Promote Transparency, Performance, Equality to Boost Culture

Transparency, performance-based behavior and egalitarian work culture foster employee development at all levels of an organization.

1. Transparency

Regardless of their level within the company, all employees should have the same access to, and understanding of, HR policies, especially regarding staffing and development. Insight into what is expected of them allows employees to operate more effectively and to reach their professional goals. For example, if employees want to earn higher compensation or to rise through the ranks, having a clear understanding of HR's expectations for each level will enable them to take the appropriate steps to grow within the organization.

Transparency also improves employees' relationships by providing an understanding of how performance is assessed and why certain employees are given opportunities within the company. An effective and easy-to-implement strategy to increase transparency into HR policies is to provide access to an HR portal on the company intranet where policies are clearly defined and employees can find answers to their questions about career options and development.

2. Performance-based Behavior

Another similarity among organizations with healthy corporate cultures is the way they measure performance. Performance should be measured in terms of outcomes - not on effort but on results. For example, the number of hours an employee or a team puts into a project is not as important as the speed with which it was completed and the quality of the final result.

To measure employee performance, organizations need to look at two different types of performance: task performance and contextual performance. Task performance refers to what is explicitly expected from employees. For example, for a programmer, the measure of task performance is how well he or she programs. Contextual performance is more difficult to measure, but understanding it is key to promoting a positive culture. It refers to how employee performance translates into the success of the company as a whole. By focusing on contextual versus task performance, organizations can ensure better end results and more satisfied customers.

3. Egalitarian Work Culture

Some sort of a hierarchy must be in place for organizations to function. However, in terms of performance, all employees should be treated as equals and should feel they are performing a role that is important to the company's overall success. Organizations can implement several policies to promote a sense of equality. For example, organizations should encourage everyone to refer to each other by their first names to cultivate a sense of equality. Further, an open-door policy helps employees at all levels feel they can freely partake in discussions and collaboration, and it creates a sense of empowerment. This egalitarian atmosphere also strengthens the organization as a whole by inspiring an environment where everyone is encouraged to bring new ideas.

If organizations focus on these three areas, they will be able to move toward a healthier, more positive corporate culture in which all employees feel valued and perform to their highest potential.

By Srinivas Kandula - executive vice president and the global head of human resources at iGATE Patni

Employee Satisfaction Grows With Ongoing Feedback, Rewards

According to the winter 2012 SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Tracker, which tracks the sentiments of HR leaders and executives, 95 percent of survey respondents reported effective performance management as a top management challenge in 2012. (Editor's note: the author works for Globoforce). Employee sentiments are the same as reported in the Fall 2011 Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker of employee attitudes.

Performance reviews are not an accurate appraisal for the work done, nor do they reward employees according to job performance.

Employee recognition can increase motivation, engagement and productivity. It allows managers and peers to reinforce positive behaviors when they occur, giving new life to the phrase "360-degree employee performance reviews." Further, strategic employee recognition rewards and behaviors that exemplify an organization's core values and goals.

Employees who receive recognition throughout the year are more satisfied in their roles compared to those who only receive it once a year, according to the 2011 Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker. Of those who receive ongoing feedback and praise throughout the year:

a) 75 percent are satisfied with the level of recognition they receive for doing a good job at work, compared to 42 percent who only receive annual feedback.

b) 91 percent think their manager or supervisor acknowledges and appreciates them at work, versus 60 percent who only get annual reviews.

c) 54 percent think people are rewarded according to their job performance, versus 42 percent of employees who get yearly feedback.

Organizations evaluating how to build a strategic recognition program should consider six hallmarks:

1. Single, clear global strategy:

Companies must have a global vision that defines the program's desired goals and outcomes. Suggested metrics include increased employee engagement scores or higher employee retention.

2. Executive sponsorship with defined goals:

With a recognition program's impact on culture, it's important to secure senior-level support. Managers should be held accountable for participation goals to ensure that culture management is reinforced by all company leaders.

3. Value alignment:

By linking individual recognition moments to company values, employees can see how their behavior impacts culture. Managers can track and monitor recognition moments over time to see employee behavior in action and adjust the program goals as needed.

4. Participation:

A strategic recognition program must be open to all employees to succeed. If only a segment of employees are being recognized, it's impossible to impact the broader company culture.

5. Power of individual choice:

Just as employees differ by age and demographics, so do their tastes. Everyone is motivated differently, and the power of choice goes a long way in recognition programs. By allowing employees to select their rewards, talent leaders are creating a meaningful experience where employees associate that reward with the company.

6. Crowd wisdom:

By incorporating social elements into a recognition program, managers have real-time insight into employee performance. Recognition within an internal corporate social network also provides crowd-sourced opinions on employee behaviors, offering a more frequent assessment of top performers and insight about the influence of leadership within the organization.

By Derek Irvine- vice president of client strategy and consulting for Globoforce

5 Things You Won't Learn in B-School

While many entrepreneurs boast college degrees and MBAs, most will readily admit that the hard knocks received from starting their own businesses were infinitely more valuable. Here are five lessons you won't learn in a classroom:

There is no such thing as failure.

Businesses can go bankrupt and unsold products can pile up in the warehouse, but every venture is a potential learning experience. Investors get skittish and bail at the 11th hour? You'll know how to better choose strategic partners and negotiate deals going forward. Couldn't successfully expand into Europe? Use the insights gained into international distribution to craft a more viable strategy next time. Clients indifferent to your sales pitch? Maybe you're trying to solve the wrong problem.

Such learning may seem expensive, but ignorance is costlier still. Knowledge gained through failure is directly applicable to future ventures. So try, fail, and try again until you get it right. Just remember: Only a fool makes the same mistake twice.

"No" doesn't mean "no"—just "no... for now."

When exploring new market opportunities or pitching potential clients, remember that situations change. Just because your approach or offer doesn't make sense to a potential customer or partner now doesn't mean that it won't later on. Markets and strategies evolve, internal stakeholders come and go, and enterprises' needs constantly change. Never be afraid to pick up the phone for a follow-up, especially if situations have shifted in your firm's favor.

Knock politely on many doors—and don't be afraid to crawl in an open window.

Ask 50 people at the same business the exact same question and you're guaranteed to get just as many different answers. A single corporate division may include numerous executives, so it's important to find the one individual whose sphere of influence directly overlaps with your inquiry. Don't be afraid to go up the chain and call a high-level decision maker: At worst, they'll ignore the query or say no; at best, they'll direct you straight to the proper point of contact.

Optimism is no substitute for customers.

Customer conversion rates can be shockingly low for many new ventures. So plan conservatively. Be cautious with prices. Fight your naturally optimistic outlook.

Cash is king—don't let yourself get crowned.

Big contracts and high-profile deals look good on paper, but when push comes to shove, all that matters is leverage. To get and hold onto leverage, you need money in the bank to comfortably meet payroll and expenses while waging legal battles or self-funding new growth. Despite signing on the dotted line, clients and partners may choose to disrespect agreements or contracts out of need, malice, or simply as a negotiating tactic. Know that if your cash flow dries up, you won't have any room to negotiate.

By Scott Steinberg -CEO of strategic consulting and product testing firm TechSavvy Global

Help Your Employees Be Strategic Thinkers

Ongoing education is a core part of every great business. The investment is small, but the return can be a game changer.

Education is easy to make part of any business. That does not have to mean bringing in outside experts or sending employees away to expensive courses. Drawing on in-house resources can be just as rich. At Metal Mafia, we used to have sales seminars on a regular basis, at which different staffers would present on everything from the pros and cons of new products, to techniques for communicating better with customers. As we got busier, the seminars were scheduled less frequently, and finally, not scheduled at all. 

Two weeks ago, I asked my staff to tell me why a customer would want to spend money on a specific new product we now offer. I thought the answers could have been better, so I decided we all needed a refresher course in how to explain the value of our products in a meaningful way to our customers. I held an in-house tutorial this week, and the investment paid off.

Here's what I think you'll find most useful.

Let your staff know it's OK to ask questions.  

People have a tendency to allow embarrassment over not knowing something trump the need to know it. Even if you think you have clearly shown your staff how to do something or gone over the benefits of a product with them a million times, the concept may not be as firmly in place in their minds as it is in yours. It is important to give your team an opportunity to learn and re-learn key ideas that are core to your business's success. It sends your team a strong message--this information is worth mastering--if you set aside time for a seminar about the concept you want to be sure everyone understands.

I could have typed up a list of the key points I wanted my reps to memorize instead of making time to re-teach the concepts in a class setting, but that would have made the process about dictation instead of education. A workshop rather than a memo encourages your team to ask questions in a low-pressure setting.

Communicate strategies in non-threatening ways. 

The freshest ideas in business come from conversations. If you want your employees to not just understand something, but to really own an idea, you need to give them ways to engage in your strategy on their terms.

Teaching situations are not meant to be lectures, but to invite participation. I had ideas about what I wanted my team to take away from the class we scheduled, but I left the teaching up to everyone who attended. The sales reps came to the class ready to participate--and because they knew their input was both sought and valued, they were willing to teach and learn openly. They each talked about five products they thought could bring value to our customers' businesses, and explained concretely how the products should be talked about to get that value across. They asked each other questions, reviewed talking points, and discussed the customer concerns they had fielded. In the end, we all left as "A" students because we found better ways to help our customers.

Raise awareness and energy levels.

Devoting time and resources to promote continuing education emphasizes to team members that you value not only results, but also development. If you want your team to always examine interactions for deeper meaning, creating time for learning and evaluation is crucial. Employees who are encouraged to learn are the first to spot additional market opportunities, the best at increasing customer satisfaction, and the most effective at trouble-shooting. Learning to ask questions in a class setting hones one's instinct to probe outside of the classroom as well.

By Vanessa Merit Nornberg

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of "troops" to order about, demonize competitors as "enemies," and treat customers as "territory" to be conquered.

Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers ... and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by "pulling levers" and "steering the ship."

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community–and company–at large.

3. Management is service, not control.

Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They're hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the "wait and see what the boss says" mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can't be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employee as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear--of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege--as a crucial way to motivate people.  As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it.  As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and (of course) know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change ... until it's too late.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that work is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable–and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

By Geoffrey James - the world's most-visited sales-oriented blog

Top 7 ways to make your co-workers love you

How to be liked in the workplace

Even if you haven’t just started your job and just want to feel included in the office, it’s a tricky business making the correct impression. So how do you make your co-workers love you? Follow these simple steps – oh and try not to cause any arguments!

Learn the tea orders of your workmates
Although this might seem simple and of no importance whatsoever, learning how your co-workers take their tea is a great way to get involved in the office environment. Ok, so let’s be reasonable, if your office is the size of a football pitch you could possibly side step the tea round, however in smaller offices it is the polite and socially correct thing to do. Not only does this look like you actually take notice of people but it is an easy ice breaker, it’s as simple as that.

Smile in the workplace
No one wants to acquire the nickname thunder face, and smiling is the most obvious signal that you are enjoying your work and the people around you. Smiling can convey a happy emotion; emotions are free and are easy to use. If you never smile the chances are your colleagues probably think that you don’t have a sense of humour, so smile away.

Listen to your work colleagues
If you don’t listen to anyone not only will you feel cut off from the work environment but eventually everyone will stop talking to you. If it’s someone’s birthday soon or they are going shopping at the weekend, just make a note of it. However small the task, go out of your way to ask how it went or simply ask did they have a nice time; people value the smaller things in life and this is one of them.

Don’t be a workplace hermit
If you are invited out by your co-workers always make an effort and go out with them. No one wants to be labelled the boring one, even if you only stay out for a short time you will always be appreciated for making the effort in the first place. If you are having a party and you don’t invite anyone from work but then upload pictures onto a social networking site, it may come across as though you dislike everyone, so put yourself out there and ask them. If everyone says no you know who not to invite next time!

Stick to your personality
Don’t try and be someone else; the chances are your alter ego will be eventually overridden by your true one anyway and you’re more likely to be labelled with split personality disorder if anything. Being fake is not a good look and most people can see right through this, however if you are loud and obnoxious this is hard to cover up, but worth a try.

Don’t be the office flirt
You don’t want to be known as the one who chats to all the boys/girls; save this at least for the Christmas night out. You can’t make another first impression so tone it down and adopt the mantra work is for working. If you’re so desperate to talk to the opposite sex, meet up after work, but inside those walls is for office talk and office talk alone!

Keep strong opinions to yourself
You don’t qualify for gossiping or heated arguments just yet so keep quiet. It is important to voice your opinion if the situation directly applies to you but being the gobby one already is not what we’re aiming for. It is crucial you stand up for yourself but don’t get involved in unnecessary cat fights over trivial things. Just breathe and let it go; being cool and collected under the office stress and pressures is the strategy you need be able to adhere to.

How to be a Damn Good Developmental Manager

Have you ever worked for a manager that consistently helped you learn new skills and develop? A manager that took an interest in your career, challenged you to be your best, and believed in your potential to grow?

That’s the kind of manager that most employees want to work for. And if you’re manager, that’s the kind of reputation you should aspire to have.

Why? From a purely selfish perspective, when you develop your employees, they get smarter, more productive, improve their performance, and ultimately, make you look like a genius. It helps with recruiting and retaining the best employees, allows you to delegate so you can focus on what you’re being paid to do, or even take a vacation now and then. 

Most importantly, it’s rewarding. It’s what leadership is all about – making a difference in the lives of others. 

Most managers have good intentions – they want to be known as a developmental manager – but there’s often a huge gap between the “should do” and the “do”. In many cases, managers just don’t know how. 

Here’s how:

1. Start with yourself. 

Before you can credibly and effectively development others, you should develop yourself first. Otherwise, you’ll come across as an arrogant hypocrite who looks at development as being needed for everyone else, but not yourself. Shaping behavior starts with role modeling – and it also helps you learn how to get damn good at development. 

2. Establish a foundation of trust and mutual respect.

OK, so when are we going to get to the pragmatic “hows”? We will, but the rest of the tips won’t work as well if your employees don’t trust that you have their backs or you’re not using development as a hammer. See how to inspire trust and 20 signs you can't be trusted as a leader.

3. Treat every day as a development day.

Development isn’t a once or twice a year event, or something you send your employees to HR or a training class for. Every time an employee comes to you with a problem, decision, or question, it’s an opportunity to develop. How do you do that? You …..

4. Ask questions. 

Lots and lots of really good questions. Open-ended questions that force the employee to think and figure it out for themselves. Questions can also be used after an assignment or event, as a way to reflect back on lessons learned and cement the new knowledge or skills. 

5. Let go.

I was reminded of this recently by Scott Eblin, executive coach and author of the bestseller "The Next Level". Most managers are doing stuff that they are good at and/or like to do, but really shouldn’t be doing. When told they should delegate, they’re willing to dump the mundane stuff they don’t like doing, but unwilling to let go of the good stuff. Letting go of these responsibilities and using them as a way to develop your employees is a win-win. 
Just don’t expect your employee to do things the same way you did them. Remember, chances are, when you learned to do it, no one was holding your hand every step of the way with detailed instructions. Sure, they may fall and skin their knees know and then, but that’s how we learn.

6. Strrrrretch assignments. 

Other than a job change, stretch assignments are hands down the best way to learn and development. As a manager, you’re in a position to look for opportunities to offer to your employees that are aligned with their development needs and career aspirations. It’s not about picking the most qualified person for the assignment – it’s about picking the right developmental assignment for the person. 

7. Make connections.

Wow, it’s all about networking these days, isn't it? Managers are often in a position to make introductions, open doors, and connect employees to role models, subject matter experts, and mentors. What if you’re not already well connected? Then see #1, start with yourself.

8. Feedback.

We all have behavioral blind spots. If you don’t think you do, then you've got a big self-awareness blind spot. (-:
A manager is often the person who can tactfully help an employee see a weakness that’s getting in the way of their effectiveness or advancement. 

9. Help navigate organizational politics and culture.

Help your employees learn that “politics” isn’t a dirty word; it’s the way things get done in organizations. Shadowing and role playing are two ways to teach the ins and outs of being political savvy.

10. Show me the money, Jerry!

Last, but not least, support your employee’s developmental goals with training, conferences, coaches, and other tangible resources. A good training program, while not a substitute for all of the above, can include many of the items above and turbocharge your efforts.

Virtual Managers Need Four Skills

1. Delegating:

In 2011, Peter Bregman published 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done to help busy people cut through daily clutter and uncover a way to focus on the most important tasks. Remote managers can heed Bregman's advice to stay organized and productive by transferring projects to their direct reports.

For example, department store managers who oversee a large workforce must be confident in their employees' abilities to efficiently track a constantly evolving inventory, respond to customer complaints and design strategies to increase sales. Across all industries, managers should show they trust their employees to finish the projects they are given. By successfully delegating projects and regularly communicating with direct reports, managers can engage employees more effectively.

2. Offering effective feedback:

Frequent, honest communication is essential between managers and their employees. Managers outside of an office must be cognizant of how, where and when they deliver both positive feedback and constructive criticism to their employees. For example, when a baseball team manager scolds a player in front of teammates and fans for committing an error during an important game, that disdain has a lasting impact on the manager's relationship with that player. The same holds true in any industry when a manager gives negative feedback in front of colleagues and customers. Managers need to be conscious of their word choice and think critically about how their tone and delivery can affect staff morale.

3. Think critically:

Managers in all environments must be critical thinkers skilled at making clear, rational and open-minded decisions. The Society for Human Resource Management, The Conference Board, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Corporate Voices for Working Families partnered in 2006 to survey senior-level HR professionals about the most important skills their employees will need in the next five years. Critical thinking ranked the highest. For example, in the hospitality industry, hotel managers work with employees in a variety of departments. These managers must think critically about how cutting professional development opportunities could negatively impact engagement and the overall guest experience before doing so. Managers should be able to recognize problems before they occur. By considering the big picture before making major decisions, managers will show strong problem-solving skills and a willingness to take ownership for their actions.

4. Hold yourself accountable:

Managers need to set an example by being accountable, especially when social media plays a big role in an organization's reputation. A 2011 study conducted by Parasole Restaurant Holdings and newBrandAnalytics found what customers say online increases staff ownership of the relationship between employees and customers. For instance, if a restaurant customer's meal ends unsatisfactorily, a restaurant manager should immediately take ownership for failing to provide the guest with a quality, memorable experience.

Wherever managers oversee their workforce, they must be effective at delegating projects, offering feedback, thinking critically and taking responsibility for their actions. These managerial skills will positively impact employee engagement, customer satisfaction and revenue.

By Michael P. Savitt | Talent Management [About the Author: Michael P. Savitt is communications manager at Avatar HR Solutions.]

Five ways to deal with a sudden layoff

Managing a sudden layoff is anyone's worst nightmare. It doesn't have to be. Steer clear of the guilt trip, accept the challenge head on and take swift action. 

Accept the reality 

The emotional turmoil of what's next, why me, is bound to disturb you, but acceptance is critical for moving on. 

"Allow yourself to grieve, but move on without wasting too much emotional energy. Be realistic, accept the facts and get on with it," says Raman Munjal chair professor of leadership studies at MDI, Gurgaon Asha Bhandarkar. 

"Just as employees move on for better options, they should be prepared for layoffs. Once this basic expectation is set, preparing for such eventualities becomes easier," she adds. 

Do not badmouth 

Restraining from expressing your displeasure towards colleagues and bosses can be hard but remember you may need their assistance in reference checks and recommendations. 

"One must control the tendency to express these emotions. Negative emotions possibly get disseminated across the grapevine faster than positive emotions and result in loss of social capital," says Bhandarkar. 

Tap your resources 

Leverage your contacts: trustworthy seniors and colleagues, to the best of your ability. For all you know, they might be the ones pointing you to the new job. Founder and CEO of networking portal Apna Circle Yogesh Bansal feels job portals and networking sites provide an excellent opportunity for building one's brand and networking. 

Apply, apply and apply 

"Don't think brand alone, think work profile and learning opportunity. No fancy company and title can give you the kind of accelerated learning which a challenging job can, adding weight to your CV," says Bhandarkar. 

Educate and update yourself 

An exit is a good time to take stock of things you might have missed out on- spending time with family, enrolling for a specialised course or a degree. "Explore the fields that you have always been interested in but never got the chance to try," says Bansal. 

By  Ramakrishna Acharya

Difference between workforce planning and succession planning

The goal of workforce planning and succession planning is the same: putting the right people - across the organization - in the right jobs, doing the right things at the right time. However, the difference between workforce and succession planning is distinct. Workforce planning is typically budget-driven and focused on staff-level jobs, hiring forecasts and internal resource projections.

Workforce planning also focuses on:

a) Understanding trends that will impact clients, customers, products, services, funders, regulators and investors.

b) Developing individual- and team-work plans that align with department goals or organization-wide strategies.

c) Understanding how changes will impact job requirements, internal activities and costs.

d) Understanding labor-market demographics, workforce readiness, training needs and talent resources.

e) Hiring, recruitment-plans processes, orientation and onboarding plans.

Succession planning is a systematic approach to professional development with the express purpose of ensuring that selected (typically senior) staff is trained, experienced and ready to assume future leadership positions. Succession planning also focuses on individual and team transition needs and effectively guides implementation.

Succession planning includes aspects of workforce planning but also requires:

a) Identifying anticipated vacancies and backup resources for management and leadership.

b) Redefining management profiles to include competencies, success criteria and behavior traits.

c) Accurate assessment of the readiness of senior staff and middle managers to assume greater responsibilities: an efficient process for assessing skills, competencies, interests and motivations, organization-wide, for investments in emerging leaders.

d) Assessment of organizational culture and the leaders within: cultural competencies for diversity and inclusion management.

e) Developing individualized training, professional development and mentoring opportunities to reduce gaps in skills and experience: identifying required support to ensure succession plans are workable while in current job.

f) Focus on individual and team transition to ensure a successful transition and performance in the new or expanded roles.

Although many organizations do annual workforce and "headcount" budget planning, fewer than 1 in 10 large organizations proactively integrate management development and succession plans with strategic business objectives, according to a survey of 1,098 senior managers and executives by the American Management Association.

For organizations that do, the results can be transformative. Increasingly, more boards of directors, investors and funders are now demanding documented succession plans for top management of public corporations and nonprofit organizations. Succession planning is a critical component of workforce planning. And it is a trend that experts consider to be a best practice and sound investment for any organization intent on sustainability, beyond the limits of a selected few people.

[Source: Patricia Duarte, Decision Insight Inc., Boston]

Find the Right People to Boost Innovation

Human resources executives trying to promote innovation inside big companies have it tough. Innovation is an intensely human activity where a large portion of the work is done by individuals or small teams. And the best innovators have the option of working for start-ups where financial rewards can be limitless. It seems next to impossible for a large company - especially a publicly traded one - to compete financially for the best talent. The good news is they don't have to if they thoughtfully blend rewards at their disposal - such as novel career paths - with a failure-tolerant culture.

Some of the most useful research on innovation incentives is recounted in Daniel Pink's book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, which details how performance on creative tasks decreases with monetary incentives. Instead, successful incentives provide people with a sense of autonomy, give them a chance to achieve mastery and allow them to pursue a purpose.

Of course, money matters. But HR executives should consider the following three options to attract and retain world-class 'intrapreneurs" - individuals who pursue innovative opportunities but operate inside an established company.

1. Unique career opportunities.

Anyone who has come to work for a large corporation has demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice upside potential for stability and security. So companies can and should think about how they can provide interesting career opportunities to their best innovators.

Critical to making this work is rethinking how to identify a company's best innovators. Many companies obsessively measure their employees' results. But innovation has a degree of uncertainty and randomness. Sometimes, people can do everything right and still fail. Therefore, companies have to move from tracking results to monitoring behaviors.

Look for innovators who invest time to understand their target market, think holistically, design and execute smart experiments and demonstrate a willingness to change course. Even if an individual effort doesn't succeed, innovators who follow these behaviors are more likely to succeed over the long term.

2. Public recognition:

Procter & Gamble regularly appears on lists of the most innovative companies, and almost all of its innovation-related rewards are soft. Consider its Victor Mills Society. The society - named for the scientist who developed the technology that underpinned P&G's diaper brand Pampers - acknowledges tenured scientists with strong records of technology advancement and innovation. Executive leaders induct individuals who have made sustaining and business-building contributions throughout their careers at P&G. The society only consists of a few dozen P&G scientists, and membership is considered a prestigious reward. Inductees also mentor younger, high-potential scientists and advise the chief technology officer on prospective innovations.

Beyond special societies, companies can consider rewards ceremonies or other simple mechanisms to highlight internal innovators. These kinds of recognition systems don't cost much, but can have big impact.

3. Social impact:

The popular perception is that impact-oriented individuals ought to go work for non-government agencies, philanthropic organizations or mission-driven start-ups. But there's no better place to have impact than at a large company. For example, for all the debate about health reform, the future of health care rests on innovative ways in which companies like Walgreens increase adherence to prescription regimes and provide lower-cost ways to manage chronic conditions.

More and more large companies recognize that the pursuit of social impact is congruent with growth. For example, the agrochemical company Syngenta has a number of efforts to help farmers in developing countries increase crop productivity. There are hundreds of millions of these farmers, making it good business for Syngenta, and success impacts poverty and hunger, which is a key United Nations Millennium Development Goal.

Encouraging innovation isn't just about what companies reward - it is also what they choose to punish. Leaders often demonstrate their view on this topic when they use lines such as, "failure is not an option." But in innovation, failure is definitely an option. Beautiful business plans don't always turn into beautiful businesses. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you the best ideas emerge out of trial-and-error experimentation. Failure is a natural part of that process.

By Scott D. Anthony | Talent Management [About the Author: Scott D. Anthony is managing director, Asia-Pacific, of Innosight, an innovation consulting firm. He is the author of The Little Black Book of Innovation.]

Three Ways to Improve Your Positive Intelligence (PQ)

Daniel Goleman made a compelling and accurate case nearly two decades ago that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) was more important to leadership effectiveness and performance than IQ. But most attempts at increasing EQ have resulted only in temporary improvements. The reason is that a more foundational and core intelligence has been ignored, which is a pre-cursor to high EQ. In my lectures at Stanford University, I define this as Positive Intelligence (PQ). Without a solid PQ foundation, many of our attempts at improvements fizzle due to self-sabotage. 

Your mind is your best friend, but it is also your worst enemy, involved in self-sabotage. To illustrate, when your mind tells you that you should prepare for tomorrow’s important meeting, it is acting as your friend, causing positive action. When it wakes you up at 3:00 a.m. anxious about the meeting and warning you for the hundredth time about the many consequences of failing, it is acting as your enemy; it is simply exhausting your mental resources without any redeeming value. No friend would do that. 

Your PQ is the percentage of time your mind is serving you as opposed to sabotaging you. For example, a PQ of 75 means that your mind is serving you 75 percent of the time and sabotaging you about 25 percent of the time. Compelling evidence from a synthesis of research in psychology, neuroscience, and organizational science shows that with higher PQ teams and professionals ranging from leaders to salespeople perform 30-35 percent better on average. What’s more, they report being far happier and less stressed.

3 Strategies to increase PQ

I have coached hundreds of CEOs and their senior executive teams on the tools of Positive Intelligence. I take them to the frontlines of the unceasing battle raging in their minds. On one side of this battlefield are the well-disguised Saboteurs, who wreck any attempt at increasing either happiness or performance. On the other side is the Sage, who has access to one’s wisdom, insights, and often untapped mental powers. The Saboteurs and Sage are fueled by different regions of the brain. We are literally of two minds and two brains. This suggests three strategies to increasing your PQ:

Strategy 1. Weaken your Saboteurs:

The Saboteurs are the internal enemies. They are a set of automatic and habitual mind patterns, each with its own voice, beliefs, and assumptions that work against your best interest. They come in ten varieties, with names like the Judge, Controller, Victim, Stickler, Pleaser, and Avoider.

Saboteurs are a universal phenomenon. The question is not whether you have them, but which ones you have, and how strong they are. Of the executives participating in my Stanford lectures, nearly 95% conclude that they do have Saboteurs that cause “significant harm” to them reaching their full potential for success or happiness. 

The great news is that you can significantly reduce the power of these mental foes. The key to weakening your Saboteurs is to identify which one you have and expose its key hidden beliefs, patterns, thoughts, and emotions. This, in effect, allows you to create a “mug shot” of your internal enemy. It allows you to identify the Saboteur the moment it shows up in your head. At that point, what you do is to just label that thought as Saboteur thought and let it go rather than pursue it seriously. To be sure, it will keep coming back, which means you will keep labeling it, and letting it go. This simple act of observing, labeling, and letting go has profound impact.

For example, notice the difference between saying “I believe I can’t succeed” and “My Judge says I can’t succeed.” The moment you label a Saboteur thought as such, it loses much of it credibility and power over you. 

(Discover your top Saboteur with free online assessment at http://www.positiveintelligence.com/)

Strategy 2. Strengthen Your Sage: 

Your Sage’s great wisdom and strength is rooted in its perspective: any problem you are facing is either already a gift and opportunity or could be actively turned into one. Your Saboteurs mock that perspective and cause you instead to feel anxious, frustrated, disappointed, stressed, or guilty over “bad” outcomes. Both the Sage and the Saboteur perspectives are self-fulfilling prophecies. 

If you follow the Sage perspective, you get greater access to its five vastly untapped mental powers which can meet absolutely any work or life challenge without being worked up about it. There are simple and fun “power games” you can play in the back of your mind to facilitate this process.

Strategy 3. Strengthen PQ Brain muscles:

The PQ Brain gives rise to the Sage perspective its powers. Its focus is on thriving rather than surviving, which is the Saboteurs’ focus. It consists of three components: the middle prefrontal cortex, portions of the right brain, and what I call the empathy circuitry. The PQ Brain “muscles” are activated and strengthened when you command your mind to stop its busy mind chatter and direct its attention to any of your five physical sensations. An example might be to feel the weight of your body on your seat, or feet on the floor, or sensations of your breathing. 

This might appear simplistic, but it is backed by a massive amount of research. Every time you attempt such a shift of attention for about 10 seconds, you have performed a “PQ rep,” strengthening the muscles of your PQ Brain. The goal is to do 100 PQ reps per day to build up and maintain strong PQ Brain muscles. This can be done while sitting in a meeting, driving, walking the dog, or taking a shower. It doesn’t need to take any extra time from your busy day. These muscles build up really fast. 

Without a strong foundation of Positive Intelligence, attempts at improving performance or personal fulfillment are analogous to planting elaborate new gardens while leaving voracious snails free to roam. The wise investment is to raise Positive Intelligence first. The results are often reported to be gamechanging for the team, and lifechanging for the individual. 

Try this out. Discover your top Saboteurs and PQ score with the free online assessments athttp://www.positiveintelligence.com/



By, Shirzad Chamine-  author of New York Times bestseller Positive Intelligence. He is Chairman of CTI, the largest coach-training organization in the world. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Shirzad has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. His background includes PhD studies in neuroscience in addition to a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford, where he lectures.

Stay wary of a few mistakes that you could make while becoming a manage

Transiting from the role of an individual contributor to that of a manager, is not always an easy journey. Professionals at this juncture have to make the crucial shift from focusing on their own performance to managing and motivating others towards a common organisational goal. There are a few common roadblocks that most employees encounter in their transition.

#1 ‘Unlearn' the old to master the new
As an individual contributor, achievements usually mean demonstrating individual excellence and meeting objectives set by the manager. The focus was always on individual skills and performance towards individual objectives Learning to let go and trusting others to execute is probably the most common challenge that one faces as a new manager. Failing to let go means taking on additional tasks, which rightly should be distributed amongst team members. This in turn, denies team members the opportunity to perform and take on new challenges. Worse, micro-management results in an erosion of trust, as the manager will be perceived as not letting team members take on tasks independently. The new manager himself is stuck doing the same things he was doing previously with less time to master new skills. Learning to delegate is the key, identify the strengths and weaknesses of team members and then get the right person for each job.

#2 Painting the picture in HD: setting expectations right
Moving to the role of a manager invariably means higher responsibilities and higher levels of commitments, both with internal and external customers. Responsibilities will now include quality work within tight timelines and it becomes extremely important to understand your team's capabilities and accordingly commit to deadlines. Do not fall into the trap of over-committing, which leads to client disappointment and an erosion of trust if deliverables are not met repeatedly. An important role of a manager is to effectively handle expectations from customers and an ability to push back. This however does not mean that the team is not constantly pushed to deliver beyond what they believe is their limits.

#3 Micromanaging v/s mentoring
A certain well-known CEO had once rightly said, "It's your job to set the goal posts at the end of the playing field and then get out of the way, so that the team can score the goals." It's best to give teammates the freedom to execute towards set goals. Monitoring each activity very closely and expecting them to be done exactly the way you would do it, limits the creativity of your subordinates and inhibits the exploring of new approaches. It can also be seen as annoying and creates a mindset of just completing the task at hand rather than seeing how it fits into the bigger picture and producing high quality, relevant outputs.

#4 Bring your Game Face
As a team leader, it is absolutely essential to constantly improve your Emotional Quotient. In today's multifaceted work environment, you will have team members across all age groups and from different backgrounds. Gone are the days when roles depended on the number of years of service and the existence of a clear hierarchy. You have to learn to deal with sensitivities across various age groups, manage egos and motivate teammates while being objective. You must take into account individual aspirations and be sensitive, compassionate and firm to help teammates give their best.




by  mr.vinod shah - Sr. HR Generalist, Govt. Jobs Advisor at Delhi Metro

Leadership in your company: Engage employees and reduce turnover

When was the last time you assessed what it’s like to work at your company? How about what it’s like to work for you? These questions are important to ask on a regular basis. Check in with employees about their comfort level in their work environment. Keep in mind, the work environment is not just physical surroundings. Are your employees motivated by their work? Do they feel supported by you? Do they feel appreciated for their hard work? Do they have resources to perform well in their job role?

You may be thinking, “This sounds great, but I have enough on my plate.” Here’s why you should care: As the economy improves, employees have more options for employment, and if they are unhappy in their current role, they will leave.
Deloitte’s John Hagel says, “The biggest challenge for businesses today is learning to think about their employees the way they think about their customers. How do you engage them?” Read on to learn some tips about engaging and retaining employees.
Get to know your employees

Wendy Lea, CEO of Get Satisfaction, says in an article from Inc. magazine, “Simply by letting your employees be themselves, you increase the value of their contribution to your business. You aren’t just hiring a ‘skill set.’ You’re hiring a whole person.” Get to know your employees and find out what motivates them. To do this, you can simply ask them.

Motivators give you an inside look at what inspires each employee to get the job done. To uncover motivators, simply ask employees! When you do, employees will feel you support them in their efforts to succeed, and this, in itself, is a motivator.
Make supporting your staff a priority

Employees need you to support them. Don’t get so caught up in your own work that you forget to check in with your staff. One way to be sure this happens is to schedule recurring one-on-one meetings with employees. Standing meetings help you keep on track and show employees you have time for them.

Another approach is to create “office hours.” You may not want to be interrupted while working on something that takes focus and attention, so e-mail employees a window of time to go over projects. This increases approachability and shows the staff you want them to visit with any questions, concerns, ideas, etc.
Show employees some love

The Container Store launched a campaign on Valentine’s Day called National We Love Our Employees Day. They publicly recognized their employees for their hard work and dedication to the company. While public displays of affection may not be your style, employees need to believe you appreciate their hard work. How you express appreciation is up to you.

Invest in your employees’ success

Continuous improvement and lifelong learning are important qualities for companies to instill in their staff. What does your company do to help employees improve or learn new skills? Offer in-house workshops or employer tuition assistance for employees to take coursework somewhere else. Show employees you are invested in their success by providing and supporting different learning opportunities to help them reach their goals.

While considering how to initiate these efforts, keep these words in mind from Gretchen Spreitzer and Christine Porath as quoted in the Harvard Business Review: “In our research into what makes for a consistently high-performing workforce, we’ve found good reason to care: Happy employees produce more than unhappy ones over the long term. They routinely show up at work, they’re less likely to quit, they go above and beyond the call of duty, and they attract people who are just as committed to the job. Moreover, they’re not sprinters; they’re more like marathon runners, in it for the long haul.”

If you’re interested in uncovering what it’s like to work at your company, give employees an anonymous employee satisfaction survey. This gives employees an opportunity to answer honestly about what they like, dislike and areas they think need improvement.

By Sarah Hedayati-  Impact Learning Systems, a leader in training and consulting for customer-service skills. Hedayati is also an author for Impact Learning Systems’ customer-service and sales blog.