Bliss-Girls

Its my privilege to be writing about my friend Shubhi in this post. If anyone has watched Palki Sharma shows then they would have certainly noticed her clarity of thoughts, her mannerisms and how she is a perfect face of modern women. Shubhi is the Palki Sharma of corporate world.

Shubhi and I were colleagues in an IT firm a decade ago. She is highly talented and has reached high ranks in corporate world due to her hard work and dedication. She is super confident, very ambitious yet at the same time very grounded and is a perfect role model to many aspiring women.

Shubhi dons multiple hats and carries out all her duties very gracefully. What I really love about her is her caring nature and her ability to guide people. While working with her I was quite intrigued by how’d she figure out right course of action in almost every situation. I always wondered how could she make decisions so quick and execute them very efficiently. In this post lets take a peek into her life and her approach to life.

Early Life

Shubhi was born in Haldaur a town in Bijnore district, not very far from the capital Delhi. She comes from a business family and her family have emphasized on education always. Education was soo important in her family that she had to travel 30 kms to attend a good school. But Shubhi never complained for she had a great love for studies. She was very focused and nothing else really bothered her. She remembers she was really good at studies and was a topper in her school.

Shubhi has a younger brother with whom she shares an excellent bond. She says they used to fight cats and dogs but when she was hospitalized for a minor sickness, she saw tears in her brothers eyes and ever since she has developed a loving bond with him which only continues to get stronger with every passing day. She has been a good role model to all her younger family members and friends. She draws a lot of inspiration from her family. She looks up to her granddad and one of her uncles for their decision making and leadership skills.

Going Places

Post her matriculation she moved to Delhi for further studies. Initially it was quite overwhelming since she was now among the toppers from all over India but quickly she adapted to the city life. She quickly learned that she was responsible for herself and did most of the tasks independently. Very early in life she learnt that if she made any decisions she has to own up to it. She says its while studying away from home in Delhi that she learnt to always have a backup plan just in case if something goes wrong.

Post her pre-university in Delhi, she moved back to Uttar Pradesh to study Engineering. Again it was hard for to adjust as she was now back in a relatively remote place. She had less friends here but all her friends from college have been friends for life. She got placed in Infosys while she was in 3rd year. Once she completed her Engineering she moved to Mysore.

The challenges a north Indian faces when they move to South India for first time and that too with no family around, is only known to those who have dared to make that move. It is the same for someone moving from one location to another. The relocation itself is a great teacher and forces you to be a stronger version of yourself. Shubhi had 3 such relocations up until her first job. She completed her training in Mysore and yet another relocation was waiting for her. Her first posting was in chandigarh. She said she dint think twice or sought any help, booked a flight ticket (it was her first time in flight), packed bags and made the journey. Her past relocations to Delhi and to Mysore had given her confidence that she could handle any situation. Infact she jokes that she gets a kick out of handling situations.

IT Career

Shubhi started her IT career with Infosys and then moved to Wipro. From there her next job was with a then start-up firm. She has been with the firm for a decade now and worked her way up really hard. Today she is leading a practice and is equally respected by her seniors and juniors. She is grateful for all the opportunities that the company has provided.

All is not easy as it looks. She says being a young women in leadership role is a challenge. She has the responsibility of making every team member feel included, to assure them that their say matters. She says it is very important for a leader to hear to every team members opinion before taking decisions. Its very important to strike a healthy balance in team and make everyone feel included. There may be people who are not adding much value to your team but it is important to understand that they are part of the eco-system and to handle them tactfully. Her advice is to never burn bridges.

I asked her how she manages to make right decisions almost all the time and she responds by saying that she follows a multi-fold analysis process before making decisions. First she considers the short and long term impacts of her decision, she then evaluates how her closest circle will be affected by the decision and then she evaluates how it impacts first line of people and last but not the least she analyses the financial impact of her decision. She says one must take inputs from other people while making decisions but ensures not over do it since it may derail and get you confused.

Motherhood

Shubhi has a young son and I was interested to get an insight into how she manages manages a high demanding career and motherhood. She handles by giving time to her child and family members during the day time and picks up any work later during the night. It is tiring she says and also mentions that intention matters more than complaints. She also relies on close family support when required. She says in today’s landscape lot of options are available – nannies or good nurseries/schools, So career does not have to take a back seat for women.

Key point is every working woman needs support and Shubhi relies on her super supportive husband Shwetank and close family support when required.

Word for younger women

For women who are starting out in IT, she says its important to open up your horizons as boundaries between technologies are diminishing. Do not stick to just one domain for life. Read more and adapt to latest technologies. Seek a mentor.

She has personally been inspired by another wonderful colleague – Priya Kanduri. I too have had the opportunity of knowing her and she is a real inspiration to women in IT. Shubhi has been working with Priya for a long time and really admires how she makes herself heard and how she handles situations while maintaining team bond.

Outside her IT career, Shubhi is very creative and loves to spend her free time upcycling, converting materials into wonderful artwork.

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into her wonderful life. Will soon come back with more inspiring stories from fellow women in different walks of life. Thanks for your time.