Workflow after the pandemic
Life might never be the same after the pandemic , the cure is yet to come, but as we all yearn to get back to our normal lives, we do have to eat to live and vice-versa.
Regarding workspace, keeping in mind that the offices might re-open for partial use , we cannot compress the workspace. We will have to maintain social distance in the workplace too. As in large corporate offices, too many people in one confined space might increase risk. We have to re-think usage of space , where employees were made to sit next to each other irrespective of any department. This raises the question of manpower handling vs quantity of work. The challenge is to maximize the existing workspace by limiting the number of staff. The other aspect to consider is , the type of industry as per customer flow in the work. The revenue collection in the office work space might be different, so management of incoming customers is pivotal, as in a country like Nepal which is yet to capture the digital market. Nevertheless, we have to increase the awareness of payment through online space /chat support , leaving the office visits for urgent matters or customer grievances.
Health and safety was and is the utmost priority for workers, both indoors and outdoors. Paranoia might have kicked in during the pandemic, but reminder of health and safety basics was a necessity. Conflict between the need and want of policies in the corporate world, arises query in workers. We want to guarantee health and safety of workers, but also need to ensure the smooth workflow. There is an equilibrium to maintain, a work ethic to follow, but it should not be greater than the common good of employee happiness. Establishing check-ups facilities, confirming abundant logistics of health and safety materials, and verifying rules to be followed in the workplace with sanitation might put the minds of workers at ease to start.
Crisis has a power to re-shape society in more dramatic ways . Yes, people might enjoy home cooked meals than restaurant food, they might replace human interactions (like handshaking, hugging, etc) with greetings, they might feel more comfortable with online games than a friendly outdoor activity, or online video tutorials surfing than instructor-led learning. But as Spiderman said, “ With great power , comes great responsibility”, I would like to add, “With great crisis, comes opportunity “. An opportunity to grow, to re-evaluate, to learn-unlearn-relearn, to turn crisis into opportunity. The society is changing, and the only thing that doesn’t change is change, it is inevitable. The power shift in countries is already happening, taboos are being broken , the acknowledgement for the reign of science are clearly visible. With crisis emerges change and uncertainty, but our best guess, that our lives will not remain the same.
During these hard hit times, some industries might shift to a new paradigm, while some companies have shut down completely and laid off staff, some are barely afloat but they are exercising their humanity side with WORK FROM HOME facility, work-on-field vehicle pass (approval), paid leave etc.
So, the clock is ticking and to keep up with the new normalcy, corporate offices are inclined to some changes in policy. The monitoring and measuring is different now with some sort of keeping staff’s task log, new Key Performance Indicator’s are in order, rising demand of digital lifestyle, and thus, keeping up with setbacks.
- “This post first appeared on LinkedIn”
