Sunita Cherian, Chief Culture Officer and SVP-HR, Wipro

As part of Indeed’s recent DEIB report, Where the Mind is Without Fear, we spoke with Sunita Cherian, Chief Culture Officer and Senior Vice President HR at Wipro to get her thoughts on psychological safety, driving inclusion and belonging at Wipro.

Excerpts from the interview can be read below.

How does culture play a role in institutionalising psychological safety? How does this lead to organisational benefits in the long run?

Having a culture based on clear values is critical. We call them the Spirit of Wipro, and these values serve as our moral compass. Much of our ways of work and leadership role-modeling reinforce this culture. We articulated these values in action with our Five Habits early in 2020. The pandemic made them more relevant than ever as we adapted to new ways of working and started our cultural transformation journey. In addition to the Five Habits, two additional cultural traits help to drive our success:
First, we steadfastly believe it is essential to speak up, to call out things that can be improved. Second, we firmly believe that leaders need to lead – they need to be visible ambassadors for our customers and our company, and the culture we try to live every day. It’s about creating safe spaces where every employee can bring their authentic selves to work.

We also embrace change as a big part of our cultural transformation journey. It’s often said that “change is the only constant in business,” and that’s true at Wipro. Embracing the constant presence of change encourages us to break down barriers and consider new, innovative solutions.
Our Chairman, Rishad Premji –highlights this during his immersive sessions on the Five Habits with leaders. He discusses how being vulnerable and respectful when we call things out makes a big difference in showing that change does not have to be threatening. Finally, we always believe it is a big strength for our leaders and our company to genuinely listen, constantly learn, and help us grow as individuals and as a business.

What role do leaders play in fostering psychological safety? Do you feel others in the organization also shape this aspect?

Leaders can build psychological safety by creating the right team climate, mindset, and behaviors. They need to show openness to feedback and new ideas and, as much as possible, operate from a vantage of transparency so team members can see the big picture. Those who do this best genuinely act as catalysts, empowering and enabling other leaders and team members. This works even with those with no formal authority; we always believe leadership is not a function of title or hierarchy but of how one approaches solving customer problems and collaborating across teams. Such a focus helps to cultivate psychological safety by reinforcing the behaviors leaders expect from the rest of the team. Our CHRO often says that leaders live in glass houses. That’s true. Every move that a leader makes is watched and reflected on by teams.

People put far more weight, appropriately, on what a leader does, not just on what they say. As leaders, we must exemplify behaviors that build safe spaces and our culture. In short, leadership calls on individuals to reflect, be vulnerable, be empathetic and encourage people to come forward with great ideas.

Of course, ongoing communication is critical so that team members are always aware of the end goal – especially aware of changes that occur while getting there!

How do you think psychological safety impacts inclusion and diversity in an organization? What could be the challenges?

Wiproites today work in more than 66 countries, with diverse nationalities and a multi-generational workforce. By its very nature, this recognizes, supports, and celebrates the idea that diverse teams with diverse backgrounds and ways to solve customer problems will arrive at the best solutions. This is true for many global organizations today. Helping people embrace others with different beliefs and behaviors takes continuous, sustained effort and must be genuinely supported by senior leaders. This focus on diversity and inclusion also needs to be reflected in policies and processes, as is the case at Wipro today. For us, inclusion is a way of life and an ongoing journey. We move forward, learn, and improve – as individuals and as a team –by driving mutual respect for all.

Read the full interview in Indeed's DEIB report, "Where the Mind is Without Fear"