Category: Uncategorized

Thinking Ahead At Present: Life After COVID-19

Everyone has talked a great deal about how to go about with present situation, which has forced us to change our lifestyles. But how about we try to think a little ahead, and try to see how to go about after it’s all over? How do we go about creating, or re-creating our life after COVID-19?

No one really knows when things will entirely “unlock”. Perhaps a wise thing to do right now thus is to utilise this new pace of living and think about some important things about our life and career. Instead of thinking about it when things do get back to normal and ending up getting overwhelmed, it might not be a bad idea to start on a path right now, so we might reach to an answer sooner or later.

A little mental health warning first, before we embark: we are not advocating over-thinking and driving oneself into a panic mode. It is ideal to take one day at a time in the present situation. What we are saying is this: now is a good time to think about all the things we have been sweeping under the carpet since ages, and sort one’s priorities.

The Museum Analogy:

In an article by FastCompany, author of the book “Curating Your Life: Ending The Struggle For a Work-Life Balance”  Gail Golden gives us a wonderful analogy to think in terms of when we are on our path to setting our priorities.

The expression “work-life” balance implies as if we are on a tight-rope, balancing things like an acrobat. Instead of that shaky and stressful analogy, Gail Golden suggests we look at our life the way a curator of a museum does. We think of three or more important “artworks” of our lives, which need care, attention, in other words, the main focus of our museum. The others, the side exhibits, and then those which can be put aside for now.

This a novel way to direct one’s time and energy in the right direction.

But it might get a little tricky…

Gail Golden talks of the difficulties of this approach,

“There are things that you may do because they’re meaningful and enriching for you, and things you do that you don’t like very much but your boss or your family needs you to do them. You cannot ignore the priorities of the people around you. The danger is we make everybody else’s priorities more important than your own all of the time. That’s part of work-life balance that doesn’t work.”

When such a situation arises, mixing approaches can help here. One can resort to making lists of things which go along the lines of being important and urgent, important but not so urgent. One needs to be open to the idea that the necessity and urgency of needs is going to change, and that one does not discard certain “exhibits” out of impulse or unnecessary panic.

When it comes to museums, the past plays an important role.

Think about your own past decisions and why you chose something in the first place to steer clear of impulsive “de-prioritising” of things.

These are the thoughts one now has the time to consider.

A final note: although thinking like a curator of a museum is a good strategy, we cannot stress enough on being flexible and open to new ideas during and after this time. No one knows how the world is going to cope with the normal or even the “new” normal. Having a plan is good, but it is also important that we keep ourselves open to the idea of that plan getting changed.

Mother’s Day: A Hindsight

a hindsight for mother's day image - Copy

 

What does little Birdie say

In its nest at Peak of Day.

Let me fly says little birdie,

Mother let me fly away…

On a lonely Mother’s Day, I woke up with this poem ringing in my mind. So much so , that I ordered Siri to play it for me , though I remembered the lyrics clearly. So many times I had sung this with my little ones, without ever realising , that how hard will the words hit me one day.

The little birdies have flown away and I am in my empty nest.

 

But , hey , hold on, had I not flown away , leaving my Mom’s nest empty?Don’t we all do? We fly away, and eventually , so do our daughters, our little ones. In humans,(not sure about the birds though) sometimes the “Home coming” does happen , but it is short-lived. The mind knows that it is so, and thus easier to go by the FLOW.

 

The reply that the Mother gave to the little Birdie:-

Birdie rest a little longer,

Till your wings are stronger,

So the Birdie rests a little longer ,

And then it Flies Away…

 

How apt is the reply — A mother would also want her little ones to soar the SKY, as do they. However she knows when it is good for them. She wants them to be strong and confident enough to Fly. This confidence comes out in the Young ones when they Face the world – testing their wings. At this time they may or may not know that someone is watching them from below, happy on the upbringing.

Still, a mother is so childlike when it comes to her children, reluctant to part from her proud possessions, hesitant to even have these shared.

The little ones, unfortunately understand this only when they become mothers. Life comes back, a full circle. “It’s payback time, friends”, as my sister jokingly said.

The mothers need to show some maturity , when the Flying Time comes, but it is easier said than done. The lure of the Sky is so High –that it overrules the fear of detachment.

I keep saying to myself that I need to learn, more of- “ Attachment with Detachment”—- But , Can I ? Can Mothers take a Chill Pill ?

 

Looking For A Job in Times Of Lockdown

 

job hunting in times of lockdown image

While some of us have been trying to balance WFH and the chores of our homes, there are some of us who were job hunting when the lockdown was announced. How does one go about looking for a job in these times of lockdown and social distancing? How does one approach companies when the staff is working from home? Whether you are a fresher who was looking for a launch-pad, or someone who was looking for a new opportunity, this is an uncertain situation to be in.

We bring some tips on how to go about searching for a job in times of the pandemic.

 

Online Is The Way:

It is important to remember most companies are working, just not in their offices.

We must keep our search and research on. As we have discussed in our articles about researching about companies, we have a lot of resources available online.

List down the companies you are interested to work at, and start checking their websites and social media one by one.

Checking the websites and social media now is a great time, because not only would they give you an idea about their mission statements, their work culture, but would also give you glimpses about how they are handling the entire WFH situation.

A lot of companies would now be more active on their Facebook, LinkedIn pages as a way to engage with customers and clients as much as possible. It is also likely that the companies would be more quick in responding to emails and messages.

What’s more, some companies which earlier were not too responsive on virtual platforms  may now have realised the value of prompt online communication, leading to faster, and more elaborate and specific responses to queries.

Do not be hesitant in sending out emails and queries, provided you are prepared to begin working in unconventional ways, which brings us to the next point.

 

Be Prepared:

Send out emails to the companies you are interested in working at, but make sure you let them know that you understand that times are uncertain.

Be prepared in case the companies give out vague or ambivalent or diplomatic responses. Some companies might tell they would let you know once things get “normal”, and you might have to wait out the lockdown.

Some might offer a role which can be done through minimal online training or no training and is more suitable for a WFH setup, but this role might be different than what you were originally looking for.

Some might offer a more short-term role, which might be important as long as long you are working remotely, and that which might undergo a change once the situation gets back to normal.

Here, you need to consider the urgency. How urgently do you need a job right now? Considering factors such as past savings, family responsibilities, work experience, internet resources, etc., coupled with the online research you undertook about the company should give you a fair idea about a) which companies to send out emails to, and b) what to expect from each company c) and which offers to consider.

 

Be Visible and Don’t Stop Networking:

Based on the urgency of your job search, keep networking. As mentioned, now is the time most companies would be quite active on LinkedIn and other online social networking platforms.

Find what online connections you have with the particular companies you are interested in working at; see if you can find a mutual connection and get in touch with them (virtually) if necessary to inquire more about the company and how the company is going about hiring processes.

Cash on in the increased amount of time companies would be spending online. Make your presence visible by posting regularly, engaging in discussions and commenting on posts which you find interesting and useful.

 

Take Your Time:

In the current situation, it is best not to think too long term. Consider how urgent is landing a job right now. Consider if this is a good time to learn a new skill or get enrolled in a distance learning program? Is this a good time to start a personal project you were thinking about? Is this a good time to take a break?

Be it in times of lockdown or normalcy, looking for a job gives us a certain down time to think things over. And there will be times when you might not have much to do except wait.

Additionally, in conclusion here are some quick pointers you can keep in mind:

  • Be prepared to appear for virtual interviews and calls. Make sure your internet connection and equipment are working well, with a tidy background. Try the lighting, sound and visibility with a friend or a family before you appear for any professional call.
  • Have a plan B. In other words, be prepared in case things don’t work out the way you wanted them to. Plan B could be anything from “settling” for a role which you didn’t particularly like, to “taking a break” from working, to keep looking.
  • Have a fixed routine. Chart up a time table. Fix the timings when you would research and network, and when you would engage in spending time in hobbies, recreation and chores. Do not forget to spend time with friends and family (through phone and video calls if you are living alone, or regularly if you are living under the same roof).
  • Do not be afraid of the gap in your resume. This is an unprecedented situation, and companies in the future would understand the reasons.

 

Learning and Development: Being Always Prepared

Learning & development image

 

 

Learning and development are basic things we do as children, sometimes on day to day basis. We learn how to sit upright, and develop as we learn to crawl, walk, run. We learn how to babble, then eventually develop our skill to pick on words and talk, and finally we learn and develop the skill to write. We learn a new skill, language, sport, musical instrument, concept, idea. We develop all that as we progress through levels and grades.

We grow up, and sometimes, we forget about the importance of learning and development, or L&D, as it is known in the professional jargon.

Focusing on L&D is important even when we enter the world of work (obviously in a different way than we did as children). And now, in the present context of WFH, it is an even more important thing to do. Learning has become almost mandatory now.

 

What are some things you can do by yourself?

Getting a better understanding of technology:  Learning and development as adults with jobs could include things like learning to use a new technology, getting an understanding of how an app runs, and how it could be applied to your professional growth.  Zoom meetings come to mind, don’t they?

Certificate courses: This could include taking up an online course for a programme relevant to your field, where you need to devote a couple of hours every week to get the certificate. It could also include a non-virtual, offline workshop/conference which can give you insight about a specific domain. (Safety warning: in the present context, stick to online ones.)

Sometimes, companies themselves might conduct workshops/conferences/talks, as we did with our team; online English classes are being given to our team as a way to help them grow continuously even in this context of restricted outdoor movement.

Full-fledged degree: With the emergence of the internet, getting a proper degree is possible via distance learning programmes, available on national as well as international online learning platforms.

Social Interaction: Learning and development can take place through social interaction as well: it could be by learning on the job from other co-workers, or it could be actually getting a mentor and learning the tropes from them. The scope of what could be considered a social interaction has increased. So, even in these times of social distancing, and real- time online communication, it is possible to learn from our fellow colleagues, seniors and juniors.

 

Why is learning and development important? What are some benefits of continuous learning?

Adding to your profile: This is the obvious answer. With anything new you learn, you get to add it on your resume. Sometimes, it takes just one little skill which can make you stand out and give you an edge.

Preparing for the unexpected: The present situation of lockdown and WFH is an example of how unpredictable even our professional lives are. You don’t always get time to prepare; rather, one has to be prepared and keep preparing when one has the time, energy and resources.

Learning new skills, new tools, new strategies thus, is a necessity.

Chain Reaction: Continuous learning not only means that you will develop new skills and insights, but that you will have an edge over people. This means that it will open up avenues for you to lead, to manage, to mentor, to coach, to train others.

 

Learning and development should be continuous, whether formal or informal. And the present scenario is one example of how helpful it is to be prepared, and how continuous learning is a secret to success.

Regardless of the global situation, the next time you feel your brain is beginning to feel sluggish and tired, take up something to learn!

 

Be the Perfect Manager…In One Minute

 

image idea two

The One Minute Manager is a very popular book Ken Blanchard. In the book, we have the journey of a young man who is looking for and willing to work for the “perfect manager”. He finds autocratic managers, the ones who only care about results and not people, and democratic ones who only care about people and not results: two extremes. He finally comes across someone who calls himself a ‘one minute manager’. The one minute manager delivers big results in a span of one minute.

Now, you need to read the book to actually discover the tips he offers, but there are some brief takeaways which we would like to list out.

Whether you are an actual manager or just good co-worker trying to motivate his or her colleagues, we offer some ‘one minute manager’ hacks!

Remember those ‘one minute games’ we all have played at some point? Those competitions where you must finish a task in just one minute, whether it is eating as many gol-gappas as you can or lighting as many candles as you can! Remember the thrill that comes with those games? The sudden gust of motivation and energy?

Well, the following one minute tasks can provide equal, if not more, motivation and energy in the office environment to get things done.

 

  • One Minute Goals: These ‘goals’ have to be ones which could be completed in around a minute. We often delay smaller things for later, piling them up, and ending up with a big pile of smaller tasks. Setting one minute goals is great way to get work done quickly. They end quickly, so there you have a quick dose of motivation too!

Think of all the smaller tasks which could be completed in one minute and set out to finish them. It could be anything from writing out a to-do list to making a quick call to that client.

  • One Minute Praises: Sometimes, all one needs is a quick “good job!” to feel motivated and actually get to work. Instead of waiting to include something in appraisals or weekly meetings, sometimes it’s a good idea to deliver praise just by-the-way.
  • One Minute Feedback: Similarly, sometimes, people want to know how they are doing at the moment. They need to know what wrong they are doing in terms of action, outcomes or decisions, and what they could do undo that wrong, immediately, instead of hearing about the problem in some meeting when they have already forgotten what the problem was in the first place.

This brings us to the next one minute hack.

  • One Minute Catch ups: Little one minute catch ups, where there’s a quick briefing of how a team is going on with a task are a quick way to ensure there’s an equally quick course correction. One minute catch ups allow one to figure out smaller problems which could be stopped from turning into bigger problems there and then.
  • One Minute Connection: Setting aside a special day to “connect” with employees and colleagues is great, to give them space to talk about their life beyond work, but sometimes a quick personal catch up is not a bad idea. It gives one the feeling that people do remember about their life, that people do care, which can be a great booster of motivation.

 

So, being a one minute manager, or to make it more general, one minute action taker is a great way to ensure a steady momentum of work. But make sure to not lose the bigger picture! One minute managing needs a fine balance (like all other things). We need to be tactful:

We take out a minute to deliver bigger results with ease. We don’t take out a minute to delay bigger results. Make sure the one minute managing adds to the flow of work, and doesn’t act as an interruption.