HR Analytics: Interference's in your Inferences...!!!

We often hear about Analytics Being the next big thing whenever we speak about future of HR.  The shift in focus has been from descriptive to insight, from insight (what is happening) to predictive  (what will happen) and from predictive to prescriptive (What should you do?).   There are couple of things to keep in mind before organizations move quickly to jump the bandwagon in their quest for prescriptive outputs.  I am speaking from the HR perspective only.   

Consider this:  We are all data agents in the sense that everything we do in our lives today seems to generate some sort of data on a continuous basis.  The hand phone we use generates data on our movements (tracked by GPS and Maps),  the messages we put up  on Facebook or other social media sites,  the embedded chips in our cars send data back and forth to the servers,  often washing machines are smart and sending data to the transmission and distribution servers.  All of this data says a story about us.   Something that BIG BROTHER (various organizations that aggregate the data and keep analyzing the trends) can watch understand and know more about you.  

Similarly as members of organizations we are generating data all the time.   We have interview records, application formats filled in, employee demographics, performance data, attrition analysis data,  exit interview data,  snap shot surveys etc.

Now You will all agree that everything we do in analytics is based on data. Just like in our personal and social lives data is generated through us, by us in our organizations.   However there is a subtle yet important difference you need to consider.    Unlike data that BIG BROTHER is looking at, the level of consciousness in an individuals behavior is different when it comes to data in organizations.   People don’t know who is looking at the data, who is watching, who is inferring when it comes to BIG BROTHER kind of data.   So as long as the person on the other side is unknown the level of consciousness remains low and therefore the actions we do tend to be like ourselves. 

When it comes to organization data there is a high level of consciousness and therefore the behaviors get altered.   e.g Employees have to really be trusting of the organization if they give right inputs on the reason for their leaving. They have to be themselves.   Else you end up with wrong data.   Experience has shown that  people are very conscious about leaving with a “good feeling” and don’t want to give right inputs on why they leave.   This will surely lead to wrong conclusions if your analysis is on “prediction of which people will leave”.   Your model would be built on data that is not accurate.     

So before we jump to expecting that the predictive models we develop will work couple of important things to be remembered.

a1) Ensure that the process has sufficient amount of design considerations on interfacing parties.  For e.g. if exit interview is being done by manager and person has problems with work environment in the project / department then the responses may be biased and erroneous.  Similarly if  there is dissatisfaction with HR environment it can lead to distorting responses if the interviewer is from HR group to which employee belongs.   Choosing the right actors (Participants)  during the process is very important

b2) Validate the data you are generating in various parts of the organization. E.g.  take data from off line delayed feedback survey with employees who left.    Compare that with what was said at the time of departure. If you find a good correlation (higher the better) you have reliable data to infer. The same can be done for appraisal.   We all know how 360Degree feedback looks like.  If I were to go by that data in most organizations all of them should be to stars of their industry.  Such is the “high level” of capability that can be seen with 360 datac) 30  Keep revisiting the model you develop by adding data you generated post the earlier time and that way your model is strengthened.

d3)   Use the right frame of understanding before you decide what to test in your model.  It is very important to remember that if we ever want to have new ways to look at a problem we have to have new ways of thinking.  The frame has to be different to view a situation differently.

These three simple focus elements actually will help build that credibility when HR works on analytics because at the end of the day it is important that the insights or  prescriptions lead to tangible actions.

THE BYSTANDER PROBLEM IN ORGANIZATIONS

Ballu came over late afternoon.  Summer was now at its peak and the fellow generally lazed around my home most afternoon's.  The curtains were half drawn to prevent the scorching sun rays from heating up the room.  Ballu started off…yet another narration.

The year was 2005.On a crowded platform at a suburban railway station in Mumbai a huge crowd was waiting for the next local train to arrive.  A traveler was sitting on one corner filming the maddening pace of activity and the popular morning frenzy on the platform with his new camcorder.    People were anxiously peeping over the platform edge to see if the train was arriving.  And suddenly on the screen of the camera the traveler noticed a training arriving and one of the contraptions fitted to the train knocked down a man who was bending over to get a view of the train at the edge of the platform.  The man fell bleeding on to the platform.  The camera captured this silently and surely.   The filming continued.

 

Meanwhile the man lay there bleeding for several long minutes.  The man continued to film the busy platform, the fallen man and the several hundred people watching from the side lines.  The traveler must have captured over 15 minutes of recording after the incident.   No one seemed to come forward and attend to the injured man.   Finally help arrived more than half an hour later.  By the time the fallen man was taken to the hospital he had lost his life.  The bleeding was too much for him to survive.   Perhaps, if he could have been taken to the hospital earlier he might have been saved. 

“So what happened Ballu”, I asked.  “What are you trying to tell me?”

“Well, well”, said Ballu. “Several hundred people including the traveller who was filming the incident saw the man fall after being hit by the train… But No One Came forward to help”.

Staring at the window I asked, “So why didn’t anyone help”

“You see”, said Ballu,   “Each one thought that someone else would help the person and in the process no one actually went forward to help”   This is like a freezing point,  things just don’t move then.  Everyone thought that someone would come forward and no one thought that no one would come forward.   So the most important thing that needed attention went unattended.   This we call the “BYSTANDER PROBLEM”.

“Now tell me”, said Ballu “Does this happen in your organization too?”

“O I see”,   It began to dawn.   When at times we wonder why the same problem gets no attention.  It keeps lingering.   There is a lowering of morale due to issues not being addressed and month after month there is nothing done.   HR thinks ops will own and solve the problem,   Ops thinks someone else is there to address that problem,   and Managers think that team leaders will address the problem.   Team Leaders are just not sure who would take up the problem to address and so on a so forth.   Meanwhile employees start getting frustrated,  some quit and some start showing signs of slowing down and so on.  

Well it was getting terribly exciting …. How does one solve the BYSTANDER PROBLEM?  I shouted out.  

“Let me come back” said Ballu and ran away through the main door.   I was wondering and continued for a while.....  Was it the absence of people,  No.... I realized... it was the presence of people around that was the real problem.   Had the person shooting the film been the only one around would he actually have just stopped filming and started paying attention tot he injured man?

Lets address this issue in a later post.

Problem Elimination, Not Problem Solving Should Be the New Focus

I met Ballu, a good friend, sometime back.  He happened to be of the very sociable types who always had a tale or two to tell.  Here is an interesting one he narrated.

"Some time back I happened to be in a review meeting and one of the things being discussed was a tool to automate some of the work being done by the people engagement managers.  The biggest selling point was that there are many problems that the team had to address and hence an automated tool would help them manage this in a manner that is simple, gives them flexibility and lets them be mobile and at the same time come up with wonderful snapshot of the problems solved.  This was the problem solving mind-set. And the natural tendency is for people to feel very happy to able to help address and solve problems. And our systems recognize this.  People are rewarded, they are encouraged, they are praised. And the problems continue to appear… from somewhere or the other….and it seemed like there is a factory for manufacturing problem that keep appearing and people waiting to solve them."

Our conversation continued… “How long will this solving the problem stuff continue?.  The next thing was to look for an alternative which was “eliminating the problem”

What we realized was that the more people came up with stories of how they solved a problem the more they were rewarded the more they were glorified…. they were promoted,  they had a great future....and That was the problem.

We needed to change our view point and look at focusing on “problem elimination”. rather than "problem solving"  Remember from my earlier blog on FOCUS.  (Click Here To Read the Focus Blog). So if your choice can be from among two things…solving the problem to eliminating the problem then the one you focus on gets the attention. .

There are some of you (or many..) who would have experienced that the same problems are recurring time and again. What problem we solved last year is up again the next year.  The problems faced by the predecessor are repeated just the way it happened earlier. 

When we focus on “problem elimination” the attention shifts from the problem of how to handle problems to a new way of looking at it… how to eliminate the problem.   What problem elimination means and how it can make our lives (both working and otherwise) more relaxed and enjoyable is what we shall explore in a coming post.

Interview Ready: A Unique and Socially Responsible Digital Effort By India’s Leading IT Organization (TCS)

Summary:  TCS has launched a unique mobile app called Interview Ready in the year 2014. This is a  one of its kind app which helps student and entry level job seekers to prepare well for a selection interview in a holistic manner.  Understand how to dress, speak, prepare, make and impact and most importantly how to make a good and informed career choice.  The app is available free of cost and readily accessible to anyone who wants it on Android and iOS Platforms.  Your simple share with your friends, colleagues and acquaintances who can benefit from it will make a difference to someone’s life. Click  Interview Ready Video to know more.

Every Graduating Student who aspires for a job will have a face a job interview for sure. At times the selection process may also include a group discussion or written test.

Getting through a job selection process including success in a job interview depends not only just how you performed in your exam or subjects you mastered but also on other factors like how well you can communicate, the confidence level, the knowledge you have of the industry or business understanding in general.  Your personal accomplishments and successes can also be a highlight and stand out during the process and can stand in your favor.  You come out shining and you land up in the job.

Now comes the second point (some questions) which are rather interesting “Is that the job you really should have taken up?”  “Was I meant to join some other industry”?  “Are my interests in other fields that what the job can offer?”.   Yes these are questions that come to the mind of many fresh graduates after they end up with their first job offer. This implies that they may not last long in their first job or even may not accept the offer. So it all boils down to whether they made an informed choice or not.  Whether they understood what the industry needed and what kind of work they could expect.  If there is no match between aspiration and what the jobs can offer there is low probability of a career being built.

The InterviewReady App created by TCS and available for free to anyone on both Android and iOS platforms is a unique app available in 6 different languages (English, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarthi and Arabic).  It is easy to use and set up and guides an individual on career choices by providing a view of work areas within a industry domain as well as tips and exercise how to prepare well for a face to face interview.  Although the app is designed to provide good exposure to Business Process Services organizations it will come in handy even if you are looking for a job in any other industry.  

To download the app visit this link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tcs.interviewready&hl=en

Watch a video of the App Here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdjpP-Cu6aE

To download the app and install on your smart device go to Google Play Store or iOS and search for TCS InterviewReady and download it for a worthwhile experience. 

Simple One... The Magic Number in Our Lives that We did not know much about !!!

This is a simple test to see how you relate to common numerals.  Below are few numbers and may mean something to you.  What I am looking for is what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you read that number.  

Now think aloud what comes to your mind when you read each of the below numbers? Don’t move forward till you complete each one and in the SAME ORDER AS BELOW.


13



9/11



100


168?

Now that you've thought Go Down !!!


































When it came to 13 some people thought of bad luck,  a dark omen or some even thought of good luck or good tidings etc.  What did you?



When it came to 9/11 a close 90% would remember the twin tower destruction of 2001


When it comes to 100 most folks either think of a century (cricket, India) or some think about a perfect score in an exam...or the police emergency no



168?  Hard Luck !!!  In case you didn't get It... Go DOWN Further

It is the number of hours at our disposal in ONE WEEK. That's the amount of time we have at our disposal to balance our work, personal lives,  interests,  health and wellness etc.  

Imagine without a clue on the quantum of time in a week at our disposal….and that it seems is the most important factor to plan our time... is the total time available and..... I wonder if I did not know how many hours I have at hand how do I plan to allocate my time between conflicting priorities.

Now it is easy to understand why so many people crib about  running out of time... not finding the right amount of time and attributing the problem outside of ourselves.

Here's a link to  my earlier blog post  explaining  importance of focus and how things get done   So bring Focus on 168 !!!

Have a Good Day !!! Remember your time available and that's the first step to effective time management.

FRAME It for Success !!!

Given below is a quote of mine that I often reflect upon and have used in many of my workshops or discussions with my clients. Most of these opportunities and the learning's have come about in my role as a HR professional over the past two decades.

"There is more to do than what I've done, There's more to Go from where I reached, There's more to me than what I am."

Human potential is unlimited and most of us never reach any where near the potential we have. Below is a simple model that I use to explain the possibilities, the endless sea of positives that lie ahead of us in the journey of life. It is called"FRAME" it for Success. Below are the five things you need to do to reach where you want to go or achieve something you always wanted to or be the person you wanted to be.. The FRAME is not a sign post. The FRAME is like an illuminated pathway.

Focus: I would never emphasize less on this ubiquitous (there everywhere but quite often unused) concept that can bring direction, that can channelize attention (Read my blog on FOCUS). It is important to have a clear concept of where you want to be or what you want to achieve. When you focus all else gets tuned out and that is the best way to get your minds complete attention to doing what you need to do at that point of time. Focus channelizes your energy and sharpens the chances of success in what you want to do, where you want to go and how you can go there.

Reflection: Time to take a pause. Take a Look at your strengths. Reflect .... on what can take you there. It is important since your strengths were meant to be your fuel to success. Most of us have hidden strengths. For most of us a good reflection of what we are good at comes from having a conversation with a close friend and asking for feedback. This can be a colleague at work or a friend outside of work or even your manager. Try to see a pattern in a few such feedback messages you get. That is what you are really good at. Remember focus on strengths. Don't get overshadowed by getting your attention to weaknesses. When you are looking at a world of possibilities it is better to see what will get you there.

Articulation: There are two things here. First it is about how you would get there. It is important. It is like a plan you have once you know the destination. When you plan you put to rest unwanted pitfalls (or up your preparedness to overcome them) that may arise. You will surely achieve what you wanted. Most people do not achieve what the set out since they did not articulate it correctly. Articulating it correctly means you have to "express it" and do so openly. A stated goal, shared with those who mean something to you is achieved with much greater probability than one that was just written in the folds of your diary. That is why most new year resolutions are up in smoke by the time Valentines day arrives each year. Once you articulate the mind tries to channelize energy to ensure you live up to what you want to do or get.

Movement: Here it all about action. It is about hitting the road to start the journey. Even the longest journey begins with a small first step. When you are on the path to achievement you will have to keep constant look out for the pot holes and also navigate any obstructions. Pot holes can slow you down... e.g. someone trying to demotivate you, or lack of time to pursue your task of achieving the goal or even the lack of energy due to pursuit of multiple goals. It is here that the focus comes to your rescue.If you feel this way go back and re-look at the focus. Obstacles are things that will stop you. Fear is the biggest obstacle. Many a time they are like the invisible demons fought by the Little Prince in the classic novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. You need to overcome them and your plan is something that will help you along with the articulation especially the verbal and non private articulation that you need to live up to

Evaluation: It is about milestones, progress, achievement and fulfillment. Each of them is important. Defining milestones is important to ensure you are moving in the right direction and the right distances are covered. The anxiety and anticipation keep increasing as you move to the destination and crossing them makes you recognize progress. You need to look ahead and anticipate as well as look back and reflect as you move on in our pursuit of achieving what you set out for. Celebrating success and feeling a sense of achievement is very important.

The FRAME can completely change your outlook. It helps redefine your views, focus your attention and tune out disturbances. Your life is a beautiful canvas, give it life and vibrancy by the right FRAME. In hind sight it may look like a simple concept but it is mountain like when you try to adopt it and that's why they say human potential is still vastly untapped.

Coaching: What's in a Name? More than You Probably Thought

They say a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet as it does. But the assumption is that you will seek out the rose even it was called by that other name.  Not true.  Try this thought experiment.

Let’s assume a rose is now called a “rat”  or “pig”.  I am not sure now,  given the contextual understanding of rat or pig (which already exits) in the mind of someone, whether he / she would really have the propensity to even attempt the smelling exercise. This has to do with the way our brain is wired and the images we have of the concept. So the association that exists in our mind with “rat”  or “pig” is the hindrance

Now let’s imagine a new word “fiper”  or “toki” (I’m sure it won’t be found in a dictionary) and start using this for a rose.  The next time you smell it and are told you will be presented with a fiper or toki you start associating the word with the sweet smelling thing and wait in anticipation and won’t get that repulsive feeling.

Now that same concept extrapolated to the HR world where we have a popular developmental tool called “coaching”. Whatever be the objective the association of the word itself might have something to do with what exists as a popular meaning in a cultural context.   In India, especially during our growing up days as students one may tend to believe or understand that coaching is for someone who is weak in studies.  We hear parents saying my boy/ girl goes to a coaching class to cope up with studies.  So contextually coaching is seen as something for those who need help,  those who have to go beyond regular school or college.

From my experience I have come across many people in the Indian context who don’t want to openly agree that they are being coached.   They are very uncomfortable in accepting the fact that they go through coaching (either on performance or even on leadership) for this very reason.  That is one reason why in the Indian context coaching is not seen as something aspirational (specifically being coached).  Being a coach may still be something which may be handsomely rewarding and may still find favor but being coached….probably not.  So next time we need to contextualize a program to cultural context we may want to understand how the association of the mind does that. If it is positive go ahead….like some organizations have a Catalyst Program for rapid promotions  Here the association goes in unison with something desirable.

Think about it.  Coaching perhaps needs to be positioned differently.  We may need distinct words or derived words that make us more comfortable.  It's time to think about the contextual adaptations needed for programs that we borrow from the west. It's time for indigenous adaptations to people management concepts.  

The genesis for the above discussion came from my observation and discussion with some of those who were involved with coaching.   Managers and leaders don't want to accept (openly) that they are being coached.   They may be OK to have a coach but not discuss with others, even do the coaching discussion at a hotel / at home.   The sense that came out of these observations was that people associate coaching with something not so "good" something beyond "regular" or "normal".