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Sathya Narayanan Nandakumar

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Sathya Narayanan Nandakumar

Business Operations Manager

HP

Current job description

I'm currently working with Hewlett-Packard India as Business Operations Manager, Global Procurement.
    * To manage Business Escalations
    * To manage Mergers and Acquisitions in the APJ region
    * To identify opportunities for Value Stream Mapping and bring down the NVA
    * To manage all tool deploymentsin the APJ region
    * To act as a Country focal point in managing the local processes and systems

Leadership qualities

You need to be posses the following important skills.
    * Need to be a Visionary
    * Be Emphathetic
    * Have Courage
    * Never hesitate to share candid feedback
    * No discrimination. Differentiate only by performance.
    * Encourage the team to think on their own
    * Be pragmatic
    * Understand the importance of educating the team, than mere training
    * Develop good interpersonal skills
    * Last by not least, Habituate a very effective communication skills

Ensuring growth

A Leader is a one, who takes debit and gives away credit to his/her team. Also, you need to be a selfless leader and when you practice these, by virtue you can command and not demand the respect. When you reach up in the Corporate ladder, the more you need is, Common sense approach than your technical/subject knowledge.

My advice

    * Be focussed
    * Never be short-sighted
    * Always look for a possible, Win-Win situation
    * Develop effective Communication cum Presentation skills
    * Get your Decision making skills better and needless to say, a lot more quicker

Doing things right

I personally believe, Professional and Personal life are two rails on which we (as a train) travel. Similar to this, we need to ensure that, both travels in tandem and never gets overlapped. If it overlaps, make no mistake, the train will derail with out fail......
I would do the following do connect the dots....
Professional life
    * Understanding the bigger picture
    * Coping with the change
    * Learn from the mistakes and ensure that, it doesn't repeat again
    * Identify the right skill sets with your team members and nurture them
    * I will always listen, especially with my Customers
Personal life
    * Spend quality time with family
    * Support CSR activities
    * Create a good network of people

Influenced by

My inspiration was always my mother, Prema. Though, she is a house wife and not bagged with big academic qualifications, she was one of the most talented person. She always used to say, A life with out a goal is meaning less and it's a like a ship with out a Captain, which is directionless. She also used to emphasize that, there is no substitute for hard work and be true to yourself first and God will help you with the rest...
Thus far, i strictly follow these principles and whatever, i have been today and it is all because of her. I salute her..........

Handling grievance

# Step in to their shoes and always be emphathetic
# Patient listening to their problems, solves many. Eventually, you may or may not agree with them
# Educate them on the situation
# Make them binding to the solution
# Be firm, if the situation warrants to

Important career decision

* I switched my job only thrice, in the last 18 years of career which makes more sense. With that said, i do not discourage the people changing jobs. But frequent change will make you less attractive in the market and be prudent when you decide for a change.
    * Follow your heart
    * Taking meaningful risk
    * Enhance your knowledge as much as you can
    * Read the case studies

My view on India technological development

* We lack in financial support
    * VC's are very few
    * We do not want to take any risk
    * Billionaire's in India has to support for the Growth of the Country need to assume the role of VC's
    * Breaking the Bureaucratical structure and eliminating corruption.......................from the root
    * Government (via Banks, as they are sitting on the huge pile of cash) has to step in to create a cohesive atmosphere and fund the worthy projects, if required at a nominal cost
    * Not sure, if this is feasible.... Institutions like LIC, they have more than 5000 Crore's worth of unclaimed money for many years and they should come forward to change the we think and work

Family background

* I'm married and my wife is also employed
    * Have two sons and they are 9 & 3 and studying in DAV School
    * My parents live with myself
    * My younger brother got married and he is settled in US
    * I'm put up at Alandur, Chennai