Is CSR A Win-Win Proposition?

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attraction, community development projects, consumer preference, corporate social responsibility, CSR, Leon Menezes, Recruitment, retention, triple bottom line, volunteer work

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) became somewhat of a ‘must-have’ some years ago when the idea of the ‘triple bottom line’ (concern for people, planet and profits, preferably in that order)came into vogue. This idea extended the supposition from the one that had companies’ prime responsibilities as shareholder earnings, to one that included the well-being of employees and society at large. Corporate reporting began to include CSR as a measurable item and, not surprisingly, created its own controversies.

Some argued that CSR activities were funded by company profits that should rightly go to shareholders. Others (cynically) suggested that this was just a way for firms to earn ‘brownie-points’ and look good in the eyes of society. Whatever the opinion, if some segment of the community is benefiting, why quibble?

Here’s To The Six-Hour Work Day

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Cyril Northcote Parkinson, efficiency, employee burnout, Fauzia Kerai Khan, Parkinson’s Law, Robert Owen, shorter work days, Society of Human Resource Management, Sweden’s six-hour work day, vocational stress

Two centuries after British factory owner Robert Owen proposed that a worker’s day should comprise “eight hours of labour, eight hours of recreation and eight hours of rest”, a new HR theory practised in Sweden entails work days that amount to six hours.

The idea behind Sweden’s six-hour work day is to encourage workers to stay focused during the day, complete their tasks and leave on time in order to achieve a better work-life balance.

The Importance Of Independence

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achievement, Autonomy, creativity, Declaring Independence in the Workplace, Fauzia Kerai Khan, Harvard Business Review, high-trust environments, Independence, Independence Day, innovation, micromanaging employees, motivation, passion, Productivity

As Pakistan’s 69th Independence Day (August 14) approaches, a quick look at our workplace cultures reveals that line managers tend to micromanage their employees and make decisions for them. In the process, they take away freedom from their employees – something that they value most – instead of empowering them and allowing them to make decisions.

Since micro-managing employees is a common practice in Pakistani workplaces as it is globally, an article in the Harvard Business Review titled Declaring Independence in the Workplace is extremely relevant. According to the article, a large number of knowledge workers – professionals with talent, experience and drive – feel “stifled by managers who misunderstand what effective management means.” This is because in their misguided efforts to increase productivity and foster innovation, managers do more harm than good. They end up destroying both creativity and passion – key ingredients to the intrinsic motivation that leads to engagement at work – by limiting employee autonomy.

Say ‘No’ To Zombie Projects

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David Duncan Pontus, decision-making, failure, innovation, M.A. Siren, project criteria, Project Diagnostic Committee, project management, projects that fail to fulfil their potential, Scott Anthony, targets, Zeeshan Lakhpaty, zombie projects

Management consultants Scott Anthony, David Duncan Pontus and M.A. Siren coined the term ‘zombie projects’ earlier this year to refer to projects that fail to fulfil their potential, yet are not shelved by management. As a result, resources are drained unnecessarily in order to sustain such initiatives.

Here are four ways of preventing the occurrence of ‘zombie projects’ at your workplace: 

1. Establish project criteria. Before a project is sanctioned, clearly determine ‘why’ the project is being pursued, what business goals it will help achieve or what problems it will resolve. Ensure that no project kicks off based solely on assumptions of expected outcomes. Quantify targets (where possible) and outline the project’s milestones. Having a set criterion for deciding which projects are approved or rejected ensures that it is the project’s merits and not personal preferences that become the deciding factor when it comes to pursuing it.

Mum-Friendly Work Practices

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2Interchangeable sick leave, Child care, counselling services, Fauzia Kerai Khan, flexible timings, hours logged in, life satisfaction, motherhood role, on-site child care centre, paid sick leave, Reintegration periods, telecommute, work delivered, work-life balance, working mothers

Today, the number of mothers who work in Pakistan is greater than ever before. Yet, despite this, they continue to face tremendous challenges.

Not only are they often viewed as lacking the determination to move ahead, they may also be regarded as breaching social norms by failing to be ‘ideal mothers’ – that is, putting their work before their children.

Furthermore, working mothers’ contributions are generally undervalued because the barometer for productivity is hours logged in the office and not actual work delivered. However, working mothers work extra hard to meet deadlines because they have a very powerful motivation to do so – they want to make sure they can leave to have dinner ready, pick their children up from school/day care, manage their households and business goals.

Brain Training

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Brain Training, Fauzia Kerai Khan, Georgia Tech, IQ, Jungle Memory, Lumosity, mental workout, neural pathways, neuroplasticity, neuroscience, Nintendo, Stanford University School of Medicine, Susanne Jaeggi

Regardless of age, your grey matter has the ability to shrink or thicken; new neurons and new neural pathways (connections) are created throughout your life. When you have a new experience or think in new ways, new pathways are formed. Changes in the physical brain are manifested in changes in our abilities. For instance, if you learn a new word, it reflects a change in your physical brain. With repetition, this pathway is strengthened. 

Resolving Conflicts

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action plan, Arshia Wasif Ahmed, grievances, heated arguments, ice-breaking questions, impartial mediator, personal biases, productive resolution, resolution ball, Resolving Conflicts, responsibility for resolution, voice of reason, workplace conflicts

While driving to work one day, one of my colleagues rear-ended a car. As it turned out, the driver of the other car is now her husband! This is a case where a conflict was amicably resolved and led to a mutually beneficial outcome. Although most workplace conflicts may not have as happy an ending as this one, if resolved effectively, they can lead to improved productivity.

If you are a line manager here is how you can resolve conflicts effectively:

Identify the cause. Uncovering and understanding where the conflict is stemming from is a crucial first step towards resolving it. For example, if you notice that two of your team members are making a conscious effort to avoid each other, treat this in the same way as you would if they were arguing loudly in public or refused to work with each other. Discreetly bring them together to ‘talk it out’ in an informal setting such as lunch; this can help you find the root cause of the conflict and maybe resolve it.

Handling Difficult Conversations

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‘sandwich’ feedback, combat mentality, follow-up actions, Leon Menezes, maturity, respect

There comes a time in the life of every line manager and employee when that ‘little chat’ must be had, which can sometimes be very unpleasant for both parties. So what can we do?

First, we need to understand the common traps line managers fall into. These are usually in the broad areas of avoidance and not wanting to be the bad guy. Failure to speak up when the issue is current usually means we are trying to either buy time or hope the problem will take care of itself. We also don’t want to be the bearers of bad news and try to couch our feedback with vague language or ascribe negative observations to others.

Turn Your Team Around

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Arshia Wasif Ahmed, leader-driven teams, productive teams, Productivity, resolving conflicts at work, resolving in-group conflicts, selecting the right team, team objectives, team spirit, team targets, well-being programmes

Although leader-driven teams or self-directed teams enhance creativity and productivity, whenever you bring together people with varying personalities, backgrounds, expertise and experiences, conflicts are inevitable.

If you are a team leader, factor in the following to prevent and resolve in-group conflicts:

1. Select the ‘right’ team. If you hire a team in which members complement each other’s skill sets, experience, expertise and personalities, then half the battle is already won. To ensure that candidates are a perfect ‘fit’, conduct competency-based interviews and ask applicants to cite specific examples of how they handle team projects and resolve interpersonal issues. This will help you gauge whether they are team players or not.

Assess Your Organisation’s Culture

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absenteeism, accountability, bullying, corporate culture, Culture Assessment, in-group harassment, Inconsistent policy implementation, inconsistent team performances, Lack of communication, preferential treatment, Responsibility, restricted privileges, Sahr Nadeem Tariq, salary increments, sense of ownership, SHRM, skill building training sessions, Society for Human Resource Management, turnover, unwarranted promotions

Research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) last month established a link between an organisation’s profits and its corporate culture, contradicting the traditional perception that streamlining processes alone can increase an organisation’s growth potential.

Warning signs of problems within your organisation’s culture can manifest in a variety of ways, all of which are detrimental to the business’s profits and can impede its growth if left unresolved.