Changing the way we work

There has always been a long debate on how the work culture should change worldwide.

The pandemic situation we currently are in has gone ahead and changed everything, right from the perspectives about work to job roles and titles to fluidity in role management.

This has not only resulted in the way work is happening it has also brought home a thought process and few dynamic solutions that fit the skewed work culture that is here to stay, possibly for a very long time.

One of the myths that the current working situation has busted is that work from home is not effective or fruitful enough. Along with it goes the thought that women who work from home are not serious about their careers or do not put in the required amount of efforts.

Right now as we know especially in India, working women who largely depended upon house helps and maids while they spends hours perfecting the pitch/ marketing/ sales presentations, prepare sales reports and attend to all office related calls without thinking twice because there is someone who had their back.

They are still doing all of the above while also preparing meals for the family and doing laundry and cleaning their homes and managing their time and work life balance with great panache.

So yes, we are capable of multi-tasking and so are the men, basically everyone can rise to the occasion if the occasion presents itself.

After the lockdown opens and we can commute to work there will be social distancing that will prevent us from huddling over the presentations, it will require some of us to be remotely present for meetings and yet be empathetic enough about what is being discussed.

Then there are those who might be bereft of travelling solutions for an exceedingly long time.

In places like Mumbai where people were already travelling what might seem like counties the situation was already difficult and now may seem ominously grim especially the late night commute with even lesser people on the roads or public transport may lead to safety issues as well.

While I am sure the Human Resources in all companies is working towards policies that will finally map the tangible result oriented work that is put in and not just the number of hours logged in, this will also cull the so called “in-office” hours that have very little results to show for.

Going forward this should also open certain avenues of career that allow one to work from the safety of one’s location unless required to travel for a really relevant event.