COVID 19 – Catalyst for the Future of Work, and Renewed Environmental Focus
The COVID 19 situation has literally taken the world by storm. As we speak, we have over 170,000 confirmed cases of COVID 19 globally, meaning the actual total number of cases could well be 5-6X of this or nearing a million (that remain latently known for lack of testing). The number of confirmed death cases globally stand at over 6,000. It has for sure thrown up a lot of new concerns to light. Lack of our preparedness globally to deal with things of this magnitude, our interconnectedness and domino effect of what happens in one part of the world on those in other geographies, and the fragility of our risk programs are some to name a few. The financial markets have slipped by anywhere from 15-40%, depending on the indices you track. Countries have gone into lockdowns, there is panic buying of basic good and groceries, and even toilet paper went out of stock in a few US cities! However, there are two silver linings to the COVID situation that I want to talk about today. First, it could potentially be a game changer in the way we are used to working. Second, it tells us that the climate is indeed in our control, something a lot of us believed was beyond us to impact. Let me elaborate on these points below.
Over the last 15 years of my career, I have seen work from home at best described as a privilege and something progressive companies support as long as it’s exercised in a limited fashion. The situation is a grimmer, though changing, in the emerging markets that require the workforce to overlap with their counterparts in other parts of the world. Very few, I would take the creative liberty of hypothesizing less than 5% of companies (though I do not have hard numbers to back it), truly support continued and frequent WFH with vigour. A lot of us have and continue to spend anywhere from 12-25% of our personal time on top of the 40/45 hr work week on commuting. In today’s interconnected world, this obsession of being in the office has meant it’s taken a toll on our personal lives. The end result is increased stress levels, less time for family, and the guilt of weekend parenting. The last few days, where the COVID 19 situation forced us to work from home, there is a renewed realization that things can actually work equally effectively from by working from home. There are multiple benefits on the work and professional front that I experienced, and could gather from speaking with colleagues and friends on this subject.
More focused meetings vs. the general meetings that happen when you are more accessible in the office
Time boxing is working much better, with more decisive outcomes of meetings/ working sessions
There is time to carve out for professional introspection; something, that comes at a premium in the busyness of the office
Its pushing innovation at the workplace in new ways; for instance, whether its interviewing, or on-boarding or even training – all things that till recently were largely done in a physical setting, are now transitioning to the online sphere with equal ease (after the initial doubts are pushed aside)
A lot of interactions and collaboration that seemed to necessitate travel is being accomplished through online channels of video conferencing, saving several hours and thousands of dollars per (avoided) trip
There is work life integration in the true sense – greater time for self (whether it’s a 30 mn run or to 20 page book read) and for the family as you save 1-2 hrs/day of your life
Reduced stress levels
I will be the first to admit that we are not used to working from home at this scale. And that we are after all a social species, and it’s important for us to get out and meet fellow Homo sapiens. However, I do feel, what COVID 19 is teaching us is that it should be a choice and not something we need to necessarily do to get things done at work! Equally, necessity is the mother of invention. Within a few days of virtual working, it has begun to feel the new normal. A few more weeks of working in this mode, that looks very likely, could tilt the balance in favour of this remote working paradigm both for the employee and the employer. With a little bit more effort and coaching it could potentially do wonders to our productivity, effectiveness, and help us manage work life with greater impact. From an organizational lens as well it could be a key catalyst to save on expensive prime real estate rentals and slash travel costs, that can save millions annually for large corporations.
The other big thing that’s palpable is the noticeable impact on the environment as we have slowed down over the last few weeks. Whether it is Beijing or Delhi or cities in Europe – the air quality levels have improved drastically, as the rapid rush of activity has come to a halt. For instance, as per reports from NASA, there has been a 30% drop in Nitrogen dioxide levels (an air pollutant caused by burning of fossil fuels) in Beijing and Wuhan as China slowed down its economic activity in late February/ early March vs. Jan 2020 levels. Same is the situation is prevalent in most parts of Europe, and the picture for Italy is exactly the same – the NO2 level have plummeted by a quarter over the last 2-3 weeks. This has help us realize that climate control is truly in our hands, and we have a choice to make for our tomorrow and the coming generations. I agree the solution is not a simple one, as we cannot afford for the world economies to come to a halt. However, at the same time what seemed like an unsolvable problem has shown glimpses of being under control if we so choose to action on it.
I like to see the glass half full. Difficult times definitely test our character, but equally they make us stronger and wiser. I do fundamentally believe and hope that once the pain of COVID 19 is over, fingers crossed sooner than later, it would have changed the way we are used to working, and thinking about the environment.
Stay safe!
