Friends! Most of us feel the recent COVID-19 outbreak is a symbol of how fragile and unpredictable our lives can be in an unusual state of affairs. The virus which has changed the way in which most of us live, work or perform our basic day to day functions. This change is continuing to increase its grasp at an alarming rate with the impact being felt at multiple levels resulting in mental slow down, economic fall-down, business disruption, trade hindrances, travel obstructions, public seclusion and so on. For continuity of our professional work we have switched over to online/virtual modes of working while global mobility has almost come to a standstill. Long lockdown period has taken the toll on our mind, money and mechanism of working style. COVID – 19 has affected almost all ways of our life; and probably it will remain changed. It has put several restrictions, for example:
- Fear of infections even within own house
- Persons try to not meet person. Develop anxiety in prolonged duration
- Fearing in visiting hospital even for other ailments
- Social distancing (do gaj kii doori hai Jaroori) everywhere
- Remain locally (do not go out) but visible globally
- Sometimes boring/unhappiness by remaining at one place
But it has also given us opportunities such as:
- Practice of Indian cultural habits –cleaning hands, legs, sanitation, Namaste instead of handshaking etc.
- Enough time for family – for improving emotional quotient
- Enough time for reading/writing – to acquire new knowledge
- Enough time for Yoga, Exercises – to maintain better health
- Opportunity to leave bad habits – gutaka, paan, alcohol etc.
Now slowly lockdown is going and unlock-1 is underway. Governement is planning for unlock-2. We have now pressure to perform in new environment which is becoming like normal life with care and recover as soon as possible the lost ground of economy. This article highlights in very brief on management of Time, Resources and Self (TRS) Management for maximizing output in COVID-19 Era of New Normal.
What is New Normal?
- Working from home – In this situation you have to work for your office as well as home. So load has doubled. It is difficult that if you are in home, and will not respond to your children, spouse etc.
- E-offices, telephones, emails, WhatsApp messages – Floods of messages, many time misinformation, propaganda etc. need to manage.
- On-line webinars, webshops, trainings – Every day three four invitations, selection is difficult. See your choice or leave it.
- Restricted public transport – very little or no public transport, so movement is restricted. You have to use your own means as far as possible to be safe.
- No or very little public direct dealing – use of internet, e-office, emails, online transaction, shopping even negotiations are going on. There is digital push-up in every fields.
- Online complains, hearing, resolutions – All official, personal and even relatives complains are online. Even manpower in call centres is minimal, so you have to do it online.
- More persuasion – If everything is on-line, you cannot meet the people, so to resolve the complaint and have an amicable solutions, more and continuous persuasions are needed.
- Almost 24 hour on service – Since everything is online, through mobile and from home so you are also almost 24 hours on your work. Emails, whatsApp messages for official work come even 5.00 AM.
- Remote Management of human & natural resources – Since very few people are coming office, management of manpower under you from remote through e-mail, phone, WhatsApp is now new normal. It is difficult to get maximum from the minimum contact. So we have to make connections with our humane as well as other resources for better output.
- Abundance of time, but limited resources – Saving of time from going office, going to meeting venues, but poor internet connection, no helping hands all you have to do yourself.
- Labour scarcity and abundance – Some part of country is having now surplus labour, needs to give them job, whereas some other parts of country labour has become precious items and thus mechanization, automation are the solutions.
- Pressure for maximizing output to get lost economic ground – We now want to regain the lost economy as quickly as possible. Quantum jump, incremental gain is not sufficient.
- Food habits changed to traditional – Demand of traditional foods have increased, but there may be scarcity of such cooks. We have to make such machines/robots to fill the gaps.
- Food Abundance and Scarcity – There are sufficient foods, well managed by the Govt. but even many did not get during lockdown period. Huge populations remained without or less foods for number of days. So we have to search miniature food having long self-life and easy in distribution and direct consumption. Or we think to develop machines to produce food grains, milk and meat. It is possible, need to initiate now.
- Online medical consultation – Even Doctors prefer to examine patient through Video conferencing. Patients also do not want to go hospital in fear of COVID infections.
These are some daily activities and we can say that these are new normal way of living. To get rid of all these we need to learn TRS management.
Time Management
- Time management I mean utilization of time most effectively. So, first divide time or say Type of Time or Planning for Utilization of Time based on Work (3Ws)
- Work depended on others – first finish this, if not possible then go to next W
- Work depended on resources – If first work cannot be done, utilize your time in this work. If this is also not possible, last W should be performed, ie.
- Work depended fully on Self
- Plan for tomorrow, Today! at least 30 % of time in which any work to be accomplished should be given in planning
Perfection is important but timeliness is a golden Habit
Give at least one hour daily for your Health – Love Yourself first
Walking, jogging, Pranayama, Yoga, practice of positive thinking, listing positive news, reading religious books and then planning for the days, whatever you enjoy do that. Spend your Morning on MITs
For example if “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” The Point is? Tackle your biggest tasks in the morning. And if you think you have two equally biggest tasks, do first which is dependent on others. These are your most important tasks (MITs) of the day. Accomplishing those will give you the biggest momentum to help you sail through the rest of the day.
Follow 80-20 Rules
Another great time management tip is to use the 80-20 Rule, This rule states that 80% of the efforts comes from 20 % of the results. In our R & D field, it means that 80 % of good results come from 20 % of the projects. The trick? Identify the 20% of the efforts that are producing 80 % of results and scale that out. You can do this with meticulous tracking, re-planning and analysing everyday efforts before sleeping. You have to be first honest for yourself.
- To complete and submit a task timely, use of modern gadgets such as alarm clock, digital dairy, digital assistant etc. are advisable. For the purpose we have to develop robotic assistant, cook, maid, barbers, plumbers etc.
- Engage yourself always towards getting visible output to get rid most of cause of dissatisfaction in this era of COVID-19 (Do not sit empty any time)
- Work on development of Robotics, AI, Remote sensing, sensor technology, IoT, high energy/nutrient low volume foods etc. needs to be accelerated to cope up with challenges posed in New Normal. If you follow and relish the following mantra, out put will be doubled on daily basis. .
Work is Worship, Time is Money ! Discipline is great, Study is Honey !!
Resource Managements
In general we have three kinds of resources (i) Natural (Land, water and air), (ii) Manufactured (computer, software, raw materials, instruments, equipment, machinery etc.), and (iii) Knowledge/wisdom. All these need efficient management to get maximum from them. To do so following five tips may be tried:
- Understand which resources are in scarce and focus on them. Even an atom of any resources should not be misutilized.
- Agree on a common approach to prioritizing work across shared resources
- Embrace different ways of working even across the organization/groups and resources
- Plan work and assign/do arrangements for the same in advance
- Keep your most valuable assets and resources (including human and animal resources) productive and happy
There is an age old Sanskrit Sholka
क्षणशः कणशश्चैव विद्यामर्थं च चिन्तयेत् |
क्षणत्यागे कुतो विद्या कणत्यागे कुतो धनम् ||!
Meaning: One should be concerned for each moment to earn knowledge and wisdom. similarly one should be concerned for each smallest particle to acquire wealth. One who does not care for time and even for smallest portion of his/her earning, he/she cannot earn knowledge/wisdom and wealth, respectively.
Self Management
Self-management is about finding the self-control and mastery needed to take control of one’s own work (e.g., to manage one’s own time, workflow, and communication, temptation). For the purpose following fifteen tips are suggested.
i) Live by your values, whatever you are. You confuse people when you don’t, because they can’t predict how you’ll behave.
ii) Speak up! No one can “hear” what you’re thinking without you be willing to stand up for it. Mind-reading is something most people can’t do. You are giving big loss to the country by not speaking your mind in meetings, discussions and any other efforts for benefit of masses.
iii) Honour your own good word, and keep the promises you make. If not, people eventually stop believing most of what you say, and your words will no longer work for you.
iv) When you ask for more responsibility, expect to be held fully accountable. This is what seizing ownership of something is all about; it’s usually an all or nothing kind of thing, and so you’ve got to treat it that way.
v) Don’t expect people to trust you if you aren’t willing to be trustworthy for them first and foremost. Trust is an outcome of fulfilled expectations.
vi) Be more productive by creating good habitsand rejecting bad ones. Good habits corral your energies into a momentum-building rhythm for you; bad habits sap your energies and drain you.
vii) Have a good work ethic; it seems to be getting rare today. Curious, for those “old-fashioned” values like dependability, timeliness, professionalism and diligence are prized more than ever before. Be action-oriented. Seek to make things work. Be willing to do what it takes.
viii) Be interesting. Read voraciously, and listen to learn, then teach and share everything you know. No one owes you their attention; you have to earn it and keep attracting it. Be nice. Be courteous, polite and respectful. Be considerate. Manners still count for an awful lot in life, and thank goodness they do.
Be self-disciplined and motivated/self cranked. That’s what adults are supposed to “grow up” to be. Many moments/persons action can demotivate you for a purpose. If you are demotivated, the demotivator has succeeded. You should not allow happening that.
xi) Don’t be a victim or a martyr. You always have a choice, so don’t shy from it: Choose and choose without regret. Look forward and be enthusiastic
xii) Keep healthy and take care of yourself. Exercise your mind, body and spirit so you can be someone people count on, and so you can live expansively and with abundance.
xxiii) Self Control from lot of forced inputs you are getting through TV, internet, emails, mobiles, colleague etc. – Learn to select only those which are useful for you. Majorities of them are not useful for productive work.
xiv) Balance in Emotional and actual/ideal. Take decision based on set rules/guidelines. It can’t be based on emotion, ideal or practical/ideal perception. Neutrality is important.
xv) Control of temptation, desire is the golden mantra for attaining self-controlled. In Sanskrit we say santosham parmum sukham. If you see any your personal benefit even remotely in your official/business decision, you are hampering the system/organization. Desist yourself from doing so. It will come by trying and following this shloka:
षड्दोषा पुरुषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता ।
निद्रा तन्द्रा भयं क्रोधं आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता ॥
Meaning: One happens to have 6 vices – (excessive) sleep, fatigue (neither sleeping nor awakened), fear, anger, laziness and procrastination. To have happiness, prosperity and safety, they have to leave all these 6 vices.
Friends! All mantras and tips are time tested. Try to practice with as 5Ds (Determination, Direction, Discipline, Devotion and Dedication), you will be above all and will earn Satisfaction (highest level of achievements) and safety from all evils.
It is a part of lecture delivered In: National Webinar on Setting a New Normal in Food Processing Sector in Post COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges on 10th June 2020 conducted by MPUAT, Udaipur