SBT Foundation Day - Sadhabishegam begins

 SBT Foundation Day
Sadhabishega Prarambam

79 years have passed by, since Travancore Bank Limited (TBL) came into formal existence by way of registration as a bank on 12th September 1945. (Now celebrated by all of us as SBT Foundation Day). 

As the 80th year of the foundation day begin, I share a few thoughts on what defined SBTians during the SBT period till March 2017. Commitment to excellence, emphathising  with customers, rising like a phoenix, mutual respect and affection towards each other*, which was never explicitly expressed but remained an invisible thread that united all SBTians.  All Managing Directors, who understood our traits perfectly, especially in respecting our values and self respect, reaped rich dividends and accolades from the bank's performance during their period. I distinctly remember Shri P.N. Venkatachalam, who was our MD post 2000. (He retired as MD of SBI after leaving us). He soothened our hurt feelings, reversed the bad HR decisions of the previous period,  respected our entitled pride for the organisation. I had seen him moving around as one among all in the social get-together meetings. SBTians paid back by way of stellar performance through impressive business results and record recoveries in NPA accounts.  

I always cherished the habit of SBTians in expressing their views.  One such incident:
 
I was branch manager of Kilpauk, Chennai during 1996-97. One staff, an ex-service man, was coming late by more than fifteen minutes, quite often. After warning him a few times, one day I asked him to apply for leave and go. He obliged. The next day the same episode got repeated. On the third day also, he came late. Before I said anything, he said he will go on leave and uttered just outside my cabin thus. "New broom. Sweeps well". He implied that the broom (me) will get adjusted to the system soon. I heartily laughed. Whether the broom swept well afterwards also or got used to the system is another story. 

Cherished memories and the invisible thread that connects us remain.

Regards. 

God bless all. 

V. Viswanathan 
12th September 2024.
*(even if we were poles apart in our views)

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