Shivanand Soddy – The Fighter

Taking on challenges is an important part of growing and developing as an individual. The more we can test our limits and abilities, the more we can learn about ourselves. We must look at challenges as golden opportunities, not roadblocks. This is exactly how Shivanand Soddy looks at life. He has gone through what can only be described as an inspirational journey. We bring you his story with the hope that it gives you perspective and strength to face challenges head on.
Shivanand wanted to take up something that would challenge him as it would give him an opportunity to grow in his personal and professional life. In 1992, he joined Greaves Cotton in the spare parts department. He learnt the whole process on the job and contributed to various projects with innovative ideas on process, efficiency building & optimizing cost. Over a period of time, owing to his determination and zeal, he developed a good rapport with various business units & it eventually helped to cross the milestone of sales.
He reminisces how critical it becomes when any spare part gets stuck and you feel the pain of helping the customer and end users such as auto drivers get back on the earnings track. Any downtime pulls you back and further distances away from your earnings goal.
He worked proactively even during peak demand periods and ensured genuine, high quality spares were packed and swiftly send across to the core markets. He feels elated to be part of significantly important economic value chain which supports the country move ahead on every day basis. Over the period, Shivanand has been mentor to his unit workers and instils in them sense of pride and happiness to be value adding in social fabric of our nation. One person who was a source of inspiration for him was Mr. J. Srinivasan who stood by him and guided him in taking the right decisions. Shivanand’s work mantra was to set small and short goals to achieve his target. He fondly remembers the time when there was an All India Distributors Meet and he was praised in front of a lot of people. That was one time when he felt immense pride in being associated with the organization.
He believes that Greaves Cotton has played an extremely crucial role in shaping his career and helped him achieve more than just his dreams. It has shaped him into the person that he is today. He credits his professional success to the support he received from his seniors at Greaves Cotton. He hopes that Greaves Cotton becomes the most desired company at not only national but also international level. His dream is to make the Greaves Aftermarket division one of the best in the industry.
He quips, “If you have a positive attitude, you are a smart worker, and you are honest, you can survive anywhere.”
What we learn from Shivanand’s journey is to face problems and challenges bravely, not run or hide from it. You must value the experience and personal growth that comes with it. Wherever possible take opportunity to talk and coach your people around.
“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”