From reflection to bold decisions, Rashmi Nair, Senior Director and Head of HR at Lumen Technologies India, opens up unfiltered on culture as a lived experience.
In a world where workplace culture and business agility are used interchangeably, Culture Café, a podcast by Avtar and CII, offers the much-needed pause. In its inaugural episode, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group, had a candid conversation with Rashmi Nair, Senior Director and Head of Human Resources, Lumen Technologies India, where she shared how her culture compass helped her navigate challenges and implement the IDEAS framework.
Rashmi is a Human Resources leader with over two decades of experience across global organizations. As the Senior Director and Head of HR at Lumen Technologies Limited in Bengaluru, she is responsible for shaping and executing HR strategies for Lumen’s operations across India.
The Power of IDEAS
Throughout Rashmi’s professional journey, she has strongly believed that culture is the identity of an organization. Rashmi said “Culture is something like your compass that helps you navigate, especially in times of ambiguity, crisis, or uncertainty, and that laid the foundation of creating the IDEAS framework.” The IDEAS (short for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Allyship, and Social impact) is a holistic framework that goes beyond checkboxes and buzzwords. The framework also tells the “how” – how to hire, how to pay, how to lead, and ultimately, how to build a society through the organization’s actions.
Culture in Action: Leading Through Crisis
On leadership vision, Rashmi shared that she was lucky to witness cultural transformations. During crisis or turmoil, it is necessary to fall back to the organizational culture, she said. “When Kate Johnson, our CEO, joined the organization, the first thing she said was to transform the company – starting with people,” she recalled. When teamwork, trust, and transparency get ingrained, it helps them take the sinking ship out to the North Star they were chasing.
Culture Building – A Monthly Ritual
When asked about internal culture building, Rashmi shared an idea that was once for avid readers. As a part of the ‘Dare to Lead’ book club, she said, “We have these informal groups, catching up during tea breaks, where you pick up a chapter or an article and sort of debate or reflect on it.” This ritual developed further and became an informal monthly session – ‘Manthan.’ Derived from the Sanskrit word, meaning deep reflection, Manthan is based on books and learnings, that bring out the nectar.
Equity in Action
One standout moment in her professional journey was Rashmi’s decision to promote an employee before her maternity leave. When there were questions about the employee getting promoted, “we went back to our values and culture”, said Rashmi, who believed that if somebody else at the same grade was getting promoted, “she also deserved to get promoted.” She added, “When the employee returned, she became the top performer. And that was ROI beyond numbers.”
A Final Thought
The conversation with Rashmi Nair is a strong reminder that culture isn’t a PowerPoint slide or an off-site agenda; rather, it’s in the small moments – from decisions made under pressure to books read over tea. As Rashmi says, “When in doubt, go back to your culture. If people come first, profits, progress, and purpose will follow.” Catch the full episode of Culture Café for more on how culture drives transformation – one story at a time! Click Here.
