Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Void Management When Your Team Leader leaves The Team

In a working professional's life, the working place plays a second home where he/she spends most time of his/her day. Hence, even if one person leaves the team, there is obviously a change that occurs in the team dynamics and schedules. If a new person is assigned to take over the vacant post, there are many issues to be considered with respect to work style, attitude and team compatibility. However, if it is the team leader (read:boss) who has moved on, the situation needs special attention. Career News finds the effects when your team violates.

The point to consider is that the team members are used to a particular style of leadership, and hence, the sudden transformation has to be handled in a way that does not affect the productivity of the team as well as the team chemistry. 'Our senior leaders spend a considerable amount of time and effort on succession planning for each role. In order to battle a situation as this, there should be a well-established process for meeting such demands if and when they arise,' says VP HR of country's leading system manufacturer.

The HR department has to think of the whole situation from the point of view of the employees who are still a part of that team for which the leadership has changed. From an HR's perspective, it is important that they address this issue and show the team that steps are being taken to make the transition smooth for both the parties involved. 'Team dynamics are definitely affected by people movement - more so when bosses move. However, what is important is to ensure a robust communication plan is well in place that helps in mitigating any potential issues that may arise out of such a movement,' says Head of a talent management.

The team members may have shared a different relationship with their previous boss and there is a sense of security that the team has, as they have been working with the particular person for sometime now. When the HR is more people-oriented, can they understand the true potential of the situation and take steps to help the employees to get over the situation as soon as possible.

courtesy : ascent

Friday, October 08, 2010

Millenials and Their Ruling World

A lot has been discussed about the entry of Generation Y or the Millenials into the workforce. They are a lot different from the older knowledge workers and all set to shake up offices and organizations, say experts. Career News tells you more about this charismatic bunch of professionals

The workplace is not what it used to be earlier. Prior to 1998, there were essentially three generations working together with a reasonable degree of harmony. While traditionalists, baby boomers and Gen Xers are certainly distinct and each has their pros and cons, the millennials have developed work characteristics and tendencies from doting parents, structured lives and contact with diverse people. Millennials are used to working in teams and want to make friends with people at work. MD of Kelly Services added that to effectively interact with or manage millennials, it is critical to understand what drives them and shapes the value of their generation. As they are more technology savvy, their preferred mode of communication is instant messenger followed by e-mails and phone calls. They have enjoyed close relationships with parents, teachers and mentors and open electronic access to virtually anyone. They are therefore more willing to circumvent institutional hierarchies to have their voices heard at the top by providing ‘bounded access’ to managerial levels and above through formal 'meet and greet'’ occasions or informal town hall-type meetings. Millennials need to feel that their ideas are being heard while still working within the larger organization's structure.
Today, organizations constitute a large number of a younger workforce, so a large percentage of stakeholders within organizations are millenials. It has been found that even in new age businesses, 80-90 per cent of talented workforce comprise of millenials. Although they do not have many years of experience, they certainly have great innovative ideas and energy to implement, qualities which are widely accepted by their target audience landed by director of GlobalHunt.

FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
In a challenging economy, many young workers are just thankful to have a job. But smart companies are developing strategies to maximize the potential of their entry-level employees — members of the millennial generation — to gain full value from their workforce and minimize turnover as the economy rebounds. What sets them apart at the workplace is their ‘sixth sense’ when it comes to incorporating technology to interact with the world, coupled with an expectation that organizations will moduld themselves to accommodate their needs.
So what are some of the ways through which organizations can keep them moving?
  • Millennials want to look up to their leaders, learn from them and receive daily feedback. They always wish to have the leader’s best investment of time in their success.
  • Focus on skills: Focus on what they are good at. This group is energetic, bright, and fearless and can multi-task better than anyone. They are technologically-savvy and are used to a 24/7 environment. Instead of complaining about the ways in which this group differs from past generations, use their strengths to your advantage.
  • Provide a fun, employee-centred workplace: Millennials want to enjoy their work. They want to enjoy their workplace. Employers need to worry if the millennial employees aren’t laughing, going out with workplace friends for lunch and helping plan the next company event or committee.
  • Make the work assigned to them more meaningful: Nothing turns off a millennial faster than work that has no perceived value. Leaders need to provide them with tasks that are more meaningful and have variety.
  • Challenge them: Millennials want learning opportunities. They want to be assigned to projects they can learn from. A recent Randstad employee survey found that 'trying new things' was the most popular item. They are looking for growth, development and a career path.
  • "This is a generation of talented people who wants to be heard and this need can be supplemented through a coaching-mentoring model. Organizations need to have credible mentors who can satisfy the impatience and curiosity levels of this workforce. The leader of the past knew how to tell, but the leader of the future will know how to ask.

The Millennials have a 'can-do' attitude about tasks at work and seek feedback about how they are performing on a regular basis – even daily. Positive and confident, millennials are ready to take on the world!

courtesy : acsent

Leadership Training for Corporates Leaders

Training for executive coaching is raising and receiving immense popularity in India Inc as one of the most efficient ways to nurture and groom potential leaders, discovers Career News.

It is a well-acknowledged fact that a strong leadership team is essential for the success of an organization and today, many firms are in the process of creating good leaders. And how are they honing the talent of future leaders? The answer: executive coaching. Executive coaching is defined as coaching at the executive level (a single individual or a team within an organization) or at an individual level outside the organizational barriers. This one-on-one interaction between a coach and an executive, mainly to enhance his/her potential, both on the job and at a personal level, is quite a new phenomenon in corporate India. According to MD of ELS, even though the concept of executive coaching is very nascent in India, many organizations have begun to realize the benefits of this and are open to implement coaching practices.

But why are organizations keen on promoting the concept of executive coaching? According to director of DCV, an executive coach could bring in several benefits to the organization as well as employees. An executive coach brings in a totally new and different perspective to an organization's functioning. Also, a firm could get an unbiased and a neutral view on things.

At an individual level, an executive coach engages in skillful conversations with the executive and assesses his/her skills and gives them possible suggestions to deal with different situations/demands at work. Coaching does powerful reinforcement of positive behavior. There is lot of unlearning that must be done at an executive level and a coach helps in achieving just that.

Even though executive coaching is gaining prominence in India Inc, there continues to exist a dearth of qualified executive coaches, say experts.

The activity of coaching is far different from training. Skills that are sought after to be a competent executive coach are far and few.The art of listening is among the most vital traits. The coach must be well-trained, equipped with good knowledge of the business and should have good credentials. An executive coach could alter the attitude, belief and behavior of an organization's key talent in order to help him/her to perform better in future life. If the training session is being carried out correctly, could leave a lasting impression on individuals and make them derive maximum advantage, both professionally and personally.

Thus, choosing the most talented executive coach is imperative for organizations and its talent to reap its benefits.