Monday Motivation: The three simple rules of productivity

Plan, anticipate and be flexible, says Parag Kulkarni, Senior Vice President International & President India Business, A. O. Smith: 

Who do you consider your mentor?

In the official realm, three Gurus have influenced my worldview - two from my previous organisations and one from my current. In the personal realm, a true mentor who shaped my thinking was my late uncle. My first job had a stipend of ₹1,900 and his advice was to keep aside a fixed amount to buy books. He said they would be lifelong companions who would help cultivate an open mind. This has been the most priceless advice I have ever received. Sports, music, politics, economy, culture, human psychology, history - there was no subject he could not speak on without authority. The time spent with him is life’s gift to me.

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One major insight you worked on with your mentor’s guidance?

Broaden your mind. Buy books on varied subjects, read and absorb them. There is wisdom in every page that can help you. Even if it’s a small sum from your salary, keep it aside every month to buy books.

What does being a mentor mean to you? How do you mentor your colleagues at work?

There is a “jewel” in every one of us and a true mentor is one who can help harness that and guide the mentee to overachieve their potential. Most times, managers point to missing pieces in team members and potentially run them down and break their confidence. I believe it is important to identify and play to the strength of the team. Where is the time to see what’s missing? Why should you always look at negatives? Of course, teams should learn from mistakes and always learn new things for personal and professional growth.

What’s your morning schedule like?

I get up at 5am and do yoga and stretches, take a short walk and catch up with friends over coffee. This energises me to have an impactful day. This is followed by weight training in the gym. On weekend mornings, running is a passion. Catching up on morning newspapers is simply beautiful - despite all the technology in the world, I am a hard copy newspaper guy. After all this, I get to work. Starting early allows you so much time that you are never rushed.

What are some of the productivity principles you follow that have made your professional and personal life much easier?

Plan, anticipate and be flexible. We must know what we want to do before we start our day. I anticipate events and challenges ahead to prepare myself and build flexibility in my schedule to accommodate the unexpected. I am a people person and believe in the collective power of the team. A team achieves much more than a set of individuals and yet the challenge is always in coming together and being purposeful and motivated around common goals. Hence, a lot of my effort is in crafting and sharing our vision and building a collective ownership around that.

What’s the one positive work routine you have developed during the pandemic?

I ran the most during the pandemic and barring the lockdowns, I was outdoors every day. My timing on each run was better than before and a lot of that was possibly because of lower pollution levels, bountiful oxygen and low city congestion. Running for me is meditation and helps me connect with myself. A weekend run helps me switch off, process a whole lot of things, ideate and strategise without distraction and interruption.

Any book or podcast you would recommend about mentorship and growth?

During the pandemic, among the early reads I did was Bob Iger’s, Ride of a Lifetime. It has great examples of how he overcame adversities, transforming them into opportunities. It has some great leadership lessons for all.

How do you unwind? Do you pursue any serious hobbies?

While indoors, books keep me company. However, I am definitely an outdoors person - running and wildlife photography are my hobbies and passions. I hit the jungles as often as I can, which could be easily 5-6 trips in a year. This helps me unwind and stay connected with nature. A trip to the jungle also means you connect with the rural world and enjoy the simplicity and minimality of life, far from the urban centres where life is steel, concrete and commerce.

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