Guts and Grace- The Woman with Greater Substance - G SreeVidhya- Head- Ravindra Services

It was in 2004 November, that I met a tall woman around 5.11'', gigantic and manly, strong looking with a sharp features, having three cell phones in hand getting down her black SUV for the meeting of the day. It was a meeting presided by Ms.Kanimozhi at one of our IWC members residence in Chennai. The debate of the day was whether women has equal rights in the society. Taking a 2 hour break from busy migration work in office, I wanted to watch the fight, for and against!. She was introduced as President of all women Rotary Club of Samudra. I thought what a big deal!... But OMG, when she started to speak, Gosh, I could not stop being her admirer. She began.." I am a different woman in a man's world, for today I manage men, chase them, threaten them, control them and respect them. " Many things were unusual with her, mainly her profession. She has been managing Ravindra Services which runs D Group Security Services with HQ in Chennai. Probably the only woman in the man's domain. She has an elegance and pride that is so visible when she talks about real domination in the man's world.
To me, she reminded the story of a stone turning to a sculpture. The more hits a stone get, the beautiful the sculpture turns. I was seeing a live sculpture emerged out pain, strong will, and focus. A broken marriage at age of 21 with two daughters in hand to handle did scar her life but did not tarnish her motivation to move ahead. She do not handle people who are polished and educated, she has to handle people from various walks of life, skilled and unskilled, educated and uneducated, rude men, and retired military personnel who are head strong and take it as an insult being managed by a woman. Learning the nuances of trade in a hard way, believing in the path set by her mentor Dr Ravindra Padmanaban, and today manages more than 3000 people mostly men. She said that she never thought that her gender should impact her profession. Strong mind, hard work, dedication and assertiveness are the core ingredients of her success.
She said that she takes unexpected inspections to the clients sites where her men are working to ensure no stone is left unturned as what matters is the security and safety of her clients who believed in her strength. At 1am in the night, with her two personal security guards, she takes rounds around the city giving surprises to her people. Today her company is wide spread and have clients in all major cities supplying security guards, gun men and escorts. Her pride lies that she protects her clients with confidence and does a perfect job assigned. If Chennai corporate houses, call centres and BPOs where people are working 24*7 feel protected, safe and secure, it is because of the best services provided by people like Vidhya who take their work as worship. It was a pleasant surprise to know that this busy woman loves classical music and is a trained singer, acting plays and also doing programmes in radio. She is making the Rotary Club of Samudra getting popular day by day with the realm of events and doing her bit back to the society, making it as a passion. She concluded with pride that both her daughters are now doctors who emerged to handle people with empathy. I think real woman, would have time for everything. The more of sufferings and endurance, paves a way for our success. Hats Off Vidhya!!!

A Home Away From Home! For our Little ones!

As a working mother, I always had my fears of leaving my little one at a day care centre. Because of the diminishing support system and nuclear families, there is little choice left behind if you still decide to work. Given the kind of inflation and cost of living, it has also become mandatory for the couples to keep working. Though my kid enjoyed being at her day care, I always had the trouble of her falling sick quite often. At one stage, she ended up with Leptospyrosis and fought for life at the age of 3, with full blood transfusion, and her vital organs getting infected, all because she drank the water in the bathroom. Cant imagine, but still had to live with it. Where as my nephew enjoyed his day care, where it was just a home away from home. Today the 9 year old loves being with Gokula- his play home, than at home for he got his peer group who grew in the same home for last 9 years. So what makes the difference.
Its the attitude of the people who run the day care centres. Some do it religiously with care and caution trying for comfort of the children and parents. Where as few do it just for the money making and leave the children to the mercy of hired servants. There are play homes that also act as nursery schools where as there are creaches which put kids to sleep by giving cough syrups etc...
Few Do's and Don'ts:
So as a working parent, please do complete background check of the place before you leave your child under someone's care and control.
Inspect the place, talk to the people openly, put your fears in words, and explain to them your expectations.
If the child needs special attention, or alergic to something, be specific.
Provide adequate clothes, home made food, and the kids time tables.
Once in a way make surprise visits to ensure everything is alright. Its no harm, for after all its your child's welfare that matters.
Do not think that your responsibility ends once you leave the child in the day care. Talk to the day care people on how your child is reacting, responding to being with others, managing your absence.
You may also have to handle the child's prankiness and stubborn tantrums till the child settles with the new place. So do not lose your patience and end up in frustration causing a damage to you and your child.
Do not send a sick child to the day care, remember there are other vulnerable children as well.
Never do sympathise with the situation and gain self pity.
Remember the most successful people are the children who learnt to be independent from a very young age. Let the cocoons fly as beautiful butterflies, till then, handle them with care!

Bosses who make a difference!

In continuation to my post on the appraisal reviews, I thought its time to remember the people who make the difference. Though I may be too young to write a lifetime review of the kind of bosses we come across, I can say tell about three different people who made similar kind of impact not just on me but for the entire teams those reported to them. Any best boss in the world would surely fall under one of three categories of the people I am going to tell about!
Amitava Ghosh, Ramesh Raja and Shankar Narayanan, three people who needs a definite mention.
Amit worked in RPG Cellular as VP-Customer Service before he joined as Head-CS in Manmar Technologies, Ramesh donned various hats and moved from Grindlays to ABN as VP- Infrastructure and Custom Engg, where as Shankar, moved from HCL to HP as a Project Manager.

Unique about each of them:

• Amit is very planned, straight forward, punctual and brief in his approach. He taught me to maintain a professional dairy and mark C, T, D (complete, transfer, defer) against every activity planned for the day. A strong trainer, man of detail and a very composed and down to earth human being.
• Ramesh is senior most, believes in delegation, giving right responsibilities, authority and keeps a close watch on the team. He always believes in the strength of his team and takes good decisions. Irrespective of what level you are, you can be sure to raise to the top if you are the right person, and he is the one who believed in my potential and mentored me to climb high.
• Shankar, don't know if he was born first or his patience. He is classic example of a leader reminding me of Vikram Sarabai about whom Dr Kalam mentions in his Ignited Minds. Organised, composed, very hardworking and an right role model to his team. When it comes to taking bullets, he stands in front of his team, and while lifting the trophies, he stands behind them.

Speciality of these three men:

Amit loves taking classes, Ramesh is ardent about photography, amateur ham radio and world travel where as Shankar enjoying being a young at thoughts and as cool as cucumber. All three men are very close to their families, enjoy talking about their children and loves movies and fun.

Common Success Factors as Successful Bosses:

All three believed in Planning, Organising, Delegation & Mentoring. They maintain their calmness in the most difficult business situations. Take decisions after doing thorough analysis and risk assessment. They never let their emotions take a front seat while handling professional responsibilities. They respected their teams, believed in each one's potential, gave opportunities for right people to grow, appreciated the hardworking people, and always reflected the strength of the teams they managed. They belong to the breed of managers who can handle complex business challenges at the same time manage large groups of people with care and compassion. Simple souls with a big smile in the most tensed situations as well!!! May be that is their confidence that they can manage anything and everything!!!

Good luck Amit, Ramesh and Shankar, and do believe and wish lot many amateurs like me grow under your abled leadership and wonderful guidance!

Taking our own people for granted

It was one usual Wednesday morning in summer, I was getting ready to office, had so much of work to do, getting my kid ready to school, finish my kitchen, clean up the place, pack food for the family, take a quick glance at the morning daily, and let the domestic help complete her chores before I board my cab at 7.30 am to office in Ennore which is almost 50 miles away from my home.

As usual my mobile rang, and I know who it would be and was so irritated that I would let it go ringing. Suddenly, my intuition said to me to pick the call. Having the cutlery in one hand, and giving a kick to my little one to get up soon, I rushed to attend the call. It was not from the usual friend who calls me every morning to wish me "Happy Morning" but a stern phone call giving me a sad news. That my old friend who used to call me for so many years every morning just to hear my voice and wish me a good morning is no more. That my friend got succumbed to an hemorrhage he suffered the day before. I was speechless. I dropped the dish in the hand and stood frozen.

Every morning, this friend of mine used to call me to hear my voice and he felt it sentimentally good for him if I answered him back. At times when I was really busy or just was not in a mood to answer calls, I used to tell my husband or kid to pick that call and answer back. Later in the day, he used to call me again and find out if all is fine with me, if my health is OK, or if there is something that is bothering me that I did not pick his call in the morning. Sometimes I used to get so irritated that why should it be a botheration for a person of my dad's age to find out whats happening to me on a daily basis. Huh,, I could not take it, for why should someone be following my life so closely. But after that incident, every time my phone rang, I cried that it should be him. Every morning I used to look at the mobile with an urge that it should ring, and my friend should ask me how am I doing?

Later did I realized that this grand old man saw his only daughter living abroad in me, loved me unconditionally and always wanted to see me doing good and grow in life. He regarded my intelligence amidst his friends, spoke so high about me, fought for my rights in my own family, and went around the city saying that I am his adopted daughter. He used to bring me sweets and anything that is made special at home while I was staying in a hostel. He cracked silly jokes and shared news of the people in Chennai. He used to giggle telling me and my friends funny things and few interesting topics of the rich and elite. Tears ran without me trying to control myself when his wife asked me to sit with his mourning children just before his funeral. She said that he will not rest in peace unless he sees me. That day I felt that may be I am not destined to enjoy a relationship called Dad in life, for I have lost my own when I was a child and lost this grand old man as a young woman at times when he was showing me so much of affection. I know now for sure that his soul is guiding me too.....

I learnt a lesson that day that I should not take my own people or people who wanna be with you for granted. Sometimes we realize their value only after we lost them. So please take care of your loved ones before its too late! Do give little time back to your family and friends and let them feel that you care for them. Do not cut the calls from your own people saying that you are too busy. If you are, atleast make it a point to revert to them later. Please do not forget important dates of your friends and family for you may not like the idea if they forget yours!.