With new year… start your new life…

It doesn't matter what your intentions are or how high you set your goals; what you'll be remembered for is what you accomplish...  

After few hours, we will be in 2019, in a new year.. and this is my first blog in a new year. however what is the different in new year?… for nature it is same, for universe it is same… universe has completed just one lap…but everything will be same, except your thinking. Mentally we have accepted that with the change of year on the calendar,  something new is ahead…and we should think actually for something new. Celebration of new year is the ritual, but it should not be only the celebration or ritual… it should be the celebration of adopting something new; Changing something and being more matured and stronger. The way forward in  fulfilling your dreams.

Of course this is also the opportunity to change our outdated belief and habits. Do you welcome the change?

I know it is very difficult, but if you have a right attitude and faith on the power…power of this universe which has the ability to convert odd into opportunities…then accepting the change is very easy. For this flexibility is the key.

Another is to maintain a strong belief that no matter what happens, you will get through it. Know, deep in your heart of hearts,  that you are bigger and stronger than any outside force and circumstances.

If you look back and introspect, you will realized that everything what you did or achieved gave you a different experience and you came out from the odd situation. You achieve something because you can do it. You have already proved that you have lot of potential and you are ready to take new challenges in life.

Remember that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade…

Only one think you should do and that is, Promise… Promise to yourself…

Promise yourself, your family and the supreme power which believe that you will peruse the change you wish and the dream you have to the best of your ability.

You deserve to get what you dream and what you think…. But take actions… 

Wish you all a Happy New Year!

The missing link in PMS

Feedback on Password to Enriched Life by one of the reader

Buy Password to Enriched Life

Thank you very much for giving me a book “ Password To Enriched Life” Authored by Vinod Bidwaik and giving me an opportunity to read this “Panchtantra of life skills”

I related this book to PANCHTANTRA because it has real learning like Original Panchatantra. This book also gives important thoughts through small & meaningful stories. I like this book very much. It is useful to even in my day to day work as an Employee as well as Team Leader.

In Preface , book has been dedicated to Elders and Siblings, which is aligned with our country culture and teaching by Elders, we know this since childhood and also told in our Mythology books.

Almost all stories are amazing and push you to think again & again. It prompts you to look ahead for your own future. This books gives you an Enriched experience. Every story teaches you something different. It is like Elders or ‘Guru” giving you the insight about life.  This also gives you the PASSWORD of your happy life. Passwords are very important in our life, Passwords opens next door of opportunity & Treasure. 

This book too gives us new Treasure. It opens door of success. The story "Don’t underrate me Dad"  is a learning for each parent. Similarly “Other side Of Life” makes you realize that, many opportunities an life have been missed by us just because of ignorance or inattentiveness. “Everybody knows Syndrome" is again common thing you experience and you feel that this syndrome is very dangerous one and prone to many accidents like sharp curves on narrow road. “Joy of giving” is another good lesson to each one by each parent, Such lessons by parentage  are very important to each child to convert into responsible and matured citizen of the country. 

“Ramrao and Astrologer, teaches us, how we respond under phobia or fear & how we should respond to critical situations. 

“Salespersons in shopping Mall” teaches us, how should one have the empathy with each person, who are, directly or indirectly related with us. "Perspective” realizes, how we think only from one side and not with another perception, comprehensively. "Resolution of Following Resolution" is an eye opener, because we all are good only for new start and not maintaining the same in future.

In Marathi, It is ARAMBHSHOOR, Good for  everybody &even for start ups. 

"CHALATA HAI” again endorses our another dangerous syndrome, which kept our country DEVELOPING, for many decades. Even after having freedom 70 years, we are still ‘developing’, just due to this syndrome of ‘Chalata Hai’. 

"Self Awareness" stresses on own self power and WILLPOWER, for own development. As said in Bhagvatgita, it is duty of learned people that they must work for the development of the society. Without self development, they can't develop others. 

"Make your own Luck” again is motivating story for everyone.”What is the Source of your energy”  is personally useful for me.

I again thank you for giving me chance of reading this great book and, wish that, if possible I wish to gift this book each of my colleague and each team leader in my organization. I believe that whole organization will get benefited by reading this book.

Ajit Pelapkar

Future of Performace Management

My interview published

Future of Performance Management System

What is currently missing in the way overall employee performance is being managed?

Most of the times, the performance management system is just a ritual. This is because the missing part of the system is “purpose”. Manager and Employees have their own perceptions about the performance management system. Their “purpose” is to compensate their employees. Hence higher rating is always perceived for a higher merit increase. It is leader’s job to give the larger purpose to the system..i.e. it is not just for the merit increase but recognizing employee contribution and his development areas to be a better employee in the organization.

On the organizational level, this should be the integrity exercise not just to complete the process and run the yearly exercise.

Second missing point is the “relevance” of such systems to the current business scenario. The PMS system is established and very rarely it is reviewed periodically. Performance is always important, but the actual results are always considered rather than how these results are achieved. I am speaking about behaviors. Do we really consider the right behaviors and values while evaluating employees?

Third missing point is “the way it is conducted and communicated.” Are managers trained properly to give the right feedback? Are they giving the feedback based on the events and circumstances? It should not be an annual ritual. Performance Management System should be one of the milestones in the journey of the employee lifecycle.

Fourth missing point is misinterpreting performance to the potential. The general tendency is to identify the talent based on the performance instead of potential. Hence, I always advise delinking the performance management system. Compensation and identifying the talent based on performance.

Given that a company’s workforce now has a significant proportion of virtual and freelance workers, how should performance management include them?

I will suggest having regular business performance meetings, department performance meetings and then individual feedback sessions for team regularly. Business performance meetings can be monthly and quarterly individual feedback sessions. During such meetings focus should be on actual performance and peer learnings.

During periodical feedback sessions focus can be on “how” part on behaviors and development needs and employee should get the sense that managers are supporting them instead of identifying faults.

Managers need a lot of training on coaching, feedback giving and other aspects of performance management.

What are employees, managers, and decision-makers looking for to make performance management more effective?

I think it is about “expectations management”. Employees and managers including decision makers have their own expectations from each other. If you make these expectations clear, then effectiveness will be there. This can be done with more concrete goals (SMART-objectives), aligning goals to the common purpose of the organization and job purpose; Qualitative feedback about the job; and trying to put the expectations well documented.

Transparency and openness is the key to any effective performance management system.

What are some of the new things being introduced in Performance Management that are working/not working?

It is evolution. There is no rocket science. It should not be the copy paste system. It should be relevant and aligned with your business needs. Some trends are as under:

• There are companies who are eliminating the bell curve. Still, people are rated but not calibrated in force rating.
• There are companies who are focusing more on development discussions instead of KRAs and KPIs. KRAs and KPIs are still set up but these are not an integral part of the jobs now.
• Companies are delinking performance with the potential and running separate talent calibration sessions for identifying the talent, (HiPos, TiPos).
• Few companies have in fact total stopped the annual appraisals for a merit increase. Compensation is paid based on the matrix which is based on role, comp ratio with a certain percentage of appraisal rating.

If not periodic appraisals, then what & how?

The word” Appraisal” is not relevant today. It is an evaluation of the performance based on “what” (achievement) and “How” (behaviors, values, purpose). With this understanding, it can be any time as an organization deems fit. However, it should be the right time for the feedback.

I always suggest that you can have business performance reviews monthly and half-yearly formal feedback sessions with employees.

Informal feedback sessions and coaching sessions should be regular and this is one of the vital responsibility of people managers.

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Related Resources:

• Time to review your performance management system
• Compensation….Give me more…but why & how??
• Do you have your PDP, IDP?
• Feedback should not be like GSM