I’m with a company called SOL: S O L. We’re a production company and we create content for various media. We have worked with leading broadcasters and OTT networks for almost two decades now. Known for our unscripted programming, we are the makers of the country’s most talked about chat show Koffee with Karan. My story today is about the essence of SOL, what it stands for.
“Hey, you! Come and sit with us at the table? And what’s in your dabba, haan? Hope it’s not something spicy!” Sounds like a bully in school, doesn’t it That’s actually how everyone is assimilated into SOL. The first rite of passage into the organization is not when you walk through their main door, but actually when you come and sit at the lunch table.
I’ve often heard complete outsiders say that they feel like they are part of SOL—they feel respected, looked after, and valued. Even I did—I used to be a client earlier but always felt like I was a part of the company somehow. Every time I went to their office, I felt a welcoming spirit. No one was huddled away in their cubicles. Everyone was excited to see me and ready to share their thoughts and to ask me how I was doing. And I used to always wonder why. And then when I actually became a part of SOL, I realized why. It’s because of the atmosphere that everyone from the top down to the bottom up have worked to create and sustain.
So, on my first day at SOL, when I sat at that table, I felt like I was home. Like a part of a big, happy, warm family. A family that looks out for each other, that works together, pitches in when required, and bring their various skills and talents into all the projects they do with so much passion. The work environment is like a mirror to that lunch table: there are different kinds of food, cultures, tastes, and sharing, where an absentee maid in your house means nothing, because you can be sure someone has brought extra rotis for you, where on a table meant for eight there are always over 15 people comfortably sitting, adjusting and enjoying each other’s company. There is always room for everyone: colleagues, clients, interns, freelancers, guests, friends, pets—anyone and everyone! Even In the most adverse situations (like the current Covid times) this helps us get through because we are always there for each other. Now that I’m a part of it I realize that just like sharing dishes to eat, everyone has something to contribute. The only question is whether you’re going to be patient enough and humble enough to learn what it is.
We have our struggles too. Struggling with client briefs, managing budgets, executing in situations which may not always be so easy, fighting through monsoons, sickness, and technology failure. But those are struggles about how to get the work done right, not about the politics and power dynamics that plague so many workplaces these days. I’ve learnt at SOL to value people, to be honest, to maintain relationships and to be respectful of everyone. It all keeps functioning because we love food so much that we extend the lunch table mentality to everything we do. So yes, we cannot function without food. But we also cannot function without each other.