Sustained High Performance an Interview w/Rahul Varma
In a recent interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rahul Varma, the former Chief Human Resources Officer of Accenture Technology, now the co-founder and CEO of Samuh. He also serves on the board of Sapien Labs, a neuroscience based organization researching the human brain and mind. Samuh blends the science of human performance with the craft of talent management and the timeless wisdom of rituals to elevate wellbeing and performance. Samuh, a Sanskrit word, implies a group of people that come together for a purpose larger than themselves.
Rahul shared three perspectives, gleaned from his decades of work leading complex, global workforces and insights gleaned from the latest developments in science.
The first is that mind health is the underpinning of human performance.
Most people conflate mind health with mood and happiness. But our mood is just one facet of our mental wellbeing. What’s more, when it comes to how well our mind is doing, it’s not just about how we are feeling, it also about how well we are functioning. It includes the full range of our mental feeling and functioning that allow us to navigate life’s challenges and function productively – our full capability of mind.
Organizations that seek to achieve and sustain high levels of performance from their workforce would be well served to understand the mind health and wellbeing of their employees and what they can do to enhance it. Research from Sapien Labs has demonstrated a linear correlation between mind health and productivity, with those that are distressed or struggling being 3-4 times less productive than people who are thriving in mind health.
Second, we need to measure what truly matters.
Most companies employ satisfaction or engagement surveys to assess their employee sentiment. While these surveys provide a view into how people are feeling about their work and their likelihood to stay or leave, they do not provide any insights on the capacity of people to function and its impact on organizational performance.
A recent study by Sapien Labs covering approximately 55,000 people across 64 countries, showed that relationships with co-workers and pride and purpose in work had the highest impact on our mind health, thus being a significant driver of performance.
What if we could know exactly how well our people are functioning and specific actions we could take to enhance it? What if we could give people personalized insights to gain agency over their wellbeing? Imagine how powerful it would be to help people perform to their fullest capacities!
Finally, ritualizing specific practices in the flow of daily work is a powerful path to sustained high performance.
Throughout the course of evolution, wisdom has been passed down the generations through the power of rituals. More recently, research has shown that when rituals are physical, i.e. have an action or word, psychological (have meaning for people), and communal (done collectively), they have a positive impact on group performance. This is also a lesson we can learn from the world of sports. Some of the most iconic sports teams in the world have developed rituals to deepen a sense of belonging, establish role clarity, and accelerate connections among team members. The most famous team to do so is the New Zealand All Black rugby team, the highest performing sports team in history with a formidable track record over the course of 120 years!
In conclusion, Rahul Varma's insights underline the critical importance of mind health in achieving and sustaining high performance. By cultivating a culture of mind health, being strategic about interventions to enhance it, and educating teams to adopt high performance rituals, organizations can achieve and sustain high levels of performance.
To dig into these perspectives further, we're hosting a live 5in30 session with Rahul Varma, 5 Questions in 30 Minutes, on February 5, 2025. Click here to register!
Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more insights on fostering a thriving work environment.
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