Work from Home – The New Normal

Work from Home – The New Normal

As a country, India was never geared up for a scenario that demanded working from home. As a culture that is steeped in getting work done through personal touch and face to face meetings, working from home was not a minor change it was one that affected our way of thinking and dynamics of working. 

It’s been over 2 months now, and the end does not seem very near. While many companies faced difficulties in dealing with this situation at the initial phase, things have started settling in and quick-thinking minds have already started looking at newer avenues for the businesses to adopt to post-lockdown.

Digital transformation has seen a huge spike in this period, it has become a mandate to be able to keep up with the pace and run any business effectively.  We see various changes happening in organizational structures, technological advancements, regulatory changes, company financials, operations, the list goes on. This is not practiced just by the leadership cadre, but the entire workforce across the globe. 

With most organizations keeping the safety and wellbeing of their employees at the forefront, right now it is a wait and watch game.  

Digital platforms are being widely used for internal as well as client/vendor meetings. This has thrown light to the fact that if there is a will to make a difference, nothing can stop you from doing so. Similarly, there are various ways in which the company operations, hiring and engagement are shifted online. It is essential for the leaders to be proactive, educate and motivate their teams to leverage this opportunity to its fullest. 

There are certain measures that can be taken to enhance the skills of their team members such as keeping an open door (virtually) for discussion, conducting regular team meetings, brainstorming with the team using audio/video conferencing as well as on messenger apps like WhatsApp. Communication plays a vital role in shaping and strengthening relationships during such critical situations. An important practice which can empower the team to perform well is planning the day-to-day activities with the team regularly. A simple morning and evening huddle work wonders. 

Research states that work-from-home leads to increased productivity but at the same time factors like confidence, transparency, empathy, code of conduct and work ethics between both the parties are of equal importance. Honesty and responsibility are the two major elements which need to be intact throughout this condition. You need to establish simple work timelines and routines with your teams to bring in a sense of normalcy.

Here are a few simple tips to bolster efficacy and efficiency while working from home:

  • Set a regular routine for the work
  • Monitor actions of your team as well as yourself
  • Plan the daily tasks and delegate work in terms of its priorities
  • Set realistic timelines and adhere to it
  • Interact and check with the teams on the tasks in which they need your guidance
  • Fill the gaps by keeping open channels for easy communications
  • Show that you care and are standing with the team in every situation

By Vrutika Dawda, Director, IdeateLabs