At iARATech, every Monday morning starts with the National Anthem, not like some companies that have a stand-up meeting or inspirational quotes or like those who take too much time sipping their coffee while slowly scrolling through their emails to pretend that the week hasn’t already begun.
Every Monday morning at iARATech, the entire team gathers as a unit, and for exactly 52 seconds, there are no work conversations, there are no projects open, and there are no messages from clients being responded to. All employees stand together during the National Anthem, which serves as both a ritual and a collective reminder of why they are there. Afterward, the workweek officially begins.
Some may say it’s quite simple, and I agree. Most simple things done consistently and with true intentionality create something in the room that is difficult to describe using words; however, it is impossible to ignore the feeling of what it creates.
From the perspective of the founder, let us further explore this concept.
It establishes boundaries; Mondays are typically the toughest to cross, and they begin with a post-weekend hangover, and the mind is split between personal and professional responsibilities. Transitioning from personal time to professional requires a trigger to help make this switch smoothly, so at iARATech, the National Anthem is that trigger. It clearly states, “We are here now” and “This is where the workweek begins”; everything else can wait.
This mental adjustment from disorganised to organised, from individual to collective, establishes a theme that will carry throughout the rest of the day and usually for the remainder of the week.
The first part of developing your own self-discipline is to practise before you ask others to do so. Self-discipline is what enables you to arrive at work with the ability to focus and to complete all required tasks as needed (regardless of how much you may desire otherwise). The singing of our National Anthem for one minute on Mondays exemplifies self-discipline. Performing small acts of self-discipline over time will develop the type of self-discipline demonstrated by a team during times of pressure, while meeting deadlines and continuing to maintain a high standard of performance even if a shortcut could have been taken on the days when it would have been easy.
Subhash Sir has always believed that success in business – like success in almost every other endeavor, comes from performing routine, unglamorous tasks daily.
It relates the personal to professional.
There is something quiet yet strong about starting your workweek by standing for something greater than your job. It is a constant reminder that the team at iARATech are not simply a group of skilled professionals striving to meet objectives; they are also individuals who share a nation, culture, and shared identity existing prior to and beyond their work as professionals serving multiple clients. Establishing this connection does not reduce ambitions; instead, it provides stability.
Lastly, it fosters an authenticity of unity in this manner.
The National Anthem has established a unifying act among the approximately 30+ members of the staff from diverse backgrounds, roles, etc. that occurs every Monday morning. No matter if you have been employed at the company since day 1, if you are the newest member of the company’s staff, or even if you are the co-founder, everyone performs the same actions (stands together).
We are representing something to be proud of when we come to work. Consequently, the work that follows after the National Anthem is sung is sharper and more focused. As if the National Anthem were silently informing all attendees that the time they will spend during the next seven days assisting real businesses grow, producing results, and creating something that lasts is time well spent and they should take full pride in everything they do.