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Building an Effective Organization: How to have an Engaged Workforce?

7/3/2018

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In today’s day and age where people think of corporations as ‘cold entities’ only interested in increasing their bottom-line, it is important for organizations to improve their effectiveness by utilizing their biggest assets- their human capital, thru optimal engagement. Ultimately, it is the people within an organization that allow for products to be made and services to be delivered. Improving Organizational Effectiveness is not an option when a company truly wants to be successful in their financial worth and a leader in their industry. 

… and having an engaged workforce is extremely key to enhanced Organizational Effectiveness. Here are five ways by which an organization can empower its employees and make them feel more engaged and valued: 

1. Clear Corporate Vision:When you have a clear corporate vision, then employees know where and how they will be contributing to the grand action-plan. This in turn will help to make your employees feel a sense of meaning and purpose in their daily work activities and also about their role within the organization and their work-team.

2. Challenge them to Evolve & Grow:Make it a point to provide clear career and personal development plans to your employees. This will not only allow them to evolve and grow in their own right but seeing how much the organization values their growth and progress will make them feel more engaged in their work activities and overall organizational success.

3. Show Trust with Guidance ‘vs’ Management: When employees feel that they are being ‘managed’ it can have an adverse effect on their productivity. They will not feel trusted and will not feel comfortable to express their ideas and feedback. Instead when employees are provided mentoring and guidelines to do their job, they will feel appreciated for their core competencies and be more open to molding themselves to organizational and team needs.

4. Allow for Flexible Work Times: This may not be possible for all industries or job categories, but as much as possible provide employees with flexible work times. When employees are provided with flexible working times, they will be able to better balance their work and personal commitments. This in turn will reduce their stress levels and help them to be more strategic (instead of tactical) and engaged in their work activities. Ultimately this will reflect as increased overall productivity.

5. Provide Positive Feedback with Accolades and Negative Feedback with Constructive Criticism: Positive feedback in terms of accolades, rewards and awards goes a long way in making an employee feel valued in their organization. This in turn reinforces their commitment not just to the organizational goals and vision, but also their work team and projects at hand. By the same token when an employee has not met their performance expectations or their goals, provide them with constructive criticism along with concrete tangible actions that they can take to improve and develop. Such a healthy feedback cycle will make the employee feel engaged and valued within the organization.

There are many ways in which an organization can empower and engage their workforce. These five points above are a great way to start mobilizing an effective human capital vitalization strategy for your organization.
#OrganizationalEffectiveness #HumanResources #HumanCapitalManagement #HumanCapitalUtilization #SandhyaBhat

Sandhya U Bhat MSc, CSSMBB, CSSE has developed several new (under patent filing) and enhanced existing strategic methodologies to improve technology and human capital utilization, produce greater ROI on investments and streamline service delivery. She is an acclaimed author, speaker, a sought after thought leader and an avid world traveler.
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Strategic Roadmaps

9/28/2017

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Strategic Roadmaps with Actionable Steps
Strategic Roadmaps with Actionable Steps
If you were asked to get in your car and simply drive- it will probably take you quite aback! At the very minimum, you would like to know the destination, route and other trip details. Even though stepping out on a road-trip without a proper game-plan would be considered ludicrous, it’s amazing how many organizations operate that way! This is not only the case with mid and small size companies but also with major Fortune 500 corporations!

Even though words like Strategies and Roadmaps are some of the most used (and abused words) within management teams,  one seldom sees clearly chalked out roadmaps and defined strategic actions that will help them traverse that journey.

So, what are Strategic Roadmaps?
Similar to the route-maps which are used for road-trips, a business road-map helps us to define our starting point, our destination, i.e. the business goal/ objective which we wish to achieve and possible routes that can get us there.

Roadmapping was pioneered by Motorola in the 1970-s to plan their technological capabilities so they can meet their strategic and commercial objectives. Since then this strategy and methodology has come a long way.

Roadmaps help us to carry out strategic actions that link our assets and resources (including Human Capital) to our corporate vision, values, goals and objectives. Roadmaps helps us to define how a particular group within an organization intends to carry out its function for a given length of time while also supporting other groups within that organization to meet individual  group and corporate goals & objectives. Roadmaps also help to point out where one may need added support from another group within the organization or possibly outside vendors or other internal/ external stake holders.

Graphical representation of roadmaps makes it easier to identify and represent the often complex links and dependencies between goals & objectives of various groups within an organization. They also help to initiate dialogues and workshops with teams and stakeholders to ensure that all parts of the organization are truly moving in the same general direction towards the shared vision for success.

Tactical roadmaps on the other hand help us to further drill down into details and define how an item from the Strategic roadmap will be worked out.  It would provide action steps and task level details for work that will need to be completed by a specific timeline, budget and set of resources. Usually such tactical maps are simply referred to as action plans during roadmapping workshops.

When properly implemented, Strategic Roadmaps can reduce workforce stress and encourage better communication & collaboration between various groups within an Organization. In addition, it also helps employees to better understand their role and how they contribute to the team, department and organization. By clearly understanding their funtion within the grand vision-mission-goals framework; employees feel less stressed and better engaged. You may want to read:  Understanding Employee Engagement 

Questions you may want to ask in your team are:
1. Does your team have a strategic roadmap in place for the function it performs within your corporation?
2. Do you really understand how, i.e. with what level of efficiency, you are truly contributing to your corporate vision and success-objectives?
3. Are you sure that you are truly utilizing full benefit of all your assets? This includes budget, software applications (technology), tools & techniques (architected processes) as well as people-resources?

If you are not able to answer any of these questions with a firm clarity, then you should definitely consider Strategic Planning (with actionable roadmaps) as your key initiative in 2015. In today’s uncertain economic times, where any task that improves cost-efficiency is very much applauded; chalking out such Strategic roadmaps will help your team to work in an efficient, streamlined manner and in full alignment to your shared corporate goals & vision.


Sandhya U Bhat MSc, CSSMBB, CSSE has developed several new (under patent filing) and enhanced existing strategic methodologies to improve technology and human capital utilization, produce greater ROI on investments and streamline service delivery. She is an acclaimed author, speaker, a sought after thought leader and an avid world traveler.
​#Roadmap #Strategy #Design #ContinuousImprovement #Management #CorporateTrainingTV #LearningandDevelopment #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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5 Ways to Increase Employee Engagement

11/29/2016

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Here is a nice info-graphic which I created for our Learning & Development portal which provides 5 ways in which an organization can increase employee engagement. As we all know employee dis-engagement is a major cause of not only reduced productivity by a particular employee but can lead to a systemic adverse impact to the organization's profitability and bottom-line. So increasing employee engagement has a direct benefit of helping to increase productivity and thus profitability. 
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​#Employee #HumanResource #OrganizationalEffectiveness #EmployeeEngagement 
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Understanding Shared Services

11/22/2015

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Leaders constantly face tough decisions to optimally provide internal services at lowest possible cost. Questions constantly arise if the service costs are appropriately allocated across the entire organization, correctly reflecting true profitability of each organizational-unit. To address some of these issues, there has been quite a surge in companies wanting to go the “Shared Services” route.

Here is a quick overview of what is Shared Services, how it differs from Traditional model and it's benefits.
​#SharedServices #DeliveryModel #ServiceDelivery #IT #IS #HR #LearningandDevelopment #CorporateTrainingTV #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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How To Write Great Meeting Minutes Which Capture Key Points And Discussions

4/12/2015

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Whether you are the designated note taker or taking notes for your own knowledge, writing meeting minutes is a beneficial skill that can affect your working life. The term minutes is slightly misleading because it makes us think of actual minute-to-minute collections, however the most important details to cover are discussions, steps, and action points. These minutes can help as a reference as well as remind employees, or yourself, of assigned tasks and time frames. 

The starting point for meeting minutes is to list all the essential details of the meeting, including the organization, meeting format, time and date, name of the facilitator, key topics and ending time. The topic of discussion and date are necessary to recollect who spoke about what issue and the time it was said. This makes it easier to go through notes to find specific details. 

It is best to have an outline ready prior to the meeting, with clear spaces for notes and discussions. It is best to leave plenty of room for notes instead of not having enough space. It’s also beneficial to make a list of those attending and to mark them as “attended” as they come into the meeting. Using abbreviations for names can help clearly mark who said what and when. 

Refrain from recording each little detail but focus more on summarizing discussion points. If you write too much then it can be hard to go back and pinpoint the important points later. There’s no need to bother with the unnecessary. Use the method of taking notes that is best for you, whether it is pen and paper, a recorder or a computer. Always ask for clarification if something is not clear in order to take better notes. 

The best time to go over or to collect meeting minutes is right after the meeting is adjourned. The closer time frames to the actual meeting means the more honest and reflective the notes will be. Go over your outline again and add any notes or points that you failed to note earlier. Make sure that all details of important topics are clearly mentioned, such as a summarized statement or a quick explanation.

Then you should edit the notes you have further by making sure it is easy for anyone to understand and only have significant points. By the end of the editing, the document should clearly point out what was accomplished, what decisions were made and what actions were agreed upon. 


​#Meeting #Business #Management #CorporateTrainingTV #LearningandDevelopment #OrganizationalEffectivess #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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Process Pyramid

1/13/2015

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Process Architecture provides a vivid, visual representation of various processes carried out by any Division. They also help to identify entry, exit and integration points within groups of that same Division or other parts of the Organization. One of the best ways to start a Process Architecture project is by chalking out a Process Pyramid.

At the top of the pyramid we have the main Business Group. This is followed by any sub-group if applicable. Next comes all the main processes that are used by that group. Various sub-processes for each of the main processes are identified in the next tier and finally at the very bottom of the pyramid, we have various process steps.

Such a Process Pyramid is a quick but comprehensive visual representation of the all the constituent process flows. This makes it much easier for those who are viewing it to easily understand and contribute in a meaningful way during process mapping workshops. It also helps to identify process areas where there are repetitions, overlaps, gaps and breaks between work conducted by the same team as well as by other teams within that Division.

To explain this concept, let’s take an example of Recruitment division within Human Resources. Usually HR-IS (Human Resources- Information Services) within a company governs all technology related HR solutions. Since in this example we are considering HR- Recruitment Solution, for our Process Pyramid, we will have HRIS at the very top followed by Recruitment Solutions.

In the next tier, we will list out all the main processes that would be conducted by the Recruiting team- this includes Applicant processing, Managing applicant data, Pre-employment & other verification etc. In the sub-processes tier- we will list out all the sub-processes that happen under each main process.

It is important to note that there may not always be a one-to-one relationship between sub-processes and main-processes. It is very much possible that one sub-process is seen in several main processes.  During the initial process mapping session- noting down such details in a process pyramid will help to highlight over-laps and other associations.

If used correctly, Process Pyramid can truly help to highlight areas of gaps and inefficiencies. These can then act as main gateways to formulate methods to improve process effectiveness.  Process Pyramids are definitely not a substitute for comprehensive Process Architecture Maps- they are one of the key steps, which when conducted correctly, can help to provide a good overview.

Process Pyramids are most helpful when Organizations do not want to spend a whole lot of time, resource or money to build comprehensive workflow maps, but want to benefit from over-all high level understanding of how their Divisions work within themselves and with the rest of the Organization. It also comes in handy when technology tool needs to be selected for a Division where proper process-understanding is not available.

Refer
Technology Tool Selection to understand how process architecture plays a key role in application-tool selection.
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Example of a Process Pyramid
​#ProcessArchitecture #ProcessPyramid  #BusinessProcessImprovement #SandhyaBhat #ContinuousImprovement 
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Who Is Considered As A “Thought Leader”?

12/10/2014

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Have you heard the term ‘thought leader’? What comes to your mind upon hearing it? Can you consider yourself as a thought leader? Well, not everyone can be one. A thought leader can be an individual or a firm that is acknowledged as the authority in a particular field of specialization or discipline. Efforts, initiatives and expertise of thought leaders are highly sought and usually handsomely rewarded.

It was Joel Kurtzman who first used the term in 1994 to refer to interviewees whose business ideas deserved public attention. Kurtzman was an editor-in-chief of a business-related magazine called Booz Allen Hamilton. Eventually, the term became a label that characterized leaders regardless of their purpose and field. In fact, the term best describes those people or organizations that became very successful in their chosen fields.

Today, the consensus is that when you are considered as a thought leader you can make or have already made significant positive differences being one of the go-to persons in the field. In so doing, thought leaders are compensated highly, that is, if we are going to look at thought leadership’s commercial component. With this, we can consider thought leaders as those individuals or organizations that profit from being a thought leader.

For instance, let us take the case of an accounting firm specializing in tax laws. There is a new law regarding how to properly depreciate specific corporate assets. For this firm to become a thought leader, it must devise strategies, policies and techniques rather than just regurgitating such law. The firm needs to discuss with its partners and clients how such a law will impact the operations of the firm and their clients.

On the part of the tax accountants, if anyone of them wants to be a thought leader, he or she should develop distinct insights as well as actionable strategies surrounding the new law. He or she must make recommendations that will prove to be beneficial for the companies. The firm and its accountants must communicate to the public that it is currently the main "go-to firm" when it comes to understanding the accounting policies around depreciation. Using structured means to communicate this is critical for any thought leader. It is also crucial for the individual tax accountants and the entire accounting firm to monetize its thinking.

Thought Leadership is not as much about monetizing the ‘thinking'. That will happen in due course. If one is truly knowledgeable in a field and are open to sharing that expertise with others to help them grow- it is but natural, that sooner or later, such a thought leader is bound to be very successful (financially speaking). Being a 'Thought Leader' is really about making a cutting edge difference in your field of expertise- by bringing your own special-touch to the common knowledge, sharing it with others and in the process- setting new rules and methods of working. It's not without reason that many thought-leaders have become game changers in their field and made history.
​#Leader #Skills #ThoughtLeader #GameChanger #LeadershipCoaching #SandhyaBhat #LeadershipTraining #CorporateTrainingTV #LearningandDevelopment
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5 Techniques That Can Be Used To Resolve Workplace Conflict

11/30/2014

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Conflicts are bound to happen, no matter where you work or where you live. This mostly comes from different values, personalities or expectations. Therefore, you need to be able to address conflicts and know how to handle them before they get out of hand. You can resolve a conflict by applying one of the techniques below.

1. Keep Calm
It is typical for a conflict to start through escalation, which tends to come from anger or pain. It is common for people to stop understanding or even listening when they are upset and to want the person to finish speaking so they can rebuttal, in anger. It is best to keep the big picture in mind and maintain a calm demeanor. Simply focusing on the fact that the conflict will eventually reach a solution is a great way to stay calm. It also helps to be aware of where we are coming from and remind ourselves that the other party can be going through things that we have no idea of.

2. Don’t just listen, but try to understand
As mentioned above, when a conflict is happening most people just wait for the other to talk so they can have their say. There is not much listening happening. However, if you give your full attention to the actual words and delivery then you might be able to have a better understanding of the real problem. Sometimes there is reasoning involved and sometimes people are just angry. But listening while trying to understand will help you gain insight into the best way of handling the situation.

3. Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument
It can be temping to let everything out when you are in the middle of a conflict but that will not resolve the issue. Everyone has their own opinion and being able to make yours understood will help in any situation. Always admit where you were wrong and don’t be afraid of explaining how you see things (in a tactful way). You have to have a strong case and opinion whilst being open to change or adjustment in order to resolve a conflict without hard feelings.

4. Focus on the good stuff
It is so much better to focus on the positives of a person or to focus on how you relate to them instead of coming from a place of judgment.

5. Focus on the future
Remind yourself that the conflict will end and you should handle it as best you can without losing your cool, since this will reflect on you later down the line.



​#WorkPlace #Conflict #Management #Corporate #CorporateTrainingTV #LearningandDevelopment #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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Why Employee Development Programs are Important to Maintain Good Talent

11/29/2014

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One of the most important types of management is implementing development programs that can help employees develop more skills and work towards their goals in their careers. The work place is constantly changing and the need to understand and adapt to new changes is necessary for a workplace and its employees to thrive.

It should be the manager’s key role to help employees develop as often as is necessary. Development programs allow employees to learn new skills while working on ones that they already have. This benefits everyone from the employer to the employee because it increases performance levels and understanding. It is important that employees have some monitoring so that proper support can be given as well as to be able to give insight into the types of development individual staff may require.

When employees feel like they are being cared for and are being offered development program options, they can’t help but feel like the company has their best interest at heart. This helps boost confidence and willingness to develop and contribute. At the same time, it helps employees develop their loyalty towards the company and in turn produces better results. When an employee is loyal to the company they tend to work harder and better.

In order to keep good talent in the company, it has to be understood that naturally talented individuals have a longing to improve. They really enjoy being supported in their efforts and appreciate coaching of any sort. A good talent will want to improve their skills and develop new ones, in order to be a well-rounded and valued member of an organization. Some employees leave positions simply because they are not being given any support or development and another prospect does offer these things.

People tend to realize their full potential when they are encouraged and supported in their efforts. An employee development program makes sure that employees understand what their role is and what their responsibilities are. They have also been trained to handle their tasks, which increases their confidence in what they are doing and generally increases productivity.


It is good for the company when an employee feels like a valued member of the team. Employee development programs can take place a few times a year in order to make sure that current skills are being improved and new ideas are also being introduced frequently. It is important for companies to show their staff that they are investing in them and the results of doing so are worth it.


#Employee #HumanResource #OrganizationalEffectiveness #EmployeeEngagement #LearningandDevelopment #CorporateTrainingTV #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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Why Conflicts Are Common in the Workplace

10/16/2013

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Anyone that has worked in a workplace knows that there is high possibility of conflicts arising at any moment. Most of the conflicts that happen in a workplace have to do with personal interactions, since we are always working with the same people and are bound to have opposing ideas or experiences. 

Conflict does happen and can actually be a productive solution to some problems. It is most likely that during some point of your time in workplace you will witness, or be involved in, a conflict. Therefore, it can be good to realize the reasons for conflict in order to bring on a desirable solution – instead of allowing it to make you a victim. 

 One of the common reasons for conflicts are when values or personalities clash, as it true for outside the office as well. Having differing personalities and values can cause people to vocalize their disapproval or show their dislike, which opens doors for hostile behavior. Not only does this hinder performances but it is also a waste of time and productivity. 

Another reason for conflicts can be the relationship between an employer and their employee. It is common for employees to have some dislike towards their bosses, whether it stems from jealousy, attitude or other reasons. 

Miscommunication or inability to communicate is another reason for conflict at work. Everyone has their own way of communicating, some of it is well received and others aren’t. Inability to communicate can dampen productivity and make people in the workplace feel awkward or uncomfortable. It is important to remember that everyone has their unique way of dealing with things and this is not a reflection on us as a person. 

Not clearly understanding the policies or roles within a workplace can cause people to butt heads. For example, if two employees are both performing the same role and they feel like the other is stealing their responsibilities, even if neither is sure whom it was truly assigned to. This can cause people to interfere with the others work or find ways to stop them from performing the task.

Everyone has their own limit of stress and pressure. Some people get very overwhelmed at an urgent deadline while others can handle it with ease. Conflicts can start when two people see the pressure in a different way and do not assess the other parties feelings or views before having an argument. This can often happen if the person already has a lot on their place or are not sure how they should prioritize the tasks. 


​#WorkPlace #Conflict #Management #Corporate #CorporateTrainingTV #LearningandDevelopment #Leadership #Management #Coaching #Mentor
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    Picture
    Juma Vera has
    ​developed several strategic methodologies to improve technology and human capital utilization, produce greater ROI on investments and streamline service delivery.

    Juma has more than nineteen years of experience as a senior strategic Management Consultant with Process Improvement, Business Relationship Management and Project Management specialization. She has particularly utilized Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen and ISO principles along with Scrum and Kanban frameworks. 
    View my profile on LinkedIn

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