JAMMU: In a riveting exclusive online interview conducted by Ajmer Alam Wani, Editor-in-Chief of JK Monitor (www.jkmonitor.org), with Shweta Sharma, Assistant Director and Principal Consultant at HRDC Private Limited, a multifaceted professional with a diverse background encompassing Behavioral Consulting, Corporate Training, and more, delves into her journey of empowering organizations to optimize their human capital. With over seven years of experience steering and supervising substantial workforces exceeding 20,000 individuals across industries spanning manufacturing, service, healthcare, and logistics, Sharma is a trailblazer in fostering impactful employee development.
Sharma's expertise lies in her unique ability to administer engaging, hands-on training at all organizational levels while strategically implementing the 5S methodology within manufacturing environments, a feat that propelled several businesses to National Championships. Beyond her illustrious career, she finds solace in family moments, literary exploration, and giving back to her community through local volunteering efforts. Her passion for globetrotting unveils her adventurous spirit, constantly fueling her zest for knowledge and novel experiences.
As a prominent figure in the realm of Training and Development, HR, Organizational Development, and Employee Engagement, Sharma unveils her profound perspective on the weight of her position. With her extensive experience comes an elevated sense of responsibility, aptly demonstrated through her adept handling of various industrial challenges. One such challenge, often encountered in the management of blue-collar employees, is deftly addressed by Sharma through her hands-on approach to training. She emphasizes the importance of two-way interactive training, ensuring a transformative impact on participants' psyches.
When it comes to measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of her training endeavors, Sharma's answer is refreshingly pragmatic. By inviting management officials to engage with participants and gather firsthand feedback at the conclusion of each session, she captures the genuine insights and tangible outcomes of her programs, both in personal and professional realms.
Central to Sharma's philosophy is her belief that teaching adults is about facilitating self-discovery rather than imparting knowledge. To achieve this, her sessions are rooted in practicality, enthusiasm, and fun, employing engaging activities like physical exercises, personalized interaction techniques, role-playing case studies, and spirited debates. Sharma's vibrant energy and personable approach foster an automatic rapport, as attested by her engaging LinkedIn posts detailing her training experiences.
Sharma's commitment to practicality extends to the customization of her sessions based on specific pain points within an organization's management. By aligning her approach with regional nuances, participant levels, and language preferences, she ensures the training's relevance and efficacy.
Behavioral Training, Sharma contends, serves as a catalyst for improved employee engagement, enhanced teamwork, and an overall enriched workplace culture. Her anecdote of orchestrating a session for employees' wives, providing them insight into their husbands' work environments, underscores the powerful impact of understanding and empathy in bridging gaps and enhancing relationships.
The linchpin of Sharma's approach lies in her keen listening skills. Engaging with CEOs, HODs, Directors, and senior officials in her training sessions has afforded her a unique platform to tap into their practical insights and experiences. This practice, she emphasizes, extends to all participants, fostering interpersonal relationships that transcend the professional sphere.
In grappling with the challenges of Change Management, a concept often riddled with negativity, Sharma employs a pragmatic strategy. She educates participants on both the benefits and drawbacks of impending changes, imbuing them with a holistic understanding that drives acceptance and collaboration. Drawing from her personal experience of navigating the unexpected loss of a director, Sharma highlights the resilience and growth achieved through embracing radical shifts.
Furthermore, Sharma actively encourages her participants to engage in social initiatives such as blood donation and celebrating special occasions with the less fortunate. This community-oriented approach underscores her commitment to holistic development and creating a positive impact beyond the workplace.
In conclusion, Shweta Sharma's unique blend of hands-on training, strategic thinking, and deep empathy has reshaped workforce dynamics, driven change, and fostered lasting impact across diverse industries. Her passion for human development, innovative approach, and dedication to creating meaningful connections has solidified her reputation as a transformative force in the realm of corporate training and development.
For detailed interview, read below questions and answers till end:-
- As an Assistant Director and Principal Consultant with extensive experience in managing a large workforce, could you share an example of a challenging situation you encountered while handling a diverse team of over 20,000 employees from different industries? How did you approach and resolve the issue effectively?
Ans: This āBigā position with extensive experience gives you a āBigger Responsibilityā to deal with challenges. In the past 7 years, I have encountered many industrial challenges, the most common of which are; How would you manage this batch (especially in the case of Blue-Collar Employees)? Will you provide two-way interactive training? Will this training transform the psyche of our people? How would you guarantee the ROI (Return on Investment) of this training? & for all this, I have one Answer to the Management officials i.e., Just come at the end of the session to take feedback from the participants, where they share their realistic views on the outcome & implementation of such training in their personal & professional life.
- Being a Corporate Trainer, engaging participants at all levels during training sessions is crucial for knowledge retention and skill development. How do you ensure high levels of engagement and active participation from employees during your training sessions? Can you provide examples of innovative training methods you've used to achieve this?
Ans: See, we canāt teach anything to adults, we can just help them in discovering it within themselves, & for that, we have to make our sessions practical, enthusiastic & fun based through various engagement Activities like; initiating some physical exercise, by recalling their name (they feel connected with this trick), Role Play based Case Studies, Debates on Training topics, Group Exercises & others. Our high level of energy, connectivity through personal touch, and rapport building automatically energizes the participants which is evident from my LinkedIn posts about the training.
- As a 5S Consultant, you have played a significant role in implementing the 5S methodology in manufacturing industries, leading them to National Championships. Could you explain the core principles of 5S and how you customized its implementation in various manufacturing settings? What were the specific challenges you faced during these implementations, and how did you overcome them?
Ans:. In a real sense, we have 5S every time & everywhere, it is actually a way of life. Itās a Japanese tool of workplace improvement that focuses on 5 steps i.e.,
- SEIRI (Sorting Out); eliminating the unwanted items from the workplace (making the usable area more spacious)
- SEITON (Systematic Arrangement); Making a place for everything & everything in its place by serially arranging & labeled all the usable material
- SEISO (Cleaning & Fixing); Focuses upon arresting any type of breakage, leakage, or spillage & making the entire area clean & shining
- SEIKETSU (Standardization): Developing a standard system for implementing the above 3S through Cleaning Schedules / Material Sorting & Removal Schedules / Doās & Donāts / Flow Charts / Index Sheets / Layout Maps etc.
- SHITSUKE (Self-Discipline): Follow voluntarily the standards (set in 4th S) & practice them for a well-organized workplace, safety, cleanliness & good housekeeping have an inner feel for 5S, enjoy practicing it and set an example for others. Practice it as a habit and way of life.
- In your experience, how do you prioritize and strategize the training and development needs of a diverse workforce in different industries like manufacturing, service, healthcare, and logistics? What factors do you consider while tailoring training programs to suit the specific requirements of each industry?
Ans: As I believe in conducting practical training, one common step during preparation is to customize the session based on the pain areas of the Management so that the motive of the training could be cleared & justified. Other mandatory strategic factors are; aligning my thoughts & way of presentation during the training as per region, level of participants, mode of language, etc.
- Employee engagement is vital for organizational success. Can you share an example of a company where you successfully improved employee engagement levels? What specific strategies did you recommend and implement, and how did you measure the impact of those initiatives?
Ans: Behavioral Training actually improves Employee engagement, teamwork & overall workplace culture. For instance, we run one theme for Employeeās wives for a Company, where we asked them to visit the Company & take a round of the shopfloor where their Husband works. We are aware of the machines, process, breakdown, meetings, high temperature, safety risks, pressure from seniors, etc., undergone by their husbands. The outcome of this session was so fabulous that all the Employees showed gratitude towards the Learning & Development team for taking such an initiative that results in enhancing their value in the house. One Employee shared his experience that his wife started welcoming his homecoming with a beautiful smile instead of complaining.
- With your passion for reading and exploring new places, how do you incorporate your personal interests into your professional life? Have you ever found inspiration from your hobbies that led to innovative approaches or solutions in your training and consulting practices?
Ans: I always quote examples in my training inspired by my personal interests. As I travel to PAN India for my work, I get time to deeply observe nature, creatures & of course humans of different regions. I tend to examples from society, for instance, once I took Uber Ride in Delhi, being a trainer, I canāt keep quiet so began talking to my rider about his life, like, what you aspire to in life, what is your dream for your kids, How Challenging your life is & many more. Out of that awesome experiential sharing by the rider, one answer that shocked me up is when he says āI have to give the best education to my kids & for that, Iām working day & night, I have joined online English-speaking classes, utilize my customer waiting time for attending the classes & practice it with my customers so that I can join an International tele calling service to earn good incomeā. This is an apt example of āPositive Attitude in Lifeā that I canāt get from any book but from the real-life examples.
- Networking is an essential aspect of professional growth. How do you leverage your networking opportunities to stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in Training and Development, HR, Organizational Development, and Employee Engagement? Can you share an instance where networking played a significant role in your professional journey?
Ans: Itās simple, I can do it anytime by practicing one important skill; Listening Skill. As I am fortunate enough to usually meet CEOs, HODs, Directors, & other senior officials whenever I go for conducting training in their companies, what I do, is just throw an open-ended discussion on any current Industry related trend or any new concept, with which magic could happen as these dignitaries have so much of practical insight on these subjects that you canāt get from any social media or Books as they have wide hands-on experience of these subjects. What they want in life is if anyone really wants to listen to their insights & implement them in life. I use this method even with all the training participants (this trick can help you in developing good interpersonal relationships, even with husband/wife).
- As someone experienced in working with large workforces, you must have encountered situations where change management was challenging. How do you facilitate smooth transitions during organizational changes, and what steps do you take to ensure that employees embrace and adapt to the changes positively?
Ans: Indeed, Change Management is really challenging as we usually perceive āChangeā with negative emotions. So, being a trainer, what I believe, is to show the pros & cons related to the concerned āChangeā along with its practical implication so that the participants can realize its importance (not only the negative outcome of implementing that change). If you allow me, I want to quote an example from my work experience, we all team members got shattered after the sudden demise of our Director, Dr. R K Sahu (in covid). After that, Ms. Pragya (already our colleague), emerges as the new Director and we realize the importance of her skill set as a new Leader & with this growing time, we all are coping & growing together with this radical change (we are doing well in growing our clientage).
- In your role as a Principal Consultant, you might have collaborated with clients from various industries. Can you discuss a project where your diverse experience and expertise in different sectors helped you identify and apply cross-industry best practices, leading to exceptional outcomes for your client?
Ans: For this, I can quote an example of 5S Implementation. We have conducted this assignment for various Industries like Cement Industry, Power Generation & Distribution, Poly films, Sugar Industry, Refractories Products, Textile Industry, Healthcare, etc. All these Industries are different in the product but what 5S does for all of them is help in their Inventory Management, reducing searching time loss, a Safer working environment, productivity improvement, Team Building & other benefits. So, we usually suggest 5S ideas in cross-industries for better outcomes.
- Volunteering at local organizations shows your commitment to giving back to the community. How has this aspect of your life influenced your professional approach? Have you ever integrated your volunteering experiences into your training programs to foster a sense of social responsibility among employees?
Ans: It always sensitizes me to apply a humane approach toward each & every individual. I use to quote this line in my training āMain apni family ke sath zyada time nahi spend kar pati islie jahan bhi jati hu wahan ke logo ko apni family hi maanti hu, kaam me maza bhi aata hai aur apnapan bhi rehta haiā. Talking about how I foster my volunteering experiences in training, I always encourage my participants to engage in social activities like Blood Donation, celebrating birthdays in orphanages/old age homes. plantations, donating reusable clothes, etc.
- In your experience as a consultant, how do you ensure the sustainability of the solutions you provide to organizations? Can you discuss a long-term project where the strategies you implemented continued to deliver positive results even after the project's completion?
Ans: HR Policies Implementation, 5S Implementation & Cultural Transformation are some sustainable solutions that we provide to our clients. As a long-term project, we have designed four training themes for permanent operators of renounced Companies, where we initiated this cultural transformation journey by introducing topics on personal development & later taking towards workplace improvement topics like Kaizen, TPM, Personal productivity improvement, etc. Right now, we are on implementing 3rd training module of this implementation.
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