Life & Leadership

Future of Employment - Top 5 Trends for the future

           I am writing my blog after a long time. Have several excuses handy - work, play, golf, travel etc - but I will stay with the simple - good old laziness. Having overcome that, here we go ...

In my view the current economic crisis will have the same impact on the Long Term world view of management & Corporate Leadership as 9/11 had on the world view around terrorism. Lots will change the way the world will look at leaders, however, I believe that one of the more subtle but equally powerful impact of this will be on The Future Trends of Employment.

Oh, by the way, I just love the simple (almost simplistic format of 5 Top Trends ...) - just makes the piece about writing on such things so delightfully simple & so much un-imaginative. Anyway, I will talk about imagination & creativity some other day.

 Trend #1 -  Sexy hot jobs become uncool  - Sexy jobs which seemed to have a quick success turbo charge bolted onto them will be seen with caution & some suspicion. The old fashioned  question - " Is this job stable ?" is likely to be popped very frequently. In the short term this trend will get lots of traction.

Trend #2 - Risk Takers rejoice  - Almost as a paradox, employers will seek people who can take risks. In the debris of the meltdown will lie many businesses aching to reach their old  glory. Leaders will pay a premium to those who have flourished (or even survived the downturn), taken risks balanced with Prudence. This breed is going to be in hot demand, if you are one of these, I envy you :) 

Trend #3 - Freelancers & Off -Roll -ers galore -  There is an increasing disillusionment with the corporate world's see saw turn of fortunes. The new generation Gen M (born in the '80s) is likely to see this as a stimulus for increasing their freedom & reducing dpendance on formal jobs. They may actually get lot of support (even role models) from the older employees who may be exiting employment & taking up roles in the informal employment sector.

Trend #4 - People NO LONGER expendable -  In my view this is the most counter intuitive trend that is likely to happen with a set of Organizations who are likely to pioneer this trend. So let me try & explain this - This time round every organization & his brother has laid off people. This has been even more painful because of the globally the whole situation was quite horrible. The "war for Talent" will resume in a few quarters & this time battle scarred employees & introspective Employers will evaluate each other. There will be a few (damn few, mind you) who have managed to keep lay offs minimal or at least have taken this opportunity to retain good talent. 

As the full impact of this crisis pan out, many organizations may find their startegic ability to attract top talent severely constrained by the way they had wielded the axe. Short point, in a couple of years, the practice of laying off people in economic situations may be seen as a bad practice.

Trend # 5 - Trust, Inspiration & Authenticity - will be traits both employees & employers will seek in each other. In fact, this is, likely to be a key Leadership differentiator going forward alongwith my two evergree favorites - Strategic agility & Adaptability.

When Life happens - to people around

Last week, I met this friend of mine, after a long time.

He was rising in corpo world as if he had rocket propulsion. Very smart and a damn nice guy. A true believer in the India shining story, he & his wife lived life. His wife had taken a sabbatical & has been chilling out for a while. Lots of us envied this lovely twosome.

Suddenly Life happened, in its fully shitty glory. my friend lost his job. Plain simply - he got restructured or right sized or whatever. 

Its been 3 weeks or so, he still cant believe it. Denial, anger, rage, depression & some good old Old Monk happened - in random order. He has just realized that he has just enough money for 3 months more. 
Do you know his biggest shock - companies & head hunters who wanted a small slice of his erstwhile precious time, are now avoiding him as his layoff is infectious!

He cant get over this face? His big thing in life was the fact that he is a very central actor in life as it played around him.

That has changed .. he has become suddenly irrelevant to life. Thats the part that he is struggling with the most

We spoke at length, he asked me for help & advice - my advice seemed so trite & so utterly useless, straight out an agony aunt column. I felt really lousy, and very helpless.

I guess the only help I could be to my friend was to be there to hear him, be there for advice & as a sounding board.

Anyway, the point about this is that we are likely to see many more people seeing this as the world convulses in economic agony.

Till then, Good Luck !!

Leadership Refresh

  One of the more troublesome challenges of Leadership is - how do you renew and refresh your Leadership style? 

In the first place, it takes a long time, almost a lifetime, to get your leadership style in place. Renewing or refreshing it is as counter-intuitive as it is difficult. Most of us take a long time & effort combined with learning to develop our Leadership abilities - even contemplating a change is quite daunting.

I just went through a Refresher where I spent time with myself, did some introspection and did some rust cleaning of my own toolkit. This was at www.isabs.org . Did a week long program on Human Process Labs - December 15 - 20th at Agra, city of the Taj Mahal.

It was an amazing week, discovered a lot about myself.

My biggest insight this week was that true learning occurs when feedback forces a fundamental shift in the way I viewed myself. And boy, the process is bloody painful !

My biggest discovery was that my behaviors were intertwined with many aspects of me that I was unaware of. Till I understood that, I would not be able to move on and change my behavior, including leadership behavior.

It was fun !!

And just as I log off, here is wishing you all, a merry Christmas & a very happy new year.

Global Slowdown - Making sense & Implications

The current slowdown, recession, meltdown or whatever else you call it, is getting into its main act as it begins to play out in Main Street, especially in India & China. And contrary to prevailing media opinion, we have barely seen the first act of the 3-act play out of this.

Act 2 likely to see a severe implosion of the real estate sector - driven by falling demand, consumer mistrust of intrinsic value & distress selling by people who have "invested" in realty & are now seeing pink slips. Credit may ease out due to government intervention, but this time the issue is about intrinsic demand.

At the risk of sounding like a doomsday Cassandra, I foresee corporate employment will fall & the job market will shrink. At worst, it could even lead to social uprisings. 

Apart from Structural Economic reasons, there is another logic why India is likely to see a lot of over reactions - the current & older generation of leaders in India have never seen a slowdown that is so sustained & across all industries.

Summary - Doom & Gloom, consumer demand plummets, job losses, credit squeeze, realty implosion ...

Phew ... Now that I have given so much doom, lets talk about Act 3, thats when recovery begins.

Act 3 - Asia is lagging in the impact its seeing of the global crisis & while its still reeling under its impact there will be PE  / Hedge funds & other FIs who will see the crisis blowing over in US & Europe. The early birds will swoop down for picking the bargain deals & suddenly the crisis will boom about just as suddenly into another boom. So whats the dark lining of this silver cloud?

Most of us will be so shell shocked & gun-shy by now that we will see the recovery with cynicism & disbelief. My guess is that we should see the upturn by end Q2 of 2009 or early Q3.

Till then, keep sanity close by & prepare for the peak of the crisis.

Good Luck

Leadership in Uncertain times

No one seems to know what's going happen next, stressful? Yes.

However, if you are a leader and don't know what's going to happen next and  are expected to give directions to people; stressful ? You bet !!

Before we get to the leaders, what do you think happens to all of us when we face uncertainty? 

• Uncertainty causes fear
• The focus shifts from the Organization / community to Personal safety & security 
• Risk Aversion & low appetite for decisions unless things are clear 
• Stress 
• And most crucial, inability to see the big picture & a focus on smaller & smaller issues 

I think the two most critical ones are - Risk Aversion and Inability to see the big picture.

Most leaders see this. And this places added pressure on them to address the issue.

Given uncertain situations, Leaders tend to face different challenges

• Increased pressure to give decisions - when they are not sure themselves
• Clarify & communicate about the future 
• But, most crucial of all, they face their own Emotional leadership challenges of choosing what do they believe in.  

While all the 3 are vital in this, I would focus on the issue of Emotional Leadership.  This aspect is least understood, least articulated & arguably has maximum impact on Leadership performance.

  And this facet is the most powerful lever to understand the most critical & often hidden aspect of leadership. Emotional Leadership is the interplay of Emotional choice, Belief & Convictions and performance pressure. It is also quite simply, what happens in your mind when you have a difficult situation & are expected to do something about it.

Most leaders are expected to look strong, sure & decisive. Damn tough thing to do when you don't have a clue which way the world & your organization is headed. Welcome to the world of Emotional Leadership !!

Dealing with this issue is tough & there is no silver bullet. In my experience, a few things that work are:

• Talk to people about the issues that you are seeking to address
• If you have a core group of friends, advisers - seek their counsel & openly discuss your confusion & the lack of clear milestones around which to take decisions. This is best done with someone outside the immediate organization.
• Don't rush to decide - think & pause.  
• Articulate your point of view, talk a lot & tell people why you are taking the  decisions 
• Be flexible. 

However, the most important point is to realize, accept & e ok with the fact that you will not have all the answers. And its ok to be so.

  

 

Future trends in Talent Management - Generation Dynamics

  Talent mangement will suddenly raise its head like a Phoenix from the smouldering ashes of the Recession & we will all sit up and take notice. The lucky ones who are still hiring will cherry pick the best talent. Seems like a good time time to gaze into the crystal ball and look at the future of Talent Magement.

The first big trend we will see is the impact of Demographics &  Generation dynamics. 

Most of  the Talent processes have been designed by and for the Baby Boomer generation (Born between 1946 - 64) - a generation that has seen their parents struggle, they value  This generation arguably provides the fundamental pillar of Leadership across all Organizations and even countries. They have shaped the concepts, processes & practices of current mangement, including Talent mangement.

Cut to the current & future  entrants into the organization. The Gen Y, also called Gen M (Mobile?)?), are people born after 1980, in their 20s. They are currently the world’s largest consumer group & are shaping the world’s thinking in very a definite, subtle manner.

Their key characteristics –

Focused on results, not time …Hmmm, this is the time I begin thinking about Virtual offices, Flexi time & in fact, death of time as the unit of employment.  How are  our current organizations prepared to deal with this?

Freedom of Choice is a big deal. In fact, more Gen Ys prefer to be Self Employed than any other generation. If this were true, how will you attract the best talent to your team. They may be available for employment at all.

Work is secondary, its just one of the many priorities this generation manages to juggle with the same ease they juggle several phones & multiple remote controls. This is anathema to the current employment “system” that looks at full –time employment as the only effective way to manage talent. The Gen Y is likely to “employment” as a series of Projects rather than a series of annual objectives for appraisal. Now that’s something to manage, isn’t it.

Belonging, Values & Fun – may seem un-connected as concepts. However, they are quite seamless for the Gen Y. Affiliation to groups that individuals relate to, values like integrity, Green-ness .. And not to miss the fun piece

Given all these, very few organizations seem ready to manage these changes.

 

 

 

Sanity regained !!

At the eve of Diwali - the season of lights, there is a somewhat dimmer appreciation of the good things of life. The stock market sucks, there is no good news coming from any quarter on the business & financial side. 

As far as my views go, good news will be scarce in the next few months.

Bad news will run cheap & flow freely.

While all this is happening, I have decided that several things are narcoses to retain sanity.  

I will let you on to a small secret, I have been able to do a few things that have help me regain my sanity, which, by the way, had served notice of exit.

All these interventions are in the area of leisure, pleasure, entertainment & general distraction.

For one, I have re-started Golf which was getting some serious step motherly treatment from my new found passion for the Gym. 

Books - I have re-discovered the absolute pleasure of reading the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes. I am aware that some serious readers will abject to C & H being classified under books. If I had it my way, I would put it under Life's Philosophy. That apart have been reading Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Set in the dust bowls of America in the great depression. Its awesome reading, highly recommended.

Music - the list is long but some of my recent favorites I have rediscovered are Mark Knofler, Rock -On, songs sung by Amitabh B & so on ...

I have told myself that in my highly inadequate quest for Work - Life balance, the work environment seems to be getting dismal everyday.so I have decided to give some long overdue focus on my life. I am not sure if the argument is right but feels like the right thing to do.

On matters of consumption, I have re-discovered two amazing things. Laphroaig & Marzipan. 

Laphroaig is my absolute favorite single malt whisky , possesses a divine bouquet of rich peaty woodsmoke laced with the aroma of the mists of the Islay islands.I could go on ... Check out the site http://www.laphroaig.com/

Marzipan - a delicious chocolate sweet that has a magical blend of Almonds, rosewater, chocolate & years of mid European tradition. It has a taste that needs to be experienced to be believed.

In summary, my recommendation for beating the Financial meltdown, Recession, Credit squeeze or Crisis - whatever you call it - is simply focus on the Life that many of you never had. Perhaps this is a contrarian advise, but what the heck, I think it works.

It has helped me regain my sanity.

Future - Proof Leadership

 

So you think your Leadership style is contemporary, perhaps! Will it always remain so? 

Hmmm, now that's a different story.

In my view there are 5 fundamental Leadership traits that will help a Leader remain contemporary, whatever be the environment. 

Trust -  this is the most important trait that the Leader of the future will need to have. Its quite simple, how inclined will You  be to led by a person whom you do not trust fully. Greater the unpredictability of the future, more the need felt for trust. In fact, some of the debate in the US media is already throwing up this aspect.

 Quick Adaptability -  Situations, markets & needs will change. Ability of change with the times will always retain a premium. Most good leaders adapt to change effectively. My focus is on the Speed  of adaptability. This calls for confidence & a developed learning ability.

Seeing around the Bend  - The ability to sense what is about to happen has always been a big deal. However, in the future, trends and situations are likely to have a shorter life and change will always be lurking around unexpected bends. If you have this ability, you are going to be in great demand, by organizations & teams both.

Emotional Quorient (EQ) - The emerging genarations of Gen Ys & Gen M will place this Leadership on a premium, even beyond where its seen today, People will want more individuality than ever before. To be treated as part of a crowd will be anathema, to be treated as a person will be a minimum expectation. The emotional bandwidth to understand people,  their motivations and how to lead & inspire them will be a key trait the future Leader will need.

Execution - Some things do not change. The ability to get things done is and will remain an essential part of the Future Leader's toolkit

Organization Redesign - The Perfect Storm is here

For a variety of unrelated reasons, this seems a great time to do an Organization Redesign and take a relook at the Structure of your Organization. 4 key trends that are causing this unique situation are :

The global Economic Downturn - this is the "Elephant in the room" issue that is having every organization re-evaluate its strategy & more pertinent, its Overhead expenses. The reasons are clear, but placed together, they are a heady cocktail.
1.The credit squeeze has increased cost of doing business for viable firms & the less viable ones are simply getting bankrupt.
2. Consumer spending / confidence is very low. Demand for products & services has tanked.
3. Inflation in commodities has shrunk Profit Margins, especially in the Manufacturing sector
All this means that men in dark suits & grim faces are prowling with sharp scissors, looking for savings.

The recent era of New Managers - The last five years, since 2003 have seen fairly sharp growth globally - a lot of it being driven by expansion, consolidation (read Mergers & Acquisitions) and growth in emerging markets, all this with the famous War for Talent. During this phase, a lot of new managers have taken up roles with relatively smaller spans of control. This has led to some structural inefficiency that is eating into preciously small margins & making the business respond slower to changes.

Organizational Response to Managing Complexity - Strategic Choices by companies have led to significant complexity. (Read the McKinsey Quarterly article http://tinyurl.com/42r9ey on this). The other BIG factors that have increased complexity is Technology interfacing with Business & Talent in ways not seen before. In fact Web 2.0 itself is probably going make significant disruptive changes in the way we manage People & Organizations (Read the Fastforward Blog on web 2.0- http://tinyurl.com/4splzx )

Growth focussed last 5 years - Most Organizations either execute well in the present or adapt for the future. Very few do both well. As organizations are getting a wee little breather from the scorching growth of the past few years; this is a good time to reflect on the synergy between the Organization Strategy & Design.
(Read Eric Beinhocker's book Extract - The Adaptable Corporation - http://tinyurl.com/3zket5 that talks about this)

So what does all this mean ?

In my view, simply that there are a whole host of reasons that will compel the Organization's architects & leaders to review the design. Its one of the more painful & clearly un-glamorous aspects of Organization Strategy. However, those who take this opportunity to review & perhaps tweak their Org Designs will be more nimble when the upturn starts. As an optimist, I will put my neck out & place a small bet that the economic situation will improve by Quarter 3 of 2009 -
Till then,
Happy Tinkering !!!

The trouble with Leadership Forecasting

On 25th Sept, I presented at the BIP conference in Milan  (http://www.biponline.it/index2.php3?sezione=358&lang=en) on the challenges of Managing Talent in Asia. It was  enriching stuff with loads of learning & even more dollops of fun ( more on the fun bit later ...)

One of the key aspects of my  discussion centered around one of the central principles of Talent Mangement processes .It goes something like this -

• Get a sense of talent needs based on the needs of business, say in the next 2 years
• Identify successors for critical roles to be ready in 2 years, all kinds of 9-Boxes & other assessment tools appear out of the toolbox
• Then development plans get underway, on a hope that the plans work & a prayer that the leader will still be around, post development, & would not have moved on

Of these, the biggest challenge lies in accepting the notion that we can predict the business needs (or even the sahpe & size of the business, in 2 years) - Wall street is surely smarting over this assumption.

So if we cannot predict the needs of business, it does severely handicap any ability to predict the Talent needs.

Short point - Talent Forecasting is dead !!

That is certainly bad news for all users & professionals around the Talent Space, including me ...

The answer, I guess, lies in seeking more versatile Leaders who have adaptability as certainly a key strength.

By the way, this is the first plunge I have made in the blogging space - the inspiration for this goes to an unlikely pair - who have probably never met each other.

First being Abhijit Bhaduri (http://abhijitbhaduri.com/) - prolific author,  blogger, HR leader & a great friend. I was simply amazed by his passion. The other being Kevin Wheeler - Guru, Visionary & someone is way ahead of the tech curve. Kevin - Thank you my friend for the insipiration ... This blog is dedicated to you. Check out Kevin at http://kwheeler.blogs.com/.