Shanti Sharma
An Interview with Venkataraman L.N.
Adaptive Instruction
Developing and Growing people is my passion. I am Learning and Organizational Development professional with 26+ years of work experience out of which 23+ years have been dedicated to Learning and Development (L&D). Experience ranges from end to end management of the L&D function to supporting organizational development initiatives. Have a breadth of experiences across various industries such as IT, BPO, and Banking. Managed small, medium sized to very large multi-location, cross-disciplinary complex projects.
Research has shown that getting the most from team members comes down to two things: the effectiveness of the team and trust in leaders.
Shanti Sharma
Shanti Sharma’s Life Story
“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.“
The above is a well known proverb. There is no doubt in the wisdom of the proverb, and the obvious durability of learning a new skill. The dynamics of our present times however, have added new dimensions – both to the art of teaching and the art of learning. It is no longer about teaching to fish. One has to “teach to fish when your boss hates it”, “teach to digitally fish during lockdown”, “teach to fish mindfully” and so on with the multitude of things to desire, opportunities to use, uncertain events and demands on our time. There is a clear need to find new frameworks, models and paradigms to make teaching as well as learning effective in its outcomes. The chasm between the self and personal growth is self-awareness, and between the self and relationship growth is social awareness as taught in the lessons on emotional intelligence. There is another chasm between self and skill growth and that is in ‘practice awareness’. I guess the next best candidate after IQ, EQ, AQ, OQ, UQ and YQ is the PQ (Practice Quotient) – the ability to effectively and efficiently apply the practices needed for skill development (given the dynamics discussed).
Shanti Sharma is exactly the coach who bridges that chasm, armed with a bouquet of amazing ideas to increase anyone’s ‘PQ’ – ability to tune one’s practice towards effective skill growth. She comes with over 2 decades of rich experience in the domain of learning and development. Her analogies and meticulously detailed guidance makes the ‘how-to’ of any new practice easy to absorb. Apart from her professional achievements, she engages in various volunteering activities for the society. It is a great honor to have this opportunity to interview Shanti and learn from her wisdom presented below with a perspective from her personal life and experience.
Absorb the wonderful nuggets of wisdom and advice in the esteemed words of Shanti Sharma!
By Venkat
Adaptive Instruction
Shanti’s Profile Summary
| Founded | Grow with Satori in June 2022 |
| Offers | Leadership and professional skills courses across all levels in the organization. Specializes in creating Learning Journeys that are carefully and intentionally crafted to cater to a blend of modalities and learning preferences. Each offering weaves a blend of interventions into a well thought through journey and may include: Instructor led sessions (both virtual and in-person), coaching (one on one, group, and team coaching), self-study (articles or videos), project work (individual projects or action learning projects in teams), quizzes and games, research, journaling, activities (involving psychodrama and art), and community or social activities that lead to phenomenal learning. |
| Skills | Coaching · Facilitation · Team Leadership · Personal Development · Leadership |
| Qualification | ICF ACC Certified Coach Director, Learning portfolio in ICF Bengaluru Charter Chapter Certified Harrison Assessor, Belbin Assessor, and Interaction Styles Assessor |
| Last Role | Country Learning Lead, ANZ |
Shanti’s Wisdom in Threes
Describe yourself in three words
- Dependable
- Super resilient
- Creative
Define life in three words
- A gift, full of surprises, opportunities
Three things which have been your greatest source of inspiration
- People telling me that they’ve benefitted due to a conversation with me.
- My mum for her ability to give without any expectations.
- My loving and supporting family comprising of my partner and two beautiful kids.
Three tough challenges you faced in life
- Had to start earning to support the family even before I could complete my studies. That forced me to go through a very slow start in my career.
- Mine was a cross cultural marriage. An amalgamation of north and south India. Me and my partner resisted what we did not accept and lovingly acknowledging what we loved and enjoyed…creating a beautiful mix of cultures. This was not an easy journey given the resistance from both families.
- Knowing and catering to what is good for my children. Not giving into the temptations and expectations set by other parents…rather setting expectations with my kids on rationale behind small things like, why they couldn’t get a phone when they were 10, or why they had to earn things they want to buy.
Three ideas to build resilience to face challenges
- Believe in yourself. You can be better versions of yourself every single day.
- Ask for help, there is no shame in asking for help.
- You either succeed or you learn. Use every such opportunity to learn. The idea is not to repeat the same mistake twice.
Three essential things needed to achieve success
- Humility – it is lonely at the top, unless you are humble. If you get lonely, you cannot enjoy success…is it really success then?
- Integrity – Integrity always pays in the long run. You may stumble and face a few hurdles but will have peaceful night’s sleep that will give you the energy to keep going.
- Growth Mindset – Don’t limit yourself by comparing with others. Because once you’ve achieved that, there is no reason to learn and grow. Compete with yourself to be better than your previous version. That way growth is never-ending and limitless.
Top three practices and habits you would advise to young students
- Communicate – Share and receive ideas, opinions, and suggestions with an open mind. Everyone has a right of choice, so do you. You can choose to do what you want, but it is important to communicate with (share and receive) as many people including your parents, teachers, class-mates, friends, friend’s parents, relatives, and anyone who has even some bit of experience
- Listen to your inner voice – you are smart enough. You know what feels right and what does not. Listen to your inner voice when it tries to warn you.
- Remember there are no shortcuts in life – you may come across shortcuts that may ease your journey, but you have to go through the journey to reach the destination.
Coming Soon
WATCH SHANTI SHARMA LIVE
OVER A WARM VIDEO Conversation
FOR DEEPER INSIGHTS
Shanti’s Awards and Recognition
- Won Awards in Learning & Development
- Won Awards in Toastmasters
Contact Shanti
| YouTube Channel | Grow With Satori |
| peacesharma@gmail.com |
Answers to three sets of questions are exceedingly excellent and plus Positive…Congrats, Kudos & best wishes to Shantiji