There are moments in one’s journey that stay with you—not because they were the most successful or happiest, but because they made you stop, reflect, and change.
One such moment was many years back, when we first began our DE&I journey.
It started like any other hiring decision. We had a new team member as an HR consultant at Marching Sheep. During the selection process, she came across as bright, driven, and passionate about the field—her aspirations aligned beautifully with what we stood for. I believed she could do great things.
But a few months in, something wasn’t working. I noticed she was struggling with execution. Tasks took longer than usual. Follow-through on details wasn’t consistent, and documents often came back with errors. Since the pandemic was at its peak, we were all working remotely, and virtual communication was key to seamless coordination and communication. The team often found the team member unresponsive, not for hours but for days.
There were multiple rounds of feedback, two-way conversations on how we could help, to understand where she was struggling and to help her meet the expectations. But after 4 months, I decided to put her on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). It was a difficult call, but a necessary one.
During that first conversation, she opened—she had dyslexia. Until that moment, I had no idea. And to be honest, I had never considered that she could be struggling with a neurodiverse condition. I had no idea, in that moment, how to be a manager to a person with dyslexia. I didn’t know much about dyslexia either except for having watched the movie ‘Taare Zameen Par.’ And I felt ashamed.
I heard her out, how she was trying to cope. I asked her why she did not reveal earlier, and she shared how she had been rejected in every interview where she disclosed. I closed the meeting with candidly telling her that I did not know how, but we will work something out.
I realised I needed to understand better. I began reading, asking questions, and reflecting.
What stayed with me was this—she didn’t know about her dyslexia for most of her life. She just assumed she wasn’t quick enough or organised enough. Imagine living with that weight of self-doubt, every single day. She had gone through life assuming that her challenges were just personal shortcomings, not something neurological or systemic. That stayed with me.
After her disclosure, we had a team conversation—open, honest, and deeply human. We realigned her responsibilities, leaning into her strengths: ideation, strategy, storytelling. She wasn’t a fit for a fast-paced, execution-heavy role, and that was okay. We created space for her to contribute in ways that worked for her.
Her role evolved. We created a space where she could still contribute meaningfully without burning out.
We also did something new. We gathered in a “heart circle”—a safe space where every team member shared something personal. Stories of anxiety, grief, divorce, burnout. And then, she shared her story of discovering dyslexia. That moment shifted something—within the team and within me.
Despite all this, I know we didn’t get everything right. The role eventually became a toned-down version of what she had originally aspired for, and that frustrated her. She had personal challenges. Her eyes were sensitive to screen light. She needed more support than we knew how to provide at the time, and she eventually left. We tried — we tried harder — but sometimes, intent alone isn’t enough.
This experience—along with many others—opened my eyes to the world of hidden disabilities: neurodivergence, mental health conditions, learning challenges, chronic illnesses. They don’t always show up on the surface. Often, even the individual navigating them doesn’t have the language or diagnosis. So how do we expect our workplaces to respond?
This is where Marching Sheep as an organization becomes so much more than an HR consulting. We’re not just here to solve people problems. We’re here to help organizations become human-centred ecosystems. We work at the intersection of business outcomes and lived experiences—where inclusive policies, leadership development, and empathy come together.
And this is why I started 21 Marching.
It’s an initiative that started as candid conversations that brought to light 21 lived experiences of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)— of each of the 21 disabilities covered under the RPWD act. These were weekly conversations that went on for 6 months, but this was just scratching the tip of the iceberg. We then launched deeper research. 18 months of engaging with Persons with disabilities, their caregivers, employers, allies, understanding statutes, not just in India but across 19 countries. The outcome- The copywrited Playbook- 21 Marching- Building disability Confident organizations which has helped many organizations start their journey towards PwD inclusion.
Inclusion is a journey, and our purpose is to make a difference to People’s lives and careers. In the process of research, we built a strong network and community, people eager to take charge of their careers, livelihood, and financial independence. So, for the first time, Team Marching Sheep took on recruitment assignments. Here again, we do it our way.
Each candidate is handheld and explained the role, the company, and industry in detail before forwarding their resume. Once selected, we keep in touch with the candidate. Our purpose is simply not to get numbers done, but to make sure that the candidates we place have a long-term flourishing career with the company they join.
Inclusion isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about intention. It’s about asking the right questions and doing the right thing- one step at a time.
- What do you need?
- How can I support you better?
At Marching Sheep, we say this often— “From intent to action.” That’s not just a line. It’s a daily commitment.
We can’t always get everything right. But when we know better, we must do better. 21 Marching is my invitation—to organisations, leaders, teams, and even to us—to pause, reflect, and move from awareness to action.
Explore the stories here: 21 Marching
Let’s march, together.
— Sonica
Link – Why I Started 21 Marching