Saturday, November 7, 2020

Relaunching HRD Audit and Score Card 2500 Post Pandemic

 

Maximizing HR’s impact for Organizational Excellence: A Post-Pandemic HRD Audit & Score Card 2500 based Intervention

T. V. Rao

Chairman, TVRLS

It is about 45 years back we created the new Human Resources Development (HRD) Department and a Human Resources Function (HRF) first in this part of the world. HRF was intended to be distinctive and differentiated from Personnel. It was conceptualized with new vision, philosophy, values, and goals to humanize the workplace. Subsequently in recent years I have even argued and propagated HRD as philosophy and value based and is the job of every individual, team, and organization and not merely that of a specific department or function. When we conceptualized HRD in mid-1970s, it focused on competence building (of individuals, roles, dyads, teams, and organization), Commitment building and Culture building. HRF was given a larger goal of designing and managing organizational excellence by restructuring, differentiating, integrating, strategizing, planning, reviewing etc. with the help of various HR systems and processes. Six subsystems identified to facilitate this process with  critical attribute identification (now competency mapping) as a starting point were: , (i) performance management (focus earlier was on appraisal), (ii) feedback and coaching, (iii) potential appraisal development, (iv) career planning and development, (v) training and (vi)OD.  In the initial stages HRD focused on supervisory and managerial class taking cognizance of the industrial situation around that time, HRF included HR Administration, Worker Affairs including welfare, Recruitment, HRIS etc.; making it a substitute for Personnel function with Human Focus. The formation of CHRD at XLRI, NHRDN as a professional body and AHRD as an institution to promote HR research and education are attempts to keep HRD and HRF human focused. Recent attempts to focus on Human as Possibilities than merely as resources is another attempt to keep “Human” focused. Renaming personnel function as HR and in some cases Training Centers as HRD venters without incorporating anything else prompted us to start these institutions to keep the original thinking intact. Each of these institutions (CHRD, NHRDN and AHRD) achieved to a significant extent the goals though a lot more could have been done.

Opening of the Indian economy in early nineties, raises in salaries, pay for performance initiatives and consequent pressure of talent to compete globally, and create excellence, provided a new opportunity for HRD to make a higher-level impact. A few organizations have propelled by the new economy and liberalization, made a marvelous shift using HR as a strategic business partner. Many remained to struggle using traditional personnel management tools and approaches (largely control centric) with small changes. A few of them have succeeded. High degree of target orientation, strategic search for talent to remain competitive, using new opportunities to make an impact with short term results and some times at any cost, mergers, acquisitions without caring for employee interests in mind have brough new form of reputations as well as disrepute to HRF. HRD became a “department” than “development” and “Human” slowly got pushed to the background in our search to be competitive and global. The focus shifted to achieving quarterly targets for brand building and win talent wars in global platforms. A few organizations continued to do great work with occasional ups and downs but not giving up their Human focus. Some of the business houses and professionally managed corporations in India like Tatas, Murugappa Group, TVS, Aditya Birla group, JK, Eicher, L&T, Bajaj,  are examples of this as HRD philosophy and values are largely ingrained in them. In the new IT sector corporations like TCS, Wipro, Infosys etc. to mention a few also exhibited a high degree of HR values and philosophy. Many PSUs and PSBs had these values as a part of their DNA but struggled balance this with administrative issues and project this adequately to the employees as well as community. Their good work often got drowned under their success or failure in making them profitable and project themselves adequately. There were many good ideas and practices from public sector that got drowned under them under rated profitability and social responsibilities. It is recognizing this need for continuous focus on people as instruments of change and making things happen, we have even started a new slogan “Human is not merely a resource but also a Possibility”. Accepting and promoting the new slogan “ Human is not a resource”  was meant to draw attention of employers and employees to the forgotten or underplayed “H” and “D” in HRD reducing it to “R” (Resources to achieve KRAs and targets.

Pandemic Provides new Opportunity to Re-focus on forgotten HRD

 Covid19 and the Corona Virus pandemic has hit the entire world uniformly. Even well-developed nations with high Human Development Index (HDI) were the first to be affected badly. The pandemic has demonstrated the following:

1.       With all the developments in science and technology (AI, MI, etc.) and invasion into space by reaching the moon and the mars, there is still a lot that we do not know, and we cannot control.

2.       When such unknown factors like the Corona virus or Covid19 or the pandemic strikes us, all human beings look equal. It strikes us without caring for country, caste, religion, community, geographic positioning, richness, economics status etc.

3.       Everyone should take care of self by using protective gears like the masks, washing of hands, and avoiding contacts with potential people and spaces that spread the virus. “Self-Management” becomes the new norm by focusing on taking care of Self. In Eastern cultures like Asia, where relationships are valued, the care for self extends to family. Individuals and their families become the targets for safety and survival

4.       Assault on nature creates a very unhealthy atmosphere and live and let live philosophy gets extended from humans to animals, plants and all other forms of life and energy. The five elements of nature earth, air, sun, space, water needs to be respected (ancient Indians used to worship each of them as Gods). It is important to recognize that we are a part of nature and assault on nature is not in the best interests of humans in the long run.

5.       When pandemic struck the world some of the firms started disappearing and or transforming and a new economic activity that aimed at protecting lives and livelihood of people started emerging. For example, some hotels got converted into hospitals and schools became shelters for migratory workers and many started diversifying their activities to manufacture equipment to guard lives. Corporations changed their orientation to care first for people (employees) a, their families, and the communities where they live and “Human” got refocused.

These significant lessons from Pandemic are likely to remain as reports from across the world from scientific community warn us to be prepared for more such universally impacting emergencies or crisis situations like the pandemic.

Role of HR Post-Pandemic

I have argued in many of my recent webinars, posts, and videos that anyone designated as HR Manager or HR  Leader or HR facilitator must come to the forefront and demonstrate that he/she can make a difference in the lives of people. This is the most needed as well as opportune time to demonstrate the might of HR Profession and professionals. Like the health professionals designated as Corona Warriors (Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical staff, drivers, support staff at hospitals and many others), has the single most important task of saving the lives of people, HR facilitators in firms have the even more challenging task of saving the lives as well ss livelihoods of the employees. To work towards this purpose, I argued that first protect yourself  (keep yourself healthy and fit to function well) and your family, then your employees and their families, also ensure the community where you live and community at large are also protected from the pandemic and future calamities. All business activity is to be focused therefore on remaining healthy and keeping each other healthy and planning for future to make our environment healthy and the company we work healthy. The five focal responsibilities of HR are: self, family, employees and their families, community and employers who provide livelihood for all these. Remain healthy and protecting all from the virus become top priority. The next priority is helping the organization to be productive and ensure its economic and monetary wellbeing. It is only a healthy and productive organization that can provide for the livelihoods of employees. HR has the difficult and yet challenging role of ensuring the lives and livelihoods of Humans beings that work for them. Work from Home, wearing masks, remote meetings, remote discussions social media become focal points besides restructuring work, multiskilling employees, creating new product and service lines, cost savings, reallocation of portfolios, work redistribution and compensation management. For example, some firms have reduced the salary of high-end managers and ensured the bottom levels are secure economically. These created perhaps some new tensions in the world of work and new opportunities for some.

This has brought in new perspective for HR. Once the pandemic is over or even when it is going on what will be the role of HR? What happens to all that we talked of earlier as HR systems and processes or practices? Will there be a culture change or philosophy change? Will there be a new Avatar for HR? How should HR people sue the pandemic as an opportunity to build a new culture or use new technologies or systems and processes to make the organizations a healthy and happy place to live?

 

What Changes and What Does not Change

Almost three decades ago I presented a framework to help understand HRD’s contributions to organizational excellence in my book on “The HRD Missionary”. In this framework organizational excellence outlined five dimensions: (I) productivity measured by financial performance, (ii) Growth and diversification, (iii) Cost management, (iv) brand and (v) shareholder value. In recent years I added to this intellectual capital value of the firm as represented by market value minus tangible assets and went on to argue that HR’s role is to build both tangible and intangible assets through people processes. In this conceptualization: HR systems and practices are instruments designed to facilitate achievement of these organizational excellence indicators and outcomes. HRD systems or instruments create HR processes like role clarity, collaboration, positive organizational culture, HRD climate and values. These in turn lead to HRD outcomes like more competent employees, higher work commitment, higher utilization of employees, better job satisfaction, or happiness at work higher retention etc. In this model HR systems and Practices lead to creation of a Development Climate and positive Organizational culture and should result in tangible talent management and intellectual capital building. These in turn affect organizational excellence.

While converting this to audit methodology for HR and its impact we identified a four-dimensional model of auditing. These a were considered as four pillars of HRD audit to create organizational excellence. These are:  (i) HR systems and strategies, (ii) HRD values and Organizational culture, (ii) HR Competencies including those  of HR staff, Top management, Line managers and other categories of employees; and (iv) HR’s Impact  on talent management, intellectual capital building and financial performance. In this framework the dependent variables are both tangibles like increase in sales, financial performance, and cost savings etc. and less tangibles like intellectual capital and talent. The independent variables are (i) HR systems and strategies, (ii) HRD Climate & Positive Culture and (iii) HR competencies (five categories of people). These three sets of independent variables are interactive but also independent. Our research has indicated that good HR systems effect firm performance through creation of culture (Fr. Abraham’s work at XLRI). Both are driven by competent HR managers, line mangers and top management and all other employees. Our research indicated that each one’s impact on the other is not automatic. It must be driven in an integrated way. However, we found very competent HR staff sometimes did not deliver results if the culture is not well set and systems are not fully mature. Similar way we found that even without sophisticated systems some businesses houses in the past have created a HRD culture and impacted performance. Our approach assumed each of these three sets of variables need to be independently evaluated and an improved. Alongside their impact on tangible talent management, less tangible intellectual capital, and financial performance also to be assessed. This provided the framework for HRD audit and HRD Score card 2500.The audit was based on an assessment of 12 HRD systems and 8 HRD strategies which can be combined now to be termed as 20 HRD systems and processes. These include:

1.       COMPETENCY MAPPING: Current and Future

2.       WORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & MANPOWER PLANNING: Aligned with Vision and strategy

3.       RECRUITMENT: Scientific & Aligned

4.       INDUCTION AND INTEGRATION: All levels culture focused

5.       PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: Ownership & Performer focused

6.       COACHING AND MENTORING: Performance & Potential

7.       LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: 360 Feedback & ADCs focus on agility and resilience

8.       EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION & ENGAGEMENT: Rewards & Recognition

9.       CAREER DEVELOPMENT:  VESATILITY, MULTISKILLING

10.   TRAINING AND LEARNING

11.   WORK FROM HOME or REMOTE WORKING MANAGEMENT

12.   SELF RENEWAL SYSTEMS & ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

HR Processes (Earlier called as strategies)

13.   COMMUNICATION- families and community

14.   EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

15.   QUALITY ORIENTATION

16.   CUSTOMER ORIENTATION

17.   EFFICIENCY ORIENTATION

18.   ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND SET

19.   HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

20.   CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Each of these ae audited to make a 1000-point scale

HRD Values and Organizational Culture was conceptualized as contoured by the following variables

1.       Openness

2.       Collaboration and Teamwork

3.       Trust and Trustworthiness

4.       Authenticity

5.       Proactivity and Initiative

6.       Autonomy

7.       Confrontation

8.       Experimentation

9.       Leadership Climate         

10.   Motivation         

11.   Communication               

12.   Decision Making              

13.   Goal setting       

14.   Control, direction, and supervision of work,

15.   Shared Values

16.   Quality Orientation        

17.   Rewards and Recognition            

18.   Information       

19.   Empowerment

20.   Learning Orientation

21.   Openness to Change

22.   Corporate Social Responsibility

23.   Health  

24.   Safety

25.   Work Satisfaction and Motivation

Some of these variables figure out both as systems and culture. For example, safety, quality, CSR, care for environment etc. figure out both as systems and processes as well as culture. They are distinguished and defined accordingly.

HRD Competencies are considered separately for the following categories of employees

1.       HR Staff (10 competencies were identified also incorporating Dave Ulrich’s earlier studies across the globe

2.       Top Management (Focus on styles)

3.       Managerial supervisory staff (Learning orientation)

4.       Labor and Workmen and

5.       HR Department’s credibility

20 variables were identified to assess the Impact of HR on Talent management, Intellectual capital, and Financial performance. These include 5 dimensions of impact on Talent Management, 10 Dimensions of impact of Intellectual capital and 5 dimensions of impact on financial performance:

HRD Impact on Talent

1. Talent attraction and acquisition                

2. Talent management: induction and integration

3. Talent management: human resource utilization, and employee engagement— (PMS, placements, incentives, etc., performance management, mentoring and coaching, feedback)               

4. Talent management: HR development or competency building, and renewal           

5. Retention and separations management

HRD Impact on Intellectual capital

6.       Intellectual capital formation and structural capital: customer capital      

7.       Intellectual capital: impact on structural capital formation attributable to HR interventions           

8.       Intellectual capital formation: contributions to human capital formation                

9.       Intellectual capital formation: contributions to social capital                        

10.   Intellectual capital: contributions to emotional capital

11.   Intellectual capital: HR contributions to relationship capital          

12.   Intellectual capital: contributions to knowledge capital formation             

13.   HRD systems, strategy, and structure     

14.   HRD competencies

15.   Values and culture

Business Linkages on Financial parameters

16.   Cost reductions attributable to competencies

17.   Degree of financial literacy among employees

18.   Increases in sales per employee attributable to HR interventions

19.   Market value to book value attributable to HR (image and brand building due to competent managers and leadership development)

20.   Extent to which top management shows commitment to leadership and knowledge sharing         

 

Dave Ulrich’s Framework of Organizational (HR) Excellence

I am inspired by a recent linked article by Dave Ulrich (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-well-do-you-manage-your-portfolio-hr-initiatives-dave-ulrich/) outlining 35 dimensions of Organizational HR excellence on  Y axis and five stake holders on X axis and making a 36x5 =180 cell matrix that helps to guide firms on examining their HR investments in each cell.

The five stakeholder results that a company may prioritize include: [1] employee (wellbeing, competence), [2] business strategy (differentiated position, ability to execute), [3] customer (net promoter score), [4] investor/financial (profitability), and [5] social citizenship (environmental, social, governance).

In his conceptualization, HR delivers value through:

1.       9 possible talent initiatives (e.g., acquiring talent, managing employee performance, development employees, managing employee careers and promotions, communicating with employees, retaining and employees, managing departing employees, ensuring employee commitment by tracking employee engagement, and ensuring their contribution by creating a positive employee experience).

2.       6 leadership initiatives (building a business case, agreeing on what leaders know and do, assessing leaders, investing in leaders, measuring leaders, and ensuring reputation).

3.       12 organizational capabilities that can be created (talent, agility, strategic clarity, customer centricity, right culture, collaboration, social responsibility, innovation, efficiency, accountability, information/analytics and leveraging technology). These are akin to OCTAPACE Values and organizational culture in our HRD audit framework.

4.       9 domains of activity for HR effectiveness (HR reputation, HR customers, HR purpose, HR design, organization capability, HR analytics, HR practices, HR professionals and HR relationships)

Using these elements Dave Ulrich goes on to create a 180-cell portfolio of organizational HR effectiveness. He suggests the use of this guidance system to analyze the investments in each cell and measure the extent to which the fiver results to stake holders are delivered. Dave’s analysis and presentation are based on his work with globally HR professionals and rich in conceptualization. It is based in his own research and framework. Inspired by this work I have reexamined our HRD Audit and HR score card 2500 an tried to examine if I need to relook at the audit or score card  On the basis of my own review and discussions with a few colleagues, we  have come to the conclusion that the four pillar framework we have been working for the last three decades and modifying from time to time through a series of “ train the trainer”  and “ HRD auditors” workshops in India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other countries as similar in objectives with differing conceptualization. Thea se are perhaps two different ways of cutting the cake. I think it is cutting the cake differently but with a similar objective of making guidance available to enhance HR and organizational effectiveness.

However, the big contribution of Dave Ulrich’s portfolio is the addition of each of the five stakeholders of HR and creation of the 180-cell matrix to help examine HR investments. I consider this as extremely useful. Although we have been talking about the need for HR to focus on servicing multiple stakeholders, we have not so clearly tried to link each HR activity to impact on stakeholders: Internal (Employees &s Strategy), External (Customers, Investors and Communities). 

In our four pillar framework of HRD audit, the methodology itself based on inter views and other forms of inputs given by four of the five stakeholders: Strategy is our starting point, Employees are an integral part of the audit and Customers are interviewed wherever appropriate and customer centricity figures in all the four pillars. And community as addressed by CSR and related systems the entire focus on results should make investors happy. Thus, in our settings and given the four-pillar model our preference is to retain our framework and modify it to suit the post-Pandemic experience. This has been done in the above framework.

Conclusion

After reviewing and revisiting the original conceptualization of HRD and Human Resource Function and the four-pillar framework of HRD Audit and HRD Score card 2500, I conclude the following:

The original postulates of HRD, HRF, HRD Audit and HRD Score card 2500 are inclusive and comprehensive to make HR function as an all-weather leader to create excellence. They can well take care of the changing business scenario post-pandemic. A few modifications in HRD systems, and Competencies to suit the changing role of HR in creating organizational excellence and create agility and resilience in Asian organizations will be good enough to make them more relevant and contemporary. Consciously incorporating a few HR systems and practices like the following will help HR to re-emerge and establish itself as the future driving function for organizational excellence:

a.       HRD systems should include: Work from Home and Work Management Systems (restructuring of work, reallocation of portfolios, multi-skilling, managing contract and migratory workers, job rotation etc.)

b.       HR strategies be reformulated as HR systems and practices with emphasis on CSR, HSE and aligned with changing inside and outside community needs

c.       HR Competencies be modified to emphasize the HR’s focus on safety, health, self-management, family of employees as well as community focus as customers are a part of the community and firms main job is to serve the society while conducting its business profitably and top management styles to deal with emergency management.

I hope with these changes our Post-Pandemic HRD Score Card 2500 will assist organizations to drive excellence with HR playing a major role and even taking the driver set to build corporations for a better future.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

TVRLS-WFHSQ:A New Tool to measure the suitability of working from Home

T V Rao Learning Systems Develops a New Tool to measure the suitability of working from Home

Work from Home Suitability Quotient (TVRLS-WFHSQ)

© T V Rao Learning Systems Pvt Ltd

Work from Home does not suit everyone. By making it a policy and making everyone work from home on some days or all the time firms may bring down their productivity and increase transaction costs.

When you pay Rs. 30,000 (thirty thousand rupees) to any employee, he/she costs three rupees a minute. An hour wasted is 180 rupees wasted. Working from home is more suited for certain individuals who save commuting time and related energy and give higher level of productivity. Those with do not have infrastructure and other facilities to work from home, are subject to interruptions and social pressures due to multiple roles they have  to perform at home may not be able to give their 100% working from home. Hence it is advisable for firms to identify those that are ideally suited for WFM home and develop a framework for WFH than rushing into policies.

If you have a workforce of 50 employees and all of them are asked to work from home, even if it does not suit 20% of them you will be lowering your productivity.  For example, if the CTC of each of the 50 employees is Rs. 12 lakhs. That means each one of them is on a rupees one lakh per month gross remuneration and each of them cost you Rs. 600 an hour. Approximately. a productive time loss of one hour a day means at least 20 to 25 hours a month per employee or equal to Rs. 12,000 a month per employee. For 10 of them (20% of the 50 employees) it costs 12 months x Rs. 12,000 x 10 = Rupees 14,4000 (14.4 lakhs) and opportunity cost is Rs. 1.4 crores. That will be the saving your company can have by differentiating those who are suitable from those who are not suitable and take preventive or corrective action.

How to deal with those not suited to work from Home?

Firms must first identify the reasons. The diagnostic tool by TVRLS, Work from Home suitability quotient is based on the assumptions that employees can give maximum productivity f they have the following to work from home:

1.      Infrastructure facilities measured by Infrastructure quotient (InfraQ)

2.      Interruptions and Interference quotient (InterQ)

3.      Personality and attitudes Quotient (PAQ)

4.      Productivity and Time saved quotient (PTQ)

 

The four quotients add to give a percentage score or an overall WFHSQ. The corrective actions of company based on this tool include:

·         Providing infrastructure and other facilities

·         Training to manage WFH (attitude and time management training)

·         Family counselling

·         Establishing monitoring and other support in consultation with employee

·         Decision to encourage WFH all days or some days for each employee

·         Decision to discourage not allow some individuals to work from home

·         Job redesign and work allocation and reallocation to facilitate those with high suitability to WFH

·         Etc.

 

The tool takes 10 minutes and will be available soon for use. Firms will be able to identify with the help of this tool those who are suitable to work from home and save a lot of unproductive time. They will also get the best from employees by using the tool and designing appropriate interventions.

Enhance your Employee Productivity by using this Diagnostic Tool

Firms may desire to enhance their employee productivity by diagnosing individuals who are suited to work from home and also suggesting mechanisms to save time and use talent appropriately

TVRLS believes that happy people give higher levels of value add. Participative diagnosis helps enhance happiness, satisfaction, and engagement. Using this easy to use tool:

 Plan interventions to maximize productivity through WFH

 Formulate polices or frameworks to work from Home

·       Examine the impact of these frameworks and policies and recommend to firms. 

     Coach employees to maximize the impact of WFH


  

For details write to: tvrlsblr@gmail.com


Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Are you the Sower or the Seed: A Question for Leaders

Are you the Seed or Sower: Reflections for Leaders & Coaches?


T. V. Rao
(tvrao@tvrao.com)


A sower went to sow the seed. Some fell on the rocks and did not germinate or as soon as they germinate the sun burnt them. Some fell among the fence and soon after they grew a little the fence suppressed from growing. Some fell on the fertile land and they germinated grew and gave fruits and shelter to many others.

 This parable has many lessons. Every leader is a seed. Without growth and germination, you cannot give shelter and lead others. In my interactions and even in coaching sessions I am confronted with many types of people:

Type 1: I am like a seed on the rocks. Most people around me are rigid with strong views and I am unable to do anything. I am simply breaking my head and finally I am giving up.

Type 2: I am surrounded by strong fence. Only their opinions are heard, and I have no say. I am not given an opportunity to show my talent and lead. I can even be better leader then them if only given an opportunity.

Type 3: I am happy to be in an organization where I can do a lot of things. It is very fertile and prepared organization to bring change and make an impact.

 My response to Type 1: Remember you are not merely a seed; you are thinking seed, walking seed, and talking seed. Think of alternative ways to break the rock. The rock may not be as solid and rigid as you think and it may be fragile rock or a rock of ice that needs a little heat and it will melt and change the surroundings to the advantage of all. If you still find the rock to be rock despite your talking, then walk away from the rock and search for a more fertile soil. If you are finding yourself on the rocky terrain all the time, introspect if you have a knack of going on to the rocks so that you can defend your non-germination or use it as an excuse for your laziness or incompetence. Examine the nature of yourself and since you are a thinking seed you can transform yourself to be a seed that germinates even in rocky terrain. How many plants have we not seen among the rocks and even on the rocks? Be one of them!

 My response to Type 2: Perhaps the fence you see around you are imaginary. Check your own thoughts and try experimenting by removing the fence. Fortunately for you, like you yourself, the fence around you is filled with thinking, walking, and talking plants. You can enter a dialogue with them and convince, negotiate and if necessary, even threaten of walking away to their disadvantage. They are perhaps living there by making others believe they are there to protect you. Perhaps they are being nurtured to protect you and they do not even realize that in their eagerness to protect you, they are not allowing you to grow. Think, reflect, dialogue and experiment to convert the fence into your support. If they continue to still cripple you, walk away. Do not go in search of more fences and plants to protect you. Go to free and fertile land as you are a thinking, talking, and walking seed with tremendous potential and possibilities.

 My response to Type 3: Good, you are lucky. You have made it. How about making it more. Causing more happiness to others and multiplying your type of seed that can germinate anywhere and help others. Build yourself to be self-multiplying seed. You can do it because you are not an ordinary seed. You are a seed that can think, walk, and talk. Teach others your experiences. Perhaps your story will tell others how you converted a rocky terrain into a fertile land. Or how you managed the fence around you and over grew to the current leadership level. Convert yourself to be a sower of seed. You can be an institution builder. and multiplier of talent.

 For Leaders, CEOs, CXOs, People Managers HR Professionals: You are both the sower and the seed. As a seed, reflect and attempt to be like Type 3 above. As a seed you should be excellent. As a sower you have even more responsibility to choose right seed, separate them from bad ones and ensure that they are planted in the fertile soil. It is your responsibility to prepare the ground or chose the ground that is fertile. Sometimes you are not even aware of the ground where you planted your seed. You may have mistaken the rocky terrain to be fertile soil or may not have even noticed the fences around the place you planted the seed. Once you planted your job is not over. In fact, it begins after you plant. You must be in touch and see how the seed is germinating and growing. You need to handhold until such time they become mature enough to grow by themselves and withstand weather and other fluctuations.


It is easy to be a seed (constant learner) and it is more difficult and responsible to be good sower, because, as a sower you should your self be a good seed and as sower  you should have nurturing ability, judgement,  empathy, compassion, and ability to convert the rocky soil into fertile place and remove the fences or work with the seed to remove the imaginary rocks and fence around them that is not letting them grow.


As a leader you are a thinking, talking and a walking seed and sower. What can you not achieve if you realize the greatness of a leader, Teacher, CEO, CXO, HR Professional? Whoever you are you could be more- because Human is a Possibility. 





Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Functonomy ; A Less Recognised Disease in Organizations

Functonomy, Systonomy, Structonomy and Actionomy: Organizational Diseases Less Recognised
T. V. Rao

About 55 years ago I read about an interesting concept called "Functional Autonomy"introduced by the famous Psychologist Gordon All port. The concept said that actions started to fulfil certain needs originally become autonomous over a period of time and get continued for their own sake even when the original need ceases to exist. As one of my professors of Psychology  Dr. E G Parameswaran explained those days, a person with a failed love resorts to drinking or or smoking to manage his frustration; and after a few years even when he has a new partner and is happy, continues to drink or smoke. The behaviour of smoking and drinking has become functionally autonomous and has become a goal in itself. It is powerful concept of Allport.

Structonomy: I find this operating in many organisations. Structures that are started to fulfil originally a need (for expansion, problem solving, growth, quality assurance, supply chain , speed, customer delight etc.) are continued for unlimited time and are made self-perpetuating even when the original need ceases to exist. This goes some times to a pathological extent and becomes a burden on the organization. For example if you started a "Recruitment Division"in a company when you are recruiting large numbers of people the department continues to not only exist but expand even when recruitments are reduced drastically. Some of them are maintained o serve the recruitment consultants who then find new forms of work in that organisation.Recruitment is just an illustration, there could be many departments structurally become autonomous and continue to exist and even become a drag on the organisation as they have created enough work for themselves and others. Organizations find it difficult to wind up structures once they stated and structures make sure that they continue to exist by finding out new reasons for their existence adding a lot of fat to organizations. This is particularly prevalent in government and there is always a protective reasons of social purpose and employment.

Thisi true not  only with structure but also with Functions (Functonomy) where functions started to fulfil certain needs, goals become autonomous and continue for their own sake without fulfilling the original goals or needs. I have seen this happen with HRD or Human resource Development where the function converted itself into Human Resources Department and found many reasons to continue and even expand. Originally starts with one HRD Managers and gets eventually elevated to AGM, DGM, CGM, Director, Executive Director or President etc. without even fulfilling the original goals and coming up with new vision, mission and values etc. This is not to say what exists as a genuine growth of the function is unwarranted. Many grow in a planned way and fulfill the needs or create new needs and change themselves to strategic business partners etc. Needed or not needed is subject to review and examination. A training department started to build skills among unskilled workers eventually transforms itself into Training Institute or Leadership training Institute or Management development Center even when there is no need for skill development and some one else (including an outsourced agency) is developing skills. 
Please don't mistake me a cynical as I am not saying all such functions are not needed. I only mean those that have become autonomous and continue to exist even after the original purpose does not exist.  

Systonomy is a disease where a system or a set of systems started to fulfil originally certain purpose or goals continue to exist even after  the original purpose for which the system is needed ceases to exist. For example performance management systems started to bring objectivity in assessment and bell curve as a means to reward employees and promote internal competition will continue even after discovering that the bell curve ahs the reverse impact of demotivating people and than motivating them. 
Actionomy  (I prefered to sue Actionomy rather than Actonomy as certain companies have that name and I don't mean offence to them) is a disease where certain activities or actions a startered to fulfil originally certain goals (reflection ,review and development)  continue to exist when those ends are no more an issue or not needed. For example I have seen many organisations starting 360 Degree Feedback as a development tool and eventually incorporating it  and continuing it as a PMS tool rather than a voluntary reflection and development tool. 

Solution: The only way to eradicate this disease is a periodic review of the structures, systems, functions and activities to ensure that unwanted ones are discontinued. Management as a class and as a process could some time be a self perpetuating and self multiplying virus. If this virus spread unwanted systems, processes and activities the disease could become cancerous and g bring doom to the organisations. I would particularly cautious government departments for this as most government departments are subject to this virus. They were already infected with the virus of target setting in departments like police and taxation whre targets form a part of Performance appraisals and innocent public suffer due to the virus of target obsession. This happens even with Doctors in private hospitals, who else can be spared?