The year 2020 has been different in many ways. The novel coronavirus caught us unawares and each one of us have had our own share of experiences regarding the same. It has drastically changed all that we had perceived as normal.
Every crisis presents both challenges and opportunities and so with coronavirus. We don’t need to make a list of things which have been affected due to the pandemic. Instead, let us jot down the lessons we have learnt, professionally. What say?
1. Out-of-box thinking
Till about few months ago, it would have been unbelievable if anyone had told us that it is possible to take the business forward with just a phone and internet connection. Now, we know that it works. We were able to provide ‘virtual’ help to the customers and solve their problems. We have learnt the art of getting work done with minimum human intervention. Out-of-box thinking in every field has become the norm and a skill that a professional need to possess.
We now know that online meeting formats can actual work!
2. Technology
The complete lockdown days initiated us to redefine the use of technology. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we understood the real power it possess. Online trainings, customer support and team coordination happened over the internet. A majority of us learnt new professional skills and also widened our professional network. Video conferencing solved most of the technical issues and this gave us a sense of satisfaction that we were indeed helping our customers during these tough times.
3. Resource management
We have learnt to make the best use of the resources that we have – human, material, financial and intangible resources. For example: We, at Propel Industries, were able to strategically place our service engineers so that his expertise could be used by many of our customers within a defined geographical location.
4. Less travel, more work
There are certain industries where it is almost mandatory to have a face-to-face interaction with the customers. The service engineer has to get hands on at work and solve the issue for the customer. Crushing industry is no different. After the pandemic stuck, customer interaction has increased through other means and travel has reduced. Professional travel happens only when there is utmost necessity.
5. Understand the power of private sector
It is now, more than important to spread knowledge, mutual understanding and economic benefits. The nation and the world will have to be deeply interconnected to help us stay hale and healthy. We are economically interdependent on one another and we have realised it.
We, as an organisation, put the health and safety of our workers first while also reaching out to our customers, in the best possible way.
We are driven, as much by our core values of customer focus, teamwork, integrity and professionalism as passion. PVS 201, an automatic emergency ventilator is yet another proof of how much we want to give back to the society. The cross-functional team of engineering experts at Propel worked all through the first and second phases of the lockdown to bring the emergency ventilator to life.
We have always understood that good corporate citizenship practices are needed to complement the efforts taken by the government and we are religiously doing our bit. We are focussing on corporate sustainability and responsible investing.
To sum it up, the pandemic has expedited the shift to digital means, in a big way.
This is the time to reinvest ourselves, understand the values of technology and the resources that we possess and march ahead!
