In this blog post
1. Tell us something about your childhood. What values had been instilled in you that helped you excel later in your life?
I think we all have our modest beginnings; I have certainly had mine. Growing up, we were comfortable but never outrageously wealthy. My parents were extremely hard workers and that is something they both instilled in me and my sister. We had everything we needed, but there weren’t a lot of luxuries and we didn’t miss them. Another thing our parents were very unequivocally insistent about was a good education. My father lost his father at a young age and then proceeded to educate himself and ended up getting his doctorate with a scholarship. My mother came from a family that put education above all else. Hard work and the value of education are two things that were instilled in us early in our lives.
2. What have been some of the biggest challenges in your life and how that has shaped you?
When I moved to the US, I lived on my own for the first time and so many things were new and different. Every immigrant has gone through that phase but for me that was especially hard because I was so sheltered before that. Getting a hang of the education system that was so different was also a task. After working in academic research for a while, there was a point when I realized didn’t want to be in academia. I had enrolled in an MBA program that I really enjoyed. When I went back from my maternity leave, I wasn’t willing to give up on my research position yet. There was one semester when my son was still an infant, I was taking 5 classes, working 30 hours a week in my lab, and teaching 2 online courses. It was a result of pure planning, and a lot of support from my husband; my days planned to the minute. It was a very trying time but was extremely rewarding.
3. How did you discover your passion for STEM?
I always enjoyed Biology. I found it fascinating and I was also fortunate enough to have some great Biology teachers. One of my teachers ended up mentoring me and helped me explore various opportunities. That was a big turning point for me. She tried to nurture my interests and talked to me about my options going forward. Studies have shown that school-going girls, lose interest in STEM at an early age, more so than boys, if not nurtured and supported appropriately. Girls take it harder when they make mistakes, and we need to show them to learn from it and continue moving forward.
4. What were the biggest leadership shifts in the past year?
We have all been trying to do our best juggling work and our family’s health. And we’re all in this together. There have been times my sons walked into the room while I was in meetings and no one batted an eyelid. Leaders understand that we are all managing things at home too and allow us the flexibility to do so. People step up to the challenge they are presented if we give them an opportunity to do so and the pandemic has clearly tested all of us.
5. Could you tell us something about how to manage remote teams?
I personally like to have video calls with my team members and know what is happening in their lives even outside of work. Our physical and mental health and well-being makes everything else possible, being mindful of that is important. It is also important to empower our teams to feel confident enough to come up with the best solutions. It is very fulfilling for me to see my team members come up with better ways of doing things and prove me wrong. A manager’s number one priority is to ensure that everyone is working to the best of their ability.
6. How important do you think is Diversity and Inclusion for corporates?
We are resistant to change but change is the only constant. Look at what the last year has taught us. Diversity, inclusion, and equity are considered buzzwords in corporate world, but they are important in every facet of life. There is a story about 4 people looking at a box as a problem but from different angles. So, it is a different problem for each of them, that results in different solution. Being inclusive fosters creativity and innovation.
Valuing our employees empowers them to be better performers. I have been fortunate to have leaders, both male and female, who have shown faith in me. I am particularly proud of working with Premier. Our leaders ensure that everyone is given a seat at the table and is heard and that makes everyone, in turn, want to do a better job.
7. How would you describe an ideal technology partner?
The number one thing would be for them to understand our business. They must have the capability and resources to fulfill our business needs. Another important thing is clear communication. However, one thing that the pandemic reinforced was that the highest priority should be the ability to transform. Even if we don’t have an immediate need, we must have the capability to learn and adapt.
8. As someone from the healthcare industry, what message would you like to give to our readers especially about vaccination?
India is at a stage right now where US was sometime ago. We’ve had over a year to prepare for this and yet we aren’t adequately organized. On top of it, there is a debate about the vaccines raging on. The technology that these vaccines are based on has been widely researched. I would request people not to be skeptical of them. It will not make you immune from the infection, but it will ensure that you don’t die from COVID. Complications from COVID can have severe, adverse, long-term effects.
Please wear your masks, social distance if you step out of your homes and make the right decision for yourself and your families and get the vaccine when you are eligible.
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