To old memories and new

Recently I addressed the 43rd Foundation Day gathering at the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), Trivandrum chapter, a non-profit that is designed to build professional excellence in the field of Human Resource Management through regular activities ranging from lectures to certifications.

The event combined three of my favorite things: Re-visiting the city I grew up in (an opportunity that I seldom miss), addressing folks from the Talent fraternity, and finally, meeting old friends and acquaintances.

As I shared my experiences with my vibrant audience, I had a moment of epiphany as I saw my journey flash before me. Not only had I moved, but the world seemed to have surged ahead in the last 30 years. If I had to summarize my learning, here is what it would be:

1. To lead is an honor. I have often summarised being a leader and being in Talent as a matter of reverence for me. I see it as a noble task as it connects me with a vast network of people. Every offer letter we roll is a career milestone to someone, every learning program we curate sets someone up for success, and every career move we enable has the potential to transform a new space. I see this as a profound responsibility that one cannot take lightly.
2. Finding the higher calling. I have often wondered if the previous point sounds pompous. To be honest, it is more connected to my motivation, a sense of purpose, and definition of contentment. The first few years of my work life were about doing a job. The job was paying me and was a golden ticket to possible success. I was an adult (as I saw it), so the entire focus was on monetary gratification. As I settled into work, I started looking for things beyond money – career growth, learning, contribution to organizational success, mentoring teams, and being mentored on leadership. But it is the last decade that I look at very fondly as work became something larger than life – it became a higher calling, a thought of leaving a legacy. And this gives me the energy to push myself to work harder each day.
3. Is Talent the question or the answer? We are living in uncertain times where the market is evolving, and now more than ever, people are looking toward Talent for the answers. People today are the most crucial success factor in any business. But it is as important to find the right people. It is also necessary to keep people and businesses growing and evolving in sync. In the modern-day context, Talent is more than just setting rules and getting people on board — it is more about connecting people to the organization through values and purpose. It is to help individuals achieve their goals while contributing to the organization’s goals. Not only does Talent have a seat at the table, but it is impacting the business, the people, and, I would say, society. In the last decade, I have taken more business-oriented roles in delivery, operations, or managing P/L. In each of these roles, my Talent experience has played an important factor. Similarly, the understanding of Talent is increasingly key when you are leading and building successful businesses.
4. Scaling exponential growth. While people have become integral to success, another aspect that has become ubiquitous in the working of any field is technology. AI, ML, and now advanced bots like Chat GPT and analytics all have deep implications for how experiences are designed. Each of these additions is disrupting the norms and leading to phenomenal growth.

So, overall, the truth of these musings is that the world we are in is rapidly changing, and we need to be in step, if not ahead, to make a difference. This pace will be exhausting if you do not believe in what you do. And the most non-replaceable element in this formula is ‘You.’ So, I sign off with the hope that, by the next anniversary (and many more to come), we will each have found a little more of ourselves to share with the world.