Something Must Be Done About This

For ten years, I was consumed by the thought that 'there isn't God's altar in the house', all because I didn’t take action.

January marks the month of salary revisions at Veena World. HR is fully immersed in reviewing everyone, while managers are on edge. Each year, it feels like this process should become easier, yet it never does. We decide annually that the salary increase should match inflation plus one percent, following the American system, but reality has its own plans. Throughout the year, some employees exceed expectations, while others may fall short. A rising star is spotted somewhere, while someone’s performance declines. Therefore, it's impossible to apply the same measure to everyone.

In America, there’s a culture of ‘hire and fire’, whereas in Japan, once an individual forms a relationship with an organization, it often lasts a lifetime. Geographically, India sits between these Western and Eastern civilizations, and we inherit the essence of both. When considering salary increments, we look at technical aspects through an emotional lens. We view each person as a team member, and this process takes time. But in the end, every individual matters. Each team member contributes to forming the organization.

During this process, all the managers, senior managers, and general managers are deeply engaged in thought. Eventually, we also join the discussions and provide input in situations where a decision hangs in the balance. In these meetings, certain employees or team members become the focus of extensive discussions. Opinions differ; some defend the team member, while others express concern.

One thing I have realized is that whenever there’s an extensive discussion over a particular team member, it’s an alarming sign. Should this person remain in the organization? Are they here just for a job, or have they been wrongly assigned to their department? Or is their career path itself incorrect? We use the ‘Recruit-Review-Relocate-Release’ method for everyone, but if we have to deliberate this much about a member, we must take action. No individual must be trapped within an organisation and no organisation must be trapped by an individual.  Sometimes, it's better to part ways and move on to something better for both parties. It might seem extreme, but in the long run, it’s in the best interest of everyone involved.

Take simple things, for example. Just the other day, something happened. I sit at one end of the office, while Sudhir, Sunila, and Neil sit at the other. Sometimes, we cross our ways within the office, and there begin our casual water cooler talks. There’s a washroom nearby. Sunila remarked, ‘This washroom needs a small cupboard. There’s nowhere to store clothes, nowhere to hang uniform t-shirts. Shouldn’t there be something?’ We then realized that we have had this same discussion every year. The thought, ‘Oh, how much space is here?’ has been a recurring bother. If we had instructed the administration, the work could have been done in eight to ten days, but instead, we have endured eight to ten years of inconvenience because the task was never assigned.

The idea of God being not outside but within our own minds has become so ingrained within us that it has eventually became overwhelming. We moved houses many times, and each time, there were small or significant changes to the interior. Whenever I came home, it would hit me—‘Oh, we didn’t create a space for God, but God is within our minds’. After looking at the interiors of one house, I was struck by the thought that ‘There’s no cheating with God; there must be an altar , and so, I instantly made my way to ‘Aakar Art Gallery’ located in Mumbai’s Prabhadevi. Over the years, I have  seen huge magnificent altars, showcased in this gallery whenever we used to pass by.  After entering, I choose an altar. Now, it was just a matter of paying and taking it home. But the salesperson said, ‘This is our display piece. You can pay an advance, and it will be delivered in two months’.

Gosh! For someone who’s used to getting things done instantly, two months felt like an eternity. So I left the showroom without placing an order, thinking I would go to Santa Cruz (a popular suburb in Mumbai) and get a marble altar instead. But something came up, and I never made it to Santa Cruz, nor did the marble altar made it to our home. Ten years passed, but nothing came of it. Finally, after a decade, I went back to the same showroom, paid the amount, and after two months, that altar came to our house. For ten years, I was consumed by the thought that there was no God in the house, all because I didn’t take action.

Many things bother us at home and in the office. We complain about them, and they consume most of our energy throughout the day. This nagging and complaining gradually turn into worry, and we start using the fashionable term ‘stress’. Someone once said, ‘We’ll help you de-stress your organization’, to which I replied, ‘Thank you, but after spending many years, we have come to the realisation that doing the right things from the beginning is the key. We are working to prevent stress from entering the organization in the first place’.

We are bringing transparency into the organization. Decisions are made in a timely manner. We strive to make the right choices by considering all the facts. My daughter-in-law, Heta, has shared with everyone the theory of ‘Agree to Disagree’. In order to move ahead, some people have embraced this phrase, and it’s well-rooted in the corporate world. We have started an open house in the office, where anyone can come and visit me. Even newly joined team members meet me, reducing any fears in their minds. Once a month, the entire Veena World team across India meets on Zoom to plan for the upcoming month. In short, this keeps everyone ‘On the Same Page’. After all these continuous efforts, why would stress ever enter the organisation? Prevention is always better than cure.

Something must be done about the things, people, and relationships that bother us. There’s no point in dwelling on them, wasting energy, or complaining endlessly. Either take action or accept the situation with an open mind, find joy in it, and never complain about it later. Another principle we follow at Veena World is not to keep complaining about our country. We should be aware of our duty towards our nation and move forward calmly, confidently, and cheerfully.