Covid-19 Rings Rings In Out The Old, The New
With two years of the Covid pandemic that overturned our conventional methods of life and work, the New Year of 2022 brings hope. We often say that old habits die hard, however, 2020 and 2021 compelled us to accept and adapt new habits at the personal and professional level. Corporate leaders share with us on what their focus will be and what they are thinking about going into 2022. Talking on habits they never had before the pandemic, which are now indispensable. How has technology bridged the gap between their previous habits during the pandemic? Will these new habits be permanent or fade away post Covid pandemic? How has Covid pandemic transformed us as individuals and as working persons? Has the home and workplace become a better place to live and work ? Let’s find out…
Cheers to our persistence, perseverance, and more
These two years of the pandemic has taught us a lot. It put forth the theory of the 4 P’s – persistence, performance, perspective, and positivity. If I may remind you, did we not live our lives on the same theory in the past? Getting back to basics – is what I make of this whole situation. Every cloud has a silver lining. Sure, this adversity, took the heart and soul of many people. But when the storm left, it groomed and moulded everyone to be a better version of themselves. Some of the habits that I picked up in the pandemic are indispensable. Hygiene, cleanliness, empathy, and mental health are the foundation to lead a better life in the future.
In the lockdown, my family has my undivided attention. It rather brought us closer and gave us a chance to understand each other better. Even now when I run to do the household chores, I make it point to run some errands for my senior neighbours. Empathy is crucial, rather it should be a way of our life. The technology grew manifold broadening our horizons to fly beyond boundaries. Technology brought us closer in time of need, and I wonder how we could have continued our work without Teams or Zoom. People have realised that life is too short and that they ought to make the most of it. In essence, what I take away from this pandemic is – bad experience gives you the power of good judgment.
- MAHARANA RAY,
Vice President – Probiking, Bajaj Auto Ltd
Corona made us rethink our sense of humour
I feel COVID-19 has transformed us as individuals. Though I have always been humour-oriented, going through this phase, has added a new dimension to my sense of humour. In Hyderabadi, it is said, humko hona ya humko nahin hona (I want or I don’t want). I added a tadka to that and devised a saying – jo bhi hona par Corona nahin hona (Say no to Corona).
Before the pandemic, the smartphone was merely a connecting device. Now that has become larger than life. Be it Zoom, Google Meets, or WhatsApp video call, smartphones or rather technology, these tools not only connect us with people, but it also gives us a platform to continue our work even amidst the comfort of our homes. In all this, social media emerged as a great new office communication tool. Moving on, the hybrid work model is going to be a new norm. And to acclimatize us with that, technology, as usual, will a crucial role.
COVID has once again made us realise the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. Today, we cannot leave our homes without masks, sanitizers, and other hygiene-related things. Owing to all these habits, our workplaces have become just like our ‘home sweet home’. Although we still miss the work from home situation, where we got ample time to spend with our family and binge-watch shows online.
People suffered huge losses during this pandemic, but when we look at the larger picture, the earth got a chance to breathe fresh air, pollution levels came down, people started believing in humanity, and during all this, I am certain that human minds were also refreshed to embrace the small joys of life per se.
- LT COL SUNIL NARULA (RETD),
Chief of Administration, Suzlon Energy
To be prepared and constantly evolve
A big lesson learnt is not to take anything for granted. Technically speaking, I now believe in applying the agile methodology in our lives too. An ‘agile’ mindset is the ability to change oneself quickly as per the changing environment. By being prepared and constantly evolving, we can work around the disruptions, something we all faced during the pandemic. I rely a lot more on technology than I did before the outbreak which has significantly altered the way I work. None of my data is on my laptop as everything is Cloud-based, including the drive provided by the company. We also relied a lot on virtual collaborative tools like MS Teams as everything is available on the platform including references or project history and planner. I have adapted to all these user-friendly tools to improve productivity. Earlier I felt talking on phone was easier, but now I am more comfortable using these tools.
Even on the home front, my family members have become very comfortable with talking on Zoom, MS Team or WhatsApp calls to the extent that they sometimes forget that we are here not just to be on the virtual platforms but have real work to do too.
Overall, it has been a mindset change and what one could achieve through face-to-face interactions is being achieved in the virtual mode too.
Cutting down on commuting time has been a boon during the pandemic. I am now open to hybrid as well as work from home, which also enables a fairly good work-life balance, especially bonding with my 5-year old which was almost missing in the pre-pandemic world.
The pandemic also initiated unplanned spiritual connections and meditation- the calmness instils confidence in me.
- RASHMI SHARMA MANKAD,
Head Business Excellence & Lead Digitisation, Häfele India Pvt Ltd
Forced creative solutions on organizations & employees
Extentia has long recognized the importance of flexibility, empowerment, and agility, and the pandemic has reinforced our belief in their value and the need to ensure that our Extentia family and community see these as long-term commitments. The pandemic has accelerated many changes and forced creative solutions on organizations and employees – ensuring that the best of these changes is sustained and built on. Indeed, employees and the larger stakeholder network around a business need to have confidence in the stability and values that an organization communicates and stands by in good times and bad.
Globally, much attention is given to Work From Home and the general idea of more flexible work environments. We see many of these changes as evolutionary and inevitable. The more significant questions will be around engagement, sustainability, and an organization’s work environment that reflects its culture and DNA. Rather than seeing WFH as a switch to be toggled, it is practical to see it as one of several options that prioritize every worker’s productivity, efficiency, safety, and long-term well-being. Technology has played a vital role in facilitating more hybrid work environments, from video calls to migrating infrastructure to the cloud-technology has made this transition possible, cost-effective, and minimally disruptive. As the adoption of hybrid work picks up, we expect even more solutions and integration capabilities driven by technology.
Emphasizing flexibility and security, we believe that employees’ needs on where, when, and how they work will constantly evolve. Reflecting their needs, moods, work, and personal commitments, these requirements will change in time. Businesses that demonstrate the agility to accommodate these changes will best support future knowledge workers. This also means that the boundary between one’s place of work and life is increasingly fuzzy-a situation that comes with its challenges, pros, and cons.
- NAAZNEEN BOOCHA,
cofounder and Chief Development Officer, Extentia Information Technology Pvt Ltd
The hybrid structure may actually be the best of both worlds
Travelling across the globe for meetings was very normal before the pandemic hit us and if one thing that has stood out to me during the past couple of years, it’s how much can be accomplished by remote visits. Of course, meeting people and enjoying the interaction is crucial but it’s not a compelling business requirement anymore. Masks and sanitizers for in person meetings are indispensable habits at least for the foreseeable future. After any such major disruption, things rarely remain the same and while the new norms may wane, it’s unlikely that we would revisit the old times either. However, the hybrid structure may actually be the best of both worlds, a bit like having smart phones and smart watches along with mainframes. While zero travel is impossible, it would be likely to reduce by a big margin. Given the lack of distraction from frustrating commute times, traffic jams, and unnecessary travel, I probably worked the hardest in the last couple of years and productivity was at its peak. Being in the city worked great for the work-life balance, made for healthier eating at home habits, and enabled more disciplined work out routines. I do believe it was good for family time. And yet, I do realize that we are the fortunate ones. Being on the wrong side of the digital divide would probably have been nightmarish, especially for those who had their livelihoods, health and education snatched away by the pandemic.
The onus is on the Tech and VC industry, which did so well during the pandemic. Technology can provide solutions to those who need it the most. Ensuring that the underserved benefit from technology necessitates better business models. I am hopeful that the start-up ecosystem will rise to this challenge in the New Year.
- GIREENDRA KASMALKAR,
Founder and CMD, Ideas to Impacts Innovations Pvt Ltd; Lead Investor and Managing Partner, Pentathlon Ventures and Owner, Ideas to Impacts Hub
Made us more resilient and stronger
The pandemic challenged our personal and professional lives, making us more resilient and stronger to deal with the adversities.
Not going to the office disturbed me personally and professionally as there was a routine during the pre-pandemic days and brought discipline into our lives. As working individuals, the pandemic has spoilt us as the disturbed routine made us take things easy. Some found reasons to escape work, and others took double the time due to lack of interpersonal meetings. The digital or virtual world has been a big saviour from the work standpoint. But, work, growth, learning, work-life balance did suffer, and I too re-defined my virtual setups for surviving the pandemic.
I am happy that virtual meetings are an accepted norm, and there is no excuse for not attending meetings. Since we run a global play out of India, it became a great way to meet people worldwide without a second thought. I was habituated to closing my meets within a prescribed timeframe that lasted for less than an hour. But, in our new virtual meetings, I realised that we are never starting or finishing on time, which hurt timelines and affected work-life balance.
Work-based follow-ups became a big challenge despite the best tools available-concept selling and tricky communication became more difficult. I witnessed people breaking down, and while all the motivational exercises yielded a brief respite, the whole environment was quite negative. A good outcome was that we contributed to household work which was nearly absent pre-pandemic, but has yet to become a norm in the ‘new’ normal. Families got together and engaged with each other beyond traditional gatherings and most found solace in entertainment and recreation. The workplace and home have very different roles in our lives, and we must adhere to that.
- AMIT BANKA,
founder and CEO, WeNaturalists
Kindness – that’s the way to go
Even before COVID, for me hygiene and cleanliness triumphed over other needs, both in my house and office. I always encourage my employees to maintain a healthy environment in the office and all MBA Chaiwala outlets. And now, during and post-pandemic, this has become the rule of law for any professional setting all over the globe. It goes without saying that clean surroundings do give you a clean state of mind too. And, I am sure, I will stick to these rules for years to come.
The pandemic has forced the adoption of new ways of working. During the pandemic, I was surprised by how quickly and effectively technologies for video-conferencing and other forms of digital collaboration were adopted. I’m something of a social media freak, I like to be connected with people. Meeting strangers, talking to my followers, and getting to know their life story, gives me purpose and drive. The pandemic couldn’t take that away. I’ll always be a people’s person.
This is the first time our generation has experienced a pandemic. We are now hyperaware of health risks, whether real or imagined. And employers are hypersensitive about the potential for liability if people get sick at work. I encourage short-term fixes to boost employee confidence before looking at long-term solutions.
We are social animals, and we need a connection to survive. COVID has taught us the importance of coming together to fight against one problem while staying apart. COVID has no doubt caused major losses for everyone, whether it be financial, relationships, or lives. While we can never forget any of this, we must accumulate the strength to move on and keep going for ourselves, our close ones, even just for the sake of humanity and kindness.
- PRAFULL BILLORE,
Founder, MBA Chai Wala
Of awareness, family time, and personal growth
Remember, we are all human-and it is sometimes nice to deviate from our mundane lifestyle and do something different. That is what happened when the pandemic and lockdown hit us. Initially, it was all hunky dory. We were enjoying the lockdown time. Good food, enough me time, and all the jazz. Until one day, the gravity of this pandemic hit us. We became more aware, and I was back on my toes, taking up all the responsibilities. One of the shining highlights of the lockdown was, I got back in shape.
Of course, these habits are not permanent, we will surely get rid of them. Rather, I am waiting for my daughter’s school to start, it will surely get me up and running. In fact, I have already taken things into my hands and gotten back to my routine. But during all this, I kept my business and our community – PULA Pune Ladies, a Facebook page with over 2,40,000 women members, up to date. During pandemic and lockdown, might I say, technology played a great role in managing this online community. As people could post their requirements, we were able to help several, be it arranging a bed for someone or saving lives or helping someone with the daily necessities or inspiring women to start their business. I am proud to say that PULA during these tough times stayed true to everyone.
Communication tools like Zoom, MS Teams, WhatsApp, and others have become a part of our lives. I never imagine that school could go online. Courtesy of the technology, times have now changed, and schools and offices can be managed beautifully from home. In essence, the pandemic situation has made us more vigilant, empathetic, and transformed us into a better version of ourselves.
- SONIA AGARWAL KONJETI,
Founder, PULA Pune Ladies
Home has become a better workplace
People invested in well-equipped home-office systems, ergonomically designed furniture and focused lighting. The pandemic ensured that households were equipped with hi-speed Wi-Fi and internet connections with back-up supports. Digital tools like MS Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, transformed everyone. Although I was not comfortable with video calls initially, these tools have become a way of life enabling quick communication by reaching people worldwide. The tools have helped save on valuable commuting time in the hybrid or WFH mode.
The concept of health changed drastically as people adapted to ‘conscious’ healthy eating and incorporated supplements and immunity boosters as a permanent practice. Online buying and transactions are a permanent takeaway. I converted my household help in using digital payment tools like Google Pay, enabling them to avail online and ATM facilities, in the process also shed my inhibitions in using these tools. We have consciously adapted to social distancing and masking up.
Online platforms changed marketing tactics as we adapted to online events and virtual exhibitions. Currently 40% of our work is being conducted online. Empathy and employee’s needs for health, hygiene and safety has evolved at all managerial levels with parameters that include social and emotional wellbeing too.
Flexible work hours have gone beyond HR policy recommendations and permitted on a case basis in the hybrid mode. Help is being extended to families facing the after-effects of Covid infections or still battling the virus at home. Offices have broken hierarchies and enabled staff to use cabins for their wellbeing and safety or specifically built resting zones. Online group counselling by healthcare facilitators, yoga instructors and doctors during the pandemic have been replaced by permanent one-on-one, on-demand counselling. Corporates are encouraging games to break the monotony of work.
- MONA RAIPURKAR,
Head of Marketing, Wipro Lighting C&I
WFH-an effective way to work sans boundaries of time and geography
Without doubt, the last two years have been a roller-coaster that completely did away with the adage ‘old habits die hard.’ We were forced to do away with the old and cumbersome and adapt to newer, better and more efficient ways of conducting business. The transient and rapidly evolving nature of life was evident in more ways than one. It has helped individuals tune into their inner selves and evaluate priorities. It also put into perspective certain aspects of humanity and family that were either forgotten or taken for granted.
To begin with, we reduced our travel time-going on to explore ways and means to work from home. This helped us tap into talent available across the world and did away with the boundaries of hiring within our home city. This is something that will continue post pandemic. Technology has played a vital role in all areas of the business procurement, collaboration, advertising, marketing, productivity and hiring to ensure continuity.
Personally speaking, I discovered the joys of journaling and trekking- again this is a change that will endure. That apart, I started an annual time capsule with my kids-a fun and creative process of helping children understand how history unfolds. What’s more, the fast tracking of the digital age has changed the way I consume information and news as well. I don’t rely on newspapers as much for my news. Speaking for myself, I have really liked the WFH opportunity. I feel a lot more productive as I work without boundaries of time. It has helped me connect better with my children as well.
- DARSHANA JAIN,
CEO & Partner, Snapper FutureTech
Given us a perspective and a value for human life
Bring your children to work was not just unheard of, but also unimaginable in the manufacturing industry. But now after almost two pandemic years, its common place and we ensure there are safe spaces for the children for the convenience of our co-workers.
When the pandemic first hit, things literally came to a grinding halt for the manufacturing industry with shop floors at their heart, and it went into a state of suspended animation. The industry coped with the steep learning curve but we are still feeling our way into a post pandemic scenario. There is no return from some changes. Technology has certainly bridged the gap significantly and even the age old brick and mortar manufacturing industry that never considered remote working can set systems that enable functioning without any drop in productivity.
A perspective and a value for human life is what Covid has given us. Covid exposed the gaps in what seemed like an infallible infrastructure, especially after the second wave hit closer home. Professionally, we gained empathy for the issues of our suppliers and clients as we faced similar situations ourselves and had to innovate. The danger would be to set all problems at the door of the pandemic.
Today we work remotely and yet through mutual consent avoid work and home spilling into one another. Work-life balance may not be that hard to achieve, but there is also the real fear that work may suffer when it’s done remotely and productivity may take a hit. Remote work and greater automation might result in fewer jobs in the manufacturing Industry. As a new year comes up, while it is nice to know there are more options, we have to use them with caution.
- CHIRAAG BALJEKAR,
Director, Precomp Tools Pvt Ltd
Virtual communication is here to stay
What changed with the pandemic was the widespread use of video and ease with which people use video meetings and calls. Though video conferencing technologies have been around for quite some time now, the pandemic has accelerated its incorporation in day-to-day work life as never before.
Capabilities such as sharing documents, text chats and polling etc during video call have now become second nature. Thus, we see technology emerge as a critical enabler. The digital transformation we see all around us has changed lives personally and professionally. Connecting virtually has reduced traffic density and location constraints at least in some professions.
Education has undergone a major transformation. On the positive side, quality content from the best teachers is now available for everyone online. However, the peer-to-peer interaction in schools and colleges, which are such an integral part of education, have suffered big time. Kindergartners and very young learners have suffered the most due to virtual only options. Here’s where I feel that the model for young kids and even middle/secondary school and college students must be thought through.
Lets be clear about one thing, the new habits that people picked up during the pandemic are pretty much here to stay. This includes virtual communication and work from home. The option of not travelling and yet getting the work done is cost effective, environmentally friendly and allows flexibility in organizing one’s time and life. Interestingly, we also see how this affects real estate design-homes are now being constructed with a built in study/work place so as to make it easier to work from home. When it comes to personal lives, reduced travel time means the rediscovery of the joys of family life, exercise and healthy, home-cooked meals.
- KIRAN DESHPANDE,
Director, 14Trees.Org & cofounder, Mojo Networks
Things change and yet they also stay the same
Remote calling and flex time have always been part and parcel of software industry ethos and yet the pandemic has not left it unchanged. There is a clear divide among who are for the new system and for those who are against it and it often depends on gender.
We have not met some of our new employees in person yet. It’s something that I cannot imagine would have happened prior to the pandemic. While that opens up the world as a hiring ground with no geographic barriers, almost 50% employees are yet to meet each other in person. Connections with colleagues have also to be made in new and innovative ways.
The start of the pandemic was not too dramatic. With no information on the virus we were confined to our home, which did lead to some friction that would not have happened in the normal course of things. Masking was a huge addition to our everyday if we ever needed to go out even to get the barest minimum. The conflicting messages from authorities and scientists added to the stress. Gradually though we worked out a system and created spaces that allowed each of us to work and study in a focused way.
While the dramatic shift in hygiene and sanitization at the beginning of the pandemic will slip as more people get inured to the idea of the virus, work spilling into most waking hours from a need to coordinate flex time for larger teams might be a new reality. Even with offices opening up, the work day has opened up to long beyond the office hours. With everyone needing to be available at all times, it has skewed the work-life balance. I wish a more balanced, low stress and healthy new year for all of us.
- TRIPTI RANGARAJAN,
founder director, Niyuj Software
Lifestyles reset and mindsets too-in some ways, forever
All workaholics learnt to give time to themselves, which was a very important and significant change. Most of them started focusing on mental fitness along with physical fitness, as part of a regular and healthier lifestyle. The pandemic forced everyone to take stock-it made everyone focus on stability in the real sense instead of the unreal world they were living in. Most people became that much more practical and a little more responsible towards mankind.
The internet proved to be invaluable in this new, altered existence. People started using more of the internet not just for entertainment but for their daily needs. Technology showed everyone how it could be a boon as well as lever. Technology has always been informative, but now it’s adapted in day-to-day life. Being into digital marketing, one noticed a remarkable and striking change in people’s approach. People were open to exploring newer paradigms. Even important stuff like purchasing a home was conducted online.
Above all, time management skills proved to be non-negotiable in every which way-especially when it came to giving family and kitchen their due time, attention and importance-something that tended to be secondary in the general scheme of things given people’s busy lifestyles. The new habits or changes that we have got in our lives would remain, as we all have reset our lifestyle. I do believe these changes are not temporary but will remain forever.
Looking forward to a bright 2022.
- SONALI THATTE,
Team lead Performance, Amura Marketing Technologies
Change is here to stay and it is for the better
The Covid pandemic has changed just about everything about my professional and personal life. Being in the supply chain industry, I am used to travelling every other week to China and other parts of South East Asia to smoothen out any hiccups and ensure that that there are no supply snags. After the lockdowns enacted by multiple countries in the aftermath of the pandemic, my travel completely stopped. The supply chain was disrupted to a degree I have never seen in my life. Beyond the initial few weeks, goods began to move, but the movement of people was still constrained. I had to manage all the coordination remotely, which in this industry, is nearly impossible. But what I have learnt from this experience is that human beings can and will adapt to any change in life once it is forced upon them. Even now, when things are almost back to normal, I am still monitoring parts of the supply chain remotely. It has brought about efficiency and created trust among various employees, contractors and sub-contractors, which was not there to this degree before.
In a lot of ways, the pandemic has forced professionals to find innovative ways to work together and foster trust among them. I believe this trust will remain even when the after-effects of the pandemic are over.
Personally, I have had a great bonding time with my family since the pandemic started. I used to travel 10-15 days a month earlier, which severely limited the amount of time I could spend with my family. Having spent so much more time with my family over the past 20 months has made me evaluate my priorities in life. I love my job but I would not want to be away from my family for so many days in a month. This is a realisation many professionals have had over the last nearly two years. Professionals are now adamant on getting more flexible timings and work-from home options on atleast some days in a month. I feel this change is here to stay and it is for the better. This is also in the interest of employers as giving a greater degree of flexibility to employees motivates them to work harder and also reduced the changes of an early burnout.
- RAKESH AGARWAL,
Supply & Planning Manager FC South Asia & China, iHub Solutions
Technology definitely has bridged the gap
The habits I never had before the pandemic, but are indispensable now-I realised that you can work with clients without traveling to meet them, exercise without joining a gym, and pretty much shop for everything without ever going to a shop.
About habits that will be permanent or not permanent-travel will come back, though professional travel will not be as much as it used to be. I will always evaluate if it is necessary to have a face to face meeting all the time; something which seemed compulsory in the pre-Zoom world. However, for me, my shopping habits will not change-I will not brave traffic and go to crowded malls again. Technology definitely has bridged the gap between previous habits with Zoom and MS Teams, for me and for everyone. It’s e-commerce all the way for shopping, food delivery, and also tele-health. Most of my first appointments are on video, and then physically visiting a doctor or going to a hospital only if and when necessary.
As individual and working person I work out of two countries now (Cambridge in the UK and Gurgaon in India). I made this dual working move during the pandemic. My clients do not actually care where I am as long as I can make the time zones work. This would not have been possible, if the lockdowns had not happened. My home was always my workplace for the last four to five years. However, I did make my work environment in my home better – with large monitors, standing desks, better mics, etc.