Letters of the month
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Leadership mindset: The enabler or roadblock to post-pandemic recovery?
What a ride it has been for leaders, from resistance to reluctance to bargaining and now acceptance. Some continue to be at the bargaining stage and still await to tide through these times before they make the final call on what their working model looks like in the future. While leaders demand agility from the workforce, I believe it’s time for leaders to reciprocate that agility and let it reflect in agile and fluid working models that are accommodating of the extraordinary circumstances the world is in today. The sooner employers address trivial uncertainties about how it plans to function, the sooner they can identify how to enable work in the current climate and make it sustainable and seamless for all. There are no guarantees that the final call is how the organization will be in times to come, but flexibility sure allows one the scope to adjust in a more agile, efficient, and less chaotic manner. - Akhilesh Motiwal
Old MacHR has a farm(ula), E-I - E-I - O!
Very interesting reflection on the impact of EI vs side-effects of EI overdose. It indeed is not just about the existence of EQ but the capability to apply it effectively. While the author presents convincing arguments both in favor and caution, I would still consider EI a truly critical skill today. While companies continue to hire for hard skills, overlooking the aptitude of individuals, they do not realize how interpersonal dynamics impact productivity and team capabilities. Then they look for ways for team bonding to boost collaboration. If EI is placed as a critical factor in hiring, if not a deal-breaker, it would go a long way in minimizing the people challenges that teams and managers often face. - Beetha Praveen
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| June 2021
May 2021 issue
Having difficult conversations in the virtual world
A difficult conversation is about “respectful dialogue”. Couldn’t agree more. In fact, this is more relevant today as a majority of our conversations take place virtually, and often the chaos that continues to envelop the global economy is accompanied by its fair share of difficult conversations. This needs both tact, clarity in purpose, and a not so new, yet often overlooked concept - emotional intelligence. That lens of EI makes all the difference in the present context, however, many are yet to embrace, accept and leverage EI, resulting in not so fruitful conversations, and tipping the scales towards conflict and misunderstanding. - Jeevitha Chandan
