Saturday, December 22, 2012

Internship at TVRLS to Prepare HRD Missionaries


Internship at TVRLS, Ahmedabad
Internship at TVRLS is meant for HR Students or Management students desirous to specialise in HR to equip them with some of the competencies (knowledge, attitudes, skills, values, motives and the self-concept) required to be a HRD Missionary. HRD Missionary is defined in the book with the same title by Prof. T. V. Rao. The HRD Missionary is one who will work as a Human Resources Development Facilitator for self and others. By this it is meant that the candidate is expected to work in roles or undertake activities that facilitate competency building, commitment building and culture building (3 Cs of HRD) in the target groups he/she works with (individuals, dyads, teams and organizations or agencies or even communities).
The Internship helps the person to explore and learn or acquire the tools, techniques and processes required for the 3 Cs of HRD. The tools and processes of HRD on which TVRLS has been doing large amount of work include the following:

  • Competency mapping
  • Induction and On-boarding including Integration and Assimilation
  • Performance Management including Performance planning, performance analysis, review and development
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Training and other  L & D activities
  • Organization Development & Institution Building
  • Development centres
  • 360 Degree Feedback
  • Leadership Development Interventions
  • Organizational Climate, Organizational Health, ESS, Commitment and Happiness etc. surveys
  • Other tools and processes that may be discovered from time to time.

What TVRLS Offers:
This is a service TVRLS is providing for facilitating the development of HRD Missionaries. This is not a job. TVRLS has a body of knowledge in terms of the following:

  • Books and manuals written by Prof. Rao and his team at TVRLS in the last few years on the above mentioned topics including those published by the National HRD Network and Academy of HRD with which Prof. Rao is associated.(These are available in TVRLS library and also commercially from the respective publishers)
  • Reports and other documents generated through various interventions by TVRLS (these are available for consultation only)
  • Guidance and Mentoring on Research Projects and short projects to be undertaken by the candidate
  • Guidance and mentoring for writing and HR Knowledge and skills through Social media like Face book, Linked in, Blogs and other forms
  • Office space for self study, learning and discussions and scope for office management, program management, or Consultancy management. By participating and providing administrative assistance to TVRLS team of consultants and consultancy services where possible.
Participation in projects undertaken by TVRLS team at the time of the candidate as an intern where possible. There are a few limited projects and it depends on the timing. TVRLS intends to undertake certificate programs on distance education mode or e-learning mode. The candidate may get an opportunity to design, announce, enrol, market, coordinate, mange and attend such certificate programs. The certificate programs are planned on some of the above mentioned themes.
Certification at the end of the Internship highlighting the work done by the candidate. And stating the work done and examinations passed.
Activities and Learning Experiences likely to be undertaken by the Intern:
Compulsory:

  • Reading of select books by TVRLS and others and presenting reviews to the group or writing summaries in social media or blogs. Each Intern is expected to read one book a week and write summaries or initiates Linked in discussions or writes blogs critically reviewing the concepts and initiating discussion and dialogue. The candidate is also expected to generate his/her own audience.
  • Contribution to Perfect Professional: each candidate should write at  least one article of publishable quality in Perfect Professionals
  • Design, participate and conduct with the help of TVRLS team at least one certificate program on one of the above themes.
  • Undertake at least one research or documentation project and complete the same during this/her tenure.
  • Maintain a daily diary of activities, summarise and write a critical report using the Concepts mentioned in “Hurconomics” (book by T V Rao)  justifying the use of his talent and time during the Internship period
  • Optional/Supplementary
  • Participation in terms of assisting in any of the projects by TVRLS team as and when required
  • Office Administration as and when required
  • Professional Assistance to TVRLS tem as and when required or an opportunity arises
  • Possible projects for experience gaining. A large number of these involve working on Internet. A few may require field visits.
  • Assessment of Development needs of young HR professionals as reflected in Yahoo groups another HR groups
  • Analysis of HR issues as reflected in HR Magazines, Linked in, Face book and other social Media
  • Marketing of Certificate programs
  • Preparing a Directory of HR professionals
  • Creating a consortium of HR & OD Consultants
  • Preparing and updating mailing lists of line managers
  • Designing and Conducting on-line information
  • Documentation and critical analysis of HR & OD consultancy service offered in India and abroad
  • Assessing the HR Needs of organizations
  • Designing HR manuals for Small and Medium enterprises
  • Studying the HR needs of SMEs.
  • Surveying the competency gaps of small scale entrepreneurs
  • Documenting the impact of 360 degree feedback on select candidates
  • Preparing case studies of Managers who went through 360 Feedback (see the book 100 Managers in action)
  • Surveying literature on any of the themes mentioned above (ADCs, 360 DF, Commitment surveys, OD etc.) and preparing status studies
  • Administering Psychometric tests and developing the new ones
These are illustrative.  The candidate as well as TVRLS may come up with more.
Summer Internship for Second Year PGD or MBA students:
· We offer summer internship for students. The project work for the interns will involve some of the activities and learning experiences mentioned above.
· Candidates will be selected on the basis of an entrance test mentioned below.
· Selected candidates will get an opportunity to coordinate for one certificate program. They would have to understand the workshop content in detail, identify ways to market the program, read books or TVRLS material with regards to that workshop.
· They will participate in the workshop that they coordinated for, as this will also give them the opportunity to obtain the certification and get conceptual knowledge/ practical understanding through TVRLS consultants.
· Those interns doing an exceptional job may be absorbed as the intern into the HRD Missionary modules or as management trainee in TVRLS (Based on the requirements of TVRLS)
Location and Stay:
The Intern will be located at Ahmedabad and will work from TVRLS Office at Ahmedabad. The intern will be required to meet her own travel and living expenses. TVRLS is generating some Fellowships from interested individuals and corporations to pay these fellowships. It intends to pay a stipend of Rs. 10,000 per month for candidates who are found to be sincere learners and show progress at the end of the first two months.   At present TVRLS is offering five Fellowships for those who have completed their MBA?
The candidate will be required to make his/her stay arrangements at Ahmedabad. 
Selection Process:
Interested candidates need to send their résumé with their photograph giving complete details of address (current and and permanent), qualifications, cell number, contact persons addresses, references of professors, marks, grades, extracurricular activities etc. details and give a write up of a page not exceeding 20 lines stating the reasons for interest in Internship and details of personal career ambitions and values. Those screened on the basis of their bio-data and will be required to undergo and pass an on-line test conducted by TVRLS.  The test will assess the conceptual clarity of the candidate based on the book “HRD Missionary” or “Designing and Managing HR systems” by Pareek and Rao.
Write to:
Visit our web site: www.tvrls.com before applying.
Read the book “HRD Missionary” by T. V. Rao before applying to understand the concepts.   The book is available through on-line subscription to: www.tvrls.coms
Address for Correspondence of TVRLS:
TVRLS, 603 Parshwa Building, SG Highway, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad 380 015. (Tel: 91-79-26872718, 26870312)

Saturday, October 27, 2012

HRD Missionary: Preparing 1000 HRD Missionaries

HRD Missionary: Preparing 1000 HRD Missionaries: 1000 HRD Missionaries If I am restless about one thing in life that is the way HRD got diluted and the way HRD Managers have functioned...

HRD Missionary: Preface to the second edition of HRD Missionary

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HRD Missionary: Some Thoughts on the New HRD Missionary

HRD Missionary: Some Thoughts on the New HRD Missionary: Some Thoughts on the New HRD Missionary T. V. Rao ·          The New HRD Missionary is not entirely new. It is the HRD Missionary (HR...

Friday, October 26, 2012

Some Thoughts on the New HRD Missionary


Some Thoughts on the New HRD Missionary
T. V. Rao
·         The New HRD Missionary is not entirely new. It is the HRD Missionary (HRD-M) or HRD Facilitator (HRD-F) put in the new format to suit the 21st Century generation, personality and requirements.
·         Purpose and Tasks: The primary purpose of this HRD-M is to facilitate the 3 Cs at the individual, dyadic, team, organizational and societal or community levels. The HRD-M may choose to work at one or more of these levels – with individuals as individuals to recognise, utilise and develop their talent; with individuals in relation to their current or future required roles - to create opportunities for role enrichment, create new roles for themselves and enhance their role effectiveness; with dyads (boss-subordinate or senior-junior, employee-customer, manager-direct report, colleague to colleague, etc. pairs) to restore, enhance and  strengthen their bonds through mutual empowerment, mutual help, problem solving and capacity utilisation and enhancement; with teams (formal or informal, departments or cross-functional, task forces, project tams and all other forms of teams temporary or long term) to enhance their contributions, morale, motivation, synergy, decision making and problem solving skills and make team work happen and become a source of empowerment and continuous learning and contribution; with organizations to enhance organisational health, employee commitment, self diagnostic capabilities and make it a happy, healthy and empowering place to work; and at societal level with individuals and groups and societal or community institutions  to create a healthy and happy society which respects people and their competencies irrespective of the caste, creed, religion and other sources of identity.
·         Methods: The HRD-M may acquire and utilise various methods including dialogues, coaching, formal teaching or lectures, discourses, writings, films and videos, internet and YouTube, face book and other social media and methods, questionnaires, games and exercises, stories, case studies, and various other interventions and skill building, value clarification, attitude development, and knowledge accumulating interventions.
·         Values: The HRD-M follows the OCTAPACE (Openness, Collaboration and team work, Trust, Authenticity, Proactivity, Autonomy, Confrontation and Experimentation) and other values like Integrity and Character outlines in the book HRD Missionary. The HRD- M has to be value driven and attempt constantly to practice these values and seek periodic feedback on the perceptions of people and use it for renewal and rejuvenation.
·         Affiliation:  The new HRD-M should preferably be an independent role holder without any departmental affiliation and should stand out as an independent employee with entrepreneurial dispositions. Each HRD-M may work closely with around 50 employees in a corporation or organization (or around 50 families in a community) and his transaction time with every individual works out to be around 40 hours per individual for various inputs and interventions. The HRD-M could be a part of the current organizational structure of the HR or any other allied department if it provides sufficient autonomy to the person  to carry out the above mentioned tasks and does not involve the Missionary in outsource able and routine administrative tasks which can be done by anyone with little skill. The HRD- M should not be involved in incentive schemes, performance appraisals, training administration and such other tasks that put the HRD-M into interface issues and has chance of denting his/her credibility as coach and facilitator. In case the HRD-M is already a part of the existing structure with administrative roles and responsibilities, she/he should be in a position to negotiate or re-negotiate his roles and responsibilities and task structure so as to relieve her from day to day routine administrative tasks and devote entirely to the 3Cs.
·         Power:  The HRD-M derives his/her power from the people she/he works with and on the basis of the nature of work and help she/he provides. In other words the source of power of the HRD-M is expert power and the power as a coach and facilitator. The HRD-M has to work constantly to establish and re-establish his credibility. Continuous learning, dissemination, communication, persuasion and coaching skills are very critical for the person set out to develop into this role. A thorough understanding of how people learn and how to make learning enjoyable is an integral part of the skills etc. of the HRD-M.
·         Time Management: The HRD-M should be constantly aware of the value of time and be sensitive to the time and talent of other people. He/she should maintain his/her time logs and review constantly to enhance her/his value addition in terms of the 3 Cs or in terms of Talent utilization and development. Hurconomics book by the author provides some insights into the time and talent management issues.
·         Salaries: The rationale for salaries of the HRD-M is around 2% to 5% of the CTC of the 50 persons he is serving.

These are some thoughts and in tune with what are stated in the book HRD Missionary. You are most welcome to add more points and or raise issues to enable us to evolve a much refined role for the new HRD-M.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Preparing 1000 HRD Missionaries


1000 HRD Missionaries
If I am restless about one thing in life that is the way HRD got diluted and the way HRD Managers have functioned or not functioned. My professional life and writing provide ample evidence of this. We (Pareek & Rao) started the HRD Department as a separate entity by separating it out from the Personnel Department or Function in mid-seventies (thanks to L&T) with glorious objectives. The main purpose of HRD is to create enabling capabilities in the organization at the individual, dyadic, team and organizational level; integrate individual goals with those of the organization; create a culture of openness and integration and enhance the respect for people in the organization. In short, competence building, commitment building and culture building (3Cs). There was no HR Department in India or the US at that time. Training was being re looked as HRD and being renamed so. Soon in India many companies re-titled their training as HRD without imbibing any of the HRD concepts we outlined. The personnel departments also began to rechristen or re-title themselves as Human Resource Departments (HRD). By mid eighties HRD was filled with confusion: in some cases new name for T&D and in a few other cases for personnel and in very few cases with a genuine understanding of the 3Cs. To clear this confusion we started the Centre for HRD at XLRI. After finding the limitations of a single Institution to promote the HRD spirit, we started the National HRD Network and preferred it to cover various sectors as the 3Cs are for all sectors of the society. It is for the Network I have written the book “HRD Missionary” in 1990 and made it available along with the book on Excellence through HRD (with MRR Nair) that described the role of HRD Manager. After finding the limitation of professional bodies in doing research and pursuing education we started the Academy of HRD. Liberalisation in India brought many new opportunities for HRD Professionals to make an impact and build the new profession and its knowledge base. However things have not moved the way we anticipated. While a lot of new titles and new approaches in HRD surfaced in the last 20 years, they rarely measured up to the mission of HRD we envisaged in mid seventies. Partly the Management schools did not adequately prepare the new generation fully to perform these roles and many CEOs have not even understood what roles the HRD Missionaries were envisaged to play. A series of surveys conducted by us to study the perceptions of line managers at around ten years interval three times in the last thirty years indicated a gradual decline in the perceived performance and image of HRD Managers and HRD function. Symbolically the article that appeared in the International scene “Why we Hate HR?” (Keith Hammonds, 2005) seemed to be so true in India too in spite of the fact we always considered India as ahead of other countries in terms of conceptualising and designing HR departments. What I envisaged in the first edition of the HRD Missionary seemed to become true world wide by 2005, and India in 2012 is no exception to this.
In many companies HRD Professionals don’t know: how to do competency mapping, how to design and conduct Assessment and Development centres or how to conduct employee engagement or organizational health surveys, how to ensure that L&D activities give a good ROI; how to design an on boarding or induction and integration program or how to undertake organizational diagnosis or organizational restructuring and role redefinition exercises. They are constantly in need of external consultants to do the same for them. A number of HRD Managers are still struggling with performance appraisals and applications of normal curves to them. A few other HRD managers particularly in some of the Public Sector are filling their time floating tenders to do HRD work for them and avoid vigilance issues.
The state of HRD in India is rather painful. Looking at the state of affairs some time I am even tempted to suggest that it is time for some of the organizations to do away with such HRD departments whose main job seem to be to rely on outside interventions than to make every manager a self-driven HRD manager to take care of their own 3Cs. The bodies like NHRDN, NIPM, ISTD, AIMA and CII are doing some good work sporadically but are nowhere near what is needed. The HRD Competency model developed by NHRDN and CII, the Doctorates produced by AHRD, the Journal started by NHRDN  focusing on impressive topics like leadership, Institution building etc.; the occasional theme based conferences of ISTD & NIPM are small contributions but have not yet touched even an iota of the need for genuine HRD. In a recent presentation made at IIM Lucknow I have outlined the following seven challenges of HRD:
1.      To think ahead of the CEOs and top management in terms of business or mission, vision, values, goals and activities of the organization;
2.      To influence the thinking of the CEOs, the Board and the top management with new ideas particularly in relation to Talent Management issues;
3.      To focus on developing leaders and leadership competencies in the organization;
4.      To promote continuous learning among all employees and particular learning of seniors from their juniors and Gen Y;
5.      To make the corporation entrepreneurial and innovative by promoting a culture of innovations and proactive problem solving;
6.      To focus on talent, culture, values and other variables that add to the enhancement of Intellectual capital of the corporations; and
7.      To restructure their roles and the roles of others in the corporation by undertaking OD and self renewal or HRD audit and such other activities that reposition them and others or effective functioning.
The task before HRD Managers and HRD profession is daunting. Our colleges and Management schools are responding to some extent. However they lack competencies to cater to this important task of taking HRD spirit forward. Everyone is doing his best both good and bad. If we leave things to happen on their own they may not happen.
To take this forward and o achieve the glorious mission with which we founded the Human Resources Development Movement we need committed people who understand HRD in the right perspective and carry out various HR activities skilfully. We need therefore thousands of HRD Missionaries.   
With a desire to create at least a thousand such HRD Missionaries in the next three to few years and sow seeds for several thousands of HRD Missionaries, I am starting this Foundation called as HRD Missionaries Foundation (HRDMF). The first activity of this Foundation is to prepare a thousand HRD Missionaries.
All my books and writings in the last couple of decades since I have first written the HRD Missionary are focused on HRD skills and how to do things in the HRD missionary way. The books deal with topics like:
1.      Competency mapping
2.      Designing and Managing HR systems
3.      Performance Management
4.      360 Degree feedback and Leadership Development
5.      Organization Development, Self renewal and Institution Building
6.      Assessment and Development centres
7.      Climate and Culture Surveys
8.      HRD at National Level and the Future of HRD
9.      HRD Audit and HRD Score Card 2500
10.  Experiential Learning and Development
I have devoted my life to work on these themes and the underlying theme in all these books and recent articles and seminar talks is to build the 3Cs. I am convinced that there is no alternative to having “HRD Missionaries” or HRD Managers who take HRD as a Mission in their life. I have defined Missionary managers as mission driven. Their goals are not personal but more social and community related. They are highly driven by their goals, and there is an element of sacrifice involved in what they do. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr Varghese Kurien, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Ila Bhatt, Ravi Matthai, and Vikram Sarabhai are all examples of such missionaries. We need such missionaries in HRD. They are needed in the society. I have a lot of faith in the modern youth to take the Mission of HRD forward.

The Course of Study

To create a group of HRD Missionaries who understand, interpret and possess the skills to promote genuine Human resources Development in their organizing or the society I am launching this venture of “Certified HRD Missionaries”. As a part of this program I plan to give them a series of ten on-line certificate programs on the above themes. The candidate  will have to go through various books written by me and others with similar spirit and objectives. They will be certified at the end of each course on the basis of an examination to be conducted during the contact sessions. There will be ten such courses and ten such certificates. Each curse will be over a period of a month. There will be series of webinars or alternate methods of on-line instruction. Each certifcte course will ahve around ten to fifteen such web based interactions.
After the ten certificates they will go through an assessment centre and also 360 Degree feedback. During the course of their studies they may do various assignments. They will be certified as “HRD Missionary” and called “Certified HRD Missionary”. The certification will be based on a few days of stay at the end at Ahmedabad and observation by me or my associates.

Candidates interested in learning full time will come to Ahmedabad and work with me for a year. Full Time Missionaries in the making (MIMs) will need to stay for a year at Ahmedabad and work with me closely. They have to take care of their expenses. They will assist me in disseminating the concepts and skills to others. As they mature it may be possible to take care of their living with their own earnings. We may try and mobilise some Fellowships for them.

Part time MIMs are those registered for the HRD Missionaries program and will be required to pay the fee. The fee will be Rs one lakh with about Rs 10,000 per certificate. Some of the candidates who enrol and are unable to complete in one year may do so in the second year or through remedial to be designed in future.
There will be two to three day contact session every two months and the candidates will have to bear their own expenses for travel and stay.   

Sponsorships:
I welcome corporate sponsorships for this program.  This program will be hosted as a part of an existing or new “Not for Profit Organization” or an Educational Institution.
Registrations
Interested candidates may register for the program by sending a detailed CV along with a one page note on their reasons for wanting to do this program. There may be telephonic interviews and selection on the basis of these interviews and on-line tests.
Address for correspondence
e-mail:  tvrao@tvrao.com
web site: www.tvrls.com
603 Parshwa Building, Bodakdev, SG Road (opp Rajpath club), Ahmedabad 380015, Gujarat, India
Tel: 91-79-26872718, 26870312   

Preface to the second edition of HRD Missionary


HRD Missionary

(Preface to Second Edition of the book "HRD Missionary" available from www.tvrls.com or tvrls@tvrao.com)

In a recent article titled “Why We Hate HR? Keith Haymmonds pointed out the following reasons:

1. HR people are n’t the brightest lot while the function requires bright people with business acumen. The best and the brightest don’t go to HR. HR doesn’t tend to hire a lot of independent thinkers or people who stand up as moral compasses. HR people may not even know answers to basic questions like: who is their company’s core customer? What challenges do they face? Who are the competitors? What do they do well and what they don’t? Who are we? What do they do well and not so well in their own company in relation to competitors and customers?

2. HR pursues efficiency in lieu of value. They are more activity and target driven than out- come and value driven.  HR people can readily provide the number they hired, the percentage of performance evaluations they completed, the extent to which employees are satisfied with their benefits, and the number of man-hours of training imparted etc. They rarely link any of these with business performance.

3. HR is not working for the employees but often to protect the organization against their own employees by ensuring that data are collected to help organization meet labour regulations and standards.  HR people pursue uniform policies against people who are heterogeneous and complex. HR departments’ bench-mark salaries department-by-department or function-by-function and job-by-job against industry standards, keeping pay -- even that of stars-- within a narrow band determined by competitors. They are un-willing to acknowledge accomplishments that merit more than 4% companywide increase and bounce performance appraisals back to managers.

4.  HR people do not get the ear of the top management for strategic issues. Whenever they bring strategic issues they are ignored and are used for hiring, firing, organizing picnics, celebrations, etc. According to one survey a number of organizations are likely to expand their outsourcing of HR activities like learning and development, payroll, recruiting, health, welfare and global mobility.

The article concluded: “the problem, if you‘re an HR person is this: The tasks companies are outsourcing—the adminsitrivia—tend to be what you’re good at. And what is left isn’t exactly your strong suit.”  

The above observations are similar to those made  15 years before the above article appeared  w lead to the book “HRD Missionary” In his Foreword to the book, Mr. M.R.R Nair observed “The HRD departments are happy doing “traditional” functions which get relegated as “Clerical or “Fire fighting”  tasks.” There are however shining examples of organizations adopting clear HRD philosophies.... and contributing to organizational growth and revival.

In a recent survey by TVRLS, line managers from different organizations assessed the effectiveness of the HRD function. The survey results when compared with a similar survey results done in 1991 indicated a definite decline in the effective performance of various roles. This study indicated a definite decline in the perceptions of the effectiveness with which the various HRD functions are being performed as perceived by the line managers. There was a definite decline in the effectiveness with which the HRD roles are being performed as compared to a decade and a half ago. The study concluded that, this is perhaps an indication of the raising expectation of line managers from the HRD managers as well as a reflection of the falling standards of performance of various HR Development activities. Monitoring HRD implementation and conducting Human process research are the two poorly performed functions across most organizations.  Creating a development motivation among line managers by organizing visits to other organizations for them was one of the least attended activities. OD and self renewal activities were also among the least effectively performed activities.  The study concluded that:  1. HRD Managers need to recognize the stake holder expectations and understand the overall business and strategic context of their function. As the expectations from HRD function are changing and they are expected to perform more value adding functions and activities. 2. The HRD function should focus on intellectual capital generation activities and at the same time ensure a good ROI on training and other interventions rather than merely facilitating in-house training activities. 3. The HRD practitioners need to equip themselves with capacity and competencies needed to build the HRD function as hands on, proactive strategic partner with practical contributions to organizational goals and performance effectiveness. 4. The HRD practitioners need to strengthen their partnership and credibility with their stake holders by involving them in policy making and communicating constantly.

Those who read the first edition of the HRD Missionary written nearly twenty years ago would have realised that these were anticipated in the book. The book argued for a missionary approach to implementing HRD.  I began writing this book while I was on a consulting assignment with Voltas and was working simultaneously with the Ministry of HRD to review NIEPA (now NUEPA). I noticed during many of my consulting assignments the new role of HRD created a decade and a half before the nineties was already getting to be either routinised or politicised and was enjoying power. Part of the complication came as these roles and departments were carved out of the Personnel Departments and fell into the traps explained in the book. A few of them like today were doing a marvellous job.  I felt strongly at that time that HRD has many difficulties: CEOs don’t understand how to use HRD, HRD Managers themselves did not understand what they are expected to do and many of them lacked even professional preparation to do right things. This book along with another jointly edited by Mr. M R R Nair, Director HR of SAIL and me (Excellence though HRD published by Tata McGrawHill)  were to serve as guides for those who wanted to become HRD managers.

Since the time the first edition of the HRD missionary was written went years ago a lot of things have happened in this country and worldwide.  In India, opening up of the economy and liberalisation, creation of the new economic environment, upcoming of IT and other services, emergence of many young entrepreneurs in various fields etc. are some of the highlights. Indian Industry has come a long way in the last two decades and Indian Industry has also become a worldwide noticeable industry. Unlike the earlier years Indian products and services got global prominence as all of them started competing in making quality products and offer globally competitive services. There is a sea change in the country. Speed became the order of the day as World Wide Web provided all information and services at the door step. Many organizations started downsizing in nineties and stabilising subsequently in terms of costs, speed, service quality and other parameters. The last one decade has seen two unexpected experiences (the dot com burst and the new economic crisis or worldwide recession experienced in 2008-2009), have come out of it and continued to do business as usual. Competition has become global. Technology has become cheaper and accessible to many. Finances are available in plenty most of the time as there are investors for good ideas and risk takers too. Talent had become more scarce and expensive and hence become a strategic variable. HRD has come under focus in the last one decade much more than before and competent and committed HRD managers have become scarce.  The emergence a large number of consultants and consulting firms and management schools specialising in HR are indictors of this HR boom in the last decade. Most CEOs have recognised the importance of the spotting, procuring, nurturing, retaining and d developing talent. HRD Managers had the difficult and challenging task.

 However as the opportunities grew HRD Managers also started job hopping. This has affected partly the HRD profession. HRD profession ended up as having two images-one in the eyes of themselves and the CEOs and another in the eyes of the other employees. Employees depended on HRD for their growth and maintenance. While HR administration was predictable and any one can do well with little training the more difficult and challenging task of nurturing and developing talent and creating a culture for effective utilisation of talent is complex, long drawn, needs  expert hep and sustained effort.  It is easy to arrange transport and visas and create good physical work conditions and predictable benefit schemes, it needs different skills base to plan, manage and develop performance, and motivate people, get their commitment to stay with the company, get them to enjoy work and show commitment and at the same time grow in the company. It is here professional expertise of HRD Managers and their sustained effort was required.

In many ways though the HRD Missionary was written before the new economic environment it seems to have anticipated the issues well. What has been said in this book remained truer in the new economic Environment. There has been great appreciation of this book from many quarters. Whenever I attempted to review it for re-writing it, I found that there is very little I could add. There was not much new happening that was not anticipated or explained in the first edition. So there was no need for a second edition for almost twenty years.

When I began to prepare the second edition now, I felt that many things remain the same and if any the situation of HRD Managers in those days exists with same intensity. In fact his seems to be the case all over the world as indicated by the article “Why We Hate HR?” written from across the borders.  The book therefore needed only an update as the issues remain the same. The need for HRD Missionaries if any has only increased as the number of non-performing HRD Managers has gone up as indicated by the study by TVRLS. I have updated the same by adding a few more to the list of HRD Interventions: 360 degree Feedback, Assessment and Development Centres, HRD Audit, HRD Score card, Employee Engagement surveys. The argument that HRD Managers should work with Missionary zeal and spirit remains the same. If any it has become more necessary than before. CEOs still do not fully understand the potential use of good HRD Managers. While they speak of Strategic HR and strategic thinking, they seem to put HRD Managers to very little of strategic use. It needs a higher degree of understanding, expectations on the part of the CEOs as well as HRD Managers on what a good HRD Manager can do to transform an organization. To do this HRD Managers need knowledge, commitment, and professional competence.

I hope this book will continue to inspire the new generation of HRD Managers and enables them to do right things and things right. I have dropped the second part of the HRD Missionary that gave a number of questionnaires as there are number of them and are available in more detail from other sources like the HRD Score Card 2500 (Sage, Response Books, 2008) and Training Instruments in HRD and OD (by Udai Pareek, Tata McGraw-Hill) etc.

In all my efforts to pursue HRD, Dr Udai Pareek has been a constant source of encouragement, and a companion. It was Udai who involved me in the L&T assignment at IIMA which lead to the conceptualisation of HRD Function and department. I continue to dedicate the second edition of this book to Udai.

T. V. Rao
January 21, 2010