Shivani Kamdar's unique ‘P2T2’ formula for work-life balance

We, at Adgully, have always saluted and honoured women managers and leaders across diverse fields. W-SUITE is a special initiative from Adgully that has been turning the spotlight on some of the most remarkable women achievers in the M&E, Advertising, Marketing, PR and Communications industry. In the refurbished series, we seek to find out how women leaders have been managing their teams and work as well as how they have been navigating through the toughest and most challenging times brought about by the global pandemic.

In conversation with Adgully, Shivani Kamdar, Associate Creative Director, SoCheers, speaks about how women leaders are making positive strides in all sectors of the industry, the importance of Positive Communication in challenging times, her ‘P2T2’ formula for achieving successful work-life balance, and more.

How do you think the role and scope of women leaders have widened in the current market ecosystem?

The present market scenario is being redefined by more and more women leaders rising up to the top. We’re seeing these multi-taskers make a positive stride in all sectors of the industry. I believe some of the factors that have impacted this growth in enhancing their role and scope, are inclusive opportunities that would include a hybrid working model and dynamic and flexible policies post pandemic; the budding content creator space that made it easy for women to put themselves out there, make their and their brand messages reach the right audience.

What has been your major learning from the pandemic period?

The whole work from home scenario that the pandemic brought with itself hit businesses across the globe, and ours was no exception. The new normal wasn’t as easy to adapt to, but we eventually made it our routine. So for writers, one good thing was that we all could work and write at peace, but it was still no consolation for team ideations, meetings and presentations. So, I realised that we’ll have to increase our communication amongst our team members, and that meant doing weekly catch-up calls, virtual meetings, hosting fun sessions to de-clutter our heads and also retain the team spirit in a way.

So, “Positive Communication” was my first major takeaway. Now, one can only communicate positively if you feel for the other person, can listen to their story and have an empathetic understanding. Everyone went through their own set of turmoil during those two years, having “Empathy” towards each other felt like the bare minimum we could do.

I feel so proud today that we tackled each obstacle as it came, managed to pull off some of the biggest campaigns, onboarded a volley of new clients, and continued to retain these two as core principles even today.

What is your mantra for maintaining a successful work-life balance in the new normal? According to you, what makes women the best in crisis management?

The key to having a successful work and life balance is in acing P2T2 (that’s something I’ve formed over the years) P2 stands for Prioritising & Planning, and T2 denotes – Task & Time. Four of these, as we can see, are co-related. Sticking to this has helped me, and still does fulfill my passion at work and also run a home. Of course, one cannot achieve this balance without support from both the ecosystems, so I have been lucky enough to have that going for me as I aspired.

Coming to Crisis Management, as women, we are more intuitive and hence, our decisions exhibit a more relational behaviour over a rational one, and most of the times it’s a better way to deal with sensitive issues. Apart from that, I think multitasking comes as second nature to us.

What are the five most effective leadership lessons that you have learned?

There are many lessons learnt in the due time. I am listing down the top 5 ones that have helped shape an effective leadership:

• Listening - To understand someone’s problem or a client’s brief, listening is the first and the most basic step. The teams and clients always appreciate a good listener.
• Balance Appreciation & Criticism - To effectively manage a team, it is essential to strike a balance between playing the role of a supportive and encouraging good cop and a tough but fair bad cop. Additionally, it is important to be receptive to receiving feedback.
• Transparency - Whether it concerns someone’s growth or just a day to day operational thing, maintaining transparency in your communication really puts in that level of “trust”.
• Approachable - When you inculcate the above three pointers, you automatically become an approachable figure for your team, making way for an open and flat leadership structure.
• Be Hungry - As leaders, I believe it’s important to remain receptive to learning from others, as it can enhance our edge and bolster our credibility.

Gender sensitivity and inclusion in the new normal – how can organisations effectively encourage and groom women leaders in challenging times?

I support equal opportunities in all aspects of life, just like basic necessities of ‘roti’ (food), ‘kapda’ (clothing), and ‘makaan’ (shelter). Therefore, organisations should implement fair policies that support equal opportunities for career advancement and leadership roles regardless of gender. It is also important to recognise and support personal life events such as weddings and parental leaves for both men and women. Additionally, providing period leaves for women can address their unique health needs and promote equality and inclusivity in the workplace. Therefore, advocating for policies that promote equal opportunities and inclusivity is crucial for creating a fair and inclusive society.