Prajna Paramita (PP) is an international executive and leadership coach working in multiple sectors across different regions. She started her career in the late seventies and continues to work till date. Describing herself as a life-long learner, she has changed careers, a few times. After she found her calling, there has been no looking back.
Your growth journey…
I resigned as a diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service due to an inequitable service rule which did not allow IFS officers to continue in service if they married a non-Indian. So, I decided to hand in my resignation rather than ‘do battle’ with the bureaucracy. I, then, entered the world of consulting and became a partner in a boutique consultancy. Soon I realised, I was highly proficient at what I was doing but was not learning anything new. So, I went back to university while continuing my work and completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Social and Cultural Anthropology, magna cum laude (with the added challenge of doing much of it in French). Having re-discovered the joy of learning, I decided to continue studying, this time to get a Diploma in Psychotherapy. After 3 years of intense study, I was invited by my teacher to train future batches of students and earn a higher Diploma at Master’s level. Following this, I began my fledgling practice as a psychotherapist. A few years into this, some of my clients gave me feedback that I had a ‘coaching style’ in my therapy. This made me contemplate and I decided to train as a coach. Soon I shifted my practice to coaching and found not only meaning and purpose but true fulfilment as this was ‘what I was born to do’.
Experiences that had a huge impact on you
I think the biggest influences that shape and mould us are through education and upbringing. On the family side, I had a highly educated working mother who was able to pursue a career on equal terms with my father. I have to give full credit to my father who was extremely supportive and actively encouraged her to accept a Fulbright scholarship, which took her to the US. This was at a time when she was a young mother. She too had really powerful role models to follow. My paternal grandmother found her latent talent as a poet at the age of 45 and went on to win top literary prizes. My maternal grandmother co-managed the family estates with my grandfather and later, on her own. These women were born in the early 1900’s.
The other great influence was my schooling in Rishi Valley, founded by the philosopher-educationist, Jiddu Krishnamurti. The school instilled in me self-belief and self-worth. Frankly, compared to this background, which I acknowledge as privileged, I can’t recall anything in my career which had a comparable impact.
What must be done to attract more women to the workforce?
Giving girls access to education on par with boys, is key. The next thing is to assure them that they would be treated equal to men on joining the workforce and ensure that gender equality is implemented. Worldwide, there are several best practices compiled by experts on diversity, equity and inclusion. Several companies have implemented these and we hope that others will soon follow.
How to address gender-based pay disparity ?
I believe this should be addressed through the regulatory sphere and not be left to the whims of companies.
