What these HR Professionals said - After Recovering from an attack of Covid 19

NHRD, under their mind matters initiative organized a webinar in which HR professionals who were inflicted by  the Corona virus and recovered from it, shared their experiences and insights. The participants of the conversation were Ms Shraddanjali Rao, VP and Head (HR) SAP India, Ms Rashmi Nagori, CHRO Edelweiss Wealth Management and Mr Darpan Singh,HR Evangelist,NHRD. It was moderated by Dr Geeta Kumar, OD consultant. Of the three, it was Rashmi who faced the biggest challenge being hospitalized for many days, followed by Darpan and Shraddanjali whose experience was largely asymptomatic. 

I am giving below some of the insights gained from the experience and methods adopted to come out of a difficult situation.  

• It was quite a realization that this pandemic was a leveler- It could strike anyone, anytime irrespective of their age, economic or social backgrounds
•  Rashmi said that during the hospitalization, trusting and fully cooperating with the medical team helped (Helping them to help you instead of adding to their woes by becoming a difficult/demanding patient . As it is, the team is over stressed and overworked).  
• Frequent Zoom calls from family helped to be cheerful and motivated to overcome the illness 
• Not knowing 'How bad the situation was'  in a way a blessing in disguise as it kept at bay worrying too much and dipping of the spirits .
• For Darpan it was spirituality and 'positive mental engineering' that helped to overcome fear and maintain equilibrium. 
• Shraddanjali felt that HR people tend to feel guilty about taking care of themselves, particularly when their role is crucial in a pandemic situation. However, consciously you have to give due attention to your needs also as advised in case of emergency in a flight- First wear the oxygen mask yourself before attempting to help others. 
• When confronted by a deadly pandemic like Covid 19, one tends to over imagine things and react to situations rather than respond.
• For not going overboard or being overwhelmed, it helps to appreciate the small things and being grateful for the many things God has already given us thus far.   
• Good Samaritans from unexpected places tend to turn up to help in crisis situations. It is okay to reach out for help to neighbours  for support in terms of meals etc, when you are physically helpless and completely drained. 
• On the path of recovery, it helps to have a structured routine for getting back to regular activities.
• It is important to keep in mind that Post Covid, your body is not the same. Your energy levels are still low to the extent that it takes effort to even answer a question.
• It is a challenge to get body back to what it was prior to the attack . Here, one has to conserve energy, use it sparingly to limp back to normalcy.
• Although recovery is faster in teenagers, don't be in a hurry to get back to your old exercise routine. Do not stress yourself as different people are affected differently. 
• Do lot of breathing exercises- Lie flat on your stomach for a couple of hours.
• when coming back to work, take breaks when you feel the need.
• Practice flexibility based on whether you are a "Morning", "Afternoon"  or "Evening" person.  
• Avoid news feeds that can get your spirits down.
• As a parting shot the advice given by participants in the conversation were " Focus on what you can fix, instead of trying to do too much", "Have faith in yourself and those around" and "keep the smile going!" 

I am very happy to share the insights gained in this webinar from those who have been there, faced things and are working in a responsible role of HR. My purpose would be served even if a few readers are able to face in an effective manner, the tough situations thrown by the pandemic without panicking or being overwhelmed.  

Follow up : The Why, When and How much of it

In this blog I would like to share the gist of an interesting webinar on "Follow up" organized by  Bija Training under their Mask Leadership series. The speaker was Mr Sahil Nayar Sr Associate Director (HR), KPMG, India. There is a feeling in the corporate scenario, that nothing will get done in the absence of follow up. On the one hand, we give speeches from public platforms that we trust our employees completely and are confident that they will do their best each time. Yet, ironically we also have this thought about follow up being  inevitable for success. Therefore, it was with a lot of interest that I looked forward to this webinar held on 3rd May 2021. I was  curious to know what the speaker who is heading HR in a consultancy company had to say on the subject.   

At the outset, the speaker pointed out that although the words 'Follow up' was initially associated with sales, today it is integral to all disciplines. However, it is not as if follow up has to be done all the time. Sometimes, it can irritate and upset an employee. Just imagine your spouse asking you every other day "Do you love me ?". This kind of a validation is not necessary when the couple is in sync, in harmony. Similarly, follow up is necessary in the work place when a validation has become necessary or when you feel the person is exhibiting bad vibes in respect of his/her job.  

It is all about understanding 'How much', 'With whom' and 'When' follow up is necessary. In a restaurant, towards the end of the meal if the waiter or manager comes up and asks "How was the food sir ? or Did you like the food?", it would be fine. But what if he asked you a number of times even as you are engaged in a private or intimate conversation?  While 'No follow up' can be equated to food without salt, too much of it as we discussed earlier, can be a cause for heart burns. If your team knows clearly the good intention behind your action they would respond positively.  

Follow up serves the  role and purpose of chasing which is necessary and good if properly done. The sincerity of your intention as a leader would be reflected in the manner of follow up- whether done to help the person achieve targets or show him/her in poor light (humiliate before others). It is all about character!  It is advisable for the leader to fine tune the process of follow up depending on the nature of his junior and what works best with that person- Whether a one to one follow up will work better or an Email with copies marked to 15 other people. Appropriate method of follow up  can be planned such as choosing between a telephone call, what's app message, Email or one to one personal meeting. 

Follow up happens not only with subordinates but with your colleagues in other departments or functions. Here, good interpersonal skills would stand you in good stead. The job you want done could be number 1 on your list but number 15 in his list. By effective communication and interaction, you may be able to achieve a shifting of priorities from 15 in his list to number 5 in the list. 

Follow up and its importance in an organization would also depend on the organizational culture. While in one organization, follow up may be  the driving force, in another organization, the very first Email may be  sufficient to get action from people. When you assign work the aim should be to get it done effectively and not just dump the work on someone. Therefore, it is necessary to empathize and find out if there are problems if any that they face and give support. Is there a lack of resources or a skill issue that needs attention? Sometimes people do not attend to a work because they want guidance from the boss. By the time the busy boss is able to find the time, he would have received the second reminder. 

Often times, there is no need to send number of Emails . A call over telephone could solve an issue. Documentation is required only on the rare occasion when the person on the other side is tricky and capable of denying an interaction ever happened. Ultimately it boils down to trust when it comes to interpersonal  communication. Beyond a point, follow up can hurt emotions and people may get into the 'Justification mode' defeating the very basic purpose of getting things done. Leaders  would do well to practice 'Servant leadership' while organizing and monitoring work. It will help if you are able separate the individual from a problem or shortfall when monitoring the work of  your team members.

Following up with people who are senior in rank in the organization is an art. The higher a person goes, higher his /her ego tends to be. Therefore, it is important to do the follow up without ruffling feathers; it helps to find out when they are in a good mood or in a receptive mode.  Understanding biological clocks of people like whether they are "a morning or evening' person could be useful to push your proposals. If you attempt finding fault with the boss for the things not happening, the conversation could go somewhat like this:  

"Sir, I have sent four Emails to which you have not responded" 

" You mean to say you are the only one I have to attend to? I get 100 Emails everyday. If it was so urgent, you should have come down personally or taken a decision yourself." 

Here, ownership and sense of responsibility of the junior colleague is very important. He could take the initiative and say " Please let me know if this is not a priority as of today." The answer would enable him  to come to a common ground as to the level of priority. Consequently, he is  able to stop focusing on something that he thought was very urgent as he now knows that it is sufficient to attend to it in a week's time. If you are liaisoning with Government officials, it is important to give frequent status updates to the boss and close the communication loop. Proactive behaviour in this regard is most essential to ensure that "there are no surprises." and the boss is not put in an embarrassing position. 

My own understanding and the big take away for me from this webinar was " keep empowering your people to the extent that they work happily and responsibly on their own without the need for follow up. However, when follow up is necessary, do it with a positive intention as unobtrusively as possible. If you have to err, err on the side of not following up." 

In the words of the speaker " Every human being has a need to be understood; make your person feel special and let them be ( Don't make them be who you want them to be)". To a question from the audience as to what distinguishes a leader from a manager with reference to this topic he said, a leader will prefer to nudge rather than follow up, the tool utilized by a manager. Follow up makes a person feel "I am not good enough". 

Self Sustaining Strategies for Personal Well Being

In this blog I would like to share the gist of the conversation between Ms Rupande Padaki, Trustee India Cares Foundation & Director P&P Group and Ms Pratima Murthy, Professor of Psychiatry & HOD NIMHANS on 27th May 2021. The online session was organized by NHRD Bangalore under its thought Leadership Meet.  

• Well being includes physical, psychological, social, spiritual and societal aspects of the individual. It can also be seen as  a state when you have the ability to adapt to whatever situation life throws up. The ability to have a balance is the key. 
• Money is an  important  aspect of well being but this is only up to a point till you are able to access minimum comforts in life. Beyond that , money alone will not provide well being.
•  "It affects me if people around me are not feeling well."- We are all connected. 
• Wellness or otherwise is contagious. What happens around us affects us and gets spread to others as well.
• Pace of life has increased tremendously but our  ability and self control has not been good enough to keep up with that pace. 
• Many challenges such as adapting to adaptive technology are required to be met these days. 
• When changes occur, it affects life of people. What may appear as 'minor' to some may affect others in a big way. We are all set to a 'personalized thermostat' beyond which we find difficult it to cope. It takes time to readjust to the external challenges. 
• 7-8 years ago a 'well being' study was conducted in Bangalore. It was noticed that there was reasonable wellness among the respondents. It appeared to increase with age meaning older people scored higher in happiness and well being. A certain amount of acceptance of situations happen as one grows older. 
• It was found from the study that minority communities encounter a lot more stress in day to day life. 
• The temperament of the person also impacted well being. Those who were less hedonistic (pursuing pleasure and self gratification) had a higher level of well being. 
• Ability to cope with stress and difficult situations is a part of well being.    

Strategies used by People   

• Sleep out a problem and then look at it afresh.
• Paying adequate attention to sleep and physical health in adverse times.
• Some of the ways of relieving tension are ventilating (expressing one's opinion/emotion), talking to people. 
• Just as catharsis is important, humour is another way to cope with stress. Being able to laugh at ourselves/situation is a big relief. spirituality is another way.
•  Then they are the cognitive strategies - Learn to identify the problems before you, prioritize and put aside those which you cannot deal with immediately. Example: You have identified the problems as worried about retaining job, whether my son's college education will be adversely affected and the need for bringing home required provisions during the pandemic. Achieving  this clarity, will help you decide on which to be attended to first.
• It is most essential to put off important decisions such as quitting a job when you are psychologically and emotionally under pressure.  
• when you think with a calm mind you will realize that not all windows and doors are closed. Step outside of the problem and see what can be done. Chunking the problem into manageable portions helps. This is the principle followed by the Alcoholic Anonymous group. 
• A sense of helplessness can be very distressing. Do not get in to that mindset- Pessimism stretched to a point of feeling that "there are no answers to my problem" can be catastrophic. 
• When people are not able to verbalize their emotional state, the problem gets converted to physical symptoms. Therefore, look at and listen to your body for signs. 
• If anxiety persists over a period of time it needs to be addressed. 

Problems of mental health associated with Covid situation     

• You can see a similarity in the situation faced by both a doctor and a HR person in that they have to meet the expectation and ensure well being of their patients/ employees on the one hand while on the other hand, they have to take care of their own health as well. They also have to handle the associated stress.  
•  The honey moon period of working from home is over, not many are enjoying it anymore. The office working atmosphere of interaction and communication is being missed. Further, with the lines having blurred, work-life balance has gone for a toss.
• The amount of anxiety and fear faced on a day to day basis has gone up considerably, particularly during the second wave. Covid is no longer something happening somewhere far away to someone. It has come too close for comfort.
• As most families are affected in one way or the other, lot of grief and bereavement has to be encountered as also financial burden for treatment.
• Nurses working in hospitals worry about their young children left alone at home to fend for themselves. They are also concerned about passing on the virus as and when they visit home. Similar is the situation of other professionals working in the medical and  health domain.
•  In an activity organized for children, they were asked to do painting of what they thought about the Covid 19 situation. It was interesting to find that younger children painted positive pictures as well. 
• Children miss the opportunity to play outdoor with their friends and the class room atmosphere at school. 
• There is a need for a lot more supervision by adults when it comes to the online classes.
• Verbalizing one's emotions is even more difficult for children. They need to be reassured and their anxieties/fears allayed.
• More programs need to be developed to support children to navigate through the pandemic period. 
• There is additional pressures on families who have senior citizens at home. Senior citizens experience a lot more loneliness as they are not able to meet their friends for a chat at the park. Further, losing some of their friends to Covid is adding to the tension, worry and depression. 
• This is a time when a lot of priority is to be given to self care. Effective coping and having a set routine for each day is very important. One should also not listen to or watch too much of fake or depressing news. 
• One should be prepared in advance as to what needs to be done in case a hospital visit becomes necessary to avert a panic response.
• Shower a lot of kindness on yourself and recognize when you need to seek help.
• At the work place, reach out to whatever services are made available by the employer such as counselling services to keep yourself strong. 
• Just as you take help for physical requirements, make it a point to seek help for mental health issues. We have to remove the stigma so that people come out and speak about their mental health problems.
• While too much stress is detrimental, some amount of stress (Eustress) is good  to ensure that you take the pandemic seriously and observe protocol to beat it. You will then have control over what you are doing and manage the pace of response effectively.
• There are apps available to monitor your sleep, stress levels/depression etc which can be used if you feel it helps you. 
• In the realm of spirituality, reading  the Bhagavat Gita and other such books can be of great help. Buddhist meditation and practices also can be beneficial. 
• Employers while drafting wellness policies should keep in mind the fact that it is the fear of their confidentiality being compromised and fear of the consequences of admitting you have a mental issue, that prevents many employees  to come forward to seek help. The reassurance factor should be built in to the company policies.
• In the  risk assessment of mental health  (where a traffic light colour system has been  introduced) the focus and priority  should be to ensure that  those in the green zones continue to remain green, provide help to those in amber zone ( midway between yellow and orange) to enable them to  recognize their problem and  address the problems aggressively in respect of of those in the red zone. 

To my mind this conversation between two experts in the field was a very rewarding and enlightening exercise. There is a lot we can take and implement from the discussion to enhance our self sustaining and coping strategies for ensuring personal well being.