Looking Back: In Retrospect - Work

Covid-19 and life during coronavirus has been good to me, I told my friend who called up few months back.

I heard of corona virus rightly from an 80+ year-doctor in Cochin (Kerala, India). We met him over a cofee mug, in March first week of 2020. He gave few tips to ring-fence covid-19: Not to be afraid of; MIND is the key. If afraid, Corona will chase you and you will be struck. Then, take care of nose, then throat, before it reaches lungs. Also, add slices of fruit daily to boost immune system. Keep doing phyiscal exercise/yoga, meditation if you've been doing. Don't stop.

Covid/coronavirus has been good to me: personal, family, work, neighbourhood. Pulled back my body weight (sliced off 5 kg) to pre-2019 end level. Very happy on the personal front. Managed psycho-socio-physical stress online Sessions (Dr Thomas George's LEAD Mastermind daily 9-10 PM sessions, even today). Updated what was happening in businesses updated almost realtime through webinars: India and abroad.

"What it too you this far will not take you that far". Computers, cybernetics, digital and telecommnication technologies, massively applied to optimise buiness, of late, the disruptive technologies (McKinsey report: MGI) "What it took forty years to happen, is happening in less than four years, these days". During Covid-19 days things accelerated still much faster.

March 2020 witnessed nation-wide lockdown. Government notified keep-all-empoyees-and-pay-salaries. Nothing was happening in factories, shops, plantations and mines; hence, no monies to pay salaries. Business operations came to grinding halt. Few HR and one CEO contacted me, being a Specialist. No previous models and frameworks were avaialable to anyone. They wanted to send out people to get rid of liabiity to pay salaries. Soon, I realised that I don't know anything to address covid-19 impact on businesses. But, I re-learnt LISTENING. and the power of BRAINSTORMING.

Heads-HR (wanted to shed off workers & I said: No, you'll not get such predictable and dedicated and committed workforce post-Covid, which they tooo agred. I had no answer as to how long they'll have to pay without working). Used to speak over phone daily over 10-15 mts. I too didin't know what to guide. First, it was of ascertaining the facts. Then, it's assessing the neatre, extent and grvity, as well as the numbers. How long it'll last was the $ 100 milion question.

We went back to drawing board. Changed several sheets. Met in brainstorming sessions. L lightning idea of humanistic, in adversitities. How long was not a factor addressed. Several options an dalternatives were exchanged between Heads-HR and myself. Together, we decided to design and architect humanistic, human-concerned, human-centred organisations with people too with such traits. For some time, we decide dto keep off economics too. Solution was easier, we're almost nearing practical way out.

Challenge was how to have a mindsets of Leadership and Managerial workforce teams shifted from operations, monies and profits (Enterprise means everyone's-mindset of profits; earn your profit-likned incentive-laden compensation package). After 2-3 weeks of constant ineraction, persuasions and influencing, everyone took a 360 degree turn. CEO interacted over phone with his immediate reportees, 4-6 of them, knew them much more. Each in the Leadership spoke to his team mates, and Managerial personnel to his non-Managerial personnel. More bonding, relationship and care and concern for each other (as revelead by B-School survey later) was felt by all across the organisation. Then, things were easier. After another 4-7 weeks, everyone knew everyone's families. Around the same time, announcement came that "partial lifting" of lockdown is planned. It was advised to them to get good quality fumigation people, fumiagte all premises, inform and train people to use "sanitiser". When it was re-openened, a new workplace intervention, Daily Morning "Workplace Networking Social Circles" [WNSCs], a stand-up meeting of 1-minute talk/employee was installed, operated, over time, it was sustained and thereafter, taken to a level of "maturity". Salaries were paid to all, as per Governement Orders.

After 2-3 weeks of "partial lifting" of lockdown, employees started asking privately, how long salaries can be paid without earning, without making profits. Employees were body-signalled & "shsh!" not to ask this question now. After 2-3 weeks, the other 1/3 of employees and later, the last 1/3 too turned up. After another week, few employees came forward, requesting for "leave on loss of pay" for 3 to 6 to 12 months to take care of their families. Managements amended Leave Rules atnd sanctied those LOP applications. People were happy, Management had a sigh of relief, because the "financial load" of salalries was very huge.

In other words, it's a "Win-Win" situation for Management, employees and the Company.

Key Learning: Take time and pains to know, understand, sense, sensitise an issue, identify variables, (social variables being intangibles, are often dynamic), establish cause-effect relationship. In other words, define an issue 360 degree/all dimensions, take the scientific and professional route of Diagnosis-Prognosis-Treatment Plan.