Everything seemed hunky-dory a month ago. Things were moving to a precise schedule – the sun rose and set – within this cycle, Mortals went around doing their mundane tasks. People went about their routines with dedication, precision and dedication – in differing degrees. Life was running smoothly – on all 4 cylinders and purring along. Particularly so for the world-within-a-world: The world of commerce, business, entrepreneurship and trade. The essential words here being business, entrepreneurship and commerce. Intertwined with the world of commerce are several vital factors – manufacturing, distribution, monetary institutions, services, working professionals and of course, technology. The advent of technology has impacted business immensely and continues to. No single factor has been this instrumental in shaping the way business is done and services rendered.
When routines are disrupted, uncertainty looms. Precisely what happened with the Corona Virus – COVID 19 – ran rampant across the world. Immensely potent, this Virus has claimed many lives across China, Italy, US, Spain, UK and other countries. Now it has reared it’s ugly head in India. To cope with the immediacy of the situation and prevent a mass outbreak, a National Lockdown has been announced across India. The government is insisting businesses having private limited company registration and LLP firms to file the CAR form and give work from home to every employees. Against this backdrop, when teams and professionals are being instructed to work from home, how are organizations coping? With clients, customers, employee issues? We share our experiences below:
Client is King
The very nature of our business is client-facing and hence at LegalWiz.in, our core focus has always been the client. Despite the obstacles and inconveniences imposed by the WFH directive, we put into action contingency plans. The shift from office-to-home module was made outside of working hours and next day we were up & running without missing a beat. Our operations team was given complete freedom to design their schedule and operational model as required. The organization facilitated their transition to WFH. Team leads ensured that client-communications went out on time, reassuring them that services would remain operational without any lapses. Operating from the WFH angle, LegalWiz.in has been serving clients without a glitch and ensuring that our client relationships stay intact and sustained.
Team Transition
The team is what makes LegalWiz.in run – at the core of our business, people matter. The team, clients, partners, associates…people. And thus, we planned accordingly – how could we make the transition to WFH smoother? While we were expecting WFH instructions, we did not anticipate it to come so suddenly and soon. However, having planned everything to the last detail and discussed it previously – data backups, operating protocols, task schedules & calendars, reporting slots: we made the shift very smoothly. This lockdown has been the ideal opportunity to test the agility and adaptability of the team and hence we are currently running various scenarios as future trainings. These initiatives will enable future preparedness to enable us to serve customers better. Not only that, newer responsibilities and roles have been carved out, as we operate remotely – and this needs individuals to push themselves to live up to expectations. Newer profiles, sustained mentorship for these, shared learnings – these are some of the core tenets that have emerged so far from this one week of WFH as employees try to stay productive while working from home amidst COVID-19 outbreak.
Esprit De Corps
At the end of the day, COVID 19 will surely cause disruption in businesses, commerce, trade and organizations. It will have a devastating impact in HR terms – hence what will matter is the team spirit – the ability of the team to cope. Based on this premise, we have initiated what we call the RR (Rearm-ReEquip) approach. Every team member is being reassured that their future is safe and the firm understands the constraints of WFH – the unique challenges offered by the situation. Every team member is looped in through discussions on tasks, protocols, outcome and evaluation. Staying in touch means we do not lose touch – brainstorming sessions have helped us identify several new approaches to deal with inhouse issues. Freed from the confines of the workplace, we have put in place a Communications module for the team – to ensure that everything is onstream and no one feels secluded. Frank, open discussions about how to cope, problems faced and solutions devised – and newer roles: are encouraged. As a firm we are realizing that tomorrow is going to be different and we can be more resilient if we share & team-spirit is strong.
What will tomorrow bring?
Being in a client-facing business, resolving issues online and delivering a top-of-the-line customer experience – all boils down to one thing. Someone has put their faith is us and we help prove them right. To be sure, COVID-19 has shaken up the world on a scale not seen before and will have a far-reaching impact. The disruptions will be immense, the sustainability & nature of many businesses will drastically change, and thought-processes will revise. Change will be the only constant and hence both – people & businesses – will need to be agile in their thinking and responses. But before all this, we need to be there to see tomorrow. And we will. As a responsible firm, we are practicing WFH with best-of-breed safety practices and ensuring that we instill positivity in our teams. It is easy to succumb to despair and lose direction. But as responsible citizens, we need to stay positive and ensure good WFH & lockdown protocols. We are hopeful and optimistic.
This is a time to reassess, reflect and reprioritize – let us be hopeful, positive and optimistic. We shall endure and emerge – healthy & wise.
If we adhere to the basics, we will be there to impact and change the future – for the better.