Chapter 3 of 7 - The Grind (not MTV style) – What I learnt in the first 9 years of my job

Now that I had become a member of the CA Institute – two resolutions happened. That I will not join any firm but be in industry and that it will not be a bank (dad was a career banker – and for a brief while led Internal Audit for India & Srilanka – but not a CA). In less than a month of search post results, I landed my first job – that too in Kolkata - Eveready. I worked there for almost 6 years. And then it was ITC where I spent close to 4 years. It was this 9 and a half years which helped me immensely in preparing myself as a well-rounded professional (and I don’t mean a round waist).

1.      16th Feb 1998 I joined Eveready as a Management Accountant (no fancy FP&A or Business Partner designation). I took over from a 50 something gentleman named “Manik-da” who favoured 14 column sheets to Lotus 123 (excel equivalent). That was my first experience of “insecurity” – my innocuous questioning was taken as a intrusion in the edifice built over 10 years and respected by all. I quickly learnt to be respectful. #Humilitywithrespect.

2.      Fresh into the job, I would stay back with Manick-da till he was done. He would say “good that you are staying back – but it would be better if you left. There will be lot of opportunities to stay back in your career”. Sorry Manick-da, should have listened to you. If in the fourth organization, I am still doing 13-14 hour days regularly, there is something wrong with me. #Grind

3.      The Head of Marketing introduced me to the world of data and statistics (Dasu-da – he was a statistician himself). Learnt the nuances of penetration, consumption, share of wallet, num D, Val D, etc. Finance guys don’t need to learn this – but it held me in good stead forever. I learnt the building blocks of the game called B2C business. #knowtolearn

4.      Then I learnt pricing of FMCG and the concept of Price Equalisation Discount (to nullify the impact of differential tax in different states to stop flow). In very little time, I was doing pricing independently – a very important skill in B2C. #knowtolearn

5.      Had a inhouse IT team. Learnt to build new reports, BOM, PSS (Product Specification Sheet), work with R&D team. Implemented AS-2 in 2002 thru one JV. #simplesolutions

6.      Learnt to build stories around numbers – so that people would listen attentively. Still do it. #alwayscontextualise

7.      And my boss – an amazing ability to break complex problem in to simple silos, solve each one of them and then add to solve the whole. Once I had asked him “how do you see so many sides to a situation when I don’t even see even half of them?”. He knowingly or unknowingly moulded me to what I am today. Thank you Sir. #supportforlife #simplesolutions

8.      I was part of a multi-million dollar M&A deal which did not go thru. But I learnt to dream! Even rejected a great job which came my way for it. While it failed, it was very sad but not sorry. #takechances

9.      Once I did a 10 am to 6 pm next day schedule for this project. #Grind had started

10.  Started financially contributing to my family. Very humbling but very important. #mylife

11.  Took upon the challenge to cut timelines of reports – by 70%. Nowadays it is called BHAG – those days it was the adrenalin of success. #personalpride

12.  Worked in 3 different factories for 15 months. Saw a lot – labour unrest, LTA discussions, production cuts, embezzlement (some of it in my tenure as well), Excise raid, pending excise assessment over 14 years, doing the job of supervisor on the shop floor, generate material variance reports every day by 9 am for production to review (no R or Python algorithm – plain common sense), enjoying siesta in Hyderabad after Hyderabad House food being washed down with Zingaro beer, staying 3 days in Hyderabad and 3 days in Chennai managing 3 factories, cooking on Sunday which would be eaten till Wednesday, eating whisky and lemon rice for dinner for the rest of the week, staying in a mansion in West Mambalam & a PG in a sharing room with a family in T Nagar – both Chennai. Life was difficult but beautiful and uncomplicated – enjoyed every bit of it and learnt to take it in my stride. #mylife #chinup

13.  Came back to Kolkata and got a very large portfolio of treasury, planning and corporate accounts. My boss said “I think you can do it – now prove me right”. He trusted me and his instincts and put a bet on me. Since then I have always gone with my instinct and bet on people giving them disproportionate roles. And mostly I have had great results. #takechances Especially with hard working intelligent people – they will positively surprise you. And I keep on saying - we are not launching the next rocker or inventing the next molecule. Need two things #commitment & #attitude

14.  Learnt to unwind – AAAI – between two colleagues 4 bottles of Haywards 10000 and 2 portions of fish finger – every Friday. #mylife

I will pause here – cant to justice to 9 years in one chapter – so stopping at 5 years . VUCA scenario. Will do the rest in  tomorrow’s chapter.  To Be Continued.......

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The VIEWS expressed are personal and consequences of them are mine & none else. And if anyone feels offended - sincere apologies - it is unintended