Lancelot is a General Management, Operations and Human Resources professional with over four decades of experience in Hospitality, Airlines, Media & Real Estate industries; and Indian Air Force.
I started my career as a pilot in the Air Force and served almost two decades in various fighter squadrons and as a flying instructor in training institutions. An eye disability propelled me into the civilian world and I found myself doing start-ups in the airlines, hospitality and media & entertainment industries largely in the HR function. I have also done stints in real estate and education industries.
Looking back, I feel I have been on a series of missions and the roller-coaster journey has been gratifying.
2. What is your opinion about remote working?
I am a great believer in remote working and introduced it in my company almost a decade back. Remote working saves a lot of commuting time and promotes work-life integration. It may not be possible to introduce remote working in all functions like operations which requires your presence at the factory or work site but it is practical in most functions.
2. What is your opinion about remote working?
I am a great believer in remote working and introduced it in my company almost a decade back. Remote working saves a lot of commuting time and promotes work-life integration. It may not be possible to introduce remote working in all functions like operations which requires your presence at the factory or work site but it is practical in most functions.
Remote working led to a significant increase in engagement and productivity for me. A few important factors leaders need to keep in mind about remote working is to lay down the rules of engagement clearly and trust your team. Avoid breathing on their back. In addition, move away from tracking time and instead track activities and results.
3. How do you keep your employees and team engaged? What are some of the shifts in engagement strategies?
I believe that the best way to engage your employees is to hire competent and values-driven leaders who lead by example and set their teams up for success. People thrive when you create an environment where fundamental values like mutual respect, trust and fairness are visible.
When you create constant learning opportunities and use an individual’s innate talents, you are bound to create an engaged team. Do engagement strategies change with time? In my opinion, the basics remain the same.
The only difference is leaders need to understand the shifts taking place with every new generation. They need to take pains to understand the passions and prejudices of each generation and what drives them. You can’t engage Gen Z with baby boomer strategies.
4. How important is skill development for employees and how do you do that?
I cannot emphasis skill development more. An organisation which does not invest in continuous skill development of its employees will land up in Jurassic Park. The world is changing in various dimensions – social, economic, political, technological, environmental and what have you.
What’s more is we are witnessing accelerating change and many Black Swans. In such a scenario, an employee needs to constantly morph to remain relevant. She needs to understand his purpose, constantly evaluate opportunities and skill herself in time to make the best use of them.
5. How according to you has HR as a profession evolved over the years?
HR has evolved a lot over the decades from personnel management to becoming business partners to business enablers. Today organisations have to negotiate the winds of change and HR has to play the role of change champions. HR professional need to have a good understanding of business and be strategic.
5. How according to you has HR as a profession evolved over the years?
HR has evolved a lot over the decades from personnel management to becoming business partners to business enablers. Today organisations have to negotiate the winds of change and HR has to play the role of change champions. HR professional need to have a good understanding of business and be strategic.
They need to develop the ability to forecast changes and prepare tomorrow’s organisation. Another way to look at the HR function is that the art hasn’t changed much but the science is constantly changing.
MooCs or analytics were never a part of our lexicon two decades back. Technology has transformed HR. Today, we can do predictive analytics or ‘learning on the go’ due to technology. HR professionals who are not techno-savvy will become redundant.
6. What are some of the qualities you look for in a person when hiring for leadership?
Firstly, leaders need to have good values especially fundamental values which I mentioned before. They need to have a vision and the ability to galvanise people. They need to have a strong service orientation i.e. the ability to subordinate their needs to those of their constituents.
6. What are some of the qualities you look for in a person when hiring for leadership?
Firstly, leaders need to have good values especially fundamental values which I mentioned before. They need to have a vision and the ability to galvanise people. They need to have a strong service orientation i.e. the ability to subordinate their needs to those of their constituents.
This is a rare quality but if a leader has it, it will stand the organisation in good stead in the future. Other qualities are business acumen, agility, humility and the ability to navigate change. Good leaders are hard to find. Small wonder, we have too many bosses but too few leaders.
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
This a tough question as I have too many favourites. One of my favourites is ‘First Break all the Rules’ by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. It has influenced me profusely as it has some practical concepts like ‘Focus on a person’s strengths rather than his weaknesses. Don’t waste time and resources fixing the latter’.
Another one is ‘Standardise the outcomes but not the means as long as they are in keeping with the organisation’s values and standards’.
- Interviewed by - Sanjana Jain
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