Grapevine a “creepy monster”; Can call it a monster because it invades every nook and corner of any organization. It’s inevitable that this creepy creature gets all its way even with the top management, middle management and lower management and from an invisible link where unauthorized flow of information prevails. It can be truly said that its inevitable and destroying its mere roots are utterly impossible.
The above content tells all ill about Grapevine but, on a contrary it’s not that evil as well, at times Grapevines are good to be, they not only informally speak about many things but also add lot of value addition to our daily work, its also acts as KT at times.
On the other hand it’s at the discretion of the management to handle it. It is certain that it cannot be removed or destroyed completely but its effects can be minimized. The following are some measures by which this can happen:
It is must for Top Management cadre to heed the rumors around by tracking it by being an active participant, as s/he may track down the negative stuff and add what is accurate/ definite.
Listen without loosing temper- there may be things which are not good to hear or which might be totally false but it’s the duty of the management to pay appropriate heed to it and not to loose cool, else it may turn out to be the other way round, hence one need to be patient enough to handle such things.
Correcting the inaccurate info- it’s necessary to interrupt and stop the flow of inappropriate and inaccurate information which otherwise will generate negative impact among the employees. When the management gets to know about these incorrect information, the management should try and communicate which is “the correct” information and try to stop spreading the inaccurate chain any longer.
Open Door Policy: No matter how big or small the size of the organization is, the management should be such that they are easily approachable and open to the employees so that they come up to the management and openly discuss without any barriers.
The management can also be assertive by confronting him/her directly asking him/her to stop it then and there, as an HR one needs to be smart and assertive in handling them.
The management needs to be transparent in their approach, so that all the policies and commands are easily communicated to the employees by providing them periodical training and holding meetings at regular intervals.
The above mentioned measures are among the very few steps that the management can take which may not completely eradicate it but at least can help in minimizing its effect.
It had happened and it will again happen, it has not spared anyone in any industry irrespective of which designation one is in or department they belong to; it has not spared us in our relations with others as well, let it be friendship or anything else, so how can our corporate work environment be untouched. This ‘touch’ (you may call it a virus or a parasite) is called “Grapevine”. It is actively involved in corporate sector. Like the name goes, these act as creepers. Grapevine, the very basic definition of this is “something which is learnt unofficially and informally through gossip or rumors”. These Grapevines are actually part and parcel of any group activity inside or outside the organization. This type of nebulous phenomenon is common no matter you are a clerk, an executive or even a senior manager. Grapevine grows stronger and stronger day by day and also depends on number of groups formed. These are normally cultivated in areas like dinning hall, pantry, parking lots and wherever people get in groups. These are more common during the period of appraisals, mergers, collaborations, deployment etc and they move haphazardly breaking the formal line of communication. They are so vague and unclear, they actually tend to take you in a different set of organizational climate altogether.
Many face this, I faced it, and one can’t deny the fact that when you get involved into this, you also become a part of the game. These Grapevines are good for people who are working in groups and teams as this acts as a catalyst for making the team more intimate and stronger. Nevertheless, this is an easiest mode of communicating, it has the capacity of penetrating even the highest security because it crosses all the boundaries and fences and gets directly with people. To my surprise even those who don’t want to be a part of this communication indirectly become part of it. I have noticed that this type of grapevine is beneficial for the organization in many aspects. 75% of the organization policies and procedures are shared through Grapevine communication. Best example: The first day of your college or office, people telling you this is not accepted, this is the way its appreciated, you have to have good rapport with this person you will get appraised else no, s/he likes it in this manner only!!!!. And who can forget those college and school days during exam times as in this will come and that will come, this is included and that is excluded, so on and on…. This method of communication are actually very informative many a times, its up to us for believing or ignoring it but certainly you cant shrug your shoulders off from it.
It’s said that that the way you carry yourself makes or builds confidence in you… is this right??? Yes, so factually true… its your body language which communicates non-verbally about you mental persona.
Here are some inputs on body language that would be of great help to all our members in their day-to-day life, to improve their soft skills personally and professionally.
What you say is important, but, what you do is very very important. It has been researched that your body does not lie. Most commonly used body gestures and their meaning. They would be of help to you.
Arms crossed over chest - Defensiveness or anxiety
Swinging arm - Want to walk away from a situation
Eye blinking - Fast blinking signals stress/anxious
Downward gaze - Feeling defeated
Taking notes - Shows interest or involvement
Hand over mouth - Can mean boredom
Arms behind head and leaning back - Looking for power or control
Unbuttoning coat - Openness
Buttoning coat - Feels trapped and wants to leave
Standing with hands behind back - Confidence
Clearing throat - Nervousness
Rubbing back of neck - Defensiveness
Hands flat on table - Ready to agree
Stroking chin - Evaluating or thinking
Foot tapping - Impatience
Rubbing the eye - Doubt or disbelief
Rubbing hands - Anticipation
Tilted head - Interest
Pulling / tugging ear - Indecision
So next time you are communicating be aware of yours and the others’ body language and understand what it means.
A little back it was “Personnel”, now, it’s “Human Resources”. But even after the name change, the HR department is still not always seen as contributing to overall business success. Company executives routinely give their HR department’s lower ratings than the human resource people give themselves. 'Transformation into the best' has become a catch in the industry. The best selling Who Moved My Cheese on accepting change, there are a lot of sources which introduce and offer self-help and management techniques to encourage personal and organizational transformation. In terms of HR, transformation is concept of restructuring flow charts, diversity programs, and team-building exercises. In reality, organizations are filled with old cultural norms that are as elastic as rubber, which make new and innovative ideas difficult to embrace.
Transformation is like oil on water, can live comfortably on the surface of an organization resistant to penetrating the fiber and makeup of the culture. Transformation is a major undertaking that comes at a high price. But when it is implemented, the rewards surpass the painstaking effort. Prior to transforming a culture, it is important to understand what 'culture' and 'organization' are. Return on Investment delivered by the HR department focuses largely on the people hired. Even many HR professionals themselves seem focused on their administrative tasks—hiring, payroll and benefits— rather than the business benefits HR can deliver. However, a few trailblazing HR divisions are changing their roles to reshape the face of human resources. These HR groups are re-branding themselves, and creating a stronger emphasis on business acumen and coaching, helping to align employees and executives alike around new business strategies.
The Growing challenges for Human Resources
A lot have been already been written on this which can be referred through our previous write-ups on “IS ATTRITION AND RETENTION BOGGING YOU?” in Business Manager, October 2006 and “TWENTY RETENTION TOOLS FOR CURBING ATTRITION” in Business Manager and NHRD Newsletter May 2007. Here is a brief on factors:
· High level of attrition: While India does have a large talent pool (annually 167,000 engineering students and 1.54 million graduates pass out of the country’s educational institutions), not all are ‘industry-ready’ or equipped with the necessary skill sets to become useful to the companies. This means that while there is plenty of supply at the entry level, there are huge gaps in the middle management and senior management levels. This has resulted in increased levels of poaching and attrition cases. Presently, the average attrition rate faced by manufacturing industry is somewhere around 30-35 percent.
· Mismatch of expectations: Expectations mismatch leads to higher attrition. Moon is shown to candidates during joining. This is partly due to the perceptions created in the general public with respect to the career growth, type of work, compensations offered, competition, etc. Many a times, people are not able to create a work-life balance and often opt out.
· Communication issue: Lack of effective communication is another contentious issue. The absence of regular, two-way communication between employees, their immediate team managers and the senior management is a common complaint and one of the reasons for high attrition rates. A new HR model with specific roles has been developed by us at Sona.
Mapping Training Objectives to Business Results
The training objectives should be linked to performance goals and then to company business results. Managers identify candidates for training. Candidates understand what they need to get out of training, and how they will apply learning back on the job. After training, managers and trainees make sure that trainees drive ROI by achieving meaningful, measurable business outcomes. Having managers focus their employee on what they need to learn and how they’ll use it to reach goals when they return, organization can drive a return on investment. If you expend resources on a learning event, it would be irresponsible not to provide objectives and required outcomes in advance.”
Recruitment and retention are important to today's employers
From the HR professionals with whom we spoke, recruitment and retention are extremely important issues. One statistic, according to The Harvard Business Review, states that reducing employee turnover rates by just 5% lowers operational costs by 10% and improves worker productivity by a significant 65%. Employers are constantly looking at ways to retain their valued employees. Compensation and benefit packages, end-of-year bonuses, workplace conditions, and training and development are all important factors.
Concern about employee satisfaction
In many organizations, employee morale is sagging, and it's no wonder. Recent surveys indicate that only 25 percent of workers feel a strong connection to their employer; many of the rest are simply biding their time, waiting for the job market to improve. That's why smart HR managers are putting new emphasis on raising employee morale and promoting career development. They recognize that employees who feel valued and engaged represent an enormous competitive advantage.
Innovation and productivity
Successful firms are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness while, at the same time, foster innovation and creative problem solving. Increasingly, HR managers are supporting these initiatives by helping to create a corporate culture that values learning. For example, a company's performance management and rewards system needs to align with corporate strategies and priorities. Also, strategically minded HR managers continuously emphasize the importance of employee development, giving staff members the opportunity to acquire new skills and learn about practices that have worked in other workplaces, such as Six Sigma quality principles, lean practices, global supply chain logistics, data mining, and team-based problem-solving.
Flexibility in Workforce
The rapid pace of mergers and acquisitions, a global economy, and technology will all continue to have a profound impact on the workforce. More and more companies are outsourcing, driving the demand for consultants, project workers, and in general a more flexible and agile workforce. People are telecommuting and working remote, away from a company's physical headquarters. Flexibility among both employers and employees allows organizations to thrive in times of intense competitive, changing markets, customers, products, delivery systems, and services.
HR managers are focused on leadership and succession planning
Experienced HR managers know that the key to attracting and retaining talented employees is the quality of leadership. The old saying that, "People don't leave companies, they leave people" is true. That's why in so many companies, large and small, there's an ongoing commitment to identifying and developing leadership talent among their staff.
Wrapping up
Within this pressured environment of organizations, there is a need for (and opportunity for) the Human Resource function to play a critical role in helping organizations navigates through these transitions. In order to play this role, however, HR has to enjoy a real and perceived value that’s appreciated by managers and workers alike. The role of Human Resources has been evolving for some time. The shift from "personnel" to "human resources," for example, was part of the movement to acknowledge the value of employees as an organizational resource, and was an attempt to remove some of the stigma that was associated with slow, bureaucratic personnel departments. This shift in label was accompanied by a call for HR to become a strategic partner with the leaders of the business - to contribute to significant business decisions, advice on critical transitions, and develop the value of the employees. Interestingly, the trend of companies outsourcing Human Resource functions continues to gain steam. There is talk that by 2008 outsourced HR departments will be common. The mere fact that outsourcing is an option is prompting some people to reassess traditional HR job functions. And, in itself, that’s not a bad thing. After all, being an HR professional is no longer exclusively about handling payroll issues, negotiating contracts and benefits or training supervisors and executives. It's more about sitting next to the chief executive, making recommendations about what functions to outsource, developing long-term recruitment and retention strategies and finding ways to save the company money.
HR professionals today need to understand what the products and services are, who the customers are and who the competitors are. It's essential for the HR professional to get out of the office and be involved in making things happen in the business.
TheSkillMill- venture initiated by Stryde Consulting Services (P)Ltd, Punjagutta. This program is initiated to fill the gaps that individuals possess which in turn is the cause for higher unemployment ratio prevailing in the market. TheSkillMill believes that "Their is no lack of employment but umemployment is lack of adequate skills".
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