At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Parvez Siraj for an exclusive interview with us. Parvez specializes in Business Transformation & Turnaround, Change & Program Management. He is also a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, PMP, NLP Practitioner, Coach & Trainer. Let’s learn more about his background, journey and advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Parvez:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
It’s been a beautiful journey so far. I am a mechanical engineer from NIT Silchar, an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad. I feel very grateful to all my employers for giving me such varied experiences. I have covered so many industries Automotive, Retail, Steel, Chemicals, Pharma, Telecom, IT, BPO, Metal & Mines, FMCG, Oil & Gas and Management Consulting.
There is a saying, when you walk with giants you take giant steps. Working with the best professionals, go-getters and top performers has transformed me. Sometimes it appears as a dream when I recall what I was and what I am today.
All credit goes to my family, my managers, the clients I have worked with, my colleagues whom I kept looking upto them and wishing how could I match their best skills.
What is better, working in the same industry or changing industries?
The question of whether it’s better to work in the same industry or change industries doesn’t have a straightforward answer. It really depends on what you choose for yourself and what makes you happy and fulfilled.
For some, staying in the same industry provides stability and deep expertise, while for others, switching industries can offer new challenges and learning opportunities.
Every industry has its own traits, challenges, and customer needs. Learning these differences broadened my view, allowing me to see problems and solutions from various angles. It also helps me question our biases
How did you discover your passion?
Repetitive work or role used to drain my energy. It took me a while to understand what is my passion and what kind of work I enjoy the most. But as there is a saying, what you seek is seeking you. When I introspected I realized that I am attracted towards things that are challenging, which others find or call them difficult.
Slowly and gradually I started finding roles which are more focused on change management, transformation, coaching, facilitation. I worked in multiple industries and management consulting which gave me a wide and rich experience. The hunger to learn and improve myself kept me going and as far as I know myself this thirst is not going to quench.
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going?
We can’t avoid challenges; they have always been and will always be a part of life. Without challenges, life wouldn’t be as enjoyable. I believe challenges are essential for self-discovery and personal growth. They help us evolve through experiences and drive our evolution process
I do feel challenges will look like challenges when there is no sense of purpose. If there is no goal then every obstacle will look as if everything is shattered because we don’t know where shall we go.
In short, anytime I hear it’s difficult, impossible, or you can’t do, attracts my attention. Once I decide to go after it, every cell of my body gets aligned to the challenge and this keeps me moving.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
Lesson 1: Nothing is impossible. We are limited by our own thoughts. Think of a riddle which looks impossible till we don’t know the answer. One we know that answer it looks so simple. The same principle applies in life also. Another example is lock and key. We can’t open the lock till there is no right key. Once we have the right key, it opens the lock so easily. So we shall find the key.
Lesson 2: Your strength can become your weakness and weakness can become your strength. During my initial career speed was my biggest strength. Since I was very fast in completing my tasks, I used to get huge appreciation. When I moved up the ladder, I used to finish my work faster than others. It gave others the impression that I was not taking them along and slowly they started isolating me. So once my strength became my weakness.
Lesson 3: In life choose what is good for you and drop what will pull you back. It applies to your thoughts, actions, and social circle. If we go through any bad experience, we shall not complain about the poor experience instead take the learning and move forward. We pick flowers from the garden and leave the thorns.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
In my view, there are 3Ps needed as a fundamental element for success. There are many external factors as well but to me these are a must to have.
1) Passion
2) Plan
3) Perseverance
Passion keeps me moving. Plan helps me create a future today so that I can internalize what I need to do and finally adhere to the plan no matter how many challenges I face.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
The answer is within the question itself. Every individual must first understand what makes them happy not what makes others happy. Parameters of happiness for me and you will be different. And this requires a bit of conscious effort. I will give you an example.
Every year, we make resolutions, but after 15 days, we lose motivation and revert to old habits. This happens because our resolutions are often influenced by others. For example, if a colleague joins a gym, we might do the same. This creates a cycle where we make resolutions, lose motivation, and then repeat the process each new year.
Instead, if we step back and find a purpose, asking why we are doing what we are doing, our life will change. With the right answers, our priorities, mindset, and thinking will change. This will guide us on the journey of becoming who we want to be, driven by our purpose.
You talk about purpose and goal. Any incident or personal story you would like to share;
My son got into one of the best schools in Delhi. After his admission, my wife asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. She mentioned that I did engineering and then an MBA, and he could be like me.
My son then asked why I chose that path. I didn’t want to tell him it was just to get a good job. We should have a higher purpose to avoid feeling empty when we achieve our goals.
You are also a poet? How does it help you in your personal or professional field?
I believe everyone is a poet. A poet tells a story in a few simple words that are easy to understand and pleasing to hear. Poetry helps in several ways: it encourages thinking beyond boundaries, refines your thoughts by conveying messages concisely, improves language and communication skills, helps you understand others’ perspectives, and motivates you during tough times. For example, if you have a big goal but feel demotivated, poetry can inspire you. All these aspects benefit me both personally and professionally.
How was your last year? Any key learnings?
Last year was the best year for me, not just professionally but in many other ways too. I say this every year, maybe because of recency bias. However, last year was truly one of the best because many good things happened. I received the Chairperson’s Award for my contribution to a high-stakes project, and the best part is I didn’t know about it until the Engagement partner messaged me and congratulated me.
What are the roles of leaders and how did they contribute in your journey?
I am very lucky that I had great managers. Umesh Vyas, Rajesh Sehgal and Srihari at Wipro, Yoginder Parmar, Ajay Anand and Pushpesh Gupta at Samsung, John Tharakan at TechM, Vipin Tiwari and Paul Bowes at Target, Pallab De at PwC.
They played a crucial role in shaping who I am today. They were role models I looked up to, and I learned a lot from each of them, even if they didn’t realize it. For example, Umesh Vyas is great at storytelling.
I learned the power of communication from Paul Bowes. Pallab De always challenged me and brought out the best in me, sometimes without me even realizing it. I have immense respect for all my seniors and colleagues and will always be grateful to them.
One last thing you would like to share?
I believe we are more capable than we think. Thinking small is a mistake. I realized this later, but it’s better late than never. We should think big, aim high, and keep raising our bars.
There is nothing we cannot achieve. It is just what we plant in our brains. My favourite quote is – “Don’t make resolutions when you can bring revolution”.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
