HRM for managers: launch of a learning guide

I am delighted to share some thoughts about my newly published sixth book, in fact, the fourth in English in addition to two science fiction stories in Sinhala. It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. 'HRM for Managers: A Learning Guide' is also such a dream.

The need to do a detailed learning guide on HRM had been a dream in me for a while. Having left a multinational career in HRM, over a decade ago, knowledge sharing as a teacher and a trainer has been a pivotal part of my professional life. Researching, supervising, coaching, consulting and leading have been the other vital roles that I play in my multi-dimensional career.

Transitioning from an electrical engineer to an 'engineer of hearts and minds' has been a key in influencing my thoughts and tasks. Having co-edited a volume of research articles titled, 'HR Challenge' with the late Prof. Sudaththa Ranasinghe, I wrote two books on HRM, 'Humane Results' and 'People Engineering'. 'HRM for Managers: A Learning Guide' is an extension of the endeavour of exploring and exchanging knowledge.

The seeds of this book are of twin origins. The first, by Group President, HR of Essar Group India, Adil Malia, talking on changing mental models as the HR's most important task at one of the annual conferences of the Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka. The second, by Prof. Uditha Liyanage, former director of the Postgraduate Institute of Management, addressing a group of senior managers of the Central Bank. Both spoke about several Gs of managing people, highlighting the need to go back to basics. Upon reflecting and reinforcing, I initiated the seven-G framework of HRM.

My seven Gs refer to means of reaping the best from people. They refer to goal, get, give, grow, glue, glow and guard.

Goal occupies the centre stage in setting the direction of the entire organization. It revolves around strategic intent, comprising vision, mission or aspiration whatever the terminology may be. Aligning the grooming of people with goals of the organization should be the right approach. There are numerous occasions where people are unclear about their top goals and priorities.

Get is all about getting the right people in. The hiring challenge looms large for organizations in diverse environments, mainly owing to a talent gap. "If you give peanuts, you get monkeys", goes the old saying. What you give to the person who came in, by way of reward and recognition is of utmost importance in the context of competition. Your competitor can grab your best talent by 'giving' more.

Grow refers to the need to build people. Training and development go hand in hand. The simple difference is that the former is for the current and the latter is for the future. In essence, training is to do something. Development is to be someone. Both are intertwined in such a way that training leads to development.

Glue comes next. I would associate the feature 'binding' with glue. This refers to the range of choices in retaining talent. Having developed the knowledge and skills of high performers of any organization, seeing them leaving is the last thing an organization would like to see.

Meaningful strategies for employee engagement also become relevant in this context. Devising mechanisms to appeal to 'head' (stimulating them intellectually) and 'heart' (stimulating them emotionally) of employees is the right way forward.

Having an employee suggestion scheme and aptly rewarding the most value-adding suggestion is one such example. Organizing a family day where the loved ones of employees proudly associate with the organization is another example of strengthening the bond.

Glow is the subtlest of all. It can appear in several forms. As one such form, choices in promoting the employees can be captured. When a career ladder is available for them to climb and when the organization genuinely provides support and encouragement, the chances of them contributing in a more committed manner is high.

Establishing criteria for new jobs, allowing volunteers to take up challenging tasks, evaluating candidates' potential, supporting new job holders are some of the key actions in this regard.

Guard is all about the employee protection through a proper policy framework. It may include controls and clearance for creative action. A widely shared and willfully practised set of corporate values also fall into this perspective. A weak guard may result in employees having uncertainty and ambiguity with regard to their direction, resulting in lower involvement and contribution.

'HRM for Managers: A Learning Guide' is not meant to be a comprehensive text book. It is a companion for managers in guiding them to learn HRM in a practical manner. It assists private sector executives and public sector administrators alike to 'be brilliant on basics'.

The concepts and its use discussed in the book are relevant to graduate and postgraduate learners alike.

My invitation is not just to read it, but to recognize the key contents, reflect on the main challenges, relate the basic concepts learnt to the issues faced by one's workplace, and reinforce the way one can professionally apply the key lessons, in playing a people manager role in the workplace. In essence, knowing should lead to doing and that in turn will deliver results.

May the book be a collaboratory companion in making, caring and committed people managers.

The writer is the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Management. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Management and Entrepreneurship, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma, USA.