Who really decides how we work? The employees, the leaders, or just the loudest voice in the room?
Post-pandemic, companies are still trying to figure out where and how work should happen. Should employees return to office full-time? Is hybrid the perfect middle ground, or just a logistical nightmare? And what about the generational shift—why does it feel like Gen Z and millennial managers are working in entirely different realities?
In this episode, Subha and Hasita chat with Maya John, Chief People Officer at Verse Innovation, who brings over two decades of experience shaping workplace culture. Having navigated everything from large-scale corporate structures to fast-moving startups, Maya shares how her company is tackling these challenges head-on. With radical trust, open conversations, and a willingness to adapt, can we finally create workplaces that work for everyone?
And what makes Maya - real insights from the people and ideas that have shaped her life, the causes she gives her time and energy to and the kind of world she creates for herself and those she cares about.
Tune in for a deep dive into the real, messy, and ever-changing world of modern work and how it makes a difference when the people driving these changes really care about the outcomes.
07:00 The Big Debate: Hybrid vs. Remote vs. Office
08:10 Setting Work Policies That Actually Make Sense
17:05 Leading with Trust across Gen Z, Millennials, and Leadership
18:30 Companies also have FOMO?!
21:25 Working with Generational Biases
23:50 Why Unlearning is the Hardest Part of Leadership
34:40 A Fascinating Sneak Peek Into the Future of Work
49:50 Bringing Women to the Workforce - XL4W
1:03:00 The Play side of Maya!
1:15:50 Maya's Read | Watch | Listen
1:19:00 Our Read | Watch | Listen
#careerchange #lifebeyondwork #worklifebalance #scubadiving #smalltalkwpb #careerpodcast
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Small Talk: Work, Play, Build is the latest season of Small Talk. As a business podcast in its fifth year of production now, we look forward to having many conversations with you on what it means to live a life that feels true to each of us, both at work and outside of it.
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Copyright © Rainkraft Creative Solutions (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. No segment of this episode or its accessories may be reproduced for commercial use without explicit written permission from the creators.
Small Talk: Work, Play, Build
Subha Chandrasekaran
Hasita Krishna
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