power of intent....

organisations need to be looked through its intent. often this lies deep within and one need to pierce through the outer coverings. what is seen outside is often the balance sheets, the technology space it occupies or possess, its scientific prowess, is behaviour visible through the people, employees, their talent, successes, their involvement with community, their social standing, and common things like salary levels, labels like best place to work for etc. All these are manifestations or symbols we see externally that help the organisation to find a place in the crowd. a sort of  tool to benchmark. But what is more critical to look into is how it introspects its own actions, in its internal meets, the values it reiterates time and again to its employees and the efforts it makes to demonstrate its commitment to those values it holds closely. over a period such actions within an organisation generates a sense of feeling an ambiance which is hard to beat by its competitors. That feeling, intangible but felt everywhere, in all its decisions, its communications etc... is the intent of an organisation.

Conversly, intentions starts with an inner feeling, then transforms into intuitions and travels as introspection and ably supported by wisdom becomes an action plan and your expressions and through science it becomes success formula. That is how a pace setter stands apart..

CSR through functional cost control

NOKIA fianally decided to close down its Salo plant in Finland shedding its last group of workforce. It failed to improve its operating system despite incurring high costs in partnering with Microsoft. Those who adopted low cost android version could produce at lower costs that helped capture growing market of the Asia, Africa and South America. The pace of learning within organisations becomes slower when talent flees and dependence on external technology and resource becomes imperative for sustenance. The time lag kills the organisation in the market place. one of the ways through which organisation can stay ahead is by maintaining a constant link with its community and market needs. often the product price provides a vantage point. a point which can be connected to functional cost within the organisation. Controlling functional costs and its elements can help generate lot of ability to reach out to community needs and thereby preserve the market. Organisations where staffing costs are critical as also those sectors where the wage bill as a percentage of sales or operating costs are above 15% has immense potential to influence market dynamics through functional costs.

seperating the inseparable

The genesis for  hr functions' starts with business strategies, in profit oriented organisations, its connectivity need to be maintained from one position , normally the HR function head representing the management people resources for the business strategy. While one can understand the need for splitting fucntions under different levels down below, what appears odd is having another head on one of the people management functions, be it L&D and Organisation development or CSR in the same level as HR head connecting to business strategy is damaging. But that is what we see these days in many organisation and later end up in working with cross objectives confusing employees in general. It is essential that all sub functions of people management need to confluence at  a single position having scope and intent to address any aspects relating to people 'resource' instrumental for the business objective. Splitting that focal point  based on advices from consultants is like playing into the hands of commercial needs of such consultancy organizations. It will surely serve their business interests..!