Love thy work, be buoyant and successful in life

In the cutting-edge competition within the business world, there are only a few business heads who love their job. While others focus on running behind money and success, there are some who are busy working hard and falling in love with their work. That incidentally happens to be one of the blueprints for accomplishing dreams in the corporate world. This whole process makes them well-versed with the business ethics, its basics and mostly the idea on which its soul functions. A quick learner, proficient and charming Charu K, has over the years learnt the art of mastering a role and then moving on to the next profile because for her, variety is the spice of life. She is of the opinion that when one’s work is so vibrant and different yet unique at the same time, then going to the office every day will never seem like a task. Currently serving as the director at the American Express, Charu shares her dynamic career spell with Corporate Citizen

From wanting to be a NASA scientist as a child, to dreaming of acing the fashion designing realm, to currently working as a director with American Express, I feel that my life is coming to a full circle. My academic growth vs my career graph might seem amusing, but what’s fascinating is the amount of knowledge I have garnered and the lives I have touched throughout my journey.

Broadening my horizon

Growing up, there was a continuous influx of knowledge that helped me mature in many ways. What intrigued me was my sense of adaptation and the understanding of my aspirations. Nearing the end of my school, I realised that my calling was in the field that had to do something with numbers. Then began my journey of becoming a NASA scientist. However, it did not fall in place as there weren’t many options to explore in our country. Well, neither did I pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer. That’s when I decided to give my love and affection for numbers a chance. An Honours in BCS from Delhi University cleared several thoughts in my head. In fact, I could picture myself growing in this field. The course, which was equivalent to any engineering course, broadened my horizons. It helped me to establish my passion or rather forte for logical reasoning. That itself gave me the confidence of entering and conquering any sphere.

All through my father’s career, he happily served the government and watching him blossom into this spectacular human being, I knew what my calling would be. However, at the beginning of my career, I was sceptical as to if I could even make it into the corporate world. But there was a lot in store of me. This sphere had a lot to offer.

Beginning my corporate career

While trying out different things in life, I had an epiphany that it is always important to pick the right course, decode every transcript it has and invest time in understanding its basics. The bottom line is if you enjoy what the course has to offer, it is easy to decide your career path. Soon after the course, I was sure that hardcore programming wasn’t my cup of tea. However, sequel programming was something that caught my eye. And then, doing a management course made sense to me.

With a clear picture in mind, I applied and got through a Welsh University. As the sessions were going to start in the Fall season, I had a few months in hand to get the gist of how the corporate world works and also earning a few more bucks would anytime make me happy. I decided to interview with Dalmiya Association, as they were looking for a database programmer. Luckily, that happened to be my strength. It was a great beginning to my corporate career. Being a quick learner, I adapted to the environment and easily grasped what the company had to offer. Within no time, I was promoted as an MIS Analyst. Finally, being good at numbers paid off! In the same period of time, I learnt to ace MS Office, set agendas and objectives, communicate with the seniors and got the hang of the corporate gambit.

This whole learning process made me forget about the MBA course. I guess things happen for a reason. And surely, being in this field made me content. Soon, I was offered the role of a business analyst which included dashboard designing, reporting and creating tableaus. Later, I shifted to another organisation, which was a promotion as well. There, I had an interesting role in the offing. I had to lead a team which was responsible for the reporting of the entire line. I got a hang of various aspects like data quality, reporting and project management. Slowly and steadily, I inched closer to my dreams. I learnt the art of becoming a people’s leader.

After four years of experience, I joined the American Express, into the analytics department. But the journey did not stop there. I made sure to travel through every department and grabbed the opportunity on an array of projects. I understood the science behind mergence, operations and governance. And since then, there is no looking back. Amidst this, I never missed a single opportunity that gave me a chance of learning and honing my skills. I also, did a course in data science and Leadership Excellence.

"Growing up, my love for Maths grew so deep; I had picked a good habit of noticing the numbers of the vehicles while I was travelling. I would memorise the numbers and instantly recollected the state to which it belonged"

Talk us through your fascination towards numbers.

The secret behind the meaning of numbers is immaculate or rather awe-inspiring. I am yet to decode what got me attracted to Math, but I am quite delighted that it happened. As a child, I was always charmed by the concept of numbers. And I realised that I have developed my love for Math and computer around the fag end of my school. Growing up, my love for Maths grew so deep, I had picked a good habit of noticing the numbers of the vehicles while I was travelling. I would memorise the numbers and instantly recollected the state to which it belonged. More so, I would even add the numbers on car plate in a jiffy. And now it all adds up. I have come far in my career courtesy of my love for numbers.

Tell us about your learning at the Harvard Business School…

The greatest thing in life is to enable and empower others. And by being a righteous leader, we can push others to contribute effectively at work. Effective leadership was something that I was keen on learning. The thrill of learning something new and interesting had always gotten the best out of me. Learning constantly is like going on an endless adventure where the path is laid with enlightenment. After getting a few years’ of experience in the corporate world, I decided to learn something that I was passionate about. The Leadership Excellence at the Harvard Business School broadened my horizons and enhanced my corporate learning. The course was totally based on day to day learning coupled with accurate learnings from the industry. The moderates did a good job during the sessions. In fact, we had several delegates form American Express nominated for the sessions. The structure of the course provided some face to face session, interactions and case studies.

Over the years, you were fortunate enough to be a part of several departments. However, you stuck to just three companies in your career so far. Your views about this?

As I mentioned, one needs to understand their character and personality. For someone like me who is always on the go, I am always on the hunt of trying new roles and responsibilities. I have the urge to find a purpose and set an objective, and once I have achieved that, I move on to the next complex goal. As a matter of fact, when I started my career, I did not have the same expectations. My ideal aim was to stay with a company for not more than two years. With the first two companies, I summed up around five years. However, when I shifted to American Express, I saw my aspirations coming true as they offered me varied roles. That indeed gave me a chance to be a part of several departments which strengthened my knowledge. American Express offers plenty of options to their employees which gives them a chance to grow. Right from choosing a preferred location to shifting to their dream department, the learning options are endless. Which is why I would stick American Express for years to come.

"My ideal aim was to stay with a company for not more than two years. With the first two companies, I summed up around five years. However, when I shifted to American Express, I saw my aspirations coming true as they offered me varied roles. That indeed gave me a chance to be a part of several departments which strengthened my knowledge. American Express offers plenty of options to their employees which gives them a chance to grow"

How do you perceive the boom technology in the corporate world?

You can do wonders if you embrace the technology rather than looking at it as a threat. But you look at it as a threat, there will be a constant scare which will be hovering over you. If you can upscale yourself with the technology as a human, employee, entrepreneur and corporate leader, success is not far behind. Focus on something that you have the control on, rather than something which is inevitable.

What according to you makes a great data scientist?

Somebody who can understand the customers’ requests and needs. Here, a customer could be anyone with a varied role and background. In fact, even your leader could be your customer. If you can understand what is the objective of the complex problem only then you can do data mining. That’s when you can go back to the data and arrange it properly which will provide you with accurate analytics. The moment you don’t understand the problem statement, everything starts to fall apart. For instance, expectation setting if not done properly can result in crumbling of the project as opposed to setting it properly which will result in the desired outcome.

What are the tools used for dashboard designing?

There are a plethora of tools that can be used for structuring the dashboard. Some people use micro strategies, tableau, Excel and various other tools. However, over the years I have learnt to decode the process. You need to first analyse and understand your desired outcome. Once that is sorted then go back to achieve it. This always comes in handy rather than working with an abundance of designs.

You’ve had a great run so far in your career. With 13 years of experience in the corporate world, how do you reflect back on your journey?

It has helped me evolve as a person and as a professional as well. Earlier, I lived under the notion that I lacked a few skills to be in the corporate world. Rather, I was a wee bit sceptical to even enter this realm. However, what struck me is, if I am true to myself and my work, the world is my oyster. I lived by this rule and I have come a long way. Not to forget that there always is an underlining strategy to excel in your life and work – just learn to enjoy each and every moment in your life, however small they are. Every day, I wake up with the brightest smile knowing what’s in store for me at work. What I also learnt was to understand what my capabilities and aspirations were. Accordingly, I hunted those opportunities and achieved my dreams. Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence. I believe that learning is a never-ending process and in doing so I am always at peace. The environment that you work in matters a lot. Hence, I seek to be in a milieu where I keep learning and having fun. With that, I have embraced the idea of empowering others as that is one of the elements which give our life meaning and purpose.

Is there someone who never fails to inspire you?

There are two people in my life who I look up to. When it comes to the corporate world, I have learnt a great deal from the ex-CEO of American Express. I even got a chance to meet him as well. He has a vibrant and charming personality. The thing that I adore the most about him, is his skill to connect with any employee irrespective of their hierarchy- it makes you feel that you are a part of the organisation. Some of his ideas are quite inspiring. So, whenever I get time, I go back to his old videos, memos and talks. Also, I have grown up watching my father rise through various ranks. Just looking at his journey has given me the confidence to face any situation to achieve my dreams.

Your take on the term ‘boss lady’

Frankly, I don’t agree with that term. I think one can be leader irrespective of their gender. Although the dictionary meaning of a leader and boss might be the same. But a leader is someone who empowers others, while the term boss has a hint of negative denotation to it.

With the stress levels running high in the corporate world, how do you rejuvenate yourself?

It’s important to invest time yourself. I am a huge Bollywood buff. While others prefer their after- work parties, I am someone who would binge on Bollywood movies. In fact, I love watching movies at midnight. Also, playing a good game of squash revitalises my body and soul.

How do you manage to achieve worklife balance?

The three pillars on which a person should live by is family, work and balance. And once you get a hang of it, it becomes easy to achieve work-life balance. However, I believe in work life integration. In fact, managing work responsibilities alongside personal and family needs is the need of the hour. And that’s what I adhere by!

Motto in life

Work hard, keep learning, invest time in yourself, love thy work, eat well, travel.