#55: Srividya Nagaraju on fostering a culture of continuous learning at the workplace The Shape of Work

On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, our guest is Srividya Nagaraju, an internationally acclaimed Learning Facilitator and a TEDx speaker.

Having three decades of experience, Srividya has formulated training modules on leadership, team building, diversity, and more. She shares ways to develop a motivating and continuous-learning culture at the workplace.

In addition to sharing the significance of mental health at work, she talks about inculcating leadership skills, and the impact of ‘workcations’ on employee productivity.

Learning as a continuous process:

‘Learning is not a checklist syndrome. It is a continuous process.’

Srividya is grateful to her mentor for teaching her this. She adds learning as a goal, not a task. Learning something totally different from one’s skill set is beneficial as well. In organizations, people managers need to arrange sessions where each employee can analyze their learnings everyday. They need to keep an eye on the effective and ineffective factors executed in the tasks. It will help them upskill themselves constantly.

Role of people managers in maintaining employee wellness:

People managers play a parental role in an organization. They have the responsibility of ensuring the wellness of each employee. Thus they need to keep an eye for any drastic change in their employees’ behavior. People behaving unusually or in a dull manner should be looked out for and guided. Personal interactions might be fruitful as well. The goal is to identify the problem first. Hence they can be guided towards professional help further.

The future of work:

According to our guest, the future of work is going to be extremely dynamic. The best option for businesses is to build flexibility. This pandemic brought an unexpected change in the way of work. However, people have been able to adapt to it effectively. It has also offered increased opportunities for everyone.

Significance of networking in the right way:

Srividya talks about the significance of networking with the right people. Deciding the right people for networking is based on the goals, in other words, the reason behind it. One should analyze the value individuals will add to the work. There are several network forums in an organization where people can join in. Good networking helps in faster and better growth.

She conducts her own program, Network=Network, based on measuring the quality of the network as an individual and as an organization.

How to ensure interaction in remote workspaces?

Srividya talks about bringing the pre-pandemic experiences virtually. In her organization, they conduct games, carnivals, and other informal meets. It helps in building bonds and networks better. There are plenty of options available to keep employees motivated and connected during remote work.

Increasing productivity in workspaces:

Productivity depends on how we leverage perks like these. Sriidya feels that it has been rising upwards. The only concern has been the lack of face-to-face interaction. Additionally, she talks about her workshops and how she brings in changes to give a different feel to the audience. If someone is passionate, they will bring in creativity automatically.

Follow Srividya on LinkedIn

Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Rohan Mankad