Shadowing by colleagues
Colleagues follow every move of around 30 of Nokia India’s top management leaders for about a week. They observe what they do, how they do and learn from them. The management team selects top 30 Nokia leaders, not based on hierarchy but from any level who typify Nokia’s four values – PAVE – Passion for Innovation, Achieving Together, Very Human and Engaging You.
A unique HR program at the workplace
The shadow program introduced by Nokia India is a hit among Nokia’s other offices across the globe. While it is common for new recruits to follow colleagues as part of the induction program, the shadow program is unique in the sense that experienced colleagues follow leaders who live the company values. If the leader travels to a remote location, then the shadower follows suit. The travel expenses are not a constraint.
Unique Learning Benefits
Due to the informal network creation, both the leader and shadower get an exposure to insights and learning from other departments that would not have been possible otherwise. At the end of the shadowing, the shadowers write down their experience. The written information is then circulated among the top 30 leaders and contributes to improving their leadership skills as well.
Having leadership participate in such shadow programmes and share learning in the workplace, is a symbolic sign of leaders giving way to light (colleagues) where once they cast a shadow (not in a bad sense).