The show must go on!

‘2020. A year that one thought would never show up.’ – This was something I wrote in my last year’s new year message and while I write this, I think it’s safe to say - ‘2020. A year that one now thinks should never have shown up’.

The most inconceivable. Beyond the realm of reason. 2020 has been that year. The year that added many new words to our dictionary, where mask became the new tie, where ‘staying in’ was considered better than ‘staying out’, where every day looked different yet the same, where virtual became the new norm and our homes became our sanctuaries. Now, the year definitely threw many curveballs at us, but on the flip side, it was the same year that reduced the carbon footprint, strengthened the community culture, accelerated digital growth, gave us empowerment & flexibility in the way we work & live, and most importantly, killed the Monday blues!

This is the first time ever where we were able to slow down, deliberate & reflect on the lives we had been living, discover ourselves & move forward. As I write this, there are 3 experiences that I want to share with you.

-         Organization: For us, just like every other organization, the unforeseen shift was unnerving and yet the transition from physical to virtual has been seamless & nimble, with multiple teams bringing their A-game together & channeling all their energy into achieving something that was unimaginable within a matter of days. All this while, there were two key focus areas that have remained constant & uncompromising for us - Employee safety & Client Centricity with aplomb!

-         Teams: ‘Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people’ – Steve Jobs. This quote has come alive in its truest sense in the last 9 months. Leaders & managers played a significant role in laying the foundations of social capital, but it’s the teams behind the scenes who were the biggest driving force. Each one of us came together & achieved something that was unimaginable, bringing Resilience & Empathy to the fore.

-         Me: personally, it has been a formidable 9 months. Instead of planning to do my bucket list called Olympics, I made it to the bucket list of reading, guitar and poetry; I have been exposed to knowledge in its truest sense; built on the social capital albeit virtually & all of this, with an immense sense of gratitude. One of my personal discoveries has been about being comfortable with ‘Me Time’ and spaces of time.

As we transition into the new world, work is going to look very different and our roles will evolve with the changing dynamics of work. As people champions, it is our fundamental responsibility to craft a future for ourselves and in my view, there are two key differentiators that will help us propel forward as a tribe. One is to have deep understanding of business better than business understands business, helping us become problem finders and create deep partnerships. The second one is my favorite; Empathy at the heart of all that we do and that has to stem from understanding the user, co-creating with them to establish grade experiences of work & workplace.

Here are a few important reflections as we take on the next year:

-         Write a gratitude journal every day. Just 3 things you are grateful for in life, and let the magic unfold.

-         Have a best friend at work. It can be a person, a place or your work itself!

-         A sense of purpose drives happiness. Find your ‘why’.

-         Pick a hobby that rediscovers you or simply READ!

-         Believe in yourself. Wear your imperfections on your sleeve!

-         Quality over Quantity. Your connections determine you.

-         You are more powerful than you think you are!

If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught me is the power of ‘YOU’ – resilience, strength, triumphing through uncertainties, with multitude of challenges & emerging stronger than ever before. This is your story, so craft the best story there ever was. Remember the show must go on!

Wishing you and your loved ones a fabulous year!