Workplace Wellness
Workplace wellness is a serious issue. With terms like "stress-related-illness" and "burnout" becoming household words, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to keep their workforce happy, healthy and productive. Up to now, most organizations tended to devalue the idea of laughter at work, seeing it as a distraction from getting the "real" job done. This attitude is also reinforced by the work ethic many of us were raised with: "No pain, no gain," "Work isn't supposed to be fun – it’s a serious business”.
However, we're starting to realize that all of this suffering is hurting us more. Not only that, but we're finding that it's actually counter-productive to the bottom-line results. And amazingly enough, this is confirmed by scientific research. A recent study conducted at financial institutions found that managers who facilitated the highest level of employee performance used humor the most often. Scientific data is also proving that laughter is an integral part of physical wellness. It has been found that laughing 200 times burns off the same amount of calories as 10 minutes on a rowing machine. Another study found that after a bout of laughter, blood pressure drops to a lower, healthier level than before the laughter began. Laughter also oxygenates your blood, thereby increasing energy level, relaxes your muscles and works out all your major internal systems like the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Furthermore, researchers are discovering that laughter also affects the immune system. Hence laughing makes people grow stronger, with the body's T-cells, natural killer cells and antibodies all showing signs of increased activity.
When You Need Humour ...
So what are the specific indicators that tell us we need to incorporate humor into our workplace? According to psychologists there are two major factors.The first is being placed in no-win situations. These include being expected to do a job but not having the necessary resources in terms of time, money, policies or people power. This can also include having to serve a difficult or overly demanding client base or boss, or having to enforce unpopular rules or regulations.
The second is the presence of unpredictable or uncontrollable stressors. These can take the form of regularly arising, but unpredictable, situations which adversely affect stress, workloads or scheduling. They can also include decisions made at other levels of the organization or government that affect your job but into which you have little or no input.
In situations where we have little or no control over our external circumstances, our only control lies in how we react to them. We can either choose to laugh or despair. In some ways, laughter is the only rational response to all of this since, in order to survive, we need to find a life-affirming way to cope. Being able to laugh about ourselves and our situation helps us release tension, regain our perspective, and accept that which we cannot change. Not only that, it also gives us the physical energy and resilience needed to survive.
As more and more groups realize the benefits of laughter, they are incorporating it into their wellness programs. What I have found from working with numerous organizations is that they are often full of very funny and resourceful people who just need to be given permission and encouragement to use their sense of humor on the job. Our "inner clown" is now our lifeline in these times of change and uncertainty. Giving him or her free rein not only results in healthier workplaces, but also increases bonding with the rest of the team. Remember, the group that plays together, stays together!
_Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
WHO ARE HR’s CUSTOMERS
What Customer?
For HR to become more effective as a function and as individual players, the most critical question to be resolved is often: Who is HR's customer? It's a question which rarely is asked because everyone assumes the answer is obvious. But when you ask different people in HR, you get different answers. It's no surprise that many of the actions that HR units initiate are confusing (or downright infuriating) to the organization. The question of who the real customer is, often the most difficult and the most impactful decision an HR professional can make. It's a classical double-blind problem. Most "don't know what they don't know." Most don't even realize they should be dealing with the question. What makes the question even more troublesome is that there's no right answer. There are competing right answers. It's a classical dilemma. You're damned if you pick one and damned if you pick the other. Picking either has opposite advantages and disadvantages. But you also can't avoid making the choice. To not choose consciously and to not communicate a choice clearly guarantees that an HR unit will get caught in paradoxical situations as illustrated throughout this story.
Stakeholders Vs customers:
The distinction between different types of stakeholders is also one which is often fuzzy and problematic for HR and other internal staff units, and contributes to the problems in the classification of HR’s customers. Globally stakeholders are divided into four categories. Customers, influencers, end-users and partners.
•Customers: A customer makes a buying decision (to use you or someone else) and negotiates a formal or informal "contract" with you, the service provider.
•End-users: An end-user (sometimes called a consumer) receives the service.
•Influencers: An influencer sets the parameters within which you can or must operate, but doesn't buy the service.
•Partners: A partner works with you to provide a service. With partners you have mutual need, common objectives and shared risk related to that service.
What makes it difficult is that sometimes different stakeholders in your marketplace switch roles for different projects or demands they're making. So HR has to be careful to know not only what the HR business strategy is, but what role they're in at the time and what your commitments to the stakeholders are in that role. Remember, all of them make demands, but only a trained HR leader in place at the time can sort out these issues, plan an appropriate response and know what the appropriate limits, possibilities and flexibilities need to be
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
For HR to become more effective as a function and as individual players, the most critical question to be resolved is often: Who is HR's customer? It's a question which rarely is asked because everyone assumes the answer is obvious. But when you ask different people in HR, you get different answers. It's no surprise that many of the actions that HR units initiate are confusing (or downright infuriating) to the organization. The question of who the real customer is, often the most difficult and the most impactful decision an HR professional can make. It's a classical double-blind problem. Most "don't know what they don't know." Most don't even realize they should be dealing with the question. What makes the question even more troublesome is that there's no right answer. There are competing right answers. It's a classical dilemma. You're damned if you pick one and damned if you pick the other. Picking either has opposite advantages and disadvantages. But you also can't avoid making the choice. To not choose consciously and to not communicate a choice clearly guarantees that an HR unit will get caught in paradoxical situations as illustrated throughout this story.
Stakeholders Vs customers:
The distinction between different types of stakeholders is also one which is often fuzzy and problematic for HR and other internal staff units, and contributes to the problems in the classification of HR’s customers. Globally stakeholders are divided into four categories. Customers, influencers, end-users and partners.
•Customers: A customer makes a buying decision (to use you or someone else) and negotiates a formal or informal "contract" with you, the service provider.
•End-users: An end-user (sometimes called a consumer) receives the service.
•Influencers: An influencer sets the parameters within which you can or must operate, but doesn't buy the service.
•Partners: A partner works with you to provide a service. With partners you have mutual need, common objectives and shared risk related to that service.
What makes it difficult is that sometimes different stakeholders in your marketplace switch roles for different projects or demands they're making. So HR has to be careful to know not only what the HR business strategy is, but what role they're in at the time and what your commitments to the stakeholders are in that role. Remember, all of them make demands, but only a trained HR leader in place at the time can sort out these issues, plan an appropriate response and know what the appropriate limits, possibilities and flexibilities need to be
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Making HR transformations deliver better value
Getting processes right
Process management is a key element of HR transformation. The HR function is process-intense, but basic inefficiencies in many of those processes, which range from payroll administration to employment law compliance, prevent HR from delivering full value. Companies who are successful at managing overhead costs have a significant advantage over their competitors. In general, organizations can simplify almost half of their HR activities into common processes. Redesigning and streamlining processes can be the most difficult job facing the function. One of the most effective approaches to process redesign is through activity-based costing that assesses each activity’s time and cost, as well as headcount and full time equivalent involvement. Such an approach pinpoints the likely causes of operational problems, quantifies what they cost and reveals how best to solve them. Understanding the details of process cost, process overlap and process effectiveness is at the heart of identifying the opportunities and areas where significant improvements can be made. HR processes are generally where the function connects with its internal customer, yet process re-engineering often gets little focus or direct investment. Only a third of respondents from an international survey indicated HR process change as a current tool for HR transformation.
Making governance explicit
Most HR leaders have not been challenged to think formally about governance issues, so they operate with they operate with an implicit (and, usually, imperfect) model. In those rare cases where HR governance is explicit, it’s usually synonymous with compliance. Unfortunately, this view of governance is limited and does not reflect the fact that managing human capital makes the HR function responsible for investments that, on average, account for 36 percent of operating revenues. HR governance is not a strategic objective, but a systematic approach to management that enables the function to achieve strategic and operational objectives. It, therefore, plays a very important role in the successful transformation of the HR function.
Delivering successful HR transformation
The initial task is to define the current state of HR delivery within the organization, and determine the existing business strategy and priorities. It’s then important to gain an insight into what the customers of the HR function, the line managers and employees, think of the services they receive and examine the state of HR processes, assessing whether they are efficient and standard across the organization or if they vary by business unit or country.
By applying various tools it’s possible to look at the existing technology, the current organizational structure and the company culture, and identify areas of improvement for HR. The next step is to design a new operating model – which may include outsourcing, service centers and new technology – which is configured to provide the best delivery model for the organization. Getting it right is worth the effort. Successful HR thought leaders, describe effective HR execution as “the difference between plans that become reality and those that go nowhere.” These HR leaders regularly connect HR strategy and execution as they firmly believe that, “value add of any HR initiative is the end-result of the quality of that effort, the acceptance of stakeholders and its execution.”
Business executives first, HR specialists second
In organizations globally the most respected HR leaders are business executives first and HR specialists second. They partner with and are confidants of their CEOs and leadership teams and often find themselves at the epicentre of corporate change, being given credit for bringing about the toughest of business transformations. These HR leaders are also being recruited by progressive domestic and global boards. Responding to the intense focus on complying with new corporate governance legislation and increasing investor scrutiny, boards are retooling to ensure they have the right mix of highly qualified specialists, including HR experts. The price of failing to make the connection between overall business strategy and HR strategy is high. There will always be an option for the organization to hand over the HR services to an outsourcing organization who can effectively transform the function and make it work at considerably less cost. But HR functions which grab the nettle – those that convince the business of the value of transformation, can recognize that skills and capabilities in HR can change if needed and can harness technology – will become effective strategic partners and make a positive contribution to the continuing success of the organization.
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
Process management is a key element of HR transformation. The HR function is process-intense, but basic inefficiencies in many of those processes, which range from payroll administration to employment law compliance, prevent HR from delivering full value. Companies who are successful at managing overhead costs have a significant advantage over their competitors. In general, organizations can simplify almost half of their HR activities into common processes. Redesigning and streamlining processes can be the most difficult job facing the function. One of the most effective approaches to process redesign is through activity-based costing that assesses each activity’s time and cost, as well as headcount and full time equivalent involvement. Such an approach pinpoints the likely causes of operational problems, quantifies what they cost and reveals how best to solve them. Understanding the details of process cost, process overlap and process effectiveness is at the heart of identifying the opportunities and areas where significant improvements can be made. HR processes are generally where the function connects with its internal customer, yet process re-engineering often gets little focus or direct investment. Only a third of respondents from an international survey indicated HR process change as a current tool for HR transformation.
Making governance explicit
Most HR leaders have not been challenged to think formally about governance issues, so they operate with they operate with an implicit (and, usually, imperfect) model. In those rare cases where HR governance is explicit, it’s usually synonymous with compliance. Unfortunately, this view of governance is limited and does not reflect the fact that managing human capital makes the HR function responsible for investments that, on average, account for 36 percent of operating revenues. HR governance is not a strategic objective, but a systematic approach to management that enables the function to achieve strategic and operational objectives. It, therefore, plays a very important role in the successful transformation of the HR function.
Delivering successful HR transformation
The initial task is to define the current state of HR delivery within the organization, and determine the existing business strategy and priorities. It’s then important to gain an insight into what the customers of the HR function, the line managers and employees, think of the services they receive and examine the state of HR processes, assessing whether they are efficient and standard across the organization or if they vary by business unit or country.
By applying various tools it’s possible to look at the existing technology, the current organizational structure and the company culture, and identify areas of improvement for HR. The next step is to design a new operating model – which may include outsourcing, service centers and new technology – which is configured to provide the best delivery model for the organization. Getting it right is worth the effort. Successful HR thought leaders, describe effective HR execution as “the difference between plans that become reality and those that go nowhere.” These HR leaders regularly connect HR strategy and execution as they firmly believe that, “value add of any HR initiative is the end-result of the quality of that effort, the acceptance of stakeholders and its execution.”
Business executives first, HR specialists second
In organizations globally the most respected HR leaders are business executives first and HR specialists second. They partner with and are confidants of their CEOs and leadership teams and often find themselves at the epicentre of corporate change, being given credit for bringing about the toughest of business transformations. These HR leaders are also being recruited by progressive domestic and global boards. Responding to the intense focus on complying with new corporate governance legislation and increasing investor scrutiny, boards are retooling to ensure they have the right mix of highly qualified specialists, including HR experts. The price of failing to make the connection between overall business strategy and HR strategy is high. There will always be an option for the organization to hand over the HR services to an outsourcing organization who can effectively transform the function and make it work at considerably less cost. But HR functions which grab the nettle – those that convince the business of the value of transformation, can recognize that skills and capabilities in HR can change if needed and can harness technology – will become effective strategic partners and make a positive contribution to the continuing success of the organization.
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
HR Transformation- An operating model
In terms of driving effective transformation, the studied success-experience shows that the key to success or failure lies within the HR operating model. This is where HR strategy is put into action and the area which was universally identified by organizations as inhibiting progress. The key areas of the HR operating model are sourcing, infrastructure and governance.
Sourcing Strategy
The sourcing strategy provides the greatest opportunity to reposition the function entirely and get the most out of limited resources. The main options are:
insourcing – when all operational, technological and human capital functions are developed and maintained internally;
co-sourcing – involves a partnership with vendors to share responsibility for operational, technological and human capital functions and resources; and
outsourcing – where there is a contract with suppliers to provide all operational, technological and human capital functions and resources.
Global studies show that outsourcing HR activity happens almost everywhere, but current outsourcing decisions are rarely taken as a strategic view of sourcing. In recent years, maturing vendor capabilities and advancing technologies have expanded the breadth and depth of sourcing alternatives available in the marketplace. Determining the optimal sourcing mix for the organization requires HR to apply rigorous business analysis and decision protocols. An effective sourcing strategy will maximize the return on internal resources by concentrating investments on the areas of core competence and of highest strategic relevance to the organization. It will also enable organizations to take advantage of external suppliers' investments and specialized capabilities that are often prohibitively expensive to duplicate internally. Thirdly, it will provide a variable cost structure leading to the ability to scale service capacity to meet organizational needs – an essential requirement given the dynamic nature of today’s marketplace.
Technology and Transformation
Over the last few years, the HR function has invested a great deal of money into technology without realizing a return on the investment. Frequently, HR technology projects don’t deliver the expected results, and a key factor in this is a failure to define functional requirements clearly. By not rooting these requirements in a solid HR strategy, organizations spend too much money on ad hoc software purchases or, even worse, under-use expensive HR software suites by not implementing modules that could be of significant value. Within many organizations a large portion of purchased functionality in Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) goes unused, ending up as shelfware – in other words, software modules are bought but not implemented. The modules most likely to be left on the shelf are those considered key to operational human capital management, including competency and career development, recruitment, performance management and succession planning.
Along with the right software, clean data and tight integration are critical success factors which are often overlooked. Key stakeholders must have access to accurate, consistent, integrated data which cannot happen unless HR and IT objectives are fully aligned. This successful alignment requires an understanding that changing technology alone will achieve little. Change starts to deliver its value only when supported by and integrated with other elements of the infrastructure – and when part of an explicit HR strategy.
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
Sourcing Strategy
The sourcing strategy provides the greatest opportunity to reposition the function entirely and get the most out of limited resources. The main options are:
insourcing – when all operational, technological and human capital functions are developed and maintained internally;
co-sourcing – involves a partnership with vendors to share responsibility for operational, technological and human capital functions and resources; and
outsourcing – where there is a contract with suppliers to provide all operational, technological and human capital functions and resources.
Global studies show that outsourcing HR activity happens almost everywhere, but current outsourcing decisions are rarely taken as a strategic view of sourcing. In recent years, maturing vendor capabilities and advancing technologies have expanded the breadth and depth of sourcing alternatives available in the marketplace. Determining the optimal sourcing mix for the organization requires HR to apply rigorous business analysis and decision protocols. An effective sourcing strategy will maximize the return on internal resources by concentrating investments on the areas of core competence and of highest strategic relevance to the organization. It will also enable organizations to take advantage of external suppliers' investments and specialized capabilities that are often prohibitively expensive to duplicate internally. Thirdly, it will provide a variable cost structure leading to the ability to scale service capacity to meet organizational needs – an essential requirement given the dynamic nature of today’s marketplace.
Technology and Transformation
Over the last few years, the HR function has invested a great deal of money into technology without realizing a return on the investment. Frequently, HR technology projects don’t deliver the expected results, and a key factor in this is a failure to define functional requirements clearly. By not rooting these requirements in a solid HR strategy, organizations spend too much money on ad hoc software purchases or, even worse, under-use expensive HR software suites by not implementing modules that could be of significant value. Within many organizations a large portion of purchased functionality in Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) goes unused, ending up as shelfware – in other words, software modules are bought but not implemented. The modules most likely to be left on the shelf are those considered key to operational human capital management, including competency and career development, recruitment, performance management and succession planning.
Along with the right software, clean data and tight integration are critical success factors which are often overlooked. Key stakeholders must have access to accurate, consistent, integrated data which cannot happen unless HR and IT objectives are fully aligned. This successful alignment requires an understanding that changing technology alone will achieve little. Change starts to deliver its value only when supported by and integrated with other elements of the infrastructure – and when part of an explicit HR strategy.
-Anshumali Saxena www.soilindia.net
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