Got some interesting articles, useful reading info !
Top women crave CEO job, too
Senior women executives at large U.S. companies want the top job just
as much as men, a survey released Thursday said, striking against
theories that more women are opting out of the business rat race.
Fifty-five percent of top female executives are aiming for the chief
executive or equivalent position, according to a survey by research
firm Catalyst, compared with 57 percent of top male executives.
In a reversal, job growth fades for women workers
For decades, even in the worst of times, women continued to steadily
join the workforce, catching up to men in terms of the percentage of
the population with a full-time paycheck. But during the most recent
downturn, more women left the workforce than came in for the first time
in more than 40 years.
Sure, the articles are written from a US standpoint, but with an increasing number of Indian women joining the organized workforce , these facts might be mirrored here. Add to these, the existing patriarchial and traditional views about "Jobs suited to women" and what we have is a whole lot of work to do, and that will continue increasing !
Jun 30, 2004
Research Reports on Idea Management
Found an interesting site at Imaginatik with Research Reports on topics like :
The Innovation Pipeline
Idea Management and the Suggestion Box
Idea Management ROI
Dynamic Knowledge Systems
The Innovation Pipeline
Idea Management and the Suggestion Box
Idea Management ROI
Dynamic Knowledge Systems
Jun 28, 2004
Hewitt and Exult merge
well folks Hewitt Associates and Exult merged to create the biggest HR outsourcing organization in the world.
The Hewitt story and Forrester says: "Given the breadth of services and scale, the deal puts real pressure on the HR specialists like Fidelity and Mellon HR, as well as the IT companies like IBM, HP, Accenture, and ACS to build out their capabilities -- most likely through acquisition. In parallel, the acquisition strengthens Hewitt's hand on the technology side to provide a standard platform for running HR processes. This accelerates a market shift away from custom technology integration solutions toward use of a standard platform as an enabler for BPO client's relationships."
The Hewitt story and Forrester says: "Given the breadth of services and scale, the deal puts real pressure on the HR specialists like Fidelity and Mellon HR, as well as the IT companies like IBM, HP, Accenture, and ACS to build out their capabilities -- most likely through acquisition. In parallel, the acquisition strengthens Hewitt's hand on the technology side to provide a standard platform for running HR processes. This accelerates a market shift away from custom technology integration solutions toward use of a standard platform as an enabler for BPO client's relationships."
Jun 25, 2004
Indian Engineers prefer MNCs
Rediff.com reports that Microsoft is most preferred employer on Indian Engineering campuses.
It's interesting to note that Infosys, for long vaunted as the Most Admired Employer and Organization in India is no longer in the top 10. I think the reason being that the multi national corporations are moving much "higher-end R&D jobs" to India like cutting edge research in technology which a pure service provider like Wipro, TCS or Infy might not be able to match even in the time frame of 5-6 years. Of course, the attraction is also due to the fact that you get to interact with thought leaders and Fellows these organizations, and the salary is nothing to sneeze at too ! :-))
I quote :
"Companies such as Microsoft, McKinsey, IBM and Texas Instruments have seen a marked improvement in their rankings as the most preferred employers.
Microsoft, though not in the top 10 companies within the Campus Recruiter Index last year, finds itself at the top spot followed by McKinsey, IBM and Texas Instruments. Larsen and Toubro has also moved up to occupy the fifth place.
'The study indicates that the size of the recruiting company and its market standing are important parameters for selection.
'Multinational IT companies now appear to be treating the recruitment of engineering graduates as being similar to recruiting B-school students.
'They are going to many campuses instead of only one or two,' said Prasenjit Das, senior manager, ACNielsen ORG-MARG.
The top 10 list of companies in the Campus Recruiter Index is dominated by information technology companies. Larsen and Toubro is the only Indian company to make it amongst the top five.
Infosys, the top company last year, no longer finds itself in the top 10."
It's interesting to note that Infosys, for long vaunted as the Most Admired Employer and Organization in India is no longer in the top 10. I think the reason being that the multi national corporations are moving much "higher-end R&D jobs" to India like cutting edge research in technology which a pure service provider like Wipro, TCS or Infy might not be able to match even in the time frame of 5-6 years. Of course, the attraction is also due to the fact that you get to interact with thought leaders and Fellows these organizations, and the salary is nothing to sneeze at too ! :-))
I quote :
"Companies such as Microsoft, McKinsey, IBM and Texas Instruments have seen a marked improvement in their rankings as the most preferred employers.
Microsoft, though not in the top 10 companies within the Campus Recruiter Index last year, finds itself at the top spot followed by McKinsey, IBM and Texas Instruments. Larsen and Toubro has also moved up to occupy the fifth place.
'The study indicates that the size of the recruiting company and its market standing are important parameters for selection.
'Multinational IT companies now appear to be treating the recruitment of engineering graduates as being similar to recruiting B-school students.
'They are going to many campuses instead of only one or two,' said Prasenjit Das, senior manager, ACNielsen ORG-MARG.
The top 10 list of companies in the Campus Recruiter Index is dominated by information technology companies. Larsen and Toubro is the only Indian company to make it amongst the top five.
Infosys, the top company last year, no longer finds itself in the top 10."
Jun 21, 2004
Weird Ideas by Bob Sutton
Some time ago Robert Sutton wrote a HBR article on "11 and a 1/2 weird ideas that work". He's now got that into the form of a book and takes on the type of "gurus" of innovation like Gary Hamel.
Sutton earlier wrote The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Firms Turn Knowledge Into Action along with Jeffrey Pfeffer.
Sutton studies the links between managerial knowledge and organizational action, innovation, and organizational performance. That's why I'm so fascinated by his work. Our interests overlap ! :-)
here are some of his ideas :-))
Weird Idea #1. Hire slow learners of the organizational code. Specifically, hire people with a special kind of stupidity or stubbornness -- who avoid, ignore, or reject how things are "supposed to be done around here." Surround those slow learners with fast learners who understand how to promote their creative ideas.
Weird Idea #1 1/2. Hire people who make you uncomfortable -- even those whom you dislike. Once you've hired people who prompt discomfort, take extra care to listen to their ideas.
Weird Idea #2. Hire people whom you (probably) don't need. Interview and occasionally hire interesting or strange people with skills that your company doesn't need at the moment -- and might never need. Then ask them how they can help you. You might be surprised.
Weird Idea #3. Use job interviews to get new ideas, not just to screen candidates. Job interviews are a weak way to select employees. Still, there is a little-known benefit: They provide the opportunity to learn something new. Give job candidates problems that you can't solve. Listen as much as you can. Talk as little as you can.
Weird Idea #4. Encourage people to ignore superiors and peers. Hire defiant outsiders. Rather than teaching newcomers about company history or procedure, have the newcomers teach the old-timers how to think and act. Encourage people to drive you crazy by doing what they think is right rather than what they are told.
Weird Idea #5. Find happy people, and let them fight. If you want innovation, you need upbeat people who know the right way to battle. Avoid conflict during the earliest stages of the creative process, but encourage people to fight over ideas in the intermediate stages.
Sutton earlier wrote The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Firms Turn Knowledge Into Action along with Jeffrey Pfeffer.
Sutton studies the links between managerial knowledge and organizational action, innovation, and organizational performance. That's why I'm so fascinated by his work. Our interests overlap ! :-)
here are some of his ideas :-))
Weird Idea #1. Hire slow learners of the organizational code. Specifically, hire people with a special kind of stupidity or stubbornness -- who avoid, ignore, or reject how things are "supposed to be done around here." Surround those slow learners with fast learners who understand how to promote their creative ideas.
Weird Idea #1 1/2. Hire people who make you uncomfortable -- even those whom you dislike. Once you've hired people who prompt discomfort, take extra care to listen to their ideas.
Weird Idea #2. Hire people whom you (probably) don't need. Interview and occasionally hire interesting or strange people with skills that your company doesn't need at the moment -- and might never need. Then ask them how they can help you. You might be surprised.
Weird Idea #3. Use job interviews to get new ideas, not just to screen candidates. Job interviews are a weak way to select employees. Still, there is a little-known benefit: They provide the opportunity to learn something new. Give job candidates problems that you can't solve. Listen as much as you can. Talk as little as you can.
Weird Idea #4. Encourage people to ignore superiors and peers. Hire defiant outsiders. Rather than teaching newcomers about company history or procedure, have the newcomers teach the old-timers how to think and act. Encourage people to drive you crazy by doing what they think is right rather than what they are told.
Weird Idea #5. Find happy people, and let them fight. If you want innovation, you need upbeat people who know the right way to battle. Avoid conflict during the earliest stages of the creative process, but encourage people to fight over ideas in the intermediate stages.
Jun 18, 2004
The 10 Highest Paid HR Leaders in the US
workforce.com focusses on the 10 Highest Paid Human Resources Leaders :
"The 10 highest-paid human resource leaders in U.S. public companies work in industries ranging from manufacturing to retail to advertising. Their multi-million dollar compensation packages show that workforce executives are indeed gaining elite corporate status--they are among the five highest-paid officers in their companies. But the profession still has a long way to go before it shares top billing with CEOs and CFOs. "
Read more
"The 10 highest-paid human resource leaders in U.S. public companies work in industries ranging from manufacturing to retail to advertising. Their multi-million dollar compensation packages show that workforce executives are indeed gaining elite corporate status--they are among the five highest-paid officers in their companies. But the profession still has a long way to go before it shares top billing with CEOs and CFOs. "
Read more
Rediff offers 1 GB of free email space too!
The competition is getting heated up in the email space.
Gmail's offer for 1 GB of email space led to Yahoo offering 100 MB of and today Rediff has gone ahead and offered 1 GB of space.
With Gmail still in beta and startup mode what is going to happen next? What will other players like MSN/Hotmail do now? Will it take over some provider?
The eFE story and Telegraph story on Rediff's quantum increase in email
Gmail's offer for 1 GB of email space led to Yahoo offering 100 MB of and today Rediff has gone ahead and offered 1 GB of space.
With Gmail still in beta and startup mode what is going to happen next? What will other players like MSN/Hotmail do now? Will it take over some provider?
The eFE story and Telegraph story on Rediff's quantum increase in email
Jun 17, 2004
An alternative view of Organizations in the future
Taking the trends of how organizations develop, maybe it won't take long for organizations to not even attempt at being 'long-life' entities.
Maybe, just maybe organizations should eventually become that ultimate knowledge organization - A movie unit !
Ok...so what do I mean by that...?
Well, essentially that a movie unit is driven by both a creative and a commercial compulsion. It is initiated by a group to maximise RoI, taps into the skills of several talented individuals, brings out a product, and then disbands...
While it may be fearful to think of ourselves as technicians in a film crew, I wonder if the current business climate will not see us land at that eventuality in 10 years (considering also the fact that salaried people get taxed much heavily than freelance professionals- maybe the government is a party to that !)
Of course, then organizations will no longer extend for a half-life of more than a couple of years (radioactive metaphor not intentional ;-)
The pros and cons:
1. differentiating work/life will be diffucult
2. Each one for him/herself would be the norm
3. In-demand skill sets would change from project to project
4. The superstars would command huge hefty salaries
5. The rest of us would have to live hand-to-mouth existences ..while
trying to be a superstar or coming to terms with our inability!
6. The 'producer' would continue raking in the moolah with continuing
IP sales beyond the life of the organization
Scary?
very !
Far-fetched?
I hope so...!
Maybe, just maybe organizations should eventually become that ultimate knowledge organization - A movie unit !
Ok...so what do I mean by that...?
Well, essentially that a movie unit is driven by both a creative and a commercial compulsion. It is initiated by a group to maximise RoI, taps into the skills of several talented individuals, brings out a product, and then disbands...
While it may be fearful to think of ourselves as technicians in a film crew, I wonder if the current business climate will not see us land at that eventuality in 10 years (considering also the fact that salaried people get taxed much heavily than freelance professionals- maybe the government is a party to that !)
Of course, then organizations will no longer extend for a half-life of more than a couple of years (radioactive metaphor not intentional ;-)
The pros and cons:
1. differentiating work/life will be diffucult
2. Each one for him/herself would be the norm
3. In-demand skill sets would change from project to project
4. The superstars would command huge hefty salaries
5. The rest of us would have to live hand-to-mouth existences ..while
trying to be a superstar or coming to terms with our inability!
6. The 'producer' would continue raking in the moolah with continuing
IP sales beyond the life of the organization
Scary?
very !
Far-fetched?
I hope so...!
Jun 16, 2004
Best Employer Lists - The Problem of Plenty
It all started with Business Today which launched a new list at regular intervals (we had India's Best Banks, Most Respected Companies, BT 500, Best Wealth Creators, 25 hottest young executives in India and the Best Employers in India)
For some reason its competitor, Businessworld was quick to jump on to the bandwagon and launch its own lists. And the common list was "best employers". BT conducted its survey with the help of HR consultants, Hewitt Associates and BW went in for a little bit extra , conducting the survey using the Great Place to Work Institute's methodology and conducting it with the HR consulting firm Grow Talent.
Now BT has struck back. It claims that the earlier lists might be "flawed" since HR consulting firms have a vested interest when they are ranking companies who might be their clients, BT has now said its intention is to do a 'better' survey which would not really involve in the consulting firm interacting with the companies and therefore market research firm TNS has been roped in to do the data collation process. And the consulting firm it chose was Mercer HR Consulting.
So far, so good.
Now Hewitt has gone and tied up with TV channel CNBC TV18 to launch the first such list on TV, after doing it for three years with BT ! Phew ! where is this heading? How many lists will we saddlied with...and how many claims and counter-claims will we hear later?
Watch this space !
For some reason its competitor, Businessworld was quick to jump on to the bandwagon and launch its own lists. And the common list was "best employers". BT conducted its survey with the help of HR consultants, Hewitt Associates and BW went in for a little bit extra , conducting the survey using the Great Place to Work Institute's methodology and conducting it with the HR consulting firm Grow Talent.
Now BT has struck back. It claims that the earlier lists might be "flawed" since HR consulting firms have a vested interest when they are ranking companies who might be their clients, BT has now said its intention is to do a 'better' survey which would not really involve in the consulting firm interacting with the companies and therefore market research firm TNS has been roped in to do the data collation process. And the consulting firm it chose was Mercer HR Consulting.
So far, so good.
Now Hewitt has gone and tied up with TV channel CNBC TV18 to launch the first such list on TV, after doing it for three years with BT ! Phew ! where is this heading? How many lists will we saddlied with...and how many claims and counter-claims will we hear later?
Watch this space !
HBR on 'Leveraging Your Team's Interpersonal Skills'
Fast Company Now Blog has an interesting post :
"What are 'people' people? What is the relational aspect of business? Why should we care about understanding people if we are not in HR?
A Harvard Business Review excerpt 'Leveraging Your Team's Interpersonal Skills' reviews the result of an 18-year study, which shows that interpersonal savvy is critical in almost every area of business (emphasis mine - Gautam), not just in sales or human resources. It shows how the deeply embedded life interests of professionals develop into their career roles, and that individuals do their best work when it most closely matches their underlying interests."
"What are 'people' people? What is the relational aspect of business? Why should we care about understanding people if we are not in HR?
A Harvard Business Review excerpt 'Leveraging Your Team's Interpersonal Skills' reviews the result of an 18-year study, which shows that interpersonal savvy is critical in almost every area of business (emphasis mine - Gautam), not just in sales or human resources. It shows how the deeply embedded life interests of professionals develop into their career roles, and that individuals do their best work when it most closely matches their underlying interests."
Jun 15, 2004
Gladwell on topics
I discovered the link on Malcolm Gladwell's (author of The Tipping Point) page to an archive of his column at The New Yorker
Specifically, check out his writings on "talent" and the "myth of the lone inventor" !
Specifically, check out his writings on "talent" and the "myth of the lone inventor" !
EFF: The Patent Busting Project
Hmm, is this a joke or are folks serious??
EFF: The Patent Busting Project: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Patent Busting Project is here to protect you from dangerously bad patents. And you can help us pick which patents we're going to bust first! "
Check it out !
EFF: The Patent Busting Project: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Patent Busting Project is here to protect you from dangerously bad patents. And you can help us pick which patents we're going to bust first! "
Check it out !
Jun 11, 2004
Cultural reasons for non-Innovation
Corporate Innovation Blog points out : "Joel Kurtzman, former HBR editor, writes this funny piece that suggests that what countries with a self-confessed 'innovation problem' need is to get a little messier. His contention - that countries like Switzerland and Japan are characterised by their inability to handle conflict and disorder, are also stunted in their innovation capacity because people cannot think beyond the current order."
Hmm, that means we Indians would be amongst the most Innovative cultures?
As I posted once on ISTT:
"What gives us Indians an edge in this world is a paradoxical ability
to balance the super-structured with the totally ambiguous !
In my view, no other civilisation (Jung would call it the 'collective
unconscious of a people'), save the Japanese, drills in both the
factors to such an amazing degree. So you have the example of a
Ramanujam who excelled in the so called structured world of maths
relying on mysticism and intuition.
So what, I hear you ask? What does this psycho-babble have to do with strategy? with business? with India Inc.?
Look around you ! The structured world of business as Taylor, Ford
and Sloan knew it is falling (or has fallen) like a house of
cards...and the domino effect is happening around the world. In these
chaotic times the skills that are needed most are the duality to
balance the chaos of the environment with order and structure of the
organization...and yet not be rigid !
The rise of the Knowledge Age...Drucker called it...when individual
expertise is the most coveted...in the Financial Analyst industry
(the "new Jews" is what Indian whiz kids are called on Wall Street),
in the Software industry (too numerous to chronicle), in the still
developing discipline of Management (CKP, Rajat Gupta, Sumantro
Ghosal, Ram Charan are uber-gurus!)
I believe the skills that help us succeed in these diverse fields are embedded in us, in our psyches."
Hmm, that means we Indians would be amongst the most Innovative cultures?
As I posted once on ISTT:
"What gives us Indians an edge in this world is a paradoxical ability
to balance the super-structured with the totally ambiguous !
In my view, no other civilisation (Jung would call it the 'collective
unconscious of a people'), save the Japanese, drills in both the
factors to such an amazing degree. So you have the example of a
Ramanujam who excelled in the so called structured world of maths
relying on mysticism and intuition.
So what, I hear you ask? What does this psycho-babble have to do with strategy? with business? with India Inc.?
Look around you ! The structured world of business as Taylor, Ford
and Sloan knew it is falling (or has fallen) like a house of
cards...and the domino effect is happening around the world. In these
chaotic times the skills that are needed most are the duality to
balance the chaos of the environment with order and structure of the
organization...and yet not be rigid !
The rise of the Knowledge Age...Drucker called it...when individual
expertise is the most coveted...in the Financial Analyst industry
(the "new Jews" is what Indian whiz kids are called on Wall Street),
in the Software industry (too numerous to chronicle), in the still
developing discipline of Management (CKP, Rajat Gupta, Sumantro
Ghosal, Ram Charan are uber-gurus!)
I believe the skills that help us succeed in these diverse fields are embedded in us, in our psyches."
TCS - The IT behemoth's IPO
Rediff reports on the happening that all of India Inc. is talking about. The humungous Tata Consultancy Services IPO.
Tata Consultancy Services, which recorded total revenues of over Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) in 2003-04, is the largest software company in India.
TCS, the Number One Indian software company by revenues, will also top the market cap sweepstakes in the software sector. Its market cap is expected of around Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) to Rs 43,000 crore (Rs 430 billion) on listing.
Tata Consultancy Services, which recorded total revenues of over Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) in 2003-04, is the largest software company in India.
TCS, the Number One Indian software company by revenues, will also top the market cap sweepstakes in the software sector. Its market cap is expected of around Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) to Rs 43,000 crore (Rs 430 billion) on listing.
Jun 10, 2004
Creative Problem Solving
Fast Company Now Blog points out to my comment on Creativity Techniques and even mentions it on their newsletter :-)
HR people crack the glass ceiling at BPO cos.
Well I am not talking about the usually understood contexts of glass ceilings as applied to minorities in the corporate workplace.
Instead, I am referring to the functional glass ceiling. For years, accounting, sales, marketing and finance people were usually the first choices to lead businesses as CEOs. Most people who had spent their careers in a support function like HR had to be content with a job like Director HR in the corporate ladder. The only route that was open to them to actually head businesses were in niche industries like HR consulting outfits.
No longer.
In India at least I see a rash of HR honchos who've made it to the corner office, and interestingly its in the people intensive BPO industry. There are several reasons for this but lets take a look at the people:
- Sujit Bakshi of vCustomer
- Aadesh Goyal of Hughes' BPO unit
- Bhaskar Das of Sutherland Technologies
- Prashant Sankaran of Digital Contact Centre (a part of HP)
- Vinoo Thimayya of Honeywell's BPO
I am sure there are others in the non-BPO industry too ( I know of Dr. Ajoy Kumar who briefly headed Cummins Deisel Sales & Service after a stint as GM HR of the Tata Group, but then he wasn't a career HR person). And a lot of CEOs have done some stints in HR.
Coming specifically to the case of HR people heading BPO operations, I have the following theories:
- BPO work is quite content-free and the essential skill required for a leader is people management skills, where HR people are the assets
- When BPO organizations mushroomed in India there were not too many top leaders available and with the reason given above HR directors were given the chance
What do you think?
Instead, I am referring to the functional glass ceiling. For years, accounting, sales, marketing and finance people were usually the first choices to lead businesses as CEOs. Most people who had spent their careers in a support function like HR had to be content with a job like Director HR in the corporate ladder. The only route that was open to them to actually head businesses were in niche industries like HR consulting outfits.
No longer.
In India at least I see a rash of HR honchos who've made it to the corner office, and interestingly its in the people intensive BPO industry. There are several reasons for this but lets take a look at the people:
- Sujit Bakshi of vCustomer
- Aadesh Goyal of Hughes' BPO unit
- Bhaskar Das of Sutherland Technologies
- Prashant Sankaran of Digital Contact Centre (a part of HP)
- Vinoo Thimayya of Honeywell's BPO
I am sure there are others in the non-BPO industry too ( I know of Dr. Ajoy Kumar who briefly headed Cummins Deisel Sales & Service after a stint as GM HR of the Tata Group, but then he wasn't a career HR person). And a lot of CEOs have done some stints in HR.
Coming specifically to the case of HR people heading BPO operations, I have the following theories:
- BPO work is quite content-free and the essential skill required for a leader is people management skills, where HR people are the assets
- When BPO organizations mushroomed in India there were not too many top leaders available and with the reason given above HR directors were given the chance
What do you think?
Jun 9, 2004
Seth Godin on how to make your job application stand out
Seth Godin describes his feelings when he tried to get some summers interns. It's such a great post that I think I'll quote him in toto:
"This, of course, should be the dream opportunity for most job seekers. Instead of being treated as a piece of paper, a list of stats in a dry resume, here was a chance to actually tell a little about yourself.
HALF the people sent in a resume. Just a resume.
'Here's my resume' was the total content of at least 20% of the cover notes I got.
Part of this is the result of being beaten down. Most of the system is about following the rules, fitting in and not standing out. But a lot of it, it seems to me, is that people are laboring under a very mistaken impression about what works--in life, in seeking a job and in marketing in general.Most people, apparently, believe that if they just get their needle sharp enough, it'll magnetically leap out of the haystack and land wherever it belongs. If they don't get a great job or make a great sale or land a terrific date, it might just be because they don't deserve it.
Having met some successful people, I can assure you that they didn't get that way by deserving it.
What chance is there that your totally average resume, describing a totally average academic and work career is going to get you most jobs? 'Hey Bill! Check out this average guy with an average academic background and really exceptionally average work experience! Maybe he's cheap!!'
Do you hire people that way? Do you choose products that way? If you're driving a Chevy Cavalier and working for the Social Security Administration, perhaps, but those days are long gone.
People are buying only one thing from you: the way the engagement (hiring you, working with you, dating you, using your product or service, learning from you) makes them feel.
So how do you make people feel?
Could you make them feel better? More? Could you create the emotions that they're seeking?
As long as we focus on the commodity, on the sharper needle, we're lost. Why? Because most customers don't carry a magnet. Because the sharpest needle is rarely the one that gets out of the haystack. Intead, buyers are looking for the Free Prize, for that exceptional attribute that's worth talking about. I just polled the four interns sitting here with me. Between them, they speak 12 languages. No, that's not why I hired them. No, we don't need Tagalog in our daily work.... but it's a free prize. It's one of the many things that made them interesting, that made me feel good about hiring them"
"This, of course, should be the dream opportunity for most job seekers. Instead of being treated as a piece of paper, a list of stats in a dry resume, here was a chance to actually tell a little about yourself.
HALF the people sent in a resume. Just a resume.
'Here's my resume' was the total content of at least 20% of the cover notes I got.
Part of this is the result of being beaten down. Most of the system is about following the rules, fitting in and not standing out. But a lot of it, it seems to me, is that people are laboring under a very mistaken impression about what works--in life, in seeking a job and in marketing in general.Most people, apparently, believe that if they just get their needle sharp enough, it'll magnetically leap out of the haystack and land wherever it belongs. If they don't get a great job or make a great sale or land a terrific date, it might just be because they don't deserve it.
Having met some successful people, I can assure you that they didn't get that way by deserving it.
What chance is there that your totally average resume, describing a totally average academic and work career is going to get you most jobs? 'Hey Bill! Check out this average guy with an average academic background and really exceptionally average work experience! Maybe he's cheap!!'
Do you hire people that way? Do you choose products that way? If you're driving a Chevy Cavalier and working for the Social Security Administration, perhaps, but those days are long gone.
People are buying only one thing from you: the way the engagement (hiring you, working with you, dating you, using your product or service, learning from you) makes them feel.
So how do you make people feel?
Could you make them feel better? More? Could you create the emotions that they're seeking?
As long as we focus on the commodity, on the sharper needle, we're lost. Why? Because most customers don't carry a magnet. Because the sharpest needle is rarely the one that gets out of the haystack. Intead, buyers are looking for the Free Prize, for that exceptional attribute that's worth talking about. I just polled the four interns sitting here with me. Between them, they speak 12 languages. No, that's not why I hired them. No, we don't need Tagalog in our daily work.... but it's a free prize. It's one of the many things that made them interesting, that made me feel good about hiring them"
Coke Makes HR Top Priority
BusinessPundit points to a CNN article:
"Isdell, a company veteran who formally took over the reins of Coca-Cola this week, said he made the move so that he could guide development of the company's workforce, which he described as its 'most valuable resource.'
'It is the responsibility of leadership, and my personal commitment, to refine, develop and enhance our people programs to ensure that we are truly world class in unleashing the power of our people,' Isdell said in a memo announcing the change."
Heartening to hear that in this world of treating human beings as "commodities"!
Most organizations only pay lip-service to their "most important resource"
Maybe they can start by not calling them "resources" but "human beings" ? :O!
The Balanced Scorecard donates one section to employees, but often that is the last quadrant to be paid any attention ! And when was the last time we heard investors actually ask organizations pointed questions about their human 'capital'?
"Isdell, a company veteran who formally took over the reins of Coca-Cola this week, said he made the move so that he could guide development of the company's workforce, which he described as its 'most valuable resource.'
'It is the responsibility of leadership, and my personal commitment, to refine, develop and enhance our people programs to ensure that we are truly world class in unleashing the power of our people,' Isdell said in a memo announcing the change."
Heartening to hear that in this world of treating human beings as "commodities"!
Most organizations only pay lip-service to their "most important resource"
Maybe they can start by not calling them "resources" but "human beings" ? :O!
The Balanced Scorecard donates one section to employees, but often that is the last quadrant to be paid any attention ! And when was the last time we heard investors actually ask organizations pointed questions about their human 'capital'?
tompeters - Bloggified !
The topmpeters! home page has been Bloggified ....and this is what they say...
" We got tired of the old home page and in the spirit of creative destruction, we blew it up. We've also become enamored of various blogs and blogging software, and so we said, "Let's bloggify Tom." Instead of waiting around to transform the whole site, we've gone with a fast prototype here on the main page."
" We got tired of the old home page and in the spirit of creative destruction, we blew it up. We've also become enamored of various blogs and blogging software, and so we said, "Let's bloggify Tom." Instead of waiting around to transform the whole site, we've gone with a fast prototype here on the main page."
Jun 8, 2004
Finding KM
I came to KM via the training/learning route.
If performance improvement is a business issue, then learning is an imperative for personal and organizational success. And more people learn through knowledge sharing with 'experts', informal networks and peers than traditional "training & Development" initiatives...and I am still on this journey :-)
If performance improvement is a business issue, then learning is an imperative for personal and organizational success. And more people learn through knowledge sharing with 'experts', informal networks and peers than traditional "training & Development" initiatives...and I am still on this journey :-)
Is some kind of Knowledge better than others?
On Denham Grey's Blog I commented on his post KM fundamentals with :
Is some kind of knowledge more useful than others?
I would think so...knowledge at the edges/peripheries is much likelier to be useful for innovation and creativity than 'traditional knowledge' however important
Traditional knowledge maintains the status quo...emergent knowledge viewed through fresh perspectives challenges it !
Is some kind of knowledge more useful than others?
I would think so...knowledge at the edges/peripheries is much likelier to be useful for innovation and creativity than 'traditional knowledge' however important
Traditional knowledge maintains the status quo...emergent knowledge viewed through fresh perspectives challenges it !
Henry Mintzberg's letter to MBAs
Ok, I admit it ! I am a BIG Henry Mintzberg fan ! I loved his arguments when he wrote "the rise and fall of Strategic Planning" and I loved his debate with Igor Ansoff on the Honda case and I loved his book "Strategy Safari"...so when Henry Mintzberg said "MBAs are a Menace" and that "MBAs should have a warning sign on their forehead" I can't dismiss him as a loony anarchist ! And yes, I am an MBA and I wish Henry had told us about this 7 years ago :-)
Read on when he says:
Sure, you've taken courses called "management" and "strategy." But these were about looking in from the outside. The truth is, no one can become a manager in a classroom. Management is not a profession, nor is it science. It is a practice that depends mostly on craft and significantly on art. Craft is learned by experience. Art can, of course, be admired in a classroom--think of all the visionaries you read about in cases. But voyeurism is not management, either, nor does it develop creativity.
So there it is: You've invested all this time and money, and now I pop your balloon. What are you to do now? Well, there is hope. You probably did learn a lot about business, and that's important--if you go into business. (Please stay out of government and the social sector; they have enough troubles.) If you are truly interested in management, as opposed to just fame or money, you may be ready to learn its practice. Find an industry you like, get a good job, and stick with it . The world doesn't need more case-study managers who flit from one industry to another. Prove yourself, and eventually you'll be tapped for a managerial position. That is when your management education will begin. Prepare then to learn about management. Live it. Experience it.
Read on when he says:
Sure, you've taken courses called "management" and "strategy." But these were about looking in from the outside. The truth is, no one can become a manager in a classroom. Management is not a profession, nor is it science. It is a practice that depends mostly on craft and significantly on art. Craft is learned by experience. Art can, of course, be admired in a classroom--think of all the visionaries you read about in cases. But voyeurism is not management, either, nor does it develop creativity.
So there it is: You've invested all this time and money, and now I pop your balloon. What are you to do now? Well, there is hope. You probably did learn a lot about business, and that's important--if you go into business. (Please stay out of government and the social sector; they have enough troubles.) If you are truly interested in management, as opposed to just fame or money, you may be ready to learn its practice. Find an industry you like, get a good job, and stick with it . The world doesn't need more case-study managers who flit from one industry to another. Prove yourself, and eventually you'll be tapped for a managerial position. That is when your management education will begin. Prepare then to learn about management. Live it. Experience it.
Benchmarking - Stressing you out
Seth Godin has a great post on benchmarking and the way it stresses him out ! Wonder if the same race holds true of organizations and does constant data crunching and being the-best-ever-in-my-niche race ever makes for tired organizations who constantly run with their necks craned backwards instead to running towards the customer !
Reservations in the Private Sector
The President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam addressed the joint session of Parliament yesterday and the business world was shocked to hear two things:
1. The government said it intends to extend job reservations to the private sector. read the story here.
2. Labour laws were going to be tightened to protect workers' rights (which entrepreneurs have always said were too favourable to workers and left them with little choice when faced with business pressures)
1. The government said it intends to extend job reservations to the private sector. read the story here.
2. Labour laws were going to be tightened to protect workers' rights (which entrepreneurs have always said were too favourable to workers and left them with little choice when faced with business pressures)
Jun 7, 2004
Negotiation - A lifeskill
It always surprises me when I realise that 'negotiation' is not taught as a skill at any stage in our formal educational life.
What is amazing is that negotiation is a skill that is useful in every sphere of our lives. However, most of us blunder our way through negotiations, due to our inherent self. People who are assertive can negotiate better but their focus remain themselves. People who are non-assertive (like me!) can get swept away when negotiating with an assertive individual and neglecting their own wants and needs.
Negotiation is a skill that is closely tied to one's personality and that is why a formalised education in the processes of negotiation is useful for everyone. It gives people like me an opportunity to claw back into the race. :-) Most of all negotiation is used in every aspect of corporate life...with external customers or vendors, with internal staff and line managers, to get budgets that one wants, to get one's salary or raise or to change one's role. It seems criminal not to develop this skill.
What is amazing is that negotiation is a skill that is useful in every sphere of our lives. However, most of us blunder our way through negotiations, due to our inherent self. People who are assertive can negotiate better but their focus remain themselves. People who are non-assertive (like me!) can get swept away when negotiating with an assertive individual and neglecting their own wants and needs.
Negotiation is a skill that is closely tied to one's personality and that is why a formalised education in the processes of negotiation is useful for everyone. It gives people like me an opportunity to claw back into the race. :-) Most of all negotiation is used in every aspect of corporate life...with external customers or vendors, with internal staff and line managers, to get budgets that one wants, to get one's salary or raise or to change one's role. It seems criminal not to develop this skill.
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