Some companies are humungous, many are profitable, quite a few are innovative but only a handful manage to be all of this and much more – “A Legacy”. These were my grandfather’s words as he was reminiscing his experience at TATA Steel the day I was leaving for my summer internship. So, for me personally, this internship was as much of consequential emotionally as it was professionally.
They say the best way to begin a narrative is to start from the start. So, let me tell you about the day when it all began – “The day I bagged my internship”.
We were a bunch of exuberant first years who were twitching deep within when the recruiters arrived. But the second they entered the enthusiasm emanating from them managed to change the aura of the room to a bright and exciting space. And thus began the selection process. Starting with a group discussion round with ten candidates per group, ten of us were shortlisted for the second round.
Anxious for my turn in the second round, I sat in the corner of the waiting hall, trying to recollect each and every framework, law or organizational behaviour theory that had ever crossed my sight. Fortunate are those who manage to have an adept memory! Not being among those fortunate few, I had trained my mind to find ways to thrive in conditions as such. But to my surprise, in my forty minutes of personal interview, I wasn’t asked any question that could be linked to MBA theory. My panel asked me a series of situational questions that would possibly arise in a manufacturing firm.
Finally, my name was announced along with my peers who bagged the summer internship with TATA Steel. 15 days before the start of the internship program, we were asked to choose our project from a project list. Owing to my proclivity for IR, I managed to rank all the listed projects in order of my preference. Two days later, I was enthralled when my summer internship project was a core IR project. But then I realized my location was not the well known Jamshedpur city. Instead, I opted for a project that would require me to work from the Kalinganagar plant. Keeping my fears at bay, I realized it’s time to set my sail and reach the storm’s eye.
I vividly remember a poster that captured my attention the minute I set foot on roads of Jamshedpur. “Jamshedpur completes 100 years!” I then realized TATA Steel had 111 years of Steel manufacturing inheritance. It was then that I pondered over the fact that in this VUCA world, where many phenomenal companies do not last for more than twenty years, what does it take to stand strong and keep growing for 111 years?
With this thought still lingering at the back of my head, I stepped into the induction process. I found my answer 5 minutes after our Talent and Acquisition Group started interacting. Though it was difficult to point to one particular constituent of the TATA Steel culture as the cornerstone of its success, “Responsibility” towards their business and social objectives seemed to me as their focal point of differentiation.
Five minutes after the end of induction, I received a mail stating that my travel arrangements to Kalinganagar have been made and I would be starting in an hour. This is when I comprehended that the sheer focus on these minute details is what makes this 111 years old company agile. Little did I know that this would be one of my most valuable primary lessons for the months to come.
A 6-hour drive through meandering Ghats brought me to my 2 month’s abode “Kalinganagar”. Quite frankly, neither have I been much of a traveller nor did I ever fathom to live in a flat with a view of luscious green mountains about 100 feet away. The next day was much of a meet and greet with the Human Resource team and my guides. Before I divulge any more about the project’s nitty-gritty, let me present to you my project statement -
“Assess the skill adequacy and design Displaced People (DP) Employees’ development and subsequent deployment road map in TATA Steel Kalinganagar.”
To be honest, apart from the basic understanding as to who a Displaced Person is, I had no idea as to how to approach working on this project. But my guides and HR heads made sure to give me a clear understanding as to what do they expect as my project output, what are my KPIs, where should I be focusing my attention on, who are my key stakeholders and who should be my points of contacts.
I distinctly remember my HR head quoting J.TATA “… the community is not just another stakeholder in the business but in fact the very purpose of its existence”. My HR head further continued saying “we work on finding opportunities where we as a business and community as our stakeholder can both benefit. As an intern, it is your unblemished perspective on this topic that we look forward to.” It was at that fraction of a moment that I was scared of going forward with such an ambitious and uncharted project. But then as Professor Albus Dumbledore said: “We must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy.” I realized not only would it be a once in a lifetime opportunity professionally to work on such a niche project, but I would also be working towards the development of the community as a whole.
In the seven weeks to come, I searched for my project solutions in the seven heavens and above. What really helped was the continual guidance from every level and every department I had visited. I was bewildered at the complexity of issues on the ground level. It was one thing to recommend a solution sitting inside my cubicle but it was all together a herculean task to implement those recommendations. Every time I encountered an implementation issue, I recalled our professor Gaurav Manohar Marathe sir saying “Humans are beautiful yet complex beings”. In this way, I realized until my recommendations don’t have a humanistic approach I
would never be able to give an implementable solution.
The same culture of never overlooking the minute details that runs all through TATA Steel’s fibre helped me in refining my solutions over and over again. It was indeed a tedious process especially when you reach the brain clog state. But never once was I left stranded in the whirlpool of my dilemmas. Just as “Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it”, I always had help from my guides, Heads of HR and to that matter, the CHRM of TSK; all I had to do was ask.
And the hour of the final test arrived. My final presentation was scheduled in Jamshedpur with a panel of around 3 CHRMs and other senior-level managers. It is one thing to interact with industrial stalwarts but it is altogether a completely different dimension when it comes to presenting our recommendations to them. I was way beyond the stage of nervousness but that did not last long.
As soon as I entered my presentation arena, the panel made sure I was comfortable. The effort they took in understanding the rationale behind each of my recommendations banished any of my hidden preconceived notions.
All in all, my project was a success and my efforts were recognized and appreciated. Yes, I learnt a lot in terms of technical skills required for an MBA graduate. But what’s more important is that I imbibed what I felt as the cornerstones for a successful life, not just professional but personal as well. I realized integrity and commitment towards a seemingly unachievable target would lead to success in the long run.
I can say that today after 8 weeks of rough sailing and smooth anchoring, I am proud to be associated with the TATA Steel Legacy even if it was for a short duration of time.