For Kiran Giradkar, Chief Marketing Officer, BN Group, a minimum of eight hours of sleep ensures productivity at work and is one of his biggest energy hacks. A firm believer in ensuring the health of one’s body, he also believes that happiness in one’s personal life is paramount because that is also one of the contributing factors to work productivity.
In a conversation with Storyboard18, Giradkar also shares his take on workplace toxicity, hustle culture, and a lot more.
Edited Excerpts
The creator economy has taken the world by storm. Which influencers and trends are you following?
Being from the marketing fraternity, I am following the best of the marketing influencers and case studies. Out of all the platforms, I am on LinkedIn and follow the stories of leaders right from FMCG to marketing.
That is what I personally have an interest in and it gets me to learn a lot about brands across the globe.
My most favourite brands are Patagonia, Ikea, Coca-Cola, and Red Bull.
There is a lot of talk about burnout, workplace toxicity and hustle culture. What steps have you taken to avoid the adverse impact of the always-on culture on yourself and your colleagues? And what advice would you give?
I generally prefer to have two different lives: A professional life and a personal life. I am not a big fan of round the clock work.
I believe in smart work. Be it from 9 to 5 or 9 to 6, one needs to focus and prioritise their work. I come across lots of people who say that there are so many priorities.
If someone is saying that, the whole sanctity of the word ‘priority’ actually gets lost. People do not prioritise. That’s the reason most of the people are actually getting burnt out.
I always prefer my team, my peers and my colleagues to be very objective whenever they are pursuing a new work.
I don’t work on Saturdays and Sundays. Because I believe that the world does not fall apart if one actually does not answer the calls during weekends. Your family deserves full attention during that time.
Is there any sport or fitness routine you practice?
I do running and cycling. But I am an ardent trekker. Whenever I get the time, I make sure that I go trekking.
What does your weekend look like?
I have two children, and I like spending time with my 5-year-old younger daughter, from whom I learn a lot. In the second half of Saturday or Sunday, I speak with my friends, and network with most of the people in the marketing fraternity.
I go back to my colleges through various guest lectures. If there is an opportunity or window available to attend some industry forums, I do that.
Share one work hack and one life hack you swear by
Have a minimum eight hours of sleep. There are leaders who are promoting five hours of sleep. But if one really sleeps for eight hours, then the next day is a good day for you. So that’s one of the biggest energy hacks or power hacks.
Then, happiness at home is very important. If you’re not happy at home, it will reflect in your performance in the office.
Your body is your wealth, and it’s your primary responsibility to take care of your body.
What are you watching or streaming this weekend?
I generally go through National Geographic and some bits which are around marketing. There are lots of channels on YouTube which are available which give a peek into what’s happening in the world of marketing and in the world of sustainability.
I watch some movies where for example, I can watch ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ 10 times.
Whenever I get time with my children, I watch some comedy movies and some family or comedy serials. Along with my friends, I catch up with Hindi comedy movies.
I keep away from Instagram and Facebook.
A piece of wisdom you would like to share?
I think one has got to be very genuine and honest. I think most of the people who have been very honest to their own work have been very productive. One also has got to be passionate. If people are passionate about their work, that will reflect in their outcome.