5 reasons

Five reasons Why you should be in Chennai on 24th and 25th of September

“Leading in the Gen Y Era”

Southern Regional Convention

Presents….

Convention bytes!!

Byte 1:

5 reasons why you should not be anywhere else on the 24^th and 25^th of September except the Chennai Trade Center…

5 elements of this conference:

1) The Theme:

First of its kind 2 day conference modeled around the Gen Y era: ‘Leading in the Gen Y Era’ focused not just on the Gen Y practitioner but the Gen Y world!

2) Collaboration and connectivity:

Collaboration of 2 reputed institutions; ISTD and SHRM India and an opportunity to be a part of this community through membership!

Avenues to engage everyday leading to the conference! Join our linkedin and facebook groups, twitter accounts, discussions and contribute to the groove we are creating!!

3) Cutting Edge Content:

Schedule includes an exhilarating opening session with a truly unique (Gen Y) experience wherein two role models from this generation will set the tone for the 2 days, a unique panel discussion, all time high audience interaction, A never before seen homage to social networking, an eloquent and inspiring closing speaker. See the attached for details

4) With speakers from all over the world, from all generations, industry and academia, this is one global and truly diverse village you don’t want to miss!

5) ‘Gen Y’ research. – In a tie up with the prestigious Great Lakes Institute of Management, ISTD will release the synopsis of this cutting edge research work at the conference.

There’s a sixth element and that is… well, that’s the ‘Next’ world we will create for you!! From innovatively developed sessions to stall activity to contests to social evening events, everything will be different and new!!

When do we sign you up????

Calling Business leaders, Leaders from different functions and future leaders

including students…

Participation Fee 8000 (Includes Annual Membership to both ISTD and SHRM India (internet membership))

Participation Fee - ISTD Members 7000 (Includes Annual Membership to SHRM India (internet membership))

Participation Fee - Student 2500 (Does not include membership)

Special price for existing SHRM members!! (call us at 022-42472000 for more)

For more on the conference and on how to register, visit www.istdchennai.org today !!

Please feel free to call us at our Convention Hotline Numbers:

91-7200000022 (Aishwarya)

91-7200000033 (Meena)

91-7200000044 (Sumathi)

Or SHRM India at 022-42472000 for any clarifications.

We look forward to sharing this experience with all of you.

See you there!

Gen Y

Wikipedia defines the characters of Generation Y as "generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies. In most parts of the world its upbringing was marked by an increase in a Neoliberal approach to politics and economics"

Generation Y has been visualized as a source of innovation modernity and to lead new paths but also as a "Pandora's Box" what will they bring to the organization a fresh breath of air or Chaos. Studies have been conducted and in the past and will also be conducted to see what is in store.

For soon to be professionals the best way to learn more on the area will not be Google(as of yet) but the ISTD (Indian Society for Training and Development) Convention to be held on 24th and 25th of September in Chennai. For more details visit

http://www.istdchennai.org/

Come learn and share

Chief Happiness Officer speaks :-)

[This interview dates back to August 8th, 2009 originally posted in Saikat Saha's personal blog]

I had an exciting e- mail interview with Alexander Kjerulf ,who is also known as 'The Chief Happiness Officer'.Alex is the author of 'Happy Hour is 9 to 5'. He regularly blogs at http://positivesharing.com

I love his writing, which is directed towards infusing happiness at workplace :-)

Saikat: What is your book ‘Happy hour is 9 to 5’ all about?

Alex: It's about happiness at work. It shows how each of us can come to love our jobs and work together to create great workplaces. And studies show that happy people are more successful and that happy companies make more money!

Saikat: You are popularly known as the ‘Chief Happiness Officer’. How to identify the potential Chief Happiness officer in a company and what should be his job profile like?

Alex:It should be a person who is naturally happy and has a lot of energy. It should also be someone with lots of empathy and a deep appreciation for the best qualities in the workplace and its people.

Saikat: How do you define ‘happiness at workplace’?

Alex:It's about positive emotions. It's when people feel energized, happy, upbeat, optimistic, proud, relaxed and cheerful at work. It's when you wake up in the morning and look forward to coming to work, rather than fearing it and wishin you could stay at home.

Saikat: In times of economic turbulence, how can the HR associates infuse happiness in the hearts of their internal customers?

Alex: There are many ways - even now with the financial crisis. It's the little things that really matter:

- praising people who do good work
- stimulating honest open communication
- making room for positivity and optimism
- allowing people to be playful and have fun at work

Saikat: What is your opinion on the Indian workforce in your country?

Alex: When I went to India to speak and do workshops I was thoroughly impressed by the people I met. The Indian workforce is tremendously talented, skilled and has a genuine desire for better workplaces.

Also, Indian culture has so much to offer the rest of the world. There is a genuine desire to excel and be happy in Indian culture that you should be sure to introduce in Indian business culture - rather than just copying American business culture.

Saikat: Tell us about your top three professional moments?

Alex: One was when I went to India to speak at a conference and do workshops with TATA. That was a fantastic trip and I met so many nice people.

Saikat: Please share a few tips with students on getting started with HR blogging?

Alex: My #1 tip is this: Blog your passion. You can only write interesting, engaging blog posts if you write about something you care about. You know the saying: "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care!"

#2 tip: Be bold. Don't be afraid to tick people off.

Did you think about succession planning yet????

The economy is on an upswing and slowly but surely the job market promises to pick up. Of the many developments this trend will call forth, employee attrition promises to be of of significance.

Attrition across any level of employees is a cause for probing, if not concern. But at the level of CEO direct reports and up to 4 levels below the CEO position it makes a case for business continuity.

Is succession planning, then, a luxury that only some organizations can hope to have? And if it is something that impacts business and its continuity for an organization, should be left to chance?

A thought for HR folks – should succession planning be an HR prerogative? And if it is not, then why do only the ‘progressive’ organizations (read : with evolved HR practices) seem to talk about succession planning…

-Gauri Deshpande

HR makes the Corporate world go round!

I truly believe that...just that you wouldn't hear that said by many people outside of HR. Even some of my own fraternity members would call for my head when they read this. But let me explain why I say that. When I started practising any amount of HR (technically Training)...in 1996, it was hard to find more than 4-5 B Schools which had Fulltime HR Programs (even circa 2000, batch sizes were 4-5 students at best). A recent, still to be published, study by TNS for SHRM India (www.shrmindia.org) shows that out of the 150 schools sampled, an incredible 93% offer Fulltime HR Programs. I believe it reflects the preposterous growth of demand in HR.

Lets take another dimension - A study by Mercer in 2005 showed that there are over 2.5 Lac HR practitioners in the country. The same study mentioned by me earlier, by TNS, shows more than a four time increase in 2010, i.e in just 5 years time. Wait a minute...lets play devil's advocate. After all, the number of companies are growing and therefore the total number of employees (or Talent, if you will) and their problems - hence we need more HR to handle them for the Business Managers. Now you would probably be shocked - I once heard an MD for South Asia of a well known MNC in Hospitality say that " my expectation of HR is that they should motivate my employees "(I think he meant other than HR). So be it...exactly why I say HR makes the Corporate World go round...

The third indicator is the sheer increase in the number of HR heads (or Directors or CHROs) that are either part of either the Board or the Committee that takes decisions on Strategic Issues facing organizations. The PSUs actually take the lead in this (atleast 5 of them have CHROs on the Board) and especially because their HR Chiefs are often from other functions. That, to me, still indicates the growing prominence of HR. A very unusual indicator is the number of HR professionals on the Speaker List of any Corporate function - hard to see any without an HR Leader. That, hopefully, is not simply because, they generally make good speakers!

A well known MD of an Electronics/ Semiconductor Major globally said a few years back - "A Company is known by the men it keeps!". Believe me when I say to you, a company will soon be known by the Quality of the HR of its organization! If Chanakya said that after the Swami, the Amatya plays the most critical role in the Kingdom (today's organizations), he could have easily meant HR (the minister, the King's advisor).

Jai HR! Jai Chanakya! Jai Ho!
Rajesh

5 Lessons for Aspiring Global HR Managers - From WEF

I was fortunate to be part of a gathering of heavyweights a few months back - CHROs (Chief HR Officer... for the uninitiated) , CFOs, some CEOs - everyone in the room was a CXO worth his salt and experience. One of the heated discussions (as always) was around why there were so few CHROs who were ready for CEO material. It became pretty obvious to me that one reason was simply that "HR" itself became "essential" a decade and a half back or about that time. Now what was more important, than the cause, were the valuable suggestions to follow. So I have never listened more intently in my life, when someone suggested that we need to start early (like they say in Sport Management a.k.a. BCCI).

Fantastic! Finally, this bunch of veteran and venerated HR gurus were making sense to me - so the thread thereafter was how to start grooming CHROs today. Like my fave Guru Chanakya spotted an Emperor in a maid's young child and Michelangelo, a beautiful statue, in a large shapeless piece of marble, one has to identify young Talent and systematically groom "CHRO Talent". Now amongst many things, it seemed to me that its important to groom Young Managers today for becoming Global CHRO rather than for a Unit or Business alone, so I rummaged my notepads for some valuable inputs that I could offer to the Guru group or Zorporates ( a term for heavyweight Corporate pros).

Serendipity intervened and I stumbled on this piece of advice that I had copied just the previous day, after watching SHRM Foundation's DVD on World Economic Forum's (www.weforum.org) recommendations for Young Global Managers. Here they are:

1. Seize opportunities to learn about different cultures, Values and perspectives.
2. Get a mentor or a coach or both, early in your career.
3. To lead Leaders, be authentic and genuine (platitudes don't work)
4. Recognize the interdependence between Global issues, cultures, communities and people
5. Practice collaborative Leadership

Although true for every budding Global Leader, their importance for the young HR leader cannot be overemphasized. I threw my hat in the ring and stressed the interdependence of senior HR Leaders with the younger counterparts along with the above lessons . My suggestions were met with acknowledging nods around the table...thank you WEF and SHRM Foundation. Over to you, the young HR pros!

Jai Ho!!!!!

Rajesh Kamath

Mid 20 crisis!!!

Well!!! you have heard and read enough about the mid 40 crisis.....

Let's contemplate on the mid 20 crisis now!!!!

'Mr X is 27 years old and has been working in an IT company for the past 5 years. The promotions are happening in a consistent pace and the bank balance is reasonably fat [the body is also fat!!!].Future seems promising with a seemingly optimistic chance of getting a leadership role.But work pressure is too much and there seems to be more tempting oppurtunities in other companies too.

However; His best friend from a reputed B-School strongly feels that he should quit his company and prepare for his GMAT/CAT/XAT.Mr X does not have the time to prepare for the aptitude test.

His parents[unaware that he is committed] are keenly searching for a potential bride for him.

His girl friend who is also working in the same company has no plans of marriage for the next three years...

And he is definitely in a deep crisis for the above reasons.'

Mr X is certainly familiar to us. There are many such youngsters who seem to be in the midst of this 'mid 20 crisis'. They are young,spunky, promising yet confused and stressed.

Let me write my thoughts on why it happens:

• Oppurtunities are many and they want to leverage the best.

• They also desire a proper work- life balance but are not clear about
  how to achieve it.

• They are intelligent and want to use their acumen in further education.
  

• At this age they are energetic & focused and want to do professionally well but they also have to get ready for marriage where priorities are to be re-defined .
  

• Different approach from parents towards life at this age; which might not be well endorsed by the youngsters.

• Women want to delay marriage and become financially independent.
  
  Now what can be the HR's role in this issue???? Let's discuss:

• Recognise and accept the situation.
  
  
• Recruit candidates who have greater clarity about their professional life.
  
  
• Encourage employees to go for higher studies by sponsoring their
  education and providing them better job profile post completion of
  higher education.
  
  
• Help employees to achieve better work-life balance.
  
  
• Have counsellors who can assist the employees with their personal life.
  
  Guess!! 20-20 cricket is not the only 20 something issue that should concern us........

Jai Ho!!!

-Saikat Saha