In this episode of “Learning Leaders Unplugged,” I have with me Raghunanda R., the director of people operations at Press Ganey Associates. With over two decades of experience in HR, Raghu (as he’s popularly known) has been the brain and heart behind several remarkable L&D initiatives. With his unique approach and working style, he has been the force to transform the learning culture in the organizations he has worked in.

I’m truly excited to bring this episode to you, my readers. I’ve learned a lot through this conversation, and I’m sure you’ll have a lot to take away from it.  

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Geeta: Raghu, a warm welcome to Learning Leaders Unplugged! It’s an honor to have the opportunity to speak with you and gain insights from your expertise. So, my first question is – what drew you to this field? What sparked your interest, and how did this journey begin?

Raghu: I have spent more than 22 years in HR. My journey began during my college days. Unlike many, I wasn’t drawn to technology; my interests lay in finance and communication because I liked interacting with people. Now, I didn’t know that a field like HR existed.

Then, I met a part-time lecturer who also headed the HR department at HAL and started interacting with him. That sparked my interest in HR, and I realized that it was a natural fit for me. This led me to my first full-time HR role, where I spent two-and-a-half years before delving deeper into this field. My passion for finance and communication was always there. So, that’s how I stepped into HR. 

Geeta: Could you share some of the remarkable L&D initiatives from your 20-year journey that you’re proud of or would like to highlight?

Raghu: Yeah, as I said, I am not a specialist in L&D or training. I have always been a generalist since day one of my career. So, put my hands in all areas, including L&D and training.

This is my sixth year working for Press Ganey. When I joined, the company was very small and had just started growing.

For a couple of years, my focus was completely on generalist activities. And then I saw there was nothing happening in training. I mean, we are a corporate office—we have offices across the globe, but predominantly in the US. There was a team sitting in the US that would focus on online training and mandatory training, but nothing was happening in India.

That’s when I pitched in and started working with the CEO and the folks back in the US. We started small…like we implemented some mandatory training, like technical training and other things. And then, I started interacting very closely with our business leaders. 

I remember being vocal about the need to invest in our people. Hiring is our bread and butter. We need to have people, but it’s also very important to grow them, upskill them, find the gaps, and keep pushing them to take on higher and higher responsibilities that can happen only through L&A initiatives. 

We identified individuals for technical training programs and began implementation. I then encouraged our technical leaders, including managers and leads, to start training junior staff. To facilitate this, I emphasized the importance of their own training in delivering effective sessions. This included a two to three-day program on imparting technical or process-oriented training and teaching them how to provide such sessions effectively.

I was a middle-level manager in my previous role at the First American Corporation, where I spent about 10 years before it was acquired by Cognizant. During my time there, I participated in mandatory training programs that included structured training on imparting knowledge. While I had some knowledge of how to conduct training, I used these skills to motivate and prepare my team to start training initiatives.

Simultaneously, we decided to recruit freshers from campuses. I felt it was important not to rely on external trainers for technical training. Instead, I personally conducted programs on communication skills for the new hires.

As we onboarded freshers, we also focused on grooming them internally. Our mid-level and technical managers played a crucial role in this process. Today, we have a strong team of junior staff who are well-educated and capable of taking on larger responsibilities, a testament to the initiatives I’ve implemented in my current role. 

Geeta: How tough was it when you started? Was it an easy process, or were there obligations from management or the team that made it challenging?

Raghu: No, not at all. In my 20-plus years of experience, I’ve learned that not just training, but any initiative HR wants to undertake, there will be a hundred other things to do. It’s never easy. But when I joined, I already had a lot of experience facing all these challenges, right? So, I knew where to tap and get these things done.

If I had simply approached my heads and leads, they would have likely dismissed it, citing other priorities. Right? So, I had to push for it. It’s always a bottom-up process, slowly integrating the initiative into the system and making others understand its value.

They shouldn’t see it as a burden but rather as something that adds value to their profile and career growth. Only then will managers and others take ownership of the initiative. Otherwise, if I had simply told them to start training without explaining the value, nobody would have accepted it. So, from that perspective, we faced many challenges.

In my current role, having dealt with similar situations in my previous organization, it wasn’t easy, but I could navigate the challenges and implement processes successfully.

Geeta: If I understand correctly, you started by encouraging the team to undergo training and providing them with guidance on how to proceed. You also personally enrolled in or attended training programs to enhance your skills and contribute more effectively to your team and initiatives. So, in short, you initiated, supported, and pursued personal development simultaneously?

Raghu: Exactly. Initially, many online programs, such as those available through our corporate learning platform, were underutilized. I engaged with our corporate office and learned about the wealth of available programs, which I then encouraged our team to utilize. 

However, I felt it was essential to lead by example, so I enrolled in a six-month leadership certification program. I also invited a couple of VU heads to join me, and their enthusiasm grew as they discovered the available opportunities. Consequently, they began encouraging their teams to participate. Currently, approximately 23 team members have completed a six to eight-week leadership program with certification.

In my experience, we must lead by example in the corporate world. We cannot simply tell others to do something; we must first demonstrate it ourselves. This approach is crucial, especially when people are already busy with their tasks. Generating excitement and buy-in is key, and I believe it starts from the top down. Leaders must be on board and supportive to drive such initiatives.

Our CEO is delighted with our progress because, through these efforts, we’ve successfully implemented our success planning, ensuring we have leaders prepared to take on higher responsibilities and roles with just a little push.

Geeta: That’s awesome! Was there a particular strategy that significantly contributed to organizational growth? Was it similar to the top-to-bottom approach you mentioned, or did it involve leaders?

Raghu: Yes, I’ve worked in various scenarios, and my current experience is with a small company of about 400 employees. In contrast, I’ve also worked for large companies like Cognizant, Wipro, and First American, where we had thousands of employees and structured processes in place. In those roles, the strategy was already established, and my role was to ensure its implementation.

For example, when I was leading HR at Cognizant for a group of over 5,000 employees in Bangalore, the strategy was clear, and my focus was on ensuring that leaders tied L&D to their goal sheets. We emphasized the importance of L&D in their key result areas (KRAs) and mandated a certain number of training hours based on their roles, including a mix of online and offline programs. We also implemented a system for self and manager nominations for training programs, ensuring a clear strategy for maximum impact.

This approach worked well in a structured environment like Cognizant. However, in my current role, where the organization is smaller, I’ve taken a different approach. Here, the focus is more on individualized strategies, considering the people and leaders involved. 

While the strategy I’ve described works well for my current organization, it may not be directly applicable to larger companies like Cognizant or Wipro, where the organizational dynamics are different.

Geeta: Can you share some tools, articles, or resources that help you stay updated on emerging technologies and trends?

Raghu: Certainly. While I do follow blogs and articles on platforms like LinkedIn, my primary approach has always been to interact with people directly. 

For example, in my current role in a product organization that uses cutting-edge technologies, I make it a point to engage with leaders and technology managers. I discuss the products they’re developing, the technologies they’re utilizing, and why they’ve chosen these particular technologies. I also inquire about their personal learning journeys and how they’re upgrading their skills. This direct interaction allows me to stay abreast of the latest developments in technology within my company and globally, as we are leaders in our domain. It’s through these conversations that I continuously upgrade my skills and knowledge.

Geeta: Okay, so you prefer interacting with people to stay updated?

Raghu: Yes, exactly! I often observe how they build products, write code, and utilize tools. This hands-on approach helps me understand our work deeply, enabling me to bring valuable resources into the company.

Geeta: What are your thoughts on AI? How do you see AI fitting into your role? Is it helping you in any way?

Raghu: Personally, we haven’t extensively used AI in our HR function at my company. However, I’m closely monitoring its applications and benefits. Interestingly, at Press Ganey, our team was the first to integrate AI into a product serving the global market. 

Last year, we successfully implemented and launched an integrated AI platform after a journey spanning three quarters. This experience has given me valuable insights into how AI can be leveraged. Moving forward, I’m keen to explore how AI can enhance the HR function within our company.

Geeta: Great! So, moving on to my next question…how do you measure the ROI on training initiatives?

Raghu: We recently started using outside training, particularly software training, to target a larger audience. Most of our training focuses on technical skills, including for our back-office operations team, which operates around the clock. The leaders and managers in these teams conduct the training themselves, as they’ve been trained to do. In terms of ROI, we’ve observed a significant increase in productivity.

Our performance management process is quite unique. Instead of conducting annual performance reviews for the entire company at once, we tie performance appraisals to individuals’ anniversary dates. For example, if I joined in June, my performance appraisal will be in June each year. This approach allows us to assess performance and provide feedback continually.

For instance, if there are ten people in a team and two have appraisals in March, we assess their performance and determine how they contribute to the team based on their goals. We don’t use a comparative rating system; instead, we focus on management by objectives (MBO), evaluating how well individuals meet their goals.

To calculate ROI, we look at tangible outcomes. For example, if a team had a three-week sprint for a product stream and typically released X number of features, we aim to increase that to X +2 features. This improvement results from continuous learning and quarterly performance assessments, where we provide feedback and suggest upskilling opportunities. This approach ensures that learning and improvement are ongoing throughout the year.

Geeta: That’s a very good process! So, what do you enjoy most about your role at Press Ganey?

Raghu: I love the diversity of work in my current role. While HR is my passion, and I’ve dedicated over 22 years to it, my role at Press Ganey has allowed me to step outside of HR. For example, I actively participate in product team meetings where we discuss product roadmaps and design. When I travel to other locations, I immerse myself in their processes to understand their workdays.

One memorable experience was when a minor issue in a product we had released months ago caused a major global problem. The entire team was mobilized to fix it, and I was involved in the resolution process. This kind of hands-on involvement in different aspects of the business is what I truly enjoy about my current role, alongside my continued passion for HR.

Geeta: You may have already touched on this, but I’d like to delve deeper into the topic of learning gaps. How do you conduct a needs analysis to identify these gaps within your organization?

Raghu: We approach it in a structured manner – starting from identifying the need for training to upskilling employees. This year, one of my key performance indicators (KPIs) is to develop a structured approach for this purpose. We aim to create a training calendar aligned with our global training initiatives, which will help identify gaps and bring more training programs to India. This structured approach includes conducting a thorough needs analysis, timing the training, measuring ROI, and linking it to succession planning and growth within the organization.

Geeta: From what I gather, Raghu, your leadership style involves interacting with your team. If you’d like to elaborate, could you describe your leadership style and how you inspire and motivate your team?

Raghu: Absolutely! My current team is small, consisting of only four members who report to me. Despite its size, we function as a cohesive unit. My leadership style revolves around two key principles. 

First, I believe in giving my team members a significant amount of autonomy, similar to the freedom my company has granted me. However, before delegating tasks, I ensure that I possess a thorough understanding of the task at hand. I make it clear to my team that while I provide them with freedom, I also expect them to take ownership of their tasks once assigned. I am always available to offer guidance and support, but once a task is undertaken, I expect them to see it through to completion. This balance of autonomy and task orientation ensures we achieve the desired results.

Geeta: Moving on…tell me, how do you ensure effective communication within your team and with other departments? You need to communicate with other departments, too. So, how do you do it?

Raghu: We conduct a team review meeting every week. During these meetings, we discuss tasks, goals, and any issues that need attention. Additionally, we hold a leadership review meeting once every fortnight to align on broader goals and strategies.

I personally make it a point to interact with all middle managers at least once a month, which is scheduled and planned for the entire year. While these interactions are structured, as a small company, we also have the advantage of seeing and interacting with everyone daily, leading to informal communication and issue resolution happening in parallel.

Geeta: Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully led a change in the culture of your organization through training initiatives?

Raghu: When I joined, there was no HR department, let alone training initiatives. I took on the challenge of establishing the importance of training and upskilling within the organization. Over time, I was able to instill a culture where personal growth and development directly contributed to the organization’s overall success.

Geeta: What innovations can we expect in the near future regarding L&D?

Raghu: One initiative we are planning in our organization is maximizing the use of our global platform, which I feel is currently underutilized. Secondly, by the end of the year, we aim to establish a comprehensive structure for our L&D. We may even hire a specialist or a junior manager dedicated to training. Our goal is to align training initiatives with key objectives such as talent retention, succession planning, and hiring strategies, which we have already begun implementing.

Geeta: Okay, so this is as far as your organization is concerned. Focusing on the broader L&D landscape, what innovations can we expect in the future?

Raghu: We all know, AI will be a big game-changer in HR. I recently attended one of the conferences where some of the main themes of discussion were around the potential of AI, including chatbots and GPT, in revolutionizing HR practices. 

I believe the next decade will see a concerted effort to integrate automation and AI into HR functions, and we should prepare for that shift. Additionally, I anticipate that students currently studying management or HR will introduce fresh ideas and perspectives to L&D. I actively engage with students to gain insights into these potential changes. Overall, I foresee game-changing innovations and significant transformations in the L&D field.

Geeta: Lastly, is there a specific resource—a book, blog, or website—that you find particularly valuable for staying updated and enhancing your skills and knowledge?

Raghu: Recently, I’ve been reading two books I highly recommend: “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr and “It’s the Manager” from Gallup, authored by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter.

While these are wonderful books for HR professionals, they offer valuable insights for all leaders. They have significantly impacted my perspective on people management skills, and I believe they are must-reads for everyone.

Geeta: Thanks a lot for this conversation, Raghu. There’s so much for our readers to learn from this!

Raghu: I should thank you, Geeta, because I didn’t expect it to bring so many insights and learnings. This was a very enriching exchange!