The Hindu Business Line : <I>It's a game of empowering your team </I>

Today, apart from tackling the challenges of domestic and global competition, managers have to increasingly deal with the challenge of retaining and nurturing talent. Human resources management is both a challenge and an opportunity. Undoubtedly most young managers are better prepared physically and mentally to be nimble and to think on their feet. More top managements like to encourage their managers to do out of the box thinking. Ultimately, every company, especially if it has to contend with world-class competition, wants to be forward driven.

The name of the game is empowering your team. There is a learning curve involved in this strategy both for the management and the managers, especially in owner-driven companies. The desire to micro manage has to be shed by top managers in an establishment and responsibilities with necessary powers delegated to managers and in turn to their teams. Direct accountability accompanied by rewards for success and punishment for failure have always yielded results. Before the managers are entrusted with a task, they must be given the wherewithal to deliver. Finally a pudding is as sweet as the sugar that is poured into the dish.

Although managers who fail must be held accountable for, managements must be prepared to also encourage the team not be disheartened and to prepare themselves for yet another assignment. It is the responsibility of every competent manager to ensure team play does not get sacrificed in any task and the morale stays high irrespective of the final results. This in no way should be confused for complacency but the spirits of the team should stay strong.

Talent retention is dependent on how well a team's aspirations are managed by his immediate manager and the company as a whole. The challenge always is to ensure that the final employee and employer goals match. Empowerment, career progression, attractive emoluments, new work opportunities, and a friendly work environment will always remain key to retention of human skill sets in any organisation. — Peter J. Leitgeb, President, Leela Palaces & Resorts

More Stories on : Management | People | Leader Speak

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
To sell or not to sell: That is the question

The spiritual organisation

A key to understanding 21st Century

It's a game of empowering your team

Life after the CAT

E-mail essentials

End adversarial commerce