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These days, Anahita Bose, who works in a bank in Mumbai, is dealing with issues more
complex than client disputes. The 26-year-old, who works in a cross-functional team and has
to co-ordinate with several people, is struggling with a peer who only remembers her
deadlines and forgets to deliver his own. Several excuses follow, and worse, he cites
Anahita's deliverables as the reason for the team's non-performance and how it will impact
their appraisals. An irritated Anahita is on the verge of calling it quits. That's a drastic step,
believe her HR managers. But then, what is the ideal way to deal with this, she wonders.
Here's what she could have done, says Shreya Biswas.

 
 

In a highly competitive world, often people play such tricks to run others down. So be wary,
and don't get carried away by such things. Just make them feel insignificant, ignore their
remarks and slowly, they will retreat into their cocoons. "Only when people think that they
are taken seriously or are able to get attention, will they continue with it. Give them a stare
like you don't care and they will surrender," says Angel Chowdhury, a Delhi based BPO
employee who has faced such colleagues.






Several problems arise due to miscommunication in organisations or facts being under-

represented. So preserve your records. If you are meeting your deadlines, keep a log sheet of
when and how. Even if there are occasional slip-ups, the long-term scorecard will make your
case stronger. "It's important to keep a record of the facts and provide it as evidence
whenever people try to act smart," says Uday Chawla, managing partner, Transearch
International, India

  
 


Remind him of the chain that needs to be maintained for such projects. Of how his
contribution counts and how that impacts your deadlines, politely. Like they talk about the
team performance, pay back in the same coin but in a more diplomatic yet firm way. The
message will reach home.
 


Your colleague's motive doesn't stop at irritating you but to prove himself better than you or
your teammates. While he tries to prove your inefficiency in front of others, he might mislead
your boss into believing that except for him, no one else is following delivery timings. To
avoid that, keep a tab on what your team leader is fed with. Keep him in the loop, with
evidence²mailers, chats, messages, if need be, who stands where. In the long run, he will
know what his subordinates are up to.



If diplomatic ways don't work, face the individual. Tell him to concentrate on his KRAs more
than yours or anybody else's. It's not his business to check whether you are meeting them but
the boss's. If he has issues other than deadlines, he should come straight to the point or be
quiet. "People bully those who don't raise their voice. Give them a piece of your mind and
they will know it is not easy to get away by talking nonsense," says K Sudarshan, managing
partner, EMA Partners International.

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Women are great relay runners but sometimes begin to falter near the finish line, says Nina
Chatrath, principal - leadership and talent consulting at Kornferry International. At the
negotiating table, women often give up the fight for that salary they had initially demanded.
The 'let-it-be' and 'I will work my way up' attitudes show a waver in confidence levels that is
less seen with male peers. Chatrath feels it is important that women know their strengths, do
their homework to know what their male peers are getting, and demand exactly that. "Men
are more competitive in such cases, and I learnt my lesson," she says.
c  
 

It is assumed that women tend to be more emotional than their male colleagues. Srimathi
Shivashankar, principal officer (diversity & sustainability) at HCL says she has come across
many situations when a firing from the boss or an intense team discussion has led to a melt-
down in women workers. They tend to become emotional while sharing their difficulties with
their managers. "So the entire discussion becomes about the problem at hand, not the
solution," says Shivashankar.

    

A copywriter in her late 20s recently relocated from Chennai to Bangalore because of her
husband's transfer. She had a child to take care of and had had a gap of a few months when
she started looking out for work in the new city. She took up the first offer that came her way
without any negotiation, knowing she had a baby to care for, was even apologetic about
wanting specific timings. "I felt guilty but later realized I shouldn't have, because my job did
not require late hours," she says.

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Taking a middle path is never easy. There have been situations when women have been either
overly-aggressive or a pushover. Assertiveness with tact is an art that more people, not just
women, need to master in the corporate world. With India Inc pushing for a work-life
balance, asserting one's needs is important. Shivashankar says when her job requires her to
spend a lot of time on telecons, beyond work hours or on weekends, she puts her foot down.

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We've all seen shooting stars whose careers for a time resembled a ringmaster's breathless
hype. Everything you crave - respect, security, power, and perks - is within your reach. That's
how it looks on the surface. In the past, you challenged conventional thinking. Now you're
the one who quashes your peers' ideas. Your colleagues whisper that the golden boy who
could do no wrong is slipping. More likely, they sense you're losing those qualities of
curiosity, openness and humility that made you so formidable. They say you believe your
own hype and have grown soft and arrogant as a result. Think they're wrong? Ask yourself if
you do any of the following misguided things, says Jeff Schmitt.

4 


You believe that reputation and power bring immunity. "I don't need to justify myself," you
reason. "Take my word for it, questions and cautions will just slow me down." So you do it
your way, barreling into the unknown with complete certainty. And you take everyone with
you. Only time will tell if your path leads to paradise or perdition.

 
 


"You want me to re-examine? Seriously? The status quo is exactly what I envisioned. And it's
working so well. Customer tastes, markets, competition, technology, delivery, regulations... I
have it all figured out. What could possibly happen to disrupt all this?" Nothing of value lasts
unless it evolves. The brass has quit examining you, confident you'll continue spinning your
magic. Insulated, you've quit re-thinking and testing your assumptions. "Why reinvent the
wheel?" you ask²forgetting that the wheel was the starting point for the roads, commerce,
and cultural exchanges that followed.

  
 


You're no longer an upstart working from a garage. Now you're the establishment and you're
determined to act like it. That means you're doing all the talking. Unfortunately, the only
counsel getting back to you is an echo of your own voice. You've moved away from
imagining, investigating, and experimenting, convinced you've absorbed everything you'll
need to know. But the expectations, choices, and questions change as you race through your
life cycle. Can you adapt, knowing that today's answers are tomorrow's confines?

4
  

From a distance, you survey the action. High above, you discern the patterns and plot out the
future like an all-knowing seer. "I'm the brains of this operation," you muse in unguarded
moments. "These people are a means to my ends. They could never do what I do." Of course,
no one will dare speak up. Would you care anyway? If they're unhappy, that's their issue, not
yours. Naturally, this mindset is your biggest failing. Talent may be the province of
individuals, but greatness is borne on the shoulders of committed followers. Treat them well.

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This may sound strange, but is the most essential step. When you join a new job, you bring
your "credibility balance" to zero. "So be clear of your gains in that "dream job" in terms of
new learning and growth potential apart from money if you are spending all your credibility
balance, says A Sudhakar, executive director, HR, Dabur.

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Resume is more about content and less about style. Someone who reads your resume perhaps
also reads 100 other resumes. Can you precisely put down what you bring to the table, such
as past results or other relevant facts, for that "dream job"? Your potential employer is not
interested in your assessment of your potential in your resume. Spend enough time on this
step for your own clarity.

  


Prepare the 'elevator sales pitch' about yourself. It helps to rehearse that first golden question:
"Tell me about yourself". This is your opportunity to set the direction of your interview. "Be
absolutely clear about your facts - vague answers on academic results, sales figures,
productivity numbers, is a strict no-no, says Yogesh Patgaonkar, vice president - group HR,
RPG Group.

  
44 

Be yourself - be it in terms of what you choose to wear or even how you answer. If you
pretend to fool someone by being "smart" in an interview, you will not be able to sustain the
pretensions when you get that job. This is the simplest yet most effective method of
evaluating the "suitability" of the job for you.

 

  


    
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IF YOU'RE A BOSS, YOU'RE LIKELY TOWORRY about whether your team is

performing. And before you know it, you may start obsessing about your team members and
their work habits. Monika Tejpal, a 22 year old media planner, knows what this is like. Her
boss wanted to know where she was all the time. He would call her early in the morning, and
through the day to find out what she was working on. Soon, it was getting on her nerves and
she had no option but to look for another job. "It felt like I was being stalked. He would shout
on the phone if I was unable to take his call during a meeting. Nobody can work under such
conditions," she says. At some point, every boss has the tendency to become obsessed,
although the degree may vary. Here's how you can deal with the obsessive boss, says Mahima
Puri.

Ä 


If such a situation does arise at the workplace, the first things one should do is make the boss
and subordinate sit far from each other, says LG Electronics COO Y.V. Verma. This will
give the subordinate a little space, and may work over a period of time.

  



Another way to handle the situation is to increase the span of responsibilities of the senior
manager. "Sometimes, bosses are too obsessed to delegate work properly. Either they do it
themselves or prefer chasing the subordinate to make sure it's done right. This is likely to
create problems between the two," says Verma. It is best to allot more work to the senior and
keep him busy so that he doesn't nag.

   !"#

  

HR experts believe a 360-degree performance appraisal helps in identifying problems like

these at the early stages and thus, it becomes easier to handle them. Early identification of
problems can alert the management regarding the boss-subordinate relationship, and steps can
be taken accordingly. This, in turn, helps in arresting attrition and avoiding conflicts in teams.

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It is important for the seniors to not get into their subordinates' personal lives after a point.
Consider this: 24 year old Krithika, who works in a BPO in Delhi started getting
uncomfortable around her team leader when he started asking her about places where she
hangs around with friends or parties. "If he would get to know that I went to a certain party,
he would mention it to me the next day. If that was not enough, he would have all the details
of what I wore and who was with me. I thought that was cunning. He had the right to ask
about my work, but not my whereabouts outside the office."

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while poor leadership can disrupt otherwise smoothly functioning organi ations. So what
makes for great leadership? Ôhe Leadership Debate is an opportunity for youto think as a
leader and make a decision...

Ôo add your views click here

Home Stay inspired Quick tips on leadership Handle Ôhe Grapevine In Office

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Grapevine or gossip is unavoidable in the corporate environment. As employees jostle to
reach the prized top spot, jealousy, now coupled with social networking, sparks off gossip.
Grapevine arises from social communications, so it can be as fickle, mischievous, dynamic
and varied as people. "Left to itself, a grapevine can inflict as much damage as a raging fire,"
says Omkar Sapre.

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Companies should not ignore the grapevine, be indifferent to it or try to kill it. Leaders should
proactively communicate and inject as much authentic information into the system as they
can. "Keep a check on communication and get updates on what kind of communication is
travelling across the company," says Sarat Binani, managing director, Himalaya Optical.
Regular interactions with employees are the best way to understand gossip and politics, and
one must be prepared for this, he says.

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The grapevine is always about people, and travels faster than any other mode of
communication. People at the receiving end of gossip may even take the drastic step of
quitting. An open culture with the freedom to approach the management is important to
tackle the grapevine, says Meghana Kulkarni, manager, HR, at the Pune-based Designtech
Systems.

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Employees hate it if they get to know developments about their company from the market,
instead of from within. Company heads should directly communicate these to employees, as
soon as possible. A beverage industry professional cited an example of how his CEO lost his
job because of the grapevine, as he did not communicate an update in time. His company had
sold a bottling plant to another company and workers went on strike thinking they would lose
their jobs, which was not the case.

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The grapevine generally gets active early in the morning, in car pools, over meetings by the
coffee machine or during lunch and smoking breaks, when people have a lot of time on hand.
The best way to use the employees¶ time is to delegate responsibility and power. "This can be
the most effective way to keep employees getting involved in gossip," says Binani.

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Nervousness and uncertainty is potent fuel for the grapevine. Even if times are rough for the
company, it should be made known to the employees and they should be involved at every
step. Companies should not hesitate to ask employees ideas for cost cutting or going after
new businesses. They often have great ideas that are many a time not obvious to the company
management.


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IT'S TOUGH TRYING TO RETURN TO A FULL-TIME career after a long gap, whether
the break was to take care of a baby, a family commitment, ill-health or even a voluntary
sabbatical. What makes it difficult is the fact that while you were away, many of your
colleagues have probably moved up in their careers, while you may find yourself in the
unenviable position of having to start from scratch. Here are some things to ease the blow,
should you find yourself in an unfortunate predicament. Or simply some tips to keep your
hand in for when you get back to work, says Sreeradha Basu.

*


When Mumbai-based banking professional K. Menon decided to go on a sabbatical, he knew

only too well that returning to the industry would be no cakewalk. So, even as he travelled
and spent loads of time with family and friends, he made sure he enrolled in a part-time
management programme at a leading institute. "Your experience counts, but just that is not
enough," says Menon, who had obviously thought things through. "You need to update your
knowledge and soft skills as well," even when you are on a break.




When you're planning to rejoin work after a hiatus, be very clear about what it is that you can
offer your employer. If you are looking for a new job, make sure your references are in place
and your CV lists any additional skills you may have acquired during your break, be it in
multi-tasking, organising or time and people management. If you are returning to your old
job, do as Sonali Vaidya, group head (HR) at Alchemy Capital Management, advises: "Start
getting into work mode at least two weeks before your date of joining back. This includes
reading up on market changes, trends in the industry or catching up with trusted colleagues
from work to be up-to-speed with new developments and changed dynamics in the office."

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Be prepared for re-induction into the organisation - and possibly the role you were already
working at before the sabbatical. This will help you understand the shifts in business strategy,
and the expectations from your role when you are back. "Do not rest on your laurels," says
Shaily Gupta, head (HR) at Edelweiss Capital. "Be prepared to invest time and hard work to
establish your performance track record once again."

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You've probably missed out on some valuable experience during the time you were away, so
be prepared to compensate for it. Anubhuti Bhattacharya, founder of Anubhuti HR
Consultants, cautions: "If you are going to a different organisation, you might have to take a
salary cut. If you're returning to the same organisation, don't expect (or demand) a salary hike
or promotion. Keep in mind that your colleagues or peer group may have moved ahead, and
you may well find yourself reporting to someone who used to be at your level. Mentally
prepare yourself for this, and if you think you can't handle it, look for options elsewhere."

  


Landing a job is just the first step. You need to put in that extra bit of effort to be part of a
team once again. Spend some time getting to know your colleagues, make sure you attend the
office dos and network as much as possible. Take your colleagues' help to gain as much on-
the-job knowledge as possible. "Seek support from your network to keep yourself abreast of
developments in the market, and try to rebuild your competitive advantage in this way," adds
Gupta.

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The Economic Times Young Leaders is India Inc¶s first ever initiative to recognize and
acknowledge the leadership potential among young executives.

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Leadership is never an easy task. Great leadership can inspire and achieve astounding results
while poor leadership can disrupt otherwise smoothly functioning organizations. So what
makes for great leadership? The Leadership Debate is an opportunity for you to think as a
leader and make a decision...
Ôo add your views click here

Home Stay inspired Quick tips on leadership Deal with a hyper-critical supervisor

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Ôhat s the starting point when you have an overly critical boss. "Look at it from a learning
point of view," says Rahul 'ulkarni, head (HR , 'ale Consultants. "Examine your own
performance. Ôry and gauge if there's something lacking at your end and whether there is
some justification to your boss' criticism. Being receptive is a part of learning and growth."

  
 

It never pays to suffer in silence. Ôhe issue needs to be worked out. "Don't be accusatory,"
warns UB Group senior VP (marketing) Samar S. Sheikhawat. " pproach your boss politely,
directly and diplomatically and try and find out why he is being so critical. In nine out of 10
cases, your boss will come around and give you feedback. If there is someone who doesn't
and has a personal problem with you, then maybe it's time to move on," he says.

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'eep your boss in the loop about whatever project you may be working on with frequent
updates. Get feedback and ask directly so you know what the boss wants. "In the beginning,
he used to drive me mad," recalls retail industry professional Virat 'apoor about his ex-boss.
"But later when I started getting his approval for every decision, he started trusting me that
much more. It took time and patience but he came around." In time, you can ask for a little
more autonomy and make a start by taking complete responsibility for the smaller tasks.
Once you've done those well, and established your capability, keep asking for more
independence.

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"One of the best ways to deal with such bosses is to be patient and professional as far as
possible. If the boss is being overly critical, do not let yourself cry or lose your temper. Listen
to what your boss says, speak calmly in return, and try not to take any harsh words
personally," advises Manuel D'Souza, chief HR officer at Intelenet.

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Doing this will hold you in good stead. Says Intelenet's D'Souza: "It is very important to have
a robust working relationship with your colleagues. They are more likely to be there for you
if you are a team player and offer support in return. In fact, your ability to promote,
communicate your value with colleagues and superiors is equally important."


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During the appraisals process, make sure you speak - out loud - about all the work you have
put in for the company and the milestones you have achieved. Even better if you can quantify
it; managers love numbers. Bosses and seniors are unlikely to remember everything you did,
but you must. And it pays to refresh their memory. "At the appraisals stage, if you can
convince your boss about your performance and the results, as per your key results areas,
consider the battle almost won," says Subhas Sarkar, a mid-level human resources executive
at a private bank.
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HR circles say executives who are top performers tend to do much more work than what has
been laid down in their KRAs. They feel appraisals are the time to highlight such
achievements. "It always pays to work in inter-related fields. Consolidate all your
achievements, even those in related fields, and match them up against the KRAs and key
performance indicators laid down for you, to build your case," says headhunting firm Global
Hunt India director Sunil Goel.

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Don't just look at one or two appraisal meetings to build your case. Ideally, executives should
work on this a year in advance. "Executives should check what the next level of roles and
responsibilities in the organisation entail and equip themselves accordingly. In fact, they can
sit with their bosses once every quarter to review it. This also ensures the executive's agenda
and career goals are fresh in the boss's mind," says Hinduja Global Solutions executive vice
president (global HR) Anthony Joseph.

Ä
     

Headhunting firm MaFoi Randstad's director and president E. Balaji advises employees to
contribute and add value to the areas of concern in the company. "If an employee can help the
employer cut costs, maximise revenues and attract talent, he or she becomes a valuable asset
for the company in the current scenario," says Balaji.

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