Human Resource In A Nutshell !!Daily Blog~

HR and Personnel Management

Old Wine in a New Bottle or a Whole Different Concept:

A lot has been said and written about the topic, but still, there is something that pinches every HR person when he/she hears this term. I just bought an old book with the title Personnel Management published in 1972, and in those days, it was Personnel Management. Going through the contents of the book brought my attention to the topic, and I thought I would write something on this. Michael Armstrong (A Respected Author on HR) calls it "Old Wine in a New Bottle" and is of the opinion that both are the same. Guest and Storey belong to another school of thought; they regard both as completely different concepts.

Searching through the old book highlighted a few things. Personnel Management concepts were limited to basics, with no focus on strategy, the role of employees in developing business strength, and achievement of competitive advantage. There was almost no focus on employee development, knowledge management, organizational development, organizational learning, organizational change, and workplace culture. All these now form a major portion of the research and books written in HR. This does highlight an important phenomenon that businesses and people have evolved, so has the subject area. The changing nature of business, bombardment of information onto the customers, increased need for more skilled employees, all have contributed to this immense change that is being witnessed in HR.

The focus of Personnel Management was more on managing the employees. Whereas with Human Resource, one thing that is constantly being witnessed is the shift in focus, increased attention on the strategic aspect of people, creating a more learned organization, an organization where the focus is on research, and knowledge development and sharing. In a nutshell, it could be said that it is the change of terminologies, but HR has more concerned areas of interest than Personnel Management; the change/move/shift can be attributed to the change of times, shift in competition, increased globalization, or the need for talented employees.

Source: Internet/HR blogs

Personal Development

In the last decade, the most common word and the one most heard, emphasized, talked about, discussed, and promoted is change. Leaders have used it for votes, businesses have used it for motivation, commitment, and organizational growth.

Change has always been present; sometimes we could see it, other times we just ignore it. It is not possible that we do not witness it. Those who accept the fact that with changing times we have to bring in necessary transformation in us will have a chance to be successful. This chance depends a lot on how well we cope with change, how timely our efforts are, how well we utilize the resources, how we control our plans, how we make the best of the environment and its gaps, and the match we strike between our strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats.

Change is not an exclusive phenomenon and shall not be dealt with as one. It requires an understanding of phenomena that complement it, aiding in making successful change happen. The most important focus is on developing oneself through change. It is well known that change requires both individuals and organizations to grow. It is not complex and rocket science; it should start with the identification of the area in which the business and individual operate. Once the area is found, a stepping stone is created that sets the direction to focus. Not everyone is innovative to find out ways; afterwards, one could read case studies and make observations. Here are a few steps that could help develop and deal with change:

1. Identify which change area is influencing you.

2. Learn about the changes taking place in the area.

3. Assess how these changes are affecting you.

4. What are the possible effects of those changes?

5. What must you change in yourself to deal with it? Don't try to avert change as you will fail.

6. Read a lot and try implementing alternatives to deal with change.

7. Keep reflecting on your implementations and ask yourself:
- What went well?
- What went wrong?
- What could have been done differently?
- How could it be done differently?

*Written by HR Nutshell in HR Management Blog.*

Dear sweetanuradha89,

The objective of this site is learning and knowledge sharing. We tend to move to the humor section to refresh our minds. By the way, you are in the 'Human Resource Management' section right now.

Thanks for your comments.

How to Earn Respect

No one is born with the right to be respected. People often fall into the illusion that they deserve respect, but respect is always earned and should never be demanded. Only those who show respect can earn it. Now, the question is how to earn respect in an organization. All this could very well serve as a catalyst in generating respect. It is not about how people view you when you are in front of them; respect is about the good words spoken behind people's backs, remembering the good deeds of others.

Trying to get associated with others, feeling good while in their company, and speaking positively about them to others are all fruits of respect. Here are a few points that would help in creating respect in the eyes of others.

First of all, show respect towards others, especially towards your subordinates, and most importantly towards employees at the lowest level. This is what they ask for – to be looked at with a smile, asked how they are doing, if everything is fine with them, or a simple handshake.

Secondly, be polite. Do not create panic; try to calm things down rather than creating chaos. This will demonstrate to others that you possess a sense of stability, and your approach to issues differs from others. You see opportunities in every problem, which can help regain employee trust, motivate them, and gain their commitment to the goals.

Thirdly, try to understand things from various angles by putting yourself in others' shoes. Consider how you would feel if somebody treated you the same way you are treating others.

Fourthly, try to help people learn from their mistakes. This will make them more conscious as they may not want to disappoint you next time.

Fifthly, an important factor is not to stereotype. Everyone has something unique to offer. Try to create your value by valuing others. In culturally and socially sensitive areas, avoid disrespecting or ridiculing others' values, beliefs, and norms.

Finally, listen to what others have to offer, and do not force your opinion or oppose just for the sake of it. Sometimes, there is no harm in admitting mistakes or accepting other people's opinions.

Source: hrnutshell

Skills of a Manager

The modern work environment is changing, with organizations adopting a different set of values, norms, and practices. As the culture of the organization undergoes a transformation, change is required by the people who work at every level of the business organization. Organizations of the past were more centralized, with authority seldom delegated. However, in today's dynamic, multicultural, globalized business entities, power will only come if the top management and leaders start to delegate, giving people independence to make decisions and trusting those decisions.

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