IILM students participated in the IBM People Manager Conclave 2012 which gave an insight about the challenges faced by the present HR managers and what strategies/ tactics can be used in order to align their individual goals with the organisational goals. Theme of this event was “Engaging for the future.” This event involved various activities such as:-

• Panel discussion on “GEN- Y” and “ Managing 360 degree”
• Students were enlightened on the topic by:
  • Pari Sadasivan- India Delivery Leader @ IBM Global Process Services
  • Ashish Kumar- General Manager @ IBM Global Technology Services
  • Sanjiva S Dubey- Service Delivery Executive @ IBM Global Business Services
• Lecture on “ Creating a High Performance Culture” delivered by
  • Dhirender Jagdev- CRM @ IBM Global Process Services
  • Abhishek Sharma- CRM @ IBM Global Process Services
  • Vinayak Sastri- S&D @ SMS CoE

  GEN-Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, is the demographic cohort following Generation X. The generation born in the 1980s and 1990s, typically regarded as increasingly familiar with digital and electronic technology. The session focused on the issue like GEN-Y tends to move from organisation to organisation in a very short span of time. Role of career planning for such workforce was discussed. Thus, to have a better and motivated Gen-Y need for a mentoring program through which their career planning could be done was emphasised within the session. The biggest challenge for the HR managers would be how to retain GEN-Y employees and make them committed towards the organisational work.

  Pari Sadasivan gave her real life corporate examples which were enlightening. She also talked about the importance of the focus team session, move fast, no subtitue for the talent, integrity, clarity and humility. She concluded as how people managers were earlier considered as managers only to manage the workforce. But now HR managers are the business partners who make and support the organisational vision and strategy to be possible.

  Creating a high performance culture in the organisation through below mentioned points were outlined:

  1. Matrix organisation
  2. Decentralisation
  3. Team player
  4. Building trust
  5. 7S model of change
  6. Collaborative decision making
  7. Prepare for change
  8. Manage operation and strategy
  9. Work-life balance
  10. Performance and Benefits

  Role of HR manager in bringing about the change was discussed. HR manager should be:

  1. Change Agent
  2. Employee Champion
  3. Administrative expert
  4. Strategic Partner

  Another important fact regarding HR is managing 360 degree. 360 degree feedback is very important in an organisation but it is not necessary that employees should worry about it. Employees should be able to contribute towards the individual and organisational betterment. It is necessary to have a good feedback but it is always necessary for the employee to work in the organisation according to the need of the organisation without thinking about the feedback.

  Leadership is skill that a manger should possess. Thus a leader should be able to motivate his employee to do their work. A video on leadership of Emma Brandon, award winner of Britain’s Best Boss was shown in the conclave. She was a senior charge nurse at a mental facility who was motivating the employees and the patients. She invited ideas from the employees to make their work better and to cure the patients in a better way. Thus this increased the number of cured patients and employees were also happy to work there. The decision making in the medical facility was decentralised and new ideas were invited from all employees which made a feeling of belongingness among the employees. She also had pleasure trips and games for the patients in the medical facility centre which was a better treatment for them. Thus a leader should be a motivator along with directive and supporting.

  Another insight was given by Mr. Durga Kota on is experience in different parts of the world and how he was able to manage he work force. The keys mantras which kept in to connect IBM with Bharti were building trust worthy collaborative team, to be a team player, prepare oneself for changes, manage operation and strategy and manage matrix organisation.

  Thus the conclave gave an insight of the different aspects about the people manager to be taken to consideration as most of the organisation neglect or don’t appreciate their work. Thus it is important for an organisation to take their people manager as a business partner for the organisation.