Leaderboard

Having been a trainer in leadership for the last 20 years, a visiting faculty in leadership related behavior at organizations like the IIM and ISB, having consulted and coached in over 20 countries in Asia and Africa, also heading my own organization and having a business degree from IIM Calcutta I do believe I have a grip on what leaders need to have in the new era which is coming up birthed through covid, but already popular through terms like the VUCA era. It becomes imperative that organizations need both left brain and right brain leaders who can manage in these troubled times and lead organizations through the shoals of uncertainty and volatility. let’s get down to the list and see why these may be the key skills all leaders need to build What will your second career in the Gig economy world look like Motivate Others And Building High Performing Teams Analytics Skills Emotional Intelligence Digital Intelligence And Technology Skills Innovation And Design Thinking

HR and the Innovation Process Five ways in which HR can influence innovation One of key values which enable a company or product to stay ahead in the market is innovation. Innovation is vital for not only differentiating products and services in the market, but it also a catalyst for true culture of value creation in any organization. How could HR pitch in to drive Innovation? Some ways in which HR processes could drive innovation is described below. Rewards & Recognition The aspect needs to take Innovation as a key indicator of performance. Promoting innovation could be ingrained into the goals and thereafter in the annual rewards mechanism. Innovative ideas need to be promptly recognized as it occurs by formal appreciations to the employee. PMS Innovation could be a key competency requirement for PMS. This aspect needs to be embedded in the short- and long-term goals of the staff. Innovation specific projects need to be part of goal setting planned by line and functional managers. An act of innovation could be recorded and spelt out in performance ratings and incorporated into the formats. Recruitment Innovation is a competency very difficult to assess in shorter framework of interviews. A BEI could give some insights about the innovative mindset. However, these qualities can be assessed effectively with in basket exercises and roleplays during assessment centers. An innovative mindset could be a vital requirement for certain type of job roles and start up organizations. These could be earmarked a key competency to look for during recruitment processes in certain high potential roles. L&D Innovation is a vital change agent for businesses willing to create a mark in the market. It very important hence to keep this as a competency to work for in the IDP plans across functions and verticals. This need is to be hence developed and promoted through a training methodology which can bring innovation as a measurable output. Culture and Engagement Tracking innovation within large organizations become cumbersome until and unless, it is in the DNA of the organization. Innovation is a value proposition and should hence be part of the vision and mission statements. An innovative culture drives the process across various levels making it easier to develop and obtain innovation to grassroot levels. To summarize, Innovation is not a standalone value that could be done at a functional or team level. This needs to be ingrained in the organizational processes and products.HR has a key role to play in promoting Innovation by getting the right talent, nurturing it, and also rewarding the deserving employees who have the innovative mindset. Lt Col R Sudhir (Retd) Life , Executive and Career Coach