What was the problem you were grappling with?
During one of my earliest sales stints back in 1994 in Punjab, I was working on a massive 12,000-unit order that required support from my immediate supervisors. However, despite having all the collaterals in place, there was a delay in the required support. While I had verbal approvals, the team was showing a lack of urgency, leading to last-minute hassles.
Who did you approach for advice and why?
Since I was unable to receive adequate support from my immediate supervisors, I had to jump the hierarchy and reach out to my super seniors for advice. However, I also feel that in such a situation, one must gather their thoughts and trust their own gut feeling to deal with the challenge at hand.
What was the advice you received?
My super seniors advised me to remain calm and keep the passion going. I also learnt that you may have great managers and mentors around you, but eventually you need to rely on your own intuition and passion for work to deliver results.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
The advice was very helpful, plus owing to my relationship-building skills, I kept the logistics team on standby. As soon as the formal approval was received (just a day prior), we executed the seamless loading of the consignment. This instance taught me that a ‘never give up’ attitude can take me a long way as it effectively helped me solve the immediate challenge. Nowhere during the whole episode did I lose hope or enthusiasm. I was at it, driven to find solutions and had the confidence to speak to my leaders.