IFMR-IFMR Trust Ecosystem

Pattern: Transitions and Rites of Passage

2009-01-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

Description:
In cultures throughout the world there are ceremonies when a boy becomes a man and a girl becomes a woman and when two people are married and have children. There are even ceremonies for deaths. All of these things help people to deal more effectively with transition and change. The company has changes too: we open a new KGFS, a centre has a big grant come through, an old leader leaves and a new one joins up. All of these things deserve to be recognized and people need a way to engage them.

Purpose:
- help people deal with transitions
- notice growth and or decay

Restrictions:
- must be cross team
- must be > 10 people

Patterns Related to:

Pattern: Celebrate Going Beyond The Expected

2009-01-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

Description:
There was a flood in Tanjore and the Wealth Managers in Tanjore went far beyond their job descriptions to serve their clients. Such acts of service, bravery, loyalty, extremely long service, etc. deserve to be recognized by a wider swath of employees than just those in the specific company. The ecosystem will take the time to notice these people and will recognize them for their extreme excellence.

Purpose:
- Make sure that extraordinary efforts are heralded and that they turn into stories in the organization

Restrictions:
- not for anything covered by normal rewards and recognition process
- must be an act that is worthy of group wide recognition

Patterns Related To:

Pattern: Celebrate Your Heritage Together

2009-01-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Description:
We have people in the ecosystem from throughout India and the world. Geographic ties cross organizational boundaries. In order to serve our clients better we need to take advantage of the deep pools of knowledge in the ecosystem about different geographic regions. This can take the form of groups reading a book from a region, a film festival, a potluck with foods from a specific region, and so on.

Purpose:
- ensure that everyone at the trust gets to know the whole country
- ensure deep local knowledge about each region

Restrictions:
- > 5 people
- multiple teams represented
- all the in the ecosystem should be invited

Patterns Related To:

Pattern: Avenue to Show Your Non-Work Side

2009-01-12T23:08:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Avenue to Show Your Non-Work Side
Description:Each of us have a non-work or creative side which we would like others to know and appreciate . This pattern provides us a platform for expressing our talents so that people get to know not only your professional self but also your talented and creative selves. This would be an opportunity for you to entertain your colleagues at the same time!
Purpose:-
To get to know the non-work side of people-
To display your talents-
To break away from routine work- fun
Restrictions:- participation by atleast 50% of the Trusters-
Cross team-
People should look forward to the event-
at least 5 people should display their non-work side

Pattern: Interact with local people

2009-01-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Stay with local people
Description:We should get to stay in the villages where our customers are so that we get a sense of the lifestyle of the village people. Such an understanding would enable us to know the needs of our customers and also the kinds of issues they face. It would help us to get a break from the normal routine and each person would be able to share his/her experience of the stay.
Purpose:- to know about the local culture- to get acquainted with customers- to stay at the villages- far away from the maddening crowd- get familiar with the village lifestyle- get out of the office- different experience
Restrictions:- > 5 people- stay at least for 2 days- Need someone acquainted with the village - Stay in one of the branch villages- Share experiences with own & other teams

posted by Sarlaksha Ganesh

Pattern : Book Club

2009-01-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Book/Movie/Art appreciation together

Description
Everybody wants to share with someone a nice book they read, an wonderful movie they saw, or a stunning piece of art that captured their fancy. These pieces of creativity had a meaningful impact on the person and had changed the way they see life .

Purpose:
- To introduce classics / modern work of art/ books across languages to the ecosystem
- To read /know beyond one’s area of expertise
- To create awareness about books/ movies that would help create and cement Trust culture (or)
- To appreciate diverse cultures/ art forms

Description:
- should be fun
- Should involve members across atleast two different teams

Competition

2009-01-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

Description:-

There are various reason why humans adore competition. One, they like the glory of being a winner and it is only through competition that winner and it is only through competition that winners can emerge. Two, competition motivates people by demanding a high standard of performance. Three, by preparing for the competition, they improve their skills. Four, competition draw out the best and valuable lessons can be learned from observing our opponents and counter parties. In our competitive environment, we compete for everything, from our parent attention to a lucrative job in office. Nonetheless, competition need not always end up in a win-lose situation and if it is carefully managed, all the parties can be winners

Purpose:-

To bring out the hidden skills
Recreational activity

Requirement:-

Participant from every eco-system( atleast 5 members form each eco-system)
Equipment as per the competition event.

Pattern : Sports together

2009-01-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

Description:-

In the modern HR concept sports are viewed one of the strong tool to blind and retain the employee in the organization. By organizing such events employee get relaxed from the monotonous job work and management also get a forum to understand the employee outside the preview of his work and also get an opportunity to interact with his family. it can be utilised to bring harmony and blissfulness in the organization.

Purpose:-

It create bonding among the employees
It help to interact with other eco-system members
Recreational activity

Requirement :-
Involvement of employees from every eco-system(atleast 5 members from each eco-system)
Equipment as per the sport event

Pattern: Cross Team Mentoring

2009-01-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mentors know it all! Atleast they know most of it!You get to be mentored, counseled and the best of it all is that you get an outsider third party view/ outlook/ frank opinion on issues!

Wouldn't it be great having a cross team mentor!Be it anything! You get to be mentored, counseled and most importantly you get an outsiders outlook/ frank opinion on issues! Mentors are here to help and to guide! and what better than a Mentor from a different team!

In a mentor you are to find a good friend, a person you can trust, seek advice and learn from!

Purpose:
- To have a person outside the team for peer counselling.

Description:
Mentor and Mentee to be from different teams!

Template: Proposal

2009-01-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

People Submitting (minimum 3):

Description:

Date(s)/Time(s):

Teams Involved:

Attendance Expected:

Patterns Utilized:

Line Item Budget:

Method of Capturing Feedback:

Pattern :When Trusters work and Play Together!

2009-01-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

We have all heard of the saying which says All work and No play Makes Jack a Dull Boy! We, at the Trust do not believe in dull people nor in a dull working environment!

Now, don't we believe in working smart? Working smart is what each Truster should be doing! & While we are not working we should indulge in some playing!

Carroms/ Chess/ Table Tennis/ Badminton? You name it and we'll have it here!
While doing so you can involve yourself in some light hearted banter/ some brainstorming/ cross team discussions and some coffee to go along with it!

Purpose:
Avenue for informal interactions
Space to get to know each other better. What better way to do it than to play together?!
Encourages sharper thinking( when you play with smart people you are bound to think sharply)

Description:
Should include atleast 2 people!
Playing with cross teams/ mixed teams are more than welcome here!
3 is never a crowd here! The more the Merrier!

Pattern: Personal Growth Together

2009-01-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Description:
When people open themselves up emotionally it creates friendships that last a lifetime and sends a strong signal from employer to employee that we value you as a human being and not just a laborer. Sending this message is the key to building an organization and an ecosystem that people understand is more than just a place to collect a paycheck.

Purpose:
-To understand patterns of behaviour of self
-To understand impact of self on others
- To learn to seek and give feedback effectively

Restrictions:
- must ensure communication to the entire ecosystem
- minimum participation of at least 6 members from atleast 3 different teams

Patterns Connected To:

Pattern: Family Friendly Events

2009-01-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Description:
Members of the ecosystem work hard and when they have free time they want to spend it with their families. By having events where people can bring their families it makes it much easier for people in the company to participate in activities beyond the work day. In addition, it helps people to get to know each other as human beings, and finally it makes it easier for the families of ecosystem members to feel connected to the workplace that they may hear so much about.

Purpose:
- Platform for social networking
- Informal get-to-gether for all the employees with their families.
- Creating a friendly & a warm environment for the families
- Get to know each member personally (family background)

Requirements:

Patterns Related To:
(add here)

Pattern: Celebrate Festivals Together

2009-01-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

Description:
Holidays are a time that families celebrate together. Members of the ecosystem will be spending more time together than most of them will spend with their families, and for many festivals the members of the ecosystem will be at work. As a result it is important that the ecosystem makes it easy for ecosystem members to celebrate holidays together in a manner that celebrates the diversity of religions and nationalities present in the offices.

Purpose:
- Sense of belongingness
- Gets to know culture/ heritage of different states
- Creates a friendly and enthustiastic atmosphere

Restrictions:
- Fun
- Participation by minimum 50% of the staff

Patterns Related To:

Pattern: Award Ceremonies and Roasts

2009-01-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

Description:
In a culture that rewards merit there must come a time when merit is recognized and lauded. At the same time when someone in the organization is revered like a god it is also healthy for there to be a time for people to be able to poke a little fun. These ceremonies provide a forum for us to tell stories that reinforce what the organization is doing right and why some members of the organization are so deeply appreciated.

Purpose:
- Sense of recognition/achievement
-Creates synergies
- Awareness
- Creates environment of motivation
-Interaction and meeting people on a different platform

Restrictions:
- Participation by more tahn 50% of the staff
- People look forward to this event
- Fun

Patterns Related To:

Breathing Life Into The IFMR-IFMR Trust Ecosystem

2009-01-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

In nature ecosystems form slowly over time as a result of many small actions. The decentralized process of ecosystem formation and adaptation unfolds over time and produces a far stronger and more resilient ecosystem than any centrally planned process ever possibly could.

We talk about IFMR-IFMR Trust as an ecosystem, but we have not yet supported the decentralized process of formation and adaptation that is required to make an ecosystem come into existence.

We have 7 research centres, almost 2 dozen professors, and numerous Trust companies, but they all exist in isolation from each other.

What follows is a process that I am launching to bring life into the ecosystem.

This, of course, begs the question of what it would mean to bring life into the ecosystem?

The aggregate productivity and innovation of all of the organizations of the IFMR-IFMR Trust ecosystem would far exceed the sum of the parts.

However, it would be more than that.

The lines between the centres and the school and the Trust would start to blur. People would move from organization to organization. There would be ideas sparked by interactions between members of different teams. We would be reaping the benefit of having ecosystem members from all across India and the tacit knowledge they have would be impacting our work. We would all be learning from each other.

The result would be an very inspiring place to work and a unified force that truly could change India.

To each of you reading this blog entry the idea of a living IFMR-IFMR Trust ecosystem probably means something different.

To make the ecosystem come to life your vision needs to be a part of the larger vision. We all need to be able to communicate with each other about our visions of what a vibrant ecosystem would be.

We will start this process by meeting together to discuss a simple question:

If the ecosystem lived up to your expectations, then what kind of interactions would you and your team be having with others in the ecosystem outside of your team?

Would you be playing cricket with others in the ecosystem?
Would you be learning Tamil with them, would you be celebrating Holi with them?
Would your spouse and kids be spending time with people from work?
Would you take a class from an IFMR professor?
Would you have dinner at an IFMR professor's house?
Would you do something completely different?

The first step in fixing the ecosystem is for us all to get a better understanding of the micro-interactions that would be happening all across the ecosystem if it was everything we wanted it to be.

If we all can't share a vision of what the IFMR-IFMR Trust ecosystem would be like if it was working well, then we will probably never get there.

I'm not suggesting that we need to get as granular as saying that every Wednesday night at 6 p.m. we will all take Tamil lessons on the Kothari campus. That's too detailed.

What I am suggesting is that we could say that if the ecosystem worked well that people from throughout the ecosystem might do things together to learn about the local Tamilian culture. Some of us might take language classes, others might go on a tour of local museums, others might go see some Carnatic music, etc.

If we keep the descriptions somewhat vague, then we can give everyone in the ecosystem enough information to understand what we are talking about while still leaving each individual the space to fill in the details in a unique manner.

We want to uncover the key "patterns" that we all agree are crucial to building a vibrant ecosystem. When these patterns are articulated, then small groups of ecosystem members can find ways to use them.

If you click on the tag "patterns" in this blog you will see a list of the patterns that others have indicated as what they would expect to be present in highly functional IFMR-IFMR Trust ecosystem.

Some of these patterns include

* Local Culture
* Celebrate Festivals Together
* Cross Team Outings

... and the list goes on.

Over the next few weeks I will be meeting with your team to add to this dictionary of patterns for a vibrant IFMR-IFMR Trust ecosystem.

The second step in breathing life into the ecosystem is for us to start making small things happen that make these patterns into real interactions in the world.

Over the next 12 months the IFMR Trust has set aside a fund of Rs. 25 lakh available to fund meetings, outings, events, parties, and anything else that helps us to create the ecosystem we all want.

These funds are available to any group of 3 or more people who apply for them. The allocation rules for these funds are geared towards small projects of Rs. 8000 or less -- although there is some portion of these funds available for larger line items.

The process of application is simple and an answer is guaranteed within 72 hours. The decision to fund is made by a 7 member board that will be composed of your peers from IFMR and IFMR Trust.

This group will distribute the money to projects that support the realization of the patterns on this blog.

Here's the process:

1. Any group of 3 or more people comes up with an idea.

2. They fill out a standard template and submit it to Niti Seth via email

3. Niti gives feedback to the group until the proposal is read for submission to the ecosystem development board

4. The ecosystem development board reviews the project based upon:
a. the patterns as described on this blog
b. their budget constraints

5. An answer is given within 72 hours

6. Money is dispersed

7. Feedback on the use of the money is captured

I will explain this in greater detail in later posts on this blog and when I meet with your team in person ... but yes it is this simple.

From here on out the responsibility for building the workplace that you want rests with you. If you think that the ecosystem should have X or Y, then come up with a plan and do it because for a plan that makes the patterns on this blog reality there is ample money to make your ideas happen.

It's up to you.

Best,
Dave

PS - If you think any of these patterns could be better, then you are right. Send a comment to the author and they will use yur comments to improve the pattern. Also, after I meet with each team the dictionary of patterns will grow and change.

Pattern: Cross Team Skill Classes

2009-01-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Description:
One of the best ways to uncover areas of potential collaboration is when picking up a new skill. With so many different teams it is possible to have classes on everything from public speaking to basic finance that can be attended by people across many teams.

Purpose:

Knowledge sharing across teams
Enhance knowledge
Develop additional skills

Restrictions:

Must ensure communication to the entire ecosystem
Should have a minimum participation of at least 2 different teams
Should have a minimum of 5 participants
Must have an agenda or a topic
Must be designed in such a way that it adds additional skills to the participants
Feedback must be collected from the participants on the effectiveness of this program

Patterns Related To:
Internal Cross Team Training

Pattern: Cross Team Outing

2009-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

Description:
It can be hard to get different teams to collaborate. Getting the teams to do something fun outside of the workplace can make it possible for people to find a way to relate in a way that bypasses current work concerns.

Purpose:

Out of the closed work environment
Break from work
Creates bonding among employees
Creates a friendly atmosphere
Builds effective professional rapport
Can have an element of open house
Open house will help the team open up, voice their views, concerns etc

Restrictions:

Minimum participation of two teams
Must have non-hierarchical cross team members
Should have a minimum of ten people
Should be away from the IFMR premises
Should have an element of fun

Patterns Related To:
Team Outing

Pattern: Stress Relief Exercises for Group

2009-01-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

Description:
To have a successful ecosystem requires that people with different views find a way to work together. The lower the stress level of the employees the more likely that is to happen, and the more likely that the work environment will be pleasant and professional.

Purpose:

Create awareness on the requirements of stress relievers among the eco system
Provide a stress relief mechanism
Break from work at regular intervals
Helps to bring in a serene & healthy atmosphere
Motivates better health and creates postive energy

Restrictions:

Must ensure communication across the entire eco system
Should have a minimum of 10 people
Must be cross team
Should have regular sessions at periodic intervals

Patterns Related To:
Yoga Sessions
Medidation Classes
Other patterns that can adopt the above (with minor changes) are :
Self-Defense Classes
Martial Arts

Pattern: Happy Hours

2009-01-10T01:37:00.000-08:00

Description:
At the end of the day people head home tired from work. However, during the course of most days there are battles won and fought. There is a natural desire to have an unwinding period between the high intensity of the work day and the home. This unwinding period can be supported by a different environment and by coffee or drinks.

Purpose:
- bonding among employees

Requirements:
- more than 5 employees across at least 2 teams
- not in the office space

Patterns Related To:
(add here)

Pattern: Local Culture

2009-01-09T03:15:00.000-08:00

Description:
Many of our employees are from different parts of India and/or different countries and feel detached from home. Learning the Tamil language, exploring Tamil culture, seeing Tamil architecture, experiencing Tamil music, learning about Tamil history, and getting more in touch with the Tamil people will only make them feel more at home.

Purpose:
- you know about the place you live
- you enjoy where you live
- you begin to value TN and Chennai
- you can communicate with others
- make others feel at home
- make them understand
- make them feel familiar

Restrictions:
- should be with people from outside of Chennai
- > 4 people
- cross team
- cross state
- need an organizer from Chennai

Patterns Connected To:
(add here)

Pattern: Get Outside

2009-01-09T03:08:00.000-08:00

Description:
Work in the finance field regularly requires a person to be in an office building in front of a computer. Getting outside of the office forces a break from work and work routines. Bonding becomes easier and potential for innovation is increased through engagement with new stimuli.

Purpose:
- out of the normal closed environment
- away from technology
- forces break from work
- helps to shift thinking
- different type of bonding

Requirements:
- outside a building
- away from any IFMR premises
- should be with > 4 people
- must be cross team
- must involve an activity other than walking

Patterns Related To:
(add here)

Pattern: Icebreakers

2009-01-09T03:04:00.001-08:00

Description:
Unless people have a chance to get together informally before a serious interaction it becomes difficult to achieve real collaboration. The solution is to have events preceding any serious interaction where people have the chance to loosen up and get to know each other as human beings

Purpose:
- get to know each other
- create a friendly and warm environment so people feel at ease
- to make sure people open up to each other
- break the silos so people are on the same platform

Requirements:
- needs to be linked to a more serious event
- should be fun

Patterns Related to:
(add here)

Pattern: Cross-Team Brainstorming

2009-01-08T22:13:00.001-08:00

Description:
If the same team thinks about an idea over and over again they may get so stuck in a set of assumptions that they fail to see an obvious solution. This can be resolved by having members of many diverse teams come together to brainstorm. While some poor solutions are generated it only takes one good idea to make the whole exercise worthwhile.

Purpose:
- people realize the overlap in their work
- share ideas and thoughts.
- share resources more effectively

Requirements:
- must ensure communication to the entire ecosystem
- minimum participation of at least 2 different teams
- must share the outcomes of the brainstorming with the ecosystem (if possible)
- must have an agenda or a topic
- must be designed to create new knowledge between the two or more teams

Patterns Connected To:
(add here)