Its been quite some time now living in these unprecedented times. We have been hearing news from all around. The increase in the count of coronavirus patients is going through the roof amidst the rising second wave. Almost all countries are in the state of perplex of weather to keep things open for the sake of the economy or undergo state-wise lock down. Initially, the World’s biggest superpowers, like the United States, the UK, China, Italy, France, and other nations of the world, were taking the stride of this pandemic. Now, we see developing countries like Brazil and India among the worst hit nations in the covid era. We see economies and big corporations all adjusting to the new reality. The suddenness with which this disease has spread across the world has taken everyone by surprise and has changed the way we used to see our lives. New words like “Viral Hotspot,” “Lockdown,” and “Quarantine” have all become part of our day-to-day vocabulary.
In this article we will try to look and answer two essential questions:
- How to get back after the lockdown?
- How can you make the transition from Home to Work smooth?
The Pressure
For a past couple of months, I have been seeing this one peculiar post on various social media platforms and especially on LinkedIn, which reads, “If you fail to come out of this quarantine without a new skill, your new hustle started, or more knowledge gained, then you never lacked time. You lacked discipline”.
What do you feel after reading this? Do you feel motivated to sign up for a new online course immediately? Do you feel like picking up that book that you have meant to? Or instead, do you feel bad about the time that has passed, and you have not accomplished enough?
It is easy to say that “We are in this together” (another prevalent phrase and I am sure you have heard of). But the truth is that we can not generalize whatever is happening as a common experience. People are adjusting to these unprecedented times differently. Some of you out there would be working harder than ever, while others are just worried about losing their job. Like most of us can easily say that we can ensure social distancing and work the same way we used to, but in reality, it is not possible for a lot of people out there. For a fact, most of us are living in the comfort of our homes with our beloved companions and other family members, but a great chunk of people around are trying to keep themselves together by themselves.
Experience of Leaving the lockdown
This is a question we never thought will be posed to the human race in masses as such. Lockdown, in its own ways, changed the “business as usual” for people. For months people lived in ways they never thought they could. So many new ways of living with covid came into existence that people had to actually adapt to the new way of life. Forgetting/ unlearning the old ways and learning to move the world without getting out of their houses. There were cases where businesses were severely impacted, and a great chunk of people lost their jobs, while others were adjusting to the work from home setup.
But, for some, the lockdown has bought its unique share of benefits, such as saving time spent commuting and being able to spend time with family. For some, I am sure this break would have been an avenue to unwind and evaluate their goals and ideas.
Getting your organization ready after lockdown
Economies have been crippling, and organizations have a lot of ground to regain. It is tough for organizations to go back to the pre-covid era stats altogether. As a matter of fact, a lot of organizations will never be able to recover fully. There is a dire need to evaluate the external environment and develop a suitable plan of action. Following are some things to keep in mind before you formulate your strategy.
Show Empathy
Start by showing empathy towards the other person. Tell them that you understand why they feel frustrated and upset. You need to see things from their shoes and also for them to know that you are empathetic. After you are done with it, assert yourself clearly. For instance, you may have to emphasize that you have to submit your boss’s project by 6 pm. Tell them that it is important for you to complete this task and how essential it is to devote your undivided attention to the task.
2. Give and Take feedback from the team
Feedback is an important ingredient of great performance, and it plays a significant role in boosting your professional career. Your self-confidence will grow, and it will be well reflected on your superiors and co-workers that you truly care about your job. On the other hand, if you are made deprived of feedback, you will feel that your contributions are not valued. This can make you question the significance of the work that you are doing. It can also damage your morale and self-esteem. Therefore, it is essential to ask for detailed feedback from time to time. Staying totally blind till your annual performance review will make it like a strike of a wrecking ball. Another benefit of actively seeking feedback is that you do it on your own terms when you ask for feedback. You are totally braced up to hear whatever good or bad that is there. Also, it looks where good on your part and shows how much you want to learn and grow.
Building Trust
Having trust between members is crucial for efficiency in the output. It also boosts confidence and co-dependence, which consequently leads to sharing a stronger bond. You should be loyal to your team members to expect the same from them. There are a plethora of other ways you can employ to boost trust among fellow members. It is also an effective measure to build enthusiasm and brings team member together. If you have a team that enjoys trust in its members, you will notice that the members have this intense loyalty towards all the tasks assigned in the team. It helps bolster the strength and dedication of the group. Other than that, the members learn more about their personal lives and the importance of trust in any relationship.
Tips to return to work
Every individual has an instrumental role in building a resilient organization. No matter how big or small your job title may be, here are a bunch of things you can do to make the transition from WFH to office smooth.
Keep the hope up!
The positive feeling comes into existence when you feel safe and fulfilled, but it is not the case with hope. As a matter of fact, hope is not really the typical form of positivity. It comes into action when things are gloomy and there is some level of uncertainty. Hope helps us to open up. It helps remove the blinders and lets us see the big picture. Hope lets us unleash our creativity and give us a brand new perspective of dealing with things. It makes us believe that things can turn upside down for the better by tapping on the right set of our capabilities and by believing in ourselves.
2. Practice effective communication
Communication is the key to effective teamwork. It is important to know that frequent meetings and forced talks do not improve communication within teams. You should inculcate the habit of listening among members and yourself. You should take suggestions and remain open to feedback. It is hugely beneficial as it prevents misunderstanding within the team environment. Another factor is how accessible and approachable the supervisor is. This reassures the team members that they can comfortably share their feedback and other pieces of information. This, in turn, improves the structure of the team and the dynamics among fellow members.
Manage Expectations
Managing expectations is important as an initial step when you are returning to normal. It is important you actively make efforts towards managing expectations before you shake hands with someone on a new task. For instance, if your boss is delegating you some new project, it is imperative that you openly communicate with him. Tell him all your current priorities, and discuss the completion date keeping in mind the work you have in hand and another ongoing workload. If it is a client and not your boss, make clear communication if it is likely to take some time before taking on a new task.
It is even important that you manage expectations on tasks or the project you are currently working on. For example, if the work you are doing has slipped behind schedule, you must convey it to the manager. Let them know that you will not be able to deliver on time, just this time. However, please make a point that you do not make it a habit. Ensure you work on your time estimation skills and come up with a better deadline when you enter the room for discussion on the project. Once you are done fixing a deadline, do all it takes to meet it, even if you have to work late or put in overtime.
Be Professional
Working on a strict deadline, especially when you have high-priority things on the top of your list, is really stressful. You are bound to juggle people’s priorities and expectations. You also find yourself oscillating between tasks which can leave you all frazzled up. These are the moments that make us react in really unconventional ways. We cope in ways we can’t think in normal situations. Things that you think can help you relieve the tension like snapping at others, holding others responsible, ignoring deadlines, etc.
It is during these times, how you can hold yourself together makes all the difference. Your professionalism, even at the time of crisis and exceptional time crunch/ pressure, demonstrate what kind of a person you are to the people around you. Finally, it is important to manage emotions all wisely and effectively in such situations.
Agility
People who are rigid with things often are caught between tasks and get things ugly for themselves. Therefore, it is important to have agility while working. It would help if you had flexibility as there will be days when you will not be able to say ‘No.’ Days when there will be no one but you to delegate the unimportant urgent work. It is always safe to keep downsides in mind while you work.
This will prepare us to be flexible and walk that extra mile to do things for ourselves; often, we need to do it to keep people satisfied. Ensure that this does not become a regular thing as it will crush you in the long run.
Focus on your growth
People who generally work alone or are not part of any team are often not invited to take up internal courses. They often miss out on various learning opportunities as they are not part of team chat groups where all these things are discussed. High chances that you might be too busy to even think about taking new courses for professional growth.
To tackle these difficulties, try and take ownership of your own personal as well professional growth. Start by carrying out a personal SWOT analysis to analyze your strengths and weaknesses on an individual level. There is another thing, which is perhaps my favorite habit for growth, i.e., Journaling. Maintain a journal and record all the skills you have and skills you think can help you do your job better. Once you can list things, please find time to develop your self-learning plan and execute it.
Keep yourself motivated
It is common to get surrounded with negative thoughts easily. Thoughts like “I don’t think I will be able to get through” and “I will not be able to get back on the track.” The kind of thoughts that run through your head determine your actions. When you do not have other team members to look after you close, if you start to go down the spiral of negative thoughts, there will be no one to pull you out.
It is essential to develop habits that can help you elevate from distress and enable you to stay motivated all the time. One such way of lifting yourself is giving yourself positive monologues. It is scientifically proven that positive monologues to yourself can increase your happiness. Even though it does not change your environment as such, therefore, replace your thoughts with positive ones. Thoughts like “I know, and I will do better next time.”
Stay Organized
Your ability to stay organized and take control of things plays a huge role in determining your success, especially when working in a team. Believe it or not but organizing as a habit is contagious. In the absence of an organized plan, there is a possibility that you will never be able to align your skills and actions in one particular direction. You will not have a clear idea of how to get where you want to? What resources do you need to get there? How do you ensure that you are motivated all the way through the journey towards your goals? This can be really challenging when you are sailing solo. Without a plan in mind, you are much likely to get sidetracked or distracted from your path. Ensure you keep a to-do list handy and refer to the project dashboard to stay on top of everything.