Needs v/s Wants

The Samaññaphala Sutta  (The Fruit of Contemplative/ homeless Life), from Digha Nikāya (The long discourses of the Buddha), the story goes as follows

Once King  Ajātasattu of Magadha asks the Buddha, “Can you lord, point out the benefit of a contemplative life here and now.”

The Buddha states the benefits of a contemplative life here and now with the elaborate sutta (salient features and benefits of leading a contemplative life are given below)

•     A man having restrained in body, speech, and thought in solitude earns respect than even a king or any other person of high stature.
•  This man is content with basic clothes (robes for monk) to cover his body, food for nutrition (not to entertain our taste buds), lodging, and medicines. A monk is content with what he has. Just as the bird with wings flies hither and thither, burdened by nothing but its wings, so he is satisfied.
• Preaches the dhamma (law of nature). Follows the nature, do not abuse nature. Hence nature also takes care of him.
•  A person who is perfected in morality in virtue, sees no danger from any side, He experiences a blameless bliss that comes from maintaining this Ariyan morality.
• The person is mindful and aware and hence is better able to understand the way of life and can deal with chaos.
•  A person who guards his sense doors (senses here, eyes – vision, ears- sound, nose – smell, tongue – taste, and body – touch), is not in control of the sense doors but controls the sense doors.
• The person takes no loan taken to satisfy his wants. And hence can live a life in peace.
•  Insight knowledge – That we live in ignorance (avijjā) and that everything is subject to change. He understands this not at just an intellectual level but also with experience. 

This sutta plays an important role especially in today’s turbulent times. If we now understand the difference between need and want, we can reap immense benefits.

We live in a world of materialism, brands, luxury, consumerism, spending habits, and status. Whatever is happening in the world today, has given us a fair chance to revisit our spending habits and patterns, and seriously think of our needs and wants. What may be a need for one maybe a want for others and vice versa. To know if a particular thing is a need or a want, one needs to be ‘brutally honest’.

https://4470618b-9730-48f6-b16a-48ea8c9b96f6.filesusr.com/ugd/10dc66_f1fb38a64bf2489693b1cf172ac9e998.pdf

Does Money Matter -COVID 19

COVID-19 is an eye-opener to all those who were ignorant or pretended to be ignorant of their behaviors. Interestingly, natural calamities or pandemics throw light on the dynamics of human behavior.

For ages, there has been a disparity between the developed countries and developing countries, rich and poor. Racism, religion, castism, gender bias, status, blame game, the I factor (ego), human exploitation, pay disparity, overconsumption of resources,  spending habits, and biased and convenient policies have always been a hindrance in the sustainable growth of any organization. The majority of the organizations have given undue importance to money, the revenues, the growth, the profits, and all this has come with a cost, ‘The human cost.’  

Does money help during such a crisis? If yes, to what extent and in which way?

Hats off to people who work, risk their lives (and their loved ones) and have done their bit for the larger cause of humanity. This skin in the game is vital. In the end, what mattered is the human element and the proof is for all to see.

COVID has made most of us think and introspect.

Key lessons:

• Money is not everything.
•  One can let go of the status.
• People can work from home and yet be productive.
• There is no competition.
• Cultivating empathy is possible.
• Realizing that it is fine to make mistakes.
• Work for the larger cause.
• There is no one to blame.
• It is not difficult to work on and let go of the addictions and habits.
• Not difficult to live a life of minimalism.
• The enemy is within (thoughts and actions).
• People can take 100% responsibility for their actions.
• Ego (self) is given too much importance.
• One can spend time with the family.
• Relax and introspect.
• All are equal in front of nature. Nature spares no one.  

HR and L&D professionals need to take a cue from this sad and unfortunate event and work on many aspects. First, the culture – a culture where people are important irrespective of the country, religion, and gender.  

Culture
Currently practiced	Needed
Bias in hiring and promotions	Talent recognition
Pay disparity	Work-based pay
Blame	Accountability
What is in for me	How will I contribute and use my talent
Terms and conditions	Transparency
Focusing on mistakes	Creating opportunities
Self-focused (ego-driven)	Focus on a larger cause
Money driven	Human element

Second, devise policies that are transparent, neutral and focus on the larger cause. Third, have skin in the game outlook where everyone is responsible for their decisions and its consequences. Fourth, the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) investments to be made in the areas that matter. Fifth, understanding what people actually do rather than being in the illusion about what they do. Fifth, knowing what really matters.

For this HR and L&D professionals need to be brutally honest and ask does money really matter?

Be safe

Sonali Wagle

HR and L&D - The Buddhism Way

Completed a course in Buddhism. I realize that this is way advanced than modern psychology. As an HR and L&D professional, few things come to my mind. 

• .       Sati – Mindfulness, in this era where multitasking is the key, how does one be mindful (thoughts and actions) of the task at hand.
• .       Byāpāda – Hostility, resentment, hate and, bitterness. This can be seen in teams, especially at the time of the appraisal.
• .        Thīna-middha – Dullness of the mind, inertia. This is reflected in the work that affects productivity at work.
• .        Issā – Jealousy. The most important factor in corporates. The thing to question is how one creates opportunities and allow the talent to grow. Thinking of the larger cause and contribution.
• .        Māna – Conceit, pride, to an extent ego. The concept of ‘I’. ‘I have done this’. How this can affect teamwork?
• .        Avijjā – Ignorance. Ignorance that ‘Change is the only constant.’ Not at the intellectual level but at the experimental level.

The challenge is how does one implement the same in one's life and at the workplace. I realize that being an HR professional, I need to work on myself first, then the team and then the organization. With so many types of personalities HR deals with, to maintain a balance is crucial. This is where HR and L&D play a crucial role. The key is to have systems and processes in place that work on the above-mentioned aspects. This is where the future is.

Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude

Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude!

In my mindfulness and leadership programs, I encourage participants to write a daily gratitude journal. I suggest three aspects to be a part of their gratitude

1.  An opportunity received
2.  An act of kindness they did
3.  Any action they did/ they received/ where they felt happy/ peaceful

Below is an example

• Grateful to have got an appointment with the client.
• Grateful to have got an opportunity to give a lift to a lady waiting for the bus.
• Grateful to my students to have wished me on Guru Poornima day.

 Science has proved that there are plenty of benefits of being in the gratitude zone. 
As one makes writing gratitude a habit they reap benefits such as

• The focus shifts from complaining, irritated, nagging, angry zone to a happy, peaceful, calm zone.
• One feels good about self.
• The brain becomes calmer.
• Improves self-esteem.
• Has health benefits.
• Improves sleep.
• Increases empathy.

Of course from an ROI angle, it reduces medical costs.

Grateful to be writing gratitude today.

With gratitude

Sonali

Can we measure behavioural programs?

Hi Friends

Of all the questions that we get, the most commonly asked question is can we measure behavioral programs? Many say, ‘we cannot measure behavioral programs.’

How many of you feel so?

We get calls to measure ‘mindfulness, empathy, and leadership programs’.

When we ask L&D, what does it mean by mindful? They are not able to frame it. So if we ourselves are not able to frame the meaning of mindfulness, how do we measure it?

What is required is an objective definition to prove the monetary impact of the programs.

Three things are needed in measurement and evaluation

1         .  Intent to measure

2         .    Know what to measure

3         .    How to measure

Rest follows.

After all, that is measured now was not measured a few decades earlier (blood tests, technology). Who would have imagined then, that such things also could be measured?

In the book ‘How to measure anything’, Douglas Hubbard gives methods to measure what many believe are immeasurable or not sure how to measure. He has used calibration estimates to check how much a person knows about a particular topic.

One does not need to know sophisticated methods or high-end statistics. Just need to start with an objective definition of what needs to be measured and believe that behavioral programs can be measured.

With Gratitude

Sonali Wagle

Does your training partner/ vendor give you the ROI?

Dear Colleagues

Many times companies call us and requests if we can conduct the training can also measure the effectiveness/ ROI?

Our answer is NO. We say either we will conduct the training or measure the effectiveness. It is like saying that I will teach, I will set the paper and also give marks.

However, that does not mean that training partners are not answerable when it comes to evaluation and ROI. Some of the things that a company needs to check before finalizing the training partner/ vendor. Below is a checklist to select training partners/ vendors

AREA	PARTICULARS	PROVIDES (YES/NO)
Knowledge and Skills	What modules to be covered
	The skills proficiency to be attained
	Tools to be used per module for application
	Level of ROI that can be attained per module
	Training material provided per module
	Does the training company conduct a training needs analysis and offer consultancy? If yes what are the rates?
	Will the vendor provide any coaching/ followup
Training Material	Prereading material per module
	Case studies and examples per module
	Training material module wise
Hours of Training	Duration of the course
	No. of training hours per module
	Minimum/ expected hours of attendance per training
	How many hours are you expected to spend on learning and assessment activities outside of formal attendance time?
	How and when will the assessment take place
	Will training and/ or assessment be undertaken in a real workplace
	What support services are provided? For eg. Support for those with language, literacy or numeracy difficulties.
Total Cost of the Fees	Are training costs based on the number of students or is there a set charge for a particular course?
	What are the specific costs associated with the provision of technical support, eg an annual cost or renewable subscription, a charge per PC being supported, charges based on the number of users, etc?
	Terms and conditions of payments (inclusions/ exclusions)
For Online Training Vendors	If the training or education provider offers some or all of the program
	online, make sure you ask the following questions:
	What are the technological requirements?
	What computer and software will be needed?
	What download speeds are required?
	What level of computer literacy is required of learners?
	Is there helpdesk support for technical issues?
	Is there trainer support for the course? When is this available?
	How will the assessment be conducted?
	How do you ensure that the person participating in online
	activities is the person enrolled in the course?
	Are there any additional fees?
Refund policy	Read Terms and conditions
ROI for the Training Expected (%)	To mention the ROI expected due to the training

             

2018 - Year of Research

Dear Friends

I dedicate the year 2018 to research. Research in the area of

•          Training needs analysis
•          Training evaluation
•          HR process benchmarking
•          Performance measurements
•          Assessment centers
•          Evaluation of HR processes and practices
•          HR analytics
•          Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR

Happy to share that, HR is playing an active role in the above areas with the Evaluation of HR, HR analytics, and AI slowly in the rise.

Below are some capabilities and competencies required by HR professionals to scale up in the above areas drawn from the various professionals interviewed from across the organizations.

•  The Vision that is aligned with the vision of the company

Align the vision of HR with the company CEO that includes profit, market share, new business growth, and company culture.

Once HR is able to close the gap between the company vision and the employee expectations, the direction is clear.

• .    The  evaluation and measurement

Peter Drucker said, “All that gets measured, gets done”. To implement evaluation and measurement metrics in place is the key. An evaluation that is transparent. Of course, this is also a part of company culture. Is HR measuring the training programs, processes, initiatives, and employee engagement programs? This will also position HR as a core department.

• .      Change in mindset 

Before changing the mindset of the employees, a critical question that HR can ask themselves is HR measuring the investment the company invests in an employee.  How can HR be more accountable?

• .      Understand the market

Can HR understand the market, the competition, do benchmark and research studies? Apply best practices? Identify and retain the talent.

• .      Empathy

After all, we are all humans and hence human element in whichever department we are – marketing, production, HR, purchase, finance, legal, we are dealing with humans. Can we empathize with our colleagues by understanding their problems, issues, challenges they face? So they become productive. Try to have employee friendly policies where productivity, equal opportunities, transparency, and work ethic is the norm.

6.   

•     Invest in Skill Development

Yes, companies do invest in people development. Are we investing in our skill development? Develop the skills required to be one step ahead of the industry. Creative thinking skills, Critical thinking skills, analytical skills, technical HR skills, HR analytics, softwares (SAP, SPSS, R), technology, basics of finance, basics of statistics, and most important develop a free will to listen to employees.

Happy New Year!

With Gratitude

Sonali Wagle

contactus@exponentialadvisory.co.in

wagle.sonali@gmail.com