What makes cohort-based courses different?

At BeNext we talk a lot about our cohort-based course structure - but what exactly are these CBCs that are causing such a stir in the L&D space, and why are they so useful? Cohort-based courses (CBC) are emerging as an essential methodology for digital learning, proven to increase retention and engagement for higher impact and accountability. The combination of community learning, live sessions and asynchronous elements make the learning limitless but structured, flexible but rigorous, social but self-sustaining. In short, they’re the future of learning in the digital space. Read on to find out more! 

Quickfire Interview with Subramaniam CR, Oracle, Senior HR Business Partner 

Every fortnight we feature a top, highly-engaged BeNext learner for a quickfire interview on their experience of their program. Here, we speak to Subramaniam CR (Subbu), Oracle, Senior HR Business Partner. Subbu is a HR enthusiast with 15+ years of blended HR experience and has worked at all levels of the HR 'stack' to strive and deliver strategic, tactical and operational value. He prefers to spend most of his time working at the intersection of business outcomes and people's aspirations. Currently, Subbu works in the capacity of a Senior HR Business Partner with Oracle and is responsible for employee success and vitalizing 'Moments that Matter' across the employee lifecycle. 

Opinion Disclaimer: The “views expressed” in this interview are solely the contributors' current personal opinion and they do not necessarily reflect any opinion, official policy or position of Oracle.

What are the biggest Challenges facing leaders today?

I would like to convert this question into the biggest opportunity areas for leaders to try and make a potential impact. Let me try and put this in a HMW format for ease. 

So as leaders, How Might We?  

• Harness Collective Creativity, Embrace Creative Chaos and Create an Eco-System of social geniuses, networks, community learners, bold experimenters and not focus on just individual brilliance and expected pattern of results. This is critical because on the other side of this mindset lies engagement, trust, innovation and success.   
• Help People get the most out of the work rather than vice versa. Getting them to see and derive a Meaning and latent Purpose in their jobs and achieve congruence between corporate and individual goals. 
• Give a seat at the Table. It’s a sports philosophy, where the best team combination will be in. Importantly, be Intentional about giving that seat. This is where true Inclusion happens and be mindful that good ideas can come from anywhere.
• Practice Leadership by Doing. So as a Leader Am I ready to do things I expect my team to do? In the same breadth, Am I doing enough in some of my areas where people want to show up in the interest of their growth and development? (Balance is a Key). Lead through a ‘Just enough’ instruction mindset that will pave the way for empowerment, idea agility and cooperation within. 
• Filter decisions through an Employee Experience filter. Try and focus not only on Functional but also the Emotional Value employees perceive consuming the different processes, policies, benefits, and management practices. Humanizing is key, ask to learn, because people who don’t feel visible and misheard will have low trust experiences. As an instance; returning back to work post pandemic is one of the moments that matter and a chance to design experiences around it.
• Last but never the Least. Adopt the First Principle rule when in doubt! As leaders first tap into core Values and examine the why of it. This is a true north compass especially for situations of disorder and unknowns. 

Tell us about your experience with the People Matters BeNext Certification programs? 

I clearly remember a December afternoon of 2020 when a BENEXT brochure popped up from one of the searches. The outlined program structure covering the experiential learning process, social learner’s cohort model, creative modules, industry expert’s affiliation made me curious and I signed up for 1 program and that happened to be Virtual Team Leading. Then there was no turning back, it was a complete pull factor from thereon and I also signed up for EX in Hybrid and icing on the cake was Agile and Design Thinking for HR. 

I think the learning outcomes were achieved due to some amazing content curation and especially indulging into what I call ‘in-context’ learning. It was engaging as we learners, moved from our ‘as is’ current state to a desired ‘to be’ state. The other element that made learning so enriching was the ‘Outside-in’ perspectives that our light houses brought in. The live masterclasses and the time spent with the experts were undoubtedly some of the best hours of life! All of it in the first half of 2021.

Some of my personal learning outcomes included new perspectives on the below areas;

•  Making Virtual Models a Success through Deliberate Communication, Visible Teamwork and Planned Spontaneity.
• Reimagining experience across the employee lifecycle and maximizing Moments that Matter.
• New Normal Problem Solving Framework, Agile thinking mental models, Needs Driven approach for HR interventions and Effective hiring using Human Connection principles. 
• Using discovery tools to unlock whole brain thinking to improve group creativity, building ideas through the power of Questions and habits to become a Creative Leader and build Creative Capacity muscle.

What is one book that you have really enjoyed and would recommend?

I wouldn’t bat my eyelid even once to say that it has to be the book titled ‘Man’s search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl. It's evergreen and it’s my quarterly ritual. I always discover something new each time. More importantly it forces you to ponder on 3 questions that are so critical amidst a world where we have moved away from order to disorder.’

1. How do we meaningfully exist? 
2. Where do we draw this meaning from? 
3. Why is this meaning so important?

Frankl’s work is regarded as the 3rd school of psychotherapy and perhaps the most significant line of thinking since Freud and Adler in the area of motivational forces governing human beings. It is interesting to know that his epic work is based on the concept of ‘Logotherapy’. Logos is a Greek word which denotes ‘meaning’, therapy as we all know is healing. So it is basically healing through the finding of meaning in one’s life. This is very relevant to every sphere of life; Personal and Professional. Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between stimulus and response. Logotherapy helps us be driven by meaning in every sphere. You can find that in any situation. All you need is show the will to meaning (motivated to see a meaning) and postulate freedom of will (free to choose the attitude you want to wear towards any conditions)

Each person’s meaning is unique and specific and can be fulfilled by that person alone. If one succeeds at this task, one will continue to grow in spite of all odds.

What is one innovation that you believe will transform the way we work? 

I am a big fan of Digital Technology (likes of AI, Robotics, Deep Learning etc) joining hands with Human Capacity for forming the Next of the workplace. The Man-Machine Harmony is something that I think will be one of the game changing transformations in the areas of employee experience, micro personalization, data driven smart decisions, systematic de-biasing etc. 

The far-reaching effects of this partnership will cut across the board room goals to newer outcomes that are positive for the society and planet at large. The real innovation will lie at the intersection of the best from both the agents and how they can pair up to be a winning team. This is likely to also have an impact on the future of job functions. In fact, as we speak, we are already seeing emerging jobs in the industry where cross faculty disciplines are merging to form new job families where they may not require a full skills match between the source and destination occupation. The job landscape transition will be a thing to watch out for in my opinion. 

So, my take in a line to summarize the next big innovation- Human and Machine Interplay to make the best teams, smart processes and well-crafted user experiences (high tech with high touch).

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

There have been multiple pieces of advice that I have benefited out of and it wouldn’t be fair to pick up one as the best. However, one line of thinking that I always believe ties back to an agile way of doing things and also happens to be a succinct learning takeaway in one of our BeNext sessions. It’s simply is;

PLAN TO ACT >> ACT TO LEARN >> LEARN TO WIN.

So fundamentally I personally believe that ‘Execution builds Reputation’ and it all starts with a ‘Will to Act’ and remembering to always ‘BE AT IT’ 

Thank you for talking to us! You can connect with Subramaniam on LinkedIn here. 

What we're listening to...BeNext Radio Show

Episode 8 features an insightful conversation with Mohammad Naciri, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UN Women, who joins People Matters to discuss how the events of the last year and a half affected existing gender inequalities and what might be some of the challenges for women to achieve equity with men going forward. This conversation comes ahead of the upcoming program, ‘Gender Balance: Promoting Women,’ which you can find out more about here. 

What we're doing…

Over the coming weeks, People Matters BeNext is offering a whole suite of Cohort-based certification programs designed to set your skilling strategy on a new trajectory:

Designing Employee Experience in a Hybrid World - Enroll here

HR Business Partner: Driving Talent Impact in Hybrid - Enroll here  

Webcast: Creating Gender Balance and promoting women in the workplace with Maria Teixidor, CEO, VUCA Solutions

Ahead of the Gender Balance: Promoting Women program, our Virtual Learning & Development Manager, Cindy Scholts, spoke with Maria Teixidor,  the first woman in the history of FC Barcelona to have held the position of secretary of the board of directors. Here, Cindy and Maria dive into the dos and don’ts of accelerating gender balance and also share all that you will learn in the upcoming People Matters BeNext Certification program on Gender Balance Program: Promoting Women.

What we're reading…

Ten Reasons Why Cohort-Based programs are the future of skilling 

Find out more about what sets cohort-based courses like BeNext apart and why they are the future of skilling and learning. 

Addressing Gender Inequality with Mohammad Naciri, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UN Women

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the majority of recessions were either 'mancessions' or affected men and women equally. This time around, however, there has been a disproportionate effect on women. Hear from Mohammad Naciri on why this is - and what must be done.  

People Matters TechHR India 2021: The Great Emergence

Register your interest here for People Matters TechHR 2021 The Great Emergence 4th - 6th August 2021. A perfect opportunity for you to network with 2500+ delegates and discuss how HR continues its quest to become more digital, data-centric, and business-driven than ever before, with execution being at the core with speakers including Josh Bersin, Dr Amitabh Rajan and Sanjeev Sahgal.