The Hindu Business Line : Learn, relearn... or unlearn

"It is important for people at the middle level to be exposed to broader thinking and to integrate perspective. Mid-career training programmes enable executives to constantly read, reflect and relate."

It may sound like a platitude, but in today's business environment what executives need most is the ability to manage change. Faced with the hard realities of globalisation, liberalisation, deregulation, end-user assertiveness and high-paced technology, with hardly any response time, they need to use this skill the most. Learning, relearning, and sometimes, unlearning, are the only three ways to advancement in career paths. Therefore mid-career management education has become imperative.

Says Dr Sudhi Seshadri, Professor, Marketing Area, and Chairperson, Executive Education, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, "I have been watching the executive education programmes since 1991 and I find that Indian companies have become increasingly professional in their approach."

He thinks, now, Indian corporates realise they have to upgrade the skills of their managers for two reasons: a better market share and to retain talent. There is no dearth of supply (trainers, programmes, ideas) or demand (companies, entrepreneurs, government) in this area.

For instance, take IFMR (Institute for Financial Management and Research), Chennai, which takes its manager-trainees through a programme called `retooling'. Says IFMR's Prof G. Balasubramanian, "Such programmes give them an opportunity to reflect on business trends and concepts and their relevance today."

This, the institution achieves through knowledge sharing, interactive sessions, debates on cost management, behavioural sciences and marketing.

On `reskilling' needs, he says that at a certain stage in their careers, people need to brush up on their fundamentals. "It is important for people at the middle level to be exposed to broader thinking and to integrate perspective. And mid-career training programmes enable executives to constantly read, reflect and relate," he adds.

The role of organisational motivation can never be overemphasised in today's dynamic corporate world. Says Latha Ramakrishnan of Laras - Regional Master Licensee, South India for Leadership Management International (LMI), "Mid-career training programmes are relevant now because if you look at competition, it is very easy to match pricing, technology and quality. The only challenge that companies face today is the effectiveness of their employees." And this can be met through upgrading their skills.

Such training programmes do not stop at two-hour lectures or half-a-day seminars that fill up office hours or utilise remaining budgets. There's a lot more that goes into them. For instance, companies, management and training institutes have all realised that if motivation has to be long term, there is a big need for activity-based training rather than knowledge accumulation.

This necessity is being felt across the Indian corporate world. "Even in the PSUs there is a successful drive toward executive education programmes. They enrol for many of our open programmes and commission customised programmes," says Seshadri. "The only relevant difference for training between the private sector and the public sector is that the latter asks for more tiers in the programmes while the private sector wants fewer tiers, namely senior or top, middle and junior tiers for their executives." Obviously the PSUs are yet to shed their layered management structure.

Sanjeev Duggal, President, NIS Sparta, says that many PSUs send their people for a one-month managerial development program when they shift to the management cadre and again to another program as they move up further.

Training programmes have two slots: customised programmes and open programmes. Multidivisional companies generally prefer the first type and the SMEs the second. Seshadri says open programmes have become very popular and at IIM-B, the number has been increasing by 25-30 per cent every year. Customised programmes have advantages such as greater focus. Open programmes provide a rich environment for exchange of ideas and encourage out-of-the-box thinking.

Sandeep Chaudhary, CEO, Maps-n-Grow Consulting Pvt. Ltd says that companies generally prefer exclusive programmes for employees. Amarjit Singh, Associate Director, Indus Management Consultants, agrees. "Some management institutions such as XLRI-Jamshedpur, IFCAI and SCMS Group of Educational Institutions run open training programmes. However, these programmes are generic in nature and do not address specific client needs.

Adds Chaudhary, "Progressive companies look at these programmes with a lot of zeal. However, some companies do programmes only to exhaust allocated budgets." On an average, companies spend anywhere between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 20 lakh on such programmes every year. Coming to popular areas in executive education, there are three levels, the basic ones focus on functional areas of management such as Operations Management, Marketing, Financial Management, Financial Accounting, Advances in Corporate and Commercial Procedures, Organisational Behaviour and Development.

The second level, for senior management, is the overarching tier of Corporate Governance, Leadership, Global Strategy and Turnaround Management. The third level is for the absolute top management and focuses on issues such as international management or strategic advantages of marketplaces.

In an age when service and people-based industries are growing, the most sought after areas of training are team building and leadership. But, says Chaudhary, most programmes available in the market focus on these subjects only at the conceptual level. However, companies are constantly looking for programmes that empower their employees at the attitude, skills and knowledge levels so they can contribute phenomenally to the companies' bottom line objectives.

Commenting on the content, Mukesh Khetarpal, Director, Indus Management Consultants, says, "Normally, when a person joins a new company, he or she is oriented toward the technical and process training, which is company specific. These programmes are combined with their induction programmes and normally last for two to three weeks." Subsequent programmes concentrate on soft skills. At this level, sales and leadership/management development programmes are the most sought after, as also communication and listening, time management, presentation and negotiation skills.

While some companies look at training as a budget-based exercise, there are some who are devoted to the cause of management development. At Pune-based Kinetic Engineering, training is a big priority, and is done with both internal and outsourced programmes. According to Vismaya Firodia, Head - Corporate Communications, the company aims at getting every employee into training programmes at least three times a year.

A training calendar is drawn up each year. The internal programmes are used mainly for technical knowledge (about two-wheelers) and product updates, besides comprehensive computer skills training. Behavioural areas such as negotiation skills, public speaking, presentation skills, leadership and teamwork are taken care of. In addition, there are seminars and workshops related to their areas of work, such as HR, marketing, exports and finance, besides general leadership development.

With the realisation that training is `a business issue and a necessary investment for the future', i-flex Solutions has involved its employees in a spate of HR initiatives. Says Vivek Govilkar, Head, Process and Quality Management Group and Training, "We offer functional programmes for our people in banking and finance." Training sessions are held every month, so that there is always something new to offer.

Another company that views training programmes as a critical element in people's development is TELCO. Compared to the global benchmark of 140 man-hours per person per year in training, it invests about 100 man-hours on an average, on its senior managers, and aims to reach the global benchmark in two years' time. V.K. Verma, the HRD chief at TELCO says, last year the company spent about Rs 5 crore on training programmes for its employees. For the middle and senior management, TELCO has a `Fast Track Managers' programme, for which MBAs, engineers and post-graduates are eligible.

Engineers and post-graduates undergo a one-year training programme, while MBAs go through an intensive three-month training capsule. For those who have completed two years in the company, an executive selection scheme trains 35 eligible candidates in work organisation, decision making, written communication and general management skills, to identify core competencies.

Five or six candidates are then sent on a four-month training programme to IIM (A). Tata Engineering Assessors are trained by SHR, a UK-based training school. Gautam Nath, Director - Corporate Services for global market research firm, NFO MBL India, commenting on the most sought after areas says a good learning calendar will have a mix of both hard and soft skills.

Hard skills need regular inputs in order to keep up with changing technologies and `newer' versions whereas soft skills are needed to allow the team members to cope with the changing work culture, corporate environment and demands from bosses, both at work and at home.

"Companies are very enthused about such programmes, but at times economic realities take precedence. The learning culture within an organisation often makes the difference in choosing to stay or to leave. Human nature needs constant learning inputs towards achieving self actualisation requirements and wise management professionals realise the value of this," Nath says.

To gauge the impact of these programmes, hear what Vivek Govilkar, has to say. "We witness continuous development of new skills that are essential to handle new projects, enhancement and up-gradation of existing skills to keep pace with changing technology, preparation for the new responsibilities and change of roles and above all, higher motivation of employees because of the opportunity to learn and develop."

From the supply point of view, a few factors need to be corrected.

Unfortunately in India, programmes are not priced according to the value they offer to the trainees, says Seshadri of IIM-B. There's just one pricing bracket within which all courses are slotted. "Some courses have more to offer than others, but all have been standardised at a certain price, which has to change," he feels.

The industries have a vital role to play here. The professor says the more progressive industries have realised that they have to pay more for a better course.

"And like other businesses, the consumer has to participate in the production of the value," he suggests.

With inputs from Richa Mishra, Rina Chandran and Nathalia Jones.

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