Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
Before XLRI, I was a Management Trainee at Marriott for Cluster Revenue Management. Owing to the pandemic, my joining had been deferred by 8 months. When hotels finally opened up after lockdown, they were making soaring losses. The pressure on business was immense, and outcomes were very little. Since Cluster handling involves managing all the hotels in a territory, I had a lot of training modules to complete; but I had to jump into the field much sooner. I was assigned to make major reports that were analysed by stakeholders at the APEC level even before I could complete my onboarding. Being unaware of the nature of resources, one of the reports was sent with inaccurate data, as I had not been provided with updated data. My supervisor was baffled by this, but my manager and mentor guided me through the process. She explained the toughness of the situation and constructively criticized me manage my training modules before or after working hours. Although this went against the strict Work-Life norm we followed, I took her advice and noticed the change in my knowledge. I had to go out of my way to make up for the unnatural scenario, but I came out of it as a developed person with enhanced skills.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I wanted to a space scientist. Since childhood, I have been intrigued by the concept of space and time, and how they co-exist in what is called the Space-Time continuum. What is more fascinating, is the theory of there being more than three dimensions, and wormholes - which indicate a possibility of time travel. I was (still am) intrigued to study the theory of how the space-time continuum bends and folds and links time in different dimensions. I wanted to research and develop more on these lines; however, I felt I would belong better in the corporate world. After weighing out all my options very carefully and numerous counselling sessions, I decided to move ahead towards a degree in Hospitality, that would eventually lead me to the business world.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
- All-Rounder of The Batch, IHM Pusa '20From day 1 at my UG college IHM Pusa, New Delhi - the country's Rank 1 Hospitality Management Institute, I had been an active part of many clubs and societies (Dramatic Society, Ecology Club, Literary Society, and TechClub) while keeping my academics high simultaneously. By the final year, I was the President of The Dramatic Society and Student Head of the Ecology Club, and my academic rank was always in the Top 10% of the batch, if not in the Top 5%. I believe being an all-rounder student is a crucial differentiating factor in a b-school or a corporate, as it helps to manage the rigour that lies ahead. My key learnings have been from the long journey that led me to win this award. My active participation in multiple activities has taught me time management, prioritization and tested my problem-solving skills occasionally. I also had the fortune of representing my college and state at the national level of an international skills competition.
- Winner: HUL LIME Season 13 Stage Zero - I was one of the Top 50 students in India to get selected for the Unilever Changemakers Foundation School 2021. Here, we learned about the fundamentals and frameworks of marketing and finance by senior brand managers. Following this, we had an eliminatory assessment. Passing the assessment, we were assigned a corporate case deck as a part of the famous corporate case competition - HUL's LIME Season 13. My team won the competition, and secured direct entry into the Semi-Finals of the competition. My contribution towards the project was the entire marketing framework and ads - which made us stand out from the rest and earned praises from senior managers. My key learning from this entire process was as follows:- Techincal knowledge boost: especially in Marketing as that is the field of preference I chose- Case handling experience: First-hand experience in dealing with an extensive case competition.- Confidence: The panel feedback, and winning the competition was reassuring in terms of case competitions - which will be a daily affair at XLRI.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
Five years from now, I see myself positioned in the management of a leading organization in the marketing/operations domain, whilst also conducting pilot rounds for my start-up. Having completed my MBA from the prestigious institute XLRI, I see myself gaining some corporate-world experience, and simultaneously finalizing a comprehensive business model for my start-up. Being an entrepreneur has been my dream since childhood. I have taken several small-scale initiatives during the pandemic, which offered me more learnings than success. I aspire to gain proper experience and build a financially stable base and then take up entrepreneurship gradually to return to the community.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
Personality. Ever since school, I have been an active participant in public speaking events. Apart from honing speech and debating skills, I have learned how to learn from people who are better than me at something. Fast forward to my college IHM Pusa, which is the county's Rank #1 Hospitality Management Institute, had a robust collection of events for me to participate in. These extra-curricular and co-curricular events introduced me to diverse groups of people and taught me to move outside my comfort zone and interact with new people. I often receive compliments for my professionalism. During my experience in ITC Maurya as a Hospitality Intern, I had customer-facing roles which also involved serving guests. At Marriott International, as a Management Trainee for Cluster Revenue Management, I had interactions with General Managers and Vice Presidents on an everyday basis, hence professionalism wasn't a choice but a pre-requisite.The grooming aspect of the hospitality industry has contributed to my overall personality development. Now that I look back at my peers from school or new colleagues, I realize the importance of having a pleasant personality, professionalism, and good communication skills.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
A successful manager (they/them) acts as a leader for their team, instead of a boss. They facilitate and maintain a positive and productive work environment. A successful manager possesses exceptional people skills and maintains an open-door policy for their team. They promote a two-way method of learning, where the subordinates feel valued and their opinions hold weight in the organization. They are empathetic and act as mentors for their teammates when required.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
This is a situation from my experience at ITC Maurya, a five-star deluxe luxury hotel. ITC Maurya is the preferred residence of heads-of-states and celebrities. During my internship, I was rotated among all operating departments. While I was posted in Bakery, a subsection of the F&B Production department, it was severely short-staffed due to unavoidable circumstances. Being the festive season, the workload was tremendous with an unequal distribution of tasks, creating undue pressure on the team. Consequently, I found some of my seniors doing double shifts to stay on schedule and taking responsibilities that were not expected of them. This inspired me to follow their lead and help reduce the burden on the team, but my daily tasks were already very exhausting in nature. Besides, I was already contributing more than what was expected of us as interns or mentioned in our job description. This led me into an ethical dilemma. However, keeping the organization and the learning aspect first, I performed double shifts for the entire week, something that was not expected from an intern. I learnt operational processes from my supervisors and relieved them from tasks that I could fulfil so that they could take care of more complex responsibilities. My seniors took note of my helpful behaviour and made sure that I learnt the processes effectively, even during the busiest of times. My fellow interns were motivated by my initiating behaviour and volunteered to take on extra responsibilities as well. The impact of this situation on me was that I had more tasks and the responsibility to execute them while maintaining the performance standards; I also made good cross-boundary relations. The impact on my seniors was that there now existed an equitable distribution of work, which boosted their morale. I was also appreciated by the then Corporate Executive chef for my due diligence.
If you were the CEO of any company of your choosing, which company would you choose and what would your first action be as CEO?
Oyo. We have seen Oyo grab the headlines quite a few times in the last 2 years - and for all the wrong reasons. There have been instances where partner properties have had to opt out of contracts because of the delays of payments of dues by Oyo's management. Having a detailed background in hospitality, I believe I would be able to make the right changes - in organization structure, policies, SOPs, and wherever the need shall arise. Another major problem faced by Oyo is that partner properties are using Oyo's platform to get listed and enjoying bookings from Oyo's customers, but actually selling their rooms as offline/walk-ins for marginally cheaper rates. This is a loss-making proposition for Oyo because properties are using Oyo's customers and their listing space for personal benefits, devoiding Oyo of its cut, hence leading to losses. Having said that, my first action as a CEO would be a deep dive analysis for Oyo partner properties. I would make stricter Oyo-partner rules which strictly prohibits them to indulge in such malpractices. Next, those partner properties would be identified who have been adding on to losses for Oyo, and their partnership with the company would be reconsidered.
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Check The List Of InsideIIM’s 50 Most Promising Incoming Students 2021 Here!
For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.
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