Adaptability and Communicating Effectively Will Help You Tide Through Any Crisis: Chief People Officer, Exceed Group of Companies

"I love the Challenge this role brings as you deal with people and people are extremely dynamic," says Pooja Kapur.
She is Chief People Officer of the Exceed group of companies; an integrated, multiplatform Entertainment and Talent Management company based out of Mumbai. 

Exceed is also in the business of brands - HRX and House of Pataudi in partnership with Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Myntra, and Flipkart. Having been with the company for nearly 12 years, Pooja Kapur in her multi-faceted role of being the HR head, managing the leadership team, and overseeing the operations has been the one providing a solid backbone to the organization and paving the path for structured growth. 

Mentoring and People Development and building SOPs for the Company’s operations are the key areas of responsibility for Pooja and in the process, Pooja has become the solution provider magnet for all and sundry in the team. 

Over the years she’s been executing and bringing in place several HR innovations, practices to keep the motivation of the team high, ensuring there is a discipline in the policies implemented and flagbearer for the high standards of equality in our workplace.

Here are some excerpts from the recent interaction she had with BW People.

You as a professional is working for a group for more than a decade now, what has kept you going?

Well, I have had an absolutely amazing journey. I am someone who constantly needs my dose of excitement and adrenaline rush. It’s my 12th year in the organization and I still feel there is so much to learn and so much more to do out there. I joined the company 4 years after it had been set up in 2005 and I have seen the company mature into a developed organization and simultaneously I too have had an amazing ride along with a lot of learning and memorable experiences. My Mantra is that I “love my job” and I “love what I do. I am extremely passionate about it and I guess that translates into the way I work.

The thrill and excitement in the role, the dynamic Industry segment that I work for, the behind the scenes fire fighting, the need to constantly innovate solutions and consistently “problem-solve” all of it keeps me going I guess. The culture of our organization, the relationships that I have built over these years, the faith and the trust of the leadership team in my ability to handle situations, and lastly, the free hand to operate along with the inherent flexibility keeps me constantly motivated.

In these trying times, it is tough to keep the energy level high all the time? How do you manage to motivate and energize people at your organization?

Indeed tough times. Well, Keeping the excitement going helps keep the energy flowing!

We have built high energy & deeply engaged culture in the organization with the leadership team leading by example. This lockdown we worked on a video where every team member from the Founder to our support staff had to contribute; the same was so well received by the team and it really got not just all of us together, it made our clients also compliment us for the teamwork.

#HappyWeekends our Live chat show ideated, conceptualized and executed by our rocking team has had great reviews in keeping us connected with our artists as well as keeping our teams engaged. It’s a part of our larger initiative #ExceedCares, which is our philanthropic arm . All of these initiatives help in channelizing the energy, keeping the team engaged & connected, and keeps the team close to the core of our business.

We are a very close-knit team and staying connected at a personal level with everyone during this phase has really helped us all tide over the situation so far.

During the recent crisis, HR leaders are at the forefront and have led the organization. I can say, HR as a role is critical for an organization. What's your take on this?

HR is the Culture pillar of the organization. I am sure you have heard that “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast” Well I couldn’t agree more. Unless we have a strong value system in the organization which is an integral part of the culture, and unless every member of the team does not live this culture and value system, organizations will have challenges to sustain themselves. HR has this critical role to play. HR is like the referee in the football match who sets the ground rules, keeps a check on whether the rules are being followed, but lets the

team play on their terms and defined strategies only carrying out interventions when the rules are not adhered to. By rules, I mean, trust, responsibility, responsiveness, and care.

While the above goes for all industries, you have to understand that the entertainment industry is very different. It's extremely challenging & exciting. You get to work & interact with the celebrities & the newsmakers. You get to see the world a little more than you would otherwise. It's glamorous. But it also requires you to be at your best all the time, 24/7. That’s where the support of the HR or the Human Relationship team kicks in. You are the support and the backbone to the frontline team to help execute.

What is your message of positivity to the people who are on the verge of losing their hopes?

There is always a way and if you stick on and be perseverant, you will find the way and succeed. We are the founders of the brand HRX and tag line Keep Going is what's my mantra and our team's mantra.

In this era of physical distancing, we all are evolved to be more humane towards each other. To what extent do you think it is important to be people-oriented in an organization?

The most important asset of our organization is our People. Our core values and our culture revolves around our people. Exceed is Family for all. Everyone is invested in each other and that’s our culture.

Would like to share some stats here-

40% of our team strength consists of staff with vintage greater than 5 years, & almost 30% more than 10 years. Out of the limited voluntary attrition that we have had, close to 20% have joined back for their second innings. All of this surely tells you something about the organization & its core value system. Over the years we have boasted of our policies and processes, while we have them in place we are also very flexible, logical and willing to customize them for the team.

This crisis has hit us hard, these are the times of learning and innovation. What kind of skills and values do you think one must have?

These are Challenging Times. Organizations have undergone a complete metamorphosis to adapt to the new environment. So I guess the most critical value is “Adaptability" and in times like these, if you are adaptable & flexible to changing responsibilities & ideas, if you are able to work irrespective of the environment, if you can communicate effectively I think, the organization will tide through any crisis.

From my point of view and the innumerable calls that I do with the team, our focus is on being well- physically, mentally, and emotionally. These are extraordinary circumstances, the output need not be 100% as there will be ups and downs.

What is that one thing you love the most about being an HR Leader? What advice do you want to give to other HR professionals?

I love the Challenge this role brings as you deal with people and people are extremely dynamic!

Well, not a piece of advice but would surely like to share what’s worked for me and that is to Just Listen & to Communicate. I feel that sorts almost everything.