It is 2024 and the business case for cultivating an organizational culture that values employees and their contributions has never been stronger. It acts as the compass guiding decision-making, shaping behaviors, and aligning individuals with a collective vision.

An important but often overlooked aspect of creating the right company culture is role leadership plays and how critical setting the right framework is. 

In a candid and insightful interview with People Matters, Salil Murthy, Managing Director, Mars Petcare India, delved into the core principles shaping the company's culture. From leadership competencies to fostering an inclusive culture and driving employee growth, this conversation unearths the strategies behind Mars Petcare's success. 

Here are excerpts from the enriching dialogue:

Of late, there has been renewed focus on creating the right company culture. Why is creating and nurturing organizational culture important? Could you elaborate on some effective strategies for ensuring that it aligns with business objectives. 

While it is often said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” I see culture and strategy as intertwined – they need to complement each other for overall success. It is the synergy between the two that truly breathes life into our initiatives. Cultivating this culture is not about grand gestures but about nurturing small everyday actions and initiatives that inspire. It is about creating a collective drive toward a shared purpose.

Take our purpose, for instance, aimed at making a better world for pets. Every member at Mars Petcare shares a profound emotional connection, be it through their own pets or their voluntary contributions. To empower our associates to further this cause, we fostered experiences like our engagement with animal shelters and NGOs. 

Last year, over a hundred of us volunteered at a shelter, engaging in various activities from walking dogs to painting and nurturing these pets. The joy in these experiences, creating a loving environment for these pets, is truly remarkable. 

We encourage this passion and work towards enabling our associates worldwide to engage in impactful projects related to people, planet, and pets. These experiences are transformative and leave a lasting impact. 

The right leadership is critical to ushering in positive change when it comes to company culture. What are some key leadership competencies that you value and how can these be developed and assessed within the organization?

To propel an organization to the next level, adopting an expansive outlook and crafting an inclusive ecosystem is fundamental. Leadership competencies that are imperative for the future entail transcending the traditional notions of success and moving away from just focusing on snatching market shares from competitors. The crux is broadening the pie, envisioning outcomes that benefit the collective fabric of society. 

For example, our prerogative is not just selling pet food – it is about uplifting veterinarians too. We also partner with nonprofits like BlueCross, enhancing adoption and are also working towards addressing critical issues in pet healthcare specifically pet nutrition. 

Engaging with pet parents to tackle prevalent challenges and supporting new pet owners through their journey are essential aspects of this inclusive approach. This aligns with our core value of mutuality, recognizing shared benefits as stronger together. 

Another critical competency is embracing diversity and inclusion while being rooted in humility. Humility allows for learning from diverse experiences – whether from a novice intern or a seasoned veteran, everyone brings unique insights. Acknowledging and valuing these differences is pivotal for our success. 

Lastly, kindness and empathy, often underrated, play pivotal roles. Being considerate towards oneself and others, understanding fallibility, and demonstrating empathy are critical traits all leaders should aspire to have. 

How do you work toward fostering a culture of continuous learning and promoting the sharing of knowledge and expertise among your team? 

There are several methods we employ, but a cornerstone principle is the 70-20-10 model. We believe 70% learning happens on the job, while working and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Twenty percent occurs through more structured means, like leadership programs and networking sessions. The remaining 10% involves self-initiated learning through reading, self-reflection, and intentional skill development. 

Recently, I participated in a leadership course that took me out of the day-to-day routine, providing fresh perspectives crucial for decision-making in a challenging environment. This exposure helped me navigate challenges and understand different contexts and was invaluable for both personal and professional growth. 

It is critical to prioritize an individualized approach, beginning with understanding each associate's development needs, setting specific learning objectives, and providing support, whether through coaching or mentorship. 

While we maintain a focus on skills like digital literacy across our associates, we also tailor learning to meet individual and business-specific requirements. This personalized approach is fundamental to shaping our learning and development culture. 

Could you share some examples of how Mars Petcare priorities employee development and growth opportunities to foster a motivated and engaged workforce?

Businesses miss significant value when employees feel disengaged or disconnected from their work. It is like a ripple effect – dissatisfaction spreads fast, impacting overall morale. Systemically, there are a couple of areas we are actively focusing on to ensure our associates find fulfillment in their work. 

Today, flexibility is key, and we offer hybrid options and flexible hours because we believe in acknowledging personal priorities while promoting the best output at work. 

Equally crucial is the nature of the work itself. Meaningful tasks significantly boost employee satisfaction. Our job architecture ensures that every role has a clear purpose, and we are simplifying processes to create a direct link between an associate's efforts and their impact. Technology plays a vital role, too. We are automating repetitive tasks, allowing our associates to focus on more fulfilling work. 

Achieving work-life balance is paramount and our 'Do Well Together' program focuses on holistic health markers, with energy levels being a key metric. Pets in our office also contribute to stress relief. After a tough meeting, spending time with our office pets, Milo, and Maya, is a fantastic stress buster! 

Additionally, fostering internal talent growth is a top priority. We intentionally split our focus 50-50 between business growth and talent development. Providing internal opportunities for associates to work on critical projects across different segments ensures their continuous growth. 

We are intentional about making India a talent hub, allowing associates to move across various business segments and gaining diverse experiences. While we are doing quite a bit, I believe there's room to be even more deliberate and intentional, especially in enhancing managerial capabilities.

What steps has Mars Petcare taken to promote diversity and inclusion within the organization, and how have these steps contributed toward the overall success of the company? 

Inclusion and diversity are integral to our business strategy and ethos. We measure these aspects like any other critical metric, such as sales or profitability. Our focus extends to gender analysis and cultivating diverse teams with varied perspectives, emphasizing the appreciation of differences. 

Regular live dialogues centered on inclusion and breaking stereotypes are part of our routine. Stepping into our office, you will notice a sign reminding everyone to leave biases at the door, emphasizing the need for leaders to model inclusive thinking.

We also encourage line managers to actively engage in this effort. Psychological safety is crucial, and it is the linchpin between inclusion efforts and tangible business outcomes. Studies by behavioral scientists like Carol Dweck and Amy Edmondson confirm that diverse viewpoints lead to better business results. 

Creating an environment where individuals feel safe challenging prevailing opinions is vital. It takes courage to break away from group thinking, a deeply ingrained evolutionary behavior. However, in a business context, the courage to pause, reassess, and offer alternative perspectives is tremendously powerful.

We have implemented leadership development programs focused on women – these initiatives underscore our commitment to nurturing diverse leadership within our organization. The intent is to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute meaningfully.

The world of work has been struggling when it comes to creating an engaged, resilient workforce. What are some policies you have implemented at Mars Petcare India that are aimed at elevating employee engagement? 

What sets us apart are our five foundational pillars: quality, mutuality, responsibility, freedom, and efficiency. We foster a culture of equality, where every associate, regardless of their role, is considered an equal partner. Our commitment to nurturing a supportive environment ensures that associates feel valued and secure. 

In our pursuit of continuous improvement, we prioritize a bottom-up approach, valuing insights and ideas stemming from our frontline associates, who best understand our customers’ perspectives. Additionally, we provide robust support systems encompassing health and wellness programs, flexible policies tailored to diverse needs, and a broad Social Assistance Program, supporting mental health for both associates and their families. 

The Mars Ambassador Program (MAP) serves as a flagship initiative, embodying our corporate purpose by aligning business practices with a vision for a better future. Associates annually apply for MAP assignments, during which they step away from their routine roles, leverage their expertise to address significant social and environmental challenges in collaboration with partner organizations. 

To cultivate an inclusive workplace, we have established numerous associate resource groups, fostering safe spaces for engagement across various cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. 

Our emphasis on inclusion and diversity is evident in our gender-balanced leadership team, promoting diverse perspectives and empowering women leaders through tailored developmental programs. These initiatives underpin our commitment to nurturing our workforce, promoting engagement, diversity, and personal growth.