A positive attitude, Golyan’s mantra to achieving one’s goals

KATHMANDU: A few days ago Pawan Golyan, chairman of Reliance Spinning Mills, wrote a message to the company’s staff extending his heartfelt appreciation for the hard work and dedication that they had put in even during such trying times to make the company better. “It is with immense pleasure that I write this message to you,” he said, adding, “During this difficult time each and every member of Reliance Spinning Mills has worked with courage and dedication to keep our company running.”

Golyan further stated that he felt immense pride in having such dedicated members in his team. He also lauded all the employees for their perseverance and devotion towards their work. “Together we will come out of this crisis stronger and become more resilient in the future,” he mentioned.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought many industries to a complete standstill. Many factories remained totally shut for the duration of the lockdown and some other companies even laid off employees or cut salaries to bring down the operation and management costs.

Yet, there were some industries that managed to operate uninterruptedly at full capacity throughout the crisis. They even managed to pay all their 5,000 staffs on a regular basis and proved that if there is the will then one can turn a crisis into an opportunity.

And Reliance Spinning Mills is one such exemplary example of a company that was able to bide through the crisis without any obstacles. It was able to operate its industry at full capacity throughout the crisis period and if that was not good enough it is now even searching for new international markets.

Our company is like a family, shares Golyan. “Not only is the management satisfied but also the other workers in the company,” he mentions. In the last 25 years since its establishment there have been no strikes or labor issues at Reliance Spinning Mills, which is a testimony to the cordial management-employee relation within the company.

Golyan, who over the years has developed a reputation of being an honest and hardworking industrialist, says that having a positive mindset is the key to success. He shares that there are a few aspects that industries and businesses should focus on to sustain themselves and overcome the crisis caused by the ongoing pandemic. In his words…

Stay Positive, Spread Positivity

No person living had ever thought that we at present would be going through such a difficult phase due to a virus that no doctor or scientist even knew about. However, the coronavirus did strike and the entire human race has been affected.

Thus, threats and risks can come from unexpected quarters but what is important is that we have to maintain a positive attitude to tackle those problems.

I would like to emphasize that having a positive outlook is even more necessary for industrialists like us. Attitude is very infectious… the attitude that we project affects everyone around us.

The coronavirus has already spread across the world and we cannot go back in time and try to stop it. What we should be looking at is starting afresh instead of wasting time in thinking about what could have been. We need to take this crisis as a nightmare and look forward to waking up to a bright and sunny tomorrow.

Everybody should focus on devising effective recovery plans and implementing them in earnest. We all need to be aware that recovery does not take place overnight. People need to draft innovative plans and work towards fulfilling them, one step at a time.

There will come a point when your business will break even. Stay positive. Do not allow negativity to seep into your mind because a negative vibe will not only destroy you individually, it will ruin your family, society, business and the nation in the long run.

Treat human capital with respect

Any person involved in any type of business and in any capacity should always realize that human capital is the backbone for any enterprise. Thus, we should stress on strengthening the human capital we have.

All workers, be it the person who cleans our workplaces or the chief executive, are the assets of a business. One needs to ensure that each employee is happy with what they are doing.

What I have learnt in all these years of running different kinds of businesses is that laying off staff is never good for any company unless it is really required.

If the people working for you are worried about losing their jobs then they will never be able to give their best at the workplace. It is also the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their employees are living a healthy and happy life.

Always communicate with your workers. There might be times when you might not be able to pay them immediately. Explain the situation and the reason why you have not been able to do so and assure them that things will be sorted out as soon as possible.

If you are able to do so then I can assure you that your employees will understand you… they too are humans. The human touch is vital to create a strong bonding with the team and ensure a family environment at the workplace.

Focus on productivity, production

A majority of industries have not been able to operate to their full capacity till date. However, now that the market has started reopening gradually and there is more movement of people, businesses should devise and adopt various health safety measures and start operating in a full-fledged manner.

I would suggest the industries to enhance production and emphasize on effective branding of their products.

Those industries that are facing problems with cash flow should be more astute and negotiate properly to purchase the required raw materials at a cheaper cost. Similarly, such companies should communicate with banks and obtain loans under different available headings like the refinancing facility.

At present, the credit interest rates have come down significantly, so businesses should grab this opportunity and expand their operations.

In the meantime, what we must be very aware about is that production is directly related to the productivity of any industry. The management should embrace various new policies to convince the workforce that together we are going to come out much stronger on the other side of the tunnel.

The employees should also be provided with necessary training. The government too has been running different training programs for workers these days, so industries must capitalize on this opportunity. A happy employee translates into a happy customer.

Prioritize domestic products and labor force

Many industries in the country are being operated through foreign human resources who have not been able to come back to work since the outbreak of the pandemic in Nepal. Thus, it is an opportune time for businesses to substitute those foreign workers with domestic labor force.

This will not only ensure availability of new jobs during this crisis but will also prevent the outflow of domestic currency which will certainly be a boon to the economy.

For a few domestic industries the crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the import of foreign goods and services were halted for several months.

The government now along with the concerned stakeholders and the general public should prioritize domestic products over foreign brands and help substitute imports that have been a major cause of the high trade deficit that the country has been witnessing since decades.