Role-Modeling Workplace Well-being, with Amazon Web Services’ Prudence Pitter

Mo Fathelbab:

Welcome to today's episode of People and Strategy. I'm your host, Mo Fathelbab, President of International Facilitators Organization. People and Strategy is a podcast from the SHRM Executive Network, the premier network of executives in the field of human resources.

Each week, we bring you in depth conversations with the country's top HR executives and thought leaders. For today's conversation, I'm excited to be joined by Prudence Pitter, Global Head of HR for Amazon Web Services, Auto, Manufacturing, and Healthcare and Life Sciences Division. Welcome, Prudence.

Prudence Pitter: Thank you so much, Mo.

It's great to be here with you.

Mo Fathelbab: It is great to have you with us and always a pleasure to see you at the Executive Network events. So Prudence, uh, I want the audience to get to know you a little bit. Can you please tell us how you got into the field of HR?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. So I started actually in accounting, um, in high school.

I loved numbers. So, you know, it made sense that I would go into accounting and it was early in my college days where I recognized that I didn't have the same passion for accounting as did some of my, um, fellow classmates. I was actually working in finance while I was, uh, attending college and I ended up connecting with the HR department.

So my entry into HR. was through mentorship, um, connecting with HR and seeing that there's a little bit difference. There's a little bit of a mystique, if you will, as it relates to the HR department and out of curiosity and having the right mentor to guide me, I entered HR through temporary assignments many years ago.

Mo Fathelbab: Many years ago. Wonderful. Wonderful. And, um, you mentioned that a passion of yours is employee wellbeing. Was there a light bulb moment for you that, uh, that created that, that, that interest?

Prudence Pitter: For me, it was a moment where I was working through some difficulties with my son, and I was in a very high profile role, a very high profile role.

Very demanding role and trying to juggle both. Right. Take care of my son while really showing up for my team and for the organization that was going through transformation at the time. And I thought I was doing an excellent job of managing, um, both. And I remember sitting in an executive committee meeting one day and I thought I gave it my best.

And at the end, I got a text from one of my colleagues and it was a simple line. Hey buddy. Um, everything. Okay. You seemed a bit off today. And that was a turning point for me because one, I felt seen and two, I recognize that, oh, my mask is not so great, right? I am more transparent than I thought I was. But that started a real bond with my colleague who had a lot of knowledge and experience in what my son was going through.

And he became a confidant, but also a guide. And I recognize that. I'm not the only one, right? He had been through something similar in his career, though it wasn't with a child. Um, other individuals might be struggling with with similar things. And so that started for me the passion of well being and leaders as role models, right?

Asking employees how they're doing. pausing to get that response, not only asking the question, but pausing for the response and also encouraging others to look out for each other in the workplace. Cause I got a lot of help from that colleague. And while I had the employee assistance program, which I was taking full advantage of having someone who had been down this road in a different way and had a lot more to offer as far as advice made a huge difference.

Mo Fathelbab: So you were not taking care of yourself and then you started taking care of yourself because of your colleagues, uh, seeing you basically. So what did you start doing? What weren't you doing?

Prudence Pitter: Yeah, for me, I was holding too much in. I wasn't leaning on. I didn't really have a support system that I was leaning on.

Including family. So I recognize that one, I needed to open up more. I was caring too much. I could get more advice. I could get more support. I started to share more with my family. I got a lot more support, um, for my son and a lot more support for myself. And I'm a mother of four. So while I was going through a lot with one child, I have other children that I was taking care of as well.

So having my family members recognize what I was going through and being able to, to help made a huge difference, but also it helped me connect with our employee assistance program. For proactive support through the organization. So while every month in my newsletter, I would remind the employees about our employee assistance program.

I wanted to find a more proactive way for employees to take care of themselves and the employee assistance program. Only too happy to come into the organization and whole monthly sessions. Some were cooking classes, some were different workouts and not always focused on mental health and being reactive, but proactively, what are some of the ways that you can be more resilient and take care of your wellbeing?

Mo Fathelbab: Yeah, I think that's really critical these days. It seems the busier we get, the harder it is to take care of yourself because there's so much stuff tugging at us, right?

Prudence Pitter: Absolutely. I travel a lot for work, Mo. And recently I recognized that I needed a pause because when I travel, work doesn't stop, right?

So it's work in a different time zone. And normally when I take a pause, it's, you know, what beautiful island do I go to to relax? This time around I was deliberate about taking a pause while my children were in school and I had no plans and it was really amazing to wake up by the third day. I have to admit, I started to get a little bit bored, but it was really amazing to pause and just reset and I can't stress that enough.

The weekends aren't long enough and there's so much that we do. I can't stress enough the importance of taking PTO, taking time away and coming back refreshed.

Mo Fathelbab: So it's funny you say like, you know, three days and I'm already getting itchy and I'm excited to get back to work. How do you suggest people get past that and actually chill out for a bit beyond three days?

Read,

Prudence Pitter: that's what I did. So I have a colleague of mine years ago told me about this app that's connected to, to many, uh, libraries. It's called Libby. And I hadn't used my Libby app in, in quite a while. And I knew that if I logged into my lab. I knew that work was fine. I had a proxy. Everything was in place.

I chose a week that I know was a down week. So I knew that I didn't need to reconnect. But I knew that once I opened up my laptop, that would be it, right? I'd be back at work. And so I chose to open up the Libby app instead of my laptop and downloaded a few books. And I started with, um, Oprah's, uh, list.

Oprah's favorite books. And I'm proud to say that in only a few days, I was able to listen to two books. And it was really cool to step away. And I chose not to do a, uh, Adam Grant or Brene Brown book that would tie me back to work. I chose to, to, I chose to read books that I. Don't normally read and to truly feel like I was having downtime.

Mo Fathelbab: See, that was incredible for me to hear because I'm always reading things that are tied back to work. Uh, so thank you for that little tidbit. Um, so Prudence, you say that leaders, uh, really need to model wellbeing in the workplace. Do you have a personal story that you could share where. Perhaps you modeled that for others.

Prudence Pitter: Yes. So for me, I use, I used to love soul cycle and kickboxing. And those were my outlets. And I found myself, you know, with travel and other responsibilities, it was harder for me to get there. And I recognize that, Hmm, even though I'm not spending 45 minutes in a class with others, there are wellbeing practices that I have.

that are really good that I can share with others. So as I was talking to the leaders, I changed the way how I framed my well being up. This is the uphill battle, and this is what I'm not doing, to this is how I'm taking care of my well being. So regardless of the city that I am in, I get up every morning before I start to get ready for work, and I do a 20 minute walk.

One, it takes me into the neighborhoods. that I am in. And many times I travel and I don't really get to see the city. So I'm seeing the cities. I'm seeing people get up and get their children off to school, you know, work. I'm seeing, you know, how gyms are different. And I'm also getting some, some fresh air.

The other thing that I share with them too, is I've been writing in a gratitude journal for over a thousand days consistently. And I start each day with, you know, Three things that I'm grateful for. And I end the day with three things that I'm grateful for as well. You know, things that happen throughout the day.

And for me, it puts me in a better mind space because throughout the day, I'm looking for things to go into my gratitude journal, right? So I'm not honking the horn at the person at the light, because, you know, that's something that I would, would put in to say what I would want to change. So I want more things that I am proud of.

I'm also really serious about myself. sleep and getting eight hours of sleep for me is really important. And if there's a night that I fall below eight, I'm always working really hard to get back to that. So I share those with leaders of, yes, I'm the person who used to run a 5k every Sunday morning and, you know, getting to my soul cycle class is two days a week and do kickboxing.

But not being able to do that doesn't mean that I can't prioritize well being as well. And then I encourage them to share. Then they recognize, hmm, I guess my well being story or some of the things that I'm doing are not as small as I think. They are impactful, and it can make a difference for others.

Mo Fathelbab: I love all that stuff and I could say ditto, ditto, ditto, uh, except for the specifics of, of how you do it.

Uh, interestingly, one of the things I learned years ago was the importance of a gratitude practice. And, uh, I even learned that science has shown that, uh, That a gratitude practice changes, rewires your brain, and you see the world in a more different light. Uh, have you noticed that yourself?

Prudence Pitter: Absolutely.

And it goes back to my example of, you know, the horn at the light. I'm the person who sits behind the person when the light goes green and think, You know, I think they'll figure it out soon. Or the person behind me will be the person to, to honk the horn. I find myself to definitely be calmer. I'm not as much on edge and truth be told, some mornings it's, what are the three things I'm grateful for?

I'm grateful for my husband. I'm grateful for my children. You know, it's more of a check the box, but for the most part, I'm pretty. Deep about it. And what am I truly grateful for and not missing the opportunity of recognizing the small things. Face time with my grandmother yesterday, right? Um, it's funny how she can never hold the phone in the right spot, but to have my grandmother to face time with, right?

So I find that I am pausing a lot more to recognize the things that I may take for granted. other times, but because I'm so focused on gratitude multiple times a day, I don't let the little things slide anymore.

Mo Fathelbab: I think that's beautiful. Thank you. Uh, Prudence, let's talk about bad examples of leadership as it relates to employee wellbeing.

Do you have any examples of that you could share with us?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. You know, I think about a leader that I had many years ago. I was going through a separation and a pretty difficult child custody situation. And I was on the East coast and this was playing out on the West coast. So I had to travel, uh, back and forth.

And I remember being vulnerable and sharing this with the, the leader. And one particular, uh, weekend, I traveled to California, um, to meet with some attorneys and share this with the leader and my flight got delayed on my way back. And so I reached out and I said, Hey, I need to work from home today. One, I need to get some rest and, you know, avoid the 90 minute commute each way.

But two. I'm just not in a space to to be in in the office and a couple hours later, I got a message. You need to be in the office today. And I thought, Oh, something must be on fire. Right? Let me get to the office. And I remember that so vividly, even though it was years ago, because I got to the office and this leader was in a meeting.

pretty much all day. And towards the end of the day, she popped her head into the office to say hello. And for me, it was a moment of, I got vulnerable for no reason, right? Like this, it would have been better for me to not have shared what I was going through. And then for her to demand that I come into the office after, you know, a red eye flight that was delayed.

And you know, I was night, but it also was a power play that was unnecessary at a time that I was I had a really low point in my life where I thought I was going to lose my child to my ex. Mm-hmm . And so the emotions of that and, and trying to, to show up for, for work, that was one of the, the shortest, uh, roles that I, I had in my career.

That's only one example of how that leader negatively impacted my wellbeing. The part of that though is that that was before I started, um, therapy, so I. Absolutely encouraged therapy for for everyone, right? And at that point in my life in my career, I hadn't built that muscle yet. And so therapy was thought of as when you hit rock bottom, then you talk to someone to kind of help you up versus Who's your outlet, right?

Where are you getting that additional emotional and mental, um, support? So I've certainly talked that through, um, in therapy and recognize that there was a lot more in that role and that leader, um, that caused some of the, the behaviors, but that's definitely one that stood out for me of a total power play versus embracing me when I was going through such a difficult time.

Mo Fathelbab: Yeah, that must have felt terrible. I could only imagine.

Prudence Pitter: Absolutely.

Mo Fathelbab: Yeah. Yeah. Prudence, what lessons have you learned then through these examples that have shaped your leadership style? And how have you changed in that regard?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. So for me, one, I am a better communicator because I recognize that not everyone needs the same thing.

And for some individuals, It's about presence, meaning being there in person for others. It's about output and productivity and recognizing that leaders that I've had throughout my career, the best leaders were the ones who paused to ask, So I'm going to talk a little bit about what I'm doing and how I'm doing and what's important to me in my career.

And as a leader, that's one thing that I'm proud that I have paused to ask my, my team is what are some of the ways that I can support you? What are some of the things that you need to be whole and what's working in your career? And what are some of the things that you, you wish could change? It helps me recognize, do I have the right talent in the right places, but also we're important.

Employees might be, be struggling. It's definitely a lesson. It's, it's not a destination. Um, if you will. It's more of, of a journey and people are different, right? Generations are different, genders are different. There's so many. Differences, but pausing to ask individuals how they're doing and to truly listen and make it the norm, not have it be a one conversation and done like I asked you one day one.

Okay, good. We got it out of the way, but make it more of a continuous conversation. And a relationship building, recognizing the leaders that I've had that were really great at it and the ones that I wish were better at it. It helps me pause and be more direct and be more thoughtful and intuitive as well.

Mo Fathelbab: Yeah. So how do you promote work life integration and how do you respond to those that are more traditional and concerned about, hey, this is just business?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. So work life integration is very different across, of course, generations, but across companies as well, and even departments. And it could be a situation where, for me, I 22 different countries.

And so no matter how early I start my day, there's some days that I feel that I'm behind because I'm waking up after Europe because I'm on the East Coast in the United States. And there are some days where I might be working late to get caught up, but then Japan comes online and I could find myself with, um, with those, those messages.

I'm really deliberate about setting those. boundaries and ensuring that I'm there for those that I support, but ensuring that I have specific. So if I have, let's say, two or three really early days, I make sure that those are not also late days, that I'm not having those really long days and be better about What time can I log off to get eight hours sleep?

But what time can I log off to decompress, spend some time with my family before getting, um, eight hours sleep? So for me, it's a change in the mindset of how I use the hours in the day and how I'm ensuring that I'm taking that downtime so I can combat better and stronger. When I share that with leaders, I hear stories and ways in which.

They are ensuring that they have that work life integration, uh, individuals who pause at four p. m. to go off and coach their their child's team and then come back online for a couple of hours. So they're being present at home. They're being present for their Children and also being present at work. I don't think there's a one set way.

I don't think my way is the right way. The only way or the right way or the leader who pauses at at 42 days a week, his way is the right way. But I believe giving that grace and recognizing that we hire really smart people who pass the interview process and who mean well, right? If we come from this.

place of people mean well and people want to do the right things, and we give them autonomy and correct them if they ever go off course. I think that's the best way to have true work life integration.

Mo Fathelbab: Wonderful, wonderful. So Prudence, what is an HR myth? that you've had to learn or unlearn?

Prudence Pitter: Ooh, an HR myth that I have had to unlearn is that HR can't be friendly with others outside of HR.

Um, throughout my career, I have. spent my time away from other departments in a social setting. So while there are some individuals who have to work that might go to a Broadway show or go for a drink or go to dinner, I would excuse myself from those, um, invitation because. HR has the secrets, right? HR has the key to the, the employee kingdom, if you, if you will.

And I recognize that as I went throughout my career, I saw other HR leaders who were friendly, right? Who had other connections and, and marketing and heads of other departments. And It is possible to be friendly and not give up the keys and not be unprofessional. And I've found myself building deeper relationships and deeper connections in organizations that I've been in in the last, in the several years.

because I've stepped out of this myth of HR can't be friendly and HR shouldn't be drinking with with marketing and accounting like it's totally okay to to be social and especially when we travel together right for HR to be the only department that is Stepping away from karaoke, like I want to sing karaoke too, um, and having those connections definitely deepened the professional relationship.

Mo Fathelbab: What is your perspective, Frudence, on the importance of deepening relationships professionally?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. I believe it's really important because when I've had the opportunity to get to know individuals outside of the professional, I recognize different nuances, if you will, about them. Different quirks, you know, where they might be funny or where you won't necessarily see that at work, but also it helps me with those difficult conversations.

Because I recognize that I can come from a place of heart to heart, right? Like, you know, me, you've seen me sing, uh, karaoke, right? Like we have sat together, um, after the show and, you know, shared a plate of French fries. It's not only about, you know, seeing me on a screen or seeing me in a conference room, it's prudence is human, right?

So it's not only about HR. And I say this from time to time with some of the groups that I support. That's, Oh, HR is here. I'm like, nope. Prudence is here. She works in HR. And I was proud to hear someone else say that the other day, Oh, HR is here. And one of my colleagues said, Nope, that's not HR. That's Prudence.

She works in HR and it's just changing the mindset. But for me, it helps with those more difficult conversations because it doesn't become. Personal at that point, right? And it doesn't become Oh, prudence, the company representative, even though we both recognize that's what I am. It's a matter off. We're doing this.

We're having a conversation. I trust prudence. I recognize that she's doing this in the best way possible, and we're going to talk it through for as long as it takes to ensure that both sides are are heard.

Mo Fathelbab: So back to well being. What are what are some things that leaders can do? to normalize the conversations on well being in the workplace.

Prudence Pitter: Yes, leaders should be vulnerable and share. I encourage leaders to share one, their struggles with well being, but the ways in which they are winning and recognizing that well being is not only about mental health. For many, we found out through the pandemic, their financial well being was, uh, impacted.

There were individuals who were not able to make it, uh, pass, you know, missing one paycheck. So leaders sharing ways in which they have built great practices as it relates to finances, as it relates to exercise, diet, sleep, where they struggle and how they're finding their way back. I believe those are ways that, um, The two way dialogue can take place as well as for teams to see leaders as more human and more, um, similar to how they are.

Many employees in the workplace have goals of being in a leadership role and being in their leadership role. So the leader being vulnerable and sharing, Hey, this is how I was struggling with diet. And I made sure that I went ahead and I subscribed to this meal service and I'm doing so much better because of it.

I don't have to think about cooking. It comes these many times per week and I'm definitely eating healthier and I feel better for my body. for it, sharing those different ways of I haven't been able to, you know, keep up with my exercise. So I make sure every day at noon I pause and I, you know, walk for 30 minutes and you know, I feel better about that even though I know that my goal is to get back to those kickboxing classes.

Having those conversations help with the business conversations to be smoother. Because the employees are recognizing that I'm not alone. My leader, too, is struggling with, you know, some of these things. Oh, and by the way, I picked up a couple of tips. Hmm. I'll block my calendar of a day at noon for 30 minutes and go for a walk as well.

So I think if we, if one individual shares, One, we're getting tips back as most individuals are willing to share as well once you share, but it's also strengthening the overall well being of not just the employees, but those that they love and care about as well, because their lifestyle will change and that will certainly impact those that they spend most time with.

Mo Fathelbab: And I would imagine they feel cared for as well when that happens.

Prudence Pitter: Absolutely. Absolutely. Feel

Mo Fathelbab: seen. Scene. Yeah. Beautiful. Last question. Prudence. What is one piece of advice that has shaped your work or life the most?

Prudence Pitter: Yes. For me, it's use my voice. I am Jamaican and I grew up very much, uh, you know, leadership and those in authority.

Their word is the word and their word is the last word. And throughout my career, um, I have had leaders who said, why didn't you share that in the meeting? That was a great piece of advice, or why didn't you, um, Speak up and over time through, you know, executive coaches and, uh, great leaders who have given me feedback.

I recognize that I need to unlearn what I learned, uh, growing up and, um, encourage others, but also me use my voice in a way that helps me show up stronger and better at work, but also help others recognize that they too can use their voice.

Mo Fathelbab: Thank you Prudence. And that's where we'll end it for this episode of People in Strategy.

A huge thanks to Prudence Pitter, Global Head of HR for Amazon Web Services, Auto, Manufacturing, and Healthcare and Life Sciences Division. You can follow the People in Strategy podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Also, podcast reviews have a real impact On podcast visibility. So if you enjoyed today's episode, leave a review to help others find the show.

Finally, you could find all our episodes. On our website at SHRM. org slash podcasts. Thank you for listening and have a great day.