The art chilling

Everyone has it but nobody wants it. ‘Stress and the City’ is a never-ending real-life soap opera with a star cast predominantly of high-flyers from the corporate world. Susan George peeks behind the scenes and attempts to unearth some innovative strategies adopted by executives to combat the ‘S’ factor

Cart-wheeling from one meeting to the next, hop-scotching around the world, tackling a stack of deadlines arranged like an eerie game of dominoes and plunging headfirst into impossibly long 'to do' lists…Mahesh Shirodkar handles all this and more as chief operating officer, SOTC Kuoni Outbound Division. At the end of a jam-packed day, however, it's a 'no, thank you' to foot massages and fancy restaurants. Instead, a game of gully cricket with the kids from his apartment building, some home-made Goan fish curry and a glass of red wine creates the impeccable unwinding formula.

A slew of self-help books, Qi Gong Chinese healing, 'transform stress into empowerment' coaching sessions, aroma therapy, art of living exhibits – there's no getting around the fact that while our world spins at a frenetic pace, de-stressing has itself become a business. In the midst of the corporate clutter, however, bigwig executives have carved out personal stress-busting options that scorn stodgy routine.

The conventional image we have of the CEO unplugged is that of him sipping Scotch at an absurdly expensive night club, passively lounging in a spa, or sunbathing at a five-star resort. When feBusiness Traveller got up close and personal with some leading executives around the country, we discovered that their notions of de-stressing are, well, let's just say a tad different.

Resorts crammed with every conceivable modern amenity are out, instead beach houses are in. Sweating it out in the gym won hands down, puncturing the CEO-with-a-generous-middle image. The faceless coffee pub and the nondescript highway 'dhaba' had more takers than the restaurant peppered with fawning waiters and glistening cutlery. And surprisingly, the resounding response of top-level executives across the country was a rock-hard "no" to night clubs. Running one of the most swanky hotels, in the pub hub Bangalore, Eric Swanson, general manager, The Leela Palace Kempinski, likes his own space.

"In the evening I prefer to relax in my two-bedroom suite with a cigarette and martini, a room service dinner, some reading/studying and then to bed by no later than 10 pm," contends Swanson. "Burn out" was simply not a phrase that figured in the dictionaries of the corporate kingpins we spoke to.

Out of the box

Perceptions of the button-down, stuffy unwinding tactics of executives were shattered to smithereens. After-hour pursuits revealed an eclectic medley of hobbies. We're not just talking the likes of adman, Prahlad Kakkar, who in addition to running his own production house, Genesis, runs two restaurants in Mumbai, manufactures cigars in the Philippines and owns two scuba diving schools in Lakshwadeep. Most of us subscribe to the view that those with a "creative" disposition throw themselves into quirky pastimes. This time around, it's the strait-laced executive who left us with raised eyebrows. Swanson, for instance, is intent on taking off on a flight of fancy - quite literally. "I'm toying with the idea of helicopter lessons and have been accepted into the Rotary Wing Academy," he says. An exhaustive seven-day week workout routine is an intrinsic part of his stress-busting agenda - and on his day off he treats himself to about four hours in the gymnasium. V V Giri, general manager, The Park, Chennai, shares this enthusiasm for fitness. With 50 laps of swimming a day, and yoga three times a week, not to mention a healthy dose of couch cricket, Giri says, “The biggest de-stresser for me is sports". That apart, politics is a passion for the grandson of India's former president - keeping abreast of the rough-and-tumble political drama, Giri definitely intends entering the fray in a short while. While Swanson and Giri are entrenched in the hospitality business, neither believes in the unwinding-at-night-clubs formula. Working 24x7 routines in the IT-capital, Bangalore, Sankalp Saxena, managing director and senior vice president, i2 Technologies - India, is the maverick executive who drums up his energy quotient to include a concoction of diversions. A voracious reader and collector of wines, his interests extend to horse riding and flying. "I am currently exploring getting enrolled in equestrian lessons in the morning. Bangalore, fortunately, has several riding academies and I am hoping to make time to pick up this new hobby," says Saxena, who is also contemplating taking flying lessons at the Jakkur Flying Club.

Tearing hurry, to bits

‘Family First’ - the phrase captures the top slot on the priority list of businesspersons who keep the corporate machinery grinding. Theme parks, nature trails, long drives - surprisingly, primary school notions of fun pervade the lives of these executives. For Giri, home is an apartment within the 'dare to be different' boutique hotel. However, he insists on maintaining a distinct divide between the two. "I don't carry a piece of paper back home with me," says Giri, whose idea of a good time revolves around family vacations, road trips, and letting his children "bully" him. "We like to keep it simple. Just looking for turtles on the beach with my children is my idea of a fun time," he says. The sentiment is echoed by others as well. Sujata Pai, director, Natalia, the premium women's wear brand and retail wing of SM Apparels, contends that straddling the business and domestic worlds can add to the worry creases on one's forehead. "Playing the dual role of homemaker and professional, and to be able to attain perfect balance between the two constantly, is quite stressful by itself," admits Pai. Her tried-and-true remedies? "Hanging out with my children, a bit of fitness routines and at home chilling out in the jacuzzi with some nice magazines do the trick most of the time," she says. The 'hakunana matata' philosophy works in Saxena's life as well - "Personally, I enjoy gardening with the children. We've planted papaya, mango, chikoo trees in our garden as well as some vegetables in a small patch. On weekends it is nice to be able to get away from the city to find some good nature trails to go trekking," she says.

Prahlad Kakkar probably has the most sure-fire formula for dealing with work-related stress and it is very simple - enjoy your work. He says, "Essentially, I have never really worked a single day in my life. Combining a whole lot of fun and passion into my work makes it much more interesting.”

Ripujit Chaudhuri, chief manager - credit risk management group, ICICI Bank Ltd, shares a love for music with his wife. "My wife is totally dedicated to the field of Indian semi-classical music. Conversations with her on music, and listening to her own voice while she does her riyaaz is soothing." Talking to his son in the middle of a frenzied day makes a world of difference to Alok Bhardwaj, director and general manager, consumer imaging and information division, Canon India Pvt Ltd. "I make a call a day from the office to my son, as I feel talking to children is a stress reliever. At night, I usually play a game of chess with him. The concentration that the game requires keeps your mind off the hook," he says.

Shoestring options

Since they're at the helm of churning out big bucks for their business, spending money is not much of a problem for the top brass of industry. Manicures, massages and everything in-between is not always discounted and often comes at a premium. Chennai, for instance, recently saw the launch of 15,000 square feet of indulgence for men - the spa AIWO (meaning 'Love Yourself' in Chinese) is a WiFi-enabled haven for businessmen who don't mind dipping into their coffers for a Rs 50,000 a year membership fee. Metros are bursting at the seams with spas and wellness centres that can burn a Rs 15,000-per-session hole in one's Gucci wallet. While Rajesh Bohra, managing director, Kitchenworld, unwinds at beach resorts, he steers clear of the glitzy. "When I do the long drives routine with family, it is usually the Ideal Beach Resort (Chennai) that we head to. That place is a must visit - with absolutely no TV sets and just nature for company." Nickel-and-dime entertainment still holds a distinctive charm for him, with coffee pubs and the movies being favourite pastimes. For Deepak Gulati, CEO (Eastern Region), Bharti Cellular Ltd, dabbling in the kitchen and discovering offbeat eat-outs is a passion. "I love cooking. One of my favourite pastimes is going through food guides and experimenting with different types and styles of cooking. I am not at all hung up on five-star restaurants or expensive eating out options. I love the speciality restaurants or even a dhaba if it is tastefully done up. Small, nondescript places serving exotic food also appeal to me," confirms Gulati. A literary bent of mind characterises Umesh Asaikar, president, Nicolas Piramal India Ltd. An ardent PG Wodehouse addict, he has devoured all the books in the series, and says that reading humour is a great way to unwind. Asaikar has completely shattered the myth that corporate types concerned with RoI, can't possibly have a creative bone in them: he has recently taken to writing, and has a penchant for Marathi travelogues. Computer games are another top pick for him. "I must say, I enjoy playing games on the computer, especially the stupid old Pacman," says Asaikar. Another person with a yen for sports is A M Naik, managing director and CEO, Larsen & Toubro Limited. "I have very few indulgences but despite my hectic schedule, I make it a point to play badminton at Khar Gymkhana on Sundays." Managing operations in over 50 countries, the Godrej group chairman, Adi B Godrej told feBusiness Traveller recently in an interview that he opts for adventures that border on the bohemian. Recalling a trip with friends to Tibet and Mansarovar, Godrej said, "Walking around Mount Kailash, roughing it out in the mountainous terrain was quite an experience."

Rajeev Karwal, managing director, Electrolux Kelvinator Ltd, also believes in the power of the outsides to heal the stress lines. "During a holiday, I just try and relax with my family and close friends. Just unwind. I play a lot with my children," he says.

While their workdays are not about sitting tight on leather swivel chairs all day, many head honchos contend that their lives are stress-free: planning makes perfect and ‘manic Monday’ is just another phrase from an '80s pop album. Negotiating the just-right combination of work and play, these executives have given a whole new spin on stomping stress while relentlessly railing against convention.