Work hard and play hard, says this head honcho, who is content with how his life has shaped up
Spending time at airport lounges
When I am travelling on work, it is generally with my boss or with associates. While we do take a walk around the airport, we are mostly discussing business and strategies in the lounge. If I am travelling with my wife, most of the time we are discussing family matters.
Dress code
We are in a formal business, and so the people who are dealing with customers have to be formally dressed. The customer must get the feeling that they are dealing with professionals. I have introduced the concept of Thursday dressing here, since it is a half-day. That is the day for smart casuals.
Office parties
I believe in celebrating success, however small it is. We celebrate all our milestones here as a team. We bring in a cake and order food from outside. Since business has been going well, we have something to celebrate almost every quarter.
Working hours
Since we are a customer-facing organisation, we have designed our working hours to be conducive to our clients. We work in two shifts, from 8am to 1pm, and then from 4:30pm to 8pm. Personally, I think that the split shift is a good way of working.
Advice to those who want to work with you
My philosophy is that your work must motivate you and satisfy you on a daily basis. I believe you must enjoy your work and celebrate your success. In other words, work hard and play hard.
Your vision of an ideal office
It is not different from an ideal home. Everybody has a role to play, everybody cont-ributes, and is clear on how important his or her role is. It is one big family that works together towards a common goal.
Had you not been in this industry, what would you have been doing?
I would have been a farmer. I am very fond of greenery and open spaces, and I come from a farming family. I enjoy seeing something grow, whether it is a business or a plant. Even at home here, I have a huge terrace where I grow plants and vegetables.
Any incident that has left an indelible mark on your attitude to work
There was an incident that increased my faith in destiny. In 1999, I was working with British Petroleum in India and I was transferred to South Africa. I did not like it there, so I came back. But my job in India had been given to somebody else. So my boss asked me to start a new business. And, at the time, I thought that he was writing me off. But in a year, my team and I made such a huge success of that business that we were heroes. That experience added to my maturity.
How do you unwind?
The best way of unwinding is talking to my wife. I also enjoy listening to old Hindi film music. I am not an avid television watcher but I am a movie buff. I also enjoy tending to my plants, cooking and going on drives.
Your big dream
To me, achievement is being satisfied with what you have, having a happy and healthy family, and having the ability to do what you want to do. And I am content with how my life has shaped up. I would like to give back to society for what I have got.
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