CROSSROADS-No Requiem for Non Believers

RAJIB KUMAR

Is this divine vengeance against satanic designs? An absurd philosophy’s (and its fiery execution) bluff has been called.

The refusal to sing an Islamic requiem for the terrorists killed in the Mumbai encounter is the strongest statement the world has seen till date in the war against terrorism. Of course, it comes from the Muslim clergy, the authorized interpreters of God’s words.

The Mumbai mayhem has evoked a spontaneous response and the expanse of the response is a wonderful case in 360 degree. The most damning of the appraisals for the terror philosophers have of course come from none other than the clergy.

The decision of every Indian to stand up and get counted in this war against terrorism is a rhythmic response bereft of any mobilization by political outfits.

That India has changed since the 1992 blasts could be seen, felt, and heard virtually everywhere. Whether its Mr. Shah Rukh Khan declaring on TV that he’s a practicing Moslem and would be too glad if anyone can point out anything in the scriptures even vaguely justifying terror or Ms. Priety Zinta leading a peace march…. its written large on everybody’s face: We’ve Had Enough.

Blogs, Orkut & Facebook, mailers, SMSes…. The new age tools of communicating and networking have been put to successful use in combating terror…. in the mind. Well George Bush and Rudy Giuliani led the American people to a state sponsored battle against terror post 9/11; Since political members of our class were too busy promoting Terror Tourism to in-house film makers an apolitical forum- with everybody on board-filmstars, singers, painters, teachers, businessmen and women, corporate executives, students…. you name it …got into the act.

The media facilitated the germination in a big way setting new standards of maturity in the process. Complaints of “release of strategic information” were countered by validating that the commando operation was telecast on the delayed transmission mode. Serious, No-Nonsense people weren’t taking anything lying down…if you are combating…you got to be get into the “combative mode” in the first place-plain and simple-it’s India’s brand of the war against terrorism.

Even if India ain’t shining as our economists and many of us would vouch post globalization, we got to atleast give those two words credit for facilitating the process of creating an empowered, networked and bonded young at mind India who would give a damn to what a certain fella had to say about who is a Mumbaikar and who’s not and rather get the job done. This only happens in India…. indeed. …

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily purport to constitute an official position of Offline or Material World

(Offline-Special, Greater Impacts, Volume-5, No- 5, December 2008)

Rajib Kumar's Speech at the Fresher's Welcome Programme of Annex College, Kolkata

My dear students, I am glad that you have chosen management as a career and Annex College as your institute.

Young friends, today we are living a global environment where there are certain issues beyond the academic curriculum and which you must start developing in you from day one to be successful. I shall spend sometime on these:

Cross Cultural Communication:

A global environment implies business models based on supply or value chains, models resulting from acquisition, mergers and restructuring. This scenario naturally necessitates that we appreciate diverse cultures in our workforce and acquire necessary skills to deal in cross-cultural communication.

With a whole lot of new sectors coming into the fold India today has a lot for opportunities for young professionals like you than a few years back. This again poses a problem for future managers like you. As ladies and gentleman managing functions, retaining your team is going to be the greatest challenge in the years ahead. You must appreciate this isn’t just a problem for the HR fraternity ---its everybody’s problem now.

Infact every business model today necessitates that executives be skilled in the HR and Marketing functions because anyways you shall be managing people and your success shall lie in success of those you manage. Again out of pure business need every entrepreneur explicitly or implicitly desires that you market the brand both internally and externally.

Multitasking

Business today also demands that you get into the multi-tasking mode. Instead of cribbing about limited or unavailable resources modern managers are expected to make do with available resources and make do in the best possible way.


Networking

The importance of networking was never so underscored as it is now. From being frowned upon or being branded as “unethical”, managers who are effective in networking at the personal and professional level are not just admired or respected but are undoubtedly in huge demand.

Good Human Being

I believe if you wish to be liked and admired by everybody in the circuit you need to be a good human being. Humility, Compassion, Sense of Humor, Empathy and Honesty – these eternal values are gaining more importance ironically in an age where the human being is often reduced to a robot. Perhaps that is the reason why a good human being in blood and flesh is in great demand. Therefore, as you take a giant leap in your life today with your decision to get into management education please also endeavor to become a good human being along with a good manager and I tell you in the years ahead there wont be much of a difference between the two.

As members of the academia we would like to see to you grow in leaps and bound. We want that you become the agents of an intellectually challenging community setting benchmarks that others can follow.

I shall leave you with these lines from the poem Hills to Climb:


Hills To Climb


Throughout my day let there be hills to climb
There is scant zest in mastering the plains
For loitering, for rest, there will be time
When daylight wanes.

Let my horizon ever to be a hill
Which I must reach although the trail be steep;
Up, up to climb with energy and will
Before I sleep

For when I reach the summit on a hill
I’ll find my dreams guarding the topmost peak
The sun will set, the air be calm and still,
And God will speak

Not in a valley let me end my day;
I would have heights to gain a clearer view:
Therefore for hills I pray and strength to climb
Dear God to you….


God Bless You; God Bless Annex

Material World Anniversary Debate 2008 Reports

A “less competitive” debate

Perhaps the overpowering presence of academia in the Material World Anniversary Debate Panel this year saw an unconventionally “less competitive” debate with speakers complementing each other in their deliberations. Coincidentally, every member of the entire panel including the Chair is or has been attached to educational institutions as faculty.

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Imageries galore

If DP Chattopadhyay of Globsyn Business School (the only panelist who did not refer to any paper for his deliberations) with his captivating extempore and a very stylish accent used human anatomy to highlight the importance of peaceful coexistence of the hard and soft skill, RP Yadav, CMD of Genius Consultants resorted to poetry…

“Song Without Music
Ice cream Without Ice & Flavor
Food Without Salt & Spices”

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Brotherhood too….

Such was the feeling of bonhomie that Prof Chattopadhyay turned down the Chair’s (Mr. Biswajit Matilal, Veteran Media and PR Personality) offer to refute the opponents’ views in the second round. “I would neither counter the views of the opponents’ nor reinforce the views of my colleague,” he asserted.

*
For Debate’s sake…

It was left to Rajib Kumar, CEO, Material World and Jt. Secretary, National HRD Network, Kolkata and Dr. Subhashis Majumder, Principal, Bhavan’s College of Communication and Management to fight out in the end. Kumar’s views appear above; Dr. Majumder underlined the poor state of hard skills training in institutions.
*

Balance, Equilibrium and other stories…

In the end everybody was talking the need to balance though…Dr. Majumder’s opinion of the need to find equilibrium between hard and soft skills was welcomed by Kumar. But then he asked…who decides on that equilibrium? Education after all is a business today.
*

Family Business…

And the light mood continued when Kumar responded to Yadav’s family example with “Yes…we sure need soft skills training in the family. All married men know that.” The audience and the panel burst into laughter. Even the somber Mr. Matilal couldn’t help grinning and chipped in ”I can see Mrs. Kumar’s face. Mr. Kumar should remember he has to return home after this.” True to the general mood the debated ended on a tie.

Dimples, Spirits and Cricket in Summer

RAJIB KUMAR

At the very outset I sincerely apologize to readers who do not give a damn about cricket or/and IPL. I hope my indulgence, two times in a row isn’t a case of OCD; infact that I have NOT been bitten even an inch by the IPL bug can be validated: though a life member of the ill-fated Cricket Association of Bengal I didn’t care to pick up a ticket for a single match; I have managed to watch just two on TV thus far, that too more under compliance of group behavior than personal choice.

So why IPL again? Well, simply because I feel that we are at the crossroads, thanks to IPL, on how sports and business are going to relate to each other in India in the years ahead- something which cannot be given a miss in a journey toward an intellectually challenging knowledge India:

a) The Vijay Mallya and Rahul Dravid tango: Welcome to the coming of the “owner” in Indian sports. Mr. Mallya’s much touted “interference” is but a natural

By product of the system. In the West, some team owners are “less interfering”, leaving the job for professional managers and there are others “more interfering” types. It is just a coincidence that good old Rahul with the public image of a quiet, quintessential guy has the high spirits of Mr. Mallya for company.
b) ICL Vs IPL: As the original cricketing cry child (long, long ago before Shreesnath and minus the slap) Mr. Dev (sometime the Harayana hurricane) has lamented that the ICL was not just better organized, the 22 yards track was not meant to be a bowler’s crematorium (unlike in its “P” version). Yet BCCI accreditation was missing; what’s more, the media too was distinctly indifferent. While Mr. Modi, the brainchild behind IPL would have us believe that all the money spinning efforts shall in essence be neutralized as everything shall swirl back for…you guessed it…for the benefit of the game while the rogue call Subhash Chandra wanted only profits for himself. We believe you.
c) Wrong headlines: Slapped Affront; Black or White; Bare or Not to Bare; Cop Under Cover… the silver lining has been the all dimples, Shah Rukh. Shah Rukh has epitomized everything about the new young India. He has never kept his emotions concealed yet he has displayed a high level of maturity of taking things in the right spirit and treating a game as just as a game despite the stakes involved. The picture of an elderly lady fixated in his bosom and generously picked up and flashed in the dailies has done a world of good as an epitome of warmth and humility. He is indeed a manifestation of everything positive of the young and empowered India- rich and wealthy; popular yet ain’t flashy; smart and witty and again compassionate and caring and managing time effortlessly at all this.

Shah Rukh Khan is the one bright spot in the IPL’s troubled life.

(Offline,Volume-5, No- 3, May 2008)

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CROSSROADS

RAJIB KUMAR

Will events like IPL bid adieu to the age-old policy of marginalizing the states?


Ever Since India attained independence, union governments have implicitly and explicitly worked towards weakening individual states. The philosophy behind this “official line” was empowered states were a threat to the center. The public position was of course that this would augment thoughts of secession from the Indian state.

The dreaded article # 356 of the Indian Constitution (or as some would say a section in the Indian Penal Code!) has been freely used over the years to teach errant states a lesson.

This was quite in contrary to the way of life in, say, America, where you would observe the same vociferous support in Chicago for the Bulls as for the US soccer team and with undiluted official sanction.

Perhaps the realization that stronger states mean a stronger nation came to India managers only post globalization.

Events like the Indian Premier League which has caught the nation’s imagination (including the most wanted men and women of Bollywood) might just give the much-needed fillip to greater feelings of federalism.

It is silly that thus far this was scorned upon. In Chicago, Illinois you would spot banners of Bulls happily fluttering alongside the stars and stripes just like those of Phoenix Suns would in Phoenix, Arizona.

I take the American example because of the synonymity with the Indian Example: Both are huge countries (America huger ofcourse and both have a huge number of states (America 50, India, not too far behind… 28 and 7 so called “union territories”) The American citizen’s loyalty to his state and country is equal and mutually exclusive. Thanks to market forces we get to see the celebration of the “state” in the lanes and bylanes of Kolkata…. Kolkata Knight Riders banners fluttering all over the place. The next obvious question is: when shall we get to fly the tricolor atop our apartments?


The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily purport to constitute an official position of Offline or Material World. The author’s write up is based on an entirely personal reflection and is bereft of any intention of a personal tirade against any individual or group or section of society

(Offline,Volume-5, No- 2, April 2008)

Designing A Corporate HR Plan

INDRANIL BANERJEE



As the business year has completed and the industry and the stakeholders are anxiously waiting for the results, the corporate world hardly has time to take rest, rather the honchos are gathered to develop new strategy to chalk out the corporate plan for new financial year. The corporate plan whether involving issues ranging from creation of a new image building drive or setting up of a new division or outsourcing of some non-core activities involve vital inputs from its HR department. To offer meaningful inputs in the business process of organization value chain during recent time the role of HR became noteworthy. HR just cannot remain isolated or behave like a mere headcount in the Corporate Think tank team. In order to ensure proper assimilation of Company objective with the aspiration of its people during recent past the need of a corporate plan for HR department of the organization has strongly been felt. Such plan if developed thoughtfully helps the organization to build its roadmap and thus may act as a useful strategic management tool. The following issues are required to be kept in mind at the time of developing plan to ensure its deliverable value.

· Role expectation of HRM wing :

The general expectation in corporate circles is to let HR perform its support service role, remain busy with people centric issues, maintain industrial peace and so on. Strangely, a good number of HR people are happily carrying out such maintenance role and thus when they look back find difficulty in counting one’s “Key Success Areas”. This issue becomes evident especially when they make self-assessment at the year-end. Finding very little alternative became force to express their performance for the preceding years only on generic terms. It is true that service role is important; rather it is the foundation on which business houses are built upon. But out of absolute volatile nature of stability of the business houses in this era of competition it is the need of the hour to look after the detail of deliverables rather than remain happy with doables only.

· Culture related issues :

HR often attributes lack of appropriate culture as the stumbling block for them to extend strategic support to the organization. They find difficulty in generating support whenever they come out with any proposition of change. Unless the Organization harness the HR philosophy how could one deliver? But rather than expecting somebody else to clear the path it would be better if HR itself shoulder this role. Definitely it is easy saying than practicing. But then, what is easy in this world – digging a well or opting for a vacation at space. If the organization could be focused with its target to acquire a definite part of pie of market share through its sales organization why not HR team would not strive for achieving desired level of cultural change indices. Even for choicest organization, there is a propensity to opt for professional service for culture survey without analyzing its utility value. If designed properly survey outcome may act as an important source of information but it would be futile if HR is not sincere to solve genuine people issues and mixes with all stakeholders.

· Customer orientation of HR :

To ensure that HR deliver on change initiatives processes the HR team is required to be exposed to both internal and external customers of the business house. It is required to act as a glue for cross functional alignment which may range from arranging cross functional meeting on Monday morning to participate Yoga class with all corner to mobilizing fund for marriage gift of employee ward. Other than transact Company policy with employee representative exchanging views on contemporary issues always add value for relationship building thus create a positive atmosphere for acceptance of change initiatives thus works excellently as Salesmanship. This is a phase where HR’ization of organizations’ IR department takes place and is viewed as a launching pad for building a learning and knowledge Organization.

· Alignment of organization goal to HRM function :

At the time of building corporate plan the HR team must be equipped with vital inputs of corporate objectives. Financial statements of the organization as well as its competitor, growth plan along the value chain and demographically, plan for capturing market share are a few illustrations which required being readily available to the top team of HR to work upon. In spite of imparting training on general topics like “Finance for non-finance executives” the top team preferably equipped by imparting industry specific training on “Interpretation of financial statement” and “Financial implication of HR Decision”. This initiative generally builds interest level for active participation of managers to the programme and helps to visualize Industry realities and appreciate issues while framing corporate plan.

· End-to-end architecture of plan :

Generally, Organization plans for setting target. Once the year ends effort of going for another round of target setting drive may turn to be futile if we not look back. It is worthwhile first to study previous years’ Corporate plan, check out the goal set, measure the achievement made, analyze the gap, if any, and cause thereof and once these processes are over then only plan for setting target for next year.

· Measuring Indices :

We all know – if we are not planning for success, we are simply planning for failure. To check out our wards performance we anxiously look for school annual report, before make investment decision look for Company balance sheet. It is time to consider that if measurement process is accepted practice for judging value contribution at every walk of life why the same is relevant for HR. Similarly, if compensation is determined for every additional number of units sold by a salesman why the same analogy is not applicable for HR. Here lies the importance of measurement. However, before we develop a measurement system it is imperative to know what to measure and then derive the inherent how part. These days it has become one significant issue for corporate to address. Whenever we check up for revamping our existing measurement system it should be remembered that Measurement is a key driver for performance and not the Performance itself. Also at the time deriving corporate plan the periodical benchmarking of individual HR process necessarily be aligned to get best result out of the plan. The HR team preferably must develop its own system of measurement and thus needs to be provided with relevant software and desired training for this purpose.

· Transaction approach :

Normally, cascading of management decision run down the hierarchy and thus essentially a Top-down process. There is common grievance of the operating level management regarding unilateral approach of top management of imposing decision to execute without assessing prevailing ground realities and thus advocate for Bottom up approach. Providing democratic platform for operating level Manager to encourage information flow to reach to a decision is welcome but the issues cannot be left to mercy of individual wishes and proposition. A sensible balance of both approach make the corporate plan realistic and contribute significantly not only to express comprehensive mission statement of the HR organization but also act as a control devise.

· Level of specialization :

HR is not administration but definitely has evolved out of administration. The HR started with its welfare role and significantly moved to the direction of employee development for better productivity. At the time of holding corporate plan meeting it is also advantageous to have the generalist people of administration, sharing the corporate objectives and funding issue. Many a time HR thinks due to lack of administrative support the best of plan remained non-implemented. Thus, it is worthwhile to discuss budget constraints and implementation timeline for individual agenda. While handling HR specialization initiatives like Training & Development, it is worthwhile to keep the long-term objectives of the Organization in mind. Similarly, issues related to Compensation & Benefits need to be dealt after comprehensive study of available salary survey of the industry and contemporary HR market. The robust Performance Management linked with C&B and T&D are guiding factors of Talent management practice and thus is helpful as attrition control device. There is a general propensity to undermine the Personnel Service function although it delivers the final product. It is true that now-a-days the companies are forging ahead to reach absolute specialization but what is the use of designing great HR policies if the same is not implemented and the benefit are not passed onto the all stakeholder. The spirit should be acknowledging the contribution of Personnel Service provider at operating level and request for their support for future implementation.

· Conclusion :

If the corporate plan of the organization is considered as part of initiation of scheduling project the same analogy is equally applicable for HR plan too. The process should ideally be started by mid March and finalized by mid April and communicated across the organization in a documented manner, which would work as guiding principle to achieve corporate HR goal. Recently across the corporate corner there is hue & cry to implement Balance Scorecard. More specific HR Scorecard is also floating. The scorecard an internal control devises works as motivator if properly displayed for both internal and external customer. It may have a significant impact for large diversified complex organization. However it would be a prudent step to check up relevancy of same for smaller organization. The experience says much effort on measurement may lead to shift of focus from performance to presentation. The corporate HR Plan as we found is a strategic tool and must have some uniqueness every year. It should reflect seriousness of the HR team to help bottom-line of the organization without being any source of embarrassment for the top management. It should be transparent without any hidden agenda concerning the employees in general. To generate support from all corners and enhance buy-in of the Plan, it should be launched by CEO of the organization.

(Offline, Volume-5, No- 2, April 2008)

Indranil Banerjee is Manager (P&A), WB State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. Kolkata. He can be reached at indranil.hr@gmail.com
The views expressed above are the author’s own and does not necessarily purport to constitute an official position of Offline or MW.

One India?

Some months ago a leading newsweekly of the country reported how more and more of India’s young were building their support systems outside the family. The phenomenon is catching on like wildfire all over the place. Networking and support systems have turned a full circle in India today.

While we read gory stories of the unscrupulous landlord from Howrah, (the ex-Sheffield of India), dispersing tenants through Liquefied Petroleum gas; there is another, confident, young India emerging and working on a whole new value system. You will see this young India in departmental stores, malls, and multiplexes… and even on the road. Are we seeing two Indias then making a satire of the much-touted “official” one liner: One India?

I noted with amazement the predicament of a family wherein first cousins (all aged below 25) working with blue-chip companies or into some successful entrepreneurial activity networking among each other while their 50+ fathers tearing each other apart over property issues and sundry.

Again, I know of a “heritage” family of Kolkata with property valued at several hundred crores where one of the guys who went to school with me is refreshingly, not sitting on “Income from Property” and running a successful export business since the past 10 years.

And then there is another instance of a superrich 60+ father who actually wants to see from heaven his two sons “fight it out” for his long list of movable and immovable assets! One of the sons, in his early 30s (and an acquaintance) and his lovely wife (working with a private financial institution and whom he married against the consent of his folks five years back) is going on his own trying to make a mark in real estate business.

As the proportion of the ageing workforce increases by the day and the demand for younger people with new age skills on the rise (in fact the demand is even more because a small section of the young has the requisite skills) intellectual clashes between the redundant oldie versus new skills acquiesced rookie (mind you I am not just talking about IT skills…in the new economy skills like PR and Gab are in as much demand) are growing. The retired and retiring sections are casting aspersions at the fast changing lifestyles of the “knowledge” workforce.

Intellectual alignment with senior members of the family is hard to come by these days. In this changing scenario, India’s young is holding on to friends, peers and colleagues and interestingly…ladies and gentlemen in their age group from the extended family/relative circuit who a decade ago were “out of bounds” in terms of the whereabouts of a person.

There are cries of “injustice/unfair” from sections of the ageing workforce. They are through with their prime- an age where moneymaking was sacrilege both by government and society. It is therefore natural that they would view the spending spree or the lifestyles of the younger folk with contempt. The idea is not to universalize; many are actually coming to terms with demands of the new world order. My hair rose up when a relative (in his late 50s) expressed vehement interest to work in a call center after his retirement, in under two years but such cases are a rarity.

There’s intellectual clash with regards to how warring sections view (even on) compliance to matters of taxation and issues of black and white money. There’s the “corrupt” 40 or 50 something trader in the locality; (interestingly, he too gets benefited by the real estate boom), takes up, “promoting” as a side business, albeit mostly with unaccounted money. His potential customers are of course also products of the old economy who would again buy mostly with unaccounted money.

The professional of new India would instead approach a credible project and seek suitable home loan or put up in company housing.

The confident young man or woman is again sinned for “obnoxious” display of affluence or “opulence”.

How would the 2020 nation reconcile these two Indias finally? Is it like Test Cricket vs One Day vs 2020; or ICL vs IPL? In Bangalore there are two kinds of prices for the oldie and rookie for buying fruits and vegetables from the market. Nobody seems to be complaining.

And where does the concept of “One India” in letter and spirit go from here?

As I was adding final touches to this write up I get a whole new dimension to complicate the analysis further: the techie from one of India’s top IT companies killing his wife suspecting her of having an extra marital affair…Reconciling events and issues is becoming tougher by the day in India today with new dimensions being added every other day. Analyses have just begun.

(Rajib Kumar, Offline Vol 5, Issue-1, March 2008)