Getting started post lock down is no easy task , for all of us the challenge is to get restarted while the Pandemic is on. At Nova when we had the task of restarting as an essential service we were not prepared for most of the issues that came up .Putting a small team together to get started almost seemed like an impossible dream . However we quickly adapted and figured out the way forward .
Accepting The Reality
The biggest mistake everyone is making is to prepare to get back to office post lock down. The approach should be to get back to work with the Pandemic around . This Pandemic will remain with us for a few months and we have to get back to our work . The office is a physical place that you may not have access to
Technology
At Nova we were cloud enabled and that helped our team to restart all back end operations seamlessly . For most of us who have never given importance to technology for business , this will be a difficult task that needs a quick focus and has to be implemented with speed . Technology for your business is the new real estate . You need a tech enabled business and the cost for the same needs to be replaced with the cost of your real estate ( your office) . Adoption of technology during the pandemic seems like trying to change the tires of your car while its still running . Almost a crazy idea . Then a video like this Changing Tires While Driving , forces you to believe that, out of the box approach and adapting to the situation at a fast pace is the need of the hour. My earlier webinar Work From Home has all the details of the technology that can be adopted by HVACnR dealers .
Compassion
While you may adopt technology , its also important to understand the difficulties people go through these times . Everyone needs to be dealt with compassion , to help them overcome their fear . The other difficulties people will face is on working from home . We need to empathize with their situation and have a plan on handling the issues at being at home and handling work . In an Indian scenario the family needs to get used to the idea of whats the work discipline that need to be followed , where there is no separate study room and you need to be at work with the rest of the family .
Purpose
Before the pandemic the easiest way to get anyone to work is to have a standard carrot and stick method . If you get to work you get paid , if your work harder you get paid more and if you don’t work or under perform you are asked to leave . How does that work when its compared to risking your own personal life? What can be so compelling that your team is ready to risk their life and get back to work . Finding a purpose for the team that’s compelling enough is important to get back to work . At Nova we found our sole purpose to get to work was to save every job in our company . We now wanted to get to work for the larger interest of our community . Nova Heroes was a 2 minute video that summed up all our feelings and encouraged us to get to work .
Be Yourself
This is a time when you cannot be an owner , a head of department or a Manager . This is the time to introspect weather you have the leadership quality to put this dream team together . Its possible that you may figure out that you have the qualities of a great cricketer like Sachin Tendular , one who is an important member of the team but not good enough to captain the team . The task then is to find the Captain for your dream team and help him build the team .