From teaching people how to smile, to drastically transforming their innate mentalities, to monitoring everything in between, Harsha Rohit has been building confident personalities each day for the past 8 years.

“Is she a teacher or something?” you might ask. Well, the answer to that would be both yes and no. Hold on to your twisted wits, for they shall be untangled soon.

A couple of days ago, I met this vivacious woman at the institute of which she is the Founder and CEO – HR Trikaya Personality Grooming and Finishing Academy. While she was finishing her lecture, I waited at the reception glancing at the student-written notes that were all around, and all of which bore Harsha’s pictures. The next minute, she pulled me out of my reverie and after exchanging greetings, we began conversing.

Me: Tell me about yourself.

Harsha: As you must have seen for yourself by now, I am a personality groomer and this academy is my entrepreneurial venture. However, I wasn’t in this field since the beginning of my career.

I pursued Anthropology for my Masters, and I also worked with ING Vyasa Bank for quite some time, all this while being an avid reader and a married woman as I got hitched at an early age. A few years down the line, I felt the need to start something of my own and to feed the creative side of me, and that is when HR Trikaya was born.

Me: Wow! That is quite a diversity of experience that you have up your sleeve! But what I’m wondering is why grooming, particularly?

Harsha: Because some 8 odd years back, the concept of ‘Grooming’ was a very nascent one, yet nobody was doing it. Let alone being aware, people did not even know what a Finishing School was. Over the years, the perception has changed for the better. People have started realizing the dire significance of personality grooming and soft skills, and they now agree with the fact that soft skills are as much important (even more so) as hard skills.

Which is why, what started as a finishing academy especially for girls, today is a venture in its full bloom with people – both men and women – from all walks of life, walking in.

Me: Did you undergo some special training or something back then?

Harsha: Yes. I went to Mumbai to be trained by Ruksana Isa who is the social-etiquette co-trainer for Femina Miss India contestants.

Me: That’s impressive! So, what is the first thing you tell people when they come to you for counseling?

Harsha: “Are you happy with what you are?” That’s the first thing that I ask. Based on their answers, I offer them advice.

Me: Tell me a bit about the course that you offer. Even though I’ve done a little bit of research, I’m always game for first-hand info.

Harsha: The motive of the course is not just to deliver and teach a certain set of mannerisms, but to cause a change at the elemental thinking level. We aim at grooming not just the appearances, but the entire perception of the person towards life. For a change to be on the outside there has to be a change on the inside first.

 

Me: Even though I’m aware that you have people coming in from all sectors, all age groups, what according to you is the perfect time to hone these skills?

Harsha: It’s never too late to learn. There are a lot many people who have come to us after finishing their post-grad, or after working for quite some time, but then at the same time, we have students as young as school children.

The impact, however, is much higher in the formative years; which is also why these days the schools have become conscious of the need for soft-skills development.

Me: Have they?

Harsha: Yes. Take for instance DPS. They have made it mandatory for hostelites to attend soft-skills classes. I am invited there and other campuses on a regular basis to conduct workshops.

Me: Given your versatile experience, I’d like you to crack for us one important code. What really do the interviewers think and expect of the prospective student/employee?

Harsha: The most important qualities that an interviewer – be it an employer or someone conducting university admission – looks for are Sincerity and Clear understanding of things. Most often than not, people kill their chances of being selected by trying to act over smart. If you do not know the answer to a certain question, be sincere and brave enough to admit the same rather than rambling incorrect things.

Me: That reminds me of the dreadful ‘Tell me about yourself’ question. Funnily enough, almost everyone finds it difficult to answer this one.

Harsha: That’s where the ‘clarity’ part steps in. The interviewers ask this question for three major reasons:

• To make you feel comfortable
• To check your communication skills
• To actually know about you

Me: These days, the employers also study about the prospective employee on not just LinkedIn, but Facebook as well. A tip or two for that?

Harsha: That happens because employers aren’t just looking for a professional, they’re also looking for a person.

The most important thing to do is to upload a decent profile picture on all your social networking accounts. Again, this does not mean that you should curb your personal freedom of expressing yourself on social media. Post whatever you wish; just be careful of what to make public and what private on your profile.

Me: While I’m at stealing tips from you, I want to make the most of it! Since you teach mannerisms and etiquettes, tell us how to hold on to them in extreme situations of anger/frustration?

Harsha: Everyone has a different way of dealing with such situations. What I do when I sense difficult situations around me is some introspection. I ask myself, ‘What is the worst that could happen?’  Doing this helps me to stay prepared, so that when a crisis occurs, I don’t panic and lose my mind. I stay calm.

For people, however, who do tend to react aggressively, I would like to give one simple advice: Leave the situation immediately and indulge yourself in some physical task that doesn’t require brain activity. Do not talk to anyone about the issue. Wait for your mind to calm down. Once you gain your composure, address the situation.

Me: That really is a wonderful piece of advice. Next up, would you like to share with us one of the rules that you preach that you also like to break?

Harsha: Um, I am guilty of sitting with a slouch even though I tell people to sit with their back straight.

Me: Thaaat, I believe everyone is guilty of. So, in your house, do you have some mandatory mannerisms for your kids?

Harsha: I believe manners can be picked up anytime. What’s important is to be a truthful person. However, I do forbid my kids from being loud, and from violating the dining etiquettes.

Me: And your kids dutifully follow?

Harsha: Oh they do! But, my relationship with my kids is very relaxed one. I’m more of a friend to them. They tell me everything about their life without any fear in mind.

Me: Wonderful! Oh, btw! I remember you telling me that you had initially started this institute for girls. But boys need as much grooming as girls, don’t you think?

Harsha: They do! But, you know, I also have a lot of girls who come to me after they’re engaged, to enhance themselves. The same is not the case with boys. They come in to excel on the professional front.

Our society is anthropologically male dominated. Since the medieval times, the roles have been such – the man was to earn and the woman was to take care of the household. Now that the roles are changing, it is the female who is doubly burdened. She is pursuing her career but she is also taking care of the house. That’s nothing less than a superpower.

I see so many women these days who take to speaking slangs and abuses just so they could appear ‘cool’ like the boys. I strictly ask them to not do so. To retain their womanhood. Because each time we meet a person, mentally we are either deducting or adding points to them. Why do you want to deduct your points just for the sake of ‘fitting in’ when you can exceptionally stand out and shine?

Me: I second your thoughts! I also remember you telling me that you’re an avid reader. Would you like to recommend a book to our readers?

Harsha: I absolutely love the book Being Happy by Andrew Matthews. The book talks about the truths of life in such simple and lucid way. It sets you free from the patterns you get stuck in within your life.

Me: *Adds that to the To-Buy books list* I have one last question before I let go of you. Given the calm, composed, and the controlled person that you are, what is your version of letting your hair down?

Harsha: The same as it is for others. I love partying. I love dancing. I believe I drive very well on the highways. I go to Hauz Khas on and off in Delhi. That’s where I like to freak out. I do every-day stuff; just that I prefer doing it in an organized way.

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