

ability to react fast is based on sensory faculties. outer organisational layers that are flexible enhances the sensitivities. flexibility is reflected in the ability to replace, adaptability to external environment, exhibit multiple competencies through overlaps and sharing of skills without losing linkage to internal layers. Communication networks and workflows aided by IT can help maintain strong linkages, both real and virtual, with internal kernal. The outer layer employment contracts should aid above structural objectives. More importantly these structural objectives should meet a pre-defined business strategy. Such a strategy can be aiming for speed, agility, high risk venture needs, cost advantage, change or simply to grow from scratch.

Organismic structure

Cell theory, Non linear equation, polity of equity, Value oriented, Open architecture, fluid mechanics, Environmental balance, Time saving, detached attachment ...there can be more subjects , all of which can contribute to the new design.

• holistic cross-functional teams as cells that have authority and inherent ability to mutiply, sustain and generate revenues.
  
• IT Web based information flow structure integrated, networked -internally as well as to external world.
  
• Near flat structures, with titles to reflect functions and contributions and not levels.
  
• Resource utilisation to be 100% green.
  
• Supported by a web of volunteer interface from local community
  
• Structure to reflect Core Values and beliefs as Brand Equity.
  

A sensuous organisation.....!

That is a place anyone would love to work and play. A sensuous organisation..when i say sensuous it need to be orgnismic rather than mechanistic, warm, flexible, agile, alert and adaptive, provides space and privacy for individuals, non-procedural yet seductively forcing accountability and most importantly keeps you close to business strategies.

I feel it can exist. I'll develop this thread further. My surfing over internet took me to a document that highlight the need for documentation in this area : organisation design and structure - need for new approaches.

Performance, Risk and Compensation practices : Need for HR governance systems for finance stability

The recent restructuring of Financial Stability Forum - global watchdog on Compensation policies of Global Financial Institutions- has opened up the need for strengthnening HR governance on Compensation policies and practices within organisations especially Financial organisation. Some key steps detailed are :

• Compensation policies to be governed by CEO and Board of Directors
  
• A standing Governance Board to be instituted
  
• Performance and Risk to be balanced
  
• Compensation should not induce excessive risks
  
• should be linked to risk outcomes
  
• greater stakeholder engagement in policy formulation
  
• It should not be seen as just market wage or market linked
  
• should be transparent and detailed
  

In essence, the compensation practices should be governed based on intrinsic factors by internal stakeholders and not through the sermons given by consultants who augment market factors only. It seems  hr practices were equally responsible for the fiancial meltdown. Very often compensation policies are based on extraneous factors, based on consultant's advice, market salary surveys, inflation, nationality of employee and other less relevant factors.

 

Read full guidelines at : FSF guidelineshttp://www.fsforum.org/

nice guy-wrong company

Ever wondered how the travails of AIG can hit elsewhere? AIG's Indian counterpart is on firing spree; Nothing surprising in that.! but the HR Manager there decides to call it a day; as he cannot handle any more firing decisions for AIG's fault. As I read that article in ET it looks like my earlier posting's timimg was a mistake.Apologies.

an argument for human resource value modelling

conventional organisation structures,based on vertical levels, reflect salary grades, stages, salary bands. The functional Roles/Positions and Titles assigned to such levels are often correlated to Job evaluation scores using some standard evaluation framework in the background. However the scores' correlation and subsequent administration gets skewed because of internal climate factors. To maintain consistency a structured model is necessary. A value model, based on business value addition potential is very essential. The potential need to be measured and assigned across positions/roles;utilisation periodically validated/measured at holder level through appraisals. Past years of experience and/or age can be combined for an acceptable scale for measuring that potential across employees. One can also sharpen it to accommodate current holder valuations through an assessment rating, if there is scope for that in a company. The value differentials, in the scores, across different roles, within a vertical functional hierarchy, can then be used to define compensation package differentials. Once fixed, the relativities need to be maintained across business growth cycles. That's C&B 's responsibility, of course.

Selection criteria - to reflect professional integrity

Recruitment selection is clearly an hr domain; and therefore it needs to reflect the professional integrity.; and experience shows that is one area even the best employers falter. Of all the criteria, a common pitfall is preference to certain nationalities over others. While structure always follows strategy, the strategy for manning that structure often gets trapped in nationalities which has nothing to do with business functions that ultimately help achieve the business strategies. Recruitment policies often slips into political traps that smacks of unprofessional extraneous motives. The countering argument for protectionist policies, preferences to nationalities are often social responsibilities and corporate citizenship obligations. But such argument is valid perhaps only for local players. Global organizations need to have a broader base principle for hiring. Hiring preferences over certain nationalities and races are unethical and will drain credibility of hr function.

What is changing ?-human nature or the nature of business?

Fundamental Attribution Error
What do you think is changing — human nature or the nature of business?

On human nature, we don’t really know yet, but brain studies are starting to show us something and so are the gene studies. While we have selfish and individualistic tendencies, there are also great communal tendencies. Both are part of human nature.

On the brain side, in my limited knowledge, one thing that seems to be clear so far is that in the reptilian brain, the responses of fight, flight and protection get activated faster than other parts of the brain, like giving and altruism. That doesn’t mean they are not there. The history of civilisation has always been to transcend that which is most animalistic in our nature. People aspire to be higher and spirituality seems to be wired into the brain. Although I must say most wars and evil acts have been committed in the name of religion, we still can’t blame it all on human nature. But by nature, we are greedy. There are things that become socially acceptable over a period of time and it’s in the culture. I am a great believer in the culture.

As far as the nature of business goes, there is nothing inherent in the idea of profit, which says you have to make it in ways that violate social norms or that it has to come only in the short term. That’s the nature of the financial systems that are erected around the business and they can be dismantled. So we can change the rules as we have in the past.

I think companies with values are more sustainable in the long run because they are willing to make short-term trade-offs in the interest of longer-term benefits. It’s like what Winston Churchill said about democracy, ‘It’s the worst system we could imagine, except for all the others’. ....Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor of Biz Administration, Harvard Biz School

Cutting hours without cutting staff-devising alternatives to layoffs

companies are adopting their own tactics to hold on to jobs:

By sharing employees' working hours for temporary needs of partner companies, clients, sister companies.
Share Costs for peak staffing with another company
Adopt a 5% salary cut - costs less than a 5% layoff because there are no severance payments.
companies can reduce employees' work hours and make up the difference through unemployment benefits.
can re-train existing staff to do more, or alternate jobs.
offer employees a chance to take one month of unpaid leave during the first half of this year.
cut on business travel costs to cover salaries of employees who do not travel.

Multiculture fabric - a cover up for imaginary hr expenses

‘‘ Setting up offices in nations such as China and Malaysia required the company to ensure 80 per cent of the employees were local. There was probably some fudge happening there,” said a former HR manager of Satyam. He added: ‘‘ Few years ago Satyam was planning to set up offices in various other nations such as Mexico, Sweden, Brazil and was hiring students from those countries. All these added to the headcount confusion.’’ He said HR data collection and updation weren’t exactly a Satyam strength.

Besides, another source familiar with the company’s HR said that while the company has development centres in various locations such as Malaysia, South Africa and Egypt, the headcounts there are not very clear, particularly in the case of interns.

‘‘ The salaries for training of interns in centres such as Malaysia are paid by the local government there and not Satyam but they reflect in the company’s payrolls ,’’ says the source. Explaining this Malaysian government-Satyam arrangement, the source said, ‘‘ It was an HR initiative to develop skilled manpower in association with the local governments.’’