Measuring Loyalty: Is it Possible? A Guide to Modern Day Loyalty

Measuring Loyalty: Is it Possible? A Guide to Modern Day Loyalty

Do age old scruples such as loyalty to your employer at your workplace even make sense in the highly globalized and ever evolving world of work, today? To ask a much more basic question, what does loyalty even mean? In an age and world where growth is characterized by dynamism, is loyalty a virtue, or a hindrance to success? Most importantly though, can one measure loyalty?

There is no defined way of addressing these questions. Experiences are lived differently, and opinions are as diverse as experiences. In this post, we wish to explore the aspect of loyalty to an employer from a more ‘everyday’ perspective. Or, to put it in a better way – what would “loyalty” to your employer in the modern day comprise of? Loyalty needn’t necessarily mean an undying pledge to be forever rooted in the same organization, against your interests of growth because you believe in and respect your employer. What it comes real close to, in meaning though, is honesty. How you answer the following questions for yourself will help you understand what your feelings are, about loyalty towards your employer at your work place.

  1. Measuring Loyalty: How accountable to your employer do you feel, on an everyday basis?

    To understand this question we need to understand that accountability here does not mean the forced or imposed kind. One of the best examples to understand true accountability is when you have a role that enables you to work from home. True, even work from home roles have their own protocols of surveillance, but unarguably it does present more scope where you could “choose” to slack. But would you? Or would you feel a sense of accountability towards your employer and strive to put in an honest day’s work? You are accountable even if you may not feel particularly loyal towards your organisation/ employer. However, the purpose of juxtaposing these two aspects is to gain an insight about how one would personally analyze his/her reason for feeling accountable without being made to feel accountable.

  2. Measuring Loyalty: From the following words – fear, respect, indifference, – which would come close to describing how you feel towards your employer?

    Do you feel afraid of your employer? Is the driving motivation for your work fear?
    Do you respect your employer? Are you motivated to work hard, and give your job the best you can because your employer inspires you and commands respect?
    Or do you feel indifferent? You put in your 8 hours, and go home. Nothing more, nothing less.
    How you would define your opinion of your employer and your relationship with him/ her is an important factor in determining your loyalty towards your employer. One might stay loyal out of fear, but that counts as a toxic workplace attitude. One might be indifferent – in which case, you would indifferent to the aspect of loyalty. However, one might be motivated to do well because of love and respect for the employer – which is a true measure of loyalty.

  3. Measuring Loyalty: How prone would you be to getting poached?

    This would be the ultimate test for loyalty. One of the most important ways of measuring loyalty is to determine how susceptible the employee is, to believing that the grass is greener on the other side. When we talk about modern day loyalty, this becomes a huge factor because increase in attrition rates is a concern that many organisations are facing. Attrition rates are also reflective of how an organization treats its employees. Assuming that your workplace does not have a high attrition rate, and employees are taken care of, where would you place yourself? How prone would you be to getting carried away with a job offer that appears lucrative? Would you ditch your organisation which has invested in you, and an employer who trusts your skills, for some place where the grass seems greener?

Measuring Loyalty: From the Other End of the Spectrum

Now lets take a look at loyalty, from the other end of the spectrum. We put what we want to say in perspective by including excerpts from a superb article on Medium – On Loyalty by Stevie Buckley. You can read the full article here.

You are a transaction. Sure, your employer gives you the impression they care about you but as soon as you start costing the company money or pose a risk to the company’s image or breach any other element of your 300 page contract, then I can absolutely assure you that they will drop you in a heartbeat. You don’t even need to do anything wrong to be at risk. If the company is struggling financially, due to no fault of yours, you and all your colleagues are at risk. Suddenly the corporate line of “we’re all family here” sounds a bit ridiculous.

Your employer pays you to spend more time with them than you spend with your family and/or loved ones. Your employer is one of the biggest influencers on your mental well-being. Your employer can and will replace you in a heartbeat if absolutely necessary.

Let me be explicitly clear, your employer isn’t your family and they are not your friend. They pay you to do a job and your responsibility is to do that job well.

  • Do not sacrifice your relationship with family and friends to appease your employer.
  • Do not sacrifice your mental wellbeing to appease your employer.
  • Do not sacrifice your dignity, values and ethics to appease your employer.
  • Do not buy into the bullshit hype of “hustle” to appease your employer.

Mutual Respect

Get your head down and work hard. If your employer compensates you well, puts effort into ensuring you are healthy in every sense and invests in your personal and/or professional growth then by all means, tell the world how happy you are.

Focus on your own growth. Focus on helping the humans you work with. Focus on being efficient with your time and efforts so that you can spend even more time and effort on the things and people that truly matter.

And that’s the apt note to end this post at, with ample food for thought with what modern day loyalty comprises of, and if and how loyalty can be measured!

A Little Something to Help you Through the Week

A Little Something to Help you Through the Week

It’s only Tuesday today, and the weekend couldn’t seem farther. No long weekends until Christmas which is more than a month away. Oh gosh, was Diwali that long ago? Oh well, it is not as bad as we world of workers seem to make it, with a bit of inspiration. Feeling productive comes closest to feeling invincible, this is something we believe firmly at OBOlinx. To help you Through the Week, we’ve put together this 2 minute read which hopefully will leave you feeling inspired, motivated and ready to take on the world! A compilation of the best quotes on productivity, for you. Your dose of Tuesday inspiration!

Enough of “doing” is what leads to actualization of outcomes

You don’t actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been taken, some situation will have been created that matches your initial picture of the outcome closely enough that you can call it “done.” – David Allen

Never wait. Get up and hustle.

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. Stephen King

There is a difference between being busy and being productive. The real question is, what are you busy with?

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing. Thomas A. Edison

Whatever your passion is. Find it, and let it consume you.

In trying to find who you are, be less destructive and more constructive. Look at art or whatever your passion is and be productive. Nirrimi Joy Hakanson

Do what you love. Love what you do.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Steve Jobs

Go that extra mile to plan. Go further to execute that plan.

Plans are nothing; planning is everything. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Because today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. So make your “now” count, and look forward to tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday. John Wayne

Over thinking is the death of productivity.

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done. Bruce Lee

Oops. A bit audacious but true. Patience is the key and all great things take time.

 No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant. Warren Buffett

Nothing is more precious than being happy in the now. The true elixir of productivity. The end.

I enjoy writing, I enjoy my house, my family and, more than anything I enjoy the feeling of seeing each day used to the full to actually produce something. The end.  Michael Palin

Enjoyed reading our post? Tell us about your favorite productivity quote!

How to Implement Gender Equality in the Workplace

How to Implement Gender Equality in the Workplace

Important conversations such as gender equality at the workplace, need to take place more often and more consistently. In order to be able to really implement gender equality in the workplace, the dialogue, and urge to bring about change needs to be consistent, and frequent and not sporadic – limited to women’s day speeches.

In one of our previous posts, we spoke extensively about the glass ceiling, and how to shatter it. In a more recent post, we explored the importance of gender diversity at the workplace. Tackling the issue of gender discrimination at the workplace, is like addressing the elephant in the room. Uncomfortable questions need to be raised, and attempts must be made to address, and redress them. While men and women are ‘entitled’ to equal rights by law, this still remains a distant dream. A quick glance at only a few facts and statistics (source: medreps.com) will prove why:

  • Women often still earn less than men in the same role, despite a successful salary negotiation.

  • Before knowing anything about the candidate’s skills or experience, employers expect male candidates to perform better than women.

  • Women who describe themselves in feminine terms such as ‘warm’ or ‘supportive’ are less likely to be considered for a job in a male dominated field than if they were to use masculine terms such as ‘assertive.’

  • Men are more likely to apply for any role that takes their interest, even if they only meet 60% of the requirements.

  • Women are more selective and will only apply for jobs that they think suit their skills and personality and fit 100% of the requirements for

These facts and statistics on gender discrimination relating to recruitment and salary, pervade the day-to-day work cycle, and become an everyday reality of deeply rooted gender biases and discrimination at the workplace.  In order to implement gender equality as an everyday reality, we need to adopt focused methods to make our workplaces equitable and inclusive.

Where do we begin? Right here.

1. Gender Equality – Understanding the principle of equity over equality

In order to address gender discrimination, we first need to acknowledge the deep-rooted history of gender inequality and discrimination world over. In doing so, we realize that women have been deliberately subjected to a backward footing, as compared to men. Hence, more than equality, they need equity. But what is the difference between equality, and equity? Here is a common yet effective anecdote that brings out the difference beautifully –

Imagine that you are at a baseball game and have to look over a fence in order to see the game. There are also several others who are in the same situation as you are. The fence is quite high so everyone needs a stepping stool of some sort to see over the fence. In equality, everyone would get the same sized stepping stool. Thus, one can immediately see a glaring problem! Not everyone is the same height. This is where equity steps in. In being equitable, everyone would get different sized stepping stools so that they could all see over the fence. Everyone would get a chance to view the game.

Gender equity is a prerequisite for gender equality. Men and women did not start off on equal footing. Years of subjugation and discrimination demand that in the current day, women get that little “extra” push, and support in order to bring about equality. Without a focus on equity, the hope for equality is misplaced and cannot be achieved.

2. Gender Equality – Acknowledging and challenging your own bias

An article on one of our favorite sites – UndercoverRecruiter, says it best. The best way to bring about effective and impactful change is by working on change within us. This is often the most difficult thing to do – since it requires us to come to terms with our demons, accept them and then get rid of them. It is time to look within for traces of any bias as far as gender equality is concerned, before we point fingers and expect others around us to change. Looking within, and helping ourselves change is not a form of judgment or self-condemnation. As you will read below, we are only helping ourselves get rid of what we thought was “normal”.

In order to overcome gender inequality we must address our own bias. Gender related bias that hold women back can include outright discrimination to deep-rooted unconscious attitudes. The normalisation of everyday sexism has led to an invisible gender bias that we often don’t recognise. Human beings don’t know how to be wholly unbiased; from the classroom to the boardrooms – at an early age, we are conditioned to believe that girls are this way and boys are that way. It’s about challenging these ‘natural’ thoughts by examining, questioning and having open conversations.

Basic anthropology tells us that groups tend to recruit new members who are similar to themselves. So a predominantly male field will often choose a male candidate. This is an influential factor in why women are significantly underrepresented in traditionally male-dominated areas, and senior positions. Changing our bias in recruiting is integral, and admitting our own bias is an important step to a more open, diverse and fair workplace.

This is everyone’s issue – men and women, and extends to women’s own limiting self-beliefs.

Biases are also very apparent in the highly unfair recruitment processes where it may not be rare to choose candidates for roles based on gender and not skill and ability.

It’s a common perception that women are generally better suited to support type roles, whereas men will excel in leadership positions; however it is these kinds of stereotypes that form the basis of gender discrimination at work and action must take place to prevent it happening.

The hiring and allocation of work must to be conducted on the basis of an individual’s abilities and character, regardless of whether they are male or female and the preference of customers, clients or other employees is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat employees differently according to gender. – Undercover Recruiter.

3. Gender Equality – Being Fair and Transparent about Pay

That women at work are under paid and under represented is an uncomfortable truth we need to accept and address. The first step towards doing so is by being transparent about any gender pay gaps that exist and tackling them. Equal pay for equal work is a policy that must be a principle at your workplace, and not just a policy. This, as a principle underlines fairness and puts equality into practice.

” In 1976, the Equal Remuneration Act was passed with the aim of providing equal remuneration to men and women workers and to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender in all matters relating to employment and employment opportunities. This legislation not only provides women with a right to demand equal pay, but any inequality with respect to recruitment processes, job training and promotions.” – Wikipedia

We are still battling for these basic rights, even though the law mandates for men and women to be paid equally for equal work. What does that say? We have a long, long way to go before we can make gender equality a reality.

4. Gender Equality – Taking mentoring seriously

The very first thing we spoke about, in this post was on understanding the principle of equity with reference to implementing gender equality at the workplace. One of the ways you can ensure an ‘equitable’ growth for your female employees is by understanding that mentorship plays a huge role in boosting their progress, improving their skills, and helping them build strong profiles which will help them grow and sustain in the ever competitive, ever evolving world of work.

Focus on having mentorship programs for your employees, and specific ones for your female employees. Wondering how cost-effective it would be? You can implement this with zero cost, and reap tons of benefits. One does not need to have a formal structure for mentorship programs. Building this into the culture of your organization, where your employees are encouraged to reach out and help each other is the most sustainable and effective way of going about it.

This also includes training those in managerial positions about how to tackle issues related to gender equality at work.

5.  Gender Equality – Encouraging more women to take up Leadership roles

The most effective way to bring about change is by leading through example. By encouraging more women to take up leadership roles, you put them in a position where they are able to help and mentor other women (and men!) around them. Role modeling is a very effective method of demonstrating the change you wish to bring about. This is also a very strong antidote to the phenomenon of the glass ceiling. 

The glass ceiling in India is a reality today, because of a culmination of factors – socio-cultural, legal, personal, and organizational, and cannot be attributed to any single factor. Hema Krishnan, in her interview at IIM Bangalore on Glass Ceiling in India : A Reality for Women?,  speaks about how every woman is capable of accessing the top most rungs:

Theoretically, every woman is capable of reaching the top of her organization. What sets women such as Indra Nooyi and Chanda Kochchar apart from the rest of the similarly talented women are: a high level of sustained self-confidence and emotional quotient, persistence and patience, the right mentors at various stages of their career, an extremely supportive family and a little bit of luck or opportunity.

It is due to centuries of subjugation, discrimination and domination that the struggle to make one’s talent known and respected in the professional realm, is a big deal for women in India. It wouldn’t be untrue, neither would it be a fleeting statement if we said that it is not half as difficult for the men.

6. Gender Equality – ‘Creating’ opportunities (work from home, child-care, etc.)

In order to ensure that the world of work does not lose out on potentially great talent pool – it is necessary that a more inclusive environment which encourages gender diversity and equality is created.

One of the major barriers that prevent women from reaching to the top of their career is the lack of childcare support. Again this ranges from complete stigma to deep-seated traditions in the role of mothers. Employer’s play a vital role in supporting mothers; work together to agree on a fair and balanced workplace goal that will drive productivity, whilst allowing flexibility and remote working where possible.

Progression and promotions are considerably more difficult to achieve when you take time off, which has a disproportionate effect on women who continue to hold the lion’s share of childcare responsibility. To relieve working mothers of the domestic and childcare burden, parental leave for fathers should be promoted. Not only will this allow mothers to invest more time in their careers, but research has shown that fathers want to be more engaged and involved in child care duties. – Undercover Recruiter

Making space for work from home opportunities for women, creating launch pads for women who’ve been away from work for a while for various reasons, and not letting gender biases form a basis of recruitment (to begin with this!) are some ways you can actively contribute to implementing Gender Equality in the world of work.

Go out of your way to ensure you treat your employees equally, irrespective of their gender. Invest your trust in them, and reap a handsome Return On Investment. Recognize merit and celebrate it. Understand that, basically, it all boils down to you, to a great extent.

But why go that extra mile? Because like we said earlier, without equity, there can be no equality!

5 Skills For Managers that Will Always be Relevant

5 Skills For Managers that Will Always be Relevant

The learning never ends. No matter what level you are at in your profession, there will always be a skill that will help you do what you do better. To be able to continually better oneself, by working on your skill set and garnering skills is the secret to feeling truly accomplished and satisfied. Even when you are higher up in the hierarchy and are completely confident about your abilities , there are certain essential skills for managers that will always be indispensable for you. Have a look at what these forever relevant skills for managers are!

Skills for Managers – Communication

 The art of communication is the language of leadership. James Humes.

This quote summarizes in just a short sentence how important communication as a skill truly is, for effective management and leadership. More than just a skill, communication is an art that one can never learn enough about. As a manager, your success is not to be gauged by your individual progress. It is determined by the success of your team as a whole, with you at the helm. Your communication with your team, and how well you are able to get through to them, is one of the prime factors responsible for determining the success of the team. As a manager, your communication skills should set the example for the rest of the team to learn from!

Skills for Managers – Motivation

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. Ronald Reagan.

Being a manager and a leader has got everything to do with being able to motivate your team. Possessing motivational skills enables you to be able to maximize the potential of your team by make them believe they can. Even the under-performers can surprise you with great results, just with a bit of motivation. A good manager always believes in the true potential of his/her team. If the team isn’t performing well, the manager understands that the team as a whole, or individual players might need that extra push, namely Motivation.

Skills for Managers – Delegation

If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate. John C. Maxwell.

Delegation is one of the most important skills necessary for a successful manager and employer. Learning to delegate well is a skill, which if done wisely not only saves you time, but comes in handy in helping you build a very strong team. Delegation as a skill is not just a technique to free some of your time, it is much more than that. It is about learning how not to micromanage, and trust your people that they will deliver the tasks entrusted to them. Learning how to delegate effectively and efficiently is a continuous process and much about this skill is learnt via trial and error, and on the go. Two things though that form the cornerstone of this skill is attaching the elements of specificity and measurability to the tasks you delegate.

Skills for Managers – Diplomacy and Tact

Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip. Winston Churchill.

As a manager and a team leader, you will be faced with delicate situations almost on a daily basis. As you would already have learnt from your experiences, many of them will have the potential of eliciting your worst.  How do you put across your point and ensure you are heard, even in the most frustrating situations? Literally, when all you want to do is ask the other person to go to hell, but you cannot. And if you do, it can’t be good for you in any way.

This is where the skill of being diplomatic and tactful comes handy. This skill is not one that can be acquired easily, and takes years of practice and most of all, patience. But once you start putting it into practice you realize how indispensable it truly is. There will be difficult situations where you might feel like you are caught between the devil and the deep sea. And that is where the skills of diplomacy and tact act as your savior.

Skills for Managers – Balance

More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people even when it hurts. Travis Bradberry.

Being able to maintain balance is a skill that takes years of focus and mindfulness. Reactions are the easiest way to emote. Balance and calm are the toughest to put into practice. Balance between what? Between being a manager and a human being. Very often, we seem to be caught up in the misconception that being kind and being professional can never go hand in hand. This quote by Travis Bradberry sums up beautifully how and why that is not a fact. Exceptional managers can be distinguished from ordinary managers on the basis of how they put into practice this skill. Because that’s when you stop becoming just a manager, and are also a leader.

Happy life-long learning, today and forever!

5 Common Mistakes to avoid if you are a First Time Manager

5 Common Mistakes to avoid if you are a First Time Manager

Along with all the excitement and progress the role of a manager offers, it comes with its own share of hurdles – much like anything new one might take on. An obvious part of any new journey entails learning through mistakes we make. Another part of the journey is to learn from the experiences of others who have walked the path that you are now on. If you are a first time manager, here are some mistakes you should definitely be wary of.

First Time Manager Mistake #1: Not establishing communication structures

The first thing that you must sort in your capacity as a manager is defining and maintaining the communication structure you expect to have with your team. Lay down the guidelines for the structure of the overall reporting and communication system. This will help you with a number of key issues such as accountability, time management and delegation.

First Time Manager Mistake #2: Not breaking the ice

Not making an effort to get to know your team is probably one of the worst mistakes managers could make. Building a rapport with your team makes a world of sense since a lot about how team progresses is now your responsibility. The first chance you get after stepping into the shoes of your new role, organize an informal team meeting where you all get a chance to know each other. During this meeting, emphasize on your expectations from the team and how you plan on helping them work towards them. Make it a dialogue and ask your team about what they expect from you, make a note of them for sure!

First Time Manager Mistake #3: Holding back/ delaying feedback

Let your team know what’s working, and what’s not! One of the common mistakes most first time managers make is delaying feedback. Feedback is probably the singular most essential thing to help your team grow. Along with assigning tasks, and following up on them, offering feedback once the task has been completed forms an integral part of the entire goal setting – achieving process. When your team has done a good job, applaud them. When there is something they could do better, let them know in a suitable way.

First Time Manager Mistake #4: Improper Time Management

Now that you are a manager, you are responsible for your entire team besides being responsible for your own work progress. In order to maximize your potential (and hence, in a way your team’s potential) you need to put in some extra planning into figuring out how you are going to be managing your time. Putting things down on paper is great way to visualize what your goals are, by when you plan on achieving them, and the going on to create a road map for the same.

First Time Manager Mistake#5: Being the boss instead of a leader

Just because you are the manager doesn’t necessarily mean you have to create a sense of fear for your team to do their work. Neither do you have to be excessively chummy. Keep reminding yourself that your real role as a manager is to lead your team and help them achieve their goals, and not to be the quintessential tyrannical boss. If you have to be a boss, be one who inspires, motivates and leads by example.
Been there, done that? Tell us about some common errors you’ve made in your journey as a first time manager.