Five Ways To Get your Team to Work More Innovatively

You have a great team that performs well and does not disappoint you. They have accomplished many targets, at times before the deadline. They have won you awards and accolades across the organisation and even got you the promotion you aimed for. But it appears that they are stuck in a rut, and are refusing to innovate. Moresha Benjamin lists important tips to keep in mind to get your team to think out of the box.

Hire Dedicated Workers
“Select a team that is passionate about the work,” says Sunil Goel, director, GlobalHunt, an executive search firm. It is vital for the manager and organisation to get people on board who show keen interest and are excited about their work. When people are passionate about their work, innovation follows. The commitment to innovation is crucial and should be visible to the organisation.

Get All Hands On Deck
Innovation is about gaining different perspectives to address a challenge or an opportunity. It is good to create cross-functional teams that can work on time-bound projects. “Having people from various functions come together allows for cross-pollination of ideas and encourages individuals to think out of the box and beyond their function/roles,” says Pavan Dhamija, MD & CEO, DLF Pramerica Life Insurance. Also, identify how your team can do work differently on the same project in order to create or add value.

Make Room For Competition
“Setting ambitious yet achievable goals/ targets enhances team productivity and gives a moral boost to employees once they achieve their targets, so that they keep on coming up with better and innovative ideas,” says Sunil Singh, AVP, HR, Tulip Telecom. Promoting competitive learning amidst teams is important, as learning and unlearning is a continuous process, adds Singh.

Recognise Efforts
“A culture of recognition helps drive innovation. Team members should be encouraged to share their thoughts, and innovative suggestions/ ideas should be supported in every possible manner,” says Dhamija. “Even though all ideas and innovations may not be great, the manager should be receptive and encourage them,” says Goel.

Invest In Training
Companies can make investments to train employees to think innovatively by facilitating their participation in training programmes, giving them live case studies and projects to work upon, and so on. This is extremely satisfying for employees who are keen to contribute and make a mark, adds Dhamija. Another investment one can make is in procuring latest technology to keep your business growth steady and profitable. Technology breeds innovation. Suggest that your employees take up an existing product and work on it to make it better using technology.

(Courtesy: The Economic Times)

The 1000th Hit.....Thanks Again

So finally today is the day ....a day that I have been long waiting for. However when I did start this I didn't even think I would reach this far. A 1000 hits was not even at the back of mind. What was, is and will remain was to provide a single place where one can find pointers, handouts, capsules, briefs about various topics to use as training, teaching, knowledge sharing material.

And this is not my success. It is the success of all those wonderful people who have written these blogs, articles all across the globe. A special thanks to them. And to special thanks to all the readers of this blog as well.

Five Ways To Deal With a Know-it-all Employee

The office often sees a precocious lot running around with a know-it-all attitude. They interrupt when the boss speaks to add their inputs and take the non-hierarchical structure in companies literally. Also, the race to the top makes them believe that by taking charge, and being more vocal, they are under the spotlight. But little do they realise that this could throw them off track. No doubt these employees are an asset since they mostly make for an enthusiastic lot, but the boss has a tough job in trying to rein them in without making their exit easier. Devina Sengupta speaks to some bosses who have a few tricks up their sleeve to show such employees their place.
 Hold up The Mirror
For every one out of 10 times the employee gets it right, the other nine times he would have been off the mark. It is important to hold up a mirror to the ‘ I-know-it-all’ employee, especially when he gloats about how he is sure his way is the right one. “Nobody knows it all and this is often done to get a positive comment on his performance. More chips piled on would get the message across,” says Ronesh Puri, MD of Delhi-based search firm Executive Access.

Get To The Bottom
There are those who believe that the boss gets irritated due to ego clashes. “But the key is not to show an outward irritation, which might work against you,” says Hari Rajagopalan, DGM of a real estate firm in Bangalore. He once had to deal with a junior employee who refused to work on putting up fliers because he thought he was meant for larger responsibilities. He used the excuse that putting up fliers will not attract customers whereas surveys showed it worked. Rajagopalan found out the reason behind the reluctance, and assigned more than one person on the job so that the employee did not feel singled out.

Say It Out Loud
“Nothing hits home as powerfully as a few good slip-ups,” said Saundarya, founder member of Flexi Career in Chennai. “Allow him/her to realise practically that experience, which comes with age, cannot be replaced by brash bookish knowledge,” she said. The early start of the one-upmanship game is because of the need to rise up the ladder.

Take Them Aside
Staffing firm Mafoi-Randstad’s CEO often takes the mid-level managers for client meetings and has noticed that they show they are more aware of the industry than the client, which is in poor taste. “ Sensitivity is missing at times. Instead of snubbing them in front of others, a private meeting should be the forum to explain,” says E Balaji, the CEO. It’s best to first list the positives and then get to the negatives and do a SWOT analysis so the errant employee will realise areas that require improvement.

Let Colleagues Step In
There are bosses who list out to the employees that such behaviour will not be accepted . “Water is its own leveller, and no one can say that he knows better than those who have been in the industry for a longer time,” says Ajith Issac of Ikya consultants. Experts also say that a prod or two from team mates can help to tone down such behaviour.

Five Ways To Reason With A Miserly Boss

He likes to hold back words of appreciation for you. He loves to give you miserly ratings during your appraisals. His 'miserly' attitude is often a reflection of low risk high control behaviour.

Having such a tightwad boss in an organisation or a team can easily snowball into a problem at a larger level where his/her style considerably reduces the risk appetite of the company, sometimes, even in business decisions.

ET Bureau lists some ways to deal with such a boss.

Learn to Rationalise

The attitude of such people can prove to be a major roadblock in the progress graph of the company, says Manish Sinha, director, HR, BD India. "Often, new products, new technologies, new markets, innovations can take a back seat and thereby affect the growth potential of the organisation," says Sinha. "Reason out with him and negotiate well to intellectually satisfy him. Offer him some advice in a non-threatening environment and explain to him the impact his approach has on the organisation," he adds.

Use Feedback as aTool

Employees across organisations are becoming more empowered. While bosses may appraise their teams, they should not forget that in the end, they are also employees and not owners of the organisation. It is advisable to use such empowerment and give the tightwad boss data based on feedback through tools like 360-degrees appraisal. "Numbers and facts always create that impression, more so when it is evidence-based," says Mr Sinha. If an employee has performed, he can take up the case quite conveniently, proving that he did his bit, while the boss was busy flaunting such attitude.

Focus on Returns

Alok Jain, EVP & COO of ASPIRE Human Capital Management faced a similar situation in the initial years of his career. "My boss didn't recommend my proposed project as it was high on capital investment in the beginning. But without losing my confidence, I firmly explained the value of returns and convinced him. When the project started, the results were impressive. My boss appreciated my vision and the project finally became a milestone of my career." It is important to emphasise return on investment. "Articulately explain to your boss that money invested on recruiting talent or in office infrastructure would reap manifold returns in the long run," he adds.

Explain Value of Skills

Because of their attitude problem, tightwad bosses often under estimate skills of many performing employees, which may lead to immense demotivation over a period of time. It is imperative that they realise the importance of performing employees and their contribution in the organisation's growth. "He should understand that recognition and monetary appraisal go a long way in motivating employees and deliver their best to the business," says Mr Jain.

Delegate Tasks

According to Mr Sinha, a miserly boss often works on the premise that scarcity leads to innovation. He won't be liberal enough in helping his team access better resources, healthier marketing budgets and better infrastructure. Therefore, it is important to ask him to delegate and give some control to his team. "Complementing such bosses , who have a more liberal style, is often useful in improving the overall environment," he adds.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 19-07-2011)

Five Ways To Master the Art of Influencing People

The art of influencing is gaining in importance in corporate jobs. It is a skill that is sought after by executives, and is easy to master. Management gurus say with teamwork becoming more important, influencing skills play a big role in their success. Writankar Mukherjee spoke to experts to suggest ways to improve influencing skills.

Support Ideas with Data
To influence a team or a meeting, executives need to clearly present their ideas and thoughts with facts and/or information to support it. Many people respond positively when a view is supported with data or something concrete. “Some background research pays. If you get some information that will add credibility to your argument, your chance of influencing the cause or fact is very high,” says Krishna Chowdhury, a leadership trainer.

Say it Straight
The skill of influencing depends largely on the way you put across your point of view. HR experts say executives should communicate their point of view in a way that makes a direct impact. “Both the substance and the way you put it across plays a big role in influencing. Carefully choose the words, the timing, the forum and the way the point of view is put across. Say it with a lot of conviction. The impact will then be greater,” says Ajit Isaac, Ikya Human Capital Solutions MD.

Develop an Informal Channel
Experts say it is important to use multipl e channels to influence. Apart from formal influence, which is done in meetings, informal influencing with key people is key. “Such informal influencing can be done in office corridors, by walking into the cubicle or even in the canteen. Build a network with colleagues and a good working relationship with key officials during such informal encounters and convey your point of view as if you were thinking about it,” says Vivek Tripathi, chief of HR, Lava Mobile.

Build a Consensus 

A good leader, it is said, is one who listens more and talks less, since he then influences the most. Such an approach helps to gain the confidence of team mates. “Listen and understand their point of view. At a senior level, directing someone will have little influence. The best influencing style is probing, consulting and questioning, as it helps to gain consensus,” says Amit Bhatia, CEO, Aspire Human Capital Management. The biggest impact will depend on how a professional lives up to his commitment and whether or not he is a man of action. But don’t commit to something that may be difficult to achieve. “The next time, your colleagues or subordinates will not listen to you and won’t take you at face value,” says Tripathi.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 15-07-2011)

Toughen Up Employees to Handle Crises at Workplace

Leena Brian (26), recently joined a manufacturing company in Mumbai as manager, but the company was acquired soon after. Everything was in sixes and sevens during the transition. In the face of uncertainty, her boss made four of her colleagues quit. Brian met the managing director of the newly-formed entity to share her concerns. In the next two weeks, several open houses were conducted, leaders were empowered to take quick calls on problems, and the company averted a crisis. Shreya Biswas lists a few things corporations must keep in mind in such a situation.

Empower People
Every level of leadership should empower the next level of people below it. Provide them space in their area of responsibility. Encourage innovation, reward and recognise them. It has to be built into the culture over a period of time. At Titan Industries, for instance, it’s a routine exercise. It recently held the annual ‘Titan Interweave’, where 25 teams presented brandrelated innovations, and the Titan Innovation Bazar, where 120 teams took part and showcased their ideas. “Encouraging people to go beyond the call of their duty and recognising their efforts builds an organisation, which can respond to adversity with the ease with which it does in times of stability,” says S Ramadoss, VP, HR and administration.

Provide Opportunities
Employees respond to change best when they see their own career growth associated with the company’s transformation. Providing the right opportunities and cross-functional responsibilities prepares them for such scenarios. A robust internal mobility policy also makes employees feel secure and they know the company would always prefer its own people for any task than an outsider.

Let them Decide
Instead of creating a hierarchical organisation, insist on giving people a clear line of authority and empower them to take swift decisions. “People shouldn’t be penalised for every risk or decision they take, else they will only stick to the routine and not face challenges when required,” says K Sudarshan, managing partner, EMA Partners International.

Engage With Stakeholders
Every time an organisation goes through a transformation, the level of engagement with stakeholders plays a crucial role in deciding the success of that change. “They will know where the company stands and will respond positively to change, says Shalini Sarin, director, HR, Schneider Electric, India.

Feed Change
Transitions to new processes, structure or even technology should be part of an organisation’s DNA. It should be fed in at regular intervals so the resources become a great support in times of crisis. “Drive company programmes like Six Sigma or move to a new technology like campaigns. This will build agility amongst people and any unforeseen events will not be a shock to them. They will adapt to it slowly,” says Sarin. 

(The Economic Times, Mumbai 12-07-2011)

Five Ways to Fail at Design

This post is part of HBR's special issue on failure.

As much as the business world seems to admire design innovation these days, very few companies are doing it well. As the founder of a firm that helps businesses innovate, I've watched approvingly as design has gone from a niche topic to the covers of mainstream publications and the keynotes at business conferences. And yet, in 28 years of creative consulting, I have seen far more corporate design efforts fail than succeed.

The arguments in favor of these efforts have been solid: commercial markets are saturated with adequate offerings, consumers are more aware of alternatives and more discerning in their choices, and innovative design is an effective way to differentiate and communicate a brand. But while there are plenty of familiar examples of design-driven market success — Oxo, Apple, Umpqua Bank, Virgin Atlantic and Netflix, to name a few — they are the exceptions, not the rule.

It's common to hear of companies hiring a creative consultancy, applying its recommendations, and yet at the end of the contract, seeing little or no return on investment. The majority of engagements that end this way have resulted in solutions that were never implemented, or were not implemented to their full potential. The design failed, in other words. My observations of attempts at design innovation in the business world suggest that this track record is typical. It can lead thoughtful executives to view design hype with skepticism, and suspect a case of winner's bias: magazines run cover stories about the rare design-driven superstar, but ignore the more numerous losers.

But there are strong similarities among companies that use design effectively, and it's not that they hired the "right" consultancy or believed in the power of design more than their competitors. Design failures are rarely the result of a bad concept or an unwilling client — the companies mentioned above have used a variety of consultancies at crucial junctures in their growth, and most of them still do. What sets them apart is an alignment of expectations. These companies go into the design process with a clear understanding of the role they must play, and a willingness to let their business be transformed by it.

The truth is there's only so much designers can do on their own to make a company successfully innovative. Companies that misalign their expectations — and many do ignore their own part in becoming more innovative — generally fail. They genuinely want good design, and they want it to impact their bottom line, but they want it to take place externally. Their vision of design as a purely third-party service is doomed.

This misalignment expresses itself in many forms. Here are five of the most common ways to fail at design:

1. Refuse to change any other part of your business. Treating design as an add-on can work when a company commissions a "designer series" of products to briefly boost the brand's appeal, but this is hardly what we mean when we talk about innovation saving your business. The smartest companies foster an internal culture of innovation, which creative consultants can support, but only if other aspects of the business — management, development, manufacturing, marketing — are open to change. More immediately, requiring a design team to propose only solutions that can be realized with your current process ensures more of the same.
2. Design outside of your innovation space. Designers don't implement solutions, companies do. For that reason, the most innovative solution on earth won't work if it's pursued by a company that can't properly execute it. At Ziba we call this capability the client's "innovation space" — the arena in which they've already proven themselves willing and able to lead the pack. Some companies are technology innovators, others are product innovators or experience innovators. Learning which you are in order to direct later efforts is a crucial first step that most companies skip.
3. Try to design for everybody. Design works as a differentiator because it responds to human needs, both functional and emotional. Most of us agree that a Ferrari is beautifully designed, but nobody would say it's for everyone. The same could be true of a minivan. Each succeeds in its market because it delivers to a tightly defined group of users. In a landscape where consumers increasingly demand tailored experiences, failing to identify a clear strategic target is designing to fail. The most useful tool a client can give a consultancy is a well-considered, focused profile of who they're designing for. The least useful is a mandate to create something that appeals to everyone.
4. Insist on replicating another company's success. "We want to be the Apple of [insert industry]" might be the single most common request clients make of creative consultancies, and it's certainly one of the most damaging. Good design does more than just serve the needs of its audience, it does so in a way that's true to the company's purpose and values. An Apple-like experience delivered by a company that isn't Apple can't be sustained, because it's not backed up by Apple's culture and resources. The result is an inconsistent experience that feels disingenuous to customers, and shatters their loyalty. This is why "me too" innovation almost never works. Not only does it make you look like a copycat, it shows you don't care about your own brand enough to express it in your user experience.
5. Compartmentalize design into isolated tasks. It's tempting to treat design as a menu of services, applying it here and there on bits of a project that need sprucing up. To a skeptical client this can feel economical and controlled, but it cripples the design effort by fragmentation. The best user experiences are integrative; they make sure that every touch point is consistent and logical, building trust from the user, and reinforcing the brand's character. Piecemeal design work creates an incoherent experience that users will ultimately reject.

Good design can indeed lift a company's performance from lackluster to outstanding, but it's still just one element in the overall system. The key to getting what you need from design is letting it influence, and be influenced by, the other elements in that system. Only when design considerations are integrated into your company's culture as thoroughly as quality, schedule and budget are, will you start moving down the path of design-driven success.

About The Author: Sohrab Vossoughi is founder and President of Ziba Design. He holds more than 40 patents, has received ten citations in Business Week magazine for Best Product Design, and is the only industrial designer to have been elected a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.

Original Link: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/04/five_ways_to_fail_at_design.html

Five Ways To Stop Being Late

The reason I know so much about being late is because recently, I have been late a lot. So I have been telling myself that each time I am late I have to honestly think about what sort of behavior is causing me to be late, and write it down.

The write it down part is important. For me, writing something makes it more serious. Like I am taking 

more responsibility for changing something if I write it down. I know I am not alone in this. 

I see blogs about losing weight and sticking to a budget, and those people say that blogging about it helps them stick to a plan. I think being on time is a similar type of goal in that you have to think about it every day in order to make a real change in your life.

Hopefully I will not end up writing a whole blog about being on time, especially sincethere's such a good one already. Hopefully a post will be enough to get things back in order….

Here are things I've come up with for myself:

1. Schedule the event into your calendar.

If you block out time to be somewhere then you won't be doing something else when it's time to go. I amazed myself when I tried to do this. I discovered I had enough on my schedule to last 48 hours a day. It would have been impossible for me to be on time for anything.

(Note: If you are a person who is about to recommend to me that I read Getting Things Done in order to be better at time management, here is a link you might like.)

2. Practice saying what you need to say.

Here's a great thing to say: "Excuse me, I hate to cut you off, but I have an appointment." It is hard to cut someone off, but they will respect you for sticking to a schedule. The higher up you go in corporate life, the stricter the people stick to a schedule. The good news is that this means it's perfectly acceptable in work life to say this short speech. Get comfortable doing it at work and then you can do it at home, too. Often saying no takes forethought and practice.

3. Be a time pessimist.

Assume everything will take a little longer than your first estimate. This will either make you right on time for everything, or it'll make you a little early. People who run early are calm, organized, and always ready. Not a bad place to be.

4. Prioritize.

Some people are late because they simply don't have enough time to do everything. The only way to change this is to stop doing so much. Face the reality that you cannot get your whole list done. Figure out what's most important and just get that done. Tell the people who depend on you – like your boss — that you can only do what you have time for, and things at the bottom of the their list of priorities will not get done: a reality check for everyone in your life.

(Another Getting Things Done note: The only people I know who are really good at prioritizing have read the book. Here's an overview of the book for the uninitiated.)

5. Be honest with yourself.

Why do you let yourself be late? It is disrespectful and makes you look unorganized and out of control. Why are you not getting control over your time. So much about being on time is actually about self-knowledge. Often, we are scared to make the decisions that we must make in order to get control over our time and become someone who runs on schedule. But there is no other way to run a life. To run on schedule is to plan the life you want to live and execute that plan.

About the author:

Penelope Trunk founded three startups, including Brazen Careerist. Her career advice runs in 200 newspapers. Inc. Magazine called her "the world's most influential guidance counselor."

Original link: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/12/5-ways-to-stop-being-late/

Five Ways To Form Strong Networks Outside Your Own Team

Having an efficient team is a sure shot way of gaining regontion and laurels at the work place. But to keep consistency it is essential to develop relationships beyond your immediate team. Having people in different departments not only makes you known but also helps in strengthening the productivity of your own team. Moresha Benjamin sheds light on some important things to keep in mind while establishing rapport outside your department

Interact Regularly 
“Interaction is one of the strong mediums to develop network outside your team,” says Sunil Goel, Director, GlobalHunt. To start with, it could be related to work and occasionally one could share one’s experience which compliments each other’s work interest as well. It has been observed that one department’s work remains held up due to non-proactive approach of other related department. 

Garner Support “Develop a rapport with the other team or department. Having an understanding with another department many a times bails you out during an emergency situation,” says Sangeeta Lala, VP, Team Lease Services. With in organisation, a team always gets an opportunity to do its part of job. The team should be proactive and help other departments so that the common goal of the organisation is achieved, thinks Goel. Supportive nature of the person always develops a great network outside the team.

Use Top-down Approach Have the communication channels open. “If you are the team leader then strive towards building good relations with heads of other departments. This will help increase productivity of your team because resources from other teams will be available to you for achieving your targets,” says Lala. “If I am not getting a long with a function head of another, it will always show in my work and my team’s productivity.”

Organise Workshops Conducting workshops outside office environment breaks ice between departments. In large organisations, many a times there is less or no visibility of functioning of other departments. Organising outings helps break that wall. One thing to keep in mind, says Goel, is to avoid interactions that are designed for only a segment of the departments. Make sure to add programmes and events that appeal to large majority of the workforce present.

Have Joint Reviews Initiate projects where your team and other departments can work together on. This aids in understanding what kind of role each department plays in functioning of the organisation. A feedback session during the course of the project helps both teams to work more efficiently in achieving the target assigned. Have joint reviews of departments on a regular basis, says Lala. “It helps in clearing obstacles and developing new methods in achieving the same. Also team members gain recognition for their work when it’s discussed by their respective heads during a joint review session.”


(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 05-07-2011)

Five Ways To...Connect with a Team in Different Time Zones

When you are part of an organisation that has offices across the world and your team too is spread out, communication can be an issue. Moresha Benjamin lists some pointers that will come in handy when working together, wherever you may be.

Keep the network well-oiled
“Interaction is one of the strongest ways to develop a network outside your team. To start with, it could be related to work. Occasionally, you could share your experience, which compliments someone else’s work interest as well,” says Sunil Goel, director at GlobalHunt, an executive search firm. Often, as he points out, one department’s work is held up because of a related department not being proactive enough. A team always gets an opportunity to do its part of the job and should help the related department with information to achieve the goal. A supportive attitude always helps in developing great networking outside the team,” he says.

Use technology
If your team is spread across cities, then technology can come to the rescue. Use video conferencing, emails and keep in touch with what’s happening. This not only cuts down unnecessary commuting but will also save you time so you can start on other important projects, adds Goel. Also, any last minute changes can always be updated and relayed to the team members. Technology comes in handy during emergency situations as well. Form online groups and have forums for discussion and ideation. This way, the information will also be logged.

Get the updates
Make sure to keep yourself up to speed on what work is being done and what needs to get done. Ask for regular updates; only then you can keep tabs on the progress of your team. It not only makes it easier to get the work done but also gives you a head-start in case you are planning to start a new project and ideate, says Sangeeta Lala, vice president, Team Lease Services.

Plan in advance
When you are aware that you and your team mates will not be together, you should always plan meetings and projects well in advance. If an emergency situation arises where one team worker is not able to contribute, the workload can be too much to bear, says Goel. In such a scenario, planning always works. Pan to have an effective team in place rather than planning just for operational and high output reasons.

Meet in person
Technology can help you get your work done efficiently and many a times, easily, but it can never replace the power of a personal meeting, adds Lala. “Meeting in person can keep you clued in to reality. For example, if a worker has personal or managerial issues which cannot be discussed over the phone, he might like to talk it out,” says Lala.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 01-07-2011)