My take on Re-inventing HR Professional bodies

Today I chanced upon an July 2014 thread of mails in which I had shared my thoughts about an approach for the local NIPM chapter (www.nipmkerala.org)
This discussion was initiated by Mr. A S Girish the Kerala HR leader for Apollo Tyres after he got elected as the National Vice-President of NIPM - India's oldest professional body of HR professionals. Text which follows (red colour font) is an edited version so that my readers can connect to context:

I’m trying to chip-in on a discussion thread (pasted below for reference) which Jayaraj started couple of days back. As always, Girish Sir (Mr. A. S Girish) has been the catalyst of this thread as well :-) Have to say I’m glad about that as well.

Strengths of NIPM Kerala Chapter:
Special branding within NIPM due to consistent performance for past decade or so – culminating in NCON2012 and raring to better everything we do :-)
Location – Kochi is of strategic importance for Centuries, which no one can take away from us.
Unity oriented approach and family connect/focus which our senior leaders have instilled – this to me is a rarity in most HR bodies in our country.
India / Kerala HR context: 2012-2020
Demographic dividend – Huge thing shaping things across BRICS World for next 20-25 years. Our country is at the centre of this thing. We have already seen challenges of working with GenY population from every type of leadership (Union, Management, Government, Prof’nl bodies etc) - it seems most are taken by surprise on this one, some accept it, some close their eyes BUT that IS the reality.  The Technology changes which our country embraces (yes, sometimes faster than developed countries) makes this a complex equation.
As HR professionals, we are best placed to provide leadership thoughts in managing this huge change which our country is going thru – for next 25 years.
With a Majority Govt in Power there can be a revamp of key Labour laws expected soon – this if occurs, it may put back a lot of focus on Labour laws across industries – not just in Mfg. It’s also likely that Govt may make special laws to support the manufacturing sector as that’s may be the only way the planners see to increase job creation. See this article for a pointer - http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-narendra-modi-eyes-first-labour-overhaul-in-decades-to-create-jobs-1998604

Suggested Approach:
IR / HR it’s all about making an impact for the business – we should refrain from focusing on names like these so that Business leaders always seek our group for sound advice / Value for solving people problems which impact businesses.
Stay connected with surroundings / Stay current – our value multiplies when we do that. No one cares about AGE now.. I had heard Tom Friedman say this at SHRM14 last month (June 2014) – ‘Everyone is just interested in knowing what you can do with things you KNOW – not where / how / when you got it”. Practical solution: Let’s have at least one session in a qtr from Business Leaders / Entrepreneurs.
Embrace Technology – there is a belief that Technology is only for IT professionals. We in HR are best placed to remove that myth.  Think about how we can use existing technology to solve our problems – it can be that simple.
Connect with GenY – Like Rajasthan did for Labour Laws, can we at our chapter attempt to review all existing practices of our chapter to welcome GenY to our midst??? This takes a real collective effort.
Connect with Gender. Work places of today are Gender diverse, it’s another reality – it’s just simple math; and for our state with a  clearer Sex Ratio metric – what more should we wait for?
Some of these would take a few years to get done – we can push the start button anytime we want :-)

The future is bright – I am really excited to be just living thru it.  Love this group which has kept me on my toes for past 6 yrs or so with so much learning everytime we meet up.. Let’s continue to be trailblazers.

As for connecting with new sectors – Let’s revisit our VALUE proposition – People flock to anyone who can provide Value. Time / Cost for that Value becomes secondary.  Let’s think about what value we as NIPM Kerala Chapter can add to any industry we are trying to connect – and once we give them (and communicate it) - they will come running to us.


Well that was a year back and I'm really glad that the chapter's think tank has taken some of these thoughts to action level and also embarked on a  journey to add value.  The renewed focus on Manufacturing which our country is attempting will bring back the need for HR professionals to be comfortable with Labour laws.
I'm Proud to be associated with this elite group who to me are clearly the 'unsung heroes'....


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