This is one of those posts that you really, really, really want to write but cannot get hold of the right words to do justice to the subject matter at hand — or matters, as it is in my case. Our team at ConnectFor comprises of eight people — seven of which are women. Now, most of you might think that it would be incredible to work with such a team for all the gyaan that I get every day over lunch and otherwise.
You couldn’t be more right.
That, and the brilliant perspectives, energy, warmth, passion, love and dimensions they add to our work and every day. Now, most of you might also think that I am writing this while sitting at a gunpoint and being asked to type all the good stuff by the ladies.
You couldn’t be more right, again.
But, and I say this with the deepest conviction and belief, that I couldn’t imagine it being any better with any guy replacing even a single member of the CF Family. Yeah, yeah, we guys are overrated, glorified, falsely entitled members who are very comfortable living in the overblown patriarchal bubble that the society has built *gulp, gunpoint guys*.
But, but, I tried to imagine a workplace without them and this is what it looks like:
Shloka, one of our co-founders, the ultimate matchmaker (volunteer and otherwise), brings worldly and wordly (she *loves* reading) wisdom to us. Apart from holding on to her optimism and hope for the world, she is the person who, it is her infinite love for the world and the goodness that it’s people offer, which motivates us and keeps us going at work. Also, I am more than convinced that she ghostwrites for many publications, especially Miss Malini.
Maniti is the anchor (not an emcee, even though I think she will make for an excellent stand-up comic) that keeps our ship sane. Her impeccable presentation and logical skills are the greatest gifts that the consulting world has ever given. Her pragmatism truly keeps our ship from sailing away in dreamland and prevents it from sinking too. She brings the Man (mind/brain) in Maniti and pun in the puns that only the both of us enjoy.
Amisha is our beauty with brains (and databases). She crunches and munches data faster than I eat a khakhra, slices and dices insights faster than I cut, no, I don’t cook, because that’s what guys don’t do, right? She is also the most up-to-date person in terms of latest news, ploys by Mark Zuckerberg to control the world, comics, TV series and stand up comedy! Uff, I am exhausted just by typing it all down.
Greeshma is the most friendly person I have ever met. No, really. She networks faster than our office networks (Hehehehe! *Hi-fives Maniti*). She brings in the incredible energy, ideas and brilliant quotes to the team (Today’s one for instance: Well behaved women rarely make history. — Eleanor Roosevelt.) Apart from that she also brings in her love for people (their lives, stories and dreams), poems, editing (she found 6646898 errors in this one), Bombay and Marine Drive which keeps our happiness quotient at its peak! PEAK EMO, GUYS!
Raashi brings in the love, laughter and the laddoos! Yes, she has the magical powers of being incredibly positive, caring and fit. She’s the one who always makes sure everyone in the office is at their happiest selves! Apart from her unlimited supply of gobi, she also brings in the warmth that makes us feel our most human selves.
Nikita brings in the calm. And a much-needed one at that. She is like the drop of water in the ocean, which dissolves and becomes one with the larger drop, but still moves at her will, gracefully, in a rhythm that her love for dance brings to her. She also has a penchant for branding, communications.
Manna is the millennial we all need (and aspire to be!) The only person that can keep up with her is Manna herself. She represents the energy and passion that we will never be able to match. And this applies to everything — food, photography, jokes, fun, and frolic she brings! Including her hatred towards my AC room temperature management skills.
Now imagine, and I say this with or without the gun, a workplace without them. It is not only impossible to have a team which represents so much of everything that the world needs, but it is also something that wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for them.
*soaked and dissolved in sweat from the gunpoint*
A much-awaited post by the #CFTeam from #CFMember, Dharmaraj Solanki! On International Women’s Day, Dharmaraj writes about each and every woman on the Team from his observance of their personalities! This post was originally published on ConnectFor.