Self-discovery and leadership

Published: The Hindu
On: August 22, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.

 

Being an effective leader is challenging and honest self-reflection is the key to creating a successful organisation. What is self-reflection? It means that you regularly examine the decisions that worked and those that didn’t in your organisation. It means your day-to-day experiences are drawn on as learning opportunities, and options are explored or the choices identified. You look at your weaknesses, strengths, and your interactions within your team with a critical eye. This results in a higher level of self-awareness and a realistic view of oneself. It can be agonising, yet essential to look in the mirror and face the demon.
Then turn your answers into positive, firm statements that will give you tangible goals you can work on immediately.
As you develop new leadership skills and insights, it leads to inspired and empowered employees, projects instilled with organisation’s mission, vision and values, and a big picture vision that is linked to positive results.
Today, the focus is on your ability to react to crises and make quick decisions. However, it is also important that you make it a habit to step aside and look back. Harry Kraemer, in his book From Values to Action says, “The journey to becoming a values-based leader starts with self-reflection.” He further asks, “If you are not self-reflective, how can you know yourself? If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you lead others?”
So, how does one get self-reflective? Pause for a while and answer a few hard questions – be honest!

• Where did I fail as a leader in the past? What could I do that would have made it better?
• Where did I succeed? What qualities or values did I show of which I am proud?
• Am I a cooperative leader? When did I last provide support and encouragement to my team or organisation?
• Do I enjoy being a leader? If not, what can I do to increase my joy of being a leader?
• Are there some aspects I am ignoring for fear of change or lack of knowledge?
• What can I do to become a proactive leader?
• What are my goals for my team or organisation?
• What are the new skills I have learnt in the last one year?

Write down the answers and analyse them. Develop a greater awareness of your strengths and explore challenging areas. Develop sound, positive leadership thoughts and skills.

Another way of looking back is careful observation. Analyse your own verbal and non-verbal communication. Note your tone and style used during meetings. How do you react when you face change, controversy, or crisis? Decipher the meaning of what you see and what you hear.
Being open to suggestions also helps build insights. Suspend your assumptions and look at things from a different perspective. Be prepared to listen with minimum defensiveness. Be open and curious even with people who disagree with you. Project yourself as a real person. Share your feelings that are believable. Otherwise, you may send mixed signals and come across as a manipulative leader.
It is important to respond in a flexible way. Responding with empathy and taking active interest in others is vital to managing relationships.
Meditation, reading and maintaining a journal are some other ways that can help you in your journey of self-discovery and leadership.
Finally, be prepared to do a reality check consistently and support your inner growth if you truly want to commit to becoming an effective leader. It requires personal discipline, hard work and continuous practice. Good luck!

Use humour to increase productivity

Published: The Hindu
On: August 08, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.
Research has proved that fun and humour at the workplace is essential to balance the mind, body, and spirit. From a company’s perspective, an employee’s wellbeing plays an important role in his performance, quality, and productivity, which in turn affects business success and profits. Factors such as a good working environment and employee engagement are crucial to improve employees’ wellbeing. When an employee’s wellbeing reduces, so does his or her performance. By adding humour in your workplace, you are making people happier and happier people produce more work and are loyal to their companies. They are motivated to work and grow to be innovative in their thinking. Importantly, it releases tension and manages disturbing negative emotions.
Laughter creates a positive energy that is contagious and everyone bounces back with enthusiasm. While doing mundane, repetitive jobs, having some boredom-breaking activities leads to greater tolerance levels. Even the most challenging work can be fun and less stressful. Besides, humour reduces job stress and burnout, lowers blood pressure levels, and releases the feel-good hormones known as endorphins that work as natural pain killers.
The communication channels open up between co-workers and soon they find themselves solving problems together, celebrating together, and assuming combined responsibility for the organisation’s success. There is a strong culture of trust and collaboration with enhanced task performance and decrease in turnover. All these are significant features required in the operation of a strong and successful company.
The following are some ideas that you as a human resources representative or a manager can use or customise your own:
1. Ask employees to volunteer and form a social committee group to organise fun activities appropriate for your company. It could be as simple as sending Su-do-ku puzzles, joke of the day, or an engaging event like bringing in board games and having a competition.
2. Organise a bake sale (treats made by employees) and the proceeds could go to a charity institute.
3. Add up the fun factor by having a ‘lunch and learn’ programme with a personal focus every month where employees have an opportunity to learn something new. For example, ergonomics, nutrition, healthy cooking, time management, and so on. If your budget allows, provide food. Otherwise, employees can organise a potluck or carry their own lunch.
4. In meetings, set aside some time for fun.
5. Encourage employees to create a bulletin board where fun quotes, fun facts, and so on are posted.
However, here is a word of warning. Defining what is acceptable as fun and humour and what is not acceptable is essential. For instance, indulging in crude or violent jokes or pranks is a strict no-no at any workplace.
Humour does not mean that all employees should have the ability to tell jokes or fire off clever remarks. It simply means that employees should not take themselves too seriously while keeping a positive attitude.
The workplace need not be a carnival. It should be courteous, happy and a positive place to work. It is important that we honour work ethics and not be distracted from work. We need to continue being professional and competent while embracing humour and laughter with gusto. This is not difficult to achieve. It requires trust and commitment from management along with the right attitude among employees.
It’s all about de-stressing and having fun while being productive. When the atmosphere is relaxing, fun and humour happens naturally.
To sum it up in the words of John Ruskin, art critic of the Victorian era, “In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.”

Timeless tips to be competitive

Published: The Hindu
On: July 04, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai
To read The Hindu's online version, click here.


Today, a cutting-edge workforce is seen in every organisation. There are the advantages of being in a competitive environment which include greater productivity and higher profits coupled with work-oriented employees and deadline driven atmosphere. However, this may not necessarily be the work atmosphere in all organisations.
Too much of competitiveness has its disadvantages. Not all can thrive in a competitive environment. While some do, there are others who are productive in an easygoing approach to getting things done. When employees are busy pulling each other down so they can move up, it brings in a toxic environment. It may cause employees unnecessary stress and grief leading to physical ailments. Team spirit may get affected, trust may dive down and malpractices could be a common occurrence. This leads to performances going bland and profits plummeting. Let's look at some tips to stay afloat in a competitive workplace and enhance productivity.
Compete with yourself: It is easy to be consumed by an overwhelming urge to compete and run for the glittering prize at the end of the race. However, it takes courage to take away the need to feel that you always must ‘keep up' with others. Simply emulating what your co-worker does leaves no room for pondering about what it is that truly drives you. As a healthy competitive person, spend your energy on competing with yourself. Have a specific goal to work so you can measure it and see the progress for yourself. As Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Continue to challenge yourself and avoid getting complacent.
Update your boss frequently: Make sure you are periodically updating your boss about the round of applauses that you are receiving. This isn't the time to shrink back and allow others to take over your accolades. Always be prepared. Have information ready to update your boss on any new developments. Keep a detailed record of your achievements and communicate their overall value addition to the department or organisation.
Advocate cooperation: Be the change you want to see in others. Instead of seething silently about your competitive colleague, advocate teamwork. Maintain a friendly relationship with team members through open communication and dollops of trust. Provide support and recognise others' interests and achievements. Suggest ways to collaborate on projects or tasks. For example, creating a database of templates for a project, or online tools and reference documents that are stored in your shared drive can help the entire team.
Focus on the big picture: The ability to think big is necessary to foster a culture of innovation and leadership. Look at what is good for the entire team. Avoid running after pointless competition and losing on the big game. Work on common goals. Learn and grow with each other. Remember, it takes lots of effort of all employees to make a company successful. Find ways to reach full potential, instead of focusing on meeting your targets and deadlines. In the end, you will be amply rewarded.
Better yourself: Consider competition in a healthy way. Be motivated and inspired by others' success. For example, if you are in the sales department, and your colleague is winning accolades by the dozen, instead of making him your foe, use it to your advantage. Try asking for his or her advice regarding your sales pitch. Be curious. Ask questions about how he or she reached the solution. Be a good listener. Take the time to note down the specific areas where you can improve. Think that this as an opportunity to learn. Surrounding yourself with positive, talented, and supportive people is a guaranteed way to success. So be competitive, just differently!

Getting ideas across

Published: The Hindu
On: June 06, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.

Do you like to know the ‘why' of everything? Do you challenge the conventional wisdom that says innovation isn't vital to your company? Do you wish to introduce small doses of unconventional strategy or present ways to look at your business differently? If so, are hurdles and bureaucracy blocking new ideas from coming to fruition? If you have been nodding your head all along, consider these possibilities to navigate around the blocks and accelerate your career quickly.

Learn to sell: Make the word ‘sales' an invaluable part of your skill set. Why? To introduce a new idea or process in your organisation, you need to sell it to your colleagues and superiors.

After all, this change costs money and it isn't absolutely guaranteed to work. If you want to instantly stand out, win the top executives' trust and get things done, then you are chiefly dependent on your sales skills. 

So, be ready to sell. Ensure that you are adjusting your communication style, attitude and approach as preferred by your manager.

Strategise: Make sure your organisation is ready for the kind of expansion or change you are looking at. Be deliberate, plan and practice your pitch and make sure your timing is right.

Anticipate and prepare for the most probable objections. Build support for your ideas. You may also turn towards your colleagues who can offer constructive feedback and make sure that you are effectively addressing each issue.

Try reaching the top decision makers and get their approval. Perhaps, you can enlist the support of colleagues who are in your manager's good graces.

Or, even package your idea to make it look less innovative. Maria Paul, Data Analyst at Data Monitor says, “Don't overwhelm your manager with information. However, be prepared to elaborate further. Ensure you have done your research and are backed with facts and statistics.”

Specify outcome: Clearly and concisely articulate the benefits of using your idea. Explain how your idea can support the company's objectives.

For this, walk awhile in your manager's shoes - yes, you have heard this one before - see his or her problems, needs, goals, budget, timelines, returns on investments, and so on. Take the time to learn what is going on and understand what you are up against. Be sensitive to his or her needs.

Focus on the outcome rather than you or your idea. In your pitch, address the specific concerns confirming that your manager and organisation's issues are also priorities for you. This way, you will receive fewer objections and be commended for thinking of the big picture.

Persevere: Perseverance is important if you want your ideas to be executed. Now, optimism goes hand in glove with perseverance as well. So, get used to the idea of occasional failures and move past the unfounded fear of rejection. Everyone fails.

Accept it. Look at it as part of your learning curve. At times, we have to try, and fail, until we discover what works. Stay focused even though the temptation is high to give up. As Maria suggests, “Be positive and buy your time. Maybe the situation will change, your boss may change jobs, and you will then be able to sell your idea.”

Move on: When all else fails, it is time to pick up your bags – literally and figuratively - and look for organisations that support creativity and innovation.

Making a move might be a distressing prospect, but if staying in a toxic environment is killing you, listen to your intuition and make the leap. Maybe, even start your own entrepreneurial venture. There is no dearth of possibilities when you choose to persist. Good luck!

Avoid being the perfectionist

Published: The Hindu
On: February 8, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.
Do you settle for nothing less than perfect? Are you taking a lot of time over trivial matters and missing deadlines? Are you hard on yourself? Do you hate making mistakes? Do you believe you must be perfect for everything to work out fine? If so, you may be a perfectionist.
Perfectionism is laudable. However, beware it is vicious and corrosive as well. Being a perfectionist is no fun. With outstanding demands and high expectations, quite often, a perfectionist earns the title of a ‘workaholic'. As Meha Ved, online content manager at Electronic Arts says, “A perfectionist takes longer time than a practical person to fulfill a commitment and achieve the same level of responsibility.”
Quite often, perfectionists are so focused on being conscientious, orderly and attentive to detail that they end up with problems such as procrastination, controlled behaviour, missed deadlines and ultimately low productivity. Perfectionism places unrealistic demands on both the individual and the organisation as a whole. Meha Ved further points out, “A perfectionist finds it difficult to adjust to the average team mates. He may not accept their proposals unless he is fully convinced, thereby not being a good team player.”
Perfectionism can also take a toll on your health. You may be vulnerable to a host of unnecessary health issues from depression, loneliness, social anxiety to anger, frustration and impatience.
On the flip side, if this trait is used where it is most valued and turned off when not required, it can do wonders to your career graph. Needless to say, perfectionism with pragmatism is a tricky blend. Yet, it is crucial. As Shilpa Yalamanchili, an account executive at Hanmer MS&L points out, “While perfectionism is good, it becomes bad when taken to an extreme.” Here are some strategies to avoid the perfectionist mistake:
Prioritise: Prioritise your tasks. Mark the importance of each task: H for high, M for medium and L for low. Concentrate on completing the high priority task first. Break it into small incremental goals.
Eliminate unnecessary goals and be realistic about it. Don't set yourself up for failure. Set timelines and stick to it. What is it that needs to be done immediately? What can wait for next week? Re-prioritise if necessary. This gives you a sense of control over the situation.
Focus on process: Instead of getting lost in the outcome of your efforts, focus on the process of accomplishing a task. Let not the relentless pursuit of the ultimate goal become a burden for you. Look for the bottlenecks in the entire process and solve them first thus creating opportunities to boost your performance.
Seek help: Approach your colleagues or boss. Ask for feedback. Most likely, the report you just completed is not as awful as you imagine. Delegate when deemed appropriate. Reassign a part or an entire project to your subordinate.
This allows you to focus on important tasks. Coaching can also be used to identify self-defeating thinking patterns and substituting them with self-enhanced thinking. Thus resulting in a change in the way you perceive things.
Self-talk: When you are beating yourself up for showing a less-than-perfect performance, talk yourself out of it. Focus on acknowledging the positive part of the performance.
Consider that your way might not be perfect. Shift your approach. Find your own worth in yourself rather than fishing for praise from others.
Be practical and realise that worrying about trivial issues only leads to a waste of your time and energy. As Shilpa Yalamanchili adds, “There is no sense in having a tunnel vision. Accept criticism, learn from your mistakes and move on.”
Relax: Take it easy. Drop your guards and be yourself. Learn to put up with life's frequent imperfections. Relish the chance of knowing something new. See mistakes as learning opportunities. Understand that everyone does not have your same stellar standards.
Give yourself the go-ahead to accomplish something the only way one can in a real world, imperfectly.

Overcome career anxiety

Published: The Hindu
On: January 25, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.

You always loved going to work. But one day you suddenly realise that you no longer feel the same about your work.
You are feeling stressed and burned out. You are no longer sure if you are in the right job. In fact, you hate your job and worse, you do not know what to do about it. You are going through career anxiety!
A bout of anxiety can take a toll on your mental and physical health. It often includes nervousness, sweating, trembling, tiredness and sleep problems.
It can leave you feeling apprehensive and uncertain, paralysing you into inaction. It can affect even those people around you. Let's look into possible reasons for such anxiety.
Social networking: Do you have a Facebook page? Or, do you tweet? How about LinkedIn? Chances are you have all of the above.
No doubt it is a great tool for networking, sharing your thoughts and keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. However, there is a downside to social networking. Comparison with friends through such sites makes people doubt and regret if they have done enough.
As Minal Jain, an employee at a call centre says, “When I see my classmates having foreign vacations, I feel distressed that I have failed in my life.” This kind of negative comparison and dreams that have failed to materialise bring in career anxiety.
Money: As society defines success by our job status, materialistic gains and money, people tend to become so busy making a living that they forget to make a life. Sometimes, individuals tend to compromise their interests for money. They are so caught up in the day-to-day life that they get only empty victories. There is a disconnect between what they want and what they have. This leads to career anxiety.
Economy: The volatile economy is taking a toll on everyone. The uncertainty and layoffs in jobs have led to an increase in career anxiety. As Mehul, an employee in a reputed software company puts it, “I always fear losing my job. I can't help but carry this stress home”.
It's important to get a handle on your anxiety before it spirals out of control. Here are some ways to deal with it.
Join social activities where you can let your guard down and relax. Share ideas and thoughts with different people from varied backgrounds. Take up hobbies that interest you, for example, music, pottery, calligraphy and yoga, or sports activities such as cricket, tennis and badminton. Pick up your iPod and jog to the nearby park. Watch motivational movies and documentaries.
Experiment with new things. Seek out opportunities to discover new and old passions. One good way of following your passion is moonlighting with your day job. Enjoy the challenge of learning something new and meeting new people. If you get an opportunity, relocate yourself. This way you will continue to challenge yourself and avoid the feeling of being lost.
You may also talk to your boss and make changes in your job profile. In addition, you can further your education and avail training programmes to upgrade your skills.
Spend at least an hour with yourself. Do self interrogation. Are you following your passion? Are you doing what you love to do? Embark on a truthful personal inventory of what you want from your career and where you really want to head. Without doubt, individuals who love their work are happier than people who don't. Acknowledge your feelings of insecurity. Identify the source. Talk about your anxiety to someone you feel comfortable with.
Just talking about your worries can make them seem less frightening. If talking about the problem or relaxation techniques don't work, seek professional consultation such as with a psychologist or career coach.
Starting now, spend more time pursuing your passions and less time on those things that don't feel right for you. Good luck!

Difference between coaching and mentoring

Published: The Hindu, India
On: January 18, 2012
At: Hyderabad, Chennai

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.


If you think coaching and mentoring are interchangeable terms, think again. Yes, there are enormous overlaps, and yet they are two different terms. Let's look at them in detail:
Meaning:
Mentoring is an informal relationship between two professionals based on trust, open communication and mutual respect. The mentor's advice, experience, skills, wisdom and involvement leave an indelible mark on the life of the mentored person.
Mentoring happens through examples, impromptu counselling and the free-flowing exchange of thoughts and ideas. It facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual. It also creates one of a kind opportunity to network with professionals in your field. A mentor's essential qualities include:

• Experience in the field
• Ability to communicate that experience
• Willingness to do so
• Special interest in helping another person
• Finding joy and fulfillment in the success of another person

To cite Oprah Winfrey, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.

On the other hand, coaching is a management term to define development of employee expectations. It is about helping someone to focus on specific goals. A coach is most commonly an external person hired by the HR department of an organisation for a specific period of time. A coach helps to sharpen skills and overcome hurdles to better performance.
A coach is not necessarily a senior person sharing experience or passing on advice. Instead, observation, questions, analysis and unbiased feedback are used to facilitate the learning process. A good coach provides feedback and motivates you to establish your own actions to move forward. To cite John Russell, a prominent Hollywood star, “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable”.
The difference:
Both coaching and mentoring have their own uses and a wise manager or management knows the difference and makes the best use of either depending on the situation. Mentoring works best when an experienced, talented professional assists another professional who is an entrant in a new job position or needs to acquire new skills and competencies as a manager. Research suggests it is useful for retention of employees in an organisation. Mentoring suggests to the employee that the organisation supports their professional growth and development. It creates a workplace culture that encourages everyone in the organisation to share their knowledge and collaborate.
Coaching is useful for individuals who need to focus on a specific goal in professional development or improve their effectiveness, are in transition from one role to another, start or expand a business, to identify and achieve personal goals or achieve financial freedom. It can also help organisations move towards a responsive, committed and flexible way of working.
Both coaching and mentoring can work best when the mentee or client is open-minded and has the passion and the will to learn and succeed.
Duration:
Depending on what the end goal is, coaching sets a limited amount of time for accomplishment; whereas mentoring helps the mentee to grow holistically therefore allowing the mentee to develop at his own speed.
Rewards:
Typically, mentors don't charge for their services. They believe in you and have been there and done that and are enthusiastic to share their experiences. However, mentors can benefit as much as their mentees or more during the process of sharing insights and various skills. Tremendous learning and development takes place thus keeping mentors on top of their field and gain the satisfaction of seeing their mentee succeed.
Mentoring is also an excellent way to increase productivity and discover talented individuals. For instance, the mentor can help a new employee familiarise himself with the work culture. Effective training solutions can be made to meet the needs of the organisation.
A coach is usually hired by an organisation to work with individuals or a team. The organisation and the learner is the ultimate benefactor of the coaching. Coaching encourages, inspires, nurtures and brings out the best in employees.
Deciding if you need a mentor or a coach is up to you. Both, coaching and mentoring allow you to accomplish your full potential. While a mentor can be your guide in the confusing jumble of your organisation or field, a coach helps you to speed up your efficiency and achieve your goals.
Choose a mentor if you feel the need to have an advisor or guide, who can nurture you under his or her wings. It's a good idea to find a mentor from your organisation who is well respected, experienced and shares your values. However, if you wish to focus on specific goals, or you have reached a point where you need to develop in your own unique way, hire a coach. Coaching is performance focused centering on an employee. Whether you choose coaching or mentoring, the result is an organisational change with transformation in the culture and increase in productivity.