“Anything new I need to know?” is a question Ayushi’s people hear as she moves among them every day – and that sets the tone for the conversations she has with them.
Ayushi Vastupal is passionate about the choices she has made. A law and marketing graduate, the savvy 27 year old is leading an insurance broking company that had been acquired by the family business. A new vertical for them, it was staffed with people who were double her age and who knew the business inside out! What, I wondered were her major challenges and how did she manage to overcome them?
Ayushi remembers the very high staff turnover – there was a lack of trust within the team and that led to the absence of motivation and commitment in the employees. And for the firm it meant a massive spend on recruitment and training, along with low morale. They had to do something!
Ayushi’s voice rings clear and true as she tells me about her solution. “It’s nothing but communication”, she says. Everyone wants to be heard. “The old-timers knew the business, I didn’t, and I just requested them to teach me”. It’s simple, and very very clear. The new “boss” valued the knowledge and contributions of the old-timers and was willing to learn from them rather than telling them what to do! The ego gets in the way, according to Ayushi, and when you are running a business, what’s the point in that?
It’s nothing but communication
I get it.
Her relationships with the team are easy now. She has proved that as a leader she is open to ideas, suggestions and honest feedback resulting in a team that works and has fun! Concern for team members from the Jharkhand and West Bengal offices who are stuck at home during this pandemic, has led to this young entrepreneur having conversations with team members she has never met! She also discovered that the freedom to work from home, saving time and expense, has given them more time and motivation to increase their productivity!
Another candid comment “If you are not good at something, hire someone to do it!” Now that is something that not too many people do, because people do not like to appear vulnerable! The ego has to be quiet and that is tough!
If you are not good at something, hire someone to do it!
“What do you really enjoy about your work?” I asked Ayushi.
Pat came the reply – “Systems! I love setting up systems and processes, linking up effort and performance to results, and driving it through technology!” This to me, is the basis for a scalable business. Currently working on developing all the systems, Ayushi is excited about making ANAR a pan-India organization!
For Ayushi, the weak link in any organization are the people – where she says gadbad happens. If the systems and processes that are set up have clarity, there is no space for blame, politics or manipulation. Clear accountability, with recognition as a key value, means that in her company, people are important – people come first!
The company vision and mission says it all: To realize the optimal potential of our employees and making it a driven organization towards development and growth.
This young lady believes in giving back to society. She, along with her friends, founded Chhalaang, a social enterprise for kids of class 7, 8 & 9 in Ahmedabad. They have connected 200 kids with talent to local teachers for vocational training – so that these kids might find their passion too! Since municipal schools are yet to reopen, 50 of the 200 kids who have already selected for future activities have been put on hold. Chhalaang is working on restructuring its systems to adapt to the current situation and make dreams come true despite the pandemic!
Kudos to you Ayushi!
Ayushi Vastupal, having done her Bachelors in Management Studies majoring in Marketing (Retail Management), went on to do Law at Gujarat University. With a Masters in Marketing from the University of Bath (UK) she has also certified from the London School of Economics in Negotiation. She worked her passage in Symphony Air Coolers in the Marketing and Advertising department and then took over ANAR Insurance Brokers Ltd., a company acquired by the Rajiv Group in 2014.
She is also the Founder of Chhalaang – a social entrepreneurship initiative for municipal school kids.
