In The Spotlight

The role of the Family *

Sakaal Times (Marathi) Article, 21/09/2010, Ganesh Natarajan

There is an old cliché that a successful man needs the help of five women to get through life – mother, sister, wife, daughter and a fifth which ranges from secretary to girl friend to the maid at home! While this and the other oft used quote that behind every successful man stands a woman may be just trivial sayings that are quoted in jest on social occasions, there is no denying the truth that prevails, particularly in the Indian context - that the family plays a major role in the life of every corporate executive and entrepreneur.

There are reasons for this that need to be understood so that young executives of today can have a better appreciation and respect for the influence that family members have exercised on them in the past and how they could continue to be made a source of strength for the future. The family institution was at its strongest two or three generations ago when respect for elders was one of the tenets of Indian life but with increasing polarization of joint families and the creation of nuclear family sub-units for the convenience of city dwellers, the recognition of the family support function has been dwindling.

My own experience of the family as a support unit has evolved over the years. My grandfather was a humble schoolmaster in the village of Vadiveeswaram near Nagercoil in Tamilnadu who fathered fourteen children, my father being the eldest son. My father’s selfless support of the family institution by bringing three brothers and seven sisters to Kolkata and getting them all settled in life meant that through our childhood we would have to be satisfied with a fairly frugal middle class existence. However both father and mother and also my elder sister were pillars of strength in my formative years and after marriage the baton of support was passed smoothly to my wife, herself an outstanding career woman and professional. The abiding feature of family support for me has been the availability of a willing listener and occasionally a source of advice which my wife Uma and my daughter Karuna willingly provide even today.

The ability to interact frequently with people one trusts and who can be expected to have no iota of selfishness in their advice has extended in many cases, including Zensar to the creation of family like environments within the organisation. A recently published Harvard Business School case study on Zensar speaks glowingly about the environment of “love” that prevails in many parts of the organisation, enabling young as well as experienced associates to collaborate and share ideas through institutionalised mechanisms like “Women for Excellence” groups and the much admired Vision Community process. The family as a support unit is one of the reasons for our outstanding retention record in challenging business environments and this is one approach I would heartily advocate as an elixir for corporate and entrepreneurial success.

And finally the family itself needs support in their own times of need to repay in part the debt that most of us owe to grandparents parents and siblings. I have been very impressed with the respect and concern that my wife’s family continues to show to the 107 year old Parvathi who occupies pride of place as the head of the family even as the children and grand children have moved to various parts of the country and the world. It is heartening that some young professionals like Manjiri Gokhale have recognized the needs of the elderly through institutions like Mayacare which enable care to be delivered to parents even when the children are in foreign lands and we all owe it to our families to be there for them and give them the support they need at all times ! 

* The original artcle was published in Marathi and has been translated to English for the benefit of the readers.
Please find the original article here