Human Resources or
Human Possibilities: A New Look at HRD
T. V. Rao
Founder
Professor CHRD, XLRI; Founder President NHRDN and Co-Founder Academy of HRD
Chairman, TVRLS, India
In this article the author
traces the history of Human Resources Development and analyses the distractions
the function and philosophy faced over the years from what was originally
envisaged in mid-seventies. The author goes on to propose a new orientation in
HRD philosophy by treating human beings as possibilities than merely measurable
resources. He also suggests creation of new structures or facilitation
mechanisms in organizations to promote bliss or happiness at workplace and make
people more productive and contribute more to themselves, their organizations,
teams, families and the society. The author maintains that this will be natural
evolution of HRD into a spiritual function.
HRD in India
It is more than
Four decades the term Human Resource Development
or HRD got initiated and became popular in the country. It was in 1975 a
decision to start a dedicated Department to promote Human Resources Development
was initiated in India at Larsen & Toubro Limited. Pareek and Rao (1975)
outlined a philosophy for the new HRD system. They outlined 14 principles to be
kept in mind in designing the HRD System. These principles deal with both the
purpose of HRD systems and the process of their implementation. Some of these
principles include:
- HRD
systems should help the company to increase enabling capabilities. The capabilities outlined in their
report include development of human resources in all aspects,
organizational health, improvements in problem solving capabilities,
diagnostic skills, capabilities to support all the other systems in the
company, etc.
- HRD
systems should help individuals to recognize
their potential and help them to contribute their best various
organizational roles they are expected to perform.
- HRD
systems should help maximize
individual autonomy through increased responsibility.
- HRD
systems should facilitate decentralization through delegation and shared responsibility.
- HRD
systems should facilitate participative
decision making
- HRD
system should attempt to balance
the current organizational culture along with changing the culture.
- There
should be a continuous review and
renewal of the function.
By mid-eighties
HR has become an accepted role and most organizations have changed their
personnel, training and other related functions to HRD. Some have
differentiated Human Resource Development from Human Resources Department and
some did not. However, HRD has come to mean new expectations, new body of
knowledge and new function. The establishment of Center for HRD (CHRD) at XLRI;
the formation of the National HRD Network (NHRDN) in 1985; the starting of the
Academy of HRD (AHRD) in 1990; Starting
of Diploma Programs in HRD; starting of Symbiosis Center for Management and
HRD; starting of the Doctoral Program in HRD jointly by AHRD and XLRI etc. are highlights of HRD in India . (Rao,
2003, Pareek and Rao, 2008)
The ISTD and NIPM did not lose time in
focusing on HRD in their conferences. Although this diluted the use of Human
Resources Development and contributed to the confusion between HRD and HR,
expectations from HRD continued to grow.
Today almost all Managers dealing with Personnel, Training, Social Work,
Welfare, Administration, Recruitment, Compensation, and many forms of Talent
acquisition and management etc. functions call themselves HRD Managers or
Facilitators. In some of the IT companies those who deal with Visas and arrange
transportation for employees are also called as HRD staff (meaning Human
Resources Department staff or even Human Resources Development staff). On one
hand we have specialized courses including a Doctoral Programs in Human
Resource Development and on the other hand even unqualified undergraduates are
projected as HRD Managers. This has created a lot of confusion in the
field as the number carrying HR titles in their designations multiplied
overnight without corresponding multiplication of HR skills and HRD
competencies. Lay people and the public could not differentiate the
fine distinctions between Human Resource Development Professional
and HR Professional as both carried HRD designation. In one case it
meant Human Resources Development Manager and in the other it meant Manager of Human
Resources Department and, in both cases, referred to as HRD Manager and became
difficult to differentiate. This confusion
is shared by other countries and did not solve the issue but reaffirmed the
need to remove the confusion.
A significant source of information on HRD in the US as well
as worldwide is available from the Academy of Human Resources Development, USA.
For a long time, Human Resources development in the US is identified with Training and
Development. It is in the American Society for Training and Development
convention sometime in early seventies Len Nadler of George Washington
University is supposed to have formulated the concept of Human Resources
Development. Nadler (1970) defined HRD as a series of organized activities,
conducted within a specified period, and designed to produce behavioral change.
Some of the common activities he identified within HRD are training, education
and development. He identified training
as those activities intended to improve performance on the job, education as
those activities intended to develop competencies not specific to any one job,
and development is preparation to help the employee move with the organization
as it develops. In a revised definition Nadler (1984) defined it as organized
learning experiences in a definite time to increase the possibility of job
performance and growth.
A review of the definitions of HRD by McLean and McLean
(2001) provides a lot of insights into the field. The following are some of the
highlights of this review article:
Ø
While there have been many efforts to define HRD
no consensus seems to have emerged
Ø
The US definition of HRD seems to have
influenced the definitions many other countries
Ø
It appears that definitions of HRD may vary from
one country to another, and the national differences are a crucial factor in
determining the way HRD professionals work
Ø
There appears to be differences in the
perception and practice of HRD in local companies as compared Multinational
companies
Ø
In several countries HRD is not distinguished
from HR but is seen systematically as a part of HR.
Ø
Professional organizations and academics seem to
contribute to the definition of HRD
The following is a sample of definitions cited in McLean and
McLean (2001):
China: “A planned
and organized education and learning process provided by organizations to
improve employees' knowledge and skills as well as change their job attitudes
and behaviors. The process helps unleash the employees’ expertise for enhancing
the individual performance and achieving effective organizational
functioning." (The China
Training Center
for senior civil Servants). McLean observes
that in China
there is no difference between HR, HRD and Personnel.
Singapore: In
Singapore major public agencies describe HRD as the activities related to
knowledge and skills development through organizational and community
development through education, training and re-training, in a lifelong learning
process for improving productivity at the personal, organizational and
community levels.
Most popular among the definitions of HRD in the U.S. seems
to be the one by Patricia McLagan of ASTD, as “the integrated use of training
and development, organization development, and career development to improve
individual, group and organizational effectiveness. (See Walton, 2001).
It is worth noting an observation made by Ruona (2000) “As a
profession we have not done a very good job of working to identify who we are,
what we stand for, and what we can do for those we serve." (p.2). (Quoted
by McLean and McLean, p 1064)
Lee (2001) argued that the notion and practice is dynamic,
ambiguous and ill determined and hence any attempt to define HRD may do dis-service
to the development of those who wish to become HRD professionals. Lee concludes
in this paper on “Refusal to define HRD, “Each of us, in our professional
lives, carries some responsibility as we contribute to what HRD is becoming. We
need to be aware that to attempt to define HRD is to serve political or social
needs of the minute- to give the appearance of being in control. Instead I
suggest we seek to establish, in a moral and inclusive way, what we would like
HRD to become, in the knowledge that
it will never be, but that we might
influence its becoming" (p1078).
McLean and McLean (2001) have offered the following global
definition of HRD after reviewing various definitions across the world:
“Human Resource Development is any process or activity that,
either initially or over the long r-term, has the potential to develop adults’ work-based
knowledge, expertise, productivity, and satisfaction, whether for personal or
group/team gain, or for the benefit of an organization, community, nation, or,
ultimately the whole humanity” (p1067).
Strategic HRD puts…" particular emphasis on the development of
comprehensive, coordinated and dynamic approaches for major learning
initiatives within and outside an organization to facilitate the achievement of
all stake holder objectives in a competitive and turbulent environment.
It is not helpful
given this perspective to think of HRD as subset of HRM, either in the
structural or functional terms. As the strategic significance of organizational
and individual learning as a source of competitive and cooperative advantage
gains recognition, a strategic need arises for appropriately positioned "
learning architects" with the distinctive competencies and consultancy
skills to orchestrate learning initiatives on behalf of their clients. They
need to be partners in the formulation of strategy as well as developers of
"quality" people to deliver strategy" (Walton, 2001 p. 1082).
A similar view is reflected in the HRD Audit approach of Rao
(1999) and in a recent article suggesting if HRD Managers should be retitled as
Knowledge Managers or Chief Learning Officers (Rao, 2000)
In the last two decades Dave Ulrich at the University of Michigan has contributed a good deal to HRD globally. He is in fact known in many countries as Father of Modern HRD. Starting with is earlier books on "HR Champions", Dave went on to argue for HR Score card and in recent times identify global competencies for HR professionals and leaders. (Ulrich, 1997; Ulrich, Borckban and Ulrich, 2013a, 2013b). Dr Dave Ulrich is one person who has inspired thousands of HR leaders across the globe with his thoughts, books and talks. As Ulrich (1997) argued, human resource professionals need to have highly specialised skills to realign HRD. A competent HR manager is required to be a specialist in HR systems, facilitator of HRD processes, diagnostician, change manager, skilled craftsman and a leader. There are many other qualities required to be a good HR manager. in the recent past Ulrich and team (Ulrich et al., 2013a) have identified eight strategic variables that bring competitive differentiation in the modern world:
1. Managing risks
2. Global positioning
3. Leveraging Information
4. Managing globally diverse work force
5. Adapting or changing
6. Building corporate social responsibility
7. Collaborating or partnering across boundaries
8. Focusing on simplifying.
A Mystic’s View of HR
In 2016 in a Leadership Conclave (Isha
Insight) attended by one the authors (T. V. Rao) at Isha Foundation Jaggi
Vasudev popularly known globally as “Sadhguru” said that “Human is not a
Resource. He continued to say that resources are measurable and anything that
is measured limits itself. Human is unlimited, and Humans are possibilities”
(reproduced from personal interactions and your tube talks of Sadhguru).
Sadhguru continued to say later that to reduce human beings to a resource is a crime. (see various YouTube
references on Human is Not a resource from Isha Foundation given at the end)
I was hit by this Mystics
pronouncement that “Human is a Possibility”. Mystics are philosophers and
conceptually they can say anything as it comes out of deeper reflection and
thought and a different understanding of the world of our existence and many
other phenomena. Sometimes to understand them requires a different perspective.
But when I heard this from Sadhguru it has hit me as a good solution to my
struggle. I have been struggling all these years to say that HRD specialists or
HR as a function’s first focus is on “Human”’. Being human means understanding
the unlimited talent (resource) one is born with. It means for HRD Facilitators
“creating conditions for discovering the unlimited talent one is born with and
at times even the limits to one’s growth and talent”.
My own view and struggle are that
many resorted to use HR or HRD or renamed Personnel or T&D as HRD out of
perhaps a genuine desire to start a new function with a new outlook and
philosophy but over a period means have taken over the original intentions and
have become self-perpetuating. HRD or
Human resource department and HR staff exist today in most countries to ensure
compliance, evolved strategies to compete, achieve quarterly and even monthly
targets sometimes at the cost of values and vision etc. HR has now become a strategic
business partner. HR needs to be lifted to Board level and needs to be consulted
for all strategic moves etcetera etcetera.
I have no issues with this if it lifts people working in an organization
and treats them with respect. I found that as Sadhguru said, it has reduced
employees or h Human Beings to a “resource” rather than lifting them up to be
talented contributors and makers of organizations and even societies. The
‘Source” embedded in the term “resource” has been totally ignored.
Though we have started the Center
for HRD at XLRI in 1983, The National HRD Network in 1985 and the AHRD in 1990,
they also seem to have washed away partially in the tsunami like global
competition and competitiveness that hit India post liberalization in 1990s.
Global competition and competitiveness was needed in a country like India to
bring up the talent and make use of it. But the systems meant for discovering
and nurturing talent or human capabilities eventually became mechanisms to be
implemented for their own sake or for certification of ISO or PCMMM, they
become systems driven procedure driven and human suffers. In my view this is what
has happened in India and globally in the last decade or so. 1990 to 2000 was
purposive and focused to become globally competitive. It has put a price on
talent and encouraged people to discover and nurture their talent. Subsequently
we may be losing the game by gross neglect of the very Human which is the
source of all innovation, creative, and technological developments across the
globe. Imagine the developments in Artificial Intelligence leading to
robots doing all work including driving cars in heavy traffic, conducting
surgeries, answering your telephone calls etc. Where have all these innovations,
new products and new technologies come? Who are they serving? Are they being
used to bring happiness, peace, health, education etc. or are they leading
people to have more territorial disputes, create more terrorists, kill each
other? If technology takes over humans by the very technology they created, and
they become pawns, nothing will be left to save this world. In a small measure this
phenomenon of “Means taking over ends and becoming ends in themselves “(a
phenomena Psychologist Gordon Allport called as Functional Autonomy) seems to
have taken over the HR world across the globe.
HR’s job has become that of HR
system maintainers in recruitment, on-boarding, performance appraisal and
management, training, career planning, feedback, and even OD work. What has
become important is the capacity utilization of training centers, reducing Cost
in training, compensation benchmarking, ranking in Employee Commitment surveys,
attrition rates and their reduction etc. seem to have taken priority over
creating happiness at work place, discovering new talent, utilization talent,
nurturing talent etc. The original purpose of HRD function as that to creating
commitment, competence and culture building seem to have gone to the background
and maintaining tools that were created for satisfying a few have become the
way of effective HRD.
In sum, I was feeling that in India what
started as HRD movement to enhance happiness at work through competence,
commitment and culture building has gone to the background. We dropped the
Development in HRD and made it Department. Slowly we dropped Human also and focused
on resources. Now what is left in HRD is Resources Department. “That is why when
I heard Sadhguru talk of “Human is not resource, Human is a Possibility”. It
struck me like lightning thought and I have taken to it instantly. In fact, I readily
agreed to assist in designing and even participating in conducting a HR conclave
that focused on Human as a Possibility in the year that followed, and we are
now going it for the fourth time HINR program (Human is not Resource). I have also revisited the HRD Climate
survey designed about 36 years ago at XLRI and is being used globally. I have revisited
the same and modified it to refocus on Human possibilities. (See Appendix)
Implications for HR Systems:
Human as Possibilities:
How does this change our outlook on HR Systems?
In the following table I have
attempted to differentiate the various dimensions and systems of Human
Resource practice from Human Possibility practice. How is HINR different from Human as a
Possibility
|
||
Dimension
|
Human
is a Resource
|
Human
is a possibility: A Source
|
Meaning and Orientation
|
Is a Department
Is a Function
Managed by Professionals
With replicable structures, systems and processes and planned and
measurable outcomes
Reporting relations ships and accountabilities
|
Is a philosophy and a way of looking at people in their context meant
to discover, nurture and utilize human talent or capabilities.
It is also meant to discover new contexts for exploration by humans
for their and others’ future lives
Possibilities are possibilities and are not easily measurable
Value and process dominated
Every person take charge and organization facilitates exploration
through culture and values
|
Purpose
|
Defined as pay for performance. Perform and collect money.
Talent for money and money for talent
|
State the purpose. Give freedom and opportunity to redefine and
reformulate new purpose.
Discover new purpose and new avenues of fulfilment
|
Vision
|
Vision is for the owners and top management. Need not be shared. If
shared it only for providing to meet aspirations
Align all activities to grand vision of the owner or top management
|
Share vision
Develop vision by assuming each persona as a source of vision
Collective vision
Vision is only to give direction at a given point of time. Encourage
everyone as a visionary
|
Structure
|
Design structure based on the objectives and purposes. Normally
directed by financial goals and company aspirations. Use existing and tested
out structures
|
Let structures evolve. People can provide appraise structures if
given flexibility,
Structures are tools and should be kept flexible
|
Systems and processes
|
Plan systems and rigidly follow processes. Deadlines are
important. Benchmark with the best.
Predictable, consistent and objective systems to be planned and
followed
|
People and their emotions are more important. Capture what interests’
people and build processes around them. Values nd culture are more critical
than rigid systems and processes. Discipline is valued but systems can be
made flexible to suit individual potential and opportunities.
Create your own benchmarks
|
Recruitment and placement
|
Competency based recruitment
Recruit people using tests and other objective criteria
|
Interest is the first qualification. Self-selection enhances
motivation
Assist in making wise choices
Indicate possibilities and recruit for purpose and with offer
flexibility. Don’t rigidly hold to first placement. Give freedom to express
and explore.
|
Induction
|
Induct into the organization, department, role and tasks and targets.
|
Induct into purpose, vision, values, culture. Induct to explore and
experiment. Define boundaries but not limit explorations and experimentation
|
Performance management
|
Structure PMS: Performance planning, KRAs/KPAs/KPIs/Tasks/Targets
etc.
Balanced Score card and 3x 3Performacne Matrix
Forced distribution
Performance based incentives and pay
Periodic reviews
Objective appraisals
Use scales, weightages, Behaviorally anchored rating scales
|
Subjectivity is a part of life.
There is nothing like objectivity. It is in the mind of the
perceiver. Enjoying what one does (work), choosing what one enjoys within the
context, changing the nature of work keeping in mind always the purpose and
vision and values is important.
Organizations re platforms to explore, apply, discover and grow.
Focus is important but exploring new possibilities. S discovering better ways
of doing things and better things to do re also valued
Don’t compare performance of one gain the other. Help perform oneself
continuously.
|
Rewards
|
Claim your rewards and shift if your worth is not recognized or
incentive sed
Pay for competence
|
Work itself is req ward. Learn to enjoy work. Look for doing things
you enjoy. Time is important and is limited. Wasting time is wasting talent.
Not discovering talent is not having time.
|
Training or Learning
|
Targeted training. Planned training
Budgeted training
Measurable training impact
|
Learning is continuous
Learning is a part of life. We are growing every day by learning
Learn to recognize your learning.
|
Leadership bench and succession planning
|
Use assessment centers and 360 Feedback for identifying and
developing successors Break down all hierarchies.
|
Provide various tools and opportunities for each person to discover
his/her talent continuously.
There is no hierarchy and there is no level. You create your own
levels.
Take charge of your learning and be your own HRD manager.
Self-development and continuous renewal are part of life. Each person
monitors his growth organizations can only provide contexts and some
investments. Invest on yourself.
|
Employee engagement
|
Survey help organizations ensure that employees are engaged.
Change policies and practices based on surveys
|
Survey should help people assess where they stand and sue it for
self-improving, and growth. Engagement surveys are more for individual action
than HRD interventions
|
Structuring of HR function or department
|
Hierarchical
One per 100 employees
President/ VP/GM/DGM/SRM
Manager/Dy Manager, Officer/Assist officer etc.
|
Every person is his/her own HR manager
Take charge of your HR
Provide inputs to HR department to facilitate your exploration into
yourself and meaningful contributions to your and organizations life
No hierarchy
Anyone with interest can be a HR manager
Have separate teams to deal with legal and statutory compliance and
not mix with People managers
|
Coaching and mentoring
|
Train coaches
Offer coaching services
Appoint coaches and make people accountable for investments on
coaching
|
Self-coaching is the best coaching. Coaches can’t help you learn
unless you re interest in learning. You re your own coach. Do have mentors of
your choice at every point of time. Change them freely. Let wisdom flow from
all sides.
|
Culture and values
|
OCTAPACE Values needed for organization Development
|
OCTAPACE Values are the essential values for Human Development.
Strong belief that openness, collaboration, Trust and trustworthiness,
Authenticity, Proaction, autonomy, confrontation and experimentation are also
human possibility values
|
Human Possibilities Department (HPD)
I like to
propose a new Human Possibilities Department or alternately a Human
Possibilities Leader (HPL) or Facilitator (HPF) to be appointed in each
organization or a Government department or NGO or Institution. It is based on
the following premises:
1.
Human beings are born with unlimited talent and
their potential need to be explored, used and developed every day. Everyone
should take charge of his/her own discovery and development. HPD like HRD is
primarily the job of every employee person. No one else will develop you and
others can only create a climate or a platform or a facilitation mechanism to
help you explore your talent and possibilities. You are the explorer, creator,
designer and implementer of possibilities. Human being is the source of all ideas,
innovations and actions.
2.
Organizations as entities can create and facilitate
exploration of human talent and its application for creating new business
opportunities, solve problems, issues, enhance productivity, markets, profits,
sales, quality of service, reduction of costs
etc. and take their organization and people working for it forward. This
can be done through creation of happiness at work and treating human beings as
possibilities
3.
There could be dedicated facilitators of this
process and they can be put in a department merely to facilitate and honor the
current forms and structures of the organization. The concept of department is
merely to integrate into the system and save transactional energies that
facilitate the work of the HPD
4.
To begin with each entity or organization could have
a Human Possibility Leader (HPL) or Facilitator (HPF) who is a spiritual leader
for the organization with the primary purpose of helping people to re-engineer
themselves through various interventions like “inner engineering”, ‘feedback” (see the eight forms of Feedback
for development by the author in YouTube) and yogic exercises. Large
organizations could have several such leaders grouped into the HPD and the
budgets provided for facilitation. Innovative organizations need not have HPDs
but create mechanism to facilitate Human possibility exploration by creating a self-exploration
mindset among its stake holders.
5.
HPD
departments in large organizations could undertake various forms of research to
explore human potential, document incidents, cases and stories, gather
information across the world and use it to stimulate explorations of human
talent and possibilities. They should constantly use this research and
documentation for lifting the energies of the employees to explore more
possibilities and help create peace and love in their won surroundings and the
world at large.
6.
HPD and HPLs or HP Facilitators are not designers or
influencers of the existing HR systems like recruitment to retirement and
should keep away from getting drawn into their administration. Any change that
comes through spiritual upliftment of the employees should happen automatically
and not directed by the HPD or HPL. HPLs and HPFs are hierarchy less and are
not to be involved in any positions or other structures while their advice may
be sought from time to time by any interested set of people. HPDs, HPLs and
HPFs will also do community work and facilitate any work around the place of
location through guidance and spiritual upliftment.
A few issues
that arise out of implementing these proposals are given below:
Main Purpose: To create happiness and bliss in the lives of people
and particularly at workplace through various spiritual processes that
inculcate right thoughts, feelings and actions that help humans see meaning in
life and live like humans.
Relationship with existing HRD Departments: HPD or
HPL or HPFs are creations to facilitate Human Possibilities exploration. Their primary
purpose is to create “Bliss” or “Happiness “at workplace, as people give their
best when they are in a state of happiness. The current systems and processes
that exist to direct human effort and energies to accomplish organizational,
departmental, and role related tasks and goals should continue and at best with
an enhanced human orientation where possible. HPD does not in any way
interfere with HRD and it is only meant to enhance its impact through helping
people find meaning in what they doo and enjoy what they do. HPD is thus
helps to take HRD to be more evolved function.
Tools and Systems of HPD: These need to be evolved and
explored. At present Inner engineering, Vipassana, Meditation in its various
forms, Yogic sciences, Human Process Laboratories and various methods like self-renewal
exercises, seminars, inspirational talks, coaching, mentoring etc. that are useful
inputs. Many organizations are already using these methods.
Structuring of the HPD: Structures
are also limitations. Ideally there could be no structure. However minimum
structure is provided for legitimization through budgets and role clarity. This
could range from a one-person department to a team engaged. These could be volunteering
whose livelihood is taken care of by the organization without fitting them
necessarily into any hierarchy. The team itself is hierarchy less and works for
all employees without discrimination. The HPF or HPD or HPL should be
independent of any other department while he/she may closely work with some
departments like HRD and the CEOs office. Full autonomy and independence are
given to them as spiritual leaders. Their help and assistance could be sought
by any department or people. If the organization has the capacity and
innovativeness to keep a loosely hanging structure, it can do so.
OCTAPACE
Culture and Values: These values and culture have been found to be the most
critical in promoting exploration of human possibilities. Openness, Proaction,
Autonomy and Experimentation enhance exploration of human talent and make
possibilities happen. Trust, collaboration, authenticity, and confrontation minimize
transaction costs and enhance respect for each other and as humans. The HRD
Prayer described by the author in his book on HRD Missionary could as well
become the HPD prayer.
Appendix
1
Human
Possibilities Climate Survey
(modified for “Humans
as Possibilities” than Resources” from HRD Score Card 2500 by T. V. Rao: Sage
Publications: New Delhi 2008 Originally developed by T. V Rao and Fr. E.
Abraham at XLRI, Jamshedpur)
Instructions
Several statements are
given here describing the Human Possibilities Climate (earlier
called as HRD Climate) of an organization. Please give your assessment of the Human
Possibilities climate in your organization by rating your organization on each
statement using the five-point scale. A rating of 4 indicates that the
statement is almost always true with your organization; a rating of 3 indicates
that the statement is mostly true; a rating of 2 indicates that the statement
is sometimes true; a rating of 1 indicates that the statement is rarely true
and a rating of 0 indicates that the statement is not at all true about your
organization.
----1.
The top management of this organization goes out of its way to
make sure that employees enjoy their work.
----2.
The top management believes that it is people (employees) who create
new possibilities (products, services, markets, innovations, solving issues etc.),
and that they must be respected and treated with respect.
----3.
Development of every junior is seen as an important part of their
job by the senior managers/officers/employees here.
----4.
The HR or people management policies in this organization
facilitate learning and employee development
----5.
The top management is willing to invest a considerable part of
their time, and other resources to ensure the development of employees.
----6.
Senior officers/executives in this organization take an active
interest in their juniors and help them learn their job.
----7.
People lacking competence in doing their jobs are helped to
acquire competence rather than being left unattended.
----8.
Managers in this organization believe that employee behavior can
be changed, and that people can be developed at any stage of their life.
----9.
People in this organization are helpful to each other.
----10.
Employees in this organization are very informal, and do not
hesitate to discuss their personal problems with their supervisors.
----11.
The psychological climate in this organization is very conducive
to any employee interested in developing self, by acquiring new knowledge and
skills and exploring new possibilities.
----12.
Seniors guide their juniors and prepare them for future
responsibilities/roles that they are likely to take up and explore new
possibilities.
----13.
The top management of this organization makes efforts to identify
and utilize the talent and potential of the employees and treat them as
possibilities for future.
----14.
There are mechanisms in this organization to recognize and reward
any good work done, or any contribution made by employees.
----15.
When an employee does good work, his supervising officers take
special care to appreciate it.
----16.
Performance review and assessments in our organization are based optimism,
hope, and faith on the employees and what they can accomplish rather than fear
and pressure.
----17.
People in this organization do not operate with biases or
restricted views or preconceived impressions of each other.
----18.
Employees are encouraged to experiment with new methods, processes
and try out creative ideas.
----19.
When any employee makes a mistake, his supervisors treat it with
understanding and help him/her to learn from such mistakes rather than
punishing him/her or discouraging him.
----20.
Weaknesses of employees are communicated to them in a positive way
to build them and not in a threatening way.
----21.
When behavior feedback is given to employees, they take it
seriously and use it for development and exploring new w or different ways of
doing things.
----22.
Employees in this organization take pains to find out their
strengths and weaknesses from their supervising officers or colleagues.
----23.
When employees are sponsored for training, or given learning opportunities
they take it seriously, and try to learn from the programs or activities.
----24.
Employees returning from training programs are given opportunities
to try out what they have learnt.
----25.
People trust each other in this organization.
----26.
Employees are not afraid to express or discuss their views or feelings
with their superiors or juniors.
----27.
Employees are encouraged to take initiative and do things on their
own without having to wait for instructions from supervisors.
----28.
Delegation of authority to encourage juniors to develop handling
higher responsibilities is quite common in this organization.
----29.
When seniors delegate authority to juniors, the juniors use it as
an opportunity for development.
----30.
Team spirit is of high order in this organization and we work here
with family spirit.
----31.
When problems arise, people discuss these problems openly and try
to solve them rather than keep accusing each other behind their back.
----32.
Career opportunities and future possibilities for talent
utilization and growth are pointed out to juniors by senior officers in the
organization.
----33.
The organization’s plans and projects are shared with seniors to
help them develop their juniors and prepare them for future.
----34.
This organization ensures employee welfare to such an extent that
the employees can save a lot of their mental energy for various activities and work
purposes.
----35.
Job rotation in this organization facilitates employee development
and exploration of new talent and possibilities.
----36.
When resources are strained financially or other ways the top
management takes a positive view of employees and takes them along to solve
issues by exploring new possibilities than adopt a “use and throw” attitude.
Please assess your HR Team or
Staff or Formally Designated HR Facilitators or Role Holders using the five-point
scale as earlier.
----1.
HR staff treat employees
with dignity and respect and treat them as positively than merely as
numbers and tools for achieving short term targets.
----2.
HR staff set personal
example by high standards of their own behavior and practice what they preach
----3.
The HR staff can be
relied to carry out their promises
----4.
The HR staff are
sensitive to the potential of people and the problems they face is using and
exploring new possibilities
----5.
The HR staff go out of
way to facilitate exploration of talent in new areas and creation of new
opportunities and new avenues for expression of talent
----6.
The HR staff are very
sensitive to the issues the society faces today (water, energy, employment,
skills, poverty, health, education etc.) and facilitate CSR activities in
all possible ways.
----7.
HR staff have a deep
understanding of our business (products and services, customers, key drivers of
business, competitive challenges and strategy of the business unit
----8.
HR staff play an
important role in the strategic planning and decisions.
----9.
HR staff participate
actively in the weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings and review of business
units
----10.
HR staff understand what
drives customers to choose the organization as their service provider
----11.
HR Partners and team are
highly respected, treated as significant and positioned at high level in the
organization.
----12.
HR team is very
supportive to all functions and take time to understand their needs and assist
them
----13.
HR Partners, as a part
of their development process, rotate into the business units playing line
function roles
----14.
HR Partners, as a part
of their development process, accompany sales people on customer calls
----15.
HR team is learning from
various sources including employees, other organizations, HR forums, academic
institutions, books, articles, visitors, seminars etc.
----16.
Our HR team conducts
perioding reviews of themselves for self-renewal and rejuvenation
----17.
Our HR team walks the
talk and implements al that they expect others to practice.
----18.
Our HR team can be
relied highly to carry out what they promise or commit verbally and informally
----19.
Our HR team exhibits a
good degree of empathy.
----20.
Our HR team evolves
systems and practices that reflect a philosophy that “Humans are Possibilities
rather than merely resources”.
Administration
The questionnaire uses a five-point scale. It could be
administered to all employees (especially supervisory and managerial staff),
and a HRD climate profile can be drawn up. Annual surveys of HRD climate could
be conducted and profiles maintained for review, reflection and action
References
McLean, Gary N and McLean, L. D. (2001) If we can’t define HRD in one
Country, how can we define in an International Context?” in Oscar A Alioga (ed)
2001. Academy of Human Resources Development, 2001, Conference Proceedings,
February 28- March 4, 2001, Oklahoma
Nadler, Leonard, (1970) Developing Human Resources, Gulf Publishing
Nadler, Leonard (1984) Handbook of HRD, New York: John Wiley and Sons
Pareek, Udai and Rao, T. V. (2008)
From a sapling to the Forest: The saga of the Development of HRD in India,
Human Resources development International, volume 11, No 5, November 2008,
555-564.
Rao, T. V. (2003) Future of HRD. New Delhi: Macmillan
Ruona, W. E. A. (2000) Should we define the Profession of
HRD? Views of Leading Scholars; in K. P. Kuchinke, (2000) Academy of Human
Resources Development 2000 Conference Proceedings, Baton
Ulrich, D. (1997). The Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding
Value and Delivering Results. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School.
Ulrich, D., J. Younger, W. Brockbank and M. Ulrich. (2013a). HR from the
Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources. New Delhi:
Tata McGraw-Hill.
Ulrich, D., J. Younger, W. Brockbank and M. Ulrich. (2013b). Global HR
Competencies: Mastering Competitive Value from the Outside In. New Delhi:
Tata McGraw-Hill.
YouTube references
Most Isha Foundation videos deal with Human Possibilities
T V Rao’s talks related to HPD: