We all understand the difference between a good boss and a bad boss but the concept behind them being so is little known. I’m talking about the theories of human motivation developed by Douglas McGregor that emphasize the core of organizational behavior. What they’re actually based on is the perceptions managers hold of their employees and how they deal with it.

Let’s begin with the bad boss. Theory X says that such managers believe that their employees are sponger and lubber, i.e. they do not want to work unless forced upon. They believe in close supervision and a well-defined hierarchy. Such managers care to think that all employees are self-seeking and they’re here for the money and leisure and if given the opportunity, they’ll avoid doing any work for as long as possible. These managers practice threat and coercion to meet organizational goals and if their subordinates fail, the absolute blame is put upon them regardless of whatsoever may be the actual reason behind the loss.

Who doesn’t love a good boss? Theory Y managers choose to see the good in people. They’re of the opinion that his/her employees’ talents are underused. They believe that employees are here to do their best and earn respect and confidence, that they want to excel in their field. They feel that employees act responsibly on their own and are ambitious enough to commit themselves to the betterment of the organization. They communicate openly and break the ice between superiors and subordinates. They assume that given the right resources, time and opportunity, every employee can do a brilliant job.

Theoretically speaking, none of them is right or wrong, it’s all a game of views and opinions. The tags are from an employee’s point of view but if you’ve a theory X manager, know that it’s his/her perception and not the persona that drives such demeanor.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Theory X and Theory Y appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Suppose you are extremely good at the current job that you’re doing and feel that you’ve the set of all the required skills to excel in the particular position. Your efforts are well noticed and appreciated. Then suddenly, as one of the rewards for being a dedicated employee, you get a promotion. Once again, you do your best and are rewarded with another promotion but this time you suddenly realise that however brilliant you were at your last posts, you’re incompetent for the present one. That may come as a shock to you but it’s actually a formal phenomenon called Peter Principle.

In a book written in 1969 named The Peter Principle as a pun on Sigmund Feud’s theory of pleasure principle, Dr. Lawrence J. Peter lightsomely explained his principle. With real world examples, this book bridges the gap between theories and reality.

The central theme of this book was- In a hierarchical organization, employees tends to rise to their level of incompetence. However illogical and unfathomable it may seem at present, we all know the dark reality. Whenever an employee, possessing excellent set of qualities is promoted time and again, he reaches a position where he is no longer the best.

This does not mean that the upper positions are much more difficult to crack, but it simply says that the same set of qualities that won him/her the promotions become inept after reaching the post.

The only way an organization can deal with this seems appalling at once-by not promoting the employee. He/she may be excellent at their positions and will be most yielding there. Promoting them will decrease their efficiency and ultimately their self confidence. So unless they specifically display the qualities needed for a higher position, promoting them will be an institutional and personal loss. Instead, you can give them perks, rewards and appraisals along with pay hike.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Peter Principle- How we rise to our level of incompetency appeared first on Vskills Blog.

What this means is that the HR must take into consideration individual voices and not the views of a group or community and try to get affirmation from majority of individuals. Such a framework ensures certain things like:

• Equality among the employees, everyone will have one vote with equal weight.
• Transparency and consensus in office place.
• Minority people who hesitate or do not get the opportunity to express their opinions are heard.
• Satisfaction and support regarding any major policy.
• Better and more innovative ideas are put forward in general consensus.
• The burden of the decision gets distributed, no one person but the whole group is accountable for the choice and thus better decisions are made.
• Expertise is provided by different people from different positions and industry.

How can we ensure a general consensus? Here are a few tips-

1. Distinguish the urgent and important matters in a meeting where everyone of relevance is present.
2. Prefer voting or count so that there is no ambiguity.
3. Form clear consensus checkpoints like 2/3rd or 50%.
4. Promote active listening and debating rather than directly jumping to solutions and conclusions.

What not to do at a general consensus meeting?

• Do not invite people with no relevance to the motion, eg. people from different fields or who are unrelated to the issue or problem.
• Do not let the minority club together and dominate.
• No veto power should be handed to anyone.
• Do not ignore a particular group or community.

With these things in mind, you can also get a clear yes or no on any situation at hand.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Consensus decision making – 4 steps to an informed decision appeared first on Vskills Blog.

When we hear the word ethics, some of the things that pop into our mind is values, morals and principles. Good judgement and altruistic actions are what we relate with right work ethics. Then what goes wrong when we have to implement this conduct?

Ethics can have many sources- from spiritual to organizational culture. HR generally focuses on the work ethics, i.e. the duty of the employer and the employees towards the welfare of each other. These moral obligations contribute to the organizational and business goals as they promote equality, employee loyalty and maintain the internal discipline of the firm without external forces. With friendlier working space and equal rights, litigation costs plummet and the reputation of the company as an employee-friendly organization spikes up.

So what these ethics basically demand are equal and fundamental rights, privacy but also support, justice and safety. The employees want to be treated fairly and with integrity. Open door policy, feedback, complaint redressal, equal opportunities and transparency in the office are the basis of work ethics.

What these ethics ensure is a happy workplace. 2 small words but they carry a deep meaning. A happy workplace is where employees feel satisfaction, they’re treated with honesty and respect and in return, the firm earns loyalty and a good reputation. It’s the place where work load is minimized and employee efficiency increases. It leads to a much more satisfied and larger consumer base and thus larger revenues which lead to happier stakeholders. And that is all a company aims for.

But for this Utopian vision to come true, we need a strong ethic system and a dedicated regulatory agency because if something cannot be imbibed from within, it has to be externally imposed. But all is well that ends well. A good HR policy can and will make a difference in the field of ethics and demeanor.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Ethics- How HR policies create a better work environment appeared first on Vskills Blog.

When we think about all the things required to make any endeavor a success, the first thing that comes across our mind is capital. While land, equipment, investment and other tangible assets may be optional, human capital isn’t. Never has a business been created without human capital. The sheer commencement of an idea from where any business grows needs human capital! But if it is so important a thing, why do we not talk about it?

To start with, human capital is often confused with the term labour. Labour defines the employees hired to do physical and manual work in any industry and they’re part of the necessary assets too but definitely not a part of capital. Human capital has a wider definition. It not only includes the physical presence of people but also their skills and abilities to develop and innovate. It talks about the qualitative aspect along with the quantitative one. It is the basis of intellectual assets and adds to the combined knowledge of the firm.

Now that we’ve clearly defined and distinguished human capital from labour, let’s see as to why we need it. Human capital, being the only one with decision making ability, rationale and experience has the ability to choose the best from the rest and minimize opportunity cost which in turn is beneficial for the rest of the capital. Apart from that, we need the collective knowledge and skills of a number of people to perform almost every task including planning, management and execution. To say the least, it is never an option to get away with average or no human capital.

The need for it is so wide that it has now been assigned different areas in a single firm. While some go for research and analysis, others might favour project management or counselling and training. But whatever firm, whatever industry and whatever job it might be in any part of the world, the human capital can make it happen as for them- nothing is impossible.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Three ways Human resources contributes to success appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Who would you vote to be your boss- your young fellow with a lot of enthusiasm and motivation or the experienced and wise middle-aged man? Such an easy question, but what a difficult choice! And that’s a choice the HR department has to make every year.

While every individual is different in capabilities and skills, this is something that has been ambling in the industry since aeon. The question of age discrimination has now taken a new turn and it happened since the advent of the technological boom. With the daily accretion in new scientific thingamajigs, the archaic concept of “experience and wisdom” has finally become banal in the market’s eyes.

What used to happen was people with longer working period and involvement in the particular field was given a preference over the others as their decisions were considered to be well versed with the happenings of market. They were given early promotions, annual raises and other perks for the expertise they provided while the newcomers felt that their hard work was left unnoticed.

This changed when computerisation hit the industries universally. Suddenly, the world was left open on the internet and every firm had to keep up with the radical mechanisation. A rapid increase in demand for computer and technological experts changed the entire scenario as young workers with swift learning abilities and better scientific knowledge were trusted upon.

As more and more work was trusted into the hands of the younger generation, they became the ones to reap the benefits while the experienced players lacked behind with nothing but wise words. But this didn’t stop here. As per the current scene where everyone has a working knowledge of computers and the World Wide Web, work ex is once again gaining momentum.

Is this a pendulum swinging from young to experienced players decade after decade? Are we sensing the right pattern? Only time can tell.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post The young Managers appeared first on Vskills Blog.

The world is not the same as it was 10 years ago. And we can be sure that it won’t be the same 10 years from now. A lot has changed- science, act, literature, even the markets and industry. What drives these changes is an endless urge to push the wheel of life ahead every passing second. But if the world is demanding better education, healthcare, science, art and economy, is it in need of a better HR too?

That’s more of a rhetorical question. We are so deep in the abyss of change that HR couldn’t escape. What most of us do not know is that there is an aspect of HR industry called “CHANGE MANAGEMENT” that deals specifically with this. Why do you think all blue chip companies are in flux- thinking and rethinking their strategies?

Well, changes can happen due to any number of reasons- fluctuations in market share, major economic  boost/downfall, technological advancements, industrial pressure like mergers and acquisitions and customer pressure etc. During all these situations and the ones not mentioned, the organisation needs to adjust and adapt very carefully, accepting some and rejecting the others. It is not an easy task but it’s definitely a major thrust in the positive direction if handled well.

What this aspect demands is a careful analysis and you can never be too careful with data so pay close attention to the slightest change in trends. Get the first mover advantage. Change is important as well as inevitable but with the right leadership qualities, quick thinking and swift movements, you can easily make your company the trendsetter. And for that, all you need is a dedicated team, confidence and a good change management framework. See to it that the employees remain motivated and are delivering dynamic services to the customers.

Radical changes give a scare but you can become a pioneer with a little bit of luck and a lot of work.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Only constant thing is change- this too shall pass appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Who doesn’t like rewards and awards? Who doesn’t want to be appreciated in public and have moments of utter pride? But, who would work that hard to be the best then?

Obviously, there is no such thing as free lunch but I personally promote a few treats once a while. I’m talking about the rewards and recognition that are now part of the employee circle. They may be in terms of money or goodies or fully-paid vacations, trophies and certificates, but any award is the physical proof of our hard work and dedication. Top employee of the month is now apparent in every enterprise of any industry. And while this concept might not be new, it certainly is too big a thing to be ignored in any sector or industry now. Also, they have their own perks like-

• It brings about a healthy sense of competition. The employees work harder and more efficiently for that one extra bit.
• It ensures that deadlines are met. In the sense of competition, someone has to win and someone definitely will. That someone would be the fastest and the most dedicated.
• It strengthens team work and brings about leadership qualities in employees.
• It creates a sense of satisfaction among employees that their work is not going unnoticed. That increases their loyalty towards the company and encourages them to work better.
• It works as a morale booster as the hard work is well acknowledged publicly. Who doesn’t like happy employees?

In today’s trending society, there are firms that hold special achiever’s night gala that are purely for the purpose of rewarding the diligent workers with delightful food, exotic drinks and a lavish party.

While such huge efforts might make it to the page 3, you can do a little something everyday. So if you’re a boss, make sure you bring a smile to somebody’s face by a simple “good work” tomorrow. Happy working!

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post No such thing as free lunch appeared first on Vskills Blog.

It’s a common misconception that we should have answers handy for any problem that we might face in the near future. Like if you have an intuition or a clue that someone’s going to come to you with a certain issue, which is your job as an HR to resolve, you should keep the solution to it ready.

Yes, I called it a misconception. No, I’m not being lazy.

Think of a hypothetical situation: A bunch of employees come to you and complaint about the placement of their cubicles, which are next to the photocopy machine. They have space issues and also the constant murmur around the machine distracts them. But the machine must be accessible to all employees thus it cannot be moved from a convenient location. As soon as you hear this request you’ll either straight away reject it on the basis of improbable solution or delay it by exchanging the cubicles with some other employees only to get the same complaint a few months later. This is what happens when you are ready with a solution before analyzing the situation.

For you the question is- How can I reduce the distractions around the machine? Is it complete? Is it the whole situation?

To answer these, no.You should ask yourself- How can I reduce the distractions around the machine without causing inconvenience to majority of employees? Employees being the object of concern. Without an object of concern in your analysis, you’re not asking yourself the right question. And not just one, you can have multiple objects of concern, which are in this case- the employees who’s cubicles lie near the machine and the rest of the employees who need to access the machine.

Then create an equation as to what every object of concern wants. Do not forget the minor objects of concern like the electricity plugs and the adequate amount of space required. Consider each and every aspect that you can think of and you’ll observe that some or most of these equations align at some point. Now that, my dear friends, is your apt solution to the problem and not the one that you have pre established in your mind. Broaden the horizons of your mind as you open the gate of thoughts and gain some perspective.

Click here for government certification in Life Skills

The post Do we really need answers? appeared first on Vskills Blog.

When you are in front of your PC or laptop, wondering how you should start your presentation, nothing but blank spaces come to your mind. The question- “From where to start” leaves you sweating profusely and you start losing your temper and mind. If the above situation applies to you every time you are handed over a project, worry not brother/sister, I come to your rescue.

Since I cannot personally take up every desperate call, I present to you the basics of making a presentation from the scratch. All you need to do is to take care of three very easy things- purpose, audience and context.

PURPOSE- While every presentation may seem the same to you, they all have different purposes. Some are for training, some are for parting information, some are for convincing the clients while some are for dealing with the issues at hand. Every situation demands for a different tone, content and method of presentation. You cannot sound bossy in a presentation to clients, neither should you bore the trainees to death with numbers and data and you need not particularly be convincing when you are presenting facts and figures. Find out the core motive behind the presentation and set your mind accordingly.

AUDIENCE- What to say and to whom to say! The category of your audience is a major aspect of your presentation. You cannot joke around your clients, it has to be all business. But with your trainees, you can break the ice and play around a little. That not only makes you effective with the listeners but also adds to your personal charm.

CONTEXT- Know why, where, when and how the presentation is to be made. There is no harm in probing for details if you want to do good. Knowing everything helps you utilize your surroundings to the betterment of your content.

So the next time you feel a little nervous about some upcoming presentation, keep in mind- PURPOSE, AUDIENCE and CONTEXT.

Click here for government certification in Life Skills

The post Purpose, audience and context appeared first on Vskills Blog.