Letters of the month

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 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

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Employees vs leaders: The missing link in EX

The author hit the nail in the head when he said EX and engagement initiatives have more to do with creating transparency for HR, and less to do with what it's meant to do -- creating a better place to work where employees thrive. A majority of workplace initiatives, even post the COVID-19 crisis, have been aimed at getting employers access to employee sentiment, over actually acknowledging and addressing employee sentiments and needs. Sure data on employee sentiment will help you strategize better, but right now the time is to listen, understand and act.

- CHRISTEENa maRIa

EX must be focused on unleashing the productive power of its teams

Very well captured. Time, talent, and energy indeed are going to be the key factors shaping productivity. While all are equally important, I would focus on the element of time to bring about greater efficiency as well as productivity. Amid the emerging work-life conflict as well as excessive workload, time has become the currency that remains low in availability for many. Recognizing how time can be reallocated to individual projects and helping employees navigate these nuances will help them reassess not just processes but also working styles, bringing about a muchneeded change in the way work is performed and expectations are managed.

EX: How HR can create a competitive advantage

EX indeed plays a decisive role in recruitment, retention, motivation, performance, and selfdevelopment. It has been gaining momentum in recent years, however, the last twelve months have brought it to the fore like never before. EX is a non-negotiable element of people strategy if organizations wish to retain and attract the best talent, and must be infused across the employee lifecycle and organizational culture. From employee touchpoints to interpersonal dynamics to organizational values, EX must reflect throughout, enabling and empowering employees to be their whole selves in an ecosystem that enables them to deliver to their best capabilities.

- HaRIRaJ SINgH

EX: Provided or created?

A much needed reality check on the fact that EX is not a new concept, and it makes one wonder about organizations that had been keeping it on the back burner - How did they treat and value employees before EX became the buzzword? It’s most likely that this category of organizations even now has merely hopped on the bandwagon without any meaningful shift in workplace practices that impact employee experience. However, with more awareness and expected accountability, an organization that fails to meet evolving workplace standards stands the risk to lose talent, both existing as well as potential.

Sameer Patel @SameerPatel Thanks a lot Pushkar. Always enjoyed helping @PeopleMatters2 be all it can be and @Ester_Matters knows that. I feel incredibly energized about @SAP’s #HRTech business in the able hands of my colleagues @JillPopelka @megbear and @awils and their teams.

Carrie Chitsey Wells @carriechitsey "Given the #benefits experienced by everyone, #remote and #hybridworkingmodels are here to stay and #technology will be a crucial part of this." - People Matters Embracing a hybrid #HR future of business practices. Read more below. hubs.li/H0NlLy50 by @PeopleMatters2

Sowmya @Sowmyaraj A questions on everyones mind - @csreenivas24 talks to @AnushreeS09 @PeopleMatters2 @ibm_in about how organisations can leverage tech like #AI to enhance emp exp in a new world order & IBM initiatives to support employees in these trying times.

Xpheno@Xpheno_ The growth of #Edtech platforms over the past several years have accelerated due to the COVID19 pandemic. How is this shaping the #jobs landscape?@PeopleMatters2 @jjerrymoses #SpecialistStaffing #Talent

Mark Stelzner @stelzner The #TechHRSEA audience was amazing!! A big thank you to @PeopleMatters2 for pulling together a fantastic virtual event, and an even bigger thank you to those HR pros I had the great pleasure of meeting today. You're all rock stars.

david Green @david_green_uk The big reset calls for resiliency and adaptability: Epicor’s CHRO ow.ly/XRk050EBJUH Feat: Jignasha Grooms via @PeopleMatters2 #HR #Culture #EmployeeExperience #Wellbeing #Leadership

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