Leading a balanced life

PROFILE: Dr Kiranmai Dutt
Pendyala holds the position of head-HR at AMD India. She has
successfully managed diverse roles in teaching, training, human
resource development etc. She is an accomplished author with multiple
of her books prescribed as curriculum by various universities across
the country. Kiranmai is the proud recipient of 'VP Executive
Spotlight Award' for establishing the credibility of HR organization
in India. She has published various academic papers, poems, and
co-authored several books on communication. With already a PhD from
Osmania University under her belt, she is currently pursuing second
doctorate in Organizational Behavior from XLRI.

STRENGTH: Considering her mom to
be a strong influence in her life, Kiranmai inculcated her values
from her father who is a veterinary doctor. She believes that
emotional strength is a gift from her mother who overcame all
barriers and pursued education. Reminiscing the past, Kiranmai said,
"My mother comes from an aristocratic family where purdah system
existed. But my father wanted her to study. Though she had to give up
her job many times to look after us, she still managed to carve an
identity. My parents always encouraged me and my brother to step out
of social norms and make an identity for ourselves."

ACHIEVEMENTS: When asked,
Kiranmai replied nonchalantly, "I don't believe in
compartmentalizing success. I strongly believe in 'Nishkaam karma'
which means distancing oneself from fruit of labour. I always take
inspiration from Krishna's birth story. Though Kiranmai has a
doctorate from Osmania University; she is currently studying for the
second one. She recalls, "My mother dreamt of me being a doctor
like most South Indian parents. Since I was not interested in medicine,
hence did not go through
the conventional route. I promised her that I will have a Dr prefixed
before my name. Thus the purpose is fulfilled. Today my daughter
Spoorthi makes her own decisions of course with my support."

FAMILY: Kiranmai and her
entrepreneur husband Ramakrishna P, have a daughter Spoorthi. She
dotes on both of them and believes that her husband is equally
instrumental in her success. Like her mother, Spoorthi is pursuing
law and wishes to be as successful as her parents. "She wanted
to study law. Both of us had decided to support Spoorthi in which
ever career she chose and never forced our opinions on her,"
said Kiranmai.

WEAKNESS: Managing perceptions
is a tough task, so is beating the odds. Kiranmai recognized that at
a certain point she was taking herself too seriously and was over
critical about her work. Today she is working on that aspect and has
learnt to 'let go'. She advises all the women in similar positions to
balance out work and personal life.

A 9-5 hour day in her life is a myth,
says Kiranmai. Her normal working hours tend to fluctuate between
10-16 hours a day! Since AMD is flexible with her timings, she starts
her day by checking emails, attending phone calls etc. Mornings are
reserved for family where she also gets to spend quality time with
her husband. Kiranmai checks into the office around 10.30 and till
8-9pm is in the office. Weekends are completely reserved for family.
During her early period, Kiranmai used to take her daughter along for
any business meetings outside Hyderabad. This way she could bond with
her daughter plus finish official obligations.

HOBBIES: Kiranmai has
co-authored several books. She loves to write poetry, read and also
travel. Apart from these Kiranmai also loves to laze around listening
music.

GOALS: Kiranmai wants to make a
difference to this world. She quips, "I often think what can be
written in my epitaph. How can I make this world a better place? I
want to inspire women to become great leaders and pursue their
careers. I just want to advocate the goodness of letting go. Kiranmai
wants to channelize her positive energies in the betterment of women.
She concludes, "Relationships have been very
important to me all my life. With 20 years of my career and marriage,
I have somehow managed both and will continue to do so in future
too."