What are you aspiring for?
NAGESH PRABHU
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A course which helps students assess their talents and limits
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Aspirations management course being offered in some colleges in Bangalore
Dream, dream and dream and convert these into thoughts and later into actions
— A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Our country has an abundance of human resources but many people lack the inspiration to get the things they desire. One needs to be inspired to aspire. Management of aspirations is important to realise one’s goal in life.
A few consulting firms and organisations in India’s Silicon Valley have been involved in delivering aspirations management courses in colleges and engineering institutes. The programme is catching up among candidates enrolled for MBA and engineering. Information technology and service-oriented firms are offering similar courses for retaining qualified professionals.
What is it?
Today, fresh engineering and MBA graduates want to rise fast in their career without knowing what kind of job suits them. Freshers dream of joining multinational firms without really knowing what their services and products are. In fact, many candidates opt for jobs looking at brands and job security. Passion to do a particular job is lacking.
So, what is the way out? The answer could be aspirations management. It’s a process of enabling individuals convert their dreams into reality by aligning aspirations to inherent capabilities and available opportunities. Aspirations that are not aligned to opportunities will remain as aspirations. If they are not aligned to an individual’s inherent capabilities, they will remain a dream. If they are not futuristic, they will be short lived, says C.V. Ramanan, CEO, Ladders Consultancy Services (LCS) Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore. LCS conducts courses in this field in a few colleges in the city.
Aspirations management is about the authentic process of coaching, guiding and aligning of an individual’s aspirations to his/her capabilities, opportunities and futuristic trends. It is a holistic process of management that balances both personal and career aspirations and aims at providing a healthy work-life balance.
Mohan Srenivasan, who runs Harmony Placement, a placement agency, says “these courses do help fresh MBA/engineering graduates to set a goal.” However, many fresh and experienced professionals demand higher salary without really knowing why the company should pay them, he says.
The course helps candidates to profile their personality and make them to think seriously about the job they are aspiring for. Providing continuous knowledge and inputs on opportunities specifically oriented towards the area of aspiration and coaching on action points that the individual needs to take act as the catalyst to the individual to achieve whatever he/she wants to.
At LCS, “We inspire you to aspire. Our programmes will help you rediscover yourself, thus enabling you to attain optimum performance levels,” says Mr. Ramanan. The LCS runs a one-year course for students of Ohio University India Programme and RV-VLSI Design Centre in Bangalore. The curriculum includes project work, workshops, development of communication skills, presentation etc. “We will rejuvenate your mind, career and more importantly, your life,” says Mr. Ramanan.
Experts from different fields will guide students by constantly reminding them of targets and how to meet them. HR executives from different companies pointed out that on undergoing an aspirations management course, candidates will learn to handle problems with poise; enjoy their job; and be able to motivate others.
Four-way process
But how do we identify the career aspirations of individuals? Aspirations management is a four-way process: a) making individuals aware of their aspirations; b) shaping aspirations according to their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis; c) identifying opportunities within strength areas; and d) maximising competencies, says Mr. Ramanan.
“It is a holistic process of management that balances both personal and career aspirations and brings out the individualistic identity of people who otherwise merely execute what others around them expect.”
Am I doing what I want to do?
College students should ask themselves questions such as “Am I doing what I want to do?” “Have I chosen this job because I wanted do it, or because my parents told me to take it up or is it ‘better’ than my friend’s?” Many doctors and engineers wanted to pursue a different career but could not do so because of parental/peer pressure.
Identification of employee aspirations is the key to creating a healthy work environment. Corporate leaders have been providing various incentives to employees to meet their aspirations. Delay in action might make people move on to other companies. “Managing aspirations will be a key HR challenge in current times for organisations,” warns a HR executive.
Amalendu Jyotishi, Assistant Director, Special Project at Ohio University, points out that there is a mismatch between the aspiration of a MBA student and the skill area. “We need to identify whether there is maturity in the goals the candidate aspires for. Today, MBA gradates want managerial positions before building up their competencies.”
A few firms offer are offering courses in aspirations management but they don’t impart job skills. Many students having high aspirations to get into a particular job do not get it because they lack skills and the talent, says Mr. Jyotishi.
In recent years, various placement agencies, IT, ITES, insurance, retail, telecom, banking and other service sector companies are noticing the importance of aspirations management as a stabilising force. This has helped in reducing the attrition rate to some extent. This has enabled employees to realise their aspirations and contribute their best.
This course has ensured maximum employee engagement and minimum resignation due to frustration. “We identify students and employees’ aspirations, help them choose a career path within their strength and competency. If candidates seek high salary, beyond their talent and ability, we caution them and warn them about the consequences,” says Mr. Srenivasan. An employee has to provide services of Rs. 80 lakh to get a monthly salary of Rs. 8 lakh, he warns.
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