LEADER (1)

F

FRESH INSIGHT

HR Official Newsletter

CHOITHAMS' CEO

RAJIV WARRIER

SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON 

LEADERSHIP
understanding Job Analysis Exercise p.2
Speak Out p.2 Choithrams Internship Program p.6
Don't Be Afraid, Say It! p.3 2017Training Achievers p.2
Managers vs Leaders p.7

Issue No. 0032ndQtr

Speak Out

Who is a Leader?

Sandeep Khimnani

Procurement Manager - FMCG Agencies & Imports

Madhu Nair Neha Tahiliani In my view point, A good leader is one
who motivates and inspires people to
Store Managers- DEC Marina E-Commerce Coordinator engage with inspiring vision of the future.

There are several qualities a person A leader is the one who has the ability Leadership is a process of social
should have to be an effective leader. to motivate, guide and inspire others to influence which maximizes the efforts of
He needs to have a positive attitude
follow their vision and thoughts. others towards the achievement of a
and good personality to be able to Leaders are those who build people, greater good without using authority or
inspire people. He has to be a good encourage them and educate them so
power.
listener and should know how to that they duplicate this attitude in
effectively communicate to mobilize others. Basically leadership is an Humility, Honesty, Positive attitude,
people to achieve shared vision. A action, not a position so be the leader Passion, Creativity, Confidence,
leader must also be creative enough to
come with innovative ideas that will you would follow. Courage, Commitment, Communication
propel business to greatest heights. I and Clarity are the 10 goodness
believe that if a person has all of these
attributes & mantras of a true leader.
qualities, he is a good leader.

Editorial Board EdSituograEridDaiMEtaoGslrna-peSiniJnaeaeAa-tgCdltiysanhhJesgiaooeafrcEfksiafsadeahtietnorEretdheitor

Choithrams Learning Internship Program

Building Next Gen  

Six students from MIT University of Dubai taking up Master’s Degree in Marketing have successfully concluded their Internship Program with one of
Dubai’s best supermarket chains- The Choithrams Group.
The budding retail aficionados were fortunate to be chosen among all other students who applied for the Learning Internship Program. Interns got the
chance to experience a holistic understanding of the marketing side of a retail business through class room lectures and hands on learning platforms
like store visits, competitor checking, and customer mapping. As a final requirement, they were asked to present a marketing plan to a panel of
experts from the Choithrams Group.
Several departments of the Choithrams Group worked hand in hand to create an extensive Learning Internship Program. Quality, Health, and Safe
Environment Department trained the interns on the principles of HACCP. Human Resource Department, on the other hand, challenged the
leadership skills and assisted the interns in developing their personality through the Leadership and Personality Development training conducted by
the L&D team. Retail Operations Department tackled the more technical Retail Business Math to solidify the technical know-how of the interns.
The Marketing team was the overall in-charge of the program. The interns' activities focused mostly on market research which included, getting
feedback from customers, customer mapping, competitor analysis, etc.
The Choithrams Learning Internship Program started in the month of March 2017. The entire program culminated with the presentation of their
marketing plans last May 31, 2017, held in Choithrams Deira Office. Here is what the interns have to say about the program.

Anurag The internship was filled MohitaThe internship was Hitesh The experience at
with challenges and enriching both personally Choithrams has given me
opportunities. Personally, it and professionally. I a new perspective towards
was a good team gained insights on the the Food & Grocery Retail.
experience for me. Also, various aspects of market
the leadership and research, customer journey This exposure helped me
personality development and feedback, social media in knowing how one can
sessions gave me insights marketing, etc. My skills of satisfy the needs of
about my own personality working in a team got different nationalities by
and how I need to mould enhanced and further understanding their
myself for future leadership augmented my personal shopping behavior. The
roles. The routine growth. interaction with the
interactions with people consumers on the floor
helped me understand the and personal dealings with
dynamics of professional Retail Operations were
world. Overall, the helpful in getting insights
challenging job let me about the retail industry.
explore my abilities and
learn where I need to
improve.

Lakshay The Learning Internship Gayatri Being a fresher, it was Siddhant The internship helped me
with Choithrams was an my first-time exposure to think strategically. Some
amazing experience, to corporate of the tasks were time
wherein we got insights environment. The bound and needed a
into the Food and Grocery internship experience thorough planning before
Retail sector in the UAE. helped me gain insight starting the day at work.
The internship was a mix- into Dubai’s grocery The internship helped me
bag of fieldwork and retailers, imbibe to gain knowledge about
analysis, which kept us corporate work culture the retail sector in Dubai
engaged throughout. There and enhance my and some valuable
were few interesting learning in Customer insights.
sessions delivered by the interaction,
Choithrams team on Retail Networking, and self-
Mathematics, Personality confidence.
Development, etc. All these
added to our theoretical
knowledge.

My interperson
tend to talk to

CHOITHAMS' CEO

RAJIV WARRIER

SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON 

LEADERSHIP
Throughout our entire lifetime, only a few Industrial Production Engineering. I have Choithrams Experience
would make it to the pages of history. worked for 2 years as an engineer in an
Strength, charisma, or wit can get you there, inspection company called Bureau Veritas. FI: What do you look forward to your new role
however, failures, misdemeanors or Two years after I went to take my MBA in IIM as Choithrams CEO?
transgressions could also make you a Calcuta. During my second year of MBA I Rajiv: Today retail has stagnated a bit in the
character in a story built by time. It is on one’s chose to major in finance. Middle East. Not for Choithrams but for the
conscious decision to choose on which part of retail world itself. By the next two to three
history they want to be part of, the good or After which, I joined Esaar Shipping of the years, it is expected that retail will pick up and
the ugly. Esaar Group, it’s a large group in India. I think it is extremely important that
Choithrams should be among the winners
Joan of Arc, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Steve I moved to SCICI, a financial institution that when that time comes. Today there are so
Jobs, are few of the names you would see in specialized in financing the marine sector. many small players. A lot of players have
my meticulously chosen list of leaders worth SCICI was merged into ICICI in 1997 after come and gone but Choithrams has been
emulating. They are individuals who have around for the last 44 years. The question is
shown strength of character, resilience and a few years I decided to move to Rediff.com how do we sustain and grow from here and
grace even when under pressure. They are as their CFO in 1998. become even more productive. Middle East
leaders who kept their moral fiber as tough as We listed Rediff.com at NASDAQ in 2000. I keeps on changing every day. The population
steel no matter what odds were. also have worked with HCL BPO Service, keeps changing and we have a lot of old
Bharti Telesoft & Epicenter Technologies as customers. How do we win new customers?
Once in a while we bumped on to people who CEO before joining Sodexo India also as How do we build loyalty to our consumer
manifests the same grit and character. CFO end 2007. I also have worked with base? How do we grow our business and
Personalities that are as beautiful as a blue Sodexo Central and Southern Europe as a how to we become important for different
lotus that blossoms even in the slums. I am CFO for more than a year and the move back segments of the population?
very privileged to be given the chance to be to Sodexo India as CEO in 2012.
up close and personal with someone who FI: You seem to have learned a lot about the
exudes undeniable charisma, proven FI: From an Industrial Engineer, to a Chief retail business. How was it studying all of
leadership skills and surprisingly witty humor. Finance Officer and now a CEO, that’s quite a this?
This is no other than Choithrams’ newest big leap. What do you think is the advantage Rajiv: The induction was so good. Kunal (Pls
Chief Executive Officer, Rajiv Warrier. of being an engineer to the different roles you mention HR Team) organized well for me to
have played and now playing? meet a lot of people. I have met the heads of
Corporate Pedigree Rajiv: Engineering gives you a good different departments and they have
background because engineering helps you explained to me what they do and presented
FI: Tell us something about your career think in an analytical way. You have to think to me their organizational chart. I have visited
background. logically so it provides structure to your some of the stores as well.
Rajiv: Where do I start? I have worked for thought process. In that sense it has always
almost 27 years now. I finished a degree in been a good thing. FI: How do you find out stores?

nal style is fairly relaxed. I joined Sodexo I joined them as a CFO in
o people and listen to them 2007. As a finance person I had some
achievements like splitting the business into
two different businesses. After 3 years I went
to Europe for a year. I was CFO for Central
and Southern Europe for Sodexo. I was in
Prague for more than a year. In 2012 the
CEO in our India office resigned and I was to
come back and take that Role.

When I came back we were in a middle of
crisis. All the large merchants stop accepting
our vouchers. They only began accepting
Sodexo just before I joined. But in the
meanwhile, a lot of consumers have stopped
using Sodexo.

Rajiv: If you look at the format of our store talk to people and listen to them. I think one of my achievements I would say
would be my role in the course of one to two
and compared to other supermarkets, our years from joining. Really changing the
perception of the market. Going back to our
stores are well laid out. Good format. Our FI: We all know that Choithrams is family merchants. Setting up a proper merchant
department. We didn’t have a Merchant Head
meat cuts are superb. Our stores are good. I business and there are quite a number of so appointed a Merchant Head and Customer
service. We began working with our clients
think the really good question is how we employees who have been with the company for our merchants. We were able to change the
perception of the market and we started
attract attention from the younger consumers a very long time. I wanna know what is your growing the company again. Restructuring
the company and focusing more on the
who keeps coming to this country. We need stand on traditional and contemporary way of merchant and consumer and not just the
client. The change we initiated became
to be in the mind space of the consumer. leading? permanent and until now they still follow the
same structure.
When a consumer will shop, consumer will Rajiv: I think both will have their strong points
FI: Listening to your achievements a CEO of
say, “I have three or four names in my mind”, and I think that there is a lot that can be learned Sodexo, I can’t help but ask, what’s the
perfect leadership equation?
Choithrams should be there. How do we get from how we do things and have been doing Rajiv: There are many aspects to it, I think
you need to listen. Listening to employees is
into the mind space of the consumers? things for so long. At the same time, we need to an important aspect. Listening to the market
and the stake holders is important. Listening
know when we have too much of a good thing is important.

We need to do more to support our staff. And that we need to look at something new. I think Being clear and focused and defining clear
goals. Simple, straight forward goals are very
I think that that’s part of my belief. we should, going forward, be able to combine important and so it is extremely important for
the company to define its vision and then
the bestselling traditions more on for us to be make sure that everybody’s goals and visions
are aligned to that vision. Every employees
FI: It’s been a month since you joined the able to continue to sustain the perception of goals should in some way should be linked to
a clear direction. Every employee must know
company, Is there a change with how you being a good brand providing good quality items that they are contributing to that objective for
the organizations.
perceived the company when you first joined and innovative on how we reach out to our
A good leader must bring about transparency
to what you have experienced so far? consumers. with information and dealings with people.

Rajiv: When I first came in I did not have very A husband, a father, a book worm, a cook, a
music aficionado, an engineer, then CEO of
much perception of the company. I knew that FI: We quite have definitive division among our an international food service company and
now CEO of the longest running supermarket
Choithrams is a well known brand of retailer employees. We have the tenured ones and the chain in the UAE.
Mr. Warrier’s extensive experience,
in the middles east. I have of course met with young ones. We have noticed that a lot of the knowledge on business processes and
consultative leadership style coupled to with
the management when I was interviewed. I young ones or the so called millennials have Choithrams strong tradition of retail
excellence gives the Choithrams Group the
know bigger tendencies to leave their jobs compared power to create glorious milestones that will
forever mark in retail history.
to the tenured employees. How do you think can

that there a lot of people who have worked we resolve this?

with the company for a long long time. Rajiv: What I would like to really do is to create a

There’s a strong loyalty within the company. more interactive organization. Most organizations

In the last one month I understood the which have been around for some time,

business more. When I first came I thought department seems to work on silos. I think it is

Choithrams is old fashioned but when I went important for us to interact to each other. Learn

to the stores I found out that our stores are from each other.

good. We have nice stores. I think I have a

better view of Choithrams after a month. There is a lot of value that people who have

been working for 20 to 25 years brings to the

Leadership Style table but there’s also value that the young brings.

They come with a fresh eye and don’t carry any

FI: How do you describe your leadership baggage of the past therefore has an open view.

style? What I really want to bring to the organization is

Rajiv: Consultative. I tend to be consultative. I more interaction, more transparency, more

work with people who reports to me. I like to openness with our interaction with people more

do meetings. I like to take their inputs. inter-departmental interaction, more meetings. I

Eventually I will make a decision regardless would love to have a town hall meeting. We need

but I will think through the views that are to visit our stores more often. We need to talk

presented by other people before I push our staff more often.

forward what I think is right. So I tend to be

consultative in my thinking. I’m fairly FI: What do you think is your greatest leadership

analytical, I look at all information available achievement?

and try make a decision based not on Rajiv: You are actually asking very tough

personal facts but based on factual evidence. questions (laughs). It will be being the CEO of

Choithrams, I hope (laughs). I’ll talk about

My interpersonal style is fairly relaxed. I tend Sodexo. I spent about 9 years in Sodexo. When

to I

Understanding

Job Analysis Exercise

The Human Resource Department headed by Kunal Job Description
Wadhwani initiated the Job Analysis Exercise for all
departments of the Choithrams Group. The exercise was a Sets clear and defined job purpose
two-month activity aimed to stream line Job Descriptions Serves as hiring template
and identify competencies for all profiles in the company. Presents transparent employee
It also aims to establish an organizational structure for expectations
each department with in the Choithrams group. Basis for employee evaluation

Competency Mapping

JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Analytical Thinking Business Acumen Planning & Organizing Strategic

Defines key soft skills Organizational Structure
needed for a job role
Establish proper reporting
Customer Otientation guidelines for task
delegation
Creates benchmark for
performance evaluation Clear understanding of
communication flow
Team Orientation
Identify key positions
Assists in identifying and eliminate
learning gaps redundancies

Interpersonal Skills Succession Planning

Leadership Creativity & Innovation Communication Result Orientation

DON'T BE

SAY IT!AFRAID,
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHOITHRAMS ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

An office is a place most people consider as a second Verbal & Non-Verbal
home. It is an abode built from trust, courtesy, and
respect. It is a refuge where one feels safe and free to Different forms of harassment
act according to a set social norms and share their
thoughts and opinions in proper venues to maintain VERBAL NON -
harmony and balance. VERBAL

Unfortunately, balance and harmony are sometimes Derogatory Inflicting physical
challenged by the opportunistic and barbarous comments or pain or injury
behavior of some. The alarming occurrence of statements about Distribution, display
workplace harassment in the corporate world race, religion & or discussion of any
prompted the Choithrams Group to draft a policy that gender written or graphic
would protect its employees to any form of Epithets, cat calling, material intended to
harassment. Sugar Espadera, Chief Functional slurs, negative ridicule, denigrates,
Trainer, believes that such policy is timely and stereotyping and insults, belittles or
relevant for the staff and the company as a whole. racial and gender present hostility to
“The Harassment Policy is a good way to prove to jokes anyone
everyone that we have a zero tolerance to any form of
harassment. This policy will provide proper handling of An Anti - Harassment Committee was created and is
grievances and investigation of any issues related to given the sole right to cease, inspect & collect relevant
harassment, bullying and discrimination,” added by information, resources and materials that will be important
Ms. Espadera. in establishing facts & resolution of any complaints raised.

Policy in a nutshell Complaints lodged to the committee will be highly
confidential. Each case will be objectively and collectively
Objectives of the Anti-Harassment Policy evaluated to ensure that the decisions of the committee
are free from any form of prejudice.
LAW AWARE
ABIDING OF Employees are also reminded not to use the Anti -
Harassment Policy as a platform to take revenge or ruin
STAFF INDIVIDUAL someone's credibility. If the committee proves that the
RIGHTS complaint is not valid and was only forwarded to tarnish
someone's reputation, the complainant will be subjected
CONGENIAL DUE to a disciplinary action.
WORK
ENVIRONMENT PROCESS Report any harassment case to:

[email protected]

Managers

vs

Leaders
Access your actions and find out if you are a
manager or a leader

Is being a manager tantamount to being a leader? Does strong management skills
equate to leadership skills? These are few questions that have baffled many over
the years.
Let's look into the qualities of managers and leaders to understand the difference
between the two. ResourcefulManager.com shares the characteristics of both
managers and leaders to shed some light on this topic.

Here is an inforgraphic detailing 6 important difference between managers and
leaders.

MANAGERS LEADERS

TELLS SELLS

Gives instructions Convince people to take part
on what to do and in achieving goals by
how to do it. showing them how it could
impact theirs lives &career.

DOESN'T TAKES
RISK RISKS

Focused on Takes risks to
accomplishing achieve beyond
tasks the soonest what is expected.
possible way.

HAS HAS A
OBJECTIVES VISION

Follows plans and Begins with an end
sticks to routines in mind. Focuses on
the bigger picture

STICKS TO EYES THE
STATUS QUO HORIZON

Strictly adheres to Forward and
rules and processes innovative thinker

SEES FINDS
PROBLEMS OPPORTUNITIES

Sees problems as a Dissects issues and
hindrance to problems to identify
achieving goals opportunities to
improve

CONTROLS INSPIRES

Sets rules and Builds trust and
processes for people commitment among
to follow its subordinates

pImropTcoResUseEsseLrsTEuHAleEDsYERaCSnRdEDAOTNE'TMCORREEALTEEAFDOELRLSOWERS,

ANONYMOUS

CHOITHRAMS HR-T&D

TRAINING ACHIEVERS
2nd QUARTER 2017

title of training

MANOJ PANAPARAMBIL KESAVAN - THE GREENS SUPERMARKET
LIAN TORRES VARGAS - GREEN COMMUNITY SUPERMARKET

cashiers

MELODY BARENG PASCUAL - DEC MARINA SUPERMARKET

stockers

VISHAL KUMARAWAT - MANHATTAN TOWER SUPERMARKET
JITENDRA RAMCHANDANI - J3 MALL SUPERMARKET

AKHILESH KUMAR GURJAR - SAFA PARK SUPERMARKET

quote