HR from ❤️
Welcome to the fourth episode of Doc Diaries. Continuing the streak of conversations with trailblazing women, our host Dr. Preeti Sharma speaks to a woman figure in HR leadership today. Ms. Mary Kumar is an HR by profession and an HR by heart. Let’s find out the inspiring story of a purpose-driven woman.
When asked what makes Mary, “Mary”, she says evolving continuously has made her who she is today. Over time, she has put faith in resilience, curiosity, and continuous learning as her core values.
Mary says, “The core objective of my life has been…if I meet a person…they should feel better about themselves after talking to me. It is about enabling, empowering, and elevating people who met me.” She summarises her introduction by describing herself as a dreamer, hustler, and learner.
Talking about her childhood, Mary recalls growing up in a humble nuclear family in Mysore, with working parents and a younger sister. She has been and is extremely close to her sister and credits her parents with fostering a strong connection between them, while still instilling a sense of independence and self-worth. Her parents’ teachings are reflected in this beautiful saying, “The sun is so bright, everyone will get an equal amount of shine”.
Mary suffered great distress at the tender age of 12 when she lost her father to a heart attack. Though her grandmother moved in with them, losing a parent at any age is difficult and grieving is a long process. This event changed Mary’s life and personality in many ways, teaching her resilience and the importance of taking one day at a time. This experience led to her becoming more mature than her peers and taught her skills like negotiation which she employs in her professional life.
Mary states that though she considered herself to be a good follower, she eventually discovered in college that her best qualities emerge when she leads. When it comes to leadership matters, Mary maintains that “Leadership is not just about decision-making or having all the answers. If you connect, if you are purposeful, if you work towards something with integrity, it will help.”
Mary recounts some instances that show us how traits like helping, giving, and thinking about others before oneself, which are some of the defining foundational qualities of Human Resources (HR) as a profession, were evident in her childhood.
Talking about her professional growth, Mary received a job offer once she finished B.Com. However, she chose to pursue an MBA and was nudged by a professor, who recognised her strengths in connecting with people, to specialise in HR. Mary credits the first company she joined after her MBA with teaching her valuable professional lessons. She recalls feeling proud of her financial independence and being an inspiration for young women in her hometown. This experience also reinforced values like excellence, ownership, and impact, which she drew strength from during difficult times.
Along with career growth came some personal milestones. Mary has had an interesting multi-cultural marriage with Manav. When asked whether the cultural differences posed a challenge even after marriage, Mary agrees but also states that “Love is not about changing, it is about accepting and respecting the differences”.
Moving on the journey of life, Mary and Manav had a beautiful daughter, who is the center of their universe now. Mary recalls having an amazingly positive pregnancy and being fully supported at her workplace as well. She emphasises the importance of showing empathy at work, and of an inclusive workplace culture that supports pregnant women and mothers.
As is truly said, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Mary’s mother stepped in to be her entire village when needed and helped take care of her granddaughter. With this instance, Mary emphasises that no one achieves success alone and professional success is impossible without a supportive home environment.
What is life without some challenges, right? When her daughter was one and a half years old, and her husband had just started his entrepreneurial journey, Mary recalls being asked to join a startup, her first experience in such an environment. While many well-wishers advised her against it, Mary considered it to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for growth and learning and took it up. She credits a lot to her stint at this startup.
As with any profession, communication is key and Mary emphasises that it is the same in the HR community. She insists that there is no problem that cannot be solved with the right communication. An HR’s journey is all about connections and networks, which would be impossible without clear communication.
To clear the air around the sentiment- “HR is like family”, Mary tells us that while compassion and giving are virtues of the job, an HR will not act as a parent or family of the employee. HR deals with professional adults by balancing the function of the heart with the head, and employees must fulfill the conditions and expectations put forth by the job.
On the personal front, Mary shares that she was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy in 2021. It was a difficult phase and she took some time to accept her condition, but support from family, friends, and colleagues, and her spirituality helped her sail through. This experience also taught her the importance of delegation and trust within the team.
Mary’s passion for workplace well-being and inclusive work culture can be seen in the way she speaks about being an HR with utter devotion and clarity. In terms of professional goals, she aims to contribute more towards customer engagement, retention, and acquisition. Interestingly, she envisions continuing to work as long as she can make an impact and elevate others.
The interview draws to a close with a beautiful song rendition by Mary and Dr. Preeti thanks her for sharing valuable insights on her professional and personal journey.