In Memoriam

A couple of days back, I heard about the passing away of Mr PS Sharma, who was my Factory Manager in my first job in HLL (HUL of yesteryears!) And just a month back, I heard about Mr VV Ginde, who was the Regional Personnel Manager at that time, who also passed away. Within a short span, the two managers who I worked with in my first Levers job passed away. As I was thinking about the times with them, various thoughts went through my?mind.

PS was the quintessential HLL Factory manager. The factory rounds in the morning, the daily 10am managers meeting in his room (with tea), the lunch room discussions, then a flurry of notes to catch the evening train courier to the Head Office (those were the ‘email free’ days). ?But what set him apart was his energy, his drive for improvement- setting the agenda for the factory, coaching greenhorns like me, and ‘influencing’ Head Office. However, what he did the best was to build the ‘Lever’ culture in the factory. The focus on doing the right things. Being accessible to all workers and communicating with all. Building a family-like culture. I remember the various picnics with families, the numerous sports events, and occasions like Safety Day and Quality Day which were opportunities for engagement, and for workers to express their creativity and initiative- and PS was ever present, talking to people.?He was always full of life, warm hearted, always positive, and very enterprising. While he was expressive, I have never seen him upset. If something didn’t go well, he would discuss how to improve it and move on from there. ?For young managers like me, there was a lot to learn- it was a sort of a playbook on execution, on standing up for what’s right, on engaging with people and influencing other leaders. Working together in a small town, I got to know his family and children well, and we kept in touch- and he was a great inspiration for them.

Ginde sahab (that’s what we all called him, given his age and experience), on the other hand, was very different. He was calmness personified. He had tremendous knowledge and experience of IR, and had probably seen every situation under the sun. He was patient as he coached me to sign the first settlement for the factory. He was particular that we sign the settlement in conciliation and coached me on the finer points of that process. He was never overbearing- and would have visited the factory just a few times in those 3-4 years. But he was always there when we needed help. I remember a time when the local Factories Inspector filed some cases on us for working overtime without permission. I was distraught- but Ginde sahab helped me with advise to manage that. His style was not ‘in your face’ – he was available whenever you wanted him, whenever you needed help and brought his wealth of expertise to bear. And a call with him would always open up new things for me to consider. His focus was always to do the right things for the company in the long term- and he ensured that in his inimitable, understated way.

In my first job in HLL, both these leaders played a big role in my development, and I look back in deep gratitude. Both PS and Ginde sahab were typical organisation citizens- leaders who put the larger objective of the organisation ahead of anything else. They made the everyday operations company tick. They exemplified the values of the company and helped build the culture – their role in coaching and mentoring people was key. They were not leaders with a big public profile- but were the heart of Levers. I guess there many such unsung mid-level leaders in organisations, who do the important work of building the heart of the organisation, and need greater recognition.

On their passing away, we can but celebrate their lives and salute all that they did for many people, and for the organisation. RIP.