Reflections: the stoic way!

I have seen companies struggling define their values. They struggle because they do not know who these values are for and who has to live these values. How having values helps, what is the cost of maintaining and managing values, what are the consequences of having values defined and not lived.Simply put values are created, recognized, and reflected in everyday life. They are not special effects! They are not oath, they are not passive artifacts. They remind us subtly when we ignore them.  We also find it hard to understand whether values are “what we do”, “What we believe we do”, “Are they personal values, work values, delivery values, client values, employee values, community values? Not sure how many values? Are they promises? Are they commitments? They are all but “Core Values” are very few and they reflect encompassing what all we do, everyday with everyone, for everyone. If we look at McKinsey values, they will sound perfect for any services organization that...

Some Thoughts On The ‘ Reward & Recognition ’ Program  Mrinal Krant, Director-Human Resources, Foresight Group, India Recognition is a basic human need. From the research on people’s needs and performance drivers, works of Maslow, Herzberg, Herb Kelleher, Jack Welch, David Cooperider and Vineet Nayar, gravitated around ‘people’. People have always surprised researchers and business leaders alike; on “what people really want and what motivates them?” While ‘complexity’ of motivational factors and people’s responses to such stimuli will remain a mystery, it is proven fact, that, ‘right intentions’ work, programs may fail!  I like the word that a leader uses for ‘appraisal’; “sense of purpose”. Together with ‘sense of purpose’ and ‘right intentions’ can we not create a ‘portfolio’ mind-set for rewards & recognition? I used ‘portfolio’ as ‘pragmatically’ (using another leader’s word from an appraisal discussion) as senior management would look for the ROI in investme...