Every challenge is an opportunity to prove oneself and I found mine when Reckitt recently partnered with the Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan, for a project to ensure that water scarce areas had a sustainable access to clean water. The project that aimed to run the plant using renewable solar energy to ensure environment friendly operations, banked on a performance ranking of best cleanliness and public hygiene practices, to find the most suitable location for establishment. This endeavor was also aligned to Reckitt’s agenda of sustainably providing access to clean water while increasing market presence.
Unfortunately, the minister responsible for authorizing the project wanted to install the plant in his hometown to aid his performance for the upcoming elections. Since his domain did not qualify according to the criteria set for selection of location, he put a lot of pressure on Reckitt. As it was my responsibility to come up with a fair solution, I decided to be diplomatic, interacted with the senior members of the minister’s political party and steered the project in the right direction. I promised the minister another plant in his locality before the elections, by getting the Reckitt management to increase the funds allocated for the project.
This experience helped me gain an extensive idea about political dealings and the art of diplomacy, which, I believe, will be instrumental in aiding me increase Reckitt’s market performance. Most importantly, I learnt the significance of aligning the big picture with immediate goals, through strategic planning and execution.