HEALTH, PURPOSE & IMPACT

Author: Tojo Eapen (page 1 of 9)

AI Intersections For HR

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help usher in a new era of human resource management, where data analytics, machine learning and automation can work together to save time, and provide information, insights and recommendations in near real-time.1 According to Gartner, 81% of HR leaders have explored or implemented artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to improve process efficiency within their organizations.  Gartner expects generative AI solutions to become embedded in current and new HR technology providers in the next one to three years.  Generative AI could first begin to appear in the natural language processing (NLP) space (virtual assistants, chatbots, data processing etc.).2 The Oracle and Future Workplace AI at Work Global Study 2019 found that 50% of workers were already using some form of AI at work.3

Potential Shifts in HR Ways of Working

Artificial intelligence will have an effect on the work conducted by the HR function, across the employee life cycle.  This includes HR operations from onboarding to exit, spanning across talent acquisition, employee engagement, learning and development, total rewards, talent management and service management.

In talent acquisition, an AI algorithm could predict which sourcing channels would most likely attract the right candidates for a specific skill set or role, optimise sourcing spend, and suggest employee profiles which may hold higher probability of success and fit for an organization.4 On the other side, it could alert the candidates with the right skill sets to available jobs.  In learning and career development, employees could get curated development and personalized recommendations that maximize career potential.  Instructional design could also be impacted, with increased accessibility, flexibility and convenience.  In compensation, AI could help analyze a wealth of data points relative to the local market and competitor data.  It could provide analytics and recommendations on relevant benefits.  AI-powered HR chatbots or assistants could help empower employees with quick, efficient service support.5 Real time inputs on performance at the individual, team and organization level, engagement and culture, leading to indicators on organizational outcomes would be impactful.  As the size of HR teams get smaller, AI assistants could guide managers and leaders on right approaches for managing performance and high performing teams.  Available external environment data could be analysed for proactive decisions and actions.  Applications that use generative AI capabilities (such as ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E) could improve the efficiency of the HR team and function.

Talent Strategy

Since fewer people will be needed to complete the same amount of work, it would be realistic to anticipate lesser headcount needs over time.  The nature and content of work itself would change.  Jobs disrupted by AI may need to be redesigned to encompass  broader, comprehensive competencies with a more compelling employee value proposition.6

To meet these quickly evolving needs, leaders may need to revisit the six kinds of investments (six ‘B’s) needed to upgrade talent – Buy, Build, Borrow, Bound, Bounce, Bind.7  For the Build/training approach, organizations may focus on upskilling, reskilling and new skilling initiatives. Reskilling involves training employees on an entirely new set of skills to prepare them to take on a different role. This typically occurs when workers’ previous tasks or responsibilities become irrelevant.  As opposed to reskilling’s 180-degree pivot, upskilling occurs when workers improve upon existing skills and deepen their abilities and impact within their area of expertise.  The term new skilling represents all types of continuous learning to help build high-demand skills.  A new skilling mindset keeps both a workforce and a company agile by ensuring learning initiatives are relevant to future business objectives.8 Performance expectations could vary significantly in newly configured roles and environment.

AI would influence employee expectations about how employees interact with HR teams and tools.  Over time, this shift will lead to rethinking the purpose, objectives, skillset and structure of HR roles and the overall function.  Along with the increased requirements, leading/managing with the updated knowledge of psychology, neuroscience, culture, change, leadership, organization behaviour, business acumen and technology will give influential HR leaders and teams a distinct advantage.  Change management could become a critical competency requirement for the whole team.

Workforce Planning

Since AI investments will lead to the obsolescence of many tasks, while creating the need for new skills and roles, this shift involves proactive planning, change management and updating the capabilities of the overall workforce.  Proactive workforce planning based on a deep analysis of phases of change becomes critical for the success of any organization. New, specialized, complex jobs may emerge where generative AI and related technologies are used, resulting in competitive advantage.

Culture Intersection

A major change like this cannot be possible without shift in mindsets and behaviours.  This inevitably intersects with organizational culture elements.  HR teams that proactively assess, plan and facilitate the culture and mindset shift for the organization would play a fundamental role in facilitating this transformation successfully.

Concerns

While AI is creating excitement, there are concerns about aspects like accuracy, privacy, bias and reliability.  Any information posted may be used to further train the model, raising concerns about confidentiality.  Generative AI learns based on historical data, and historical patterns of data may reflect biases.  Instances of bias in AI tools have come to light, offering case studies in the limitations of machine learning (eg. talent acquisition tool bias).9 Recent guidance from The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) in the U.S. clarified that bias in AI tools may violate discrimination protections, and employers who use them could be held accountable.10

Therefore, it becomes critical to involve all points of view while planning and implementing AI adoption.  While the value and transformation potential of GenAI are real, so too are the technical, implementation, and change management challenges.  The time-saving potential can vary significantly based on industry-specific contexts.  Consulting firm BCG recently found that support functions such as technology, operations, and customer support showed the highest potential productivity gains from GenAI deployment.  Looking at GenAI activities across the company will help to ensure that the sum of efforts is greater than its parts, leading to transformative change rather than incremental refinement.11 The true potential of mature AI solutions may take time.  Initial rollouts might result in less-than-desired experiences.  Organizations must also acknowledge and guide about potential risks of generative AI and using sensitive or confidential data.  A recent incident of sensitive data leak from a large corporation accidentally to ChatGPT, led to the company crack down on usage of the generative AI services.12 AI is also susceptible to hacking.  The ethical and fairness elements have to be thoroughly assessed and analysed.  Government regulation, policy, and international standards also play a fundamental role in our society.13. Labor relations and unions could also play a key role in this transformation.

While this is an exciting time for HR leaders and teams to be part of this evolution, prioritising change agility, curiosity, experimentation, growth mindset, risk awareness and development for self, team and the organization will increase chances of success.  Modernizing talent capabilities within the function will become non-negotiable.  When unique human capability, diversity and potential are augmented (not replaced) by AI, the stage for immense creativity and innovation is established.  It looks clear that this is the beginning of a long, transformational journey and any future HR strategy without incorporating AI would seem incomplete.

ChatGPT – Inputs about AI Applications in HR

Since this is an article on AI, I gathered consolidated inputs below from ChatGPT regarding AI applications in HR.  Readers may assess the similarities and differences between the above and below sections.  I see the value in augmenting insights, while maintaining the creativity, unique connections, thought process and wisdom of an expert. Even here, the ability to ask the right questions or prompts through specific inputs seems important. If you want good outputs, you may need to provide good inputs, apply experimentation and thinking.14

AI applications in HR are designed to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and improve overall efficiency.  Here are some common AI applications in HR:

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

Resume Screening: AI algorithms can analyze resumes quickly and efficiently, identifying relevant qualifications, skills, and experience.

Chatbots for Initial Interaction: AI-powered chatbots can engage with job candidates, answer basic questions, and even conduct preliminary interviews, saving time for both candidates and HR professionals.

Predictive Analytics: AI can analyze historical data to predict which candidates are more likely to succeed in a particular role, improving the quality of hiring decisions.

Employee Onboarding

Virtual Assistants: AI-powered virtual assistants can guide new employees through the onboarding process, providing information on company policies, procedures, and answering common questions.

Employee Engagement

Pulse Surveys: AI can analyze employee feedback and sentiment from surveys and other sources to gauge overall engagement levels and identify areas for improvement.

Personalized Learning: AI can recommend personalized training and development programs based on an employee’s skills, performance, and career goals.

Performance Management:

Feedback and Recognition: AI can facilitate real-time feedback and recognition, helping managers provide timely acknowledgment of employee achievements.

Performance Predictions: Predictive analytics can help identify patterns in employee performance data, allowing HR to anticipate potential issues and take proactive measures.

HR Analytics:

Predictive Analytics for Turnover: AI can analyze various factors to predict which employees are at a higher risk of leaving the company, allowing HR to take preventive measures.

Workforce Planning: AI can assist in forecasting future workforce needs based on historical data and market trends.

Employee Assistance and Support:

Chatbots for HR Queries: AI-powered chatbots can handle routine HR queries, providing quick and accurate information to employees.

Wellness Programs: AI can support employee well-being by providing insights into stress levels, workload, and suggesting personalized wellness programs.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Bias Detection: AI algorithms can help identify and minimize unconscious biases in job descriptions, recruitment processes, and performance evaluations, promoting diversity and inclusion.

Compliance and Risk Management:

Monitoring Compliance: AI can assist in monitoring and ensuring compliance with HR policies and legal regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

Implementing AI in HR requires careful consideration of ethical concerns, data privacy, and the potential impact on the employee experience. However, when used responsibly, AI can significantly enhance HR processes, allowing professionals to focus on strategic initiatives and creating a more engaging and efficient workplace.15

Sources:

1 Artificial intelligence and a new era of human resources; https://www.ibm.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-and-a-new-era-of-human-resources/

2 4 6 AI in HR: A Guide to Implementing AI in Your HR Organization; https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/topics/artificial-intelligence-in-hr

3 5 AI In Human Resources: The Time Is Now; https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/applications/hcm/oracle-ai-in-hr-wp.pdf

7 HR Transformation; https://www.rbl.net/insights/books/hr-transformation-building-human-resources-from-the-outside-in

8 Understanding the difference between reskilling, upskilling and new skilling; https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/difference-between-reskilling-upskilling-new-skilling/

9 Insight – Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women; https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-jobs-automation-insight/amazon-scraps-secret-ai-recruiting-tool-that-showed-bias-against-women-idUSKCN1MK08G/?utm_source=morning_brew

10 Does Your Company Use AI in Hiring? Better check your bias; https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2023/05/19/does-your-company-use-ai-in-hiring-better-check-your-bias

11 The Path to Generative AI Value Begins with a Workforce Diagnostic; https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/assessing-the-impact-of-generative-ai-on-workforce-productivity?utm_campaign=genai_bcgxamp;utm_content=202311_send3_aws2023amp;utm_description=featured_insightsamp;utm_geo=globalamp;utm_medium=emailamp;utm_source=espamp;utm_topic=aiamp;utm_usertoken=c88440b7c5ed0b6435b4a5af1ad86485213a6388amp;mkt_tok=Nzk5LUlPQi04ODMAAAGPv4vVMs6nLBPTHjS2FWbTPXieARUy-g2_7gDqhquR-oaUfGWTOkkMvqmBAbJ1MrOVA6rfMr_KjUVkPaccAXfby18cwcpRuqfyyXFYaAwH28E

12 Samsung bans use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT after April internal data leak; https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/02/samsung-bans-use-of-generative-ai-tools-like-chatgpt-after-april-internal-data-leak/

13 Generative AI and The Future of HR; https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-hr

14 How to Craft the Perfect ChatGPT Prompt; https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-craft-perfect-chatgpt-prompt-charlene-li-kowge/

15 ChatGPT – AI Applications in HR

Picture Credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)


Executive Search: Questions you wanted to ask

During many discussions with leaders and connections including those seeking leadership roles, the thought of sharing my notes from executive search experiences came to mind. This was really interesting experience coming from the outside, as a practitioner with some experience in consulting. For most people outside, the executive search world tends to be inaccessible and bit mysterious. Therefore, for the benefit of many who wonder, I thought of sharing my following observations and perspectives. There may of course be other varying views and opinions.

The executive search area also seems to be an expanded arena nowadays with varying degrees of search agency brands, quality and approaches. The top players continue to focus on retained search. In retained search, consultants are paid a portion of the search fees by the customer in advance for their focused efforts to hire for the role, with a high degree of certainty to closure. This would be structured in different stages.

On the other side, the contingent search approach tends to focus on fees payment by the customer after closing a role. Many players in contingent search space over the years have progressed up the value chain by asking for a nominal advance fees to close senior roles and provide minimum timeframe guarantees as the higher end search agencies would do. They have slowly expanded their own business pie through existing customer relationships.

During recent times, due to the breadth of players/experienced independent consultants, price sensitivity and risk management from a talent acquisition perspective, contingent search players seem to have gained a larger pie of the leadership search business. For some organizations, this also becomes a lower risk alternative to explore a leadership role search with an existing partner who may be already working with them on other roles.

The leading executive search brands still try to differentiate by staying focused on the top roles, retained search approach and developing strong relationships with customers and senior leaders. At the same time, they also work to expand their leadership networks to offer additional leadership services like coaching, consulting or organization development related elements, mostly through trusted partners with core competencies in respective areas.

General structure within executive search firms

A typical executive search firm team tends to be small and highly focused. A normal high-level structure consists of a research team, consultants of varying experiences who focus on the ground work for successful delivery of search assignments and senior consultants or partners who mainly focus on developing the business, while also leading the relationships and engagements. There would also be a small marketing or editorial team, to help build visibility and collaboration in the market. For those who consider moving from the corporate side to consulting or search organizations at senior levels, sales and customer relationships become core part of the responsibilities and often the big challenges.

1. As a customer, how could I know the quality of a search firm?

An easy bet and approach for an assessing customer is to look for the top search firms that have a global brand and have been around for a while. In practice though, irrespective of the brand, it would be important to understand the quality, experiences of the consultant who would directly work on the assignment, strength of the research team, overall approaches, expectations alignment on both sides regarding the actual process, culture fit with the firm and consultant, and details on deliverables.

At the senior levels, the more well-known firms tend to get better responses and perceived more positively from experienced leaders in established organizations who are potential candidates. They also tend to adopt a proactive, focused sourcing approach for strong passive candidates and don’t post the roles. The networks do matter on all sides. There may also be differences in approaches for firms.

2. If someone from a headhunting firm reached out to me, what does that mean?

Not everyone who tries to connect results in an immediate role. Sometimes, it may be for networking, marketing, business opportunities, initiatives that are trying to be cultivated while at other times, as part of early pipeline for potential talent pool at the start of a search. These connections can be two-way bridges and provide opportunities to build relationships over the longer term, even if the conversation would not be about a specific job. Many times, being part of initiatives can also be a win-win in terms of visibility and branding for the larger market. Just being curious about varying perspectives may also result in valuable learning.

Consultants tend to speak with many leaders and may hold interesting points of view, intelligence about the market dynamics. We also live in a highly connected and symbiotic world, with multiple overlapping connections. How one responds or behaves, tends to leave lasting impressions. Personal leadership brands do matter. If the opportunity to connect feels uninteresting or sense of low value, it would also be okay to politely communicate and retreat. Many times, unprofessional behaviours lead to uncomfortable scenarios on both sides.

3. I am looking for a change. How do I go about it with an executive search firm? How much does it help?

In my observation, the possibility of finding a role through one’s own connections and networks would be much higher than through a search firm. Search firms tend to have few senior roles with very specific client requirements in terms of competencies and experiences. While this may work out at times, the probability of everything matching at the right time require a high degree of coincidences. If one ends up getting into a search process, it also becomes really important to manage oneself professionally.

There is no harm in networking with consultants proactively through shared connections, events or assignments beforehand. It may be a better strategy to be visible in the market before the need arises. Many leaders tend to become internally focused with little time to connect outside and only think about the outside world. Many candidates also won’t receive a response while trying to connect with head hunters for a job.

Candidate responses tend to fall low on the list, especially for senior members. This may mostly happen because there is no immediate, relevant role in pipeline, focus on new assignments/business development and ensuring successful delivery of existing assignments. With the smaller teams and limited bandwidth, responding to candidates tends to take a back seat. For candidates, it is also worth noting that the professional search firms or employers don’t charge fees from the candidates during any search assignments. Professional search firms only bill the companies or their customers they support.

4. I am looking to move internationally. Could a leadership search firm help?

From my observation in India, the majority of leadership searches seem to be local or country specific in nature. For the bigger firms, even within a country, there may be multiple offices with regional or local focus. There may be very small number of searches where candidates may be sourced from other countries or through collaborative search projects involving more than one country offices.

In selected cases, companies may be open to look at returning citizens and support relocation (e.g., from the US to India). In few other cases, companies in certain regions like the Middle East may be open to high quality talent from larger markets like India. These roles tend to be very few and highly specialised.

The probability of moving internationally seems to be higher for employees who explore internally within multinational organizations. Most other international movements in my known networks seem to have happened through either first or second degree connections, personal networks or country residency options. The probability of moving internationally through a search firm seems comparatively low.

As general disclaimer, it would be helpful to note that firms work in different ways and my experiences have been influenced by related environments.

3 Elements To Think Regarding Your Child’s Career Path

Photo – Javier Barros

During recent weeks, I got into discussions with few parents who were thinking about career tracks to guide their children. The idea for writing on this topic came from one such discussion. This topic seems to be more active on the minds of many parents as their children get closer to the tenth and twelfth standards at school.

From my observations of working professionals and students, there are at least 3 fundamental elements while thinking about your child’s career.

1. Passion/genuine interest

This is probably the most critical element to consider. It’s normally easy to spot uninterested students in classrooms and employees in the workplaces across the world through their low commitment, engagement and efforts. While speaking with students in post graduate programs, it becomes easy to observe those who are genuinely engaged and interested (even when they are introverted). When individuals go into areas of low interest or are pushed by family, they tend to migrate to becoming average at learning/outputs and disengaged quickly. During long working careers, passion or genuine interest will drive one’s will and energy to keep going through the inevitable challenges and difficult times. Internal motivation also helps develop extra edge through proactive, continuous learning and growth over others.

2. Natural strengths, preferences and related tracks

Every individual has natural strengths and preferences in certain areas. It’s important to actively recognise, encourage, grow those strengths, figure out areas where these strengths can be applied naturally and actively. At the same time, it would be practical to think if those areas can lead to healthy compensation and life support. Sometimes, there may be adjoining work areas to explore and understand that require similar strengths. On the unhealthy side, many parents prioritise potential compensation or perks as the top point with good intentions but that may set their children up for potential unhappiness, disillusionment and immense stress in following years. Some tend to become miserable over time, feeling stuck, resulting in unhappiness and frustration across professional and personal environments.

An individual with a high degree of passion, interest and natural strengths has a much higher chance of getting noticed, becoming successful rather than working in areas where the above elements don’t exist (even when the tracks don’t seem very promising in the eyes of the world). This should not be about just finding the first job but rather thinking beyond into longer career tracks, meaning, impact and growth.

3. Clarity on areas of low interest

Even if one many not be aware of what to choose, it helps to be clear on what is not enjoyable or probably even hated by your child. These areas should be clearly avoided even when there’s lot of peer/social status pressure and seem to hold potential for high earnings or opportunities.

Many children may not be aware of their own strengths, preferences and related career tracks to explore. Schools can play a key role in that process by ensuring supporting resources, assessments, counseling and career guidance initiatives. Experimentation, getting exposure and exploration, when unclear should also be actively encouraged. Many times, lack of awareness of opportunities or career options become a big gap for students and parents. It’s important to start somewhere, even if small. If there is a sense of enjoyment and engagement, that’s a good work fit indicator. Externship and internship programs may help.

It is also always helpful to have few alternatives keeping in mind the above elements. Some experiences may lead to changing opinions on interest after a reality check.

Another helpful advice is to discuss actively with your network, experts in related areas and use all opportunities to understand more about different career tracks. Encourage your child to take accountability and responsibility to work hard in their chosen area of interest. When they feel the decision is predominantly based on their interest, their commitment and accountability tend to be much higher. That translates to a higher probability of success, engagement and enjoyment at work. There’s also a lot of supporting information available online.

From a broader perspective, when the world gets the right fit of passionate, highly engaged people in jobs (including seemingly boring or uninteresting jobs), the potential for achievement and engagement is huge. That also leads to enjoyable experiences for all stakeholders – leading to win-win outcome for society at large.

During my personal discussion, it was refreshing to see that my connection had noticed his daughter’s increasing passion and strength around culinary skills and was open to supporting her in that direction, while staying open to understanding alternatives and having a plan B based on her strengths. That approach increases the probability of success and thriving in her career.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

Oprah Winfrey

Cherishing Our Journeys…

There is no one perfect path to meaning or joy. There are multiple paths and we travel through our own paths of meaning and purpose. Every journey is special, in our own minds and hearts. There is no need or reason to compare with others. The end of a journey may be the same but the experiences are very different. We are the only ones who can appreciate the depth and breadth of our own experiences and journeys.

We are on our unique journeys. Each one of us has a really interesting story that could be made into a movie – the movie of our life. That involves happiness, joy, sadness, loss, success, failures, relationships, frustrations, struggles, pain, pleasure, meaning….

We evolve through our lives based on all our experiences and choices. There are conscious choices and there are times when circumstances or inner voice nudges us in certain directions. We cross paths with many people through our lifetimes. Some memories, attachments stay longer, and others start dwindling faster with time. The ones that I remember most are times of joy, unique experiences, deep connections, challenges, pain or vulnerability. Many times, memories are brought back through people or other associations.

As the lead character or protagonist in our own movies, we have been there throughout and are the only ones who can understand our evolution through reflections. Others will most probably not share or relate to the same feelings. They may also relate to the different versions of the lead character that they have experienced at different touchpoints. Expectations may vary accordingly. Through this journey, we ideally discover our authentic selves, pure inner voices more and more. Based on some accounts, this movie may play for us at the end of our journeys.

Every journey is interesting, beautiful, precious, unique and meaningful in its own way. Only if every movie could be seen… There is always time to reflect, cherish, find more meaning and joy.

Have you taken the time to reflect, cherish and celebrate your journey?

“If God wanted the sky to be empty, He would not have given birds wings to fly.” 

― Matshona Dhliwayo (goodreads)

Image source:
https://pixabay.com/photos/sand-footsteps-footprints-beach-768783/

Identifying Experts To Follow In Today’s World

via pixabay

We live in a world where there are many who claim to be experts or share expert opinions on multiple topics. The amount and impact of ‘pseudo-experts’ seem to be increasing. On all forms of media, lots of expert opinions on varied topics are shared constantly and many people buy into them and trust quickly without realising the quality of information, the individual who is sharing or the actual source. As a result, low quality or unreliable perspectives find lots of eyeballs and mindspace.

I wanted to share 3 tips that have helped me in figuring out right experts, better quality information and perspectives.

1. Understand background and experience, both of the expert and the source

Look for the background, expertise and experiences of the individual(s) in the relevant areas. The quality, depth and breadth of those experiences and their contributions track record over time also matter. Look for how deeply they may have studied that area and shared quality insights. A basic search on the internet or LinkedIn can help. Do note that the number of connections or titles don’t translate to being an expert.

Ideally, there needs to be a mix of conceptual/theoretical and practical experiences for high quality insights and perspectives. Being an expert in one area does not translate automatically to being an expert in other areas. We tend to see that error or bias quite a bit. It also helps to observe who have liked/endorsed them or their insights or shared further. Credibility has to be developed over time and with consistency.

If studies and researches are quoted in articles or conversations, it always helps to see who or where the research was undertaken. Ask the logical questions about the relevance and environment of those studies. The quality of the institution or individuals who undertook the study can be an important factor in the validity of results that are quoted.

2. Openness to alternate views and discussions

The best experts are open to listening, discussing, learning and debating alternate or contradicting views because they understand there are multiple variables to explore, some that they may not have foreseen or others that may be worth learning or engaging further. An open mindset to a quality discussion and exploration improves the outlook of an expert perspective. Keep in mind that we generally tend to read and believe in topics that we want to believe in or have an internal bias towards. We relate better to certain conversational and writing styles.

3. Observe patiently and do your own research over time

Hold off from jumping to conclusions from one expert opinion or view, unless you have done your homework and looked across multiple expert views or studies. The predictiveness of quality is better if you have been tracking someone’s work over time. Even then, it helps to maintain a broad perspective and expand your senses to multiple experts. If the opinion relates to your own area of work, it helps to reflect on your experiences and the links to the perspectives shared.

As a result of all these, the quality of your insight and perspectives will improve over time and chances of being misled will reduce substantially. Your quality of thinking, actions and growth will be on a better curve.

Have other approaches worked for you?

“Logic, it is often said, is the study of valid arguments. It is a systematic attempt to distinguish valid arguments from invalid arguments.” – William H. Newton-Smith
Logic: An Introductory Course (goodreads)

Key Mindset Elements To Succeed In M&A Environment – Individual & Organizational Perspectives

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/

It is safe to assume in today’s world that a noticeable portion of professionals could experience at least one Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) scenario during their career. After having worked with few large scale organizational M&A/Change scenarios with leadership teams (on both sides), I thought of sharing few reflections for those who may go through similar environments. These may look simple but I have noticed that they appear in different environments repeatedly and if addressed, can make a significant difference. A key aspect is to figure out how to convert these elements to practices at an individual or systemic level. If you don’t get these fundamentals right, the seemingly bigger topics like strategy and execution become less relevant for an individual.

There are couple of perspectives to consider when we think about mindset and related behaviors – one is from the individual perspective and the other is organizational or management perspective.

Typically, major changes like an acquisition bring to the forefront our emotions at an individual level. Both positive and negative feelings on the acquiring company and acquired company exist and the emotions evolve in different directions through the journey. Most times, uncertainty in the environment drives our brains to first pick up and respond to all the seemingly looming threats in the new environment. Therefore, it is even more important to try to understand, develop few mindsets and balance our thinking to help manage through these scenarios. All this takes a lot of effort and support.

In an M&A environment, there tends to be lots of uncertainties and related emotional ups and downs for many employees. At an individual level, it helps to be prepared and develop capabilities to manage through such environments. This is relevant to employees on both sides, whether acquired or acquiring company side.

The three key elements to consider from an individual perspective are:

1.Openness

During an M&A situation, many things related to one’s immediate environment may change – leaders/managers, reporting lines, organization structure, ways of working, peers, team members etc.. There will be a lot of readjustment mentally, with many potential new working styles, strategy, systems, processes and even ways of working to adapt to. Keeping an open mind without jumping to judgments, to all the new people and organizational scenarios are critical elements for success. This also reduces stress for self and people around.

2. Patience

Changes and complexities may seem continuous and non stop. Ability to manage through such situations patiently come in very handy. Many times, answers may not be available. It is important to not get frustrated during such times and clarify, ask questions with an open mind and engage in a dialogue. It is helpful in such instances to build a balanced state of mind through conscious practices of taking breaks, not getting wound up in certain difficult instances, seeking support, taking time out with an awareness practice.

3. Assuming best intentions

Forgiving and forgetting unpleasant or uncomfortable situations help to move forward and not get stuck in emotions. Sometimes, things may not work out well for an individual. Sometimes, people may not behave in a manner that feels acceptable. There may differences in understanding on either side. In such situations, it helps is to engage in an open and respectful dialogue, not assume the worst automatically, stay connected to one’s support networks, find a way to discuss feelings, try to leave negative thoughts behind, and reframe/refocus on the positives and way forward. One needs all the support from support networks, self awareness, reflection and intense focus on next steps during such times to avoid falling into a (sometimes self created) rut of frustration. Coaching or mentoring support becomes even more valuable during such times.

While being prepared with the relevant mindsets, it is also important for an individual to map out the risks, related actions and continuity in work and career. Like companies, individuals also need their own strategies for careers and determining what’s right for them.

There are also three elements to consider from an organizational/management perspective.

1.Engage Actively, Be Visible

It is especially important to know on the acquiring company side especially, that most of the employees irrespective of job level, will feel high degree of uncertainty and have lots of questions. It is important to acknowledge that many are first concerned at a human level to support themselves and their families. Leaders, by nature are the first set of people employees look up to for guidance, assurance and solutions. At a minimum, engaging actively and visibility across sites indicate caring and shared concern. This translates to high or low loyalty.

2. Show Respect

Respect can be visible in different ways. At a starting level, avoid the ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ mentality in all leadership conversations. This naturally takes time but when the leaders adopt “We are all one” reinforcement in conversation and actions, the rest of the organization tends to follow. This could reflect in how people feel they are treated or trusted, how the communications flow, or how the processes change. It is really important to take the time before giving ‘do it our way’ guidance. It would be in the best interest of both organizations to explore the best way to adopt the right approach. This also has a direct link to engagement and loyalty.

3. Minimize Uncertainty, to the extent possible

It is practically impossible to have answers to all the questions but it helps to reassure and communicate with employees as the topics are being worked on. At a minimum, it helps to share the high level plan or thinking. Openness to sharing and discussing from an organizational perspective also help a lot in engagement and gives reasons for employees to trust. This needs to be active communication and clarification. Using multiple forms of communication and repetition can help a lot to reinforce.

When these three elements come together at the organizational level, tremendous progress can be made during integration phase.

Fundamentally, it is really important for the leaders on all sides to think deeply and work out the change plan elements to ensure engaging listening and communication to support successful integration and business sustainability for the long run. Assuming the acquisition objective is to maximize value for combined organization and not to shut down the acquired business, it is in the best interest to be prepared on the fundamental mindset to build and support the whole organization. Difficult decisions are inevitable but most times what sets the tone and expectations for employees is the ‘How’ more than the ‘What’.

Any M&A or large scale change is really complex. No two organizations or environments are the same but adoption of these fundamental principles can help a lot in different environments. The process of applying them may differ and depend on different factors.

It can also be really time and energy consuming for the people involved to work through this, especially for the leaders. Therefore, the need to find a healthy balance and perspective during those times become even more important.

If you have had experiences in similar environments, what else would you suggest? Are there other questions or elements that come to your mind?

2019 Reflections & Food For Thought

As part of a yearly practice and commitment to myself, the last couple of weeks in each year become a time for deep reflection.

I started writing posts in LinkedIn during a difficult personal time in 2014. At that time, my only thought was that it would be meaningful if my writing positively influenced, educated or inspired even couple of individuals. After 5 years (recent slow years in writing), I’m very grateful for the cumulative 25,000 views, 2000 likes and thoughtful comments from readers around the world. That makes all this very meaningful. A deep thank you to all dear friends and readers who keep checking and encouraging.

There are 4 important self-review questions I love to revisit each year:

  1. How did I live my year, especially in the context of things I aspired to do? What have I learned from my experiences, how have I grown?
  2. How much did I live meaningfully? When did I feel in touch with my soul?
  3. What positive impact did I have on the people and environment around me? 
  4. What are key things in life that I am grateful for?

On general observations from 2019, the following 5 themes and questions kept coming back for me. All of these impact businesses and organizations, in some form or the other.

  1. Leadership styles and principles – Looking at events happening around the world and behaviors (including some of the world leaders), is there a fundamental shift to what people respond better to? Where is the topic of ethics headed (with some blatantly obvious public scenarios)?
  2. Everyone has a voice but… – The power of social media and ubiquitous mobile smart devices is that anyone anywhere can share his/her voice and be seen, heard anywhere. However, there is a really important question regarding how much of that is educated/thoughtful or just ‘noise’ devoid of facts?
  3. Short term Vs. Long term – Are we ever more focused on short term (all sides) in all sectors? How much does this impact actions all round?
  4. Increasing Gap in Society – Collectively, it’s really nice to see most people are willing to give and help others during times of difficulties. That said, is the gap between haves and have nots, rich and poor in society increasing to worrying proportions? Are current economic models supporting that in most parts of the world?
  5. Environment – Without doubt, we are at the mercy of mother nature everywhere, whether we like to admit it or not. How much do we really care about preserving our world for a healthy future and how many truly believe that actions today are helping?

Guessing that these topics won’t go away soon but hoping that they will get discussed actively at all levels and evolve positively. How do you see them?

Warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season, Christmas time and New Year!

I sincerely hope that this post leaves you with one positive thought and action. We evolve through all our experiences.

“Reflect upon your present blessings – of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings (goodreads)

Reflections From Past Year In Talent Acquisition

2018 was quite an interesting stretch year for me working deep in APAC talent acquisition (TA) world, and I thought of putting down some reflections.  Unlike my 2015 reflection, this post focuses on the core TA work mostly.

So, here we go:

  • Talent acquisition is very much a team sport. To close a strong new hire, having a great recruiter is just not sufficient. It is equally important to have a highly engaged hiring manager, aligned interview panel, recruiter and coordinator who work together in synch.
  • TA exists to deliver value for the business. When the focus moves heavily to costs and metrics, it is easy to lose sight of what the stakeholder values.  Many times, working closely with a business stakeholder requires a deeper understanding of their context beyond the process/numbers, and flexibility to change views or approaches.  Vice versa, it may also require the leaders/hiring managers to stay flexible to change past views.
  • From a process perspective, aligning an interview panel at the beginning of an interview process on key assessment areas, clarity on each member’s expected area(s) of assessment saves a lot of time in the end during the debrief to get to a hiring decision.
  • Stakeholders in general prefer transparency, proactive communication, sense of urgency, commitment to close roles and visibility on progress from TA.
  • Sometimes, activity on a requisition goes slow for a while and at other times, it picks up at short notice with high urgency, depending on stakeholder engagement or organizational dynamics.  Candidates may notice this change in pace as well and it helps for TA partner to manage expectations on timeline proactively and continuously.
  • One of the key actions for a TA leader is to continuously influence key stakeholders to explore different approaches, ways of working and establish a constant, trusting feedback loop.
  • It is very difficult, almost impossible to keep all stakeholders happy always as the demand cycles, priorities and markets shift.
  • Internal and external networks of contacts are always very helpful, especially for sharing learning/experiences and, to connect with new candidates and partners.  Internal referrals can make a big difference.
  • How a TA team or hiring panel interacts (or don’t) with candidates or external partners reflects the company’s true employer brand/culture and the individual brand as well.
  • Candidate drop offs after offer acceptance are part of TA partner’s life (bigger than initially expected) and therefore managing the risk also becomes relevant.  It was surprising to note how some experienced candidates in India disappeared after accepting an offer and became unreachable afterwards.  Shortsightedness is surprisingly common.  Most criticisms on social media are about recruiters or companies but there is another side to the discussion with many unprofessional candidates.
  • It is always relevant to keep candidate pipelines active. Also from a candidate’s perspective, important for final round candidates to remember that the TA team can always reach out to them sooner than expected, when someone drops out or the same role may open up few months later.
  • Many candidates try to reach out/connect with recruiters on LinkedIn.  For this approach to be more effective and workable (especially for an unknown connection), it would help the candidate to proactively do background research on open roles listed by the organization and specify interest and role.
  • While exploring partners or agencies, it’s not enough to see the big staffing brand, rather the experiences relevant to area of work and attitude to support.  Great partners are flexible, exhibit strong ownership and partnering abilities on the requisitions they work on. They also respond well to improvement feedback and suggestions, thereby building trust.
  • Piloting a new approach is a great way to explore a new approach before institutionalizing.  We piloted a new AI tool with a partner who was willing to flex outside their norm and we ended up extending the contract.
  • Workforce planning is not just about headcount and financial planning.  If we lose the perspective on type of skills, criticality and labor market dynamics, it is equivalent to running half blind.
  • If there is no ongoing hiring/development program for young talent, it will be more expensive for an organization in the long run to pay premium for hiring lateral talent.
  • As with any other function, there are always different styles and preferences at play – within the team, outside with stakeholders and partners.  One needs to continuously learn and adapt to the different styles at play to make the most and work through the difficult ones.
  • Team members tend to respond better if they feel their inputs are heard, trusted, supported and if they have autonomy, growth and learning.
  • When there is a mistake on your/team’s side, it helps to discuss with the team in a safe environment, own it and initiate corrective actions to avoid them in future (rather try to hide or mask it).  There is something to improve continuously.
  • As operational as talent acquisition may seem to be, there is always a strategic perspective to ensuring a credible TA function.

Best wishes for a great 2019…

Reflections On Fifty Years Of Leadership – from Bill George

I’ve found Bill George’s writings on leadership to be deeply thought provoking – based on his personal experiences, as corporate leader (CEO-Medtronic, EVP-Honeywell), board member, mentor and teacher (Harvard).

The following selected notes are from his article, ‘Reflections On Fifty Years Of Leadership’ (available in the free ebook, Lead True -link shared below). These apply to developing organizations and leaders in all environments.

  • As I reflect on the past half-century, enormous changes have taken place in organizations, their leaders and our expectations of these leaders. Many formerly great organizations have fallen by the wayside, as new ones have sprung up to replace them. Economists often attribute this phenomenon to rapid changes in technology and markets, using phrases like “creative destruction.” I beg to differ with them. If there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that the difference between successful, enduring organizations and those that disappear is the caliber of their leaders – at the top and throughout the organization. Among the most important qualities for leaders, these two stand out: adaptability and courage.
  • All of us will experience great crucibles in our lives from which we can discover what is real for us: our True North. Sometimes in life bad things happen to good people. There is deep learning in these experiences if we take the time to discern their meaning and reframe them to make our lives richer and more meaningful.
  • By choosing leaders for charisma, image and style – subjects often taught by business schools and leadership experts in the 20th century – we were overlooking far better leaders with character, integrity and substance.
  • The defining quality of today’s leaders is their authenticity – their ability to know themselves and discern their True North. Authentic leaders are secure within themselves. They do not need external validation to prop up internal insecurity. Instead, they have worked hard to develop the self-awareness to lead with clarity of purpose, practice their values every day, discern the “sweet spot” where their motivations merge with their strengths, build enduring relationships, and inspire and empower others to rise to the challenge. They know what it means to LEAD TRUE: to have the courage to adapt to any challenge while still being true to themselves.

There are many more valuable notes for reflection and learning throughout the book.  I would highly recommend to read and reflect.

Source: Reflections On Fifty Years Of Leadership, Lead True, Bill George, eBook; http://www.billgeorge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bill-George-Lead-True-eBook.pdf

Older posts

© 2024 Lead-Wise

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Follow by Email
LinkedIn
Share