Karthik Namasivayam - Climbing Mountains in Hospitality

Climbing mountains and careers in hospitality

Karthik Namasivayam

I wish I had started mountaineering earlier in life - a combination of fun and hobby!  In hindsight, my career resembles mountaineering.  There were always exciting mountains to climb - the next job, the next promotion, the next new learning, the next set of friends and colleagues - but equally there were valleys!  We have both wins and challenges.  

I was fortunate to have had many mentors - people who guided me, who showed me how foolish I could be and the correct path up the mountain and across the valleys!  Koshy Varghese, my first manager at Chola, Bruno Kunzi a guest at Chola who found me my first job in Switzerland, David Appasamy my IHM classmate introduced me to an architect who hired me for a major consulting job, my classmate who offered me my first job in the USA, faculty who made it possible to obtain my PhD.  There are many others, both professional and personal friends, without whom I could not have done what I have.  I drew upon the wisdom, and support of the village.

I mentioned mountaineering earlier,  a key lesson I learnt from a guide was that on narrow mountain paths, there is no time for sightseeing if you want to reach the peak before the day is up.  And to feel the exhilaration that comes from reaching the peak!  The guide also advised me that the surest way up a mountain is for each step to be secure before taking the next one.  I think this idea has motivated me all my life - just did not know it.  

I made sure to be the best at what I was doing at the moment - being the best waiter, or the best student, or the best front office manager. This is analogous to being sure of each step before moving to the next.  Every job is equally important.  Being (as in ‘Be the thing’) a waiter helped me formulate my PhD thesis questions about 25 years later! Hospitality employees are uniquely both service employees and customers.  We serve and are served.  My understanding of the psychology of both roles allowed me to model the psychological dynamics of the service interaction between a guest and service provider in my dissertation.  

I wish I could say that I planned my career when I was at IHM - but that would be a lie!  My career has been pretty non-linear, as many are. Parenthetically, data show that graduates stay at their first jobs on average two years.  I was excited (still am) by newness and grabbed every opportunity that presented itself.  But I prepared myself to grab opportunities - learning German and French, learning to read civil engineering blueprints. So when the opportunity to travel to Switzerland came along, I grabbed it!  When the opportunity to work in a hotel consulting company came along, I grabbed that too.  Each little hill I climbed prepared me for the next, till I reached where I am today.  

My career includes many different jobs and locations - I have worked in Chennai (of course!), Mumbai, the Maldives, Switzerland, the U.S., and China.  I have worked as a server, banquets doorman, night manager, construction site supervisor, lobby manager, resort front office supervisor, owner and operator of a consulting company, partner in a restaurant, faculty member, and academic administrator.    

Just as mountaineering requires a sure sense of direction (the surest path up!), navigating a career requires a strong internal moral and value compass.  In an ever-changing world, we must develop a strong internal guidance system.  What is it that guided me even in my toughest moments? Positivity, optimism, and the confidence that eventually my skills, knowledge, and adaptability will help me overcome whatever challenge was in front of me at the time. When faced with challenges, it is important to be thoughtful and objective, guided by internal and external standards. Sometimes, the external standard may not be adequate because most standards are the minimum common standards.  Setting internal standards high enough allowed me to navigate some difficult moments and move to higher ground quickly.  

As I look at the future, I try to imagine where hospitality is going to be in five to ten years and prepare myself for the changes. From acquiring suitable knowledge, skills, and abilities and networking with individuals who are the change leaders so that I am constantly learning from them.  Being strategic always helps. But I will never forget that my career started at the IHM Taramani and with bun-tea at Kanagam!  And some of the most wonderful times I have had!  What a great start! 

Karthik Namasivayam Ph.D, Class of 1978

With over 40 years of hospitality experience and education, in different countries, schools, and jobs, Karthik adopts a global perspective in a global industry.  He is currently committed to imagining the shape of future hospitality and to helping prepare leaders for the transforming industry.