Lockdown in our country can lead to diverse consequences from different perspectives. Concerning the present scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic that had its roots in Wuhan spreading over 200 countries, the lockdown has seemed to be the only viable solution. In simple language, the term means restricted movements, functioning, and activities of people. Various countries have implemented lockdown in different manners according to their own interpretation.
The scene in the country
Coming to our country, reaping benefits from the demographic dividends is what the Indian economy stands on. Back in 2016, the government had formed a dedicated committee for rationalizing the skill councils in different sectors. The primary objective of the skilling movement was twofold. First, it was set up to meet the employers’ requirements in terms of skills and second, preparing today’s youth for improving their skills and earning their living. It was not meant for the backward classes; it was for all who need it.
Immediate actions to be taken
With the lockdown proceeding further, workers from almost all sectors are feeling disconnected and out of place. It is not just blunting the professional edge of the employees but also making them less employable. Therefore, the most important thing to be addressed now is to remain busy, productive, and connected to work. There should be a proper team and its management must be done proactively. Time management, prompt action, and diligent working are some of the most crucial attributes now. Workers and employees can be given online training if needed and it is to be ensured that they take part in it actively. These training go a long way in teaching new stuff and also improve employee credibility. It will keep the mind and body sharp and also keep people connected to their work. It is important for the management to formulate as well as lead these training sessions on various skills particularly, for the novice employees. The team manager must see to it of any additional tasks are needed to be volunteered.
Lockdown and its long term impacts
What if the lockdown gets extended further? Or if it is re-implemented again in the next few months? It is important to have solid plans for the next year. The first step is to create a viable business scenario for the post-lockdown period and how it will affect the work culture at large. This scenario must contain specific areas like the impact of lockdown on the vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. Know and understand whether they will be interested in taking your service or offering their service to you. You must also have a plan of how you will deal with the situation if the impact of the pandemic is more severe or less severe than what you thought. So it is a must to involve all the team members to create a plan for different scenarios. The lockdown time is the best ‘leisure’ to map one’s industry: it is the time which gives you a clear vision on your business rivals, level of competition, consumers, suppliers, and such others. It would also pay to read the press releases and journals of other businesses so that you can get a hang on what’s going around your business.
The best thing a business can do is to know it’s behavior entirely. During the lockdown, the workers have been in a completely different set up with long-distance collaboration, online meetings, a lot of planning with little execution. The work habits of employees have changed and the same goes for the work managers as well. Lockdown is frustrating and it is also allowing you to think that you are perhaps not working just for earning money. One’s career choices are also a part of your identity and it offers you the opportunity to step out of the home. It makes a lot of difference in your life and therefore, it is of absolute importance that you give your career all that it needs to prosper. While the workers are all staying home, it is a great time to improve certain complementary life skills. For instance, rebuilding communication with the family goes a long way to improve your communication skills. Interactions help in improving emotional anchors while staying grounded. Skill development is not an exclusive area of a person’s life, it is all connected to our being and therefore, should be invested in wisely.
