In an in-depth conversation with The HR Digest, Lisa Chang, the Global Chief People Officer at The Coca-Cola Company, reflects on pivotal moments that shaped her career trajectory. Chang discusses her journey from HR to a product lead role, the identity crisis she faced, and the profound realization that led her back to HR, where her passion for making a positive business impact through people could thrive. The conversation delves into HR innovations, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence. Chang provides a glimpse into Coca-Cola’s use of AI to streamline HR processes and enhance employee experience. She emphasizes the role of AI as an enhancer of human capability, dispelling the notion of technology replacing human skills.
The HR Digest: Looking back at your journey, could you highlight a pivotal moment or decision that significantly influenced your path to becoming the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at The Coca-Cola Company?
About 20 years ago, I transitioned from HR to a product lead role at The Weather Channel and considered leaving HR entirely. I saw it as an opportunity to contribute significantly to business performance, as HR at that time was traditionally viewed as administrative.
However, within a year, the CEO offered me the position of head of HR. This created an identity crisis. I was finally offered the opportunity I’d always aspired to, but I had just started to be recognized as a critical business contributor.
This dilemma forced me to evaluate my career path and what mattered most. For me it is impact. I wondered whether my impact would be greater by stepping out of HR and focusing on the business, or by returning to HR and really influencing how the function should work.
The turning point was realizing I didn’t have to choose. I could make a significant business impact by returning to HR and focusing on its people, a belief that continues to define my view of what HR can and should be. My ultimate passion lies in making a positive business impact, and what better way to do that than through people.
The HR Digest: In a 2021 interview, you mentioned evolving leadership approaches. How has your leadership style adapted over the years, and what lessons have you learned in shaping a successful leadership philosophy?
Every leadership journey progresses from individual contributor, to manager, and then leader. For me, the journey of leadership has gone from managing people to guiding them and helping them reach their full potential. Unlike management, which involves tactical decisions, leadership is about enabling and facilitating growth.
In my role, I’m focused on fostering an environment where future leaders can thrive. I want to pay forward the investment made in me by empowering the next generation of talent and building sustainable leadership pipelines for our company and the future.
An important lesson I’ve learned along the way is that shaping a successful leadership pipeline requires organizations to be deliberate in their leader selections. At The Coca-Cola Company, we expect leaders to embody a culture that’s inclusive, empowered, curious, agile, and rooted in a growth mindset. This is critical as employees tend to mirror rewarded behaviors. Misalignment between a leader’s actions and words, or rewarding behaviors contradicting company values, can negatively impact your culture. For instance, promoting risk-averse employees could undermine efforts to nurture a growth mindset. Ultimately, visible rewards shape team behaviors.
“The rapidly changing nature of work necessitates constant learning and adaptation. We will continue investing in upskilling and reskilling initiatives to ensure our employees have the skills needed for the future.”
The HR Digest: Given the dynamic nature of HR, what innovative practices or technologies do you believe are crucial for staying ahead in fostering a thriving workplace, especially in the context of your role at Coca-Cola?
One area we’re focused on is the use of Artificial Intelligence. This year we leveraged AI to create an HR Knowledge Hub, making it easier for employees to access information on our company’s people programs, policies, and processes.
AI can streamline administrative tasks, but it won’t replace what humans do best. Work can be categorized into ‘head’ (cognitive skills), ‘hand’ (manual tasks), and ‘heart’ (emotional intelligence) work. Our goal is to automate ‘hand’ work with technology so that we have more time to focus on ‘head’ and ‘heart’ work, where humans excel. We view AI as an enhancer of human capability, and it does not replace our need for people and their knowledge and talents.
As a result, we know the skills needed for the future will be different from those of today. Capabilities like digital literacy, creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, leadership, and complex problem-solving will become more valuable.
Prioritizing skills and capabilities building is one of the reasons we launched our Thrive career strategy, to shift our mindset from “growth comes from a new role” to “growth comes from building skills and experiences.” Thrive is all about adopting a growth mindset and prioritizing our own development, so we can become more agile and develop new capabilities that prepare us for what lies ahead. Our goal is to not only enable the growth of our company and people but also boost job satisfaction and help retain top talent.
The HR Digest: Diversity and inclusion are critical in today’s workplace. How have you championed diversity initiatives, and what impact have you observed on organizational culture and performance?
We believe that The Coca-Cola Company is for everyone, and our purpose to refresh the world and make a difference drives our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). To guide our efforts, we’ve set three ambitions to mirror the markets we serve through our diverse workforce, advance equity within our business and communities, and cultivate an inclusive culture where our employees can thrive.
By 2030, we aspire to be 50% led by women. In the U.S., we aspire to ensure that at each level of our company, we reflect current race and ethnicity census data. To support this, we invest in programs and partnerships to recruit, develop, and mentor diverse talent, promote inclusivity, and enhance DEI in the communities we serve.
We firmly believe that nurturing a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive workplace isn’t just the right thing to do, but a strategic business priority that fuels creativity, innovation, and strengthens our ties to our communities. This commitment to DEI is integral to our purpose, and we’ve seen its positive impact on our culture and performance. In our most recent Culture and Engagement Survey, 92% of our employees said they feel like they belong at The Coca-Cola Company, and 82% feel comfortable voicing ideas and opinions even if they are different from others.
“We should reflect on our values and do what’s right for our organization and people. Today’s challenges require resilience, adaptability, and decisions made based on your core principles. Always understanding that adjustments may be needed as new information and context emerges.”
The HR Digest: With the increasing focus on employee well-being, what strategies do you employ to promote a culture of well-being within your team, and how do you balance this with organizational goals?
I’m a big proponent of a flexible work environment, which allows team members to balance their professional and personal commitments. We have programs in place that foster a culture of wellbeing, encompassing physical, emotional, social, and financial aspects.
I encourage my team to fully utilize their vacation to stay refreshed. Open communication is also vital. Regular check-ins about work and overall well-being help me understand their challenges and provide necessary support.
Well-being and organizational goals go hand in hand. A supported employee is more likely to be productive, engaged, and loyal. It’s a win-win.
The HR Digest: The pandemic accelerated remote work. How has Coca-Cola’s HR strategy evolved to support a remote workforce, and what practices do you consider crucial for maintaining team cohesion and productivity in a virtual environment?
We believe in embracing a balanced approach to in-person and remote work that fosters connection, collaboration, and cultivates a culture of transparency, trust, and respect.
Due to the nature of working globally across more than 200 countries and multiple time zones, our operations have always incorporated a blend of flexible working styles. A networked system like ours requires frequent interactions with colleagues and partners from around the world and our balanced approach is intended to recognize and support this.
And as an HR function, we continue to focus on cultivating a strong culture, supporting employee well-being, and encouraging continuous learning and growth – all of which are vital to an organization that supports different ways of working.
Our desire is for all employees to have a positive work experience at The Coca-Cola Company, where they feel engaged, refreshed, and find value in the unique experiences that make our company a great place to work.
The HR Digest: Can you share a specific HR challenge you’ve faced, how you tackled it, and the valuable lessons it taught you in fostering a resilient and adaptive HR strategy?
In our rapidly evolving world, while challenges may differ, the core focus of HR remains the same: it’s about people, talent, and enhancing organizational capabilities. Traditionally, HR has relied on policies, playbooks, and processes for repeatable, scalable solutions. However, we’ve learned that in today’s dynamic environment, these tools alone won’t ensure success.
Instead, we should reflect on our values and do what’s right for our organization and people. Today’s challenges require resilience, adaptability, and decisions made based on your core principles. Always understanding that adjustments may be needed as new information and context emerges.
The HR Digest: Looking ahead, what trends and developments do you foresee shaping the future of HR, and how do you plan to adapt your strategies to embrace these changes for continued success?
There are several key trends shaping the future of our field. The first is the continued evolution of remote and hybrid work models. These models will endure, and we are embracing a balanced approach that promotes flexibility and collaboration.
The increasing role of technology, particularly AI, continues to evolve at an astonishing pace. We are evaluating and embracing the use of this technology with the goal of automating ‘hand’ work, so that our people can focus their energy on more valuable ‘head’ and ‘heart’ work.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion will remain an essential differentiator for future success. We will continue our efforts to reflect the diverse communities we serve and ensure inclusive work environments.
The importance of employee well-being, particularly mental health, continues to grow in importance. Our focus is on equipping our employees with the necessary resources, implementing supportive programs, and promoting a balanced work-life approach that enhances their overall well-being.
The rapidly changing nature of work necessitates constant learning and adaptation. We will continue investing in upskilling and reskilling initiatives to ensure our employees have the skills needed for the future.
Finally, the evolution of HR should prioritize human experience, with the goal of maximizing our people’s potential through their work experiences. We’re shifting from reactively measuring engagement to proactively assessing human experience, with the goal of designing and creating inspiring work experiences and environments. It’s part of our Coca-Cola Magic. It’s not just about having fun, but ensuring employees are getting what they need to stay motivated and energized by their work. Do they wake up excited about the day’s challenges? Our goal is to create meaningful experiences that inspire employees to contribute to our company’s success.
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Lisa Chang is the global chief people officer for The Coca-Cola Company, overseeing the company’s talent and people strategies, culture, and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. In her role, which she has held since 2019, she is responsible for leading the company’s global people strategy, aligned to the company’s purpose of refreshing the world and making a difference. Chang and her team are focused on creating an environment where employees can thrive and equips the organization to win. Chang serves on the Board of Advisors for Catalyst, a non-profit organization with a mission to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion. She also serves as a Board member for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and on the Board of Directors for Frontier Communications. |