Networking or Not Working?

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Social networking

Social networks are an integral part of our daily lives. But here is a view that should set you thinking.

Are you spending too much time on social networking? Lissa LaMotta writes of “The Dangers of Being Too Social”.

She writes: Before you’ve realized it, you’ve torched hours “networking” when you should have been plain old working. Free, addictive and multiplying like rabbits, online social networks help people stay connected with those they know and spark relationships with those they don’t–including customers, suppliers, partners and advisers.

The article is a good commentary on today’s trend to “connect” with people on the net. I liked the bit about “costing” your time spent on such networks.

My take is:

• Network by all means but let it not become a top priority
• Set aside some time each day for this rather than being “available on-line” 24/7
• There are social networks and social networks and more social networks….choose those networks which give you value and focus on one such instead of signing on for too many indiscriminately

While you are scrambling to join more networks, what have you gained from your existing ones?

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Why Do People Change Jobs?

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Employee Satisfaction, Factors for attrition

Every one of India’s tech companies wrestles with issues of attrition amongst employees. But why do India’s IT people change jobs?

A survey published by Dataquest-IDC of the Best Employers for 2007 has these as the top 10 reasons:

1. Salary & compensation: also the top ranking factor in 2006, although the percentage giving it Rank 1 has fallen somewhat.
2. Overseas opportunity: Replaces “Growth opportunities” as No.2. But people look for relatively shorter duration assignments abroad.
3. Growth opportunity/career development: Fallen from No. 2 last year.
4. Location: Considered more important than last year but in the same rank- No. 4.
5. Technology one is working on: Pretty much same as last year.
6. Job content: Same rank as last year with a lesser % just like “Technology”
7. Perks & Benefits Same rank as last year with a much lesser %
8. Flexibility with office hours/balancing of social life: Same rank as last year with a lesser %
9. Appraisal system: Pretty much same as last year.
10. Company image: Pretty much same as last year

Interestingly, amongst the factors ranked lower, job security climbed to rank 11 from 14; Interpersonal relations fell to rank 16 from rank 13 last year.

So folks, not much has changed. The challenge continues for managements . To increase the intrinsic motivators (like the work itself, recognition and work challenges ) to off set the clamor for compensation and overseas opportunities.

Ask – Before You Jump to Conclusions

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A Step A Day, Communication

Navin was awfully tense. He had managed to get his two kids to school with the greatest of difficulty. His wife generally took care of getting them ready every day but she had had to leave town the previous night. She had flown off to another city due a medical emergency for her father during the night.

The call had come late that evening. Then followed the hurried packing, the rushing for tickets, the flurry of calls back and forth, the dash to the airport, the explanation to the kids who couldn’t understand why their routines had been jerked like this. He would have to cope for at least a week.

Fighting the morning traffic he managed to reach his office. He knew he was already late for a meeting scheduled with his boss but he hoped his boss would understand.

“There you are” boomed his boss as Navin walked towards his cubicle. “Late as always. Why do you come at all? Have you no sense of responsibility? I was waiting for you for 30 minutes. Can’t you be on time even for my meeting?” Heads turned, almost every one in the large hall was distracted by the booming voice of the Boss fading away as he called Navin into his office.

“Irresponsible” he said “Most unexpected of you to make me wait like this. Careless and inconsiderate”.

Navin had had enough. “Let me explain” he said in a calm but firm voice. “You don’t know what I have been through for the last 24 hours. Many in my position may not have come at all. Please listen to all that I have to say.”

He went on to explain the circumstances why he could not come on time. On hearing his story, the Boss realized his mistake. He told Navin he now understood what had happened.

The Boss could have saved himself, and Navin, considerable embarrassment by first seeking to find out what had happened. Instead of jumping to conclusions.

He could have asked in many ways, for example:

“Is there any reason why you were late?”
“Why couldn’t you come as scheduled?”
“How come you kept me waiting?”
“How did you miss our appointment?”

Often we don’t ask. We give vent to our feelings without finding out the facts. It is better to find out more information before jumping to conclusions. For effective communication,
“Questions first, statements later” is a good practice to follow.

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Mike Chitty on Feedback & Coaching

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coaching, Feedback

I am not sure how many readers go through all the comments following a post.

Behaviour based feedback should be the first step in the development process and precede coaching says Mike Chitty, owner of Realise Development.

I thought Mike’s comment on my post on “A Coaching Model” should be reproduced in full:

“Great post Prem.

I hope I can add something from my experience in training managers to coach.

I think that often there are much more effective and efficient ways to help people learn than coaching and these should always be tried before coaching is used.

I try to get all the managers I work with to coach all team members on goal based coaching contracts all the time! This builds the ability of the team to be way more productive and more efficient. But coaching is only used when other simple techniques like feedback have failed to produce the desired results.

Helping managers to be specific about the behaviours they are trying to develop is always the starting point for me. I ask what kind of things they wish they could develop people on. Typical responses are things like to…’Show more initiative’ or ‘Be more of a team player’ or ‘Be more confident/assertive’ etc.

I then encourage them to think through what specific behaviours they have seen that lead them to think that this is an area that an individual needs to develop? Many managers struggle with this step. They have to spend some time watching people to figure out what it is that they are doing, or not doing, that leads to the diagnosis.

Once they are clear on the behaviours that are to be the focus of development I ask managers whether they have ever given feedback about them to the individual concerned. Usually the answer is no! This is a real missed opportunity because the simple use of consistent adjusting feedback (by a manager who is good at using both adjusting and affirming feedback) will often get results much more quickly and cost effectively than coaching.

If feedback does not work we then move onto goal based coaching.”

Thanks, Mike, for this perspective.