People Matters Matter

Forgiveness is a choice. You can either stay wounded or wiser from the experience of forgiving and moving forward on a clean slate.

Forgiveness in the Workplace with Atty. Jo Fernandez, Head of HR (China Bank Savings) Forgiveness in the Workplace with Atty. Jo Ferrer, Head of HR (China Bank Savings)What if the resentment you’re carrying isn’t protecting you… but imprisonin...

What makes us proud of something?

Pride is a precious state of mind. To me, it is that success achieved after efforts exerted, after hard/relevant work was put in. Decades of experience working on what will make employees motivated to come to work everyday, do their best at work (includes strong admonition but laced with sincere care), feel valued for every contribution to the success of the organization, and end a career with fond memories and financial comfort, please oblige me to make a statement today:

Pride over something may not be a simple feeling. It is a positive difference that has resulted on what we have done and can be calculated with certainty.

It can be acts that brought about good results larger than ourselves (like love for country) or acts that brought positive influence because we acted ethically or stood by the right values even under pressure (like doing what is right and reasonable despite the rest choosing a wrongful act).

If we are proud of something, we can demonstrate it by influencing others with positive energy in the workplace. Pride can also push us to do even better. We own up to our actions and we are motivated to DO MORE each time. We willingly share to others best ways of completing daily tasks and help them accomplish theirs with pride. Pride also is manifested by advocating respect for what our respective organizations represent and speak highly of our Bank and promote it.

Therefore, pride is a positive state of mind. Organizations are successful because their employees are aware of what each of them can do. Being invested in one's job is the critical.

To answer the question above, I hope that we can say, “We are proud of what we do right, what we are willing to do more of and our commitment to influence others to do same way.”

A deep care for people goes beyond traditional support - motivating words, promotion or better terms of employment, generosity in gifts and occasional lunch treats. It is expressed through the deliberate development of disciplines that empower, educate, and align individuals with the organization’s success. A former colleague sent a thank you message to me that made me write about lessons etched in her memory:

1. Continuous Learning. We must encourage others to build on their skills and evolve professionally. Invest your time in their ongoing development, equip them to adapt, innovate, and thrive — reinforcing their value and potential. Challenge status quo with them.

2. Accountability to the company. This requires DOING MORE first before enlisting others. Our own acts serve as a guide to our people in understanding how their daily actions influence the company’s financial capabilities and sustained success. Link their proposals and decisions to outcomes. Foster a sense of ownership and responsibility that enhances performance and sustainability.

3. Collaborative Excellence. This can be elusive. As leaders, we must temper our leaning towards individual glories. Creating our "kingdoms" to wield power and solicit underserved recognition is a bane to effective workplaces. No one can monopolize the discussions on what can work better each time we achieve something. If we value people as inputs to organizational success, alienating oneself will give the opposite result.

In sum, we have the duty to enable others to be more capable, more responsible and more impactful in the workplace... better than we are and achieving more than we did. Then we occupy a tiny part of their memory as they look back.

We instill the discipline of working together with intent — not just to cooperate, but to elevate one another. Individuals are given room to shine while contributing to a greater whole. Success is not merely personal but organizational, with every role contributing meaningfully to a high-functioning, integrated team.

Let's open the discussions on these thoughts as people leaders.

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How hard is it to admit to our subordinates that we made a mistake? How hard is it to recall an erroneous work? How hard is it to accept that someone else in the room has better ideas than ours? How often do we wield power to get what we want? How often do we blame others in order to wriggle out of a situation?

Humility and power appear to be opposites but they may not move in different directions from a common point. In the context of effective leadership, they are complementary and can drive performance. They are ethical partners. The right combination can bring about a mature and responsible use of influence. Power enables decisive actions and effectively sets the direction and mobilize resources. Humility recognizes the limitations brought about by different perspectives.

Performance-driven organizations can be achieved with an owner-mindset. Convert innovative (or benchmarked) ideas into palpable funded realities.

Calculating and articulating the return on investment (ROI) provides a clear, evidence-based rationale for why a project deserves funding and continued support. It shifts the conversation from subjective interest to objective value, showing how the initiative will contribute to the company’s bottom line — whether through cost savings, increased efficiency, risk reduction, or revenue generation.

When leaders consistently present projects with a clear ROI, they help build confidence in decision-making, earn the trust of Management, and strengthen the business case for resource allocation. Leaders who chase ROI are accountable, strategic thinkers and truly aligned with the top management.

Let’s take ROI discussions seriously. If we want to be relevant.

How do we select participants in our Management Training Programs, or other Fast-Track Developmental Programs?

Traditionally, management trainees are chosen primarily for their academic achievements. Assumption is that academic excellence correlates strongly with future leadership potential. Academic credentials offer a baseline measure of knowledge and cognitive ability, but it may be a narrow lens that can overlook other equally critical attributes that may help us cultivate a talent pipeline that is aligned with the institution’s long-term goals.

Maturity, persistence, learning agility, and alignment with corporate values determine a candidate’s capacity to thrive in complex, real-world business environments. These cannot be discerned easily from excellent academic credentials. Those who possess a high degree of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset often demonstrate stronger adaptability, creativity, and team alignment. They fit evolving corporate cultures that require successors with deep-rooted drive to learn, resilience in the face of setbacks, and a spirit of collaboration. These traits indicate higher levels of commitment and loyalty.

Our selection model should provide us with trainees better prepared and more inclined to grow into the management roles they were trained for—thus fulfilling the original purpose of the program. I am sure most of us have seen come-from-behind successes: no latin honors, extended stay in university but demonstrated the traits closest to what we need in mid-level management, and was appointed to the post at a young age; performed consistently and was appointed to a senior post sooner than most.

Conversations on retirement inevitably center on the post-corporate life of the retiree.

Let me shift the conversation to the leadership transition that will happen as one retires from a critical post leaving behind years that allowed a legacy to be built.

- Identify your successor early on and fully transition 1 year to retirement.

- Gradually transfer decision-making visibility to your successor, officially granting authorities as needed.

- Communicate your confidence on your successor.

- Design a transition roadmap where your successor takes increasing levels of responsibility and builds credibility with all stakeholders.

- Mentor your successor in private and empower him/her in front of others.

- Deliberately develop your successor’s relationship with those who significantly influence decisions

- Define your successor’s performance milestones and recommend interventions if technical depth is needed.

- Step back and gradually withdraw from operational spotlight to allow your successor to create space he needs to stand on.

- Exit quietly. Without pomp. Your successor must rise not by replacing your legacy but by building his own.

- Refrain from entertaining feedback on your successor’s performance after you have retired. Good or bad, the motive is not beyond reproach.

Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, AI. How do we protect the company?

Secure organizations are built by people who care—and who take responsibility for protecting what matters most. Technology is an enabler, not a substitute for human judgment.

Compliance is not about technology and sophisticated systems alone. It’s about our people's mindset, awareness, and discipline that protect sensitive data and uphold trust. If we educate and empower employees to recognize risks, they will act responsibly. If we build a culture where speaking up about breaches or suspicious activity is encouraged—not feared, we have a chance to improve safeguards. If we make accountability a desired behavior, everyone will understand the impact of data breaches—not just at work , in the company, but on real people’s lives.

A human-centric approach turns compliance from a checklist into a shared commitment. That's when accountability comes to life and risk will be managed with people at the center.

Jo F. on LinkedIn: In a few days from now, I will face the consequence of my decision to… In a few days from now, I will face the consequence of my decision to accept being a guest in a podcast - AI in the HRM practice or something like that. Let me…

Human Resource Management is about capability-building. The right people (direct employees or outsourced help) are on the right job at the point of need.

The variations of HR work come into play when we want the people to be productive enough to deliver the outcome from work done as required - meeting standards is the key.

The complications start when we want people to exceed expectations because the organization has set its sights to becoming a leader in its industry - extraordinary mindsets, stretched capabilities and sustained engagement, combined, is the key.

The reward is due when major decisions are not anchored on a few - called Management - but on the contribution of the steady 80% of the headcount. This means the source of critical contributions that move the needle has been democratized down to the lower ranks. This illustrates a strongly aligned, adequately competent and highly engaged workforce. This is what HR practitioners burn the night lamp for.

People in HR must be wired differently. Conflicts must be resolved as adults want to be treated.

You're managing HR conflicts between team members. How do you resolve conflicting accounts of an incident? Manage HR disputes effectively by gathering facts, maintaining neutrality, and transparently communicating resolutions. Here's how to navigate conflicting accounts.