Archives: Employee Stories

They often say that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. The one that I am about to share with you brings many events to the fore.

It was the winter of December 1994, if my memory serves me right. The Middle Eastern market had started picking up after sustained efforts of over a year of establishment. Out of the blue, I received a message from Nitin Warty, the International boss at the Head Office – “RDA will visit the Dubai office around Christmas”. I realised later that the workaholic that Mr. Aga (fondly known in the office by his initials – RDA) was known to be, was probably visiting the UK to meet up with his newborn grandson, baby Zahaan (Meher’s son) and did not wish to spend idle time in the UK or India, around the New Year, when there is little business activity in most parts of the world. The only probable activity would happen in the Middle East!!

This sent all of us into a tizzy. The few moments that I had spent with him on clearance to set up the North East office at Dibrughar and the UAE office, was taxing enough. Three days with RDA was a tough call.

Honestly, I got all the help that I possibly could to create a watertight program. Our small team comprised of Mr. Raut and Muthu, as well as our closely networked ex -Thermax group. Mr. Sunil John, ex-Corporate Communications, deserves a special mention here for being well connected with the press for RDAs visit to be covered by the Gulf News and Khaleej Times. Unny, who was the GM with Terrazo, Sharjah at that time, was a key guide and advisor. Of course, we cannot forget our dear Parvin who prepared a sumptuous dinner for the entire Thermax fraternity. Apart from various customer visits, we had an exciting ‘Key Customer Contact’ power lunch at the Hyatt, since Mr. Aga always wanted to get the feel of the market first hand. After two decades, I still look back with pride at Arab, Pakistani and Indian entrepreneurs animatedly discussing business and quality of customer response in unison.

There are a couple of memorable snippets that I would like to share with our readers.

As we were moving around the UAE, I kept receiving repeated phone calls from an irate customer of Indian origin. We had supplied a surface quoting line for job work. The installation was having multiple teething problems. I kept assuring our customer, Mr. George that the matter was being dealt with and we were on top of the situation. My intention was to shield Mr. Aga from the client. However, as expected, he caught on to the situation and my plight and insisted that he wished to visit the customer’s site. So, Mr. Aga and I drove through the narrow lanes of a rundown industrial estate in Sharjah. He took down every detail of the issues faced by the customer on his ‘red pad’ and promised a suitable response. That evening he flew back to Mumbai. Phew!!… However, as expected, it wasn’t the last we had heard from RDA about the customer’s issues.

I had just reached the office the next day at 9 am and heard the phone ringing. RDA was on the line (It was 10:30 IST). Without any preamble, he asked me to repeat all the issues that Mr. George was facing and I rattled out every detail. He clarified that the entire team were listening in on the call and that matters would be sorted out. And, indeed they were. Much later I realised that he probably went straight to the office from Mumbai airport, met up with the team and only got back home after the engagement and feedback were done with. What an exemplary commitment to customer support!

Sadly, as we all know, all good things must pass and the circle of life takes over. I faced a double whammy in February / March. Within months of the exciting times in the UAE, I lost my father and we all lost Mr. Aga within a gap of a week or so. It struck me that the last time RDA landed back on the shores of India was after the UK /Dubai trip. At one end, I faced a huge loss but at the other end was gratitude in my mind for being blessed to have this exposure. Years later, Pheroz Pudumjee summed it up aptly during one of our many exchanges at the erstwhile Thermax International “My only regret is that I could not spend a few more years working under Rohinton.” Well, the show goes on and the circle of life continues.

– Feroze Bacha
Ex-Thermaxian

After completing my engineering degree from IIT Bombay, I spent a very interesting and eventful period in a large engineering PSU for 18 years. I was getting used to the comfort zone. This is a typical state where you are bereft of challenges. Before lethargy sets in, I needed a change and started looking for options.

During my subsequent trip to Pune in early 1992, I visited TBW (the present TBWES) and after meeting with the concerned people, decided to start a new innings in their field engineering department. This news was received with mixed feelings by my colleagues. While some congratulated me, others were apprehensive about my decision to leave the safe ocean of a public sector giant (turnover 3,000 crore) for the unchartered waters of a relatively small private company (TBW turnover at that time being around 30 crore). But I was excited and looking forward to this change.

I shall never forget my first day in TBW. After completing the joining formalities, I was asked to report to Mr. Oak, Head of Field Engineering. After the preliminary icebreaking chat, I was asked to pay a visit to an ongoing site in Bhosari where an oil fired boiler was being erected. My last posting in my previous organisation was at a 3 x 500 MW power plant. You can imagine my shock on seeing the TBW oil fired boiler at Bhosari. It was a package boiler in a 5m x 5m enclosure! All apprehensions of my erstwhile colleagues flooded my mind, and I had serious doubts about my decision. But after some reflection, I decided to leave the ocean behind me and plunged head-on into the TBW sea.

Over a period of time, I found that TBW was a wonderland of boilers! There were so many types of boilers that I had never heard of. Each new project was unique, a discovery, learning and a challenge. My earlier stint instilled a specialist culture, making you a master of only one, but in TBW I realised we had to be a jack of all and master of some! The projects were small in comparison, but the exposure was tremendous!

One more striking difference I noticed was that in other companies no matter how senior you are, there was always somebody above you to make decisions and it was expected that your senior would take the required decisions, leaving you free of worries. Therefore, my first few months in TBW were difficult as I tended to seek Mr. Oak’s intervention in most of my work as I had been indoctrinated to behave so. One day he called me and explained to me that I had full powers, authority and responsibility to make decisions regarding my work and it is not expected that I shall encroach upon his time to carry out my job.

I got the message. From then on working in TBW was a joy! But sometimes it was like a mad house as the pressures and challenges were high. I was surprised to see that there was hardly any hierarchy. All the people were on first name terms as against the yes sir, sure sir, right away sir culture. The open door policy in TBW encouraged subordinates to approach seniors freely. Even our MD’s cabin door was always open.

Here I got the opportunity to interact with our American B&W deputies and in the process, gained valuable guidance in conflict management. Their management style was informal and if they needed to discuss something with you, they would come to your workplace and not summon you to their cabin.

As the days passed, I found myself getting used to working in the informal and at times chaotic environment of TBW. I experienced the pangs of working in a growing organisation and growing along with it. The growth of TBW over the years was phenomenal and with it came computerisation, systems and procedures, ISO and ERP and along with it came orderliness.

TBW was growing steadily under the able guidance of our MD, Mr. Prakash Kulkarni. He had a very endearing style of functioning, taking all of us together, always engaging the HODs in shaping the company’s policies and involving them in critical decisions. He would cajole us to experiment, to stretch, to walk that extra mile so that we remained ahead of the competition. It is this spirit of TBW and Thermax as a whole which was so enjoyable! Thermax is one of the very few professionally managed family businesses of India.

In TBW, I saw that people did not believe that the boss is always right. The work culture encouraged healthy dissent in the interest of the job which is very rarely seen in the industry. Here I found that the guiding principle in dealing with subordinates was that every individual is taken to be sincere and honest unless proved otherwise. Trust and delegation were the hallmarks of the work culture, encouraging individuals to unleash their potential. Merit and hard work were rewarded. There were plenty of opportunities for individual development through mentoring and technical, behaviooural and managerial training. 

After spending 13 years in TBW, I left for another organisation but I realised that after working in TBW, it is extremely difficult to work anywhere else. I returned back to Thermax within a year. After my superannuation from Thermax I spent three years managing a 600 MW power plant but always missed the Thermax culture.

Now that I have hung up my boots, I look back fondly to the time I spent in Thermax. I shall always remember Thermax as a company which is caring but firm with its greatest asset – its employees. A company that brings out the best in you, enabling you to always better yourself.

Even today when I see Thermax in the news for some feat or achievement, my heart swells with pride for once being a part of this wonderful organisation. Thermax and its employees have a great future indeed!

– Jayant Sagade
Ex-Thermaxian

When it is time to say goodbye after 33 years of communication work for companies (20 for Thermax), there’s the formal job of handing over files and documents. Beyond that, there is the expected and essential transfer of knowledge: the understanding that resides not in files and folders, but in the minds and hearts of practitioners of a discipline. Happily, the remarkable editorial freedom that communication professionals enjoy within Thermax enables such a transfer.

So, what do I tell the new team of Swastika and Chitra and Akansha?

Should I borrow the words of Bernard Shaw to say that this job was a sort of splendid torch that I wanted to burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations? I am no Shaw and here that would sound pompous. Should it be the Soviet era joke about succession – the one about those two envelopes that Stalin left behind for his successor Khruschev, asking him to open the first when the first real threat to his chair emerges, and the second one only in a truly hopeless situation? Years later, on opening the first envelope, Krushchev read, ‘Blame everything on Stalin.’ Much later, when he felt his time was up, he opened Stalin’s second life-saver. Again, just one line: ‘Prepare two envelopes.’ No, Thermax is a far better workplace to merit such a cynical approach. Or, should I adopt some TED talker’s line about feeling humbled to leave behind for the amazingly talented new generation, those (equally incredible) insights? That won’t do. Too phoney for my taste.

There’s no standard way of extracting some sense from that amorphous ragbag called experience. So, let me potter around my unkempt garden and gather a sheaf of remembrances. Or, lessons, if that suits the occasion.

Here’s one I learned from Ahmed, my predecessor. He used to say that communication should be contemplative action and, by way of illustrating the idea, he brought in the example of the archers of our North East. A trained archer would walk around the target, pause and take aim, change his stance, walk a few steps to another spot, view the target from another angle. This would go on, sometimes for a boringly long time. Then, with a new purpose, the archer will stride to one spot, take aim, point the arrow and release the bow. Hits the bull’s eye.

Yes, jumping into activity is all too easy, and especially so with communication which often can give the illusion of action. Like Chaplin running up the escalator… Instead, it would work better if we bring in a little thoughtfulness, ask for more – more of information, photographs, perspectives, a better brief, more of everything – and wait for ideas to mature. Now that the Alfonso season is over, many of us will again remember the difference between the disappointing taste of mangos hastily brought to the market for quick bucks, and the glorious ripeness that comes from sunlight and the quiet days of waiting.

Let me bring in another visual: of a child sitting at a window or on a wall, looking at the world, one leg inside and the other dangling outside. That image of being, at the same time, at home and the world outside – if only organisational communication can achieve that harmony while engaging with employees and the outside world. Now, websites can be accessed by anyone, employees or external public. Still, the challenge of crafting communication for different audiences remain. Much before digital communication dissolved boundaries between inside and outside, Fireside had attempted such a composite conversation by reaching out to both employees and the external public, in one go. Not many house magazines do that. This approach was not limited only to Fireside and it has had two consequences inside Thermax: one, barring some rare instance, Thermax employees get to hear about their company first from internal news platforms and not from the mass media. Secondly, the thought that a wider public will be reading the housemag, influences the choice and presentation of editorial material. Though we may not have succeeded every time, there is always a sense of care, a touch of finesse that this publication has aspired to.

Today, digital platforms and the social media have extended the communicators’ horizons. Their versatility in integrating text and video, quick access and their phenomenal reach make them exciting tools. But as with traditional forms of communication from an earlier time, they too demand the same attention to detail and fact checks. More so, especially when speed, so integral to the digital world, can also derail the best of intentions. The old sentinels of journalism – what, when, where, who, how – are still essential when we put together a story or a communique, be it on Thermax website or Twitter, Fireside or Facebook.

We must be clear-eyed about what new technologies can accomplish. Let me share this anecdote attributed to Jean Cocteau, the poet and filmmaker, as he made the crucial distinction between the medium and the message. When Cocteau in the 1950s was told that there is no future for films unless they are made for the wide screen technology of cinemascope, he remarked that next time when he writes a poem, he will ask for a bigger sheet of paper.

Finally, there is language. Though there is a surfeit of visuals in today’s world and smart phones have reduced conversations to emojis and memes, language will prevail. Even if the whole world is burning down or if astronomers discover nine more earths, and even if the cameras are live streaming these epochal events, we will still need words to tell ourselves what’s happening and why they happened.

At Thermax, we are fortunate to have the legacy of Rohinton Aga, one of those rare business leaders who could use plain English eloquently to explain, to express and to communicate. Read his articles and you will see that he used language not to fog or to confuse, but to clarify and to make things meaningful. This legacy of clear communication should continue across media, across platforms to position Thermax as a warm and living entity.

– A.M. Roshan
(Ex-Thermaxian)

As I penned down my thoughts on the occasion of International Men’s Day which falls in November, I took the opportunity to reminisce and acknowledge the contribution of men in my personal and professional growth. Let me explain.

I have always expressed my heartfelt thanks to the men in my family and my friends from time-to-time, whenever I had the chance to do so. But this time, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my first mentor and manager, Pravin Karve; who is currently the Executive Vice President of the Boiler ” Heater division at Thermax.

I met Pravin for the first time at a mentorship programme when I joined Thermax as a management trainee in November 2006. I had heard a lot about him from my colleagues. However, when I saw him, I was pleasantly surprised by his personality, which is an epitome of grace and humility. He agreed to be my mentor, and that was the start of my professional grooming for an exciting career ahead. I was this gawky newcomer with absolutely no practical technical knowledge of a boiler, and here I was recruited for handling the international marketing and tendering of boilers. But not once during any technical discussion, did Pravin make me feel that I was immature, incompetent or a misfit for the job. Instead, he taught me the basics of professional conduct like how to organise emails, files and folders in my laptop so that any information could be easily retrieved, as and when required. It was he who also taught me how to respond to emails, not to use bold or capital letters in emails (as it seems like shouting) and to use dispassionate salutations and greetings. He suggested that if a colleague or customer expects my replies on queries pointwise, my response should be just next to each question in a different font colour. I still continue to use these methods, even after 12 years. He deeply ingrained in me the importance of developing an expertise in tools like MS Excel and MS PowerPoint, to be always curious about all the latest trends and advancements in technology and to make use of the same in day to day tasks. “Technology and efficiency go hand in hand,” he had said.

I confidently faced any professional challenge that came along my path at Thermax, while on the personal front; Pravin introduced me to ‘The Art of Living’ foundation that resulted in calming down the personal storms. I was made to understand that every person deals with their struggles that others would not be aware of, which is why it is important to be nice to all. At the same time, he also advised me not to be a pushover, not to apologise unnecessarily and never allow people to walk over me. He advised me to have the wisdom to identify people, analyse situations and avoid emotional reactions or responses to anything. I learnt the importance of turning up to work every morning with a fresh mind, fresh face, professional and clean attire, greet people warmly, and to travel light with no past baggage.

I thank Pravin for making me confident, ensuring that I pay attention to details, and practice high ethics at work.

Back in the year 2008, I recollect how during a meeting, a dear colleague complained of what he perceived as being bullied at the workplace and how given his frustration, he wanted to resign. After giving him a patient listening ear, Pravin laughed it off and shared how every person’s professional
ship will hit an iceberg once in a while. He expressed how he has undergone such hardships himself, and the only thing one could do is to grin, bear, breathe, concentrate better, work harder, and the phase would pass on its own, life is too long for such experiences to last forever!

The most important lesson of life that I have learnt from Pravin is how important it is to make other people feel good about themselves. By doing so, we automatically empower them and give them confidence. This helps them gather enough strength to fight and survive alone under any circumstance.

Because of my association with Pravin early in my career, I have developed a passion for teaching and training newcomers. I derive great pleasure when I instil confidence in the new joinees by making them feel good about themselves, guide them about the right channels and motivate them to attain greater heights in life and. This is my karma now.

– Manasi Joshi
Operations, Jabil Circuits Pvt. Ltd. and ex- Thermaxian

Every time during my talks, discussions or business sessions, when it comes to people, processes and leadership, one common factor is always Thermax. And, I keep asking myself one question; how is it that some organisations are remembered by their ex-employees long after they have left and even after so much of water has flown down the Indrayani River?

To look for an answer let me begin from the beginning. Thermax has a special place in my heart and mind. Having been a member of this organisation, it has in many ways significantly changed the way I Think, Act and Relate, and every time I think about it, I feel a strange aroma or aura gradually welling up inside me, and I become nostalgic instantly. This may look a bit dramatic, but I am trying to express my feeling as precisely as I have always felt. It is quite strange that a relatively small slice of your professional life (about five years) could have such an overwhelming influence on your life and impact your thought process so irreversibly.

Let me give you a few instances which may give you some glimpses of how organisational culture, values and beliefs are built, brick by brick. My first intersection with Thermax began with an apparently innocuous interview at the Apollo Bunder office of Thermax which at that time housed it’s regional office, in Mumbai. The interviewer was P M Kumar and he in his inimitable style never made it look like an interview. We were talking, discussing and exchanging thoughts on various issues, including HR. This meeting resulted in a chain of interviews, and I made three to four trips to Pune, during which I met about ten or more people including Business Heads, top management representatives, and my prospective ‘peer’ in HR.

My final meeting was with Mr. Rohinton Aga, and this proved to be one of the most precious moments of my life, the memories of which are still vivid in my mind. He came out of his office, invited me into his office, held the door for me as I walked in, made me sit comfortably in the sofa next to him; and not across the table of his official sitting place, and began to make tea for me.

During the ongoing discussions, again, not an interview, at one moment, he asked me that he had seen quite a few HR people start their own consulting business, after gaining enough confidence and experience. How about you? To which I replied, “I am basically an organisation man, and at this stage, I have no such intentions.” The moment I said, “organisation man”, I could see his eyes suddenly light up with a childlike curiosity; he leaned forward with a smile on his face and asked me, “Have you read The Organization Man by William Whyte?” I said ‘yes’, and we then began to discuss the book.

When I left his cabin, the thought that came to my mind was; I just met a business leader, an intellectual, a thought leader and a philosopher, all rolled into an illustrious Mr. Rohinton D. Aga. Trust me, I felt little dizzy and a lot honoured! I was selected and then came the day of my joining. My first encounter was with the lady handling the reception desk, who called me ‘Siddharth’. Having come from an organisation that was during those times mired in an overwhelming hierarchy, laborious bureaucracy and excessive niceties, this was different. In fact, being addressed by my first name was itself a first!

And then came my meeting with Anu and here is her first sentence to me: ‘My name is Arnavaz Aga, but this name is a bit of a tongue twister, so you can call me Anu. However, you may initially have some hesitation calling me Anu, so you can start with calling me Mrs. Aga, but never call me Madam.’

My next formal meeting with Anu was at the time of my confirmation, which turned out to be yet another life-changing moment, that has stayed with me even after so many years. Here is what she told me: “I am very happy with you and would like you to be part of my team. But there is only one thing which I would like to share with you as feedback, and that is; you don’t seem to disagree with me quite often, and largely say ‘yes’ to what I say?” In any other organisation it could have easily been construed as an ‘indictment’ but knowing Thermax, I clearly understood it as an ‘invitation’.

But, before that let’s ask ourselves, “How many HR Directors/CHROs, leave aside Business Owners, have the courage to say this and demand this particular behaviour from their subordinates?”

Now all these were different incidents, apparently unconnected to each other but were they really unrelated? I don’t think so. I saw a pattern emerging; a careful nurturing of what we ostensibly call culture, values or beliefs. It was, without doubt, different, and maybe that is why it has, even after more than two decades, remained etched on my mind, fresh and fragrant.

And thus, began a journey; or a quest for a meaning; for the mind, spirit and intellect. I, many times tell my audience that my five years with Thermax were much more precious and satisfying than a degree from any of the top business schools in India.

And that brings me to the next question that I ask myself: How do organisations survive and thrive? How do they ensure that perhaps insignificant, but emotionally profound gestures keep them relevant and connected not only with their current but exemployees too? And finally, how do successful organisations keep learning and growing?

Here is another example of how a small get-together turned out to be a memorable moment for us and why Thermax, and our association with it, continues to enthral us, even after so many years!

Somewhere in October last year, many of us, the exHR professionals of Thermax, had a “reunion” and to our immense delight Anu Aga, our ex-colleague and the then Director HR of Thermax, also joined in, and she hosted us at her house. For me, the additional high came from the fact that I got an opportunity to meet two of my three HR mentors – Anu Aga and Prasad M. Kumar.

There were no expectations, no agendas, no speeches, and no self-aggrandising gestures but an unbridled expression of nostalgic moments, emotional affiliations and feelings of relatedness that binds us together even after so many years (some of us were meeting after about two decades).

The group represented six waves or generations of HR professionals, separated by different timelines yet united by a unique culture; and the common thread was how Thermax had touched our lives in some way or other and how it became a 'way of life', rather than being a mere organisational milestone to be proudly displayed in our CVs. For some of us, Thermax had indeed changed our lives forever.

All of us, including Anu, shared experiences, anecdotes and memories that represented slices of our lives, but when seen in totality, emerged as a brilliant and larger than life collage of culture, built and nurtured over decades by the founders of Thermax. And for most of us, our experiences represented
a reaffirmation about how Thermax valued people and respected the contrary viewpoint.

Thermax is more of an institution; an organisation so different yet grounded, informal yet process oriented, organised yet creative, and structured yet so devoid of hierarchy.

But as the glorious moments of togetherness came to an end and as we parted reluctantly, we were filled, with a refreshing interaction on the one hand, and the other, by sadness about the beautiful moments that we had left behind and the glorious legacy that we all are part of.

But the most reassuring realisation was that Thermax and its legacy lives on!

– Siddharth Dhar
Managing Partner, Saffron Strategic Consulting and ex- Thermaxian