15. On Choosing the Career & Life that is Right for Us with Mala Singh
Overview
Mala Singh is the Chief People Officer (CPO) of Electronic Arts. I had the pleasure of working with Mala when she was Chief People Officer at Minted, and I couldn't wait to speak with her in this episode, because she's is one of the wisest people I know. Not only did I want to learn more about Mala's own career journey from British Guyana to the U.S. to a global career in HR, I also knew Mala would have great insight to share from her own experiences and from her role as a CPO on the executive team of a world class, creative organization that has had to manage through this pandemic with 25 offices around the world.
We cover a lot of ground in this conversation starting with Mala's own career, which I would say she guided by defining success for herself and making decisions that didn't necessarily always propel her upward but resonated with her desire to have certain experiences, like a global career, and to grow. Such decisions took her to places like Paris, so I myself don't think that was a bad trade-off! She offers tips on what to think about managing your career at each decade, shares how EA has cared for its employees during the pandemic, offers her forecast on whether or not we'll be going back to offices, encourages us all to be allies, and gives us tips on how to manage a full, ambitious personal and professional life.
I love what Mala had to say on all these topics. Listen in to hear her wisdom!
More about Our Guest
Mala Singh is Chief People Officer of Electronic Arts where she focuses on developing talent and cultivating the company culture. In this position, she oversees everything in human resources, from talent acquisition to employee engagement.
Prior to this position, Mala spent three years as Chief People Officer at Minted where she helped to define the culture and grow the creative and technical teams during a high-growth period for the startup. Mala began her career in the pharmaceutical industry, serving in Human Resources roles in Asia, Europe and North America.
Topics Covered
Mala shares her own career journey that took her from a young girl in British Guyana to New Jersey to an HR leadership program at Cigna to global roles in Singapore and Paris and now landing at Electronic Arts as Chief People Officer.
I would say she was guided by defining success for herself and making decisions that didn’t necessarily always propel her upward but resonated with her desire for certain experiences that would bring her job and her desire to grow and achieve. It was never about the destination, but being proud in what she would build for herself and follow a mantra of “never stand still.”
Mala also held broad visions for her life and career, not necessarily specifics.
Two really important guiding principles Mala shares from managing her own career over time: 1) Choose the different, take the divergent path; and 2) Just make one good decision at a time.
Mala’s advice for managing one’s career in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s? 20’s: Build your confidence and say yes to different experiences. For herself, she looked to derive as much joy and learning from her experiences at this stage in her career. 30’s: Choose wisely in your partner! And for women when this is a time you are usually starting a family, it’s okay to say no to the bigger job during that time and recognize that you can’t do it all. 40’s: We start to think about our role as leaders and think about our contribution to - our people, organizations, and society. We start to look at giving back at this stage and what we want our contribution to be.
Mala shares how she never felt qualified for roles she’s been given. But, if you aren’t uncomfortable, you aren’t learning. You have to lean into the discomfort. And, it’s okay as a leader to say, “I don't know. I don't have the answer.” It’s important to lean into humility and vulnerability.
We also touch on work-life balance, and Mala and I both believe it’s not the right way to think about it as being a 50/50 work-life split. Mala advises to consider what balance needs to look like for you, not this equal split. It needs to be structured to be unique to you. This is related to how I speak about ”right” as it relates to Sustainable Ambition. Right = a self-defined, appropriate level that is right for you. Get clear on what balance means for you.
I ask Mala to share how EA has managed through the pandemic, caring for the organization’s people. I think we'd all be lucky to have had an organization doing what EA has done! Mala shares that EA achieved record high employee engagement and satisfaction during this period, which says just how good a job the company did in caring for its people and following the principle she shares to “do right by our people.” She notes how it’s taken a village, a fantastic team, to achieve this for the organization and its people.
She also notes that we are not likely to all be distributed workers in the future. I appreciate and agree with her bucking this forecast! While EA's employees will appreciate more flexibility, less than 10% of EA’s workforce said they would want to work from home all the time.
A key piece of advice for business leaders is to listen to your people and ask them what they want vs. making assumptions.
We also touch on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the importance of being an ally, getting educated, and wanting everyone to reach their potential. Mala asks, “Why wouldn’t we want everybody to achieve their potential? Why wouldn’t we want everyone to bring their capabilities?” This is critical for people to engage in and understand if you want to have a sustainable career today.
Finally, Mala’s tips for managing a full, ambitious personal and professional life: 1) again, choose your partner wisely, 2) learn to set boundaries with employers, and if you aren't able to do this, you likely aren't in the right place, and 3) learn what helps you recharge!
A final piece of advice - take the time to craft a vision for your career and life so you have a north star to screen decisions over time and help you guide your way.
Resources Mentioned
Mala Singh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malasingh-ea/
Electronic Arts: https://www.ea.com/
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15. On Choosing the Career & Life that is Right for Us with Mala Singh
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