Employee Engagement

In today's corporate world there are a lot of initiatives that are run for improving their employee engagement index. Somewhere, I think there is a disconnect on what it means to the employee. In my view, I think, the more often than not, the whole discussion of Employee engagement for some strange but valid reasons are revolving around fun, outing, lunch, family and so on. I feel it is absolutely necessary, however, in my view it just probably 10% of it.

The other 90% is all about (not in any particular order). There could be many more to this list as well.

• line of sight (how do I contribute to overall organization’s goals)
• how employees feel valued (rewards, recognition, appreciation)
• am I listened (skip levels, luncheons)?
• how my mistakes are received (encouragement to be innovative, am I shielded by my manager)?
• how is my team environment (support from my peers, friends)
• how secured do I feel about my company’s prospects (any press release or rumors within market)?
• am I respected for what I’m (Manager treating everyone equitably)?
• do I have a work environment where I can contribute (training's/support system)?
• does my manager care about me and my well being (professionally and also personally)?
• am I learning constantly (new challenge)?
• are my ideas received well (or at least not ridiculed)?
• have I grown (career progression, new role)?

These all directly relate to the immediate manager on how he/she manages his team mates. How well has a manager enabled, respected, trusted, challenged, motivated, related, empathized with his/her direct report is what it matters. The manager's leadership styles, character, personality and most importantly honesty and integrity of the manager matter a lot. And as one of my friend said, there is no specific formula for Employee Engagement and it cannot be generalized, for all we know, even the above factors may mean different to different individuals. 

It is also all about those intangible emotions like passion, pride, honesty, integrity, commitment, respect, trust and so on and these have to be exhibited by the manager first and which will trickle down to the team. These can never be measured with numbers!

To me, Employee Engagement starts and stops with the immediate manager! It is a huge responsibility on the manager's shoulders to keep an employee feeling engaged and have him/her motivated to be committed to the organization, particularly in these trying times that we have put ourselves in!

- Raj

Past is Past?

Nothing personal against anyone. I was triggered when one fellow manager said this to me regarding his direct report. I felt it was not right.
- Raj.

I hate when someone says, past is past! And let us forget it! Particularly when in discussion with higher ups. If past becomes irrelevant, why should I do what I'm to do today as I know it becomes insignificant tomorrow? 

For Managers!
The achievements of individuals in the past portrays the strengths of them!
The under achievements or mistakes of them gives you an opportunity to know where not to fit them in and where to concentrate to mold them into a better individual! 
We cannot simply say I do not care what you did in the past and discard their achievements and mistakes!
- Raj

To be appreciated by the team!

What happened today was something that I would have never imagined at all.

While the MVP award waits for me at SG, to be given something by my team, so unexpectedly is a real good feeling. This one is the MVP award that I would always ever cherish. One that, the team stands up and telling me that you are not bad ;). Now, I know I can handle my emotions when I'm receiving this award on the 8th of March, 2012.

I don't know how this happens. To have everyone around me in my life to give 100% support in everything that I do, to make me successful, I don't know what to say!
Time, luck, God, blessing, be it anything or anyone! Thank you!

I'm really honored to be leading this team, one that I build and the one that would always remain my legacy!

Thanks to these wonderful living beings around me who make me feel special each day, who make me wanting to live another day, wanting to come to work every single day!

Thank you team!

- Raj

The Letter 'P'

I do not know why, but I like this letter P, for most words that start with it are very important to us in life.
I keep insisting in the below words in my team!

Passion, Pride.

No matter what job you do, if you do it with passion and take pride in that, we derive satisfaction and we learn something new even if it gets monotonous.

A person without a passion is like a dead rat.

Of course there are quite a few other words.
Patience
Perseverance
Practice
Performance

But with all due respect, these words do not match the impact that Passion and Pride give us in life!

An Amazing letter called P :)

- Raj

Innovation

In the recent past, for all good reasons, there were a lot of dicussions that I happened to be on where Innovation was a term that was coming across as the most important thing. I do not deny it and for an organization that is as huge as mine, innovation should be the bare minimum we have to have in us.

However, when I heard something like let us start innovating, bring people together to innovate, I was a bit amused.

Is Innovation so simple? Can I bring in a few people together and say Innovate and they start doing that. I mean not just straight away, but say within an years time can they innovate? I bet no. Because, there is something called lateral thinking which is very important in any innovation as is the ability to have crazy ideas. People have to have it in them to be innovative. It needs a lot of passion, commitment, courage, hard work and ability to perservere as the pressure of time will always be there.

To me, Innovation can neither be a choice nor a force. I cannot, one day, stand up and say from today on I'll be an innovator, nor my boss can come and say, come on Raj you will have to be an innovator and I feel very stupid to even think that from next day onwards I shall start doing things differently.

Innovation is not just doing things differently. It is also doing different things. It requires will to change the way of life. It needs support. It can be in any form or department of the organization. It can be anything technical, operational and a lot of times even in management.

Innovation has to be a culture. It has to be in the DNA of a person and in the larger context, should also be in the DNA of the organization. As always, culture can only be fostered and not forced. We will have to give and take time to bring in the culture or even change or nuture this culture.

And in today's world, with everyone talking about time and cost (not price) it is not easy for someone to just innovate as he/she will need time and space to even think, then execute, test and have the fruits of the results.

Looking back, I know I have a few things that I have innovated at work and I think it helped. I just have to document them and may be share it with larger audience.

So in essence, innovation can never be forced upon. It can be fostered by instilling passion within the organizaation to be different and think differently.

- Raj.

Management Vs. Leadership

There is an ever ending debate and discussion on Management and leadership.

This recently surfaced in a forum called Key Talent @ HP and I was part of it. Don't ask me if I'm key to HP or if I have the talent ;). I, in fact asked the same question myself to the anchor.

Never the less, that is not the topic of discussion now. I thought of penning down my thoughts on these two and what differentiates a Leader from a Manager. Of course both these roles are good, equally important, and I mean no disrespect to management.

- Raj

Here we go....

Of course, the simple meaning could be Leaders lead and Managers manage. But the question always lingers on what more do the leaders bring in. How do they ensure the organization sees the difference. Here are my simple and short thoughts.

Managers Manage the battle; Leaders Lead the war.

Managers Plan; Leaders Stratergize.

Managers Debate; Leaders Decide.

Managers Delegate; Leaders Own.

Managers are for a Team no matter the size of it; Leaders are for an organization and no matter the size of it.

Managers enforce Processes; Leaders define Policies.
Managers Train; Leaders Mentor.

Managers Challenge; Leaders Inspire.
Managers Solve Problems they live with; Leaders Choose what Problems they live with.

Managers Manage Change; Leaders are the Change.

While the debate can invariably go on for ever, the fact is leaders inspire change in the minds and lives of their team. Leaders make people believe in the cause and galvanize them to march towards the cause, no matter how grave or great that could be!

As they say, leaders are not made; they are born. It has to come from within.

One cannot be a leader because he/she was appointed. He/She should have inherent capabilities of decision making and owning them immaterial of their results! Most importantly, he/she should have ownership towards the followers and understand that each and everyone is unique and has something to offer towards the cause.

Well, in today's corporate world, these may be hard to exhibit and sometimes ones who have these qualities may even be ridiculed, but only by people above them and if you are a leader you will not be judged by people above you but by people who follow you.

Leadership is all about coaching, mentoring, guiding, inspiring, enabling and empowering the next level people and after which I sit in the grand stand enjoying the view of them succeeding! And the grand stand view would simply be very amazing while it is not so easy to get into that!

Be the Leader and be the Change!

- Raj