The First Call

Author of Stories at Work, Indranil Chakravarty, asks us to tell more stories - connection stories, anti-stories, influence stories - to remind and refresh why we come to work.

The first call is a two-way opportunity

A knock with untold possibility

What is the protocol for the first call? What is the tone of voice? How do we speak? How do we respond? Do we treat it with utmost care?

In September 1996 V. K Jayadev of Hindustan Lever Limited called to say, "Deepa, I hear you are back? I have some work. Will you be able to do it?"

Start with a "yes" is my default.

Even before "I want to know more"

A team member may reach out over phone, WhatsApp or mail. The first call is a big step in their re-entry decision.

"You have my number saved??!" "I have been thinking about calling for a year" "I wasn't sure if I should message or mail you" - they ask, tentative and often, overwhelmed.

Smita Arora tells us about the first call and our meeting in Miras on 1st November 2002.

Oftentimes, I am the one who makes the first call. Zia Hajeebhoy gives me Supriya Shashidhar's number. Supriya says she rushed to wash her hair to get ready to my urgent "let us meet in 30 minutes"

I made the first call to Laila Sethna on her son's birthday. When Laila and I met at my cousin's wedding reception, years after college, she said she was on a break. "I want to wait till my son is ten," had me calling her on the son's birthday on 10th August 1998.

Shilpa Ramachandran, a family friend, worked in Sita Travels. We spoke often for my tickets. Her manner, tone and tenor of voice, verbal communication, meticulous handling of information, responsibility, were extraordinary. Could she work with me? I would close each call with, "Shilpa, come work at Lumière." Shilpa has married her passion for media with moderation, and is a highly respected media researcher.

Trupti Sankar walked in to the Lumière office to meet me, and we had a long innings together, before she set herself up as an independent.

Trupti nudged and pushed her friend and colleague, Sara Nair, out of her sabbatical to get back to work, and Sara worked in research, before starting, 'Nair on Fire.'

My life work at Lumiere is meaningful because of the first call that led to us collaborating to create the path back to work, and to building a network of lifetime valued friendships.

We were not in Mumbai to celebrate the Lumiere birthday, but my screenshot background of Lumiere Alumni is to say "thank you" to each person that has worked with us.

Every first call is a strory.

Thank you for the first call.