Lockdown Lessons: A big lesson on differentiating between ‘Need’ and ‘Want’

India is emerging out of an over two-month long lockdown – a period that has changed our lives, behaviours and the way we conduct business forever. The lessons that we have learnt during the lockdown period and our experiences during the year so far, will help us navigate a world that we had never imagined. It has been a trying time for many of us, with everyone working from home and having to adapt to a new way of working and living. Adgully’s latest endeavour – Lockdown Lessons – is an attempt to present the key learnings that India’s business honchos have learnt and imbibed, and which can help the industry navigate the new normal better.

In conversation with Adgully, Sandeep Sreekumar, Managing Director, Media Moments, shares the many lessons of the lockdown – both professionally and personally – as well as running a digital agency in these challenging times.

Also read: Lockdown Lessons: Stay Connected, Stay Organised, Stay Focused: Khyati Shah

What are the key lockdown lessons as a professional during the lockdown period?

This lockdown has taught us many things, both professionally and personally. On the professional front, this phase has introduced a shift from long-term to short-term goals. While long-term goals are always beneficial, we should not ignore short- and medium-term plans that are extremely important in uncertain times like these. A long-term game plan is essential, but we need to be flexible enough to change it as per the situation.

Therefore, the lesson from lockdown is to take each day as it comes. We need to have two heads at once. A long-term plan for focus and strength, but at the same time it should be a plan that we can unfold day by day.

Please tell us some of the key takeaways in terms of life lessons from the lockdown period?

This lockdown has really underlined how greatly we are dependent on others to fulfil even the most basic everyday needs. Therefore, the biggest thing that this phase has taught me is to be self-reliant in life, even if that includes cooking your own meal or cleaning the house.

Apart from this, lockdown has also given me the opportunity to invest time on myself, to focus on all aspects of wellness – physical, mental and emotional, which we often neglect owing to our busy lives.

How did you manage and achieve work-life balance while working from home?

Working from home was a bit of a challenge in the initial days. But like it is said, ‘If it can be thought, it can be done’; so with time, the situation gracefully sank in.

Gradually, I made myself understand that if you are focused towards your work, the surroundings do not really matter. Setting up a schedule and diligently following it without any distractions has been my focus throughout.

Also, knowing the fact that while working from home, you have more time at hand to spend with your family is another encouraging factor.I feel spending time with the family helps you gain perspective. Amidst all the responsibilities that you have to fulfill as an entrepreneur, a little family time definitely acts as a fresh air and helps you achieve the required balance.

It has been more than two months since the lockdown was enforced. How are you gearing up for back to office mode?

We certainly love our office and we’re all missing working together. But at present, our only focus is to ensure safety of our employees and to support them both emotionally and financially. Hence, we are actively observing the situation outside before starting operations in full bloom.

Moreover, we are living in a digital world and we are a digital agency, hence communication with our stakeholders has never been obstructed by location. We have a great team, which is relentlessly working and efficiently managing the work from home situation. We are well connected both internally as well as with the brands, making the situation acceptable and more comfortable for us.

However, for the part of our office which is operational, we are sparing no efforts to ensure the safety of all and are, therefore, strictly abiding by the guidelines laid by the Government.

Any lessons that you picked up in financial management from the lockdown period?

A big lesson on differentiating between “Need” and “Want”. It was humbling to see the things that we all thought we needed in our lives, however, in reality could do without. The second lesson was on prioritising expenditure, an off-shoot from the point above.