‘Listening effectively is biggest challenge’
IT IS CRITICAL FOR NEW TALENT TO FEEL
PROUD AND SATISFIED ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO
DELIVER WORLD-CLASS PRODUCTS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES
Sunil Mathur, is one of the
few chief financial officer’s in a core engineering company to have been
elevated to the post of managing director. In fact, it is widely believed that
his appointment could likely resolve the succession issue in some of India’s
other companies too! Siemens India is also one of the few multinational
companies where the global chief executive officer is also on board of the
Indian unit, displaying the belief the parent company has in the subsidiary. A
long-standing employee, Mathur took charge in January, 2014, and has since then
taken steps to transform Siemens India into a customer-centric company. Edited
excerpts:
How do
you define a leader?
In my view the most
important trait for a leader is to listen. This is one component of overall
communication and I think a good leader should be able to communicate
effectively. The ability to listen gives a better understanding of what is
required and can help organisations shape their plans.
In your
organization how do you groom future leaders?
Our future leaders are
identified and developed through programmes that involve exposure to modern
management techniques, visibility to executive management and evaluations by
external experts. In addition to all of these we also expose our future leaders
to our businesses abroad through overseas delegations where can showcase their
abilities. We also try and expand their horizons through job rotations. Mentoring
and coaching also plays an important role in grooming future leaders.
How
difficult is it to retain talent in the manufacturing industry?
Retaining talent in this
industry is, in general, a challenge. It is therefore critical to continuously
expose them to the latest technologies and techniques and to empower them to
contribute in creating a high performance and high productivity manufacturing
facility. They need to feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in what they are
doing (as we all do), and be encouraged to deliver world-class products with
world-class standards at the most competitive costs.
In a fast moving world
where everything is very dynamic, how does a leader ensure that his plans are
carried out in the best possible manner?
This forms part of what I
mentioned before about communication and I shall illustrate it with my own
example. When I was offered the chance to become the CEO, I had to tap into the
single most important feature that I thought was crucial, which was the
company’s customer. This was given shape through constant interaction with my
colleagues. It was this exercise that gave me the chance to increase the
company’s focus on customers. I then put this plan into action by meeting
customers. In two months, I met with about 70 customers. I then launched an
internal programme to drive the entire approach toward customers. This was
again communication, but of a different kind.
What are
the challenges?
I think the ability to
listen to your employees, to your customers, effectively is the biggest
challenge. For a company such as Siemens which is operating at a time when
there are significant changes happening all around, it is crucial to be closer
to your customer. That is what I took to be my first task – to be customer
centric. The next priority was to find solutions to existing issues.
Do you
think leaders are born and not made?
I don’t think there is any
rocket science here. A lot of what a leader does is common sense. You can see
that everywhere, even with the neighbourhood chaatwala. There are many such
sellers, but there will always be this one chaatwala who is very popular. It’s
mainly because he knows how to take care of his customer. That is the key.
How do
you strike a work-life balance?
Weekends are strictly reserved for
family. I go on a holiday once or twice a year. One of the keys to excellent
work-life balance is getting your priorities right, loving your work and
family, having a great team and a clear focus.
Source | Hindustan
Times | 4 June 2015
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Khaitan
& Co
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