WORK FROM HOME
IT’S ALL ABOUT FINDING THE CALM IN THE CHAOS
While the outbreak has already created inconveniences for millions of people in the form of travel restrictions, health scares and stock market turmoil, it has been a rather unexciting time for most employees working in the private sector. Ar. Manish Dikshit, Founding principle of Aum Architects states that- “As responsible citizens of the country we should support all the efforts and initiatives by the Central and State governments to fight Coronavirus”. For the first time in history the business hub of the country, Mumbai is in a state of complete lockdown. Aum Architects had been contemplating this situation and had planned as to how they would carry out this exercise. The challenge was in terms of how the core design team would interact with each other and amicably communicate the designs. For that, their company has been using a lot of software to help with cloud-based storage which aided work from home. There are ways to deliver results and avoid going stir-crazy, from setting up a good workspace to the way one talks to their team.
Manish Dikshit highly recommends the use of technology as much as possible. Also, looking at the bright side, a positive thing that one can learn from WFH is that offices can be decongested and work can be accomplished with essential and limited resources available. Mental health is an important aspect that needs full attention. To have a healthy state of mind while engaging in work from home should be of utmost priority. “We are in physical isolation from the world but we can use technology to connect with our loved ones. Make sure you use this time to get back to long lost hobbies or learn new things”, he says. This time of isolation can be used in a variety of ways to accomplish long-forgotten goals for oneself.
Apart from the usual office work, Manish Dikshit is making sure his team attends the maximum number of webinars on various digital platforms. By connecting with other architects and members of the design fraternity, it aids them in having a broader perspective on how to cope up with the current scenario. In an attempt to keep his team abreast with the latest software being used in architecture, Ar. Manish makes sure everyone takes online courses in different departments. Getting trained in terms of managing projects and participating in as many design competitions as possible is what keeps Team Aum busy during the lockdown. Dividing his time equally, Manish spends half the time with his family and the other half is reserved for work. It is the collective responsibility as a team, to lift each other in times of need and guide each other through the process. The lockdown period can leave the employees feeling underwhelmed but everyone needs to remember this is for the greater good.
