A leader inspires & walks with the team: Sonia Sarin

Celebrating the contributions of women in the PR sector, exchange4media PR & Corp Comm is running a 'Women Achievers Series'. It features the journey, success and achievements of some of the top women leaders from the Public Relations and Corporate Communications fraternity.

Today’s series features Sarin, Head of Group – Corporate Communications, Tata Power - DDL. Sarin has an experience of more than 16 years in the PR industry where she worked in prominent agencies like Madison World, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd, Madison PR, Aim High Consulting, The SCS Group, Concept PR and Prana PR.

Excerpts:

Now that the industry is opening up workplaces and resuming operations from the office, what are the initiatives, measures and precautions that should be adapted or taken to ensure a smooth transition?

The pandemic proved to be an eye-opener to acknowledging flexible working patterns and redefined work from home (WFH) and hybrid models as the new normal. One cannot ignore the fact that being in a WFH setup gave a certain rhythm to life. The vaccination drive has worked as a ray of hope for many. With the workplace opening up, we have to be mindful of not affecting employees’ productivity due to the sudden shift.

With the spreading of the virus gradually getting under control, several employers have resumed working from offices. With this sudden transition, the implementation of alternate work models can help companies smooth employees towards the organisation. Precise HR policies on hybrid working/ regular work from office models need to be communicated to employees on a timely basis to help the business gain significant results, keeping employee work productivity intact.

The last 20 months have been trying for every professional, especially with the hybrid working model. How did you strike a balance between office work and household duties?

Yes, that’s true. However, we are humans before being professionals and humans take time to adapt to changes. For most professionals, it was difficult to strike a balance. In the beginning, maintaining a balance between office work and life seemed unmanageable. However, things started to fall in place with strategic planning and patience. Discipline and proper time management allowed me to manage work daily. Striking a balance is more of a mindset shift that was required. It was only possible with the right set of HR policies that are practical, flexible and sensible while implementing WFH. From my personal experience, Covid was a blessing in disguise, as I got ample time with my son and my pet dog during this period.

Women have been carving a niche for themselves and paving the way in the communications industry for the next generation of women leaders to follow. Tell us about your achievements and your contribution to the fraternity.

It’s been 17 successful years in the communication industry. My story is no different from any other PR professional in the country. I have worked with millennials and Gen Z. In fact, I am impressed by the eagerness and passion seen in some young professionals towards learning and perseverance towards successful career growth. Mentoring has been perhaps my contribution. I could help people instil good client servicing practices and manage crises. 

The most significant achievement has been survival in this profession, as PR jobs are the most stressful. Keeping everyone happy every day can never be an easy task. From subordinates to clients of the varied sectors, journalists of various seniorities and beats, senior and junior colleagues along with business requirements, chasing numbers - striking a balance between all this has never been easy.

What roadblocks have you had to overcome to reach where you are today? What, according to you, are the makings of a leader?

Women face plenty of issues that surface during the entire course of their careers. Apart from marriage, maternity leaves, childbirth, people have preconceived notions about the capability of women handling sectors like Finance or IT. Women face a lot of battles to fight. They are judged for their conduct in public, their actions still require to be sober, they can’t laugh in public, not use cuss words, their marital status needs public affirmation and should be as how others want to see them. I hope with the changing times, the outlook changes.

A leader inspires and walks with the team. She/ he empowers the team, focusses on the team's development, sets clear expectations and strives for results by investing in people and building the right culture.

What would be your advice to the young generation?

My little advice is to stay focused and never give up but one should know what they want. Hopping from one role to another might give a better package but gaining domain expertise and understanding can be achieved by investing time. Look for a good mentor who can guide you at every step of your career. Develop an exciting and relevant skill that will help you in the long run.