Working with big names in the corporate world like Reliance, Shell and others, Dr Sajeev Nair possesses a wide, three-decade-long experience which has enhanced his knowledge and skills. Adding another feather to his cap, he holds a PhD in Engineering Science from University of Petroleum Energy Studies (UPES). Currently he is the Senior Vice President – Learning and Development, and Head, Manufacturing at Reliance Industries Limited. Sajeev has spent most of his career working on the offshore oil and gas projects. However, there is another side to Sajeev, every time the spotlight hits him, this charismatic theatre artiste enters a different world. Every role played, be it theatre or the responsibilities of the corporate world, Sajeev has proved his worth. He has acted in over 500 plays while directed and produced many as well. A strong driving force while implementing robust competency mapping, Sajeev is a consolidation of accurate industrial knowledge and top-notch interpersonal skills. In a tête-à-tête with Corporate Citizen, Sajeev spoke extensively about his love for theatre, his different roles in the corporate world and much more…
The three decades of experience have been enriching. With a great education background, I was fortunate enough to start my career as a lecturer at Universal College of Engineering, back home. The challenges there made me well versed with several facets of electrical engineering. Later, I moved on to the job profile of a maintenance engineer. I got sufficient experience in installation, commissioning and testing of various types of electrical equipment and mechanical tools for the automobile production.
A pivotal shift came when I joined hands with Shell. I started working with them as a senior trainer and development coordinator. I was responsible for training and competence development programme. Growth was inevitable! I also worked as a senior trainer, advisor, mentor and coach for an effective training and competence management. That uplifted my knowledge and skills. Currently, I am serving as the Senior Vice President - Learning and Development GMS, Reliance. While heading the manufacturing, and learning and development, I was successful in establishing a world-class academy, at par with international training management systems.
Shell is indeed one of the largest companies when it comes to this sector. With more than three lakh employees under its umbrella, this international organization has got business entities all over the world. It gave me an opportunity to work at offshore platforms, islands and deep sea too. That in itself is a thought-provoking role. Shell has been the biggest learning platform for me.
Going up the hierarchy at Shell, I was responsible for the operation training and implement at ion plan for the whole LNG terminal operations. Coming with some of the procedures for competency assessment system for the Shell Gas and Power in Hazira, was one of my biggest achievements. Owing to my theatre background, I was able to maintain the staff quite efficiently and was responsible for recruitment through baseline assessment and professional interview techniques.
I believe in soaking up as much experience as possible before coming back to my country. Being a true Indian, I have strong roots. Having worked most of the time out of the country, I wanted to settle back home for obvious reasons. With my family here, I wanted to live with them after gaining all the knowledge. Even when I was working abroad, I used to visit them once in two months without fail. It’s all about gaining the right experience while the sun still shines.
Research has shown that learning is most effective when performed in the context of actual work. Many organizations report that 85-90% of a person’s job knowledge is achieved on the job
Dr Sajeev Nair in a theatre performanceFour Box theory is the most basic of all. However, for me, it’s more of a blended learning, which means how a person can learn. The Four Box Model has four components—self-learning (e-modules, books, publications), internal and outsourced programs (classroom, virtual), coaching or mentoring and participation in the conference, and workshops. Research has shown that learning is most effective when performed in the context of actual work. In addition, many organizations report that 85-90% of a person’s job knowledge is achieved on the job and only 10-15% is gained in formal training events.
To start with the risks, sometimes, the organization might not have anything on their name. So, the first step of competence assurance is the need to develop job competence profiles at different levels. That in itself is the biggest challenge. People apt for developing competency profile are the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or Skill Pull Experts (SPEs). These are stalwarts with several years of experience in that domain. A group of SPEs or SMEs have to discuss and identify the different kinds of competency maps. In fact, competency is required for different job roles within the same job family itself. This cluster is called competency catalogue. From this catalogue, we can pull out a profile for each job role. For each job competency, there would be proof points of knowledge, awareness, skill, behavior and others which form the core of it. Apart from that, the catalogue is used for competency-based recruitment. If you have that catalogue, it is the best yardstick for hiring people from the organization. Simply put, it’s nothing but a form or job description.
In short, it is one of the most time-consuming processes. We had implemented the same process in Reliance, just four years ago. We have rolled out and the assessment has already started. With that, we can identify gaps. This assures that the position and personal profile will be similar. And gaps will be identified by blender learning. The risk involved here is to create the person’s profile efficiently. A slight mistake could land the employee in a different job. Frankly, I have just been hearing about competency mapping since long, it was all theory. And it was just recently that it was implemented by big corporations. The reason for its delayed implementation is because of the accidents involved with it.
There are other parameters like politics or nepotism that could affect the hiring process. Unfortunately, this is seen only in our country. A person who is true to their job would overcome these hurdles to hire the right candidate rather than crumbling under pressure of politics. Incidentally, I faced the same issue several times in my career. I owe a lot to my work; hence politics and other petty things won’t hold me back.
Competency mapping is basically an amalgamation of knowledge, skill and mostly importantly, their interpersonal talent and behavior. The employee might have flawless occupational skills, but if they lack in being a team player or interacting with other employees, it is not good. Utmost importance has to be given to their behavior. Industry is looking for employees who are dynamic, synergy-oriented, competent and with excellent communication skills. The behavior aspect can be measured against several parameters. The HR is so efficient that even during the first meet, they would understand the person’s comportment. The candidate could be a know-it-all but being down-to-earth and taking your team along are the basic requirements.
Curiosity leads to creativity. What’s appealing is a man of his stature to patiently ignite the inquisitiveness of the young minds during a session at a management institute in Pune. Dr Sajeev Nair, Senior Vice President and Head GMS Learning and Development of Reliance Industries Limited, graced his presence at the institute recently. Instead of a one way communication, Sajeev rather opted for guiding and enlightening the students by the means of an interactive session. The auditorium packed with brainy students were eager to soak themselves in Sajeev’s astonishing experience.
He spoke widely about the student development programme and blended learning methods in the industries. The reason behind focusing on the organizational learning was clear as it plays a pivotal role in the growth of an employee. As regards the student’s transition from studying in a college to working in the industry, Sajeev stressed how blended learning is beneficial to get them acclimatized. Blended learning in an education programme that combines traditional classroom methods with online digital media. This hybrid teaching methodology consists of basic components like self-learning, classroom activities facilitated by trainers, online learning and on-the-job learning. The detailed explanation of blended learning with suitable cases studies broadened the student’s horizons.
As he led the session with brilliant illustrations, he explained that a person cannot ride a cycle just by gathering all the information from digital media. The person has to be on the field and get the on-hand experience. Explaining the ‘70-20-10 per cent rule of learning’, he said, “An employee can climb up the ladder with 70 per cent of knowledge which is gathered on the job or field training. Twenty per cent comprises of coaching and training. While just 10 per cent of learning happens via digital media.”
Further explaining the work-related competencies. He feels it is best gained through experiences on the job and simulations. He asked a simple question: can a pilot fly a plane by merely attending training? “Aviation industry has a very robust training and competency assurance and certification programme and they use methods like—CPT (Cockpit Procedure Trainer), FTD (Flight Training Device), desktop trainees, co-piloting and so on. Certification means to assure the competencies,” he explained.
When the transformation from being a student to an employee is complete, what takes the front seat is the employee’s behavior. incidentally, interpersonal communication at work comprises as one of the components of competency mapping. “The freshers need to understand that even if they are well versed with the industry, what will earn them the brownie points is a proper behavior at work. An employee should always be a team player and should have the ability to take his team forward with him,” he explained.
Learning about the 6M’s of management was quite enriching for the students. They include— man, machine, material, method, minutes and money. The 6M method is widely used in cause and effect analysis and proved to be effective.
Theatre has simply transformed my life. It has taught me values which otherwise are very hard to learn. Respect for your surroundings, patience and much more. Theatre has indeed changed me as a human being
Theatre has simply transformed my life. It has taught me values which otherwise are very hard to learn. Respect for your surroundings, patience and much more. It provided me with the necessary skills to help me develop me personally and professionally. The moment I hit the stage as an actor, my stage fright was gone. The same way at work, I am quite open about my views. Communicating with my employees has always been my plus point. Theatre has become the outlet for my emotions. That has made me more of a calm and composed person at work. It has taught me ethics beyond moral values.
I have channelized my energy into playing different roles on and off stage. The themes of my plays generally revolve around choreography, moral, social themes, drama, history and solo dances. The correlation is quite evident. Playing different roles has helped me take more responsibility in the corporate world. Theatre has indeed changed me as a human being.
Born and raised in Trivandrum, my grandparents and forefathers were an ardent fan of art. Their teachings blossomed my love for theatre. As a kid, I started showing traits that spoke volumes about my acting skills. I grew up as an artiste due to the blessings of my guru. It is as if that being an artiste is in my DNA. I was hardly 12-year-old when I first saw a play which revolved around Lord Shiva. The stage, lights and acting were quite gripping.
As I entered college, Guru Gopinath, my pundit, polished my skills as an artiste. The way his teachings molded me, is a testament to the person that I am now. Guru Gopinath holds a very special place in my heart. Over the years, I have played several roles and directed numerous plays. Every child is an artist, the deal is how to remain an artist when one grows up. Even now, I make it a point to act. It makes me feel connected to my roots.
I am elated that my play Hunter has touched many hearts. The play revolves around the fact that if we don’t respect our surroundings, the consequences would be dire. I have single-handedly managed to write, direct and act in this play. Moreover, I also took care of the lights and music. The experience has been life-changing. Hunter has been performed umpteen times so far. The last time when the play was performed in Pune, it was jam-packed.
Personally, I feel people are misunderstanding the essence of theatre. The true objective of theatre is staying true to our roots. We need to come up with more plays which speak about our rich heritage and culture.
By Ekta Katti
