Demystifying ‘employee engagement’

I was just a few weeks into my first job when my then manager requested me to take charge of ‘employee engagement’ activities for the center that we were working for. Being a newcomer to the world of HR, I had little idea of what that meant. After a few discussions with my team, I understood that it included activities that went beyond the employees’ day-to-day work, and created an environment where employees could freely interact with each other across departments. There were existing activity-based clubs being driven by employees and provided a platform for them to channelize their talents. In addition to it, there were periodic events organized at a company level in which employees could take part.

As a freshly minted MBA, I was armed with HR theories and frameworks I had studied in business school. None of them had ever alluded to the term ‘employee engagement’. I tried to distance myself from the task of driving employee engagement, asking myself why I was not working on core HR activities that impacted the organization such as performance management and retention of key employees. However, it was much later that I understood that it is an equally important aspect in an employee’s lifecycle and helps to create a vibrant culture at the workplace. Today’s workforce is not merely looking for a job that pays well and provides a chance to develop one’s skills. The fun aspect at work holds significance, and gives employees something to look forward to. There are CSR activities which enable employees to explore activities that make a difference to their community. In the highly consumerist and self-centred society that we inhabit, employee engagement and CSR, if managed well, could create well rounded individuals at the workplace. This would not only enhance employee performance, but is likely to create a happier workforce.

It would be ideal if young HR professionals entrusted with ‘employee engagement’ are given to understand this linkage between employee activities and their outcome, before starting work on a plethora of company events which can sometimes be too overwhelming to cope with. There are insights that one gleans through experience on the job, but it certainly helps to have a context to certain tasks expected out of an HR professional, including employee engagement J

OK Kanmani - A breezy new age romance that could have been a lot more

Before OK Kanmani released, there was a lot of talk about the film being a possible throwback to Mani Ratnam’s Tamil classic Alaipayuthey (remade in Hindi as Saathiya). OK Kanmani does borrow certain situations from Alaipayuthey, but has a soul of its own.

In a scene reminiscent of Alaipayuthey, Aadi (Dulquer Salman, son of actor Mammootty) and Tara (Nithya Menen) meet at a friend’s wedding and the sparks fly instantly. Their light-hearted banter about why marriage is not for them sets the tone for their story to unfold. They exchange cell numbers in a characteristically American way and what follows are some guy-chasing-girl-trying-to-woo-her scenes which seem a bit outdated in the present scenario where urban youth no longer feel the need for the stalking / chasing game to win over their loved one.

The depiction of Aadi and Tara as two independent individuals with career aspirations of their own resonates with today’s youth who know exactly what they want and are ready to pull out all stops to achieve their goals. Aadi’s affection for the free-spirited Tara is endearing and one can only hope more Indian men are able to celebrate the growing assertiveness and independence of women.

Tara is frank about her personal life with her controlling mother (a single parent) and confronts her about her interfering ways. However, it is disappointing to see Aadi trying to hide facts from his father-figure like brother who is termed as a ‘control freak’. When Aadi’s sister-in-law finds out about him and Tara living in, an interesting exchange takes place privately between her and Tara. Nithya Menen uses her body language particularly well in this scene and conveys her character’s nonchalance effectively. I only wish Mani Ratnam had included more such situations in the film bringing out the strong-headed nature of the protagonists, being judged by their families and society for their life choices.

The co-existence of Aadi and Tara in Aadi’s paying guest accommodation has been shown in a feel-good manner. The sweet moments interspersed with Rahman’s fantastic songs take you into their dreamy world. The setting of two young working individuals living together as a couple has the potential for ups and downs caused by various factors such as lack of time, work pressure, personality clashes, annoying daily habits. Unfortunately, this not-so-dreamy part of living together has not been explored much, and it comes as a surprise considering Mani Ratnam’s mastery in the portrayal of conflict in his other movies (like Alaipayuthey)

Mani Ratnam more than makes up for these flaws in the script with a masterstroke. He has juxtaposed Aadi and Tara’s life with that of a much older married couple that exemplifies true love and commitment in the face of old age and ill-health. The beauty of it is in the subtlety with which the older couple’s interactions are shown, sure to get most people watching the movie teary eyed. The fieriness of the young couple contrasted with the soothing presence of the older couple is what makes this film click.

A lot has already been written in the media about the exquisite cinematography, music and performances. Go watch it.  

An Enlightened Soul

There are some people who leave an indelible impression on our lives, but our equation with them cannot be classified into any category. Strangely enough, they can neither be called friends, nor acquaintances. Ali Sir was one such person who made the lives of those around him a lot better by just being himself. Sandhya was one of his many students who felt absolutely awe struck in his presence.

Ali Sir was a trained psychologist and a professor of Organization Behaviour, a compulsory subject in Sandhya’s first year of MBA. His first lecture on ‘Introduction to Organization Behaviour’ started with his own introduction which got overshadowed by his baritone voice and the friendly eye contact he made with every person in class. The two hours that he spoke for seemed to go by in minutes, and were followed by a stunned silence as few students had ever expected to be captivated by a topic as seemingly mundane as Organization Behaviour.

There was a buzz in the hostel later that day, with Google searches being done on Ali Sir’s background. As it turned out, he had a background in experimental theatre (which explained his perfectly modulated voice) and had won the President’s award the previous year for his contribution to behavioural science. Sandhya and her friends were already looking forward to attending his forthcoming lectures in a batch that otherwise focused on meeting the bare minimum attendance requirement.

As the semester progressed, Ali Sir became adept at engaging students with his thoughtfully crafted lectures and getting the reticent minority to participate in class discussions. One day he made a surprise announcement in class, one that evoked collective gasps. Ali Sir was going to deliver a special lecture on ‘Love’ for the class that weekend, on the occasion of Valentine’s day.  His students were free to ask him any questions that they had on the topic. This unusual declaration piqued the curiosity of students about the content of this lecture.

The day of Ali Sir’s much awaited lecture finally dawned and the classroom filled in much ahead of the scheduled start time of the lecture. Some starry eyed students were hoping to hear mushy tales of love and companionship. But their hopes were dashed as soon as Ali Sir gave the disclaimer that the focus of his talk was not just on love in the romantic sense of the word. He urged the class to go beyond the obvious and view love as a powerful force that helps loved ones realize their potential. This sounded quite drab to a class of youngsters in their early twenties fed on a staple of romantic songs and films. Ali Sir quoted a lot of examples to drive home the point of true love being unconditional and non-judgemental. “If you really love someone, you will accept them for who they are and not have any expectations of them”, he said. This started a heated debate with some of his students questioning how it could be possible not to have expectations from your loved ones. Ali Sir remained calm and asked students not to jump to conclusions. This was definitely not the kind of talk on ‘love’ they had expected. The students decided to treat this as an aberration and not let it affect their regard for Ali Sir.

The first break of the academic year was fast approaching, the time when most people planned to be with their families for the festival of Diwali. Sandhya and her friends had a few days to spare before they were to travel to their hometown for the Diwali break. They decided to ask Ali Sir if he would teach them meditation. They had heard that some of their batch mates who were scarred by the initial days of ragging in the hostel, overcame the trauma through meditation techniques taught to them by Ali Sir. Ali Sir was more than happy to oblige but on one condition. He started his day early and believed that meditation was most effective when practiced early in the morning. Sandhya and her friends promised to be present in class sharp at 6 am for the sessions.

Sandhya felt wonderful waking up to the sound of chirping birds and the wonderful early morning hue of the sky. On her way to class, she noticed the beauty of her management school campus for the first time – the well-manicured lawns and the different varieties of trees and plants along the way. Ali Sir had reached the class before time and had brought his laptop with him. He had a serene expression on his face and asked Sandhya and her friends to sit in silence for a minute. Ali Sir was a follower of the Brahmakumaris and the meditation technique he was going to teach was that of ‘soul-consciousness.’  Every day, he played soothing music for a few minutes, followed by an immersive meditation process focused on reconnecting with one’s soul. He then read out a short article revolving around a specific theme, followed by his own thoughts on the topic and a free exchange of thoughts with Sandhya and her friends. He encouraged them to think of themselves as ‘enlightened souls’, being mindful of their surroundings and reminding themselves that they hold the reins to their destiny. “Every time you do something, ask yourself if that is what an enlightened soul would do!”, echoed Ali Sir’s baritone voice in a half empty class with Sandhya and a handful of her friends listening to him in rapt attention.

The two years of MBA were over in a jiffy, and it was time for Sandhya to bid goodbye to her friends at the hostel. A new world awaited her, one that would help her stand on her feet and realize her dreams. Ali Sir had infused a spirit of idealism in her, making her believe that one can make a difference to others by being kind and willing to go the extra mile for them. Unfortunately, he had left the management school the previous year to teach at an American university. But the enlightened soul that he was, she was sure that he would light up people’s lives no matter where he was. 

The Red Dot

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”- Mark Twain.

I had always wanted to experience how it would be like to work in a multicultural place. My prayers were answered when an opportunity came along last year to work in Singapore. I welcomed it with open arms, knowing fully well that a stint in Singapore meant I might have to live all by myself.

Many friends and relatives had already visited Singapore as tourists and brought back with them tales of the towering skyscrapers, efficient public transport system, impeccable infrastructure and safety. It was time to experience the island state first hand. I started reading all I could about the ‘Red Dot’ as I prepared for life in Singapore.

After moving to Singapore, I discovered that there was a lot to the city state that was hard to capture in a single travel guide. There were some puzzling (read comical) situations that I found myself in as I was so used to life in India. One such instance was in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) where no matter how crowded the train is, nobody every jostles or pushes others for space. In one of my initial days of commuting in the MRT, I was about to alight at the closest station to office which is in the heart of downtown. As I was quite far from the train door and the train was extremely crowded, I gently tried to make my way to the exit, worried that I might miss my stop. A fellow passenger quickly pointed out that the train will not just speed by and doors will remain open until all the passengers have alighted. That was quite a relief!

The Singapore MRT is a great leveler as one sees people from all walks of life relying on it to get around, primarily because owning a car in Singapore is an expensive proposition. The MRT routes are explained through easy-to-read maps and signs prominently displayed at every platform and multiple places within the station. This eliminates the need for bothering others for directions. I have used the subway in NYC and found it confusing compared to the well-defined routes in Singapore train stations.

There is constant effort put in by the transport authorities to ensure that commuters do not inconvenience each other and follow certain basic etiquette. They have a campaign called #StandupStacy that appeals to younger MRT users to be considerate of others, especially elders and offer them a seat in trains. The reserved seats in trains also have interesting signs reminding passengers to be kind to fellow passengers.

Singapore is a pedestrian’s paradise with abundant pedestrian crossing signs and pathways. Pressing the ubiquitous Green Man sign to cross the street is a luxury from an Indian’s point of view. The good quality of sidewalks and connecting roads has made runners, skaters and cyclists a common sight in Singapore. The best part is safety. I do not have to look over my shoulder when I walk home from the MRT station late in the evening. I can let down my guard and move around as I please without any safety concerns. That is a very liberating feeling, especially for a woman. 

Getting essential transactions completed in Singapore is largely free of red tape. Single window digitized transactions are mostly the norm. I was pleasantly surprised when my bank account was opened in a matter of 15 minutes and the VISA card issued to me in the same visit with my name embossed on it. Applying for a cable and broadband connection was equally easy and did not require any follow ups. Interestingly, in line with its digitization focus, the Singapore Government has launched a mobile application to provide a convenient channel for reporting municipal issues. I have personally used this app and found it very user friendly. 

Singapore is famous for being a melting pot of diverse cultures including Chinese, Malay and Tamil influences. One never feels out of place in this rainbow nation with four official languages. There is also an unofficial but more popular fifth language – Singlish (Singaporean English) which is an English-based creole language with peculiar intonation and grammar (‘lah’ is a commonly used Singlish word after any sentence, similar to ‘da’, ‘na’ in India)

Food is said to be Singapore’s national pastime, viewed as a unifying cultural thread. From fine dining to the proverbial Hawker Centers, there is something to suit every foodie’s palate in here. Some of the local favorites are Hainanese chicken rice, Laksa, Hokkien Mee, Carrot Cake, Fried Bee Hoon, Kaya Toast. Milo seems to be a very popular beverage. Most Singaporeans prefer to eat out and do not cook as often as Indians do.

Some other stray observations :

· Money is given and received with both hands

· Greeting your colleagues is not so common

· Ordering tea / coffee in a restaurant could get confusing as it has different names such as ‘Kopi O, Kopi C, Teh Tarik’ based on whether it contains milk / condensed milk

· House addresses are denoted in a specific manner : #03-05 : refers to storey 3, unit 5

· Always keep an umbrella handy as it rains all year round in Singapore!

Menu Card

Ayesha kept glancing at her watch, waiting for 9 a.m. when the bell would ring signalling the end of yet another early morning Economics lecture. Economics fascinated her but she failed to comprehend how the professor invariably managed turn every lecture into a dreary monologue. This was just one day after the Union Budget was announced and there was a buzz in the classroom, with some of the brighter students whispering to each other what the budget highlights were. Ayesha couldn’t care less. All she wanted was to rush out of the classroom and head straight to Whisk café. It was one of the few places near her college where she and Arjun could meet without being bothered by their college friends who kept speculating what was going on between the two of them.

Arjun woke up late that morning as his classes for the day started only at noon. He smiled to himself in the mirror as he combed his hair, wondering how a geek like him could muster enough courage to ask out the free-spirited Ayesha. ‘It must be my way with words that made her heart melt’, he chuckled to himself. He knew how fond Ayesha was of poetry and literature.

He opened the door to reach for the crisp newspaper delivered to his doorstep. The headline was eye catching, and he was itching to read the paper cover to cover, more so as it was the special Budget edition with so many articles worth poring over. A quick look at the clock helped him resist the temptation. Petrified at the prospect of angering Ayesha who was always punctual, he rode out of the parking lot of his building hoping that he does not end up getting late for their date yet again.

Ayesha had her eyes glued to the entrance of Whisk café and was calming herself down in anticipation of yet another late appearance by Arjun. Ten minutes later, he finally came and started apologizing profusely, promising to make it up to her the next time. ‘I don’t even have time to fight with you over this’, she complained as she had very less time to spare before her next lecture was to begin.

They decided to have a quick bite before she left. Arjun saw Ayesha focusing on the right side of the menu card, which is where the prices were listed. They both came from a modest background and he knew why she chose to first look at the right side of the menu card in any restaurant they visited. He promised to himself that one day they would both reach a level of affluence and success which would make the right side of the menu card irrelevant to them. Seeing him lost in thought, Ayesha asked him if something is wrong. He just nodded and smiled, telling her to hurry else she would lose her reputation of reaching her class on time.

Some thoughts about Queen (the movie)

Queen is a refreshing film in many ways. Though it might appear as an out-and-out entertaining movie with many laugh-out-loud moments, it has many layers to it, as one discovers during the course of the film.

The protagonist Rani (Kangana Ranaut) goes through a very subtle change in her outlook towards life and the way she views herself, while she goes about fulfilling her long pending wish of going to Paris and Amsterdam. The movie unfolds through Rani's eyes, who is a middle class woman from Delhi (Rajouri, as she so proudly announces several times in the movie). Her fiance Vijay is played wonderfully by Rajkumar Rao, who has portrayed the double standards of certain men, whose idea of the ideal life partner is someone who looks good and is modern (modernity here is limited to dressing up and speaking well) but will not unnerve them by making her own choices and leading her life independently.

There are many quirky supporting characters in this film, but they do not interrupt the flow of the film in any way. One of them is Rani's adorable nani, who urges her to step out and explore Paris ('duniya ka sabse khubsoorat sheher') rather than mope in her hotel room trying to get over her heartbreak. Vijaylakshmi who is half Indian, befriends Rani in Paris and helps her loosen up and enjoy life without being weighed down by her past. Rani's trip to Amsterdam turns out to be full of surprises, new friendships and self discovery. We are shown glimpses of her bittersweet memories with Vijay through flashbacks which blend in well with the movie and make her journey of self discovery more believable.

This is one rare film, where your heart goes out to the protagonist in moments where she is shown helpless and coping with her emotional turmoil. On the downside, there are a few over the top scenes, but one can look past them in an otherwise completely enjoyable film. What I liked the most about it is the way it ends, without any melodrama and cliches and completely true to the spirit of the film.

A Hard Life

Western Maharashtra was mercilessly pounded by rains last weekend. As I stood gazing outside the window on Sunday morning, poetic thoughts made their way into my mind. I was blissfully unaware of the havoc rains had caused in my city the previous day.

A construction labourer working at the site of an IT park in the city lost his 6-month old baby. Before leaving for work that morning, the labourer and his wife put the baby to sleep in their makeshift room near the site. The baby ended up drowning in the water that flooded the room and by the time the parents returned, it was too late.

Such heart wrenching tragedies of those not living in pucca houses occur year after year. The reports on their plight are invariably relegated to the inside pages of most leading newspapers. Why has society become so comfortably numb to the loss of human lives?