Question 1: What was the most rewarding part of being an HR leader?
Answer: I find the most rewarding aspect of being an HR leader to be truly living it every day. It’s the ability to positively impact people’s lives. If I were solely in business, my focus would have been on making business decisions, driving profits, and fostering business growth. While those are undoubtedly crucial aspects, being in HR empowers me to align the business with its goals, alongside my colleagues. What truly stands out, though, are the opportunities to make a tangible difference in people’s lives, nurture talent, and potentially influence communities. These are the rewards I experience daily.
Question 2: Tell us about a time when you had to balance the needs of global or geographically dispersed teams and ensure effective collaboration.
Answer: Interesting enough, I’ll provide some context without naming the organizations. In one of my previous roles, I took on a new challenge as an HR Business Partner (HRBP). At the time, the concept of business partnering was emerging. I had been in a specialist role and felt I was doing well, but my true calling was to oversee the entire HR spectrum. After numerous conversations within the organization, I made a horizontal move to an HRBP role, responsible for all the business support functions.
When I say business support functions, it included a variety of areas: HR, finance, statutory compliance, regulatory matters, business strategy, business excellence, and more. This was a global team with members from Hong Kong to the US, while I was based in India. Previously, these teams were anchored geographically within different organizations, which my company had acquired. There was a need to cultivate a unified team culture because each region operated independently, even if there were two people from the same function but different entities.
The challenge was to make this team work cohesively. Initially, we believed in setting some definitions, but more importantly, we needed to bring the teams together physically. Having handled matters of OT, I knew the teams needed time to work together, and physical proximity always helped. We organized an offsite in India for a week, designed to break the ice and help team members get to know each other personally. This included addressing cultural differences, language barriers, choice of words, and work styles.
After the first offsite, we thought things were improving, but a few weeks later, we realized they were not as good as we had hoped. We couldn’t keep bringing the entire team together physically, so we started focusing on communication. This included managers communicating with their cross-country teams. For instance, something acceptable to me in India might not be to my colleague in Europe or the Americas. We conducted surveys via email, asking simple but important questions like what behaviors they considered rude. This helped build a knowledge bank for everyone, highlighting differences such as time zones and working hours.
This entire exercise taught me the importance of human connections and communication. We need to talk about uncomfortable topics and ensure that collaboration requires clear communication. One of the key learnings I carried forward is that human beings have the capability to understand each other; we just need to talk and communicate effectively. This insight has been invaluable in my later roles when faced with similar situations.
Question 3: Tell us about a time when you had to lead a team through a major technology implementation or digital transformation and how you manage the change.
Answer: I’ll build on what we just discussed. Yes, the fight-or-flight response does activate in our brains. However, as humans, we have the prefrontal cortex, which helps us to think and reason. If we can address the underlying needs and questions, acceptance—and even rejection—becomes much easier to handle.
In the same organization, we were implementing a major ERP system, specifically an HRM or HRERP. We were the first to develop this ERP from a learning module solution, and the implementation was happening globally. Fortunately, we already had a basic ERP system with some HRM functionalities like claims, leaves, time and attendance, and partial payroll.
The challenge was to transition everyone from their current systems to the new ERP. Each organization had been using different systems. For example, if someone was using solution X, how could we convince them to shift to solution Y? This required extensive communication and demonstrations. We tested many user cases, involving end-level users, administrators from the tech teams, and consultants from the service provider. We created a core team to configure the system, but all testing involved actual users at all levels.
For instance, global CHROs and CFOs participated in testing to understand the new system’s differences and benefits. Despite a robust system, a percentage of the population resisted the change. We communicated that all legacy systems would stop functioning on a particular day. After implementation, there was some resistance with complaints about not having enough time and requests to keep the old system open longer. Data transfers to the new system sometimes required reconfiguration.
Looking back, communication, involving users hands-on, and setting a firm transition date were key to success. We provided support and timed the implementation with appraisals and salary revisions, ensuring everyone had to use the new system. This approach gave everyone a baptism by fire, but it also thoroughly tested the new system
There were late nights and some challenges, but once the exercise was completed, we celebrated the successful implementation without any errors. It’s a success story that I hold close to my heart.
Question 4: How should HR leaders manage the cultural differences that exist across a global workforce?
Answer: First and foremost, we often get stuck in our assumptions about other cultures, specifically demographic cultures. We tend to think that what is acceptable for us is also acceptable for someone else, even if they are demographically or culturally different. This can be a form of stereotyping or bias, often unconscious but sometimes conscious.
I believe this is the primary issue. Other challenges are byproducts of these cultural differences. For instance, cultural differences affect perceptions and communication styles. Something that is perfectly okay for us to say may not be acceptable to someone else, leading to misunderstandings. Similarly, decision-making processes can vary by culture. In a hierarchical society, a senior person might make a decision alone, expecting it to be accepted. In cultures that value equality, others might challenge that decision, leading to potential conflicts.
Creating a team comprising culturally diverse individuals presents its own challenges. I’m focusing on cultural diversity to keep things simple. Adding layers of gender or personal identities makes it even more complex. Having had the privilege to work across various organizations and diverse teams, I believe the key lies in self-awareness. We need to understand that what is acceptable to us may not be acceptable to others. This awareness is crucial and often missing, which diminishes the benefits of working in culturally diverse teams.
Question 5: How should HR leaders balance the need for cultural adaptation while maintaining a consistent organizational culture?
Answer: Yes, it can be tricky if you think of it that way, but it doesn’t have to be. Let me share an example that came up by chance. A comment was made that in a particular part of the world, Indians always speak Hindi. This person, who wasn’t Indian, didn’t realize that many Indians in that region spoke languages other than Hindi. Comments like these highlight cultural misunderstandings.
At our workplace, discussions about culture often centered around national or regional cultures, such as Indian or British culture. However, a few of us, including myself, realized that the true focus should be on the organization’s culture, which is deeply embedded in its values. The organization had strong value statements integrated into behaviors and competencies, forming a solid framework.
We decided that when we talk about culture within the organizational framework, it refers to the organization’s culture, regardless of where we come from. Whether I’m from India, you’re from the UK, the US, or Brazil, it makes no difference. The organizational culture is defined by its values, such as integrity and respect.
I had the privilege of curating content around this concept. We communicated this message across all levels, emphasizing that the culture of the organization is grounded in its values and the corresponding behaviors. For example, if a kickback is unacceptable, it is unacceptable for everyone, regardless of nationality. Similarly, if there’s a rule against accepting certain types of gifts, it applies to everyone.
Through these modules, we removed the focus on individual cultural norms and highlighted the organization’s values. This approach helped align everyone with the organization’s identity and values. It reinforced the idea that when representing the organization, our common purpose is defined by its culture and values.
This clarity and alignment around a common purpose, or ‘north star,’ proved to be very effective.
Question 6: What role does effective communication play in driving successful change management initiatives and how should HR leaders ensure transparency and alignment throughout the process?
Answer: First, a short but important answer: without communication, change doesn’t happen. Communication is a two-way process; it’s not only top-down. There must be room for feedback. Now, regarding HR leaders, because we probably have a greater responsibility here, leadership is about listening, not just dictating. It’s essential to implement organizational decisions, but an organization is nothing without its people. Leaders must remember that they rely on their teams for success. If the teams aren’t successful, the leader is a failure. This might sound controversial, but it’s my belief.
Therefore, leaders should speak less and listen more. Crucial information often comes from the ground level and can significantly influence decisions. We must stay open to this input. Regarding HR, we often have more touchpoints across the organization than business managers. This gives us the opportunity to observe trends and changes on the grounds that business managers might miss. They may be focused elsewhere and might overlook people-related matters.
This can be overwhelming, as we process a lot of information. As HR professionals, we might follow business orders strictly or take the side of the employees, thinking the business is wrong. We must avoid taking sides. Our role is to impact business and touch lives. We need to balance this by using data, information, trends, and our organizational knowledge. By empowering businesses with this information, we ensure that decisions are well-informed, and most boxes are checked. While some issues may remain unresolved, if the direction is clear and there is alignment, we’ve done our job.
Question 7: What role does leadership play in driving and sustaining an organizational transformation that is part number one and how do you foster leadership buy in and support throughout the change process?
Answer: The key role that leadership plays in any change process is crucial. We cannot only be preachers; we must also be practitioners of what we preach. This is very important. If we don’t practice what we preach, the change will not be effective. For example, the technology change I mentioned earlier wouldn’t have been possible if the leaders themselves hadn’t embraced it. I’ve seen cases where a team member struggled with the new system, but the top leaders of that function stepped in to help, demonstrating the system themselves. This reestablishes their credibility as leaders and shows that the system change applies to everyone, not just the team. It boosts the team’s morale and sets a strong example.
When it comes to leadership buy-in, it’s crucial to answer the question ‘why.’ My mentors taught me that when the ‘why’ is clear, the ‘what’ and ‘how’ become much easier. So, we need to start with why: Why do we need this change? Why are we taking this path? Once the ‘why’ is answered and leadership is aligned, you already have buy-in. After that, we must stay the course.
Recently, in another forum, the topic of agility came up. Agility means being able to change gears and tracks as needed. I emphasized that while we must adapt and be agile to navigate challenges, we should never lose sight of the ‘why.’ Staying true to that purpose and commitment is essential. Leadership ownership must be lived, not just declared. Leadership isn’t about being a fair-weather decider. Once a commitment is made and the path is defined, we must stay true to it.
As an HR person on the leadership team, I must also stand by the decisions made. All differences should be addressed before the final decision. Once it’s signed off, we must all be together, in both gain and pain.
Question 8: What are the potential risks of over relying on AI when it comes to making decisions in HR?
Answer: First and foremost, AI, artificial intelligence, is not a replacement for the natural intelligence we all possess. It is supportive, right? AI operates based on algorithms written by humans. These algorithms inevitably contain human biases, whether conscious or unconscious. So, to say AI is completely bias-free is incorrect. Human biases, cognitive or otherwise, are embedded in the algorithms. Therefore, AI systems cannot be expected to predict everything with absolute accuracy.
Secondly, the decision-making capabilities of AI systems improve with usage, similar to how our cricket teams improved by playing on different pitches. The more diverse the usage, the more accurate the system becomes over time. However, claims of AI being 98-99% accurate are often unsubstantiated. We don’t always know how the algorithms are written or on what basis the system is making judgments.
Third, and very importantly, AI is not a substitute for human intelligence, awareness, and wisdom. AI can provide data points and reports, but human oversight is crucial in decision-making. While transactional tasks can be automated, strategic decisions should be made by humans. Legal considerations and data protection laws, like those recently adopted in India, also mandate careful use of AI.
In HR, for example, attrition predictions made by AI might suggest that a person is at high risk of leaving. If decisions are made solely based on these predictions, it can lead to unfair discrimination. These predictions are often not accurate, and relying on them can harm someone’s career and livelihood. Leadership must be mindful of this and not over-rely on AI for people’s decisions. Trust and belief in leadership can be eroded if team members feel that machines are dictating their fate.
Therefore, while AI can be a valuable tool, it should not rule humans. Let humans use AI to their advantage, and let human intelligence guide decision-making, at least for the foreseeable future.
Question 9: Any piece of literature, any book or anything that has influenced your leadership journey.
Answer: Well, ages ago, I read this book called “Who Moved My Cheese,” and it has stayed with me. It reminds me that change is inevitable, and in today’s world, things are constantly shifting.
Whether you call it VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) or BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible), every day is different. Someone is always going to move my cheese, and I need to stay relevant and find my own share of cheese. This book has always been at the back of my mind.
Recently, I read another book called The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli. I stumbled across it a couple of months ago and found it very interesting. It makes us aware of our unconscious or subconscious biases in every aspect of life.
It guides us on what to avoid, and I’ve read it once but plan to read it again to absorb its insights fully. Maybe we can discuss it further sometime, but it’s another book I find quite fascinating.
Closing Notes
As HR professionals, navigating diverse teams, implementing transformative technologies, and fostering inclusive cultures are ongoing challenges.
Reflect on the insights shared today—embrace cultural sensitivity, prioritize transparent communication, and maintain human oversight in decision-making amidst AI advancements.
These principles will guide you in overcoming obstacles and driving meaningful change within your organizations. Stay tuned to our podcast for more invaluable discussions to elevate your career and leadership journey.
Each episode promises fresh perspectives and practical wisdom to empower your growth like never before.