RPGCOM :: June 2009

Chat Room
People at the core

Valuing people has always been one of the key principles for the RPG Group. Four RPG-ians express their views on how the group is people-centric.

Vidhi Changrani

How is the RPG Group a people’s place?

At RPG, the knowledge and competencies of people are identified, developed, sustained, and aligned to match the present and future needs of the organisation. People are involved and empowered. Sufficient autonomy is given in order to execute our duties and it is a professionally managed organization.The manner in which we communicate and treat our prospective employees -simple gestures are RPG’s signature practices. The amount of respect we accord is not associated with the position we hold. Employees can also maintain a perfect work-life balance.

During your stint at the group so far, can you think of instances where you have really felt included and been made to feel part of the family?

Various activities keep the spirit of “oneness” alive – The Mumbai Marathon, RPG Day, Diwali celebrations, and Top Gear Awards to name a few. Employee engagement programs such as webcasts provide a knowledge platform. Also the monthly Forum keeps us updated about various group companies again making us feel that we are a part of one large family..

How has the group helped in your personal and professional growth?

RPG mentors and trains its employees to help them realize and attain their full potential. Interventions are designed to promote individual, team and organisational learning opportunities. Learning is a tall agenda in RPG, a lot of effort goes in ensuring that the right opportunities are made available. Personally speaking, I am in the company of likeminded professionals.

Vishal Pawar

How is the RPG Group a people’s place?

I have seen that the biggest plus point of RPG group is it has such a good environment for employees wherein each and every one is valued for his/her contributions. CEAT is the best place to work. In CEAT you can see many new initiatives like CEAT Connect, CEAT Empower, CEAT VP's roll of honor etc. The management of CEAT takes all efforts to make CEAT the most preferred employer brand.

During your stint at the group so far, can you think of instances where you have really felt included and been made to feel part of the family?

I am leading one of the strategy groups currently as part of ICA (Industry Competitive Analysis), wherein my team members and I decide on the future strategy to make CEAT no.1 in one of the key market segments. This opportunity is one of the biggest opportunities I have got where the top management is also guiding me. In CEAT, the MCM members give us a lot of empowerment and opportunity to work on key projects. I like challenges and enjoy working sincerely to implement them.

Also as a part of the AMC, we were given key projects to handle some of which are already getting implemented for e.g. Car Policy, NPD etc.

How has the group helped in your personal and professional growth?

I have been with CEAT for the last 4 years, and I have grown manifolds each year professionally. Each year I have been entrusted with key responsibilities. The trust which my immediate superior has shown on me is reflected in my responsibilities and output. In CEAT the growth is phenomenal. As far as my personal takeaways are concerned, CEAT has helped me learn lot of practical things which are required for work life balance. Guidance from team mates and their help during difficult times encourages me to work passionately for CEAT. Valuing people has always been one of the key principles for the RPG Group. Four RPG-ians express their views on how the group is people-centric.

Pankaj Kedia

How is the RPG Group a people’s place?

The RPG work culture includes a high degree of sensitivity towards employees which make a great difference. It is noticeable that there is care taken to preserve the cultural identity of a totally different business. Also with that care comes the autonomy to grow in a professional manner.

During your stint at the group so far, can you think of instances where you have really felt included and been made to feel part of the family?

Indeed there have been many. The biggest learning experience for me was being a part of the cross functional team handling the Business Process Re-engineering exercise at KEC, and also when I was acknowledged with the High Flier letter in 2007.

How has the group helped in your personal and professional growth?

The grooming process has really helped me. My job requires detailed understanding of the dynamics of all the business of the group and that itself is the biggest learning exercise. Attending the LDP program at IIM (A) and the Oneness breakthrough program has been a great experience. I have also been conducting Finance for the Non Finance program with different group companies which also give a great internal satisfaction.

Nilanjana Dey

How is RPG Group a people’s place?

RPG Enterprises is characterized by warmth, a sense of belonging, commitment and flexibility; it is a great learning place with scope for ‘on the job learning’, people overcoming challenges beneath calm exteriors, decisions getting accepted and appreciated, mutual respect so far as the superiors and subordinates are concerned. It is a people’s place that has an ‘informally formal’ ambience with a management and work environment which can be called ‘professional’.

During your stint at the group so far, can you think of instances where you have felt included and been made to feel a part of the family?

Some of the instances where I have felt included and was made to feel a part of the family arewhen I became a part of the core team of the new RPG Intranet in 2008, six months after the project started! In the 2nd Stylefile show held in Calcutta way back in January 2003, I was responsible for communication on a mass scale through promotional campaigns. Events and session handling at the Group level in Duncan House, Calcutta was a part of my job profile and in 2008 I was involved as an integral part of the PCBL Fun@Work team.

How has the group helped in your personal and professional growth?

I have practically grown up in a homely atmosphere amongst sensible colleagues and seniors! It started with the receipt of an award in the Fine Arts category from Rotary International in September 1999, a month after joining RPG Group and for the first time I represented RPG Netcom before Press people and Rotarians at the award ceremony. I saw that my hobby (painting) is well utilized in my job that involves graphics, web designing & commercial art. I also got scope for higher education, serious writing through the erstwhile Netcom.com and iRPG, management of events and interaction with people, formulation of strategies to publicize The RPG Library (Calcutta) across the Group, knowledge sharing, improved stage confidence to face 300+ audience, host programmes within and outside RPG Group, followed by communication on a mass scale for Stylefile events held in Calcutta. And last but not the least, my job in RPG Group has given me my very own lovely warm apartment - a proud possession of a self-sufficient woman! Well, what more could one ask for!