Manager today

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Together we can make a difference

Nothing is interesting if you are not interested Helen MacInness

As it is the month of August, I think I should begin here by wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. While mentioning this how can I go by the fact that the holy month of Ramazan is also here. So this month not only the feelings of patriotism have been stirred but we are also reminded of what we owe to the mankind in general. We all know what the flag of our country is, we all know the verses from the Holy Quran but the question is if we know what they really mean i.e. the deeper meanings, hence, Manager Today has been contributing in its own way, yet again, by keeping people aware of issues, not only on the corporate level but also providing them with an inspiration to uplift their spirits. So, while celebrating Independence Day, why not make a pledge to ourselves as to stop indulging in illusions so that the problems at hand can be averted. As the Quaid has said, “Expect the best, Prepare for the worst”. Stress has worse repercussions than one can even imagine. Here we have an excellent piece of writing, by Dr. Maryam Arif, for the sufferers of this disease, hence, enabling them to conquer it, not only the cure has been spelled out, but the factors that give rise to it have also been expanded on. Leadership, which has become more of a burning question in our age, has also been focused upon by Masood Ali Khan. And if you thought that gender diversity was a scourge rather than a blessing, think again! It has been pinned down as an asset by Ha-

roon Waheed, and he has statistics to prove his point. As Roger William has said, ‘The greatest crime in the world is not developing your potential’. The article by Binush Nauman on training and development of employees is worth a read so as to recruit best of the best workforce available. Want to know how to model human behavior in order to model human excellence, jot down the points enumerated by Col .(R) Imtiaz Mahmood if you strive for such distinction. We get a clear picture of how productivity is affected by a troublesome professional liaison in ‘Culprit’ by Ali Yaqoob. A rich article by Atif Tufail familiarizes us with the factors that can play a major role in the revival of our economy. See the how human capital becomes a defining factor for the survival of an organization, as Khuru P. Malik elaborates it . Somtimes focssing on our aims becomes a real dilemma, Wali Zahid expounds the steps you should take in order to refocus. And last but not the least I must mention our featured interviews. We have Sirtaj Aziz, the former Federal Minister and currently the Vice Chancellor of BNU; Sarwar Khan who is Managing Director at Maxus; Rahila Narejo the CEO and Lead Consultant of Narejo Human Resources and an Exclusine Interview of Imran Khan, Chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf. Keep contributing with your valuable articles and suggestions.

IJAZ NISAR Founder & President Manager Today ijaz.nisar@managertoday.pk


Mail Box est Wishes for the Manager Today Team, it is always an utmost pleasure to go through the interviews of some of the truly inspirational people.

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SHAFIQ AHMED SIDDIQI CEO Manan Shahid Forgings Limited

n this day and age where the society is driven by monetary pursuits, it takes real guts to take a step that really contributes towards the benefit of the nation, I applaud the purpose that this magazine is serving. I take hats off to the team and especially to Mr. Ijaz Nisar for undertaking such a valuable venture. Wish you all the best for the future.

irst the book on “Successful Managers of Pakistan” and now it has been more than a year that the magazine is running successfully. I am a regular subscriber of the magazine, and every issue is a treasure in itself.

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M.SHAHID SIDDIQUE CST ZTE Chinese Telecom

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eading this magazine has really helped me in polishing my skills and hence inculcating a sense of organization within myself. The relation of employee to his organization and importance of teamwork, I am really grateful to this magazine for rendering a very useful purpose.

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KALIM-UR-REHMAN President & CEO JS Bank Limited

s a corporate magazine, I have always found it to be inspirational, as it is serving a grand purpose in providing Pakistani youth with an impetus and drive to do something useful for their country.

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SAEED WAHLAH Commissioner Gujranwala Division Gujranwala

MASOOD KHAN Lahore

t is indeed an enormous task and takes a lot to compile such an exciting piece of work. Not only is it of great help in the corporate areas but also in other walks of life. Keep going.

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SADIA KHAN Islamabad

INSPIRED? MOTIVATED? DID YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ? If you find ManagerToday inspirational for the personal and professional development, do inform us. You can also contribute your articles, suggestions and recommendations at: Email: managertoday@hotmail.com, info@managertoday.pk, Website: www.managertoday.pk Ph: 042 35792066, 0300 844 5208, 0300 4521298, 0300 8167229 Don’t forget to mention your full name, postal address and phone number on your letters. Find us on:


PCPB # 303-M

MANAGER TODAY Editor-in-Chief IJAZ NISAR Assistant Editor RABAIL ABBAS Designer SHAH JAHAN (SHANI) Marketing & Sales Manager HASEEB NISAR 0300 816 7229 Marketing Manager FAHAD IQBAL 0346 468 8536 Business Development Manager M. SAQIB SHEHZAD 0300 883 8428 0300 844 5208 LEARNING & OD MANAGER SOMIA ISHAQ Photographer KAMRAN Contributors PHILIP S. LALL ATIF TUFAIL BAKHTIAR KHAWAJHA SALIM GHAURI KAMRAN RIZVI WALI ZAHID ANDLEEB ABBAS MASOOD ALI KHAN Legal Advisor MUHAMMAD ZULFIQAR ALI BUTAR Publisher MANAGER TODAY Printer QASIM NAEEM ART PRESS HEAD OFFICE MANAGER TODAY PL-11 SIDDIQUE TRADE CENTRE MAIN BOULEVARD, GULBERG III LAHORE Tel: 0423-579 2066 Cell: 0300 452 1298 0300 816 7229 0300 844 5208

COVER STORY

HUMAN RESOURCE

Hope for the Hopeless

Employee Retention Management

Imran Khan Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Human Capital becomes a defining factor for the survival and growth of organizations.

STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress Factor In women holding influential and challenging positions in our society. “Stress is a state of mind, it can make you efficient or drain your energy, your attitude would determine how you can use it as a motivating factor”.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Visionary Economist Cum Educationist Sartaj Aziz Vice Chancellor Beacon House University

email: info@managertoday.pk www.managertoday.pk

EXCELLENCE Modeling human excellence One of the biggest challenges in modelling human excellence is that most of the critical elements of strategies of the model are hidden.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Creative & Imaginative Advertiser Muhammad Sarwar Khan Managing Director, Maxus

MANAGEMENT Gender Diversity and Corporate Performance Gender diversity is an asset for the corporate image and helps bring closer together the company, its employees, its shareholders and its customers.


MANAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP

Culprit either it’s you, me or none of us

How leaders refocus with will and skill?

A healthy and professional relationship between boss and subordinate is equal to the total productivity and nothing else; but the question remains if we really get to see this equation around us.

If we have a high level of challenge complexity and low skill, we become worried and go into a state of anxiety very swiftly.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS ECONOMY “Reviving the economy of Pakistan” WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE Women of strength & vision Raheela Narejo CEO, NHR

LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP AS AN OFFSHOOT OF RELATIONSHIP AND PARENTING Leadership is about taking decision when the timing is right.

What is more important.... training or development of employees CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS Meezan Bank, Samsung, Jazz Jazba & Engro foods LEARNING FORUM Boss Management


MANAGER TODAY’S

CONTRIBUTORS

HAROON WAHEED

20+ years experience in HR both in Pakistan and in International circuit. Helping people to grow together with the business is my passion. Building talent for the future is my obsession.“Unileve r with immense business potential has always provided me huge opportunities to fulfil my “Passion” & “Obsession” by working with people within Pakistan and outside and thus growing people and business together. My association with Unilever always provided opportunities to do things differently and creatively whilst contributing into business and talent growth. This lead me to win two international awards in 2010 “Asia HR Leadership Award 2010” (Singapore) and “Best Talent Management Award 2010” (London)

DR. MARYAM ARIF

with a very creative and intellectual mind, and a spark to achieve and go a distance, she is a medical doctor with experience in clinical research in Endocrinology in the US. She is a keen observer of human behavior and psychology; she believes that true change can only come from a change in mindset, and a collective revival of a core value system in our society.

MASOOD ALI KHAN

has many years of experience in senior management and leading positions in the US & Pakistan. He has been hotel group consultant for Holiday Inns Inc., USA. Presently, he is the chief executive of one of the most innovative management, designing & construction firm ‘Takhleeq Designing and Management Consultants’. He is committed to helping individuals and organizations reach personal and professional excellence.

WALI ZAHID

is an international consultant, speaker, leadership trainer and executive coach. He is CEO of Skill City [Asian answers to Asian questions], a newgeneration learning and development regional firm with a developing-country perspective. He has spoken to audiences in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, East Africa, Western Europe, England and the United States. Wali has trained thousands of managers and business leaders in the past 15 years from most Fortune500 companies. His leadership and training of trainers workshops have been crowd pullers. His branded workshops include ‘Leadership for CEOs’, ‘Women in Leadership’, ‘Leadership Derailments’ and 'TOT.

ATIF TUFAIL

is serving a USbased Information Technology company as head of human resources these days. He is managing all functions like recruitment, performance management, training and compensation & benefits. Before his current work commitment, he added value to Aitchison College, Lahore as a faculty member and human resource advisor for a decade. He did Masters in Physics from GCU, Lahore and Masters in HRM from University of the Punjab. Now a days, he is also preparing for 'Global Professional in Human Resources' (GPHR) certification offered by the Society for Human Resources Management, USA.

LT. COL. (R) IM- BINISH TIAZ MAHMOOD NAUMAN

is a PHD ractitioner of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for more than 14 years and he has been conducting Training, Relaxation, Meditation and Therapy sessions for a wide cross section of people.He is Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming. He is also Reiki Master, Certified Hypnotherapist, Silva Method Practitioner, Counselor and Consultant.He has helped thousands of people through training and therapy sessions.He is founder of One Minute Wonder (OMW) which is an energy healing system and highly result oriented for all types mental emotional and even physical issues. He uses the dynamic skills to help youth and children.

has done her M.Com from Hailey College of Commerce, PU. She took her LLB degree with distinction from University Law College, PU. Her major area of interest is HRM for which she is pursuing her PhD degree in Management. She has presented her research papers in various International Conferences focusing on current status of HRM in Pakistan. She is also involved in training various corporate sector clients related to implementation of Islamic HRM practices in Pakistan. Having strong academic background, an advocate, a researcher, a trainer and currently associated with COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, M.A Jinnah campus, Lhr as Lecturer she is teaching BBA & MBA level students different management related disciplines.

KHUSRO P. MALIK

is a recognized professional in the fields of HRM, HRD, OD, and BPR. He holds an MBA degree (University of Ottawa) and a Masters degree in Public Administration (Punjab University). He has worked internationally and consistently enjoyed iconic reputation in his field. ) Mr. Malik is the first Pakistani to earn GPHR certification from HRCI USA. He has trained hundreds of HR Professionals in Pakistan and has been instrumental in creating HR awareness.In the consulting area, he has done major projects for World Bank, USAID, GTZ, and UNDP in Pakistan.



14 COVER STORY

Imran Khan has left indelible impression in the history of Pakistan with his immaculate leadership skills and many other achievements. He has charisma which still enthuses and mesmerizes Pakistani youth. Maintaining booming career as an acclaimed cricketer, it is now that he has turned to politics and has uncompromising conviction and unflinching faith to make Pakistan a democratic nation in the true sense of the word.

HOPEFORTHE HOPELESS LEADEROFALEADERLESSNATION IMRAN KHAN CHAIRMAN,PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF 14 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk


An exclusive speech & interview of Imran Khan at the CEO Summit ‘Developing future leaders’ organized by ‘Manager Today’ magazine. The word ‘impossible’ is simply non-existent in a leader’s vocabulary. A thing seems impossible, if you think it is impossible. The best quality of a leader is that he dreams big, he is an idealist. The bigger one dreams; the greater will be the setbacks, harsh times, disappointments, frustrations and mockery that he will have to face. These are the times of crisis that reveal or uncover a true leader with real caliber and capability. Difficult times test the capability of a leader as the fire tests the steel. It is a leader who stands up and gives a sense of direction to the ordinary men in the times of crisis. That leader never looses focus for his aim. Once you compromise on your goals and aims, you are finished. The compromise on one’s vision is an unlimited compromise. However; it is the quality of a true leader that he stands tall in the times of crisis and takes a firm stand for his beliefs and vision. Once a leader stands up against all odds, he has to take on a lot of pressure and he learns to cope with pressure by consistently dealing with it while facing difficulties at the same time. It is his resistance that makes him a strong leader. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for twenty seven years, but his struggle had started much earlier. We can take the example of our Holy Prophet (SAW), the way in which he braved in the face of hardships. When a person takes on a challenge, it is the very time when his reserves of capabilities start emerging from within. The power of taking pressure is learnt well when one remains persistent in the face of trials and tribulations. Anyone who gives shortcut precedence over long struggle can never become a true leader. This has been a great problem with Pakistanis that they always consider military rule to be the best course, as we accept anyone to be a leader if he is a controller or authoritarian by definition. Another trait is that a leader is never servile. Quite conversely he is the one who not only gives people a hope in the times of crisis but also gives them a foresight into it, and they in turn, trust him. An even bigger quality of a leader is his selflessness. If our leaders start preferring their country’s interests over theirs own, it is only way that our country can prosper. In fact, there is a saying that either a leader can make money for himself or for his country, you cannot do both. And finally a capability that particularly characterizes a leader is that he makes big decisions and takes risks. Thus a leader who is always on the defensive can never overcome a leader who has a killer instinct, who is attacking as well as aggressive. A leader does not follow public opinion; he leads it; he sells his dream to the public.

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You are perhaps the only leader calling for midterm polls. Why do you insist on fresh elections? What change will the exercise bring about? Will you contact other parties to seek their support on the issue? First of all, the 2008 elections were contested on PCO (Provisional Constitution Order) which was annulled by the Supreme Court, so the elections were basically illegal. The moment when the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) was annulled the government had no justification to stay in power after that. From then onwards the democratic process was stalled. The Transparency International has clearly come out with figures that corruption in Pakistan has broken all previous records after that. And corruption is the single biggest factor because of which people are facing unprecedented inflation. Meanwhile, our party has grown at a rate which we had never ever imagined. My party wants the government to complete its term, because it will give us more time to get prepared for the general elections if held in 2013. Why do you believe that people would vote for PTI and not elect the PPP and PML-N again in the next elections? According to a British Council survey, 90 per cent people under the age of 30 want change in the country. According to the updated electoral rolls, by the next elections there will be 24 million new voters using their vote for a change. These new voters, comprising of youth would upset the previous voting trends. Hence, Tehreek-e-lnsaf, would bring the change. The PTI would make coalition with people who are not corrupt. The PPP and PML-N has disappointed the people so they want to get rid of them. It would be for the first time that next elections would be taking place under an independent media, an independent Election Commission and free judiciary would also ensure transparent elections. And with such ellections Pakistan would certainly enter into an age of genuine democracy with the next elections. Do you feel any threat from forces of status quo who might try to block your move to bring about revolutionary changes in the country's system of governance?

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Both the man on the street and I want to live in dignity, not in the US enslavement. Our culture, values and beliefs are sacrosanct and not for sale to foreigners. Our sovereignty is nonnegotiable

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Manager Today’s team with Imran Khan at CEO Summit The status quo situation is crumbling in Pakistan. It has been exposed like never before by the media. Forces of status quo only come into play when everything is going well in Pakistan. But country is facing continuous crisis after crisis. People want change due to rampant corruption, rising inflation and collapse of law and order. These issues are going to push the country towards a change through ballot and the forces of status quo won't be able to stop this change. Where do you expect to give better electoral performance? The PTI would mainly concentrate on Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa especially in urban areas. Our party would definitely make alliances in other provinces as well. In fact, the actual battle for the federal government will be fought in Punjab. How in your opinion can corruption be eradicated? Independent Accountability Bureau and independent judiciary are the two main checks against corruption. Besides, the Election Commission should not allow people with records of corruption to contest in elections. If criminals are allowed to contest election and spend unlimited money to finance their campaign, decent candidates cannot compete with them. What in your opinion should be done to improve the sagging economy? If there is no rule of law, you cannot control corruption and therefore it will not im-

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prove. We would also have to come out of the so-called war on terror which is draining our resources. We should also ask America to pull out of Afghanistan to restore peace in both the countries. Unless we convince the US to quit Afghanistan, foreign investments will not increase due to security situation. Our government will continue to apply cuts on development expenditures. What remedies would you prescribe to bring back the money that has been transferred abroad over the years by various leaders? Do you know such politicians and bureaucrats? It would be a huge amount. But unless there is clean government in Pakistan it won't be possible to hold such people accountable. The government should register cases against the people who have accounts in foreign countries. The US government is also taking action against its citizens having bank accounts in foreign countries. Would you like to suggest any short term solution to end load shedding? It could be overcome by controlling electricity theft and through better management. A huge theft of electricity is going unchecked in Pakistan. You come so strong against the American administration. You’re the last person they’d want to see in power? Never would I consent to becoming a puppet PM! Pakistan’s sovereignty is not for

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sale to the Americans. To legitimatize Musharraf, the US forced the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) on us and talked about it openly because they have so much contempt for the people of Pakistan. We need an Ataturk? Can you be one? No. He’s not my model. You can’t force your people to become westernised at the point of a gun. My models are Jinnah and Mahathir of Malaysia. You’re not an idealist; you’re not a romantic; you’re not shallow (even though when you entered politics people thought you lacked substance); so why are men like you not in the forefront for the future? I’m in no hurry. My time will come. We have a groundswell of people joining us. The man on the street and I want to live in dignity, not in US enslavement. Our culture, values and beliefs are sacrosanct and are not for sale to foreigners. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. You’re still smart and fit at 58. Is there a woman in your life? [Imran Khan laughs.] Politics is my life. I don’t have time for anything else. My greatest happiness comes from being a father. It’s has given me full satisfaction. However, I’m sad that my sons don’t live with me. For their sake I’ll never remarry. n

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PTI CHIEF PRESENTS 100-DAY PLAN he Pakistan Tehreek-e-lnsaf (PTI) recently announced its 100-day plan which it would implement after coming into power. The top most priority in the plan was given to the withdrawal from the US- led war on terror and instead war on corruption would be declared. Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, PTI Chief Imran Khan said that his party would refrain from relying on empty rhetorics like other parties. The PTI team of experts prepared the 100-day plan after a year-long concerted efforts as it contained specific steps backed by detailed cost, revenue plan and a time-frame. He said the plan had a number of strategic levels of implementation. In the first 100 days, action would be taken on burning issues such as terrorism, corruption unemployment and inflation etc on priority basis. It also outlined the medium to long-term strategies of the party to meet the economic, social and governance needs of the country. The PTI counter-terrorism strategy would focus on political approaches and the use of force would be considered as the last and least preferred option. "We will declare an end to all the military operations and withdraw the troops from Fata as the Frontier Corps (FC) would take over the responsibility of law and order there," he said and added that a grand peace and reconciliation Jirga would be constituted to bring harmony through reconciliation. A commission would be formed to ascertain human rights violations in Fata and Swat and to establish the nature and scale of compensation to innocent victims and their relatives. All the US bases and intelligence centers would be shut down within three months after coming into power. The visas of all the foreign security operatives would be cancelled and they would be repatriated within seven days. "The drone attacks will be stopped immediately as any breach of our sovereignty would automatically result in blocking of all the NATO supplies and an end to all forms of cooperation with the US in its war on terror," he said. An independent ac-

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countability commission would be formed under a new anti-corruption law which would be headed by an individual of impeccable credentials, shar-ing measures against corruption. "Benami accounts and transactions will be banned. All the transactions above a certain ceiling will be legal only if the parties are registered as tax payers. And politicians and government officials with foreign bank accounts or properties abroad will have to declare their assets and failing to disclose sources of income will result in a ban on holding public offices.� He also vowed to dismantle sugar, cement, and fertilizer cartels. On economic issues, he said indirect taxation would be reduced on fuel and the revenue losses would be recovered from direct taxation. Deficit financing to the tune of Rs. 3 billion a day, which was the main cause of inflation, would be stopped and power circular debt would be eliminated and foreign exchange rules would be amended to put an end to Havala transactions. The austerity measures would be adopted and all the special perks and privileges of the president, PM, ministers

and the parliamentarians would be abolished. On joblessness issue, he said that major physical infrastructural projects would be initiated to generate employment. These measures would increase revenue generation especially by bringing the rich into the tax net. He said, "Judicial and police reforms would be initiated to ensure the rule of law and all the judges of the higher courts would be appointed through a judicial commission without any involvement of the parliamentarians. All the government appointments would be made through restructured public service commissions." Special tax incentives for overseas Pakistanis to facilitate their investment in the country, declaration of educational emergency, increase in allocations for education and a process of uniform core curriculum are included in the 100-day plan. He said that a national energy authority under the prime minister would be established to ensure better management, control of theft, wastage, and refurbishment of power plants. The power sector efficiency could be improved within the first year of the PTI government. n



20 STRESS MANAGEMENT

DR. MARYAM ARIF

STRESSINFACTOR

WOMEN HOLDING INFLUENTIAL AND CHALLENGING POSITIONS IN OUR SOCIETY

“Stress is a state of mind, it can make you efficient or drain your energy, your attitude would determine how you can use it as a motivating factor”. e are living in times when both men and women grow up with very clear career-oriented dreams and goal-oriented ambitions. But what “women” forget are the physical, psychological and physiological limitations set about by nature that makes them more vulnerable to wear and tear, as compared to men. Managing stress is all about taking charge. Taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. “Its only stress if you think it is”. Komal Akram, CDO, Manager, Lahore. According to a research study funded by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, females have a natural resistance to heart disease as compared to males, but stress can reduce this resistance by decreasing estrogen levels much earlier in life, which leads 20 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

to the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Stress Management has to start with the identification of the sources of stress. Handling her own business, or in a high ranked position, there may be multiple sources of stress in a working woman’s life. Some of these might not be as apparent as others. Stress is viewed as resulting from the combination of high role demands and low coping resources (material, psychological, interpersonal, and organizational). Women in our part of the world are still expected to assume primary responsibility for home and family and are subject to a double burden of work, especially when the children are young. Women are also subject to considerable conflict between marital/parental and occupational demands. A great way to start identifying the sources of stress in your life is by starting a “Stress Journal”. As you keep a daily log you will begin

to identify the regular stressors in your life. A pattern will start to emerge, and you will find yourself in a better position to take control of the stress level in your life. In your journal, always write: l What caused your stress? l How you felt, both physically and emotionally. l How you acted in response. l What you did to make yourself feel better. Coping with Stress: Other than identification of the usual stress, your ‘stress journal’ can also help you identify the methods you currently use to manage and cope with it. Some of the common strategies, women use to cope with stress, only end up making the problem worse. If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.


5 WAYS TO BREAK THE STRESS CYCLE FAST!!! 1. Learn how to say “NO”- Know your limits and stick to them. 2. Avoid people who stress you - Out limit the amount of time you spend with such people, or end the relationship entirely. 3. Take control of you environment - If the evening news makes you anx ious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but lesstraveled route. 4. Avoid Hot-button topics - If you get upset over religion or politics cross them off your conversation list. 5. Pare down your to-do list - Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely. www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 21


Women find it harder to say no to others' requests and often feel guilty if they can't please everyone. They often spend less time nurturing their own emotional and physical needs, as that might be perceived as selfish. Sociologists describe women as struggling to achieve the "male standard" at work, while trying to maintain the perfect wife and mother standards at home. “Working in a third world country, the thing that frustrates me the most, is the lack of support. If you are a perfectionist, and want to do things right, you need help from other people, and you need these people to be educated and honest in their dealings. It is very stressful when reality proves to be otherwise” Samina Sheikh (Belal) Running “Sarah’s” Retail Clothing Store, Lahore Personal time for rejuvenation will never be available unless it is planned. Prioritizing based on principle rather than demand is sometimes difficult to learn, but is critical for peace of mind. Leisure time must be considered a necessity, not just a reward for doing more. Simple things such as reading, taking baths, music, or just meeting a good friend can have a powerful relaxing effect. The mind and body are linked throughout our lives. We must learn to respect both our emotional and physical needs, or we will lose our equilibrium and ability to adapt. You can't be all things to all people all of the time. Don't be reluctant to ask for help. Avoid combining too many projects. Delegate if necessary. When stress strikes, hormones called cortisol and epinephrine together raise a person’s blood pressure and circulating blood sugar level. But in women, when these hormones rush through the bloodstream in a stressful situation, oxytocin comes into play. It is released from the brain, countering the production of cortisol and epinephrine, and promoting nurturing and relaxing emotions. Many People believe that leading a financially stable and stress-free life will automatically make them happy people, but in reality lasting “Happiness” is the sum of your Life Choices. “Pick a good team, understand the process yourself and then just do your best…if things don’t materialize it doesn’t matter, what is important is that you apply the process correctly and to your satisfaction.” Amina Qayyum Mirza, Principle Architect, OMD, Lahore 22 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

“TENDING AND BEFRIENDING” TENDING involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and offspring that promote safety and reduce distress. BEFRIENDING is the creation and maintenance of social networks that may aid in this process. According to a study published in the July 2000 issue of Psychological Review, females are more likely to deal with stress by nuturing those around them and reaching out to others i.e tending and befriending. The reason for this in large part is because of the hormone “Oxytocin”. Men, on other hand, with smaller amounts of oxytocin lean toward the “fight or flight” response when it comes to stress - either bottling it up and escaping, or fighting back. People who are happy intuitively know and build their life on certain values and principles. These include: Devoting time to family and friends. You have to learn to invest in relationships, dont take them for granted. Friends and family help you celebrate life’s successes and support you in difficult times. BUILD UP YOUR EMOTIONAL ACCOUNT with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Appreciating what you have. Its easy to go through life without recognizing your good fortune. Often, it takes a serious illness or other tragic event to jolt people into appreciating the good things in their lives. Don’t wait for something like that to happen to you. Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Maintaining an optimistic outlook. Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. Remember that what is right about you almost always trumps what is wrong about you. Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you

have them. Then step back and ask yourself, is this situation really as bad as I think? Feeling a sense of purpose. People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission— whether its growing a garden, finding one’s spirituality or caring for children—are happier than those who don’t have such aspirations. Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, boosts self esteem and brings people together. Living in the moment. Don’t wait for a day your life will be less busy or less stressful. Look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on the positives in the present moment. Don’t spend your time reshaping your past or worrying about the future. Take time to stop and smell the flowers. From another angle, stress is necessary for life. You need stress for creativity, learning and your very survival. “Stress is a state of mind, it can make you efficient or drain your energy, your attitude would determine how you can use it as a motivating factor”. Tosheeba Sarwar, COO, imanagers, Lahore. Stress is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of equilibrium your brain needs to remain in balance. For fighting stress effectively, you have to know how to make a shift in your state of mind. Relaxation Techniques: A variety of relaxation techniques can help you bring your nervous system back into balance. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, visualization, yoga, and tai chi can help relieve pent-up muscle tension. By coordinating your breathing with your movements and focusing your attention on how you are feeling in the different areas of your body, you can boost the stress relieving benefits, leaving you feeling calmer and more balanced. The ultimate goal is a balanced life… with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on. n

DR. MARYAM ARIF is a medical doctor with experience in Clinical Research in Endocrinology in the US.



24 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

IJAZ NISAR SADIA WAQAS

24 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk


Manager Today: Kindly share with us your early life, education and the kind of relations you share with your family?

Sartaj Aziz: I belong to North-West Frontier Province, now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. My father was a civil servant. I did my matriculation from D.I. Khan, where he was assistant commissioner. After that I moved to Lahore and joined Islamia College on Railway Road. In 1944 when I joined college, Pakistan movement was in full swing so I became a member of the Muslim Students’ Federation. I actively participated the Pakistan Movement and received the Mujahid-ePakistan Certificate. At the Annual Prize Distribution of Islamia College in March 1946, the Quaid-eAzam said that Muslims were backward in commerce and industry. Before partition Muslims were either soldiers or farmers. So at a student delegation meeting with the Quaid, I asked him very hesitantly what we students could do about it. He replied, ‘My boy, diversion for students means diversion in studies’ That is when I discovered Hailey College of Commerce in Lahore and went there the very next day, with 10 other students, to get admission. My father wanted me to become a lawyer but because of Quaid’s instructions I joined the economic profession. I did my B-Com in 1949. At that time opportunities in banking and related fields had not opened up. Late Zahid Hussain started the first banking officers’ recruitment in 1951 two years later. Meanwhile, I was selected as Deputy Director Information in the then Government of NWFP in 1950. After joining It also took the CSS exam and qualified in 1951 and then joined the Accounts Services in 1952. I remained a civil servant for almost nineteen years. Most of the time from 1960 onwards, I spent in planning commission because I had decided to become a development professional. Planning Commission in the 1960’s under Ayub Khan was a very effective centre of economic and development policies. In 1971, I received an offer from FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) which is one of the UN organizations in Rome as Director of Commodities and Trade Division. Thus I started my second career as an international civil servant for almost twelve years. Within a year the world was

on the verge of a major food crisis, leading to a world food conference in 1974 of which I became the Deputy Secretary General. It was one of the most successful UN conferences because after that for thirty years we did not have any major food crisis. The World Food Conference created a World Food Council and I became Deputy Executive Director of the Council. This Council gave birth to IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) with one billion dollar. It was the first international financial institution in which OPEC countries contributed half the capital. I remained Assistant President of Policy and Planning there for six years from 1978 to 1984. In 1984, I came back to Pakistan as minister of state for agriculture to start the third phase of my career, the political career which lasted for the next 15 years. In 1990s, I became Finance Minister twice and after that Foreign Minister from August 1998 to October 1999. In 1999, Musharraf took over and I left active politics. In 2004, the fourth phase of my career started in the Education Sector as Vice Chancellor of the Beaconhouse National University at Lahore.

Institute of Public Policy for research. There is also the School of Education which offers degrees in teacher training. Now we have strength of 1400 students. We got our charter within two years, in 2005 and the highest ‘W’ ranking from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2008.

Q:

In private universities, how do the students afford such costly education as education has become money making industry. What is your take?

Quality education is expensive, yet cost in Pakistan is still lower. There are students who spend four times as much to seek the same quality of education abroad which is also available here. So compared to the education abroad, our education in the private sector is not so expensive.

Q:

What are the major achievements of Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and challenges do you face in running the varsity and how is it different from other varsities?

The Beaconhouse School System is almost 35 years old and has 120 schools with 15000 students all over the country. In 2003 they decided to go into higher education and set up a non profit Liberal Arts University with a market orientation. So they set up a university with seven different schools. First was School of Visual Arts and Design to offer degrees in graphic design, visual communications, textile design and jewelry design; the second is School of Architecture. Both are not technology-based but art-based. The third School is for journalism and mass communication and this is the only school that offers a four-year degree in television studies. Then, there is the School of Liberal Arts which, apart from languages and literature, has a Department of Theatre, Film and Television. The next School is of Economics and Social Sciences. It has an

Clear objectives, dedicated pursuit of those objectives and honesty of purpose.... is my success recipe Moreover, our main purpose is to retain our students here. I will suggest the students, who are doing ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from BSS and others should remain here and serve their country. Our philosophy is basically merit-based and need-oriented. As far as need is concerned, 30% of our students are on scholarships ranging from 25% to 75%, and that is how we implement our need-based www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 25


philosophy. Market response to our graduates has been quite good. So far 350 students have graduated and 80% of them got the jobs within 6 months and most of the remaining went for higher studies. The recruitment of all staff and all admissions are on merit.

Q:

BNU is considered one of the esteemed institutes, reputable for quality education, what is the strategic vision of BNU to keep the momentum?

We are working on a strategic vision for the period 2011-2020, with a student strength of 2500 and a very strong research and I.T. capacity. Our vision includes a new state of the art campus which is under construction on Raiwind Road. It also involves faculty development for academic excellence. Schools are autonomous in designing programmes and establishing academic standards but we assess their teaching level and admission criteria through the Quality Enhancement Department.

Q:

What measures are being taken for the faculty development initiatives?

Sartaj Aziz (born February 7, 1929) is a world recognized Pakistani economist and politician currently serving as a Senator from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Aziz served as the Finance Minister (1990–93, 1997– 98) and Foreign Minister of Pakistan (1998–99) in the government of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He is currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of the Beaconhouse National University as well as the professor of economics and management. Aziz authored Between dreams and realities: some milestones in Pakistan's history, which was published in 2009. For his participation in the Pakistan movement, Aziz is the holder of the Sanad, Mujahid-ePakistan. In 1959, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Pakistan and the Sitara-e-Khidmat in 1967 for his work in central planning and economic development. 26 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

We recruit faculty on merit. We give them opportunities on the job training and incentives. We also offer paid leave facility for PhD. We also facilitate interactions with other universities. Generally it is a congenial atmosphere; there are no prejudices which could be very damaging to the morale of faculty. Our faculty of 80 includes 10 from other countries.

Q:

Culture of research seems to be neglected area in our educational institutions, what measures you have taken to revive this culture at BNU?

Our objective is to move away from the traditional system of rote learning and switch to a more interactive mode of learning, in which teaching and learning become part of the same process. We have adopted an approach to learning where students earn 50% of their credit by writing assignments or undertaking projects. Apart from the Institute of Public Policy, every School is developing an active research agenda.

Q:

Please comment on the plight of education in Pakistan.

These are very complex issues. Firstly

we have not been spending enough on education. UNESCO target is 4% where we have been spending 2% which has now come down to 1.8%. The second part of this problem is that our population growth rate has been higher than India and Bangladesh. As a result the number of students to be educated has also grown. With the same expenditure if our population growth rate had been less, our literacy would have been 70% but with the higher population growth that we have it may be close to 56-70% now. Second major problem that we have been facing is the division of responsibility for education between the centre and the provinces. It was a provincial subject but when the resources of the federal government allocated budgets to the provinces, education did not get its share. That is why I have been suggesting that under NFC some of the money should be earmarked only for education in the provinces. Third major problem for education is different stream of education. We have English medium schools, Urdu medium schools and the Madrasas. This threefold division is very damaging. It signifies a very serious structural problem. Unless we establish a unified education system, we can’t develop an effective education system in Pakistan. The fourth major problem is quality of teachers. If we do not recruit teachers on merit we will not get quality education. And finally the problem of educational administration. Just like the federal government has a Higher Education Commission we need provincial commissions for higher education and also district education authorities at the district level so that the system can withstand political pressures at the local level. Capacity building of provincial governments is needed urgently to handle the responsibility being devolved under the 18th Amendment.

Q:

Are you satisfied with the structure and functions of

HEC?

Yes. Since its inception, it has done a good job on the whole. First of all HEC has provided substantial funds for the universities. Many facilities like classrooms, laboratories were missing and there has been remarkable improvement in the in-


Good education is expensive, yet costs in Pakistan are lower. There are students who spend four times as much to seek the same quality of education abroad which is also available here

frastructure of the universities. The student enrollment has increased from 3 to 5.5% at higher education level. They have paid a lot of attention to faculty development. They have sent abroad 10,000 students for PhD. This would give us a better quality in teaching. Furthermore they have provided very good common facilities like digital library resources, video conference facilities, books and journals which are also accessible electronically.

Q:

How important is career counseling for the students?

I think every university has the responsibility to provide a good career counseling system. We follow this by providing a very intensive internship programs. In the final year every student is placed as an internee in any organization. 80% of our students got job within 6 months and half of them are those who during internship joined that institution. So by doing actual work for a few months in an organization they know what they prefer.

Q:

There is air of frustration among people, especially the youth, due to continuing economic recession and fewer job opportunities in the market. How do you keep your optimism alive?

Not only economic factors but political problems and the security situation are chiefly responsible for the economic slow down. The fiscal and financial crisis has caused our development expenditure to come down to less than 3% which used to be 8-7% in the early 1990’s. And in turn the construction activity and economy slows down resulting in growing unemployment, especially for the educated youth. Not only that but also the private sector, in which jobs ultimately have to be created, we have been suffering from serious financial crisis because of different problems like law and order and political uncertainty.

Q:

We are in deep economic problems and passing through very difficult. Being the top economist of this

country what pragmatic measures or solutions, based on your life long experiences, do you suggest to our present economic managers or for the economic revival of Pakistan?

To begin with we have to revive the economy that has been slowing down for the past few years. It requires a message of hope, and revival of confidence. Moreover, it requires good governance because the fiscal problems that we face are a manifestation of poor governance. Basically, the secret of our turnaround lies in it. If we control the fiscal deficit, inflation will come down, which in turn will make the interest rate come down and that will revive the economy. But primarily it calls for a message of hope for our entrepreneurs, because there is so much despondency today and that is very unfortunate. The answer of faster growth lies in small and medium enterprises development. We cannot expect too much of foreign investment in the present climate except in oil, gas and telecommunications. But by and large we have 3 million small enterprises in the country. And young people who are enterprising can become self employed and contribute towards the economic development of Pakistan.

Q:

How do you manage stress at workplace and maintain your work-life balance.

I think it is managed basically through faith. Because if you have faith in what you are doing, then you do not internalize the stress; hence you do your best and have faith in God to look after the rest. Secondly, I think that my living and working habits are quite moderate.

Q: Q:

Please define success?

Clear objectives, dedicated pursuit of those objectives and honesty of purpose. Any message to our youth?

The dream of Pakistan should never be allowed to die. n www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 27


28 EXCELLENCE

One of the biggest challenges in modelling human excellence is that most of the critical elements of strategies of the model are hidden, as they are at an unconscious level and come to them intuitively.

he word "model" is derived from the Latin modulus, which essentially means a "small" version of the original mode and "Modelling" is the process of identifying, codifying, and acquiring those underlying patterns. How can we reproduce excellence? The basic premise is that experience has structure which can be changed. The experience of the model can be learnt by the modeller. “If one person can produce excellent results so can others”. If I can re-structure my own experience in a way that allows me to manifest the same ability as my model, I become the model. NLP: Modelling excellence is the essence of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Richard Bandler and John Grinder the cofounders of NLP started with modelling people who were best in their field. In the very early days Grinder observed that Bandler was using persuasion skills very effectively. So he made a statement that really started NLP; “If you teach me to do what you are doing (meaning what you are doing at unconscious level i.e. being unconsciously competent), then I will tell you what you are doing” (meaning I will bring to your awareness what you are doing at unconscious level). Modelling Excellence can be applied to almost any organization or circumstance and is being used extensively in business, education, health, sports, personal development and other application areas. It can be excellent tool for improving existing performance in any

COL .(R) IMTIAZ MAHMOOD

Modelling human excellence 28 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk


field, whether it is sales, managerial aspects, attitude towards life and work, motivational, presentation skills, public speaking or leadership. Most of us do modelling instinctively. It comes naturally, as in a child when he starts modelling his parents and the other siblings in the house; learns the language, the behaviour and the thinking styles. It is in our nature to look at those who are better performers. We admire the persons who are excellent performers and who follow their success path. Unconscious Competence. One of the biggest challenges in modeling human excellence in the fact that most critical elements of strategies of the model are hidden because they are at the unconscious level and come to them intuitively. These skills are most often acquired by unconscious trial and error. When we intuit from 2nd and 3rd positions we are able to model and obtain unconscious competence. An Interesting Story: I will narrate an interesting story of one of my clients (say Amir) who was working in a company. During the first sitting he told me that during student days he was a very average student, who barely managed to pass. He belonged to an outstation, therefore had to stay in Lahore for studies. He was studying for his bachelors when he happened to share a room with another outstation student who was throughout his academic career a high 1st divisioner. Amir had the same casual attitude towards studies. When he returned from the college he would put his books away and waste his time here and there. However after few days he realized that his roommate was different. He was following a very deliberate routine for his studies. He had fixed timings for food, leisure and studies. He was well organized, goal oriented and his results were consistently excellent. Amir saw a light at the end of the tunnel. The good student in him started to wake up and he started taking keen interest in what his roommate was doing. He did not know the technicalities of modelling so all he could do was follow the strategies of his roommate intuitively . Stakes were high for Amir, he was determined to be first class student like his roommate. Amir decided to build rapport with him and learn the internal strategies and external be-

haviour of his roommate. Strategies are sets and sequences of internal processes and external behaviours intended to attain particular outcomes. Rapport and Pacing Rapport is the ability to connect with others in a way that creates a climate of trust, understanding and accept one another’s feelings. Pacing is when you enter the other person’s model of the world on their terms. It is exactly like walking besides them at the same pace. Once you have paced, enough then you have a chance to lead them and yourself. Gradually, Amir started pacing his roommate’s behaviour. Amir built cordial relations with him and established complete rapport. His roommate also encouraged him to move along. Amir would pace his study methods, homework strategies, focus and concentration methods, and handling examinations. Amir was mirroring (copying) his behaviour and language patterns consciously and at the same time he was picking up what strategies his roommate was using unconsciously. His roommate’s behaviour and language patterns were providing him with the clues. Amir was quick to learn and adapt the new behaviour and thinking patterns. Amir’s self image began to change and his self talk became qualitatively different. He asked pertinent questions about the behavior and capabilities of his roommate and started applying the learnings on himself. He was testing the results and revisiting the roommate’s strategies; adapting what was working and rejecting what was not. Amir Asked Questions Like: l Why he was doing what he was doing? What difference was making the difference? l How was he organizing and managing? l What was he saying to others? l What was he saying to himself? l What internal pictures was he seeing? l What were his internal feelings when he was going through specific activity? l What was his self image? l What were his skills and capabilities and how he did what he did? l What values were important to him? l What beliefs were important to him in life and work? l What was his purpose of life? l What vision was he pursuing? Amir soon realized that his ability to produce effectively was influenced by his feelings; the way he thought, his beliefs, values and his

sense of identity. He started asking these questions to his roommate and started getting deeper understanding about his thinking patterns. He then knew what his triggers were; the pictures, the internal dialogue and the internal feelings that prompted excellent results. Having stayed for 2 years with his roommate he was transformed and secured high 1st division in bachelors and later repeated the same performance in his master’s degree. Amir’s Unconscious Modelling Process: This was an incident in real life modelling. I was happy to listen to how he leant the behaviour, skills, capabilities, beliefs and values of his roommate and successfully transferred the learning onto himself. The excellent performers know what they

Modelling Excellence can be applied to almost any organization or circumstance and is being used extensively in business, education, health, sports, personal development and other application areas

do but they do not know how they do it. They just do it. They are unconsciously competent. With consistently modelling explicit (external) and implicit (internal) strategies Amir became unconsciously competent. Three Basic Perspectives in Modelling: Modelling is a process of recreating excellence. NLP describes three fundamental perceptual positions, from which information can be gathered and interpreted: first position (associated in one's own perspective), second position (perceiving the situation from the standpoint of another person), and third position (viewing the situation as an uninvolved observer). All three of these perspectives are essential for effective behavioral modelling. 1st Position I am I 2nd Position I am They 3rd Position Detached and Neutral How Amir applied these positions? First he www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 29


took stock of himself. His own thinking strategies and behavior. Then he observed and understood his roommate’s. It was like stepping into the shoes of his roommate. Finally he stood aside and observed both himself and his roommate. This impartial non-emotional observation let him know what he had learnt and what he still lacked. A good position for getting feedback and making corrections. I Want To Be Like You, So Please Teach Me To Be You Our aim as modeller is to reproduce in our own experience that which is operating in the experience of our model. For learning from the model’s experience we need to create space within ourselves, intentionally. All abilities are the result of our beliefs, strategies, emotions and behaviours operating together. Language plays a major role in eliciting the internal experiences of the model. We enter the map of the model and allow them to subjectively describe their experiences to us and we become them, experiencing the same. Language creates experiential bridges between us. We must keep calibrating and testing what we are getting. Calibration is the process of getting to know what is going on with your model, based on what you see and hear them do consistently. Take multiple models for testing and calibration. How to be them? How to access the experience of the model? Follow these steps: l Be open and create internal space l Build rapport with the model l Test in your own experience the relevance and effectiveness of these experiential structures. l Appreciate and honor the model as unique, valuable and inseparable from the person himself. l Organize your beliefs and emotional states in a way that will naturally match the internal and external behaviors of the model. l Sit or stand either on the same level as your model or below it. This will make them feel good. l Find out the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ they manifest the excellent ability. Knowing the context is essential because you need to know what you are learning. l Ask quality questions. During questions allow time to your model to become quiet and still inside. It is important that you also remain still and quiet. l Match their body language by shifting your body position when necessary. You will feel the 30 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

“It is funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it”. W. Somerset Maugham

effects of their description of experience precisely. l Go into the VAK mode: seeing, listening and feeling the things they describe. l Feel the model’s feelings in your body, as if it was your experience. l Feel in your body what you see them doing with their body. l The things they say, repeat those to yourself, internally. l Ask questions to yourself that enable you to make sense of what the model is describing. l Ask yourself again and again: “How does this affect my experience?” l Look for the structure of the model’s experience and if you can form the structure in more than one way. l Check for the matching and mismatching between your experience and that of your model as you continue with the elicitation. l It is often useful to view yourself and the model from a third position, which is neutral and distant. l Put into practice what you have learnt and see what works and where you need to retake the shots from different angles. l With practice modelling comes to you easily and automatically. Modelling Excellence in Organizations. The basic purpose of Modelling Excellence in organizations is to discover what the top performers do, and that is different, and then transfer their skills and strategies to other av-

erage performers. 1. Planning: Meetings with the organizers; identifying the scale of the project and the top and average performers. 2. Knowing: Interviewing the top and average performers. 3. Creating a New Model: Creating a new model that makes the difference. 4. Testing: Searching the new model to the average performers; observing the results and refining the model. 5. Transferring the Skills: Delivering new training course to transfer the skills of top performers to others. 6. Time Scales: Time scale would depend on the size of the organization and numbers involved. The fundamental presupposition operating within NLP is that experience has structure, i.e the particular patterns of thinking and behavior give rise to particular experiences and abilities. Modelling is recreating excellence by recreating the structure of experience. Conclusion Modelling Excellence is a proven system of discovering what the top performers do. Once that is learnt other members of the organization or individuals can replicate the behaviour and strategies of the top performers "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ARISTOTLE. n is a PHD ractitioner of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for more than 14 years and he has been conducting Training, Relaxation, Meditation and Therapy sessions for a wide cross section of people

LT COL IMTIAZ MEHMUD (R)


HUMAN RESOURCE

31

KHUSRU P. MALIK

EMPLOYEE

RETENTION MANAGEMENT Human Capital becomes a defining factor for the survival and growth of the organizations. n the present competitive and unstable organizational atmosphere entire perspective of Human Resource Management (HRM) has undergone a quantum change. The emphasis on talent acquisition and retention of ‘A Players’ is the base of HRM mindset. Well-designed employee retention policies are fervently pursued by the organizations, which want to create and keep competitive edge in the market place. The author has used “Employee Retention Management” for the title of the current paper to reflect his paradigm on the subject i.e., employee retention covers much wider scope and should not just be seen as “retention of employees”. Employee Retention Management (ERM) must also cover planned employee exit strategies. It is about dealing with the whole gamut of A Players, B Players, and C Players. ERM is about determining as to why the employees stay and leave the organization and then develop plans for managing the stay and exit of employees as a deliberate organizational choice; retention of stellar performers and defining exit path for lower-than-average performers is part of this choice. ERM is a strategic role of HRM and cannot be implemented without a fully enabled HRM setup. In Pakistan, we have witnessed empowerment of HRM function over the last few

I

years. Larger business units have gradually recognized the vital importance of the HRM function. Many drivers are at work that are helping this change; some voluntary and others constraining. Fortunately, in several organizations HRM is speedily becoming business partner and has been integrated in the strategic process formulation and implementation thus becoming part of strategic role in many organizations. This helps them in designing and implementing strategic functions like ERM. Core competencies of employees not only create competitive advantage but are also difficult to emulate. The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other competencies of the workforce separate the winning companies from the “also-rans”. Human Capital becomes a defining factor for the survival and growth of the organizations. It is important to understand that retaining stellar performer is one side of the coin and the other, rather more critical, is defining the exit path for lacklustre performers. There is huge cost, both tangible and intangible, associated with retention issues and the author believes that the cost of retaining below average performer is much higher. It quite naturally points to the fact that organizations need to have adequate systems of creating employee groups based on their performance. For being really effective,

any ERM strategy must cover both sides of the issue. Unfortunately, the focus of numerous organizations is on the individual employee within the ERM thinking. In broader terms, ERM should be all-inclusive; covering industry, organization, group, job, and individual levels. Consequently, it leads to a logical conclusion that the ERM strategy should be based on comprehensive study and research at all levels. This requires a proactive approach and demands that organizational processes should be geared in a way that feed credible and viable information into ERM. The levels that have been identified above must be continuously researched to feed data into ERM strategy. The research instruments for these studies will be different by levels. The other requirement for successful ERM strategy is to identify and improve policies, systems, structures, and processes that are associated with each level of analysis. The ERM is an organization-specific activity and cannot be relied on generalization of various studies. The author has observed that many studies are based on the individual-level focus; that too take standard parameters of analysis. It is time to view the problem under a wider umbrella so that real value for organizations is achieved, who intend to study the issue with the objective of framing sound ERM. n

KHUSRO P. MALIK is a recognized professional in the fields of HRM, HRD, OD, and BPR.

www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 31


PROFILE

32 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

IJAZ NISAR

32 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

Sarwar Khan is media professional with a successful career spanning 12 years, managing brand building and media management operations for reputed organizations. He has been associated with Maxus Pakistan, since 2006, and is currently working in the capacity of Managing Director. His core competencies include Media Management, Business Strategy Planning, Marketing, Activations of branded productions, Key Account Management and Team Management. What drives him is his focused and dedicated methodological approach and the passion for excellence.


Manager Today: How and when did you start the journey of your career with Maxus?

Sarwar Khan: It’s been one hell of a ride and it all started 12 years ago, when I joined RLintas as a media planner and worked there for good five years. I left RLaints in 2004 and joined MindShare as the head of corporate business in Karachi. In 2005 Group M launched Maxus in Pakistan and I moved to Lahore as GM Maxus. Since then Maxus has been growing, with offices in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and has had the privilege of working on some of the best clients in Pakistan like Nestle, Telenor, Packages, Servis, Tetrapak, Mitchell’s etc. What is the strategic vision of Maxus, where do you see it tomorrow?

Q:

Maxus is the world’s fastest growing global media agency, according to RECMA (2009), and the only media network created in the digital age. We help marketers build profitable relationships between consumers and their brands, combining the disciplines of communications planning and customer relationship marketing to deliver ‘Relationship Media’. Our planning model is powered by creative media thinking and sophisticated, real-time customer data. We're part of Group M, the world's largest media investment management group that serves as the parent company for all of WPP's media agencies. We deal in different services like communication strategy, media planning and buying, digital, direct services, OOH, Data analytics and Marketing ROI evaluation. We are realising our ambition to deliver tomorrow’s communication, today. How is Maxus fulfilling corporate social responsibilities as a part of their business strategy?

Q:

CSR is a very important part of Group M philosophy. In Pakistan we have taken many initiatives and at least once a year we get involved in some social cause. We have been involved with SOS villages and have been supporting a school of handicapped children. We believe that work is a part of life and life should be fun. We value and promote a healthy work-life balance What are your high points and achievements at Maxus?

Q:

www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 33


alty. 5. Balancing speed and vision. What is the future of advertising in Pakistan?

Q:

We are not here to waste our time, we have an agenda and we need to keep working on it Well I am really blessed with having a wonderful team and they have been doing an amazing job over the years. Maxus has come a long way in the last five years. We started off with one client, six years ago, and now we have over a dozen clients, three offices and around fifty people. We have grown our business five times since 2006 and are amongst the fastest growing media agencies in Pakistan. We have won multiple awards in the region. In fact this year we won the award for the best branded content in Asia pacific for our client Telenor. On the whole, our clients have been contented as it is our conviction to provide them with the best of services available. What are your Media planning strategies?

Q:

Media planning is all about informed 34 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

judgments based on some empirical evidence. Earlier this process was simple because we had fewer options and thus media planning was very basic. But in the last few years the process has become very complicated, as consumers have a lot more to choose from and with ever scarce resources, there is a continued effort to come up with innovative media solution. Our media planning process is based on five basic principles 1. A better understanding of who we are speaking with. 2. Understanding how elements reinforce and inter-connect to build a conversation. 3. Media neutral ideas that invite participation. 4. A greater emphasis to building loy-

Everybody is talking about recession these days, and if we observe such periods in the past, we would find out that consumers are quick to rein in spending when hard times are predicted. Many companies behave in the same manner. Anticipating reduced sales, they are inclined to cut back on variable costs, including marketing so as to deliver on the financial targets. However, it has also been proven through many studies that reduced marketing spending to hit financial targets during recession, is not a good idea. Over the years, research studies have confirmed that the best strategy, in terms of long term ROI, is to increase marketing investment during an economic slowdown. This is exactly what is happening in Pakistan, despite economic issues and hardships, advertisers haven’t lost their trust in the market and they have kept on investing. Telcos have been the biggest contributors in the last 4-5 years and companies like Nestle, Unilever and P&G have also been very active in launching new brands to satisfy consumer needs. Thus the industry has been doing a double digit growth over the last five years which is a very good sign. And if we can slightly manage our course, Pakistani market has a lot to offer, that is why despite low GDP, we are seeing a positive growth in the media sector. So I am very optimistic and hopeful. What is the future of print media as compared to electronic media in Pakistan?

Q:

I think Print is a very strong media and with its news-worthy environment, it has a lot to offer to the marketers and if done properly it can create a lot of impact. We experienced that first-hand when we launched Telenor EasyPaisa and the response that we got from the print campaign was overwhelming. But unfortunately as compared to electronic media, print hasn’t been very proactive and they need to regroup and firm up a proper strategy to tackle the electronic avalanche otherwise it will be too late for them. Share with us your perception regarding the current market

Q:


scenario generally and for media industry particularly?

In Pakistan, media industry is not very old, but still we have come a long way. With more than 80 TV channels, growing digital population, hundreds of FM channels, complicated yet promising OOH industry, newspapers, magazines, cinemas etc, there is something for everybody. But unfortunately we have not invested much behind developing human resource, and there is no institution where you can get qualified people. So there is a serious lack of talent which affects every facet of our business. Just like any other industry, media industry in Pakistan is also going through an evolution. Yes, we have had our ups and downs but generally we are moving in the right direction. We just need to keep on evolving and make sure that we institute a system whereby we recognize and reward the good work, develop and train HR so that we produce quality work, develop a more nationalistic approach to our business plans and above all keep our consumers right in the center of everything that we do or plan. What excites you most about this business?

Q:

Creativity, creativity & creativity. Over the past twelve years I have worked on many brands and each one of them was different and posed a different problem. Everyday, we face a new set of challenges which I think is the most exciting bit. At one end we would be dealing with brands targeting housewives and at the other end brands talking to youth posing different situations and challenges. So, it is a very interesting position to be in, where you are dealing with different brands, companies and audiences. In short, it is a learning experience everyday. Kindly elaborate a little about WPP and what is the focus of group being a part of WPP? WPP is a global media communications services company and has over 2,700 offices in 107 countries. Its media business is handled through Group M. In Pakistan we have three companies within Group M, namely Mindshare, Maxus and MEC functioning independently from each other.

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What is the most difficult decision that you have taken so far

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regarding your professional career?

Joining Maxus and moving from Lahore was a difficult professional decision because at that time, I was based in Karachi and was working in MindShare as the head of corporate business and Maxus had to be launched from the scratch but as it turned out later, it was probably my best decision ever. How can we motivate people in such a scenario where de-motivation is prevalent?

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Obviously there are many ways to motivate people. It could be through appreciation, compensation & rewards, local & regional training programs, healthy & competitive office environment etc. Whereas we use a combination of these tactics to keep our people motivated because as they say it “we are as good as our people”. What is the role of training & development in media industry?

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Role of training and development is very important, especially in a situation where we don’t have a proper institution to hire trained resources. At Maxus, to keep our employees abreast of the latest trends and practices, we have a very comprehensive training program. Every year we send our people from different disciplines to regional training programs and workshops.

clients have left us. So, I think we must be doing something right. We have a very good team of young people who are doing a very good job. How do you manage your stress at work?

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It has been twelve years, so stress is what we have learned to live with. Define your management style?

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I try to be as participative as possible. Normally, I do not get involved in day to day operations because now we have team leaders who take care of their concerned areas. I am mostly involved with new business development and managing profitability of the company. Who is your role model?

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My father is my role model because he has led a very clean and honest life. I try to emulate him as much as I can. Imran khan is another person who has done exceptionally well. But over the years there have been many. Define success in three words? And your motivational quote?

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Success is inspirational, rewarding and keeps you wanting for more. Be strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; We have works to do and loads to lift; Shun not the struggle, face it, it is God’s gift. n

How about behavioral and managerial skills of employees at Maxus?

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We have different training programs addressing these areas and we do them in different markets. This helps them manage their assignments better by understanding what’s happening in the region, what are the latest trends and planning practices. What is the composition of staff regarding equal opportunity employer?

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Predominantly male, but that is not by design. We are trying to induct more females in our agency Do you believe in delegation?

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I believe in hiring the right resources, equipping them with the right tools and making them accountable. This management practice has worked for me so far, as we have had very low turn-over over the years and at the same time very few www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 35


36 MANAGEMENT

GENDER

HAROON WAHEED

DIVERSITY CORPORATE AND

PERFORMANCE Gender diversity is an asset for the corporate image and helps in bringing closer together the company, its employees, shareholders and customers. Mindset revolution imperative Gender imbalance is an age-old worldwide phenomenon. Some of you may be surprised by this statement, as in our part of the world we believe that the West is way past this era while our society is not progressing as fast as the West due to the culture we live in. In our culture, a woman’s place is believed to be at home and when she goes out for work, she has to struggle for her acceptance and growth. So whether culture is the driving force for gender balance or imbalance, while statistics tell a different story. Statistics West vs. East Share of women in executive committee of top companies: Europe: 11% Pakistan: 5% Hence the bottom line is that we need to stop blaming the society and stop blaming the culture because the ‘glass ceiling’ is as true for the West as it is for the East. 11% of women in the executive committees is very low for the West which has advanced into all sorts of balance and rights. With this comparative data I hope I have put up a case which is strong enough to convince you that culture is not to be blamed, I’d like to 36 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

discuss a phenomenon called the ‘Double burden’ that working women usually face. Again as applicable in the West as in the East: research shows that working women devote, on average, twice as much time to domestic tasks as men to work . This comes from the role nature has assigned to women - they bear children, nurse them and for the most part raise them. Their domestic responsibilities often result in women making a choice and choosing family over a career. Or in other cases, after having children, a woman has to revisit her career choice in order to attend to her family. Men do not need to make such choices in usual cases. Many a times women are also made to feel guilty about choosing a career over being home with the kids. Hence in a nutshell, women face various barriers in entering the workforce and remaining a part of it and growing in their career. Based on what I have discussed these barriers include the Double burden, Child bearing and Child rearing. What about women who make the choice to make a career? Do they progress at the same rate as men? Do women need to work much harder to be accepted in a workplace and to prove their worth? To answer these questions – research conducted in the west

and some parts of Asia put down following three factors that highlight barriers as well as challenges for women in pursuing and building their careers. Double Burden phenomenon The Dominant Model in the business world. (or perceived as such) This model equates success as well as leadership with unfailing availability and total geographical mobility at all times. The model also presupposes a linear career path with no space for the career breaks or the rejection of a geographical mobility offer. The absence of female role model is also seen as a barrier. Difficulty women have in identifying with success, which appears to hamper their professional development leading to growth We often hear people talking about how aggressive a certain manager is and how difficult it is to work with her because she is too competitive and demanding. Where do you think this aggressive nature comes from? Is she born with it? Or is it a result of her environment? Even if I base it on my own years of experience at MNC, women should always be encouraged that they are not expected to become aggressive and masculine in their ap-


However, to be successful in this drive whilst policies, systems and processes are imperative to be in place but all this will bear fruit only if ‘Mindset Revolution’ also takes place side by side

proach. An organisation that believes in diversity and thinks that different people have different needs will always be in the forefront in terms of attracting, retaining and grooming female talent. A point that I would like to highlight here is that greater participation by women in corporate sector will require social environments that are more supportive of working women. In my eyes, two types of lever can be applied. Support services and facilities should be developed to help reconcile work with family life (child care, family support, flexible working hours, agile working, career breaks etc) Gender Equality be promoted in the workplace (equal pay, equal hours, equal responsibilities) Now I’d like to put up a question if Gender Diversity is a Corporate Performance Driver? Research brings out following data to support that gender diversity / gender balance if pursued with success acts as a corporate performance driver. Gender diversity is an asset for the corporate image and helps bringing closer together the company, its employees, its shareholders and its customers. Research shows that successful Diversity programmes have had a huge positive impact on employee motivation and customer satisfaction as compared to the companies who did not have focused diversity programme. A recent study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon to measure the “collective intelligence” of a small group of people found that, all else being equal, teams with more women scored higher than the teams with fewer women. Research on group behaviour demonstrates that diverse groups, when properly

managed, make more innovative business decisions than non–diverse groups. Furthermore, statistics show that companies with high representation of women in senior management on average have better financial performance: Return on Equity: 35% higher Total Return to Shareholders: 34% higher Looking at a larger picture, there is positive correlation between gender equality and the level of competitiveness of companies/countries. In the long run investment in and utilization of female talent is what makes a company/ nation competitive. One critical point that I would like to highlight

now is that with all the facts as well as research-based data produced above, it is evident that there is a business case to drive gender diversity agenda for creating gender balance. However, to be successful in this drive whilst policies, systems and processes are imperative to be in place, ‘Mindset Revolution’ also takes place side by side. n HAROON WAHEED is Head of HR, Unilever. Having 20+ years experience in HR both in Pakistan and in International circuit. Helping people to grow together with the business is his passion.

www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 37


38 MANAGEMENT ALI YAQOOB

A healthy and professional relationship between boss and subordinate is equal to the total productivity and nothing else; but the question remains if we really get to see this equation around us? kept on toying with a number of ideas to select an interesting topic, which not only impresses me but rather adds some value to the readers’ knowledge too. I am thankful to Mr. Ijaz Nisar, with whom I share a very good rapport for years, for giving me a carte blanch for selecting a topic of my choice. And, here you go…..! Is it a new topic? Not really! I have preferred popularity over creativity and therefore have chosen to write on “Relationship with Boss”. Isn’t it a hot topic

I

context which can make or break. A healthy and professional relationship between boss and subordinate is equal to total productivity and nothing else, but the question still remains if we really get to see this equation around us? The answer is same, not really! Much has been said and written on this topic therefore I would not give you any tips which may be useful for one person and get any other entangled in an unpleasant situation if not practiced tactfully. Lets be very clear that

Multitasking is something which is always a big challenge for a healthy professional liaison. Subordinates are fortunate to have a boss who really knows to roll up his sleeves and help them in getting their work done

these days or is it a fad? Yes, it is a fad but have I really chosen it for being a hot topic? Again, not really! The more I thought about it, the more I felt a push from within myself to share my thoughts with others on this topic as this is a relationship in an organizational 38 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

this is not article which talks about boss management. What I’ll give you is “food for thought” only, Keeping in mind the dilemma of the majority of our nation who are not used to brain storming as well challenging themselves for critical thinking, so as to be able to

reach at constructive conclusions and informed decisions. In recent times, I have met a lot of professionals who have not been enjoying a healthy relationship with their bosses. I am sure I am not being rude or blunt but does a question not instantly cross your mind that all these subordinates are nincompoops, who fail to understand the expectations and professional standards set by their bosses…I do not say so…. this is what bosses think of their subordinates OR all bosses are challenged in dealing with high caliber talent ….. I am not the one saying so…this is what all subordinates think of themselves….High Calibre! Let’s take a neutral stance, which we intended to from the beginning of this article, and dissect this issue to explore the complexity of its inner layers. We can start by outlining the thinking pattern of a number of bosses who are perceived as nightmares by their subordinates; BOSS: I am a boss, a manager. My subordinates have no idea that how much hard work has been put in by me to get to this level. They think they can trick me. They try to tell their granny how to suck eggs. I have gone through all these stages and i know what


young professionals think at this stage of their career. They have no idea that how easily I can put a finger on any of gaps in their regular deliverables. After all I double check them. I have my own established ways to monitor their performance. I fail to understand as to why they always talk about their career aspirations all the time. They are also always concerned about their pay cheques whereas I feel that they should only focus on building their capabilities which will be beneficial for them in the long run. They seem to be very fond of trainings. Do I not give them on-the-job

training? Most of them are over smart and tend to give uninvited feedback and suggestions as if I do not know my job. What do they try to convey? I have instructed them many a times to get themselves more organized and work according to priorities for more productivity and improved efficiency, but all in vain. Multitasking is something which is always a big challenge for them. They are fortunate to have a boss like me who really knows to roll up his sleeves and help them in getting their work done. And my number 2 is an over smart guy who tends to go beyond his authorities. Al-

ways making concerted efforts to make himself noticeable in front of the senior management with nonsense ideas. SUBORDINATE: I do not know as to why my destiny has gone wrong? Do I not put in all sincere efforts to work with excellence? When I have a low profile in my office, my boss would say, ‘You lack initiative, you need to be more proactive!’. And when I start working with all my energies, I am over smart, interfering in boss’ affairs and challenging his authorities and then what…shut up calls by my boss, at times in a one-on-one session and at www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 39


Bosses’ dilemma is that they don’t spend sufficient time to understand and develop team strategies. One should never forget that today’s staff is “knowledge worker” and they deserve to be treated accordingly for desired organizational results

times in meetings. I feel so de-motivated. Why should I share my new ideas with boss, when I know that none is going to get approved. Why does my boss feel threatened by me whenever I propose something new to him/her. All I would say is that boss’s failure to identify motivators in each team members is one of the major road blocks which has always resulted into negative consequences. It is essential for any boss to find out, through a concerted effort, all those motivators which enable individuals to be resourceful in a given situation or a role. Some get motivated by trainings, others get motivated by expressing himself or merely by a few words of appreciation. Bosses’ dilemma is that they don’t 40 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

spend sufficient time to understand and develop team strategies. One should never forget that today’s staff is “knowledge worker” and they deserve to be treated accordingly for desired organizational results. In addition to above what I have noticed is that there is another issue which is not sufficiently addressed by a number of bosses i.e. involvement of staff, according to their roles, in important decisions as well as in new initiatives. You will find it as a common complaint against bosses by staff. They would say we are usually told to execute certain decisions or initiatives. Bosses need to be very careful when it comes to involve their teams in certain initiatives or decisions. Absence of subordinate’s involvement leads to de-motivation,

no buy in and above all an environment of mistrust leading to a very low performance and negatively affected culture of one particular business unit or an organization as a whole. Similarly, if we talk about team members or subordinates, failure to identify key success factors in their chosen profession is one of the major reasons for facing challenges in their respective careers including unhealthy relation with boss, as the required traits and competencies may differ from one field to another. I must say that in order to effectively deal with career related issues, name of the game is CLARITY. Clarity helps one jostle away foggy vision and leads towards success, may it be climbing the success ladder in terms of ranks or managing relationships (including the boss). It enables one to know what is acceptable to his boss as a professional standard and what is not. Is it all? Not really! The onus is not only on boss or subordinate. There is a flip side of it as well. We all know that training makes huge difference in people’s attitudes, behaviours and performance as well. How many organizations extend formal trainings to all those staff members who are assigned supervisory/managerial roles to enable them to polish their skills to manage and lead teams and relationships effectively? So we have seen that when it comes to manage a professional relationship, it is not only one party who should be expected to make efforts in this regard, a combined effort should be executed in a well planned manner. But the question is, do we think this way? Are we willing to take charge of all such responsibilities or wish to remain as it is i.e. PLAYING PING PONG…….Isn’t it a food for thought…? n ALI YAQOOB is a renowned HR professional having eight years of work experience in the filed of HRM. Presently, he is working with AbacusConsulting as Manager - Corporate HR.



BUSINESS 42 ECONOMY

ATIF TUFAIL

REVIVING THE

ECONOMY OF PAK he economy of Pakistan is tottering because people at the helm of affairs are solely concerned with amassing wealth at the expense of greater public good. We as a nation are ‘going through motions’ and are eager to get easy money without doing work. We are living in Pakistan as we are living in a rented house. And as we know that tenants in Pakistan spoil the house in which they reside, similarly Pakistanis treat their homeland like their rented house, without care and compassion. In Pakistan, a small number of families possess all significant sources of wealth. Every government makes economic policies to protect their vested interests. The so-called representative governments actually consist of cartels, interested only in short-term profit maximization. The alliance of military inc., clergy and capitalists is eating up the economy of Pakistan since its inception. The real founding fathers of Pakistan envisaged a welfare state whereas; our military establishment transformed the country into a security state. We spend overwhelmingly large por-

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42 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

tion of our budget on defence and a very meager amount is left for health and education. This shows that we are least interested to make our people productive and agents of change. Free-market ideology is our economic model. This ideology is built on the belief that people won’t do anything ‘good’ unless they are paid for it or punished for not doing it. This belief is then applied asymmetrically and reconceived as the view that rich people need to be motivated to work for further riches, while poor people must fear poverty for their motivation. Material self-interest is a powerful motive. The communist system turned out to be unviable because it ignored, or rather wanted to deny, this human driver. This does not, however, prove that material self-interest is our only motive. People are not as much propelled by material self-interest as the free-market text books claim. The colossal amount that Pakistanis give to charity, particularly in Ramadan, poses a big question mark on the motivation theory suggesting that material

self-interest is the only driving force of economic activities. If the real world were as full of rational self-seeking agents as the one depicted in those text books, it would collapse under the weight of continuous cheating, monitoring, punishment and bargaining. Moreover, by glorifying the pursuit of material self-interest by individuals and corporations, we have created a society where material enrichment absolves the individuals and corporations of other responsibilities. In the process we have allowed our real estate godfathers, bankers, fund managers-cumpoliticians and military and civil bureaucrats (directly and indirectly) to destroy jobs, ruin our public sector, shut down factories, damage our environment and bankrupt our economic system in the pursuit of individual enrichment. If we want to prevent this from happening endlessly, we should build an economic system where material enrichment is taken seriously but is not allowed to become the only goal. Organizations—be they corporations or gov-


The practice of both management and leadership needs to be rethought. For reviving our economy, we need leaders who practice the window and the mirror. They point out the window to people and factors other than themselves to give credit for economic success

KISTAN” ernment departments — should be designed to reward trust, solidarity, honesty, and cooperation among their team members. The economic system needs to be reformed to reduce the influence of short-term shareholders so that companies can afford to pursue goals other than short-term profit maximization. Jim Collins says, ‘In 17 of the 18 pairs of companies in our research, we found the visionary company was guided more by a core ideology—core values and a sense of purpose beyond just making money—than the comparison company was. A deeply held core ideology gives a company both a strong sense of identity and a thread of continuity that holds the organization together in the face of change. We chose the word ideology because we found an almost religious fervor in the visionary companies as they grew up, that we did not see to the same degree in the comparison companies’. In Pakistan, if we are genuinely interested to revive our economy then we have no choice but to develop our organizations as a platform

for developing clock builders, and discourage time tellers and fire fighters. We should announce in our organizations that the first and foremost obligation of the core team is to prepare their successors. We want those CEOs who sincerely strive to build community in their organizations. We do not want those CEOs and senior management to focus only on cost-cutting and immediate gains. Beneath the current economic crisis lies another crisis of far greater proportions i.e. the depreciation in companies of community – people’s sense of belonging to and caring for something larger than themselves. Decades of short-term management, in Pakistan especially, have inflated the importance of CEOs and reduced others, in the corporation, to fungible commodities – human resources to be “downsized” at the loss of business due to blind market forces. The result: mindless, reckless behavior that has brought the economy in Pakistan to its knees. Government stimulus programs and the rescue of the biggest and sickest corporations will not alone resolve the problem. Companies need to re-engage their people. The practice of both management and leadership needs to be rethought. For reviving our economy, we need leaders who practice the window and the mirror. They point out the window to people and factors other than themselves to give credit for economic success. When confronted with failures, they look in the mirror and say, “I am responsible. Such leaders will inspire others primarily via inspired standards— excellence, hard work, sacrifice, and

integrity—not with their emotional speeches. The sub-prime debt problem is a glaring case in point. How could it have come about in the first place, and how could it have spread in the economic system of Pakistan like cancer. The answers seem readily apparent. Those who promoted and asked for these debts and loans from international financial institutions were intent to design paradise for themselves and for their families. They publicly claim that they need these loans for energizing sick economy but in reality these loans were primarily consumed by the ruling elite for maintaining their extravagant lifestyle. Our so-called economic policy makers politicized economy to serve the influential interest groups. What a monumental failure of leadership and economic management. Individualism is a fine idea. It provides incentive, promotes leadership, and encourages development – but not on its own. We are social animals who cannot function effectively without a social system that is larger than ourselves. This is what is meant by “community” – the social glue that binds us together for the greater good. The fact is that materialistic concept of life cannot provide the motive to work hard for the benefit of others and cannot develop sense of community in organizations and society. It is here that both the Capitalistic and the Communistic systems fail to achieve the desired end. Materialistic concept of life cannot raise man above animal level, at which there is no incentive for sacrificing one’s own interest for the welfare of others as animals have no values and hence are incapable of conceiving the idea of altruism. The Koranic concept of life is capable of providing solutions to our economic problems. As derived from the teachings of holy Koran, the body grows by taking nutrients whereas ‘Human Self’, or Khudi in the words of Allama Iqbal, grows not by receiving but by giving. Generosity promotes its growth and meanness checks it. The more the self gives of its riches, the richer it grows. If this basic truth is clearly perceived by people of Pakistan then they will rush to the help of their needy countrymen and by restoring their balance they can put the economy on the road to success. n

ATIF TUFAIL is serving a US-based Information Technology company as head of human resources these days.

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OF 44 WOMEN SUBSTANCE Manager Today: Kindly share with us your early life, education and your family background? Raheela Narejo: I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from UCLA, I did my majors in bio-chemistry. While studying pre-medicine I soon realized that medicine was not for me. I was more interested in human psyche, so I switched to Psycho-biology. After graduation, I started my job as a recruiter in an IT company in Los Angeles, but it was a very short lived career, I spent two months there and then got married. I came to Pakistan for the first time in 1992, and after settling down, started my career as a freelance consultant with a company called Horizon Inc., which was a Karachi-based HR consultancy. I had no concept of what ‘HR’ or ‘training’ was, all I knew was that I enjoyed assessing and developing people and the projects I was doing at Horizon allowed me to fulfill my interests. Along my journey in HR I immediately got attracted to the emerging field of Psychometrics. This beautifully tied together my education as a Psycho-biologist and work as a Human Resource Consultant. So I eagerly studied this field from Cambridge University and became a practicing Psychometrician, certified by the British Psychological Society. In December 2002, the entrepreneurial spirit in me was ignited and that is when, on just Rs. 10,000, I launched NarejoHR, an organization dedicated to “Growing Businesses, Through People”! On the family front I am married to an amazing person who is a Pilot by profession. We have three children who get a good dose of psychoanalysis from me on a daily basis. In your work you offer a special product/service called ‘Edutainment’, please describe what do you mean by this term and what is its importance? Edutainment evolved as a part of working with different clients who were looking for a combination of learning and entertainment for their employees. In Edutainment there is minimal theory. Rather, through a themebased simulation, i.e. Spy School, Pirate Hunt, Crime Scene Investigation, Kaun Banega

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RABAIL ABBAS

Rahila is CEO and Lead Consultant of Narejo Human Resources (Pvt.) Ltd. (NHR). A Behavioural Science graduate from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Rahila came to Pakistan in 1992 with a specialization in Psychobiology. Since 2002, her organization, NHR, has been delivering its commitment to “Growing Businesses…Through People,” by offering a variety of customized Human Resource solutions. Rahila is a Psychometrician, certified by the British Psychological Society in Level A and B Psychometric Testing. She is also certified by Palladium Kaplan-Norton as a Balanced Scorecard Certified Professional. Since 2006, she has been writing DAWN Newspaper’s widely read weekly column called Workplace Sanity. With over 15 years, Rahila enjoys facilitating clients in developing Business Strategy and linking it to on-the-ground implementation through Aligned HR processes and systems.

Womenof

strength& vision RAHEELA NAREJO CEO, NHR www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 45


Champion Game Show, or Army Boot Camp, participants are immersed in learning through experience. That means, for a half a day, participants become real Spies, Pirates, CSI, Game Show Contestants or even Army Cadets. They solve a crime, look for buried treasure or go through vigorous army training, all in the pursuit of learning basic competencies such as Planning, Influence and Negotiation, Teamwork, Communication, Creativity, that also apply equally to the corporate workplace. At the end of each Edutainment simulation, we conduct a short debriefing session in which we recognize winning teams and connect their experiences either to a key management concept, model or a theory. Participants immediately understand and retain these concepts because they have practically ‘experienced’ them! What has been the most difficult training situation that you have had to deal with and what did you do? My most difficult training was early on in my career when I had to train a group of senior managers, CEOs and Directors. At the time I was considerably younger than them. In a training session every trainer has to establish his or her credibility first, so at my session I could see in their faces what they were thinking about a young beginner like me, that what I could have known which they didn’t. But when I train I try to see potential in the people, I look at them as learners I don’t even think of gender, we just interact as professionals. As for the outcome of the training, I connected with the participants who really enjoyed and learned from the training. How do you see the awareness of HRM in Pakistan? When I started in this field there was little or no awareness of HR in the country and we faced many challenges in presenting our services. When we would talk about our offerings to potential clients, the feedback we got was, “We don’t need this…This has no real benefit…” I realized that if I wanted to practice HR, then I would need to educate my potential customers first on what it really was. Thus, shortly after NarejoHR was established, we launched a free, quarterly magazine called HRT (Human Resource Toolkit). HRT’s aim was to introduce organizations to the practical and value-added side of HR through its print and web content. HRT has been published for almost six

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46 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

years now. We actually got a lot of return out of it in the form of the awareness it helped create in people. I believe HRT has served its purpose very well! There is one area about which people speak a lot but practically do nothing, I mean CSR, how can it contribute to the society because we need companies that should focus not only on profits but social responsibility. When CSR was initiated its intention was very pure but eventually it became a flavor of the month. I believe that the real objective of CSR is to serve as an expression of your organization’s values, as a means of positively contributing to society and communities at large. But what really bothers me is when CSR serves only as a tool for marketing, self promotion, or even a publicity stunt. NarejoHR also engages in CSR through its KidLead Program. I realized over the years that by the time people come to my training programs, either they already had it (leadership competencies) or they didn’t. After a certain age there is not so much you can do with adults in terms of changing their behavior. Even research shows that the optimal developmental window is actually between the ages of 10 and 14, not 30 to 50, the age most people attend organizationsponsored leadership training! KidLead is an American program designed to develop both Character and Leadership Competencies in children, when they are most moldable. We are initiating school-cased after-school KidLead Programs this year and are in the process of translating the materials in to Urdu in order to cascade it at a grass roots level in the country. My vision for KidLead is that it will be the pipeline for competent and ethical leadership at all levels in Pakistan/ the individual, home, school, community, organization, and politicallevels! In Pakistani society training is considered an expense rather than investment, as an expert in consultancy and HR what is your perception regarding this view? Training has evolved considerably from being something that had no value addition to something that now gives a measurable return, or what we call ROTI, Return on Training Investment. In my work I like to take ROTI to a measurable behavioral change. For example, I recently completed a large scale project for a FMCG in

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Pakistan, where they wanted to instill a Coaching Culture. Prior training interventions had given the company very little return and a cultural change was not evident. We designed was not a one-off, classroom based training, but rather a multi-faceted intervention targeted at measurable behavioral change. We started by establishing a coaching behavior baseline measurement in the participants first with an online Coach360-degree Feedback assessment and a pre-training Coaching Simulation. We wanted to establish what skills the participants already possessed and a benchmark for individual participant skill improvement as a Coach. Then after an intensive three-day training program in which we gave them a lot of coaching theory, we held six weeks of small group teleconferences in which we reviewed assignments and practiced through role plays. Finally, we conducted a post-assessment in which the participants ‘Coached’ real people with real problems from within their organization. Participants were evaluated by our own consultants as well as senior managers from the organization. When we compared the post-assessment results with the pre-assessment, we were amazed by the incredible improvement in coaching skills! This is what we mean by ROTI, a measurable behavioral change. Please describe the key points of your management style and the most important management strategy you have implemented so far? My management style is very ‘American’ because that is what I have been exposed to. Empowerment is what I believe in. I do not like to micromanage; in my team we hold weekly reviews called the ‘Big Threes.” In this each team member shares their big 3 objectives for the coming week and also their progress against their Big Threes for the last week. In the weekly review if anyone suggests a Big Three that is not in line with the company’s priorities, I realign them accordingly. This management technique enables us to get so much done! Harassment at work place is seriously addressed by companies nowadays. What harassment policy have you adopted in your esteemed organization? This is a real issue. While I was at Horizon I wrote an article for the Dawn Newspaper, in which I expressed the need for organizations to start adopting women-friendly policies as

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more and more women had just begun entering the professional workforce in Pakistan. In the article I urged organizations to take measures now (back in 2001) so as to create an environment that is conducive to facilitate this change in workplace demographic. In 2010 legislation on harassment was finally passed. It’s better late than never! In my work as a workplace investigator and mediator, I have come to realize that harassment in varying forms does exist in our organizations today. However, I have also seen that several incidents labeled as ‘harassment’ were really just cases of miscommunication. This miscommunication can be attributed to gender differences. Let’s face it. Men and Women are different. I believe that Gender Sensitivity training (the prevention) is more the need of the day than Harassment training (the cure). In 2010 NarejoHR conducted a survey on the subject of Harassment in order to gauge whether gender discrimination in Pakistani organizations was real or not, the bottom-line finding was that harassment is very real. Despite the fact that there is legislation governing the issue, a majority of organizations are only doing window dressing and policy is more in writing than in practice. For the last decade there has been a mushroom growth of training, trainers and training consultancies in Pakistan, do you think it is a qualitative change or a quantitative change? It is wonderful to see a lot of entrepreneurs coming out, that would be a quantitative change. What I see lacking in this country is some type of body which governs the qualitative part. In other countries institutions exist to establish and monitor a professional code of conduct for trainers, recruiters, coaches, etc. But there is no such thing here. I have observed that a majority of such institutions that have been created in Pakistan are more individual-interest based rather than communityinterest based. Do you feel Pakistan is facing a leadership crisis? If so, how to overcome it? I agree that there is an immense lack of leadership. And regarding the question on CSR, I mentioned that I recently acquired certification as Trainer from a US-based nonprofit organization called KidLead. They have developed a leadership program for children. We are going to take it to the grassroots level because we want to change Pakistan! Kid-

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Lead focuses on character building at an early age and that’s what I believe is missing in our country’s leadership. We have leaders, practically everyone believes themselves to be a leader, but a true leader is the one who possesses a strong set of principles, and an exemplary character. How do you visualize future of Pakistani youngsters? How do you keep your optimism alive in this age of frustration? This is a very big challenge for me because this is the time when my own children are getting ready to go to college and they say that once they go abroad, they will not come back to Pakistan. Hearing my kids say this really breaks my heart because I was born and raised outside of Pakistan, yet I sacrificed so much and came here, and am trying in my own little way to positively contribute to it. It disappoints me to see our future generation so frustrated. Infact this really scares me. I try to help my children be grateful for what Pakistan has given them. Each person in this country has somehow contributed to your success, you are indebted to them. The best way to pay back this debt is to get a good education and return to Pakistan to become a positive force of change. How do you maintain your work-life balance? My husband. They say that behind every successful man there is a woman but in my case it is quite the opposite. He is my ground, my support. He is the one who pushed me to become who and what I am today. Define success? Success is a journey and that is what I believe from my heart. Success is when you keep growing, keep pushing and keep challenging yourself. Any message to the youth, especially to the females entrepreneurs? Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t. Believe in yourself, you are a magnificent creation! n

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48 LEADERSHIP MASOOD ALI KHAN

LEADERSHIPASANOFFSHOOTOF

RELATIONSHIP& PARENTING Leadership is about deciding when the timing is right. Just imagine for a few seconds that you are a bride and planning to go to your in-laws’ house where there is a joint family system. Imagine the kind of apprehensions, fears and feeling of excitement running through your heart and mind. On one side you have to take care of your husband and on the other you have to maintain congenial relationships with young and old members of your new family. Also imagine how the new family, who is supposed to take you as their own family member, would be feeling about having you as the newcomer? Do you see this kind of similarity in a company or a corporation where employees and boss maintain the development process, communication, and chain of changes necessary to achieve the organization objectives? What is prominent in this whole scenario is the acceptance of big change by both the stakeholders. Another challenge by the bride and the new family is to manage and create smooth acceptance and change of environment. Here comes the leadership of different individuals how they help each other to cope, to accept, and to develop harmony and coherence with different life style needs & expectation in a new home, company or new stakeholders. Now for a moment think as a corporate individual and analyze the above scenario and you will find three basic principles, namely Change, Management and Leadership. Apply

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this to any organization or family and at the core you will find the same. Whether it is family or corporation you may find that mostly the base is relationships and therefore all the relationships require management, leadership and change. Leadership is about deciding when the timing is right. Perhaps more importantly, it is about persuading others that the timing is right, where only you see the benefits for your corporation and others fail. It is about preparing people and organization for change and coaching and guiding them through the process. This all happens when you understand the process and procedure of developing relationships. This advantage of having and creating better relationships for creating needed change in the organization comes through the evolutionary psychological process inherited through normal healthy relationships with your parents or otherwise with those who have taken place for your parenting in the process of your emotional growth. It is important to note that keeping our emotions in check, when in a relationship, is more productive than controlling the relationship itself. Control freaks do not last in healthy, productive or innovative environment. Their rigidity ends relationships in a bad taste. To change things without thinking of leadership is akin to reserving the holiday destination but never booking the air ticket to get


there. Bertrand Russell once said, “Give me better parents and I will give you a better world to live in”. It will be appropriate to say “Give me better leadership and I will give you one of the best organizations in the world.” Leadership that focuses on empathetic relationships produces the Human capital aspects of change. Thus liberating innovation and creativity improves organizations ability to cope with every changing environment. Just as a builder uses hardware tools and material to achieve construction objectives, similarly the 21st century leader is using the skills and abilities of his or her human capital to achieve organizational objectives. No builder would attempt any construction project without understanding the tools and materials available to him or her. No leader should commence any project, change or otherwise, within an organization without having a similar awareness of the tools and materials at his or her disposal. In other words, 21st-centuary leaders know that they are in a better position to help others become leaders and to achieve corporate objectives, if they have a precise and comprehensive understanding of the mind-sets (as resource) of the individuals who work with them. Acquisition of this knowledge is what we call the ‘Mindware Initiative’. The path of achieving organizational objectives that least clashes with the mind-sets or belief systems of people, who work within the organization, is the path of least resistance to achieve those objectives and that is what we call relationship and parenting of our organization. To embark upon a project assuming that what worked in the past will work again with a different group of people and different circumstances can be a folly indeed. 21st centaury leaders realize that not only is it important to explore the individual and collective belief systems of the people, teams and organizations they work with, but that such an exercise also affords the opportunity to harness a great creative energy obtained within the differing belief sys-

We hear what these people say on a particular issue. If it seems right for us we tend to focus on situations that stand as positive reinforcement of the basic idea until it becomes our reality and part of our belief system

tems of the people they work with. It is a fact that a person’s behaviour is largely dictated by his or her belief system. A person’s mind-set or belief system is nothing more than a collection of ideas that he or she feels reasonably certain about. The problem with the belief system is that, while that may be made up of ideas what we feel certain about yet there is no requirement that ideas be accurate before we can feel certain about them. Belief systems are formed when ideas are taken as true by us and applied in our daily life until they become a habit. When they work for us for a period of time, they are filed away forever in our subconscious as beliefs. The problem exists with the fact that most of the initial concepts that we take as reality are borrowed unquestioningly from significant figures in our lives such as teachers, parents, old brothers and sisters, etc. In the business context this can be members of our peer group, fellow university students, etc. We hear what these people say on a particular issue. If it seems right for us we tend to focus on situations that stand as positive reinforcement of the basic idea until it becomes our reality and part of our belief system. What we are suggesting is that leaders need to consider their own belief systems by questioning the relevance of what they believe in certain circumstances. Where the belief disagrees with those of other people or does not seem appropriate in particular circumstances, we encourage you to question and explore how they gained it. When you have discovered the original idea or thought that led to the beliefs formation, you should question its relevance in the light of further available information. In this way any inappropriate belief can be updated to become relevant to the current circumstances and the role of parents and parent figure here become important in developing the foundation for such concepts, values and vision. In the end we all enter new situations, relationship and make decisions as the offshoot of our family environment, and if you correct that then you will correct any environment in any organization. n

MASOOD ALI KHAN has many years of experience in senior management and leading positions in the US & Pakistan. He has been hotel group consultant for Holiday Inns Inc., USA.

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50 LEADERSHIP WALI ZAHID

LEADERS REFOCUS

HOW

WITH WILL AND SKILL

If we have a high level of challenge complexity and low skill, we become worried and go into a state of anxiety very swiftly. his is the article version of the talk, which Wali Zahid presented at the CEO Summit 2011 held in Lahore. The context: Although in its latest forecast for the world in 2050, Goldman Sachs has removed Pakistan from its N11 list, yet in earlier forecasts it predicted that Pakistan will be one of the top 20 economies in the world in 2050 (see figures): My feeling is that once Pakistan comes out of the current political and law-and-

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order turmoil, we hope to make it back to the list. Similarly, Pakistan will be the only (large) country bordering the two economic giants of 2050 – China (being No. 1 economy in the world) and India (at No. 3)! Now, that’s some opportunity! And our biggest challenge too. Because as a nation we are not ready yet. Our organisations and our leaders are not yet ready. In my leadership talks and workshops I often ask CEOs about their big, overriding goal which keeps them awake while they are trying to sleep. What I hear is two things, either a tiny goal which anyone with a moderate skill can achieve or an overly ambitious wish list without concrete medium or longterm plans and the execution required to achieve that goal. Yet these leaders do engage in some sort of running around! I usually ask: Then why is that in spite of doing too much, putting in long hours, sacrificing family needs, we are able to accomplish only too little? Their usual answer: Silence. Isn’t this frustrating? What appears below comes out of my decade-long search for this: How can we achieve meaningful goals – by refocusing our energies.

To achieve anything worthwhile and which also has a scale, we need five BIG things: Let’s zoom out, zoom in and then zoom out! Let’s zoom out for the first two. We need what I call ‘will and skill’. Will = desire, hunger, drive, ambition, willingness, your reason for being, mindset to achieve your big goal. Skill = ability, competence, capability, something you are known for, your niche, skill set that helps you achieve your big goal. These two are our big-picture requirements. In my nearly decade-long research, particularly with MBA students from Szabist and CBM Karachi, on these two variables I have found that ‘will’ usually comes before you are ready to work on your skill. Similarly, when in the several face-toface, email and online surveys, we asked respondents what was more important in achieving your business success, about two-thirds rated ‘will’ as more important than skill. One-third said ‘skill’ is more important. We can measure our will or skill at three levels: Low, Moderate, High. When put together, I call this Wali’s WillSkill Readiness Matrix (see figure).


In most cases, a high level of will with a moderate or high skill will be required to reach your goal.

Rate yourself in your current role • How willed are you? • How skilled are you? Let’s zoom in for the next two. Will and skill alone may not take you long unless you have two more ingredients, these are focus and energy. You need a laser-like, sharp focus to decry distractions and carry out work with high levels of concentration. This may deplete your energy, so you also need to work on your levels of energy. These two are your everyday needs. The best work on these two variables has come from a study done by Ghoshal, who teaches at London Business School, with a colleague. This was published in the Harvard Business Review. After observing thousands of busy managers over a ten-year-period, they found that only 10% of managers are purposeful. The remaining 90% are either disengaged, distracted or are procrastinating. Ghoshal’s Focus-Energy Matrix can be seen in [see figure]: Sadly, the cost of disengagement is disproportionately high. According to Gallup, Singapore, which

for most of us here is an island of efficiency and excellence, loses about $5 billion annually because of its employee disengagement. In another study, for

Britain, the annual loss is termed at 39 billion. If we apply Ghoshal’s 20% disengagement formula to our small and medium enterprises having say 100 employees drawing an average salary of Rs 25,000 per month, the 20% disengagement means a loss of Rs 6 million a year! No entrepreneur can afford such loss in their small enterprises, can they? Over the past decade, I have spoken to over 5,000 executives and have plotted the above data on to our daily work days too. And it appears universal that we as individual do not spend more than 10% of our purposeful time in a typical work day (this makes about 50 minutes in a 9 to 5 day). We may have attended many meetings, responded to emails, made phone calls but without achieving anything meaningful. I often question the space we call ‘office’ where all these politics, distractions, disengagement and casualties happen. Let’s save this topic for another occasion! Another issue that arises in the age of social media is procrastination: It has become an art form: A full-ledge flowchart. Have a look at [see figure]: What we learn from Ghoshal’s work is that we need both high focus and high en-

ergy to be purposeful and achieve our objective. Rate yourself in your current role • How focused are you in a typical day? • How energised are you in a typical day? Let us zoom out for the fifth: ‘The Flow’. This is your both big-picture and everyday need.This will take you to the next level. The best work on this has come from

an Eastern European professor who teaches in the USA, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. See his matrix below, [see figure]. In his remarkable book called “Good

business: Leadership, Flow and the Making of Meaning”, Csikszentmihalyi says that not only do we need high level of skill (compare this with Wali’s Will-Skill Matrix), but also high level of challenge. Because if we have high skill but low challenge, we become bored, fatigued, disinterested or go into comfort zones or become complacent. On the contrary, if we have high level of challenge complexity and low skill, we are frozen and thus become worried and go into a state of anxiety. It is only when we have a high level of skill and high level of challenge that we are in a state of ‘the flow’. Which may also mean that sometimes, we need to move on to bigger, better, bolder challenges and leave our comfort zones even if we feel we are fatiguing or when things are apparently going right. For example leaving our high-paying Clevel jobs and setting up our own shops. Rate yourself in your current role: • Are you in ‘the Flow’? • If not, do you need to move to a higher level of ‘challenge’ or ‘skill’? Finally, do not forget the power of the first step. You need to initiate and execute. Without this, the above five elements may not be of much help to you. n WALI ZAHID is an international consultant, speaker, leadership trainer and executive coach. He is CEO of Skill City [Asian answers to Asian questions.]

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TRAINING & 54 DEVELOPMENT

BINUSH NAUMAN

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT.... OR

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYEES

S

killed and knowledgeable workers are gaining importance in today’s competitive world. Organizations on the first hand try to recruit best available workforce. But in dynamic and learning organizations the job of human resource department (HRD) does not end with the selection of best qualified persons. HRD still needs to enhance the skills and knowledge of the workforce to remain competitive in this changing world. For keeping workforce up-to-date training and development programs have been introduced. As Human Resource Management (HRM) is still in its infancy stage, so most of the time we use both of these terms (training and development) interchangeably without realizing the fact that they are closely related but their importance and scope are different. If HRD while designing their training and development programs does not keep this difference in mind they would face failure of their program. In this article I am doing an effort to highlight the difference between these two terms (i.e. training and development). TRAINING Training is inclined more towards present situations i.e. it focuses on individuals current 54 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk

jobs enhancing those specific skills and abilities to immediately perform their jobs. It has a narrow focus and should provide skills that will benefit the organization rather quickly. E.g. suppose you enter the job market after completing education as HR official. Despite your degree in human resource you will need some training, and more specifically you’ll need to learn the company’s policies and practices regarding various HR issues. Several reasons exist for an organization to conduct training for its employees e.g. 1. Economic, social, technological and governmental changes can make the skills learned today obsolete in the future. 2. Introduction of new equipment can make it necessary for employees to update their skills or acquire new ones. 3. Performance problems within an organization such as low productivity or large scrap problems can be reduced by training. 4. Regulatory, contractual, professional or certification issues can require an employer to provide training for its employees. TRAINING METHODS: Organizations adopt different training methods for enhancing the skills and knowledge of their employees depending upon the situation.

Basically researchers and theorists have classified training methods into two: l On the job training methods l Off the job training methods ON THE JOB TRAINING METHOD: As the name suggests this type of training is normally given by senior employee/manager. Under senior employee supervision new employee is allowed to perform a job. The main goal of ‘on the job training’ is to teach new employee the importance of that particular job. This type of training enhances employees’ desire to learn. Trainer divides the job into smaller segments hence making the learning process easier and faster for the new comer. Trainer should not limit himself by


just telling how to perform the job but he should also show how to do the job (i.e. the practical presentation). Trainer should take the test before allowing new employee to complete the job independently and finally when the trainer is satisfied that the employee could do the job without monitoring ---he should be encouraged to perform. It should be kept in mind that new employees are never left loose and forgotten. Trainer should also conduct follow up sessions to get the best results out of this training. On the job training is further classified into l Job rotation l Internship/Apprentice ship OFF THE JOB TRAINING METHOD:

Off the job training method requires special arrangements for training employees. This method is further classified into classroom training, virtual classroom & simulation exercises. All these three methods require some kind of special environment and trainers for conducting trainings. Employees are also especially prepared for taking these training sessions, e.g. in class room training a large group is taught and trained together. This method saves time whereas in virtual classroom, internet technology is being used getting first hand and updated knowledge about different jobs. It is basically online teaching and learning environment that integrates chat rooms, desktop, video conferencing,

websites and email distribution into a typical lecture based system. In simulation exercises trainers create an artificial environment/ situation so that new employees could learn by actually performing the work e.g. case analysis, experiential exercises role playing and group interaction. HOW TO CONDUCT TRAINING? Conducting training is not an easy task. If organizations start their training sessions without establishing their training objectives it will all go fruitless? All this exercise will waste time and money hence resulting in the failure of the training program. Before designing a training program organizations should consider the following steps: www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 55


Conduct job analysis Conduct need assessment (determine training needs) l Determine training objectives l Conduct training program l Evaluate training outcomes EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT: Employee trainings are present oriented whereas employee development focuses on future jobs in the organization. Its scope is broader. Its main focus is to meet organization’s general long term needs. To survive in this competitive world organizations have to do strategic planning i.e. to make long term plans according to changing demands and requirements. If we say that the environment is dynamic, then we have to be proactive to deal with it. Employee Development is the proactive strategy. To meet day-to-day changing demands of the environment our human resource should be capable enough to accept challenges. When we are talking about employee development, it means that organizations are focusing on improving their employee’s knowledge and skills which would be useful in the future. By doing this organizations are preparing their employees for contingencies in future. Due to the rapid acceptance of this phenomenon the organizations are promoting ‘pay for knowledge programs’ i.e. compensating employees by linking pay with knowledge and skill gain. It could be development on any side e.g. employee development could be vertical (skills traditionally considered supervisory), horizontal (similar skills or knowledge) and in depth (specialized skills). Pakistani Universities have also introduced such types of compensation plans. Universities are sending their employees abroad to acquire knowledge (PhD, Post Doc) so as to get acquainted with the latest trends and techniques and get benefit from them in future. They are focusing on long term benefits ignoring the costs incurred today for employee development. Employee Development means to enhance one’s ability to understand and interpret knowledge rather than imparting a body of facts or teaching a specific set of motor skills. It focuses on employee’s personal growth. As employees grow in organizations they need lots of different skills i.e. conceptual, analytical, communication, human and technical skills. Training alone cannot overcome anyone’s inability to comprehend cause and affect relationships, to learn from experiences, to visualize relationships or to analyze or think l l

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Trainer divides the job into smaller segments, making learning process easier and faster for the new comer. Trainer should not limit himself/herself by just telling how to perform the job but he/she should also show as to how to do the job through presentation.

logically. So in my opinion employee development is more inclined towards educating employees rather than a training process. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT METHODS: Besides techniques and methods used while conducting any training program some additional and more advanced methods are adopted in developing employees. Those methods are: 1. Outside short courses and seminars 2. College/University Degree & certificate programs 3. Advanced Management Programs 4. Correspondence Schools 5. Outside meetings and Conferences Conclusion: As far as Pakistani organizations are concerned they should feel this difference. Human Resource Department should plan both training and development programs hence emphasizing more on developing employees. Pakistan as a nation has a long way to go, same is the situation with our organizations. If we do not plan for our future and do not invest in our human resources -------- our name in International markets will vanish. So guys go ahead and start thinking about your own and your employee’s development on priority basis. n

BINUSH NAUMAN has done M.Com from Hailey College of Commerce, PU. She took her LLB degree with distinction from University Law College, PU. She is teaching BBA

& MBA level students different management related disciplines.


CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

MEEZAN BANK ISLAMIC SHORT-TERM SUKUK Meezan Bank added another “First” in Pakistan’s Islamic Banking Industry by becoming the Advisor and Lead Arranger for the first ever short-term Sukuk for Kot Addu Power Company Limited (KAPCO). The short term Sukuk which can be termed as an Islamic alternative to Commercial Paper was issued by KAPCO to meet its working capital requirements. This first-of-itskind issue with a tenor of six months was innovatively structured by Meezan Bank on Musharaka (Shirka-tul-Aqd) basis.

Mobilink Jazz Jazba has announced the successful conclusion of the Summer Adventure Campaign 2011. As part of the campaign, Jazz Jazba provided a total of 60 participants with an adrenalin filled adventure holiday in the picturesque Northern Areas of Pakistan. The Summer Adventure campaign was a unique initiative pioneered by Mobilink’s youth platform, Jazz Jazba, to provide it’s large youth customer base a once in a lifetime opportunity to win an all-inclusive adventure holiday. Jazba subscribers between the ages of 18 to 29 from across Pakistan were able to simply send the word ‘North’ via SMS to enter a lucky draw. Winners, and their 3 friends, were awarded a trip to the Northern Areas of Pakistan inclusive of travel, boarding and a host of fun filled, adrenaline pumping and healthy activities. Jahanzeb Taj, Vice President Marketing Mobilink highlighted “Jazz Jazba is Mobilink’s tribute to the vibrancy and spirit of Pakistan’s youth, and the Summer Adventure Campaign 2011 was an opportunity for us to provide our youth with a change to rediscover the natural beauty and heritage of Pakistan.”

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SAMSUNG “BEST HOME AUDIO-VISUAL BRAND”AWARD IN EUROPE Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was recently presented with the Which? “Best Home Audio-Visual Brand Award at Kings Place in London—the latest in a string of accolades for Samsung’s Smart TVs, Blu-ray players and home theatre systems. In presenting the award, Europe’s largest consumer advocacy group recognized Samsung for its consistently high marks in customer satisfaction surveys and product quality and reliability reviews. In fact, the company’s audio-visual (A/V) lineup has garnered 15 “Best Buy” designations since 2010 from a prestigious magazine named “Which?”. This achievement surpasses all other home A/V brands.

SAMSUNG GALAXY CROSSES 5M SALES Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has announced that the Samsung GALAXY S II (Model: GT-I9100) has passed the 5 million global sales milestone. The GALAXY S II is Samsung’s flagship smartphone device; a beautifully thin, (8.49mm) and lightweight dual-core smartphone, that combines an unmatched Super AMOLED Plus viewing experience with incredible performance, all on Android – the world’s fastest-growing mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes exclusive access to Samsung’s four new content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services.

ENGRO FOODS 2ND COMPANY TO LIST ON EXCHANGE Lahore Stock Exchange approved the formal listing of shares of Engro Foods Limited; formal trading in the shares of the Engro Foods will commence from August 10, 2011. Engro Foods’ symbol shall be “EFOODS”. The Company will be quoted under “Food & Personal Care Products” Sector of the Ready Board Quotation of the Exchange. With listing of Engro Foods, the total number of listed companies will increase to 497 at LSE. Mr. Aftab Ahmed Ch, MD/CEO, LSE expressed hope that the trend of listings will continue during the remaining year as well and that the coming year will see a lot more flourishing IPO market and listings at the Exchange. He also opined that the incentives introduced in the Federal Budget will prove lucrative enough for companies to prefer equity financing in the coming years. www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 57


58 CORPORATE EVENT YOUNG LEADERS' CONFERENCE 365 youth, aged 18 to 24, from 42 cities, towns and villages of Pakistan; one from Mexico and from Indonesia; availed the enlightening opportunity to be a part of the 10th YLC experience. These energetic and ever-enthusiastic young girls and boys (35% to 65% respectively) arrived on July 1 at the Sheraton Hotel to be part of this 6-day residential program. YLC is the flagship program of the School of Leadership (SoL). YLC's objectives are to enable youth to identify their potential and realize the immense global opportunities that surround them. The program is intense and rigorous and demands participants to stretch beyond their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual capabilities to learn skills to lead life from the 60 gurus and from each other. On Day 1, Kamran Rizvi, Director SoL, led the inauguration session to introduce the concept of YLC to the guests comprising of representa-

tives from 2011 sponsoring companies and some from the last nine years, and journalists from almost 22 print and electronic media channels. Mr Shoaib Siddiqui, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Department graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and inspired the audience with his vision and actions for youth leadership development. The sponsors presented their messages for the youth and encouraged them to take bold steps for positive change. After tea, guests interacted with participants and mentored them by answering pressing questions the young audience had to ask. After going through the norms of the 6-day conference, Kamran Rizvi conducted a session on 'self exploration' where participants discovered their identity; learnt how to be open to accept diversity and, on the basis of these two facts, manage to team up to accomplish more. n

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60 LEARNING FORUM Boss Management The relationship with your boss is probably the most important relationship you have at work. Manager Today Learning Forum conducted an interactive dialogue on ‘BOSS MANAGEMENT’ at Royal Palm Golf & Country Club on March 29, 2011 so as to stimulate better performance, improve your working life, job satisfaction and work load. The dialogue was attended by professionals and students belonging from diverse spectra. The event was moderated by Ijaz Nisar. The task of inviting Chief Guest and other panelists was quite imperative because they have to be well equipped with the topic of discussion. Therefore, it was done immaculately and Mr. Sohail Yousaf (CEO, Hardee’s) joined as the Chief Guest. Other panelists were Ahmed Husnain (CEO of Allied Marketing), Brg. Taimoor (Director HR at Qarshi Industries), Wasif Waseem Ashraf (Management Consultant), Mohsin Iqbal (Head HR, Haier) & Ms. Tosheeba Sarwar (COO, i Manager). Tremendous words of the speakers were thought provoking and made the whole event quite jovial. Resultantly, the task to diminish and manage anger was successfully Mohsin Iqbal achieved. n

Ijaz Nisar moderating the session

Wasif Waseem Ashraf

Sohail Yousaf

Ahmed Husnain

Tosheeba Sarwar

Almas Haider

Waqar Qureshi

Akram, Madeeha & Usman

Atif Shehzad & Sami Ullah

Sohail Asghar with participants

Participants attending the session

Sohail Yousaf presenting the souviner to Brg. Taimoor

Sohail Yousaf presenting the souviner to Ahmed Husnain

Sohail Yousaf presenting the souviner toTosheeba Sarwar

Sohail Yousaf presenting the souviner to Mohsin Iqbal

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CORPORATE EVENT

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MAP EVENT Marketing Association of Pakistan (MAP) conducted a tea seminar at Royal Palm, Lahore wherein Mr. Javed Jabbar, Chairman and Chief Executive, JJ Media (Pvt.) Ltd. was the guest speaker. Mr. Javed Jabbar discussed the topic “Remaking and Remarketing Pakistan� on July 28, 2011 in detail. He is a charismatic speaker and regularly addresses global, regional and national conferences on a range of subjects. After the excellent session the hall was open for question and answer. This seminar was sponsored by Bank Alfalah Ltd., Engro Foods Ltd., Haier Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. and Shan Foods (Pvt.) Ltd.

Javed Jabbar

Tariq Asmat & Khaliq -ur- Rehman enjoying the session

Khaliq -ur- Rehman presenting the souvenir to Javed Jabbar

Syed Imran, Khaliq -ur- Rehman & Javed Jabbar sitting on the stage

Ayub Ghauri with participants

Participant attending the session

Group photo with higher executives of MAP www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 61


62 CORPORATE EVENT

MAP EVENT Marketing Association of Pakistan (MAP) conducted a tea seminar at Royal Palm, Lahore where in Mr. Ahmed Kapadia, Chairman, Synergy Group was the guest speaker. Mr. Ahmed Kapadia discussed on the topic “Belief and Betrayal: Why Pakistan Needs Supermen?” on June 23, 2011 in detail.” In another event of MAP, Mr. Sarmad A. Ali, Managing Director (Marketing), Jang Group was invited as a guest speaker at Royal Palm, Lahore. On this occasion, he explained “The Changing Landscape of Pakistani Media”. Mr. Sarmad A. Ali, Managing Director (Marketing), Jang Group shared his knowledge and experience with the participants of a seminar Seminar was attended by a large number of Executives, Entrepreneurs and Academicians from Lahore and around. On behalf of Marketing Association of Pakistan, Lahore Chapter, Mr. Khaliq ur Rehman Vice President, welcomed Mr. Sarmad A. Ali & Ahmed Kapadia and announced 2011 as Silver Jubilee year of MAP Lahore Chapter. After the seminar, MAP Vice President Mr. Khaliq ur Rehman, Joint Secretary, Syed Imran Hasan presented a shield to Mr. Sarmad A. Ali & Ahmed Kapadia for his very informative and interesting speech.

Sarmad A. Ali, Managing Director (Marketing), Jang Group

Ahmed Kapadia, Chairman, Synergy Group

Khaliq ur Rehman, Vice President, MAP

Sarmad A. Ali, Managing Director (Marketing), Jang Group

Participant attending the session

Participant attending the session

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Participant attending the session

Tahir malik CEO, Trafco with his son

Dr. Ruf Ruf with participants

Participant attending the session

Participant attending the session

Participant attending the session

Participant attending the session

Khaliq ur Rehman presenting the souvenir to Sohail Irfan

Khaliq ur Rehman presenting souvenir to Mohsin Masood

Sarmad A. Ali presenting the souvenir to Tariq Asmat

Khaliq ur Rehman presenting the souvenir to Ahmed Kapadia www.managertoday.pk | MANAGER TODAY | 63


64 CORPORATE EVENT The inaugural ceremony of the First International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Business Management- 2011 was held on 13th June, 2011 in UCP Auditorium. Dr. Nadeem ul Haque (Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad) was the Chief Guest and Syed Mahmood Hashmi (CEO, Orient Advertising Pvt. Ltd. Karachi) was the Guest of Honor. Dr. Nadeem ul Haque presented his keynote address on Pakistan’s growth strategy and business development while Syed Mahmood Hashmi spoke on the role of corporate sector in the business of Pakistan. Mian Amer Mahmood (Chairman Board of Governors) also graced the occasion. Dr. Syed Tahir Hijazi (Pro-Rector, UCP) gave the welcome address to the guests and shared his views on the role of business and education conferences in the business and economic development of the country.

64 | MANAGER TODAY | www.managertoday.pk



Business Summit 2011




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