#56: Building the Landscape of the mind [Feb 2009]
Infosys declared their workforce as an asset years back. That caught attention of many. Some companies named their workforce as Human Capital and so on.
Adam Smith defined four types of fixed. The four types were: 1) useful machines, instruments of the trade; 2) buildings as the means of procuring revenue; 3) improvements of land and 4) human capital. Human Capital refers to the stock of productive skills and technical knowledge embodied in labor.
In the knowledge industry, Human Asset is the key of the four types of assets named by A. Smith. Just having people will not translate into Human Asset. We need to question whether each one of us are Human Capital or not. Are we on the debit side or the credit side of the human capital, depends upon Acquiring, Sharing and Applying model of building this Human Capital.
We need the intellects acquiring relevant knowledge on constant basis, sharing that knowledge with the colleagues, and applying the knowledge to build their skills with intent meet the defined goals.
Process
The company will provide an eco-system to achieve it. Leads would identify areas where training is required that are most relevant to the company. A well define plan is made to clearly state what training required to whom by when. The plan will also elicit where the acquired skills will be used and state the expectations for each of the identified training element.
Monitoring, course correction and reviewing the intent is very critical for the success of this goal. We should probably include “Human Capital” rating in future HR surveys. To me, Human Capital is all about building the landscape of the mind.
Hoping to see the value of Human Capital raise!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Egoless Organization
#57: Egoless Organization [Mar 2009]
Collaboration is all about building relationships, communicating, give & take, empathizing, enjoying every moment together, going thru thick & thin with same level of motivation, passion, recognizing and appreciating others, staying emotionally and professionally connected, …
But key to build relationship is to lose ones ego; the most poisonous three letter word.
DNA for Egoless Organization
Work must be fun
No one should be doing the job for the sake of it
Confidence spells success
Change is crucial to business, welcome it willingly
Focus on building great team and sharing ideas
Walking the talk
Self motivated
Remaining inspired
Speed an indispensable ingredient of competitiveness
Respect one another and sink your personal differences
Maintaining ethics
Be thoughtful and responsible to all actions
Accept mistakes, learn from it, and not repeat it
Act with sensitivity
Reinvent, constantly
Learn, continuously
Review and audit everything one does
Nurture and harvest talent
I wonder how we can measure the ego level of the company! Any ideas!!
Some Quotes on EGO:
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls; your ego goes with it.
A discussion should be a genuine attempt to explore a subject rather than a battle between competing egos. [Edward de Bono]
Black & WhiteIn life, a lesson learned in your past that you will never forget completely. When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson learned that day. I was convinced that "I" was right and "he" was wrong - and he was just as convinced that "I" was wrong and "he" was right.
The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. "White," he answered.
I couldn't believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.
The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, "White." It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black. My teacher taught me a very important lesson learned that day: You must stand in the other person's shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective.
Tough Times, Tougher People
#58: Tough Times, Tougher People [Apr 2009]
“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” – an adage that befits organizations that not only takes recession in its stride but uses the recession as an opportunity.
Few questions would arise in your minds when you read the sentence above.
Are we tough enough to survive?
Is each of our team tough enough?
What core factors that would ensure that we survive?
What opportunities that one can foresee?
Survival depends upon two sides of the coin; on one side we have individuals and the other side the organization. Let me discuss, roadmap for success at Individual level.
I recall a quote; “Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary amounts of will power”. The will to survive, the will to overcome an obstacle, the will to win, the will to learn from anyone & everyone, the will to change, the will to challenge and get challenged – is one of the fundamental characteristic that one should build in order to be tough.
Once the “Will Power” is in place, the attitude of “Yes – We can do it” falls into place automatically.
There are four pillars of strength to build on top of the foundation called “Will Power”. They are a. Learnability, b. Efficiency, c. Agility and d. Attitude.
We are in the knowledge era. The world is constantly changing with time. If we do not build the ability and willingness to learn, we are sure losers. So, Learn. Learn to learn what to learn. Learning unwanted things would yield undesired results.
To be competitive one need to be efficient which in turn reduces the cost and to be extremely agile else you are too late. Efficiency is build by changing or adopting processes, by adopting technologies, by innovative thoughts and the will to change. You can’t build efficiency if you do not measure the level of your efficiency. So, measure efficiency, change and re-measure to verify whether you have met a desired efficiency level.
Change is one thing and changing fast is altogether another thing. If one has to win a 100 meters Olympic race, changing the physique is critical but within the time before the Olympics qualification round starts. Hence, agility is a key factor.
The last but not the least is attitude of every person for the deliveries to be successful. Attitude to share and grow, attitude to learn new things, attitude research, attitude to create bond between people, attitude to empathize and help others, attitude towards commitment, etc would make an individual to mature as a person as well as a professional.
I am sure we will survive any business or market change if we adhere to these basics.
I will cover the drivers that would make an organization to be successful in the next issue.
“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” – an adage that befits organizations that not only takes recession in its stride but uses the recession as an opportunity.
Few questions would arise in your minds when you read the sentence above.
Are we tough enough to survive?
Is each of our team tough enough?
What core factors that would ensure that we survive?
What opportunities that one can foresee?
Survival depends upon two sides of the coin; on one side we have individuals and the other side the organization. Let me discuss, roadmap for success at Individual level.
I recall a quote; “Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary amounts of will power”. The will to survive, the will to overcome an obstacle, the will to win, the will to learn from anyone & everyone, the will to change, the will to challenge and get challenged – is one of the fundamental characteristic that one should build in order to be tough.
Once the “Will Power” is in place, the attitude of “Yes – We can do it” falls into place automatically.
There are four pillars of strength to build on top of the foundation called “Will Power”. They are a. Learnability, b. Efficiency, c. Agility and d. Attitude.
We are in the knowledge era. The world is constantly changing with time. If we do not build the ability and willingness to learn, we are sure losers. So, Learn. Learn to learn what to learn. Learning unwanted things would yield undesired results.
To be competitive one need to be efficient which in turn reduces the cost and to be extremely agile else you are too late. Efficiency is build by changing or adopting processes, by adopting technologies, by innovative thoughts and the will to change. You can’t build efficiency if you do not measure the level of your efficiency. So, measure efficiency, change and re-measure to verify whether you have met a desired efficiency level.
Change is one thing and changing fast is altogether another thing. If one has to win a 100 meters Olympic race, changing the physique is critical but within the time before the Olympics qualification round starts. Hence, agility is a key factor.
The last but not the least is attitude of every person for the deliveries to be successful. Attitude to share and grow, attitude to learn new things, attitude research, attitude to create bond between people, attitude to empathize and help others, attitude towards commitment, etc would make an individual to mature as a person as well as a professional.
I am sure we will survive any business or market change if we adhere to these basics.
I will cover the drivers that would make an organization to be successful in the next issue.
Tough Times, Visionary Companies
#59: Tough Times, Visionary Companies [May 2009]
In the last issue, we saw how individuals can succeed under all circumstances and that is the foundation class and pillars of strength to be successful. To recall, there are four pillars of strength to build on top of the foundation called “Will Power”. They are a. Learnability, b. Efficiency, c. Agility and d. Attitude.
In this issue, we will discuss what makes an organization successful. The question we need to ask is “Are the pillars and foundation same for organizations as that of Individuals?” The answer is No.
Foundation
Corporate culture, which I feel serves as the foundation on which pillars of strength is built. It is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called "the character of an organization" since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. Hence, we need to ensure that CNPL values its culture as the core foundation and we should monitor, measure and correct if there is a deviation.
Pillars of Strength
There are four pillars of strength and they are a. Technology Adoption, b. Process, c. Talent Management and d. Collaboration.
In the knowledge economy, the agility with which technology adoption happens is the key driver for business sustenance. Agility and learnability of individuals contributes to this pillar.
Adaptation of technology without using proper process will be cost ineffective. Process and its compliance will instill quality on one hand and keep the cost of products & services less expensive.
Again, knowledge economy depends largely on talented and skilled manpower. Retaining the talent, keeping them motivated, encouraging them to learn on continuous basis and recognition are the ingredients of talent management.
Of course the last but not the least is to ensure that the individuals work as a team to achieve common objectives. Collaboration would need transparency, attitude to care & share, attitude of forgiveness, pride in growth of peers and sub-ordinates, empathy and magnanimity.
Our next survey would be based on these foundation and pillars. Get ready to give your frank and valuable feedbacks soon.
In the last issue, we saw how individuals can succeed under all circumstances and that is the foundation class and pillars of strength to be successful. To recall, there are four pillars of strength to build on top of the foundation called “Will Power”. They are a. Learnability, b. Efficiency, c. Agility and d. Attitude.
In this issue, we will discuss what makes an organization successful. The question we need to ask is “Are the pillars and foundation same for organizations as that of Individuals?” The answer is No.
Foundation
Corporate culture, which I feel serves as the foundation on which pillars of strength is built. It is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called "the character of an organization" since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. Hence, we need to ensure that CNPL values its culture as the core foundation and we should monitor, measure and correct if there is a deviation.
Pillars of Strength
There are four pillars of strength and they are a. Technology Adoption, b. Process, c. Talent Management and d. Collaboration.
In the knowledge economy, the agility with which technology adoption happens is the key driver for business sustenance. Agility and learnability of individuals contributes to this pillar.
Adaptation of technology without using proper process will be cost ineffective. Process and its compliance will instill quality on one hand and keep the cost of products & services less expensive.
Again, knowledge economy depends largely on talented and skilled manpower. Retaining the talent, keeping them motivated, encouraging them to learn on continuous basis and recognition are the ingredients of talent management.
Of course the last but not the least is to ensure that the individuals work as a team to achieve common objectives. Collaboration would need transparency, attitude to care & share, attitude of forgiveness, pride in growth of peers and sub-ordinates, empathy and magnanimity.
Our next survey would be based on these foundation and pillars. Get ready to give your frank and valuable feedbacks soon.
Nurturing Intellectual Capabilities
#61: Nurturing Intellectual Capabilities [Jul 2009]
An intellectual is one who has the power of understanding, has the capacity for the higher forms of knowledge or thought and characterized by intelligence or mental capacity. Suitable exercising of brain is essential for an intellect. As a Knowledge worker, all IT professionals have to be an intellect to survive, sustain and grow in the industry.
With technological changes happening too rapidly, intellects are challenged to keep pace with it. Knowledge workers are constantly challenged to learn newer technologies fast on one side, deliver projects on time & quality on the other hand. Doing both efficiently and effectively leaves the knowledge workers stressed out. Unless there is collaboration between like minded intellects, one cannot keep pace with the technology in the long run.
Cloud Computing is new a technology that we would like to learn. While the development would be interested to know how the design and architect would change to implement cloud computing, the testing team would want to learn as to how to evaluate the design and test the product and the operations team would like to learn deployment and managing challenges.
Hence, all the three teams can have an interest to build their knowledge on this. But the challenge is to learn in parallel to their current workload. If teams collaborate, the learning can happen in faster pace, also each team will have a different view point and hence the learning could be more effective.
Another example I could imagine is Orthogonal Testing technique. This technique will shorten the time-to-test curve dramatically without compromising on quality. But the technique requires understanding and use of statistics. It also requires usage of advanced functionalities XLS. Hence, QA team can collaborate with CAT team in order build their intellects as well as collaboratively learn.
Am I trying to convince you as to why I have named “Intellectual Groups” as next year theme which sits on top of Collaboration? Well, you guessed it right!!
An intellectual is one who has the power of understanding, has the capacity for the higher forms of knowledge or thought and characterized by intelligence or mental capacity. Suitable exercising of brain is essential for an intellect. As a Knowledge worker, all IT professionals have to be an intellect to survive, sustain and grow in the industry.
With technological changes happening too rapidly, intellects are challenged to keep pace with it. Knowledge workers are constantly challenged to learn newer technologies fast on one side, deliver projects on time & quality on the other hand. Doing both efficiently and effectively leaves the knowledge workers stressed out. Unless there is collaboration between like minded intellects, one cannot keep pace with the technology in the long run.
Cloud Computing is new a technology that we would like to learn. While the development would be interested to know how the design and architect would change to implement cloud computing, the testing team would want to learn as to how to evaluate the design and test the product and the operations team would like to learn deployment and managing challenges.
Hence, all the three teams can have an interest to build their knowledge on this. But the challenge is to learn in parallel to their current workload. If teams collaborate, the learning can happen in faster pace, also each team will have a different view point and hence the learning could be more effective.
Another example I could imagine is Orthogonal Testing technique. This technique will shorten the time-to-test curve dramatically without compromising on quality. But the technique requires understanding and use of statistics. It also requires usage of advanced functionalities XLS. Hence, QA team can collaborate with CAT team in order build their intellects as well as collaboratively learn.
Am I trying to convince you as to why I have named “Intellectual Groups” as next year theme which sits on top of Collaboration? Well, you guessed it right!!