11 HR Lessons to Learn From Lord Ganesha

1. Big Head of ‘Gajanana’ :  The God has a big head or Gajanana which means “Elephant Faced God” symbolizes to think big. As an HR & a representative of the Management we need to think differently, explore various options & come out with practical / viable solutions to every problem by analyzing the situations calmly.
2. Small Eyes of “Gajakarna” : The small and sharp eyes of Ganesha symbolize to have concentration. The functions of HR requires focus & concentration and one needs to think of all possible consequences to resolve the situation amicably as we are dealing with creatures of emotions. The devils are in the details. Prioritize the work according to their importance to gain the visibility of the Management.
3. Large Ears of “Lambakarna” : The large ears of “Lambakarna” which means “Large Eared Lord” and symbolizes to listen carefully and keep your ears open always. As an HR, you need to hear your people all the times. Listen by your mind and heart as unhappy, not so happy, happy people would like to pour their heart out on everything whether it is personal or official. Listen to them passionately, analyze / interpret and come out with concrete results.
4. Small Mouth of “Gajavaktra”  : At times it is said that actions speak better than words, but few wrong words may make bigger and a very wrong impression than your actions. Lord Ganesha’s small mouth reminds that one should think before they speak anything. As an HR, your words portray your personality, you need to listen more and talk less while handling people and their problems. Always be solution oriented whenever you are confronted with problems.
5. One Tusk of “Ekadanta” or “Ekadrishta” : Ganesha’s one tusk symbolizes that you should keep the good and throw the bad. As an HR, you need to practice the process / methodologies which are beneficial to the company by eliminating which are not so good. Initiate changes for better.
6. Trunk of “Vakratunda” :  Lord Ganesha’s trunk conveys that one should be highly adaptable and efficient to their surroundings. Even in unfavorable situations one should be patient and should not panic. As an HR you need to engage the employees efficiently by getting the best out of them consistently. This is an acid test for the department of HR in terms of its functioning. This action of yours shall determine as to how valuable you are for the company.
7. Large Stomach of “Lambodara” :  Ganesha”s big stomach conveys that one should be able to digest all good and bad phases of financial decisions. It is not always that the department of HR enjoys the good will of the company and its management. The department of HR will be remembered / recognized only when it diagnoses & dilutes problematic situations professionally within the laid down frame work of the company.
8. Right foot over left foot :  Ganesha keeps his right foot over left foot whenever he is seen in sitting posture. This posture symbolizes using knowledge and reason to overcome emotions. As a representative of HR, take action only after analyzing the situation / circumstances threadbare calmly, peacefully without any haste. Upgrade yourself regularly by reading Management books, enrolling for seminars & conferences and also interacting with successful HR Heads to get useful tips.
9. Axe : The lord of all Ganas (Gods), Ganesha holds an axe in one of his hands in order to shed off all the bonds and attachments. As an HR, perform your job professionally well. The decisions you take has to be devoid of all emotions and bonds. Being a Resource Manager, excel in handling men by putting in your expertize gathered in your Management Institutions.
10. Mouse at Akhuratha’s Feet :  “Moshak” or mouse is considered as Ganesha’s ride. Akhuratha means the lord who has mouse as his charioteer. In any organizational set up, the department of HR is given a great importance. This does not give the department and his men to ride high. You have be grounded at all the times by keeping your employees satisfied, management appraised and functional heads briefed. In other words, the rules, regulations, policies, procedures drawn by the management have to be applied logically by reasoning and not by emotions.
11. Modak and Prasada :  Modak is ganesha’s favorite sweet and it is served to the devotees as ‘prasada’. This symbolizes that one who does hard work and is patient always gets good rewards.

Source : Anonymous

A Pound of Butter

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker.

One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure.

The farmer replied, amour Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter.

If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

What is the moral of the story?

“ We get back in life what we give to others”

 Source : Anonymous

The 100th Monkey – A story about social change.

The Japanese monkey, Macaca Fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years.

In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkey liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.

An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.

This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.

Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes — the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice: A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea…Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes.

Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind.

Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people.

But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!

From the book “The Hundredth Monkey” by Ken Keyes, Jr. 

Leaders as Talent Strategists by Gyan Nagpal

CEO’s rate talent as the scarcest resource in business

• Hundreds of organisations still giving in to the temptation of quick fix & band – aid solutions rather than deep economic enquiry as the cornerstone of their talent agendas.
• PWC 17^th CEO Survey covering 1,344 CEO’s in 68 countries recognize the need to change their talent strategy with a majority 61% feeling like they haven’t even taken the first step
• 4 Steps to be taken to reboot talent agendas and transform them into commercial and forward looking talent strategy :

1. Discover your talent Recipe :
   1. Speed
   2. Cost
   3. Alliances
   4. Flow
   5. Flexibility
2. Diagnose :
   1. Micro Factors – Changing Employee Preferences
   2. Macro Factors – Demand & Supply of Capability
3. Refocus People Manager’s Role :
   1. Shift from Industrial Age to Knowledge Economy
   2. It is more about Capability Contribution across a network of sources
   3. Less hierarchical & More Democratic
4. Put Leaders in Driver’s Seat :
   1. Supply of Talent
   2. Networks of outsourced or Contingent Work
   3. Reskilling & Innovating                                                                                                                                                                                           Source : Published in Business Today 7th June 2015

Innovation

 

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Leadership

 

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