Sheena is a retired Air Force Officer and a retired flight lieutenant. After moving out of military to join the corporate world, she forayed into strategy business development, later moving to HR function. Being a seasoned professional in the industry, she holds expertise in Global HR leadership, Talent Attraction, Talent management, Organisation design & Change management, Leadership Development & Coaching etc. She is also a Six Sigma Green Belt Certified & Lean Practitioner.

In a recent conversation with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Sheena talks about how she brings leadership skills learnt in the military to the corporate world. She also sheds light on the semiconductor market with a focus on leadership development. Explaining about HR leadership, she states that HR priorities must align with business goals in order to make things work in the workforce.

Read the article to know more.

How do you integrate military leadership principles into corporate HR strategies, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing?

In the military, values are instilled around building strong leadership, fostering accountability in initiatives, and emphasizing continuous learning. Transitioning these principles to the corporate world, I observe a strong emphasis on collaborative leadership with full accountability. In the military, reflection and debriefing after every exercise play a significant role, where we discuss lessons learned and areas for improvement, no matter how skilled we may be. This practice translates well to the corporate environment through methods like action reviews and tracking the "say-do" ratio, which reinforces accountability, team empowerment, and execution.

Additionally, I bring an openness to feedback, both giving and receiving, which encourages collaboration, transparency, and performance improvement. These principles serve as essential building blocks for cultivating a positive corporate culture, fostering behaviors that elevate the work environment.

How do you approach transformation initiatives in a fast-paced industry like semiconductor manufacturing, ensuring minimal disruption to operations and maximizing employee engagement?

In order to facilitate effective organization design and change management, it's crucial to understand and align with the purpose behind the change. This alignment helps get people on board by establishing a clear "burning platform"—a compelling need for change. Without a strong reason, employees are less likely to embrace the change approach.

The foundation of change management lies in defining the business purpose for change and aligning it with guiding principles, especially emphasizing communication and reconnecting to the purpose. Each individual in the organization experiences the change curve differently, so it's essential to engage early adopters as role models. These early adopters act as catalysts, demonstrating the benefits of change and influencing neutral employees, who are often waiting to see results before committing.

However, there will typically be 5-10% who resist change strongly. It's often more effective to focus on early adopters than on resistant individuals, as this can accelerate the change journey and reduce disruption. Additionally, addressing change fatigue is essential; this includes assessing the resources and efforts required, reprioritizing tasks with teams, and ensuring adequate support for a smooth transition. These strategies have proven effective in deploying change initiatives with minimal operational disruption.

How do you apply methodologies like Six Sigma and Lean practicesto enhance HR processes such as talent acquisition, performance management, or compensation planning within semiconductor manufacturing?

The foundations of Six Sigma or Lean focus on creating efficiency and reducing waste. In HR functions, we often get caught up in detailing processes to the point of overcomplicating them. My approach has been to keep the end customer in mind, ensuring that processes enhance the user experience and eliminate waste, duplication, and unnecessary efforts across organizational layers.We prioritize employee journey mapping, which identifies key moments that matter and highlights non-value activities. These insights can lead to automation or process integration, especially in areas like talent acquisition from candidate connection to on boarding or performance management. By focusing on the employee experience rather than just task completion, we create processes that are more user-friendly and effective.

I emphasize lean practices in various areas, including the "five whys" approach, which helps clarify the real purpose of each action. The lean methodology also fosters a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging employees involved in processes to suggest enhancements, which often results in better solutions for both the customer and the team.

Another key elements are decision-making and rapid problem-solving. Avoiding a perfectionist approach, we often apply the 80-20 rule, where delivering 80% of a solution and refining the rest helps maintain momentum and alignment with business goals. Lean practices like value stream mapping aid in executing processes that serve both customer experience and business objectives effectively.

How do you prioritize HR initiatives to align with business objectives in a competitive semiconductor market? Can you discuss a time when this approach led to significant cost savings or operational efficiencies?

For HR as a support function, the focus is always on increasing efficiency and adding value to the business through ongoing initiatives. Rather than limiting HR efforts to specific times of the year, we aim to maximize internal resources for greater productivity. Prioritizing HR initiatives involves maintaining an open dialogue with the business to understand their critical needs and aligning our efforts to accelerate growth.In the competitive semiconductor market, where talent is highly sought after, and business conditions are dynamic due to external factors like demand and supply chains, HR priorities must align closely with business goals. For instance, if market outreach and leadership development are key, we focus on building interventions that strengthen these areas at the organizational level.

Metrics are crucial to measure the effectiveness of our efforts, and we aim for significant cost savings by avoiding duplicated programs. For example, if multiple business units request leadership programs, consolidating these into a single approach provides a consistent employee experience and eliminates redundancy.To balance standardization with customization, we apply an 80-20 approach: 80% of initiatives are harmonized, while 20% allow for localized customization. This balance applies across areas such as leadership programs, talent acquisition strategies, and engagement initiatives. By creating a cohesive experience across our global organization, we drive efficiency and enhance the employee experience.

What strategies do you employ to ensure alignment and collaboration across geographically dispersed teams? How do you overcome cultural barriers and ensure a cohesive organizational culture?

I come from an Indian background and have been in global roles for a long time, gaining exposure to various regions, including the Americas, Middle East, and Europe. What works in one area doesn’t necessarily apply elsewhere, so cultural sensitivity is essential.

In my virtual work, I try to schedule meetings at times that accommodate participants across time zones, from China to the Americas, ensuring that no one is required to join at an inconvenient hour. This helps foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels included. I also focus on cross-cultural projects, like leader onboarding programs, that cater to regional nuances. By engaging cross-functional teams, we create programs that balance universal elements with region-specific needs, helping teams broaden their perspectives.

Building personal connections is equally important. While virtual meetings have become the norm since COVID, face-to-face interactions, when possible, add a layer of trust and openness. Meeting in person facilitates candid discussions about challenges and needs, fostering a collaborative culture. Lastly, it's crucial to be sensitive to the types of questions asked, respecting regional differences. Frequent travel and interactions have enriched my understanding of diverse cultures, contributing to a cohesive global workforce.

Messages For Readers

It's crucial to continuously learn and unlearn to develop strong leadership skills. As women leaders, it’s important to stay open to opportunities. Rather than waiting for everything to be perfect, be bold, take risks, and embrace new challenges. Enjoy the journey and keep learning these are key messages for aspiring leaders.