Toilet rolls and a Speech

JRD Tata, who served as Chairman of the Tata Group for over five decades, was a stickler for excellence and perfection. Here are three simple but memorable stories which can inspire us to excellence, in our own lives.

JRD Tata would often fly on Air India, the airline that he had founded in the 1930s. Meher Heroyce Moos, who joined Air India as an air hostess way back in 1965, has written a warm tribute, about how JRD would “walk the length of the aircraft, checking out the galleys, the equipment used, the furnishings, whether the curtain had frayed, or whether dust was found on the lower edges, the crew’s interaction with the passengers and above all the quality of the meal services”. 

Once, on an Air India flight, JRD was travelling with L.K. Jha, one of the seniormost bureaucrats in the Indian Government. Suddenly, JRD went missing from his seat, for a long time, nearly an hour. L.K. Jha was naturally concerned, and, when JRD returned, he asked him where he had gone to.

JRD replied that he had wanted to see if the toilets on the aircraft were clean, and all arrangements were as per specifications. But Jha was still not convinced, because just a mere inspection of a few toilets would not take an hour’s time. So he persisted with his query. JRD eventually responded – “The toilet rolls had not been placed properly.”

Jha was amazed with what had actually transpired. JRD Tata, founder Chairman of the airline, had gone to each toilet on the aircraft, to ensure that the toilet rolls had been placed as they should have been. He had then personally corrected any wrong placements. This singular attention to the smallest element of detail undoubtedly had its impact on every member of the team, and made Air India one of the finest airlines in the world.

Yet another vignette is narrated by Jitender Bhargava, who had joined Air India in 1989 as head of public relations. On 15th October 1992, he was waiting at the Oberoi Hotel, to receive JRD Tata for a party to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Air India. The party was due to start at 930pm., and as Bhargava began escorting JRD from the entrance of the hotel to the poolside, which was the venue of the event, JRD told him – “Sorry young man, I am late”. Bhargava expectedly said – “No, Sir.”. JRD Tata immediately pulled up his coat sleeve, and showed Bhargava his wrist watch. It showed 933pm., a delay of three minutes. The delay may have been small, but JRD nonetheless felt the need to apologise, for not being perfectly on time.

The third story is narrated superbly by JRD Tata’s biographer, RM Lala. Once, a young economist working with the Tata Group, D.R. Pendse, was invited to speak at an International Conference in London, in 1979. JRD Tata heard of this invitation, called Pendse to his office, and asked for the text of his speech.

Pendse responded to JRD that he normally spoke extempore. JRD exclaimed – “You mean you will address an international audience of 500 people without an address in your pocket. Have you rehearsed your speech ?”

Pendse admitted that he had not rehearsed his speech either, but was proposing to do it in the London hotel the day before the event. JRD was not happy with this proposal, and immediately told him – “Your audience will hear you, but have you heard yourself? Keep a tape-recorder in front of you every time you rehearse at home, and play it back. Then you will know how the audience is going to hear you.”

JRD also advised the young Pendse that he may know the topic of the speech - economics - very well, but he should nonetheless prepare rigorously, and talk slowly. Then, because Pendse did not own a tape-recorder, JRD picked up his own tape-recorder, and lent it to him. “Take this. Write your speech. Rehearse at home. Listen. Then you can return it to me. I will find another recorder (for the meantime). Don’t worry, and good luck to you.”

Pendse promptly changed tack, as advised by his Chairman, and practiced his speech. He then delivered a brilliant address at the London conference, which was met with a standing ovation. Pendse tells R.M. Lala – “It was beyond my expectations. And as I sat down acknowledging it (the applause), I could almost feel the Chairman smiling at me.”

D.R. Pendse later went on to become the Economic Advisor to the Tata Group. What was remarkable is that JRD Tata, Chairman of a large industrial group, found the time and energy to speak to his young economist, and advise him on the rigour and discipline required regarding excellent preparation for a speech.

JRD followed this practice in his own life, too. He wrote his own speeches, often correcting them several times in his own handwriting, until they met his high standards of excellence. It was not unusual for his speeches to have four or five interim drafts. He would often refuse an invitation to speak unless he had adequate time to prepare very well.

All these stories are rooted in one of the key guiding principles of JRD Tata’s life. In his own words – “That one must forever strive for excellence, or even perfection, in any task however small, and never be satisfied with the second best.”

Do we follow this simple but powerful principle in our own lives ? Success would be a natural outcome when we pursue such excellence, and we would also feel far more fulfilled in every endeavour that we undertake. (Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons)

(Acknowledgement : Many thanks to Tata Central Archives, Pune, for providing the photograph of JRD Tata, featured above)