Learning the hard way

Initially most enjoyed the thought of working from home as it was thought to provide more time with family and not waste time in commuting; now most crave to go back and work from the office and have a proper cut-off to a work-day

A year ago we were taken on a ride, without our consent, from which we are still trying to recover. It was a tough one, less thrill and more stress, but yet most surfaced with new experiences. 

A pandemic alert from nowhere (literally speaking) brought the world to a standstill, the fear of contracting the deadly COVID-19 made even the bravest humble and cautious. Guess the experience and the journey was somewhat the same wherever you were.

Delivery systems

As soon as lockdown happened the prime thought of everyone was how to make sure the family was safe and to have sufficient essentials in place to survive. We went through an experience of searching for suppliers, channels to get our essentials. 

A whole new community surfaced through this experience, Uber and PickMe stepped in to create delivery systems to support businesses which were used to having customers visiting them. Through the technologically-driven backbone both organisations previously focused on providing transport moved in to become delivery partners. 

From the safety of our home we were given a chance to get most of the stuff we needed delivered without having to go and get them. In addition it also created work for the members in the network who now had no one using their cabs and rides. 

Of course the safety protocols were demanded, by the authorities as well as the service seekers. Wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, washing hands became regular activity. Today it has become a habit for some, and hopefully it will for all. 

Keeping the hands clean prevented the spread of many issues, wearing the mask kept you safe and if you had an infection made the others safe from getting infected.  In fact the medical profession has confirmed that random incidents such as coughs, colds, etc., have reduced significantly. Some are treating way less numbers than they did earlier. Maintaining distance was healthy in many ways.

Working and studying from home

The next challenge was working from home, having children attend classes online. This was a new world for all. Even the most technically-savvy individuals found this to be a new experience. 

Firstly the technology itself was a bridge to cross. The service providers had an unprecedented demand for data and they did struggle to cope. Even to date many technical limitations are faced when using the networks for online leaning and other activity. Things have improved and keep improving all the time. 

Online classes for children as well as the teachers was a novel experience, From an environment where the teacher was just a few feet away, where the child could see her, hear her, sense her and reach out, now she was on a screen and the distance in between was felt. For the teachers getting ready for a session where you did not have complete control over the child's attention has not been easy. But they did survive and managed to keep the lesson plan on track. 

For the parents who had to juggle their children's classes while coping with their own workload of working from home (if you were doing a job which still needed input), it was a whole new world of challenges.

The virtual meetings which were initially considered a super format became unbearable as they were going on for long periods of time. The workday extended late into the night, without demarcations. You were literally switched on unlike previously when you went to work. 

Most bosses forgot that their teams had lives and they had families that needed attention. They would demand attention as and when they felt something needed attention.  Most would have found if they were smart this demand was not working as some would just be logged on whilst doing other essential stuff around the house.

Initially most enjoyed the thought of working from home as it was thought to provide more time with family and not waste time in commuting. Now most crave to go back and work from the office and have a proper cut-off to a work-day. Taking working from home to a level where a person’s life was being taken over from them was not a sustainable solution.

Dos and don’ts of online engagement

Dos and don’ts of online engagement has become a needed lesson. Few pointers are listed here for the benefit of us all:

• If you register or agree to attend a session make sure you do that. For the rapidly-growing online sessions it has become very clear that the actual attendance is only about 50% of the registrations you get, even with multiple reminders
• Create a calendar note the moment you confirm a session
• If you are the creator of the session, ensure you have checked the technical capabilities and are fully equipped to handle the session professionally. If not get help from someone who knows
• Log in well ahead and ensure you or your administrator is ready to accept the people who log in
• nDon't keep them waiting, work to time
• nAdjust your camera and your audio, before the session. If you are going to be visible make sure you paint a decent picture on screen. If not make sure your profile picture and the name makes sense.
• While you wait for people to join, do not have private conversations online. Remember there could be others logged in and it is unprofessional.
• Ensure you are properly dressed for the unexpected moment you need to have your camera on. Make sure your background is decent (we have seen many dirty homes and rooms of people, and them  unsuitably attired in unexpected situations)
• nIf you are not speaking keep your camera off and audio on mute. It helps the bandwidth. Sometimes this simple action ensures better clarity in a discussion. The host has this option too.
• If you are presenting, ensure you are well rehearsed, you have checked how technology works. There is nothing more annoying watching presenters struggling. Maintaining the attention of a person online is harder than at a physical session. You need to be smart to keep them hooked.
• Online sessions and meetings should not go on for a long time. You tend to lose the attention as the time passes. So make sure it is short and sharp
• If meetings are supposed to be interactive, make sure interactions are managed effectively
• For bosses using online meetings, ensure you have a clear agenda, maintain notes and agree on action with timelines. Don't drag meetings and don't make it your political platform

Some of the learning will stay, and it is up to us to ensure we make the best of the learning to make it more meaningful for us in our individual lives.

The most important point that was established was the fact that life is uncertain and we do not have control of everything that happens to us. The best thing to do is to adapt and adopt.

The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) is a premier non-profit organisation supporting women in entrepreneurs, professional businesswomen focused on developing, improving and strengthening the skills of women entrepreneurs.  We are the first women-only trade chamber to be set up in Sri Lanka in the year 1985. Its vision is to be the ‘think tank’ ‘voice’ and the ‘platform’ empowering women to be powerful nation builders by participating in transforming the economic growth of the nation. With a well-structured Board of Management and pillar teams and leaders with dedicated responsibility, the organisation focuses on achieving its detailed objectives with a clearly-defined strategic plan, as well as a plan of action. It has a growing membership and the membership is open to women who believe they can contribute to society as well as benefit from the many facilities the organisation creates. For further information contact Janitha at WCIC via 0766837888.]