End of WFH...this is real! Why companies don't trust employees on WFH mode!

Flexing It® recently predicted that Global WFH experiment leads to permanent shifts towards remote, flexible and freelance talent across sectors, BUT very soon we saw the bellwethers dragging their feet on their earlier hubris on future of workplace! What led this quick collapse of this belief in "work is not about workplace"! "Remote is the future"! and such clairvoyance!

Jennifer Christie (see her comment in the picture below) saw it coming and made the right decision to move to DocuSign or Bolt! She is a visionary! Is DocuSign all remote or hybrid now?
Chandrika Pasricha, how do you see this 100% back to office fiat impacting gig worker's and gig platform's (including Flexing It®) prospects?

Ref: Perspectives | The Impact of COVID-19 on the Professional Gig Economy (flexingit.com)

NRN loves making controversial statements: 70-hour work week is a new prick.!

He is right! Let's focus on key questions:

Can our system support high productivity (aka 70-hour workweek aka Work your A$$ off)) call? Is reward proportional? Do you trust your leaders to commit to this grind?

NRN says; after WW2, both Japan and Germany slogged as a nation, and they became world's most powerful economies.
--Mohan Das Pai slogged as a committed CFO and CHRO for Infosys for decades at peak productivity and as a leadership powerhouse, he took company to glorious heights, did he get his cherished CEO role at Infosys? No. So, what did he do after waiting too long? Quit! -SYSTEM DIDN'T SUPPORT! Leadership's double standards exposed.
--During WFH, most managers agreed that staff worked at 30 to 50% higher productivity, if compared against pre-covid in-office productivity! Here, productivity simply means, what you get done and how soon, not necessarily how much! Soon after Covid vanished, people were asked to be back to work. Productivity back to 70% of the WFH time (blame commute, office distractions, useless meetings etc.)- TCS made tall talk that even after Covid restrictions are over, they would have 75% staff WFH! SYSTEM DIDN'T SUPPORT! Leadership's double standards exposed.
--Mohandas Pai was the most vocal critic of IT Service major's apathy towards freshers' salary at campus offers, which he said, was constantly at ~3 lacs Per Annum for past 7 years..Again, SYSTEM DIDN'T SUPPORT! Leadership's double standards exposed.

NRN sir and everyone, who agrees with NRN, if we want to be like Japan and Germany, let's start with their commitments as leaders and bellwethers!
We have come long way from the bean-counter era!
It's time to talk about smart work, smart tech, smart workplaces, smart work influencers (not our sedated managers, aka the working dead as per this Perceptyx report- MUST READ-https://lnkd.in/gp73V-wz)
Let's change the system and let's stay integral to our words as leaders, productivity will be world-class in less than 40 hours work week.
Time to Work On Work?

Find the Villain: But wait, who's the judge?

 Sample this and find the villain!

You hired from campuses (from various engineering schools), remotely in most cases, used proctored tests and follow up interviews, etc. Out of 700 students, who passed tests, came on board, after, 6 months in the job/training, were given the same online proctored test and 540 failed miserably.
This analytics company was shell shocked!
In my home state Bihar, there is a saying: अप्पन हारल, और जोरू के मारल, कोई नहीं कहता है !  (Translation: Everyone conveniently hides one's own failures and beating by the wife.).

But like in the on-act play (एकांकी ) by Bhartendu Harishschandra : "Andher Nagri" , if the goat had died, king must find the culprit and justice must be done!
So, culprit was found (No RCA, No investigations, No investigating team, No fact finding committee, etc. ) Culprit was identified: The third-party test platform who provided the "Proctored" test platform for ~25 cents per test including "proctoring " services that they themselves bought from another service provider. No court, no jury, no attorney, verdict was pronounced by the Hangman! Test provider company failed. The whole campus hiring team who actually failed to even review the proctored videos and released offer and joining letters, were given clean chit! 

Test videos, when investigated by the third-party company, found that, test givers (Company) did not even review those videos, where candidates did all fake things, impersonation, group of folks taking test, use of all possible unfair means, etc.

Campus hiring team abstained from doing their BASIC task of reviewing test videos of candidates. Caeser's wives are everywhere.

इसे कहते हैं; अंधेर नगरी चौपट राजा, टके सेर भाजी, टके सेर खाजा ! 
This also reminds of the typical Corporate's Ant Story!/
Disclaimer: No holy Cow, aka Campus hiring Leadership team was harmed in this process.
This story above is an act of fiction. Characters are fictional too and have no semblance with anyone living or dead!

BOOK REVIEW- चारागरچارہ گر-Manish Srivastava's second book (MIDNIGHT JOURNEY OF A SEED-Pathways to Resilience In the face of a Pandemic

 

Manish Srivastava's second book (MIDNIGHT JOURNEY OF A SEED-Pathways to Resilience In the face of a Pandemic) hits stand, and I missed laying my hands on it, for a long time! Not this time, though. Ordered on Amazon and got it the next day! https://lnkd.in/gHw3xfEj

I know Manish for 20 years now! Having known him being a flat mate during the MBA days, living in an asbestos clad tenement in a place called Jawadi (a 'basti' in simple terms!) in Pune. 

Back to this book! As the name suggests, this poetic book has been consummated while traveling, mid in the night (between a bedroom and the kitchen, at times) during the Covid pandemic enforced lockdown in India. As evident and the premise to this book; Manish is pained by people's plight, the long march by the migrant workers to their villages from big cities, who disowned them overnight! Penniless, hungry, dehydrated barefoot worker's helplessness and Govt apathy combined made situation worse! 

It was a long, arduous, march to their villages, the only place left for them to fall back on! 

This migrant story is endless, and world history has evidenced it for centuries. Migration and reverse migration are phenomenon, that studied for a few decades or longer may earn you a Ph.D. or even a Nobel, but migrant workers remain a mere subject to the city's development, making a temporary dent to the demographics, as can be seen in the slums that inhabit them. 

Mumbai's largest slum, Dharavi has inspired lives and even the blockbuster movies like Slumdog Millionaire! 

Migrant workers brought several cities to life as an essential factor to development. India's BIMARU states have a lot more than the viruses to convert rubbles into monuments. But when Covid imposed total lockdown was imposed, no one needed that virus. There was an imported virus that took over all sentiments. Govt surrendered to this impending menace, knowing nothing except that lockdown is only way to break the chain of virus from killing all of us!

Manish goes back to the industrialization era, labor migration (read uprooting, as against seed's nature) and their systemic exploitation. Poet's nights are kaleidoscopic views into the theatre of people's plight. During midnights, he spins his tale of anthropological aspects of human evolution and migration (away from his roots, the only trusted source of nurturing him)

During the day, he faces modern day realities of Covid restrictions and sufferings, helplessness and rising levels of compassion among the underprivileged (bringing them closer to humanity) and depleting levels of patience among the privileged (Dubai, party haven amid pandemic, faces its biggest surge: 

Indian celebs moved to Dubai to continue with their annual vacation rituals as India was strictly under lockdown)! When workers sink, celebs surge! 

Back to the book: 😎

After 77 poems and living under the mandala of the printed poems, pasted around his bed, Manish travels a full cycle of self-healing, while establishing, renewing and reinforcing the anthropological connections to his roots. Connections of generations of human evolution and his war and peace with the struggle and exploitation in the name of capitalist led advancements, where migrant workers are only the fringe elements!
Whenever I read Manish, I feel like reading Munshi Premchand. Here something like the novel, "Godaan" by Premchand! 

Manish talks about family, spouse, child, friends, society (read strangers!) and he uses them as lenses to look at the societal connections and problems too. All through his journey, his seed (of humanity, human grit and perseverance, hope) survives, even when trudged through the parched lands to the concrete crevices. 

Relax, here is the disclaimer; this book is not only about sinking feelings but one of resurgent hope and belief of a brighter tomorrow. 

Yes, at times, you find the family man, poet, the incessant warrior, open his arms and his lady love sinking her head in the warmth of his chest! 

This book is a consuming song of the soul! I urge you to read it, soak into it to acknowledge various emotions that you experience...that's your therapy!

Thank you, Manish, for being the Chaaragar (चारागरچارہ گر)! 

For learning to flourish and drive value for the nation, please ignore HRD managers.

Prof TV Rao, if we ignore those universities and colleges, that are run by industrialists, media houses and career politicians or those paddy field colleges, or those, which are designed to grab land, we have innovation centers and COEs galore at IITs, IIMs. Last year, IIM Indore got a Grant of Rs. 19.95 Crores to Establish CoE! IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not for profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of IIM Calcutta to promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation. IM, Ahmedabad–IDEA Cellular and IIT, Kharagpur–Vodafone Essar have set up Telecom Centers of Excellence long back. IIT B, D, Kgp, M, etc. Have several Innovation centered CoEs running.

For all this to flourish and drive value for the nation, please ignore HRD managers.
Grownups should not depend on HRD for their learning in this modern world, where learning is available. 24/7 for free.
If you remember, Ram Charan's HBR article "Time to Split HR" /https://lnkd.in/g-CDxXKe ! which led to HR community in deep shock and their morale could only be revived when Josh Bersin wrote a leveler to settle the ruffled HR sentiments.
HR has its own existential crisis, and it will remain so as it is not a core business function!
As you rightly said, education is personal responsivity, as critical as hygiene and health. Every leader must embrace, the ever-evolving, quintessential trait called, HR-LO (HR-Leadership Organization, the term given for the other expandable HR offering in his article, as mentioned above).
Let's make learning a priority, not HRD...Let's make learning the game changer not HRD!
HR -LO is a trait, not a department's' preserve!

Disparity is, 'coz you choose to ignore your responsibility

3.5 Crore people watched India Pakistan Men's World Cup cricket match on Sunday on Disney+ Hotstar.

While the number was 32 Lakh on same app,  in 2020 when India Pak women clashed in Women's World Cup cricket.

Does anyone know what's the gender split of the viewers here?

Out of 130000 people in Narendra Modi stadium for the Sunday's match, what percentage would be women spectators?

Tom Peters and Jordan Peterson mention that 70 to 80 percent decisions of spending is made by or largely made by women!

Women footballers make 25 cents to their male counterparts in WC matches... We expect equal pay for women. Are women in anyways responsible for this disparity?

Or, should only men feel sorry for their choices (you call it biases as convenient)?  

If you ever cared about the DEI: PR, Parade and the rainbows, real actions missing..!

To all those companies, whose 90% HR folks have identified with one or the other gender identities on LinkedIn and to you, who celebrated, 'Gay pride' and 'lesbian rights' during the diversity month by drenching your company logos into the rainbow shade! Here are a few humbling Qs for you and the woke leadership team!

1. Do you have gender neutral toilets in your office?

2. How many open gays you have identified and have started projecting them as symbols of freedom from constraints or heterosexuality?

3. Have you made your Sexual Harassment policy gender neutral and coached people on the new liberal norms?

4. Are you still having a Woman as your #ICC Chairperson? Have a Gay there or a Transgender?

5. Did you have a survey of folks who didn't identify as He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, etc. for their identities (#LGBTQIA+). Make it an inclusive place with open identities.

6. Like Accenture (Indian subsidiary included), how many of you are funding Gender-Affirmation surgeries to your staff?

7. How many of you have revised your leave policies and allowed transgender men their maternity leave of 26 weeks?

8. How many of you have covered same sex partners as spouses under your Group Medical Insurance policies, etc.?

....the list in endless but above Qs shall keep you honest to your DEIB agenda!

#ForEmployeesNotWoke #GetReal,

WiseWaters Inc-What shall it offer?

Unlock Your Potential with WiseWaters | WiseWaters

What do the uber successful retired HR professionals do?

What are their unmet desires? What regrets they have? What are some of their stories that they never told anyone as employment terms and professional circle commitments deterred their urge? 

Why staffing and executive search and regular talent placements still make the most of money in HR services space? 
Content development, communication partnering, Corporate Communication services?

Media back-office, researching reflecting and developing contemporary communication trends for industry, ESG? This may include, surveys, opinion polls, primary market research, etc.

What will WiseWaters do?

Policy Watchdog, Leading Industry Clairvoyance, School for CXOs Masterclasses to personalized mentoring & Image consulting?

As Cambridge Analytica does

As Zinnov does? 

As Pegasus of Israel does

As Mossad does? As Hamas Hezbollah does?

As Alt News/Newslaundry does? The factcheck on HR and people and policies and HR leaders and their masterstrokes or shenanigans?

Or like Tweak India? 

Where do we sit in in terms of our ideology? Left, Right, left of right, etc.?

How do we see Woke in organizations? 

How do we see DEIB and ESG? 

How do we see media affecting HR and org policies?

How HR/Org Culture ideologue (GPTWs, Best Place to Work, Fortune, Forbes, Catalyst, SHRM, Avatar, etc. People Matters, etc.) influence HR and org ideologies.

How do people like Josh Bersin, Dave Ulrich, Ram Charan, Gary Hamel, Laszlo Bock, Amy Edmondson, Simon Sinek, etc. influence Org policies and shape/influence leadership's vision and beliefs, for good or bad?

What tones do Musks and Nadella's and Benioff's, set for organizations that impact it' people decisions? 

Who sets HR's benchmarks and are there certain watershed moments that decide the trends?

What roles do people like Mark Manson's, Paul Bloom's, Jim Clifton's have/had in highlighting the fault-lines or leaders, originations and people in particular towards behaviors that impacted relationships between worker and work, worker and policies, layoffs, remote, worker and employer, worker and manager, worker and orgs, worker and policies or organization's idiosyncrasies? 

Will WiseWaters be the R&D and Publishing organization like Tracxn is for start-ups and investors?

Will we cover HR tech start-ups like YourStory media? Maybe we will go global to the hotpots of HR-Tech startups. 

Will WWs feature universities, academia on HR research? Any long-term tie-ups here? 

Will WWs review HR products and platforms, tools, tech companies, etc.?

Companies have followed rise and fall of tech and companies but never followed people who led them to success/failures... WWs shall follow the career of top 100 HR leaders in the region/global and attribute their role to success/failure or being indifferent. 

HR awards shall be for the change makers, irrespective of industry, org nature, level of staff etc. 

Publish annual calendar of HR kshatraps who changed the people-org relationships paradigm. Coffee-table book! 

Run Campaigns like "Rate your CHRO"! Like rate your MP? Another campaign like, which CHRO will be the CEO? Ask people to rate their CHRO fin their run for the CEO! 

WWs will work with Glassdoor's and Indeed's of the world for employee feedback platforms. Bring Industry specific, top 10 leaders reports for Best Rated Vs the Worst Rated CEOs and their companies. Interestingly on Glassdoor etc, there is no CHRO approval rating? WWs will bring that up!

Research Review and Rate (RRR) Aon, Willis Tower Watson, HCMs, LMSs, ATSs and other HR consulting firms ...Annual reports! 

Research Review and Rate, SHL, Gallup, Hogan, etc..Annual reports! 

RRR, latest tech trends impacting work and worker! 

Is Employee Experience (EX), the new Employee Engagement (EE) in HR?

 Like DEI and ESG in the corporate, we have Employee Experience (EX) and Employee Engagement (EE) in HR, as some fancy things that are peddled through expensive conclaves and fireside chats, keynote addresses, roundtables, awards (this is on purpose) and the likes!

EX is new EE, which was earlier called employer loyalty!
HR for a few decades took the role of the employee messiah, donning the EE mantle, but couldn't see any noticeable change in people's commitments to their purpose, org strategy/vision and the ecosystem where they operated.
Then came EX and this time with a clear power and accountability shift to the CEO! All for good as he has the power, voice, money to ensure, people have been equipped with right set of information, resources, mandates and someone has their back. The biggest next hurdle to the EX, after HR has been the managers (the middle layer) and Google knew it after their much-celebrated experiments called hashtag#ProjectOxygen and the hashtag#ProjectAristotle!
EE or EX are fundamentally not strategies or policy matters; they are simply Call-to-Action, after equipping staff and leaders with the roadmap!
EE or EX are not tools or techniques, so don't try to train folks on these intelligences! They are like Cognition or IQ, not EQ (Performative Empathy you said?)
Check this book by Paul Bloom: Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, by Paul Bloom
Listen to Paul here- https://lnkd.in/gXZdreqy

Let's get genuine with people!

hashtag#AgainstWokeForPeople