An IT management professional with 25 years of experience growing companies, Harj Nijjar prefers to leave job titles at the door and doesn’t like to be referred to as the boss.
“I am not a big title guy, at the end of day I work in IT and I bring people together, bring my department together. I am open door. I am not a boss dictating what to do. To me a leader is a coach helping the team succeed.”
Nijjar believes this approach will make him a good fit on Stratford city council.
In an interview with StratfordToday, Nijjar said he considered running for a councillor position in the past. Work, family and other commitments are now better aligned, he said.
“This time around I can dedicate my time and energy towards it. The city has given my family so much, so many opportunities. It’s time I think for me to give back to the community.”
A Stratford resident for most of his life, Nijjar’s career has afforded him an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of business and acquire a wide variety of skills, which are transferable to city council, he said.
“I have been a part of senior management teams. I understand how budgets work. I can take the skill set I have and bring it to (city council). I know with the experience and drive I have, I can make the change needed now to create a Stratford that benefits residents of today, tomorrow and the future.”
Nijjar said he wants to ensure Stratford has the basic things every city needs, including solid infrastructure, strong city services and good job opportunities for residents.
The city’s population is diversifying, he said, noting civic leaders need to accommodate and attract people with the skills and talent to keep the city growing. Nijjar believes Stratford needs to avoid becoming tagged a retirement community to keep companies interested in investing here.
“There is a lot to offer here. We have great infrastructure from the technology side, we have great industry, manufacturing. We need to bring it to the next level to get other companies to invest.”
In his work ‘building up’ teams, Nijjar said that subtle changes can often re-establish or build trust among employees. He would like to see more of that at the city council level – ensuring that residents have faith in their elected members of council and have trust in them to make the right decisions.
“I think (council) have done the best they can with the skill set they have and with the leadership provided. We know the history of what the citizens of Stratford did not like. We can take that and grow and make it better.”
Nijjar said city council decisions won’t please everyone, however, citizens want to feel engaged and informed. A lot of discussions are behind closed doors, he noted.
“We need to make information available to the public. We need to get information to seniors in an easy format and youth really want to know what Stratford has to offer, to see if they want to plant roots here.”
Nijjar has worked with companies where trust wasn’t there and doors were closed, he said. His role was to go in and turn departments and companies around. Sometimes simple tweaks were enough to open the lines of communication, he said, and improve the company’s culture.
Nijjar would use those successful business experiences if elected to city council.
“I want to make Stratford a better place for everyone.”
