In Gratitude - S5.1 : Paying my homage through years of my life || My Career || By Anupama Vaidya
Series Part 5.1… towards my big milestone - 2021 - Golden Celebrations.
Published on Facebook: 20-Oct-2021
Taking strength from the hard work my parents always put at their respective places, and having observed them to give their devoted and dedicated services, I express my deep gratitude to the phase of my life which will always make me what I am! My Career….
10 days to go…. To my big milestone,
Along with my deepest and sincerest respect and appreciation to each of my reporting heads, colleagues, team members, associates, partners in progress…. My full ecosystem who have been such an integral part of my life….
Thermax Surface Coating Division & Late Mr. Vilas Kulkarni introduced me to the real corporate world; will always remember the first project in Finance – costing of the surface coating guns! Vilas used to head the Finance for 3 divisions, such a role model leader, simplicity and humility at its best. Lost Vilas towards end of my internship just before I made my final presentation. And I still remember Nitin, my colleague informing me of his sudden demise of Vilas and I couldn’t just believe it. It was rude shock to me...
At the time of my presentation, in front of the senior management, I literally froze remembering Vilas and took a few minutes to gather myself back and present the project. He had personally invested in this project to guide me so wonderfully!
Fondly remembering Vilas Kulkarni, who demonstrated to me on how to manage multi-units so wonderfully, and also left a mark on my mind to give the best in whatever I do, since life is so unpredictable… always be remembered for the good work you do… Vilas even after 29 years… I still remember those 3 mths with you as my guide!
To then moving to my summer training at Crompton Greaves… Thanks once again to Mr. NL Mirchandani to provide me this direction of choosing the people pathway of HR! came over to the Fan division at Kanjurmarg… interesting move to see Mumbai as a city ! travel by train, be a part of disciplined factory timing (clocking in !!! on time) and then the canteen feel…. And made some wonderful friends there…. Padmaja Korde, who was my project guide and incidentally later joined Mafatlal at a similar time that I joined…. Pranali Save, who was a also a project intern, and once again shared the memories of being at the same organization later, Geometric Software.
And then came the Campus season…. A campus offer from Mafatlal Industries! They were there early on campus, but hadn’t requested for HR specialisation. I was not even on campus when they indicated their positive intent. My friend Swati pushed my resume into the lot of submission on the spot and will you believe it, from Nigdi which is almost 45-50 mins away from Pune, I had less than an hour to get to campus when she called up. I hadn’t bathed, since mom and sister had come over in that morning from Bangalore, and we were chit-chatting… It was 2 pm, and i had to be there by 3 pm for my Group Discussion....
In less than 45 mins, I had to bathe, by the time my sis got my saree ready and I draped it, rushed out on a Kinetic Luna (bus was out of question), gulped some food as I left…. And rushed at a good speed with a scarf round my hair to not spoil it ! mentally not even prepared like other days that I had to appear for the placement interview. Reached, refreshed, and appeared! And in the next 2.5 hours, had the campus offer in my hand !!!
Wow, can't still believe how we managed all that rush and the ride on the Luna from Nigdi to SIBM Pune in 30 mins!!! Oh God !!! Dramatic, isn’t it! But these are lovely moments to sit back and laugh at and cherish... ... couldn't have been a more dramatic way to get the offer ... ....
Remember coming to see the office towards end of January 1994, and was astounded by Nariman Point, which I had always seen as a growing child… when my uncle and cousins used to take us site-seeing in Mumbai.
Dedicate the beautiful 2 years to my seniors, and the first mention goes to my first reporting head Mr. Rajendra R. Likhite! Thank You Mr. Likhite for all the confidence and excellent opportunities you presented to me learn in those two years with you as your team member. From being your team member, it is so beautiful to be a family ! Warm wishes to Anagha vahini. You both have always been there so lovingly for me through my life, even if we do not meet for long time, I always know you both are always there. Really value you as my first reporting manager and being family to me!
Working as a Management Trainee, being the lone MT, got an opportunity in all and different assignments…. It was like being an assistant to all the managers…. D G Zarapkar – I remember you, for all the funny quotes you made, so wittily! and your “Personnel Management” acumen, hats off…. And I still remember the day 2 advise… on what to do when changing jobs. I was shocked. It was only my second day and you advising me on job change, but the value of that advise always remained and I still hold it close to my heart. You shared the order of choice to make when selecting a new job – who your reporting manager will be, next came the role (is it a new/old role? and the learning with the role), third came are you replacing some one who was too good or too bad at their job ! and lastly you said was the compensation…. I still remember those words – never ever change for compensation, and I did keep that in mind in every change I made Mr. Zarapkar! Such a valuable advise.
Padmaja Korde, a special mention to you too !! it was wonderful and so coincidental after Crompton, to be together at Mafatlal’s 8th Floor at Mafatlal Centre…. Were more of buddies and learnt so much from your experience as a senior! Those years at Mafatlal and then keeping in touch, loosing touch and back in touch …. Its been a wonderful relationship to have known you and I know there is still so much more for us together in years to come!
G Jayaraman, Avadhoot Sawant, Daksha, Mumtaz, Benaifer, and our very own Latika Ghotge!!! And Shankar our walking talking encyclopedia of the department. Oh such an amazing first experience of my real big Corporate Life!!! Then our office care taker Sawant…. My department, such a warm team... And then remember Bharatbhai Mehta who used to be based at Baroda, Yogesh Patgaonkar who gave me my first opportunity to train his group of members at Mafatlal Consultancy, which built a confidence in me to take up more such programs.
And The Mafatlal Finance Team in Mr. Divate, Nilay Sharma…. And many more of our colleagues !!! Next door neighbors and one of the group companies, that I assisted Padmaja in.
Loved those grilled cheese sandwiches near the Air India Building, and later after many years also, Sawant remembering and getting those when I went to meet at the office later after I had moved out! Aarey’s masala milk which I got introduced after joining here. Working at Nariman Point had its own charm…. and do miss that vibrancy of the place of The Nariman Point!!! Maybe some day, have an office there once again .....
And it was at that time, that a big rumour of Ganpati Bappa drinking milk was doing rounds one fine day and fun to listen to that… and how people were queueing up at the Express Tower Temple, so funny to go and even watch and then Daksha tellign about her relatives experiencing similar things in Gujarat and the TV going buzz with this news!!!
And one day when it rained heavily, spending time at the Telephone operator board to help my operators to attend to calls in absence of their colleagues! Good to learn different skills.
The wonderful learning in HR practices, loads of understanding into the real world and being sponsored for the Basic Human Process Lab with one of the seniormost facilitator Mr.KK Mehta one of the finest facilitators !!! Reaching the lab being conducted in an adventurous mode late night with a flash strike of Deccan Queen…
Being on the shopfloor of Mafatlal at Nadiad, Navsari and wondering the taste of water at Navsari was so difficult to take, so got a coke which was equally so aweful, … with an experience of two hour lunch break at Navsari before we got back to shopfloor, the corporate ways of handling work, to interacting with senior leaders, peers, external members ! power packed two years definitely… ... before I moved to Pune and so moved out of Mafatlal’s.
I still remember my farewell as I bid adieu to move to Pune, first introduction to Parsi Dairy Kulfi !!! Bharatbhai specially coming over and joining us.
And what a wonderful lesson, even after having put my papers in, I got the best of assignments till the last day and was contributing even on my last day to close a performance appraisal season. And this learning has remained with me on how to engage people even after they have mentally decided to move on, this phase is a critical phase on engagement... to carry those wonderful memories along this journey of life !
Once again a sincere expression of appreciation for Mr. Likhite who provided me one of best launch pads to the Corporate world, providing me opportunities to look at corporate life from top down, while growing ground up so as to build both a strategic and tactical mindset. Learning from top leaders across businesses through the coordination of various group level activities and being present there, really put a strong foundational block in place for my professional career. Mr. Likhite, I surely owe you my career in a big way!
From you Mr. Likhite, I learnt the lessons of leadership and humility, calmness in the most stressful decision making situations, how to make and implement tough decisions…. As an organization I learnt what it is to be in a conglomerate… and how the top leadership really matters…
As I step in to Geometric in 1996…. A whole new set of learnings, in the next part of this series…. The journey continues, the expression of gratitude continues… ...
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