ORGANIZATION

BEHAVIOUR
ASSIGNMENT
Faculty: Dr. Sunaina Kuknor

Submitted by: Group 1 (Div. A+B)

Shivam Madhogarhia 43286 (20020141186)
Anukriti Krishna 43134 (20020141034)
Aishwarye Rajan 43118 (20020141018)
Malvika Joshi 43211 (20020141111)
Celicia Grace Lakra 43157 (20020141057)
Nikita Chitlangia 43229 (20020141129)
Vignesh Padmanabhan 43235 (20020141135)

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Name: Rajeev B Joshi
Designation: Sr. Manager, R&D – 4W
Organization: Gabriel India Limited
Industry Experience: 26 years
No. of direct reportees: 7
Email: rajeev.joshi@gabriel.co.in
Phone: (+91) 021-35610726
Mode of Interview: Telephonic conversation
Interviewer: Vignesh Padmanabhan

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:
With respect to your style of working within an organization and the organizational hierarchy:

-When it comes to forming groups or CFTs for various projects, what is the criteria you look for in a
team member?
RBJ: Three major points. The first has obviously got to be 100% dedication. You can’t have a team if
everyone isn’t completely committed to the goals of the project and those of the organization. The
second is empathy and willingness to share load. Sometimes if a person is overburdened or going
through a tough time, it falls to the rest of the team to take charge and manage the situation. Third is
objective thinking, and be ready to try. This, as you know is critical to any organization. There are cases
where a solution to a problem is very simple, but we dismiss that and go for complicated ones. Try out
the simple one first. If it works, nothing like it, otherwise back to the drawing board. People who exhibit
these characteristics are generally what I look for in a team.

-How do you deal with a subordinate when you do not like their working style?
RBJ: Depending on the situation, this can be dealt with in different ways. That said the path that I find
most effective is to take the person aside and discuss things face to face. We believe in 100%
transparency at Gabriel, so I would try to understand what makes that person’s work ethic suitable for
them, while also helping them understand my view of things, and working together to reach a
compromise.

-Someone does not like a person in your team and they try to micromanage, how do you deal with the
same?
RBJ: So internal conflicts are bad for any team. The simplest thing as Team Lead is to call a meet with the
involved parties, hear both sides of the argument, and take a call accordingly. If a compromise can be
reached, that ends it. But it’s not usually so simple. In this case, a good amount of gut instinct and
judgement and past experience helps in decision making. Worst case scenario, you have to involve HR as
a mediator, but that is always a last step.

What are the points or you keep in mind when trying to negotiate with seniors? How do you deal with
conflicts with your boss?
RBJ: I have been very fortunate in my career to have very good bosses. But the key to any negotiation or
conflict resolution, with a superior or junior, is empathy. See things from the other person’s perspective
and then you can understand what to do differently.

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With respect to Judgement and Leadership Style:

-How do you celebrate successes and tackle failures?

RBJ: Every success deserves to be celebrated. The main thing here is that your team should feel valued
for the efforts they’ve put in, so I tend to make sure their achievements are highlighted. That said, they
need to realize that now that they have set the bar, they need to raise it. As such I expect a higher level
of output from them going forward, and they are aware of it.

Failures are the way we learn, so my objective is to focus on the positives in that failure, see what could
have been done better, and incorporate that into future projects going forward. For a teammate, or
someone working under me, it is an opportunity to grow, and the relevant skills can be added to their
Learning and Development program, thereby improving their value to the organization

-What are some things unique to the culture of your organization from other organizations?
RBJ: Our business philosophy articulated by the founder chairman, "Business is 90% People" says it all. I
personally believe that every employee should feel respected and should get freedom & opportunity to
develop self with a continuous focus on business results, which makes our people happy. We have seen
a positive trend in the top-line as well as bottom-line year on year, as a result of teams that are aligned
in their thought process and are eager to perform above and beyond the call of duty. This also helps us
in the retention of talent.

-How do you deal with different personality types as a manager?

RBJ: Everyone has their own pace and style of working. So, in order to get them to perform at their
maximum, sometimes you need to adapt your own style to match theirs. The most important thing in
this case is communication. There needs to be a clear understanding between both manager and
employee of what the expectations are, and what might be the best way to fulfill them.

-How do you teach and keep the culture of your organizations alive at different levels of your
organizations? How do you get new employees to be gelled up with the culture of your organization?
RBJ: Culture is a big part of who we are at Gabriel. Team building and bonding activities are a regular
part of our daily life here. We have Super Saturdays that we conduct every week, where everyone across
the organization participates with great interest. The goals of the organization are passed down through
regular Town Hall meets, and for employees on the shop floor, there is our weekly “Mann Ki Baat” with
the plant head, where employees can resolve their problems in an open environment. By ensuring that
we put our people first in every aspect of our daily work life, we continue to ensure our culture of One
Gabriel One Team is carried forward

For new joinees, the transparency we show as an organization can be a bit difficult to adapt to. We have
an open-door policy here, and are always approachable. Unlike most organizations, we foster an
atmosphere of learning, and encourage mistakes, as they enable growth. We also emphasize a lot on
Team Spirit. This in addition to the above, makes it easy for new employees to get accustomed to our
culture.

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With respect to Workplace Politics and Biases:
-What are some employee relationship management techniques you take from your personal end?
RBJ: Every employee has his/her own individual way of working. Work with them to understand that.
Any mistake should be seen as a learning opportunity. In case of conflicts always put all points on the
table and have an open discussion. And always remember to balance work and personal life.

-How do you deal with office politics?

RBJ: I don’t like office politics, which is one of the reasons I’m at Gabriel. The transparency and honesty
here is second to none, and we rarely have any issues with respect to office politics ever come up in the
organization. That said, my mantra is always “leave everything on the table”.

-How do you handle a racist or a sexist comment made by a colleague?

RBJ: We have a zero-tolerance policy here, that is strictly enforced. The employee in question is
immediately reported and strict action is taken. No exceptions.

-How do you prevent your personal biases from affecting your judgement?
RBJ: The only way to do this is remaining strictly professional. Once I step through the gates in the
morning, I am an employee of Gabriel, and the company’s needs come first. The same applies for my
team. I always want the best for them, but if there is a team better suited to the task at hand, they can
take the lead.

You had a bad day at work- say with your boss, how do you ensure that you avoid it from trickling
down to your subordinates?
RBJ: This is similar to the previous question. Just because I have had a bad day does not mean my team
needs to experience it. That said, my bonding with my team is strong enough that they are capable of
understanding when I am upset at something, and are willing to give me space and time.

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Group Learnings:

Vignesh Padmanabhan: My key takeaways from this conversation would be the leadership style
employed by Mr. Joshi. He remains calm and assesses every situation before taking any decisions. His
focus on transparency and open communication ensures that his goals and those of the organization are
clear and aligned at any point of time, and his policy in the event of successes and failure, and dealing
with different personality types, drives both him and his employees to perform to their best, thereby
contributing more to the growth of the organization.

Anukriti Krishna: My main learning from this interview with Mr. Joshi is that people management is key
to reach the goals of an organization. Employees are the heart of an organization; hence it is important
to make sure they are valued, involved and motivated through a democratic leadership style.
Developing an atmosphere of shared accountability and responsibility will lead to all team members
staying aligned. An open-door policy with managers will help to thereby create a harmonious work
environment.

Aishwarye Rajan: My key learning from this interview is that Mr. Joshi has a leadership style in which he
practices humility first. He doesn’t let his personal biases and emotions get the better of him in the
workplace which ensures that the organization benefits tremendously through his team. It seems very
clear through the interview that Mr. Joshi has truly understood the company’s vision and culture and
has ensured that they are passed on through him to his team so that there is uniformity in the main goal
of his team.

Malvika Joshi: My key learning from this interview is the management & leadership style of Mr. Joshi.
He ensures that the workforce is as enthusiastic about the business as the management. This helps in
making people interested in your strategic decisions, thus aligning them to your business objectives.
Open communication about strategy, financials, and operations creating a culture in which people feel
they are trusted. It truly involves employees in the business. Being as open as you can, Mann Ki Baat,
etc. are some of the few practices which can be adopted.

Celicia Lakra: In our conversation with Mr. Joshi, empathy and transparency were recurring themes.
When interacting with team members and superiors in an organization, he talked about the value of
empathy. Everyone is unique and has their own pace and working style. So, often one needs to change
their own style to ensure optimum work with minimal conflicts. Transparency is an important part of
work culture that is required to reduce issues relating to office politics and ensure growth within the
organization.

Nikita Chitlangia: My key takeaway from this interview with Mr. Joshi is that a great leader is the one
who is not quick to action but assesses the situation before deciding on a way forward. Mr. Joshi does
not let personal differences come in the way in his workplace and is more logic-driven that he is
emotionally-driven. He is also very clear about the company’s vision & ensures that this is passed on to
all the employees in the organization. An open communication policy will go a long way in creating a
work environment conducive to success.

Shivam Madhogarhia: Our conversation with Mr. Joshi reveals various facets of how the various
components of an organization function in terms of group behavior and dynamics. Personally, the key
takeaways from this interview is how he constantly stresses on the importance of having a sensitivity

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towards the emotions and feelings of all other employees of the organization irrespective of their
stature in the hierarchy. In addition, the interview highlights the need for acknowledging the diverse
nature of the employees i.e. each individual has their own way of working and hence a special way of
getting the best out of them and superiors should be cognizant of this fact to enhance overall
organizational effectiveness in particular and organizational behavior in general.

Manjunath Jagdish: Our pleasant conversation with Mr. Rajeev Joshi enlightened his ideology about a
good work environment and his focus on the most effective use of the pool of talent available around
you, and also gives a lot of insight about how open he is with his colleagues and his clients alike. He is a
straightforward person who doesn’t like to involve himself in the politics of a firm and his tremendous
respect for his workplace gave us a deep insight into his character and work ethics. The one key
takeaway was the transparency he maintains with the people around him and how a good leader deals
with problems that arise from time to time.