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Looking back over your career, do you recall a certain insight that put your career on a different trajectory?
None of that kind however there were many such instances which actually became a great learning for life time.
The most challenging part of your job now?
At the moment…‘meeting deadlines’. In a profile like ours I have come across many such instances when the priority for a particular assignment changes at the stakeholder’s end which puts your entire plan in a fix and getting it back on track is a mammoth task. In many cases it’s a dead investment. You loose precious time and the team also feels de-motivated. Such instances however are a good learning in a way and they teach you to plan better.
Everybody has time-management challenges. How do you handle them?
Let me first admit that I am very bad in my time management although I make an honest attempt to work towards improving it. There are a few things that have helped:
a. Early morning is the best time to knock off complex tasks –Have started coming early to work since last few months.
b.Most of us have a task list, so do I. I break them into the 3 quadrants i.e. Urgent and Important, Urgent but not important and Not Urgent but important. This helps in prioritizing however many times the list becomes very long on one of the quadrant and then I take stock again.
c.I attempt to use technology to the fullest. Sticky notes on laptop, task list/reminders on mobile etc are few things that I constantly use.
What is the most important list you keep?
My task list both in office and at home.
If you had to choose another profession, what would it be & why?
Not given a thought yet.
What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how did you learn it?
Push your team to their limits but do it with complete integrity and sincerity. They may not like you temporarily but when they look back at the journey traveled and if that brings smile on their face, you did your job.
Your favorite pastime?
I am a television freak. Whenever, wherever and for as many hours. My soul companion in Bhopal when I was staying alone for 3 years was my television. I am making conscious efforts towards pushing myself on some other ‘technically right’ pastimes like playing guitar, reading books, gardening etc…. with limited success though !!
" I am a television freak. Whenever, wherever and for as many hours "
When at home, I?
I am the ‘Big Brother’ and in literal sense. Being the elder son many times the buck stops at me. Feels nice, privileged and that’s probably where I get the other half of my training on leadership.
Most often used one liner?
‘Life is beautiful…as ever’
" Push your team to their limits but do it with complete integrity and sincerity"
interglot
How has your journey been as AVP, Business & Service Excellence?
Getting an opportunity to work in a function like BSE after spending 4 years in the field was the best thing to happen since you get to see the organization from a whole new perspective which not many profiles in any organization would offer.
The journey started with a natural anxiety about the new role and an aspiration to learn and contribute. The initial phase was not easy especially since we had quite a few attritions and getting the team together became the primary focus. There was surely a need to change the way we operated and with Jitendra joining almost at the same time, it helped in setting a direction. I remember my first assignment that Paresh (ex. ED & CPO) had given me and I felt I did an utterly shabby job. Taking that as a milestone, I think in this last 2 yrs I have learnt a lot and feel more confident about things at hand.
The journey from ‘Process & Quality’ to ‘BSE’ was not easy and is not complete yet in many ways but as a team member I feel very proud that I am a part of a team that is looked upon as ‘different’ and people don’t have to say that in words, one can feel that. I am sure we have a long way to go but I sincerely feel that the path travelled so far was only possible because of the contribution made by each of you. The journey is still on…
Umesh Shetty
AVP,Business & Service Excellence
"The path travelled so far was only possible because of the contribution made by each of you"