Fail Fast, Learn Fast, Succeed Faster | Ft. Andy Ponneri

The term “failure” is considered taboo in the business world – however, Andy Ponneri, Senior Vice President - India at Synchrony, believes otherwise.

“Our mantra is to fail fast and succeed faster.”

Andy believes speed and execution are critical to the entire team's success. He clearly defines expectations with the team, allowing room for failures and moving on to the next course of action while learning from them. His exceptional team management practices got noticed and got him a place in the prestigious Top 100 Great People Managers of 2021 list by Great Manager Institute ?, published in Forbes India.

“Open and honest conversations result in business growth.”

According to Andy, his teammates know he is approachable to discuss any challenges they face, resulting in open conversations with constructive feedback. Each member is free to express opinions, and there is room for debate and discussion. This allows each team member to focus on results rather than the roadblocks on the way.

“We solve worries and celebrate the wins.”

Andy follows the agile framework for conducting stand-up meetings and listening to team members' wins and worries. The entire team comes together and uses a collaborative approach to resolve issues and celebrate wins.

Great Managers Institute? aims to bring out the best in industry leaders. Our series "Your Business is Built by People You Nurture" shares the best employee engagement practices that India's Top 100 Great People Managers of 2021 follow to achieve business growth.

According to GMI, this is what we can learn from Andy Ponneri’s story:

1. A positive attitude towards failure goes a long way in keeping employees motivated
2. Approachability will create a result-oriented mindset
3. It is necessary to resolve worries while celebrating the wins

If you believe your leadership skills are at par with the best practices shared in this story, participate in Great People Manager Study 2022 and get a chance to feature in India’s Top 100 Great People Managers list. We are eager to hear your story. Register here!

Cheers to great leaders!