Scaling Culture During Growth and Transformation

Growth is often seen as a sign that things are going right for an organisation. Bigger teams, new markets, rapid expansion, all of it sounds exciting from the outside. But internally, growth can also bring a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and cultural shifts that companies may not always be fully prepared for.

Because, I think we now understand the reality is, scaling a business and scaling a culture are two very different challenges.

So today, we're exploring what it really takes to preserve culture during periods of growth and transformation. And joining us for this conversation is Smitha Yadav, a seasoned HR leader with extensive experience in driving people and culture initiatives across global organisations.

Host of this Episode: Sanjeevani Saikia

Guest Bio

Smitha Yadav is a result driven Human Resource Practitioner with 17+ years of progressive experience across various HR functions, adept at handling all aspects of human resources.

Her experience spans across the globe working with leaders across APAC, NA, UK, in MedTech, Automotive, Financial and technology sectors. Her deep understanding of people, processes, structures, and organizational dynamics has enabled her to lead with a blend of intellectual insight and self-awareness.

Her mission is to foster a great place to work for everyone by advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, boosting employee engagement and retention, and enhancing organizational performance and culture.

Connect with Smitha : Linkedin

Timestamps

• 01:29 Smitha shares her corporate journey.
• 02:54 Exploring which becomes most difficult to sustain as organizations scale and why.
• 07:13 Discussing how companies can preserve their culture during rapid growth and constant change.
• 08:45 Examining what separates organizations that successfully scale their culture from those that lose their identity.
• 10:11 Understanding the role of leaders and HR in keeping employees connected to the company's vision during periods of growth and uncertainty.
• 11:43 Debating whether culture can truly scale through policies and processes or if it ultimately depends on leadership behavior.