Chitralekha Singh

Musings BETWEEN Meetings - Ep 5 Su: “Let’s talk about CONFLICT MANAGEMENT ! It's a need felt in almost all Group Coaching sessions and Leadership Profiling exercises that we do. You have been teaching it at TISS, and in public workshops for managers for more than a decade..." Vi: "Yes the course at TISS was called Managing Conflicts + ‘Building Relationships’. I am not sure about what students learnt from it, but teaching the course has been a big learning experience for me!" Su: “For someone with 30 years of working on Union-Management disputes, how did teaching the course for others become a LEARNING experience (for you)?” Vi: “I asked the students two questions. Q1 ‘Describe a conflict in which you were involved’. Q2 ‘Describe how you contributed to the conflict.’  Whenever I face a conflict now, I ask myself how I have contributed to it. The answers could be unnerving. This gave me many insights about both Managing Conflicts and Building Relationships”. Su: “Oh yes, we contribute to conflicts by our actions or words. 'Who we are shapes the roles we play and the roles we play shape who we eventually become!' Reflection creates learning and self-awareness.” Vi: “True. I had one rule – every year I introduced something new or dropped something which did not fit into my teaching scheme. This called for experimentation, and it threw me off guard and made me feel insecure. When you are insecure, your self-awareness zooms up!” Su: “That’s true. Making oneself insecure is scary, it does not come easy ..!” Vi: “I experimented with using case studies and conducted role plays even though I was not trained on how to use them. While facilitating them, I felt very insecure, because any ‘failure’ would mean a loss of face in front of my students. However, by putting myself in such situations I found that my senses became very sharp. It allowed me to pick up on feedback and deliver better. I learnt that - I do not learn unless I make myself UNCOMFORTABLE”. Su: “We learn when we are a bit insecure and when review our work. Both increase ‘SELF-AWARENESS,’ the ultimate Guru.!  Oh, but wait, 'Yeh dil mange more’ on managing Conflicts and Building Relations’. I have so many more questions to ask. Let’s have another coffee and jump right in?” Vi: “Ha, ha Yes!” #ConflictManagement #Reflection #Teaching #selfawareness with Vivek Patwardhan Tutul Consulting Hitakshi Sharma Venora Lobo Krishnan Vaidyanathan Anirudha Deshmukh Anurag Mishra Monty Khajanchi Sharad Gangal Vikas Shirodkar Swati Patwardhan (She/Her/Hers) Zubin Mulla Dr. Afsha Dokadia

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Working with MESHKI’s leadership team over the last 6 months has been a dream. They invest so much into their culture and team. Nat, Shadi and Ash create amazing opportunities for people to learn and develop. ✨ Last week, at their strategy retreat we did a session on all about leadership growth. It was self reflective, challenging and real. I love seeing people managers turn aha moments into action. BEST EVER. 🥹 #leadership #culture #HR

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Birthday Wishes: I am overwhelmed with the stream of wishes ( still it is continuing ) wishing me many happy returns of the day. I am one who believes in individually thanking each one of you. I have worked in senior positions in four different organizations. Receiving stream of visitors on birthdays and participating in birthday celebrations hosted by different departments/units/locations was part of professional compulsions (including hosting). Getting so much of wishes from ex colleagues, client organizations, well wishers and some professionals trained by me in different locations ( 980+ programs and therefore approximately 25000 trainees), College/School friends, relatives and prospective clients. is really encouraging. My family members want me to hang up my boots but I have decided to take a fresh guard for my onward training journey. Due to personal life exigencies, I am shuttling between Chennai & Mumbai quite frequently. Some times, it becomes a blessing in disguise not only to my clients in Chennai/Mumbai but also to Bangalore/Hosur and Hyderabad clients. 40+ years of experience is a boon, especially in disseminating my experience by way of practical solutions to complex questions raised during/after the training programs. Now the demand is increasing for our special programs like "Dealing with Ambiguity", "Managerial Courage", "Organizational Agility" and "Dream Team" Programs when compared to vanilla programs on Team, Leadership, Communication, Decision Making etc., My guarantee for effectiveness of training programs is not because of audacity of our long experience but because of our willingness for continuous learning. Many a times after the training program, I used to hear, "Have you worked in our Organization, any time?". it is an acknowledgement of our focus on "Relevance" and Business Process related examples during interactive training programs. If any one of you have missed my "thanks message" in your personal windows, please take this message as as an individual acknowledgement. THANKS A LOT, ONCE AGAIN and compliments from Manthras training Consultants, Sridharan Mahadevan www.manthras.net

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I had completed my first book on HR Analytics in 2016, along with Kuldeep Singh. It was a book intended to share our perspectives on how to leverage the (then) emerging field of HR analytics. The book had acted as a primer to the topic for many HR professionals and in the process has become one of the top rated HR books on Amazon. ( 138 ratings and 4.6). Another subject where I thought my perspectives could be of use was at the intersection of organizational strategy and HR actions. This is based on my realisation that after ten years of working, I was quite conversant with my function but lacked the means to align that to what the business wants to do. When you are in the battle, the larger picture isn't readily visible. Only when you are able to reflect and synthesise you get an elevated view of the ground reality. So I decided to give a format and framework to these learnings so that the emerging HR professional can accelerate their journey to effectiveness. Somnath Baishya, a still serving senior executive brought in contemporary perspectives as the co-author. While I started working in 1991, Somnath started in 1997. Between us we have worked in manufacturing, services, products. Indian as well as GCCs. The journey started when Indian GDP was 250 billion $ and spans the growth to 5 trillion $. I am sure these perspectives would help those navigating the growth from 5 trillion to 10 trillion $! Will be sharing more details in time. But for now, the book is available for ordering on Amazon. Special thanks to Anand Narasimhan,Pavan Bhatia Vasanthi Srinivasan,Akash Agrawal Anurag Shrivastava for their valuable inputs. Manisha Mathews for helping us navigate through these years.

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Have you experienced what Nick Black is talking about here? Meeting people where the connection is like great music. Working in London with the two awesome founders Jules Robertson and 🌻 Laura Beales are just like that! When collaborating with others the greatest results happens when people feel connected. And it can actually be measured in an Interaction Analysis. This analysis provides interesting insights in how a team's connection between the team members are and how it will impact the results. You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/dCj4btk6 #peopleconnection #teamdevelopment #outstandingresults

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Along with my colleague Bhaskar Das, I facilitated a client workshop with their top team. The HR head is a keen OD practitioner as well, and was (as per his note) learning from us along the way. Facilitation skills are learnt over time and each of us need to develop our own style. But some core concepts are useful to remember. At Think Talent Services, we tend to use some principles in facilitation, as in much of our Talent Management work. 1. The Carl Roger's philosophy : Help the helpee help themselves. (Our translation: Any individual or team must set their own agenda and actions, and work through the path themselves, with some nudges and insights from facilitators) 2. The Flow Model : Happiness comes from a deep immersion in one's work and challenges, and should be in the zone of stretch capability. (Our translation: The individual's or team's capability is a key ingredient in the equation of optimal performance, and must be examined with an clinical eye of external facilitators. There is no point in taking any team down a garden path) 3. The facilitator must first think of the client and the effectiveness/outcome of their work than creating an impression of goodness only. (Our translation: Sometimes facilitators can get caught in their own worldview, survival needs and the need to be appreciated as a facilitator, and can lose the larger purpose) We work with many clients and have a pool of great facilitators who work as part of our extended team. They all have their own styles, akin to leadership. There is no one facilitation style, one has to learn to develop one's own style and be comfortable with it. Not all those who come across you as a facilitator will 'like' that style, and many will love it, and find it useful. So choosing one's own path as a facilitator and coach is key to effectiveness. Here is a video about different styles of "orchestrating". This is one of my favourites and has helped me learn a lot in working with teams, as a leader, and as a facilitator. #facilitation #leadership #topteams Saurav R Mohanty Supreet Malhotra Rustom Vesavevala Shivin Tikoo Bhaskar Das Joe Chacko https://lnkd.in/gK3iq9Wm

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Siddhartha Gupta appointed by Mercer as India President To know more about it read our full article here: https://lnkd.in/g9Nsh44Z . . . . #cionews #newsdesk #dailynews #trending #ExecutiveAppointment #LeadershipChange #Mercer #SiddharthaGupta #IndiaLeadership #CorporateLeadership #NewPresident #IndustryNews #HRConsulting #BusinessNews

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Reminder to self: People often ask me, have you ever failed on stage? How do you manage to always put up a great energetic session no matter what the size of audience is. I remember in 2018, I was on stage speaking to almost 600 people at an organisation’s annual conference. I was scheduled to speak for an hour and I was going through a rough emotional patch for an year or so. For the first and so far the last time in my career I couldnt connect to my audience at any level. Session was all over the place. And i finally left the stage and gave mic back in 40 minutes. I was heartbroken. Shattered. I drove myself all the way to murree from this venue and couldn’t believe what has just happened. I spent 3 days all by myself, figuring out what and how it could have happened. Fast forward, I came back to floor. Started all over and rest is history. Lesson here is: - We all have our bad days. But remember your overall average should be good - Dont be harsh on yourself and give yourself the leverage of being human and listen to your feelings - Take care of your physical and emotional health. No matter what industry you are in, these two will always keep you ahead in your game. - Setbacks are temporary but your response to them is what makes you a winner. This picture is from that session. But pictures don’t always tell you the true story. #LifeLesson #KeepMoving #IbraheemSays #BeingHuman #GOALTrainings

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Here is an article "How CEOs Can Thrive in Promoter-Led Biz Groups" by our Managing Director, R. Suresh. This article reflects decades of expertise in understanding and aligning leadership dynamics within family-run businesses and large conglomerates. As a seasoned professional with extensive experience in executive search since the early 1990s, Suresh masterfully distills key strategies for CEOs to navigate the unique challenges of promoter-led organizations. His insights in this article carry the weight of real-world application, making the piece both relatable and actionable for leaders aiming to foster trust, drive performance, and succeed in complex business environments. Happy reading. #INSISTCONSULTING #LEADERSHIP #CEO https://lnkd.in/gqRMpMHz

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Fostering a Growth Mindset to Achieve Organizational Development Goals in a recent interaction with #AsiaBusinessOutlook, Arunima Mohanty, Head HR, Sona Comstar shares her views on how leaders can effectively model and encourage a growth mindset among their teams to drive organizational development, some common barriers to fostering a growth mindset in organizations, and how can they be effectively overcome, and more. Read More: https://qrcd.org/79Fq #OrganizationalDevelopmentGoals #talentmanagement #leadershipdevelopment #learninganddevelopment

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Resilience: was the topic on which one LinkedIn user connected with me and shared that he runs a company that provides various inputs (Yoga, Motivational talks, Exercise, On-line and off-line programs, etc.) to organisations. As I was listening to him, I was assessing my own resilience and felt good that I did score well on that area. However, as I was about to share some aspect about fitness, when it struck me that I was not qualified to comment, as I would not call myself “fit” in terms of BMI. So, I renewed my efforts to get myself in the “Fit” category. (The picture below shows my today morning’s brisk walk distance and timing) So, why did I stop to comment? I heard a story long back that left a lasting impression on me. I am not sure if the story is true or not, but it is a good story, none the same. A woman and her young son had come to Gandhiji’s ashram. She complained about her child’s addiction to sugar and requested Gandhiji to tell her son him to stop eating so much of candies. Gandhiji listened to her and then asked her to come back in two weeks. After weeks when the woman and her son came back, Gandhiji politely told the little boy to stop eating sugar. The mother was surprised and asked Gandhiji why he did not advise the boy 2 weeks back? Gandhiji said that he too was very fond of sugar, and he had to first stop having it himself before being able to advise others. This story had a very deep impact on me and defined what integrity is. I love this story! It speaks to me about being honest with yourself and not telling others to do what you’re not doing yourself. Gandhi could have used his position to command the boy, and the boy would have listened. Yet he took on first giving up sugar himself and then spoke from this position of understanding and integrity. In organisational language it is “WALKING THE TALK” OR “LEAD BY EXAMPLE.” - It is easy to sermonise others, but do we first check – if we are doing this in our own life? It’s easy to see where others can improve. It’s harder to see if we need the same improvement. Walk the talk, don’t just talk the talk. In organisations, culture gets ingrained when the people see what the top is demonstrating. I once heard an interesting line, “I do not hear what you say, but I hear what I see” - We can’t use the authority we may have to demand behaviours that we yourself don’t do. That’s not leading. Instead, we need to master the behaviour, or at least be transparent in our commitment to get on top of it. No one likes being guided or led by a hypocrite! - We need to be honest about what we are doing well and be courageous in taking steps to improve this. Respect comes from these only. Interestingly the person who had connected with me via video chat, started smoking, hardly listened to me (hence did not understand what I was trying to say) & when I shared some feedback, he just disconnected. There went his resilience, which he preached and is preaching to others. #ShubThoughts

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#gigroup #changelives #morethanwork #sustainability #gigeconomy Equitable rewards strategy for gig workers in India is imperative. Glad to share that my views and thoughts on this topic have been published in an article in People Matters. The process of acknowledging the constant change, implementing the need for change, governance in implementation, and questioning the outcome to look for something better is crucial. Let's work towards creating a fair and just system for the new breed of working. #gigworkers #rewardsstrategy #gigworkforce #worldofwork #newbreedofworking #technology #automationatwork #humancapital Click on the link to read the full article; https://lnkd.in/g4f5RVSd Peoplematters Human Capital Magazine National HRD Network National HRD Network NHRDN KOLKATA CHAPTER Global HRD Network (GHRDN) HRTales Siliconindia SiliconIndia HR Sampark Alliance University Bangalore University Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad Christ University, Bangalore West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata HRKatha IASC SECTORSKILLCOUNCIL

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What it takes to make a leader? Some of the extra-ordinary leadership qualities of our very own Rata Tata: #1. Visionary Leadership #2. Integrity and Ethics #3. Social Responsibility #4. Innovation and Risk-taking #5. Global Perspective #6. Humility and Approachability #7. Long-Term Focus #8. Adaptability #9. Strong Decision-making #10. Mentorship and Development Personally his humility, the balance of not taking all his success to head makes him a true leader that has set high standards and legacy to inspire the entire humanity.

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In my latest hirewitheve.ai podcast, I spoke with Prashant Srivastava, CEO of W.E.-Matter . Previously President Group HR and People Excellence at Reliance Group and Partner at Aon Hewitt and a 1992 Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad graduate. In this conversation he shared the insights of HR transformative role in today's business landscape. His reflections on aligning leadership with high energy, the evolving of AI in business were compelling. Key take aways from the conversation: ✅ Engaging people, creating employee experience that is unparalleled, ensures that people deliver and engage customers and ensures that you have an edge over competition. ✅ Everyone wants to buy talent rather than build talent. But then you can’t blame employers because finally, they should have the money to pay. ✅ AI is hugely overhyped; there's a gap of about 20 years between what media is talking and what is being done. ✅ The tool is not replacing human beings, at least for the next 20, 30 years. It is enabling human beings. Apart from the above there are much more insights to look in the whole conversation. Listen to the complete conversation in the link mentioned in comment.

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If you want to listen something new on HR, Peopel Development and AI then do spend quick some minutes to learn watch this podcast

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Is this a sign of progress or merely a long-overdue adjustment? Over the past five years, remuneration for women independent directors at Nifty50 companies has doubled, outpacing the 1.7x increase for their male counterparts! Overall, independent director compensation has grown at a robust 11% CAGR from FY19 to FY24. Heavy manufacturing and IT sectors are leading the charge with top-tier pay, reflecting their global scale and diverse leadership. Shweta Rao Priyanka Cholera Ritvik Lukose Lee Ignatius Vahura https://lnkd.in/dfJQgmSG

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What is our book about? #1 Thought I will post every week on why Somnath Baishya and I chose to write the book we did and what were the questions faced. I had already co-authored a book on Analytics in HR. It happened even as analytics was evolving and was based on what I had experienced on the job. When seeing the book on Amazon, realised that there are not too many subject related books, that deliver globally applicable principles in an Indian voice. Whether researching or delivering a course, one is stuck by the absence of Indian examples, cases and stories. Everyone knows some anecdotes especially around the Tata Group but not much else. To some extent, it is cultural as well. We are not comfortable sharing our stories and the academia-industry-consulting-publishing link that exists in the US is simply absent here. Why is the Indian perspective important? I had started working just as economic liberalisation dawned on us. In 1991, Indian GDP was 270 billion $. The economy had grown by 1% ( Just from first level searches). By 2021, it has grown to 3.1 trillion $. Almost 9 times in 30 years. A key driver to this is the IT industry. In 1991, IT meant TCS,CMC plus a few companies indulging in what was known as body shopping. In 2021, IT industry alone earned almost as much revenues as the nation had done in 1991. From thousands, it employs millions now. Both of us had spent cumulatively more than 50 years in this period of economic growth of which 2/3rds was in IT ( and 1/3rd elsewhere too) So, we decided the book should be broad and bring a strategic perspective to talent management based on what we have seen. A perspective that would be relevant even as the existing HR professionals take the economy to the 3rd largest in the world and 5 trillion $ by end of the decade. Of course, many say strategy is immaterial in a VUCA/BANI ( choose whatever else!) world. Is it so? What is our view of strategy? More details next week #talent #strategy #HR

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