Co-Founder Studio Masons (Interview PART-1)
Working based on Collaborative Approach and Giving Priority to Labour Welfare .. with Karthick
Karthick has a vast experience in working in the industry and is a proponent of collaborative working, starting at the unskilled labor level and going up all the stakeholders. He thinks, the smallest and the most critical unit of a successful project is the unskilled labour and having a happy and a content workforce is half the battle won.
Karthick after his mechanical engineering started his career as a sales and technical support for a software company focusing on software catering to the Mechanical industry. His passion for the construction industry rose as he got exposed to few of the members in his family working in the industry which triggered his passion to work on the ground and to create something rather than be selling something. This passion let him to start his journey as a project engineer in a Design Build firm focusing on Research Laboratory fit outs. In the last two decades, he rose from the ranks and was heading as a Director for Design Build for a global firm before the entrepreneur in him kicked in and he Co-Founded STUDIO MASONS PRIVATE LIMITED a Design and Build firm in the year 2021
Karthick ‘s diversified professional journey taught him that learning constantly is the only way of success, he soon realized that every project, every client and every team member is capable of addition to your knowledge base and experience.
The success of a project is when all the stake holders, be the architect, owner, engineer or the contractor all come to a common platform and collaborate. It seems simple enough, but all the varied professionals have a different approach and objectives for the project. To align and find the common goal and purpose and then collaborate is the key to success.
Working together as a team keeping project goal as common objective is the success for the project and not the specific roles individuals play in it. This is the mantra what Karthick believes in and so gave birth to the idea of “Lets innovate Together”
Construction industry is an ever growing and innovating industry, we are constantly seeing new products taking the market share, to innovate for a better and more sustainable future in construction. Being aware of all the products via means of conferences and keeping himself is constant touch with all the vendors and partners keeps him future ready
Karthick feels that a good contractor or a partner never constricts an architect to dream and dream big. His role is to help convert the dream into reality, the more a contractor can think like an architect and an architect think like a contractor, the spectrum between dream and reality will become very short.To be continued. >>
(Interview PART-2)
Karthick believes that, a good leader helps and supports great thoughts of his team, colleagues to take shape and direction rather than just commanding or ordering. He adds the point that, leader should be like a rear wheel drive which helps pushing the vehicle in a steep up climb faster.
Karthick feels that sometimes the products suggested by vendors are a result of business pressures to meet targets and goals which skews the alignment of what’s needed against what’s provided. The right marriage of vendors/ partners with designers and contractors is to not leave the path of alignment and be true to the project. Karthick also suggests the suppliers that, there should be extensive R&D on products to achieve the futuristic modular construction and also to effectively utilize the human resources.
Karthick is of the opinion that the key contractors should focus more on technology with the changing trends. They should keep their labour on priority, concentrate and invest on their training, tools used by them and help them gain more knowledge. The contractors should create a common link to handle all stakeholders which is by following a collaborative approach. They should also make sure that communication reaches not just to the top hierarchy but to all levels of the hierarchy. The common objective of the project should be known to everyone.
The birth of an entrepreneur in Karthick was a result of his desire of creating and establishing a professional and process oriented transparent firm which doesn’t act like a traditional contracting firm but instead acts as an extended arm of the owner to protect and preserve the sanctity of the project and best interest of the owner. This needs clear communication and full transparency in the system. Implementation of this approach in the organization empowers the team members to efficiently and confidently achieve the project goals.
Today we live in a very dynamic environment, where everything is changing even the resources we deploy. The only clear and direct way of tracking and monitoring projects is via technology. Technology can be an expensive investment, but we must have a far sight and invest in it keeping the long-term ROI in mind and not get trapped in the short-term gains.
Karthick believes and practices that we are in the business of people, our first and foremost responsibility is towards our staff, their wellbeing and growth, everything else is secondary, Technology, tools and processes are critical components for growth but all intertwined with the people we have and how we treat them. Hence, he recommends to focus on developing staff and labours through consistent trainings. Also ensure that, labours are provided and safe guarded with their professional rights.
Very few entrepreneurs give importance to labour welfare, have clarity about it on how to implement it and follow clean construction practices, Karthick is indeed one of them.