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T. V. Rao Believes Good HR Facilitators Would Do Good Work Both Before and After The Pandemic

Story Highlights
  • The candid conversation with the “Father of HRD in India,” was indeed insightful where he emphasised upon the fact that future employers need to develop versatility in the application of talent and help employees become multiskilled

Source | bwpeople.businessworld.in | Sugandh Bahl

Currently Chairman, TVRLS, Dr. TV Rao has been a renowned Professor at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and until recently IIMA Society and Board member. The Co-founder of the National HRD Network and Academy of HRD in India, Rao is known to have initiated the HRD Function and movement in India in the mid-seventies starting with Larsen & Toubro, State Bank of India and other organizations. 

BW People editorial wing fetched this amazing opportunity of having got the chance to interview the “Father of HRD in India,” and dug some untouched aspects of his life!

  1. Being known as the father of “HR Industry” in India, how did you polish yourself to become a followed leader into this domain?

When you hear for the first-time titles like “Father of HRD in India” etc. you feel good for the recognition of years of work in the field. I have been promoting HRD concepts, systems, philosophy, and culture for the last forty-five years. As I kept hearing the same across years, I started feeling more uncomfortable than elated. In my view such a title limits a vast field like HRD in d identifying it with any individual. I consider every individual as father or mother of his or her own HRD or talent or potential development. This title is more sentimental, and it does not require effort to polish oneself. I continue to pursue my work without any polishing of myself. If there is something worthwhile in what I do, people follow by themselves. I do not make any special effort to build followers. I have started many new areas in the last few decades including “feedback by known people” which later came to be known as 360 Degree Feedback; and HRD audit leading to Score card which has become very popular.

It is the outcome of all these initiatives I assume people give such to titles. HRD is a concept, philosophy and a way of life and no single person can have a claim on it. People like me and Udai Pareek have certainly devoted a large part of our lives for this field. 

2. What has been the driving inspiration behind being the founding president of National HRD Network?

The main driving force was the misuse of the term HRD since early 1980s. Udai Pareek and I were the first to establish the new concept of Integrated Human resources Development (HRD) function starting with Larsen & Toubro in mid-seventies when there was no dedicated HRD department anywhere in the world. For me HRD in seventies was not a new wine in old bottle. It is filled with human values, a philosophy, and a way of life and the HRD function or HRD department is an instrument to build competencies, culture and commitment and facilitate learning leading to happiness at work. Since it was treated as a part of the personnel function, many started re-naming personnel department as HRD (to mean HR Department) and a few even retitled their training centres as HRD centres. As I saw the concept of HRD being diluted, I accepted to start a Centre for HRD at XLRI the premier HR institute of the country as L&T Professor of HRD in 1983. As I was returning to IIMA in 1985, starting a professional body to continue the mission of popularising HRD as a philosophy and way of life and extending it to all sectors from corporate sector is the natural outcome. That is how National HRD Network was conceptualised and promoted. Its mission and vison were to promote and strengthen the HRD philosophy, concepts and values in corporate sector and spread to all sectors. We still have a long way to go.

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Source
bwpeople.businessworld.in
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