Most human beings who are gainfully employed for much of their working lives, end up contributing literally a lifetime to their work areas. This is why, job crafting is getting increasingly important for professionals world over. It is talent management experts who are in charge of taking this to its logical evolution. A purpose needs to be drafted that goes beyond merely one’s pay- check. One needs to also think above the traditional way of “what do you do”. One’s contributions need to be connected with the overall outcomes. Employees need to be provided with corporate training on areas which are likely to be most in demand. This is similar to the fact that companies would rather spend more on products likely to work well in the market.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/03/job-crafting-from-the-outside-in?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=00563&deliveryName=DM73877

Uploaded Date:31 March 2020

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) has come up with a definite list comprising answers to fifteen key questions that need to be answered now regarding Remote Work. Talent management experts have tried answering these questions. For one, they claim that the global economy is not equipped to suddenly carry out such a large operation. Getting the infrastructure right, must be the first challenge undertaken by the companies. For people not used to remote working, they need to put in some rituals, that will help them develop this pattern. Check- ins will now be difficult. Even once the state of complete lockdown is lifted, meetings must be rarer than earlier. Digital marketing tools need be embraced. Psychological health could also be affected during this course. Coffee breaks and water cooler conversations have become ingrained in to human work patterns. Physical exercise is one way to remain calm during such times. Leaders must strive to curate a healthy work environment. Productivity need not go down, just the work patterns will evolve. Trust has to be placed on the workers, at times of social distancing. Virtual meetings need to have clear agenda. Video conferencing is highly effective. Similar solutions will need to be brought out for extern, client- facing meetings too. Patterns need to evolve to accommodate both blue and white- collared workers.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/03/15-questions-about-remote-work-answered?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Uploaded Date:24 March 2020

A significant proportion of professionals are trapped in a situation where they possess all the tools to be immensely happy and satisfied, yet are constrained. Instead of being happy at work, they remain disengaged, so unable to shape their careers. More Americans are reporting for stress now than ever before, as concluded by a study by the American Psychological Association. There exist several psychological traps behind why this is happening. One of them is the self- explanatory Ambition Trap. Another is the “Should” Trap. This is best exemplified by business research carried out by Deloitte, which confirmed that about sixty- one percent people feel they need to hide several of their traits, in order to be accepted at the workplace. The third is the Overwork Trap. One needs to break free from these constraining barriers. Then one can seek purpose, friendship and hope. People wrongly believe that being successful is necessary for happiness. But instead, one needs to try the other way round.

Source:https://hbr.org/2017/09/happiness-traps?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Uploaded Date:27 February 2020

Skill shifts have been a constant force ever since the industrial revolution took place. Yet, the pace of change has never been higher than it is now aided by automation, digitization, robotics and artificial intelligence. By 2030, several present-day skills will get replaced. That is why McKinsey conducted a study across the five largest European countries- UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany- and USA to gauge the shifts. Some major aspects were studied, beginning with the change in demand for workforce skills over time. How organizations approach this and plan for the talent recruitment for the future were the other things. As per the study, manual and basic cognitive skills will acquire a lesser portion of the pie. Social, emotional, technological and higher cognitive skills will take up a higher portion of time. Shifting skill requirement will lost affect five of the largest industries- healthcare, energy and mining, banking and insurance, retail and manufacturing. Only six percent of all companies surveyed confirmed their expectation of shrinking workforce, while seventeen percent are optimistic of adding more jobs. Focus will shift towards developing cross-functional skills within agile organizations. Work will need to be “unbundled” and “rebundled”. The sharing economy involving gig workers or freelancers will expand exponentially. Corporate training programmes will need to retrain employees towards the newer systems and technologies. HR processes will evolve in contracting, hiring, release and redeployment. Educational institutions meanwhile will need to tweak their curricula to suit the present needs.

Source:https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/skill-shift-automation-and-the-future-of-the-workforce

Uploaded Date:21 February 2020

A lot of people especially in high- stress jobs, never find fulfillment at work. This is due to the work culture at several high- pressure fields, where promotions, prestige and any raise are commensurate with the number of hours clocked in the office. Individuals also see themselves as part of a different socioeconomic class, when such high- pressure jobs get paired with a big paycheck. Companies need to tweak their talent management systems in case they want to work on improving the mental health scenario for their employees. But the workers themselves need to take steps, starting with ensuring the availability of some free time. The start made needs to be small. One needs also to rebuild a network. The employee must be clear on aspects that are important for him/ her. The job title is an illusion, so he/ she needs to look beyond it.

Source:https://hbr.org/2019/12/what-happens-when-your-career-becomes-your-whole-identity?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=hbr

Uploaded Date:21 February 2020

Self-awareness has become one of the most talked about topics in the corporate world at present. Studies have made us understand that improved self-awareness leads to better decision-making, forging stronger relationships and more effective corporate communication. This in turn leads to better leaders and happier employees, reflecting in a higher bottom-line for companies. There exist two kinds of self-awareness. One is internal self-awareness where one is better able to monitor own inner world. Here the concerned person has clarity over his/her reaction, passions, ambitions and values. The other is external self-awareness which includes one’s understanding of others’ perceptions about himself/herself. There is no direct co-relation between possession of the two types of self-awareness. Introspectors are those with high internal but low external self-awareness. Some are Aware of both forms of self-awareness. Others are Seekers, who are low on both. And the Pleasers have low internal self-awareness but high on the external understanding. Contrary to usual understanding, increased experience and power actually reduce the ability to gauge self-awareness. This is because most people on reaching a certain position, stop taking in feedback on themselves. The best of leaders were those who gauged adequate business intelligence on how people perceive them. Funnily enough, introspection does not necessarily lead to enhanced levels of self-awareness. This is because while introspecting, most do not do it the right way as the human mind isn’t generally rational.

Source:https://hbr.org/2018/01/what-self-awareness-really-is-and-how-to-cultivate-it?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=twitter

Uploaded Date:21 February 2020

There may be multiple reasons for employees to start building expertise in a new field. Preparation for a more senior role, better pay or it could even be increased job satisfaction. In all such cases, it is essential to undertake a few specific steps to ensure it works out fine. First of all, one needs to identify the best exemplars in this field, one would like to emulate. Then the gap has to be assessed between that benchmark and one’s own existing level. One has to study by himself/ herself. The right management training would involve taking inputs from experts who are willing to share. The learner will also need to know how to pull in knowledge. He/ she will have to be something of a sponge or bird of prey to soak in all the ambient knowledge around. Experts need to be observed, when in action. Some pilot projects to test one’s mini- experience could be tried out. The moment it is possible, the trainee has to add some visible value to the field of expertise.

Source:https://hbr.org/2015/04/how-to-build-expertise-in-a-new-field?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Uploaded Date:21 February 2020