Soon we were thrown from the high lands of induction into our workplaces and before I knew it, I could find the nearest coffee machine in Mahindra's Kandivali office with my eyes closed (ideal time for coffee too, if you know what I mean).
Having said that, I must confess that with a project like mine, I rarely felt a need to keep my eyes open. As I dived into it, I could see myself going through cutting edge research from prominent authors, company data and the latest decisions on the niche issue of
perception of organizational justice. But one doesn’t need fancy research or data to know one thing about this simple-but-not-easy construct. In a large firm like ours it is like Oxygen – one doesn’t feel its presence as much as its absence!
But 'nuff about the work. Let's talk about the people!
Along the way, I was introduced to my buddy for the internship. I still recall the first advice that he gave me that Mahindra has an interactive culture, where it is appreciated if one directly approaches required stakeholders without getting involved in the hassles of approvals or the ping pong game of emails. Organic bit it seems and boy is it true! I recall approaching various key people directly to get the information I needed.
Having said that, I also realized that my buddy was someone who would always keep me on my toes. There was always a challenge that needed mindful thought, optimized planning and above all, quick and directional decision-making. But it was this need that made me stretch beyond my comfort zones, developing these crucial aspects to evolve the professional in me.
Also, an important figure that needs mentioning is my project guide who was one of the most revered HR leaders in the company. I soon found out why – even after rising to be VP HR (Farm Division and 2-Wheeler), he was soft-spoken and a good listener. To me, he was a light-house guiding a distant boat in the night-sea, to the shore of success.
Okay. Scooting away from them metaphors and back to work…since I need to do
Justice (get it? :P) to the title, in which I tried to force-fit the word “Rise”. My project, at every step, became a series of steady instances of entering dark rooms. In each, my job was to find the weakest points on the wall, break it open to another dark room, but one which ha marginally more ambient light. So…I guess it’s back to metaphors then.
Ladies and gentlemen...rising actions and plot twists! See ya in the next chapter!