The TroopHR Podcast

Ep 20. Nurturing Leadership Through Mentorship: Luck Dookchitra,VP, People & Culture at Leapsome

• Season 1 • Episode 20

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In this episode, Taylor Bradley engages in an insightful conversation with Luck Dookchitra, an experienced HR leader, about the transformative power of mentorship in career development and organizational growth. 

Luck shares her wealth of experience in both receiving and providing mentorship, offering valuable insights for HR professionals at all career stages.

Key topics discussed:

  • The importance of mentorship in personal and professional growth
  • Strategies for being an effective mentor and mentee
  • Navigating the delicate balance of providing candid feedback to executives
  • The unique challenges of working with founder CEOs vs. career CEOs
  • Building trust and influence as an HR leader

Highlights include:

  • Practical advice for mentors on delivering impactful guidance
  • Tips for mentees on being open to feedback and self-reflection
  • Strategies for HR professionals to establish themselves as trusted advisors to leadership
  • Insights on adapting communication styles for different types of executives

If you would like to learn more about joining our community or about the upcoming 2025 retreat, visit troophr.com.

Credits 
TroopHR Founder: Tracy Avin 
Show Producer: Nicole Fealey 
Show Host: Taylor Bradley

Note: Transcripts generated by AI.


Ep 20. Nurturing Leadership Through Mentorship- Luck Dookchitra, VP, People & Culture VP, People & Culture Leapsome

[00:00:00] 

[00:00:00] Introduction and Theme

[00:00:00] Luck Dookchitra: I think a theme that comes up is often around, am I good enough? And am I doing the right thing?

[00:00:13] Welcome and Guest Introduction

[00:00:13] Taylor Bradley: Welcome to the Troop HR podcast. I'm your host, Taylor Bradley. And today I'm speaking with Luck Dutitra, VP of People and Culture at Leapsim. 

[00:00:22] The Power of Mentorship

[00:00:22] Taylor Bradley: We dive into the transformative power of mentorship and career development in organizational growth. Luck [00:00:30] shares her invaluable insights on both sides of the mentorship equation, offering a unique perspective on how these relationships shape careers and drive business success.

[00:00:41] Taylor Bradley: From nurturing junior talent to advising C suite executives, We explore the delicate art of giving and receiving feedback that truly makes a difference. We begin today's episode by exploring Luck's insights on the symbiotic nature of mentorship. She reveals how [00:01:00] these relationships foster mutual growth, with both mentors and mentees gaining valuable perspectives.

[00:01:07] Taylor Bradley: Luck's experience highlights the transformative power of open dialogue. And embracing diverse viewpoints in professional development. 

[00:01:17] Mentorship Experiences and Insights

[00:01:17] Luck Dookchitra: The part of my career I've liked the most is being able to work with really amazing people and then being in that great privileged position of helping them grow in their.

[00:01:27] Luck Dookchitra: But then as I've grown in my career, working with some more [00:01:30] junior folks who might not know what to look out for when I co work with them, like we actually set up time and talk through things, hear what their questions are. They've also given me a lot to think about in a new way because they see it from a different lens.

[00:01:42] Luck Dookchitra: So I think about that relationship that you build and how it serves you, not just like in the moment and whatever the function is, but also how it shapes your career, right? So I can look back on all these team members who are now. And these great roles and I feel really great that I've met [00:02:00] them. They've been my thinking different.

[00:02:02] Luck Dookchitra: And also now they're really wonderful thought leaders themselves. So it's a cool journey to see. 

[00:02:08] Taylor Bradley: And oftentimes mentorship that we give to other folks has an origin story of a great mentor that supported us. What great mentors had influenced you? 

[00:02:21] Luck Dookchitra: So really great question and a way to look back. So early on in my career, I didn't have an HR mentor, right?

[00:02:28] Luck Dookchitra: But I did have business leaders, [00:02:30] founders, CFOs, CEOs. Who trusted me and then because they knew the business more, but they trusted me on the human relation level, they were the ones that really helped me shape my HR career and also find value in HR. And I've seen that to be quite transformative since I've been in the field almost 20 years and just seeing the evolution of how the business and how.

[00:02:54] Luck Dookchitra: Leaders and CEOs and founders really look at HR, where, where that used to be sort of [00:03:00] a back office function or payroll and things like that and benefits all super important things, but now is also a strategic partner. I would say I learned that by working with these leaders who trusted me. 

[00:03:13] The Role of Feedback in Mentorship

[00:03:13] Taylor Bradley: In a prior episode, Leanne Harper from Unlock talked about this concept.

[00:03:20] Taylor Bradley: It was in a recruiting lens. But holding the mirror is great. Recruiters have this unique ability to be able to look at candidates and feedback to them. [00:03:30] This is how you're presenting. These are things that you may not recognize are a strength of yours. Tweaking that slightly, what type, if you're willing to share, what type of feedback early on in your career did a mentor give you that really changed the trajectory of your career?

[00:03:51] Luck Dookchitra: A really great question. I think it's. The honest conversations. I think I probably like. [00:04:00] People often felt insecure about what I could do, what I couldn't do. And I think they gave me the trust in myself to say, Hey, you're really good at this. You always do this well, of course you can. And I think it's that trust that reflecting back, like you've always delivered.

[00:04:13] Luck Dookchitra: Why wouldn't you be able to deliver now? But hearing that from someone else, especially someone you respect is really great, especially on a larger scale, like giving you the trust to be, no, you can do that on your own and yes, you can take that next job. I think those kinds of moments are where. You realize, [00:04:30] okay, you're really looking out for me.

[00:04:32] Luck Dookchitra: You're not holding me back to just help you. You're actually wanting me to grow and do more and challenge myself. And I think those moments have been where that mentorship mirror, like you said, has been really helpful. 

[00:04:45] Taylor Bradley: Your example there reminds me of one of my own mentors, Christine Haas, who was One of my bosses early on in my career, and I was so nervous at that point in [00:05:00] my journey to take the next step because the client groups that I'd be supporting as a business partner kept getting bigger and bigger.

[00:05:07] Taylor Bradley: And I still remember her saying, and these are just numbers, right? You're still going to work with a core group of people. You're still going to drive the impact that I know that you can drive. And that really encouraged me to take those steps. So if Christine is listening, I wouldn't be here without you.

[00:05:22] Taylor Bradley: So in your support and continued support, we still chat often. 

[00:05:27] Advice for Mentees

[00:05:27] Taylor Bradley: And when it comes [00:05:30] to being a mentee, what advice would you give to folks on how to be open and be willing to be vulnerable for a mentor to give you feedback? 

[00:05:44] Luck Dookchitra: I think it comes down to. Knowing yourself a little bit, right. What you're looking for, but also knowing that like a mentor isn't there to always sugarcoat everything and give you the advice you want to hear, like you want to hear that they just need [00:06:00] to give you the advice that you need to hear.

[00:06:02] Luck Dookchitra: So. I think it's just being open and knowing that when you open up that vulnerability, you're probably going to get better feedback, but stay curious about why they might say that they're offering you this lens from an external perspective that you don't always have. And you're like having the mentor helps you release.

[00:06:17] Luck Dookchitra: You have these internal dialogues and sometimes you're right, but sometimes you're just kind of churning on the same thing. And so the mentor, I think offers this really great lens of someone who's there to support you. They're on [00:06:30] your side and they can probably, if you listen, They can probably give you a nuanced perspective on something, and probably have some experience that you weren't.

[00:06:38] Luck Dookchitra: So I think it's just being open and vulnerable. Don't just look for them to say exactly what you want them to say, look for the thing that will really help you the most. Get what you, get, get what you want to do. 

[00:06:50] The Concept of a Personal Board of Directors

[00:06:50] Taylor Bradley: And another concept that came out of the prior episode was having a personal board of directors.

[00:06:57] Taylor Bradley: So having, it's a, it's a, You're [00:07:00] blessed enough to have them multiple mentors because you can get dissenting or contrasting points of view. Have you had that in your career and have they ever had conflicting feedback? 

[00:07:14] Luck Dookchitra: Yeah, I would say I count on my dearest friends, some of them who are actually in the HR field as well, to be my honest mirror of and the board of directors.

[00:07:23] Luck Dookchitra: I love that concept because they know you really well and they're going to push you and challenge you. They're also going to call you out on [00:07:30] things. And so, and sometimes some will say something different, but then you can really kind of check yourself because ultimately it's about you getting to a place that you're comfortable with and what your journey is.

[00:07:40] Luck Dookchitra: And so other people's opinions are important, but it's really about what does that say about me? How do I respond? I've had some friends when I was studying coaching and things like that, walk me through things and the way they would ask me things like, Oh, this is so annoying. Why are you doing that? And then I paused and I was like, wait a minute.

[00:07:56] Luck Dookchitra: Yeah. Why is this annoying? What are they asking me? What is the [00:08:00] frustration coming from? So whatever it is, you can see if that does feel easy, that feels right. Or it could feel like this feels wrong. Why is it so wrong? It really helps you on your journey. And I do think having people from different perspectives, different times in your life, different, like professional experiences can really help you shape to who you want to be.

[00:08:21] Taylor Bradley: And some of those questions are great. And I want to expand on those in a moment. And to not put you on the spot, I'll share a moment of vulnerability here. One of [00:08:30] my other mentors, Michael Erisman, who again, is someone that really changed the trajectory of my professional life. He, and if he's listening to this, will laugh.

[00:08:42] Taylor Bradley: He used to get pretty brutal advice. It was always honest. It was always candid. It was direct. But there was a time that I personally struggled with my ego of saying, well, no, it's not the way that I'm operating. I'm operating at a different level than you think, Michael. [00:09:00] And then through the course of time.

[00:09:02] Taylor Bradley: I still vividly remember calling him one day, years later, and just saying you're right the whole time. And when I started to listen and be open with my internal dialogue to take your feedback and set my ego aside, that's when I started to really level up as a professional. When someone gets that candid feedback, it can be raw, right?

[00:09:28] Taylor Bradley: It can be difficult. You've [00:09:30] outlined some great questions that you should be asking yourself. Thank you. What are some other coaching, some coaching advice that you would give to mentees when working through things that may feel raw or cause a strong emotional response? 

[00:09:44] Luck Dookchitra: Yeah, no, I mean, it's human, right?

[00:09:46] Luck Dookchitra: To feel all these things. I would say like practice patience, really sit with your thoughts. You may have been on a journey where you've been thinking the same thing for a long time, so it's going to be a hard habit to let that go. But [00:10:00] in the, in the like coaching mentorship. Journey. I think it's really about reflecting and you need to give that the right time and space to do so.

[00:10:08] Luck Dookchitra: And I mean, this is a busy mom, all of these things, like sometimes I'm like, yes, I should know what to do now, but I have not had a moment to really think about that and reflect on it. And you need to be honest with yourself about what, what that is. So I think it's really taking it in, looking at it from different angles, like picking it up, writing it down.

[00:10:24] Luck Dookchitra: See what, why does it feel this way? And then like really challenging yourself on what it [00:10:30] means and it could be wrong. It could be wrong, but it's for you to kind of really think about, because obviously somebody saying it, if we give people the benefit of the doubt, people are saying it because they think it's something that can help you and you need to take it for what that is.

[00:10:42] Luck Dookchitra: But yeah, I would say it's a practice pausing. 

[00:10:46] Taylor Bradley: I love that. And the little tactical thing that you just mentioned to writing it down. It's interesting because then it takes a little bit of the emotion out of it. You time to look like literally look at it and reflect on it. It would be [00:11:00] really helpful. I wish I had that advice several years ago, or gosh, a decade ago now.

[00:11:06] Taylor Bradley: So moving on to a little bit different view of this. Is we've talked a bit about being a mentee and how you sound like you're in a position, you have the expertise to lending helping hand to those that are now up and coming in this career at their end. 

[00:11:25] Advice for Mentors

[00:11:25] Taylor Bradley: What advice do you have for mentors?[00:11:30] 

[00:11:33] Luck Dookchitra: I would say that for mentors, know that what you say has very deep meaning to the mentee, right? So, Uh, try to choose your words carefully, try to think about where they are in their state and how they can best hear the feedback you want to give them, right? Because I think it's when, often when someone seeks a mentor, not always, but sometimes you're in a crossroads or you're not sure what [00:12:00] you want to do.

[00:12:00] Luck Dookchitra: And when your mind is in that place, it's not always easy to interpret all the things. So a really great mentor I think can really step into understanding. Where you are, where you're coming from, like knowing that audience and then being able to talk to them in an honest way, but in a way that they can really digest the feedback you want to share with them.

[00:12:18] Luck Dookchitra: Yeah. And I think it's about building a relationship too. It's not just like one conversation on your mentor. It's really about a long term impact and discussions and that relationship you build, and you don't [00:12:30] know when the advice will click, you don't know when what you say is meaningful and have impact, but it's that relationship and that trust.

[00:12:37] Luck Dookchitra: Cause. It's really to help bring those people who are seeking mentorship, some sort of guidance, right? And you don't always know the thing you're looking for. And I think having a beautiful mentorship relationship is about journey together. 

[00:12:53] Taylor Bradley: And something that started me on this path of working with mentees [00:13:00] is I didn't really know where to begin, but I knew I wanted to help in some way and a tip that I would give to listeners, there's.

[00:13:09] Taylor Bradley: All sorts of ways that you can help without having a direct mentee. Community colleges or local universities are always looking for experts to come in to help train students on how to write their resumes. I know a lot of military and veteran associations are looking for that type of assistance, so I'd [00:13:30] encourage you that if you are thinking about being a mentor, just dip your toe in the water with one of these types of volunteer events, which are typically one off, so it's fairly limited commitment.

[00:13:40] Taylor Bradley: You can actually make a meaningful difference in individuals lives. Coming back to what you said, Luck, is recognizing that your words carry weight. And that's exceptionally important for any leader, especially a mentor. The EQ piece I really [00:14:00] enjoyed you highlighting is figure out a way for the communication to actually get through.

[00:14:09] Taylor Bradley: A mentor is finding that their feedback isn't landing. What are witness tests that you would recommend for them to do to understand, is it just I need to change my communication or perhaps I'm not the right mentor for this person. 

[00:14:27] Luck Dookchitra: So I think that's a great point. It is good, like we said before, [00:14:30] reflection on what's happening, right?

[00:14:31] Luck Dookchitra: So a mentor's time also is valuable, right? So I think it's important to have the conversation, understand, Hey, what am I saying? Something? Is it hitting in the right way? Where are you taking from this? And then having a discussion around it. Well, this part works as to, I don't quite understand. That can open the dialogue even further.

[00:14:47] Luck Dookchitra: And then I do think it's important to say, Oh, is this the right relationship? Here's where I would approach this. And this is how I can share my experiences. I don't know if it's going to resonate with you, but I'm sharing them. They're the honest thing that happened for me. And this is what the [00:15:00] advice I would give you.

[00:15:01] Luck Dookchitra: And then just having a dialogue, it's okay. Like, I think when people are on a journey to figure it out, there, there may, maybe moments where like that advice hit and sometimes it doesn't. But again, for me, I think it's this like offering the time and the space. It's like this investment of. Somebody's time into your wellbeing.

[00:15:21] Luck Dookchitra: But I do agree that having that honest conversation to be like, maybe I'm not the right mentor at this stage is fine. Like there's no point everyone's time is really valuable. So I [00:15:30] think it's fine. And it helps you to figure out what would be like, maybe I thought this, but I really need something more like this.

[00:15:35] Luck Dookchitra: And I think it's fine for a mentor to actually say that to someone, like maybe where I can help ends here for right now. 

[00:15:44] Taylor Bradley: And an interesting point in my journey so far is. I had a minty at one point call me and essentially indicate, Hey, I really appreciate everything that you've done for me so far, [00:16:00] but I feel like it's like, I'm ready to fly.

[00:16:02] Taylor Bradley: Right. And I struggled with that for a moment because there was that first. Naturally, maybe that ego or something that tries to kick in of, Oh my gosh, what did I do? Uh, but instead it was just a moment of we all hit different horizons in our learning journeys, right? Like we graduate from university or something like that and move on.

[00:16:22] Taylor Bradley: And so that was an interesting part of my mentor journey. So far [00:16:30] the other aspect, and then I want to pivot a little bit to talk about how we mentor leaders in our own organizations. But before we leave that, it sounds like you've been through multiple of these types of mentor mentee relationships. What are some of the frequent topics that come up that you would just like to share advice with all of listeners?

[00:16:53] Luck Dookchitra: Really great question. I would say a lot of my relationships came naturally through just my role and my team and [00:17:00] folks. Either they directly report it to me or folks that were, uh, skip levels or people they sent to where I was working and new managers. I think a theme that comes up is often around, am I good enough?

[00:17:14] Luck Dookchitra: And am I doing the right thing? So like people feeling, cause again, they're often quite ambitious, quite thoughtful, but not feeling like they're making the right moves or communicating in the right way. And so. I think for most people, it's like, if you're having that question with yourself, you're probably doing something right.

[00:17:29] Luck Dookchitra: Maybe the [00:17:30] situation isn't working out the way it needs to. But I think you, if you really think about what you want to do, how you want to do it and trust yourself more, you can probably get a little bit further and stop, don't waste as much time on worrying as you can with just getting the thing done. I think that's been a theme.

[00:17:48] Luck Dookchitra: And then a lot of times it's just someone wanting to have a thought partner to like question things and through something. So it's not even about the advice. It's just [00:18:00] about, I just need someone to like be my paper and reflect back to me and be the mirror on what's going on and how I can do things. I feel like it's more that for me in my experience than it's been like, I need the advice and I need you to tell me exactly what to do.

[00:18:14] Luck Dookchitra: It's more about, am I thinking about this the right way? What would you have done? Should I try this road or that road? And. It's just, I'm not even saying anything. It's more just like being there to help them reflect on it. 

[00:18:26] Taylor Bradley: I love that. And I believe I'm going all the way back to our [00:18:30] first episode with Angela Chang.

[00:18:31] Taylor Bradley: Simony is if you feel that you're ready for whatever that role is out there, that job posting, just go for it. Ignore the complications, just go for it. The worst is they say, no, move on, but don't hold yourself back because you may not tick every single box in a job posting. And on that topic of career growth, one thing that was beneficial [00:19:00] to me was yes, having mentors, that personal board of directors, but also having that colleague or that friend in particular that you can go to, that's roughly the same equivalent as you and your career that you can vent to, I think it's just really important to have someone that understands contextually what you're venting about.

[00:19:22] Taylor Bradley: But has the ability to just listen. So that's something that you've called out that I really enjoyed. Any other [00:19:30] recommendations that you would give for folks before we pivot to internal leadership? 

[00:19:35] Luck Dookchitra: As relates to mentorship, like not really, but I feel like any moment, the mentorship. Relationship can be anybody.

[00:19:45] Luck Dookchitra: It doesn't have to be in your field. It could be whoever you're in a cool career or something. So I think it's being curious about who's out there, what they've done and their stories can help guide you as well as a real [00:20:00] like mentor mentee relationship. So I think it's like wisdom is everywhere. Just be curious about it from various people.

[00:20:06] Luck Dookchitra: And I think those nuggets of knowledge will hit you at some point. And so just be curious. 

[00:20:11] Taylor Bradley: Yes, there's really no replacement for life experiences, so definitely have diversity when it comes to the type of advice and mentorship that you're getting. 

[00:20:24] Mentoring Leaders and Executives

[00:20:24] Taylor Bradley: Hinting a little bit, it's hard to say because this probably wouldn't feel right to the executives that we all [00:20:30] support that we're necessarily mentors to them, but we are a trusted source of candid and clear advice.

[00:20:39] Taylor Bradley: Through your experience in working with executives. How do you build that relationship of trust where you can get to a point to give candid advice? 

[00:20:50] Luck Dookchitra: I think that it does take some time. So having joined new organizations with different founders and different leaders, of course they've hired you, so there's a good relationship there, but [00:21:00] then as we know, when we're in the trenches, and maybe you have differing opinions, It might not be as smooth.

[00:21:05] Luck Dookchitra: And I think the main thing is that you're going to be on a bumpy ride together, at least probably at first, potentially, and you have to hold hand during those bumpy rides and really talk through the tough issues. Be open to feedback with one another and be curious about the feedback that you're getting, even if you disagree and it's a different change in style at this level, at the, at that high executive level.

[00:21:28] Luck Dookchitra: You need to care about the [00:21:30] organization and the people within that organization. And what you, how you act at the top reflects down below. And so we need to show our teams, like you can have disagreements as a leadership team. We're going to come out together and say, this is what we want to do, but we're going to challenge each other.

[00:21:44] Luck Dookchitra: The analogy I've been using a lot lately is are we sharpening each other's knives in a way where we're getting better? We're doing better. Maybe it's a little bit sticky. On that journey, but I would say be okay with some of that turmoil early on, like earlier in my career, I'd be like, Oh [00:22:00] my gosh, I felt like I needed to serve and support.

[00:22:03] Luck Dookchitra: And as I've grown in my career, that's no longer my role. My role is actually to spar, be a thought partner, challenge, um, rethink and co design things together with leadership. And it is definitely a shift that has to happen. And just know that it doesn't happen on like it's all sunshine and roses and the interview pieces.

[00:22:23] Luck Dookchitra: But when you actually come down to really tough issues, it gets a little bit harder and know that's okay. That's part of it. That's [00:22:30] part of building trust with the leadership team. 

[00:22:32] Taylor Bradley: And that's a really eloquent distinction that you highlighted. When giving advice to leadership. If it's all fluff and butterflies, it's not likely that you're going to be taken seriously.

[00:22:46] Taylor Bradley: I like the term that you use. Sometimes you need to spar a little bit to come to a good conclusion. Now I may be dating myself a little bit. Most of our boosters may not recall this TV show called the West Wing, [00:23:00] but in it, there was a particular episode where. The spirit of it was when giving advice to the fictitious president and the series, you need to be a sparring partner, but respect the dignity and the lines that come with whatever position that you're speaking to, but also ensure that you're getting the advice that position deserves.

[00:23:25] Taylor Bradley: And that can be quite the dance to go through. 

[00:23:29] Building Trust with Executives

[00:23:29] Taylor Bradley: [00:23:30] Is there any coaching that you would give to listeners that right now they just know that they need to go to their CEO and deliver a tough message or deliver some tough feedback? 

[00:23:42] Luck Dookchitra: I've been meaning to watch The West Wing. I didn't watch it that first time, but I'm excited to binge it.

[00:23:46] Luck Dookchitra: So, I think there's a lot of things as HR leaders that we see, know, intuit. Have data for, and then it might not be what our leaders, CEOs want to hear. I would [00:24:00] say there are, when it comes to communication like this, you have to share things in multiple ways. And same thing that we talked about before, you have to know your audience.

[00:24:09] Luck Dookchitra: So I would say this is a great exercise in managing up and understanding how they need to take the information in and that lessons in communication, where you have to repeat things in different ways in multiple times. And you have to understand who other influencers might be to make this decision. So depending on how important this is [00:24:30] and how long you've been battling this, it's getting some additional reinforcements potentially, or people who can share the topic from a different lens.

[00:24:38] Luck Dookchitra: Sharing it in different lens yourself, whether it's in a written format, whether it's from data, from surveys, whether it's from just conversation, having a dinner, I think it has to be shared. I do think that equally, the leader should respect your office and your role and should take seriously these things, especially if you express how serious it is, because ultimately [00:25:00] heads of HR, we're responsible for the whole, all the people, which are the most important parts of the organization.

[00:25:06] Luck Dookchitra: So I would say like use multiple approaches. But understand your audience, understand when to do it. So all the key things on how to influence and how to manage up all apply. So the same things we teach our first time managers are the same things we need to remember when we're talking to our executive leadership teams as well.

[00:25:24] Taylor Bradley: And one bit of advice going back to my poll now, my mentor gave [00:25:30] me is when you're giving advice to leaders and they may not take it immediately. But they come back to you three months later and say, I have this brilliant idea and they pitch to you exactly what you pitched to them three months ago. Just take the win.

[00:25:46] Taylor Bradley: Yep. Like you, your work paid off. Don't get into, I told you this three months ago. Just take the win. 

[00:25:55] Luck Dookchitra: Yep. 

[00:25:55] Taylor Bradley: Because I think deep down, most of the time they recognize, Oh, actually this [00:26:00] probably did come from you and we're going to work together to get this done. Right. Now, as we are coming in for a landing here, when it comes to continuing to build out those relationships with key stakeholders in the business.

[00:26:17] Taylor Bradley: What are some things or questions that you would recommend folks ask within, let's say their first 90 days when meeting these new leaders? 

[00:26:29] Luck Dookchitra: I would [00:26:30] say to me, it's really understanding what their challenges are and what they need. So being curious about what's going on. So the first 90 days you're still learning.

[00:26:40] Luck Dookchitra: So just knowing what their day to day is, but at least the key topics that keep them up at night. And then really asking, what can I do to help? What would be helpful? Because I think having some of those small wins is helpful in building that relationship. But then the more curious you get about what's going on with them, the more we can be strategic partners, HR business partners and all of [00:27:00] that to them.

[00:27:01] Luck Dookchitra: Because ultimately we all have to hold hands and, and make a successful business. And so the closer we can get there, the better. And I think people are often enjoy talking about what they need and partnering with so that they know that they're not alone. So. That's what I would say, uh, as simple as it is, 

[00:27:18] Taylor Bradley: it's simple, but effective.

[00:27:20] Taylor Bradley: The nothing wrong with simple. The other thing that you had unique experience with is working with founder [00:27:30] CEOs, And then just career CEOs or non founder CEOs in the experience that you've had, what do you feel are some of the differences or nuances in working between that, those two types of categories?

[00:27:43] Luck Dookchitra: Great question. So I think every founder is unique, passionate, aspirational, like all of these things, right? But they might show up in different ways. And for a founder, you have to remember that the business is sort of their baby. It's something that they care so much about more than [00:28:00] anybody who can, you Work for it can really understand.

[00:28:03] Luck Dookchitra: And so they're going to feel. Every hiring decision, they're going to feel every firing decision and they're, and it's going to be painful for some, and they're going to want to control a lot of things in early days, I would say. And so that's a unique person to work for with unique lens. And so I think you have to understand that, understand what really matters to the founder, what they want you to do, how they see your role, because sometimes they might not know what [00:28:30] the typical functions do.

[00:28:31] Luck Dookchitra: And so some cheap job is to teach some of that. Yeah. But yeah, there's a healthy relationship building in terms of just having honest dialogue, but understanding that they have a very unique perspective on the company and the people and the resources. Right. And then for kind of career CEOs, I would say they often are very business savvy.

[00:28:49] Luck Dookchitra: If they're coming in, depending on the stage of the company, they might be, I've noticed anyway, they're either kind of at this like next stage type of thing. And so in those next [00:29:00] stages often comes a lot of change. I've seen them to be more willing to partner or understand, or they might come in with a perspective that they already know how this works.

[00:29:08] Luck Dookchitra: And so this is what they want to do. And maybe the company doesn't feel that way. And so you've got to kind of, um, be able to sort of see what their agenda is and then still understand what your role as an HR leader is to, okay, I'm going to help you navigate here. What's happening. Um, I'm going to reflect back to you what's happening within the org.

[00:29:29] Luck Dookchitra: And maybe this isn't [00:29:30] the same thing that happened at your last company. This is something that's happening here. Here are things that you're being really successful at. Here are things that you're not. Whereas with the founder, I've noticed it can be like just different habits that they have. Hey, your company's changing.

[00:29:41] Luck Dookchitra: It's a different stage of growth. You used to do this. Now you can let this person do this. Things like that. So I think it's really at the end of the day, it's really knowing the person and building that relationship as a partner, but they come from a different lens. 

[00:29:53] Taylor Bradley: I recognize our listeners can't see, but every time I'm laughing or smiling, it's because I'm just [00:30:00] thinking, yep, I ended that conversation explaining what a formal HR function is supposed to do.

[00:30:07] Taylor Bradley: That's been a fun part of the journey. Now, two last questions here for you. 

[00:30:14] Career Advice for HR Professionals

[00:30:14] Taylor Bradley: Warren, for someone that's just starting their career in HR, what bit of career advice would you give them? 

[00:30:24] Luck Dookchitra: Gosh, it's so exciting. I would say, cause when I joined it, it was a different time, but I would say right now, [00:30:30] especially because of how our workforce has changed and continue to change.

[00:30:33] Luck Dookchitra: There's just so much opportunity and the way that the new generations have come into the workforce and changed how businesses work is really exciting. I would say for someone who's new, stay curious. Know that HR has so many dimensions to it and know that you might be called upon to do a lot that you didn't expect to do, and you'll have to want to be in this field because you truly do care about the [00:31:00] topic, the business, the people.

[00:31:01] Luck Dookchitra: And it's okay to not want to do some of the things that you might be called upon to do. And you can find jobs still that, that are more specific, but it is a very exciting time, I think, to join this field across any industry, just because of all the really fun things that are happening in the workforce.

[00:31:18] Taylor Bradley: And to mirror back that answer to you, be prepared to wear many hats while riding a unicycle and juggling plates, right? 

[00:31:27] Luck Dookchitra: Absolutely. And you're putting them back [00:31:30] together when they fall. 

[00:31:32] Taylor Bradley: Exactly. Exactly. So final question for you, how can our listeners connect with you? 

[00:31:39] Conclusion and Farewell

[00:31:39] Luck Dookchitra: I'm on LinkedIn, so feel free to find me there.

[00:31:41] Luck Dookchitra: My name is pretty unique, so easy to find. 

[00:31:46] Taylor Bradley: Fantastic. Well, Luc, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. 

[00:31:51] Luck Dookchitra: Taylor, so great spending this time with you, and thanks for taking a minute with me. 

[00:31:56] Taylor Bradley: Thank you for listening to this episode of the Troop [00:32:00] HR podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, we encourage you to subscribe and leave a five star rating.

[00:32:05] Taylor Bradley: If you would like to learn more about our community, please visit troophr. com. In the meantime Keep living the dream.