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� BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA

DIVERSITY

Seeking solace in

DIVERSITY

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Amulti-faceted personalitywho listens to his heart formost decisions, G RVenkatesh, Head, People

Office, Future Group comes withvaried experience in diverse fields. Aman who gets his zest for life fromhis urge to explore unchartered butexciting territories, life has been aroller coaster ride for Venkatesh.Currently, heading the HumanResource portfolio for one of India'slargest retail chain, he considershimself to be more of a problemsolver rather than an HRprofessional; he gets a new lease oflife by taking up unusual challenges.

Hailing from Bhopal, Venkateshhas always been an outstandingstudent. An alumnus of Indian

Institute of Management,Ahmedabad, and an Electronics

engineer from Bhopal,Venkatesh has worked in

organizations rangingfrom investment

banking tomanufacturing toconsulting totelecom services

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to retail. With such rich experience,he has emerged as someone whohas a well-rounded holistic worldview. "I would term my professionaljourney so far as exciting, satisfyingand full of learning. By exploring newfields, functions and newer industriesand solving unknown challenges, Ihave discovered newer strengthswithin myself. I can take some pridein realizing that I have knowledge

and expertise today in a wide varietyof subjects and can handle challengesin any field with courage andoptimism," he declares.

Such diverse experiences havehelped him to keep an open mind,and also ingrained in him the valuesof humility and respect for others, acornerstone to his work ethic. In fact,in a short span of time that he hasspent in HR so far, he has beenexposed to both environments -setting up HR from scratch as wellas managing well establishedframeworks.

The journey all alongHaving managed to grab a covetedjob through campus placement in1994 with Peregrine, as equityresearch analyst, Ventakesh's job wasto evaluate stocks and recommendpeople the best possible stocksoptions. He reminisces that at thispoint HR was never on the horizonand he was simply happy to havelanded the job of his dreams. But,after a two year stint, realizationdawned that this is not what hewanted to do. A chance meetingwith the Managing Director ofFujitsu Optel gave him his secondbreak. Fujitsu, at that point, was

setting up a manufacturing plant inBhopal and was on the lookout fortop talent, which was scarce insmaller towns. Venkatesh wasoffered a role in corporate planning,which he happily lapped up in 1996."At Fujitsu, my role had noboundaries. I was not restricted toany function or role and could tryout different things, and thisflexibility made me feel empowered,

and also helped me earn the respectof many. Very people get thatopportunity to work in anentrepreneurial manner and yet bea part of an MNC. My five years atFujitsu gave me great learning for

FAVOURITE QUOTE

“Be the change that you wish to seein the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

LEADERSHIP STYLE

Transformational through servantleadership

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL GOAL

To make Future Group a place wherehappy people thrive, who have ameaningful life and who add value tobusiness and society

FAVOURITE BOOK

‘The Bhagavat Gita’ , it remains aguide for all situations in life

FAVOURITE MUSIC ARTIST

Kishore Kumar

RAPID FIRE

A well known movie star once said, "In this

world, there are two types of people - one, who

have a single occupation all their lives, and the

others who accomplish all occupations in a single

life". Interestingly, much before these words were

spoken, this thought had become the guiding

light in GR Venkatesh's life and career.

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the years to come," confessesVenkatesh.

Around 2000, the company faceda decline due to several reasons andVenkatesh decided to move on by2001. He joined Airtel's mobilitydivision after a short stint with atelecom consulting firm. However,he soon moved to the customerservice division having realized hisinclination towards customerservice. At Airtel, he learnt torespect commitment, hard workand process adherence. The bigbreak came when he joinedPantaloon Retail in 2003 and got theopportunity to work for KishoreBiyani, one of the most talked aboutleaders in India. Having workedclosely with retail brands broughthim in close association with thepeople who strive so hard to keepthe customers happy. To put a smilein their face became an objectivefor him.

At Future Group, he envisaged,designed and implemented acomprehensive Hire to RetirePeople management solution, whichtraversed the entire gamut of theemployee's life cycle eventscompletely on an indigenoustechnology platform catering to30,000 people seamlessly - makingtheir lives easier. "I look back fondlyupon creating perhaps the most

ambitious Train theTrainer program evercreated in India, which wecall as 'Store Guru'. Whileall this was in the ambitof starting somethingnew, it has been aresponsibility to sustainand nurture the Group'score values and culture -through sustenance andestablishment of old andnew rituals, practices andexperiments", he shares.

Experience speaksVenkatesh considershimself lucky to haveworked for new ageindustries all through hiscareer. "Whether it wastelecom or retail, I havebeen part of an industrytrying to create history

in India," he says. "Whether it wassetting up telecom networks in areassuch as J&K and Andamans;designing and experimenting withnew categories and new deliveryformats for an emerging industrylike organized retail and functionally,getting to know people and learninghow to manage them have been themost enriching experiences so far,"

he adds.In his career, he has willingly

explored diverse fields of financialanalysis and planning, strategy,customer service and humanresources management, which isquite rare. While some may relatehis diverse career job roles as thatof being the jack of all trades andmaster of none. Venkatesh has anunconventional take on it. "Withouta consideration to the staidconventional way of career buildingin a particular discipline, I havevoluntarily embraced change in mycareer at regular intervals. The questhas always been to understand thenuances of diverse sciences and artsaround me so that I could be thatperson who can appreciate variedpoints of view in an attempt toholistically resolve challenges - inbusiness and in life", he proclaimsproudly. So far, he has beenfortunate in his endeavours and alsocounts himself among the lucky fewwho can enjoy and appreciate thebeauty and intelligence ofMathematics and Design at thesame time. In fact, this richness anddiversity of roles has proved to bean invaluable asset for Venkatesh toapproach people related issues witha unique perspective.

In brief

NAME : G R Venkatesh

TITLE : Head, People Office

AGE : 42 years

ORGANIZATION : Future Group

EXPERIENCE : 19 years

EDUCATION : PGDM (IIM-Ahmedabad)BE (Electronics &Telecommunications)from MANIT, Bhopal

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The challengesWhile working in varied industries, including sunrisesectors, did enrich his experience and outlook, therewere several challenges too…like learning evolvingregulations, managing pioneering efforts withoutprecedence, understanding employee behaviour instressful, chaotic and ambiguous business conditions,working under tight budgets and exploring uncharteredmarket segments. "Each of these challenges have givenme new learning. The most important learning has beento have enough self-confidence and a belief in oneselfthat all challenges can be overcome by application ofmind and with due and honest effort," he recalls.

His myriad experiences may sound inspirational, buteach juncture and each role called for unlearning andrelearning of new knowledge quotients. Ventakesh believeshaving an open mind and staying humble enough tolearn helped him to stay on the knowledge curve. "Tomaintain a steady speed of 'upskilling', it's important torealize that whatever one already knows is alreadyobsolete as new knowledge keeps permeating throughthe society", he affirms.

The restlessness ingredientVenkatesh comes across as a man who has an insatiablethirst for unexplored avenues. Constantly, in a state offlux, his restlessness has found some solace in his currentrole. While some professionals spend decades performingthe same role in different organizations, Venkatesh hasnever let himself be set in a mould. Working acrossindustries, within various functions and geographies hasensured that he never had a dull moment. It also madehim discover his own potential and built a firm belief inthe adage that infinite potential does exist in a humanbeing.

Getting inspiredHaving closely worked with Kishore Biyani, Venkateshadmires the sheer audacity of his vision, the ability todream, dream big and to visualize events much ahead oftime. "I have picked up some of the greatest things fromhim such as self-confidence, optimism, a never-say-dieattitude, and sheer guts and gumption," he admits. In thepast, he has also had the privilege of working with AnilNayar, ex-President of Bharti Airtel, from whom he learntthe art of being politely firm, being patient, and havinga keen analytical business mind.

All his functional skills in HR can be attributed to hisguide and mentor, Sanjay Jog, who has patiently taughthim various nuances and has always had confidence inhis abilities.

He also credits Indian Institute of Management,Ahmedabad (IIMA) for bringing a change in the way hethinks. It was here that he realized, for the first time, thatthere was so much more to explore in this world thanphysics and engineering that I was adept at. "It was alsohere that I was introduced to the late Prof. S P Singh,who in an hour-long session gave me a direction in life,"he says.

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HC

KEY PERSPECTIVES

Gaps HR organizations need to bridgeAt times, HR setups tend to veer

around an agenda that is not in

consonance with the business realities.

Either they are too idealistic and chase

utopian goals; or are too passive and a

blind follower of the business leader. HR

must demand and get an equal partnership

in the strategic agenda setting of the

business.

The other weak point is the relatively

lesser use of statistics, data and analytics.

The focus on predictive analytics is almost missing and proactive tools to manage

people better is an area worth focusing upon in the next few years.

Pitfalls in engagement practicesAny engagement event which is devoid of emotional attachment is useless.

Understanding and noting the relevance of the engagement practice in the life of

the employee is key.

“What’s in it for the employee?” is the question which must be asked at all

points in time. Else, it’s an automated ritual at work, which is a waste of time,

energy and money, as it creates no emotional bond of the employee with his or

her workplace.

What makes a good HR managerA good HR manager’s prime responsibility is to understand the changing

aspirations within people. Some of this is stated but mostly they are latent, subtle

and implied.

A good HR manager will always scan the environment to understand

developments and trends in people’s thinking, emerging trends in culture and

ambitions and the emergence of new professions, within and outside his or her

industry. Only happy people can deliver excellence in business results.

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He is a voracious reader and likesreading books, magazines and blogson any subject and whenever he findsthe time. He loves exploring varioussubjects ranging from history,science, philosophy, mythology,psychology, fiction, finance,advertising to economics. "You willfind books and books in my houseand at my workplace. I still find thecharm of reading a paper book, andhave not yet graduated to the worldof e-books," he says. "The BhagavatGita" though, remains an all-timeguide for Venkatesh.

Travelling is another importantfacet to his personality. "I love totravel and explore new worlds,within India. The range and beautyof my experiences while on the

roads in India has always amazedme. My most memorableexperiences have been to theinteriors and the so-calledunderdeveloped areas within ruralIndia. I have been struck by thesimplicity of the people, theircultures, their rituals and haveunderstood how difficult life couldbe and how privileged we are. I havealso realized that hardship does notmean unhappiness. In fact, thegreatest pleasures and happinesscome from overcoming challengesrather than through avoiding pain.The range and beauty of myexperiences while on the roads inIndia has always amazed me andsomeday, I should be able to puttogether a travelogue," he saysdreamily.

The way aheadConsidered an amazing strategistwho uses humour to mask hisbrilliance, his colleagues are of theopinion that Venkatesh has a knackfor understanding the key pressurepoints in organizations and in themarket. In fact, he is highly admiredfor his ability to engage people acrossthe organization and share hislearning in a very simple manner.He believes that "Being empathetic,while being assertively decisive is thekey to effective leadership. Besides,being morally upright and having amoral compass within yourselfwhich always guides you in turbulenttimes help you stand tall in allsituations."

As he sets out for yet anothertireless journey, his current goal is togive a better life to the 30,000 peoplethat the Group employs. He feelsthat monetary benefits combinedwith challenging assignments, willgive them the much desiredappreciation and recognition thatthey strive for. "The excitement ofdoing something new everyday andthe freedom to experiment and learnis what inspires people to come towork every single day. The smile ofa satisfied customer and the warmthof a team working together is thedream that I want to turn in to areality in days to come," Venkateshconcludes.

Beyond workVenkatesh has had a typical middleclass upbringing. His father wasemployed with the MP Stategovernment and hence his familytravelled extensively within the mid-sized towns of MP. His modestupbringing inculcated in him the coreIndian values, which even today;reflect in the various aspects of hispersonality.

Venkatesh lives in Mumbai, withhis wife and a beautiful daughter,who is as curious and sincere as heis and as patient and caring as hermother. Hectic schedules have neverprevented them from taking qualitytime out together - whether forfamily meals, or weekly outings orperiodic vacations.

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