#FightBackCorona: Patience is the key to winning this situation - Prasad Shejale

These are extraordinary times and we all are in uncharted territory. There is a lot of fear and negativity in all spheres due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. While the Corona Warriors are doing a tremendous job fighting from the frontlines, we at Adgully are embarking on an endeavour to highlight the positive developments during these challenging times. 

Over the next few weeks, Adgully will be featuring a series of brief interactions with industry leaders in India and find out how they are keeping their spirits up as well as keeping their employees motivated, also how they are joining in the fight against the adverse impact of the global pandemic. 

Prasad Shejale, Founder & CEO, Logicserve Digital, shares how his organisation is setting training goals, keeping everyone engaged and motivated with apt training to prepare them for the post-COVID-19, new normal world. 

What steps are you and your organisation taking to help out the society at large or those engaged in the war against COVID-19?
We have ensured to take care of this situation in the best possible way we could think of. We quickly devised a team of health marshals. To avoid chaos and make sure each employee gets equal attention, we decided to have one marshal per 25 employees. They are in regular contact with the Logimates to keep a tab on their health status and further share the information with the management. This has greatly helped us during the management of the COVID-19 crisis. We were able to identify any vulnerable employees much earlier and implemented work from home as early as 16th March. The early implementation helped us understand the possible issues for a full lockdown, and with the systems in place to tackle any issues, almost 99 per cent of our 350+ strong workforce went into the work from home phase by March 17-18. I am positive that the support for early social distancing was needed to reduce the chances of spread of this deadly virus. 

With regards to doing our bit to help the society at large, we have used our CSR funds to contribute towards the PM-CARES fund as well as some other NGOs who are working for this cause. We are also working on delivering digital campaigns (with a partner) free of cost that are centred around COVID-19 awareness with the support from some publishers. 

How are you keeping your employees motivated and are encouraging them to give their best, even as they are working from home?
Well, this is definitely not as simple as it feels, but I strongly believe keeping the employees motivated is of utmost importance always, and even more during such challenging times. For me, the key to having coordinated efforts and making things happen is – Communication, Clarity, Collaboration. 

While our employees are serving our clients and taking care of their digital marketing needs, they are fighting the fears and uncertainties of life too. I make sure to communicate regularly with them, and it is essential. I go live every morning for some time where all the employees join in the session while I share my day-to-day thoughts, views, etc. Many Logimates take it as a morning motivation session, and most of them find it as a strong gesture to feel the togetherness amongst us. This is crucial in these times since the human in us is suddenly deprived of the regular in-person interactions that we are so used to. The smallest of wins or good news also get mentioned in the morning and celebrated on our internal communication tool. The overall session is always very casual, light and I try my best to share a lot of my learnings with everyone that, I feel, will boost their confidence and push them towards positive thoughts. Once the session ends, I share a feedback/ suggestion form asking all my employees to share across their personal thoughts anonymously, which helps me gain more clarity allowing me to personalise the communication. 

Apart from this, well-structured teams, strong internal communication, governance tools and daily virtual team meets are some of the ways that are helping us stay connected as well as motivated and resolve any key issues quickly. 

We are initiating various cross-team special projects to promote further collaboration. We are also setting training goals, keeping everyone engaged and motivated with apt training to prepare them for the post-COVID-19, new normal world. 

And, as I say every day in my morning session, #OneDayAtATime. That’s the hashtag we follow, and it helps people to focus on making the present day great instead of worrying about the number of days left, what will happen, and all such thoughts. 

What is most needed in challenging times such as these:
(a) From the general public

I believe the general public has an equal responsibility during such challenging times to put in efforts to tackle the situation. First and foremost, people must avoid panic and cooperate with government authorities/ guidelines. This should not be done as a burden or a task but as a greater responsibility as a citizen. While we are focusing on physical well-being, people also need to look after their mental health which can be significantly affected if ignored. Amongst all the chaos that is happening during these times, the general public should refrain from believing in every news or message they get from others unless it is from a genuine source. People should also help the needy in some way possible, at least on a local level. Provide them the support they need. Another essential thing to take care of is that, accept the situation and do not stigmatise the COVID-19 patients. And lastly, I would say be positive and #KeepPositivityModeOn. 

(b) From the authorities
I feel they are doing good and should continue putting in their best efforts to tackle this situation. In my view, some of the things that can be focused on are:

- Enabling the primary and secondary healthcare centres too and not just working on strengthening tertiary healthcare centres

- Rigorous testing

- While they try to maintain law and order, they should stop sensationalisation of any confirmed cases

- Educating people with the right information

(c) From business leaders
Business leaders definitely have a key role to play. Patience is the key to winning this situation. While they are pulling themselves up, they should make it a point to communicate with their employees too and be the source of strength for them. Be humane in your approach, interactions, etc., and strive to create and spread positivity. These are tough times for everyone, and hence, you should clear any pending invoices without being too optimistic or pessimistic. And lastly, extend a helping hand and support the industry, your fraternity.