Following in the footsteps of their parents

Few young adults today actually join the family business. But those that do so willingly, bring to the table a flavour of their own

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your mother or father had to be your boss? If you have a family business, you likely already know, and if not then popular culture and conversationmust have given you an idea. As with every situation, there’s a good side and a bad. On one hand there is the advantage of having shared values and knowing how to behave around your boss, since you share a lifelong history. But, there is also the burden of high expectations and the possibility of work being brought home.

TGS talks to a five families from the city to understand the dynamics of working with the family, having your children as your employees and a parent as your boss. The children share with us what they have learned while working with their parents and having them as bosses, while the parents explain the advantages of having their kin work in the same office. Read on to find out what they had to say.

‘My personal and professional life is pretty much intertwined’

The fact that her son understands everything that she has to say even before she has finished her sentence is the biggest boon for her, she believes. Raajkumarri Mutha set up Tulips, which is a furnishing business in Pune, with just three other employees. Today, not only has the company expanded in the country but has also found a footing internationally. Working with his mother since 2009, Sidarrth joined to help with the branding and marketing strategy of the venture. He came to the family business after a stint in Microsoft. Both of them have their duties and responsibilities defined, and this helps in the smooth functioning of the business.
 “Of course my mother and I have had our set of disagreements when it comes to certain decisions that needed to be taken for the company. But nothing that a little discussion can’t solve. My personal and professional life is pretty much intertwined since I work with mom. It is quite difficult to switch off when we get home; we are always talking about work,” explains Sidarrth. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, being related and this is extremely helpful in the office space since we then know what the other person will be able to manage without help, he adds.
 His mother absolutely loves the fact that other than being able to teach him, she too is learning so much from him. She is thrilled at the fact that her son is passionate about the business and is not just in it out of familial obligation. The fact that the two of them work together so well is why the company has been able to progress as it has, she believes.

‘My father became my inspiration’

Born and brought up in Bahrain, Faeza Ammar helped her father, Zoheb Saheeb set up the business that both of them run today. Moving it to Pune in 2004, the business slowly started growing and went from a team comprising just the two of them to a much larger organisation. Since this was her first job, Faeza too was still learning how things worked and her father was her guru in every way.
 “My father became my inspiration for whatever task it was that I had to get done with. There were days when we would walk kilometres to get to our office and in the most horrible weather conditions, but he never complained or gave up. He showed me what determination was and that is a quality that helps me even today,” she says. A lot of what he taught me while on the job was applicable in real life, and this correlation was probably possible since I was his daughter too. They found a way to work together and manage any disagreements that came along the way. With the two of them, their biggest challenge is finding a middle ground when it comes to things like style of working or customer service.

‘Being my dad’s employee is both fun and stressful’

When Aviva Pundole started helping her father Cawas in their family-run shop CT Pundole & Sons, on MG Road, it was meant to be a part-time thing. A media and communications graduate, she hoped to use her academic skills to grow her father’s business and then move on to a job of her own. Eventually, she landed up joining him and working full-time.
 While working in a family business gives her the liberty to take leave when she wants and has even helped strengthen her bond with her father, there are a lot of challenges to deal with too, she tells us. “Being my dad’s employee can be both fun and stressful. We are invariably always working, whether we are at home or in office. We are always together and this, in many ways, is both good and bad,” Aviva says. Ask her what is the one thing that she would like to learn from her father and while the list is big, his negotiation skills are right at the top.
 Cawas feels that it is a good thing to have the next generation in line and working in the family business. It is even better when your children are not just in it because they can’t do anything else, but are passionate about the work and are taking the company to greater heights. Keeping up with the kin is quite the task, he believes, but also an important one. Giving them a little freedom to bring in their own flavour while they keep the tradition going never hurt anyone, he adds.

‘We did not get any privileges even though we were the owner’s daughters’

Working with her father, MA Tejani since 2008, Samana has grown up learning about the work that goes on in his office. Before joining him full-time, she interned at the office for a while to learn how things function. There are both positives and negatives to working with a parent, she tells us. There was constant mentoring for her and her younger sister Aasiya, and their father was more than happy to hand over the reins to them giving them ample room to explore.
 “Our dad is an extremely patient person and receptive, as long as you make valid points. There is so much to learn working with him. We did not get any privileges because we were the owners daughter’s, and had to start at the bottom. We have worked our way to the top and that is what has made us who we are,” says Aasiya. Samana adds, “The only flipside of having your father as your boss is that when there is any disagreement, you can’t lose your temper. There is not much room for argument and this can get challenging at times.” The fact that work goes with them wherever they go is also something that they wish they could avoid. Samana now heads the operations department at Gits Food Products Pvt.Ltd while her sister is the director of finance.
 When we spoke to their father, M.A Tejani he tells us how he is always trying to keep up with his daughters. Both of them were academically trained to do what they do, and so he always knew that they would eventually step into his shoes. “Most of their thoughts are extremely similar to mine given that they are my children, and this is something that helps keep conflicts at bay. They love taking risks, while I am the more cautious one. Being their boss and their father, it is my job to show them the right path to ensure that they don’t make the same mistakes that I made,” he explains. It is, however, a great experience for him to be working with his daughters and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

‘Working with my parent’s has made me tough’

Ira Ghosh has been working with her parents for about nine years now. While her father Robbin Ghosh is the founder of Victorious Kidss Educares in Kharadi, her mother Saarada Ghosh is the principal there, and she a teacher. What started off as an internship in-between college semesters turned out to be her true calling, and she is happy that she decided to walk down this path. Other than the constant opportunities to learn from her parents, the best part of this arrangement for her is that they all share the same passion. Ira has no regrets in choosing this path. Discussing how their day went when back at home is a fun exercise for her. Ask her to pick a few reasons why she loves working with her parents and she says, “Working with my parent’s has made m tough. I started at level one just like everyone else and am never treated differently. My father getsas mad at me if I am tardy as he does with his other employees, and my mother makes sure that I keep all deadlines,” she says. The one thing that she does find difficult if anything is the extremely high level of expectations that comes with working for your parents. This too, she feels, only helps her grow.
 For Robbin, the best part about having his daughter on board is that it is easier for him to communicate to her exactly what he needs. Having the same set of values makes it easier for them to work together, and he knows that her belief in the foundation is just as deep-rooted and strong as his is.

salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Originally published on The Golden Sparrow