Manish Timilsina is the Assistant General Manager at Century Commercial Bank Limited. Having worked in the banking sector for 19 years, Timilsina is well aware of the pushes and pulls that go into managing a team and ensuring that it is aligned with the larger goals of the organisation. In an interview with the Post, he talks about his management mantras with Alisha Sijapati. Excerpts:

You have had a career in banking that has spanned two decades. Can you tell us a bit more about your corporate journey?

I started my first job as a Training Assistant in Lumbini Bank 19 years ago. Since then, I have worked at several other banks like Kumari and Janata Bank to name a few.

This particular sector has always fascinated and intrigued me  and these two decades have not felt like ‘work’. Perhaps, that is the reason, I am where I am today.

In my years in the banking sector, it has grown and evolved tremendously, but looking forward it is obvious that the sector has a lot of space to grow still.

Having had managed many different teams in your career, what would you say are the keys to motivating employees?

As long as an employee is dedicated completely and has the passion to do better and constantly evolve, that’s motivation already. That way, it doesn’t take much for us, employers, as well. Firstly, as a manager, what interests me in a candidate is their honesty and integrity. Motivation is about managing your human resources well and it’s not a rocket science. As the AGM, I make sure I help employees overcome any difficult issues they might be having, and if need be, I help personally as well. I support employees the best I can and firmly believe that a happy employee is a motivated and productive employee.

How about taking charge of a big organisation like a bank? How difficult is managing the various departments and making sure that they are working in sync?

Rather than being a boss, you need to be a leader. We have designated heads who work efficiently to make sure the bank is running smoothly. Thankfully, employees have been very supportive and it’s their efficiency that ensures that every difficult situation is ultimately handled with ease. When running a big organisation, you have to have a core team (department heads etc) who are working together towards the same vision, the rest falls into line after that.

How is the corporate culture evolving in Nepal?

As we all know, there is a lot of bureaucracy in the country. Things, oftentimes, are very difficult; it has not been an easy ride. However, working at private sectors is a lot easier due to professionalism and the high-value placed on work ethics. Things  have been evolving rapidly and the corporate sector in Nepal is definitely blossoming.

Any suggestions for those heading into a corporate career?

Today the corporate sector has become very competitive. My suggestion for the youth is not to get over ambitious—patience and perseverance is the key to success. And to those already working: Be true to yourself; your honesty, effort and efficiency is all that matters. This is ultimately what will help you reach your true potential.