The last year was particularly challenging for everyone. According to your experience, what were the key OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS for organizations?

A Rollercoaster Â… would be the best synonym to identify 2020 as a year full of surprises, gloom, and anxiety.

This year tickled that subconscious and uncharted territory of self-realization and introspection. A year that pushed the limits of survival, fear, and anxiety. IÂ’d say the following adjectives or life lessons would be the key elements or lessons one would have invoked or would need going further. They shall be - Self Confidence, Optimism /Resilience and Change orientation.

Self Confidence - IÂ’d say is the key trait that would enable your survival and endurance as there are multiple advisory, orientations and confusing information all around and when there is a cohort of information which all seems reliable, what would be the anchor for you to move ahead or act and in these situations, your confidence in aspects related to your health, aspects of information and ability to act is determined and enables one to act as to what extent a certain aspect would be the right option. There have been many instances wherein a leader or country have reacted differently and uniquely to an aberration and it has been accepted well, and which also based on how much confidence the influencer has exerted on his / her actions. So, the moral of the story is there is no ideal way or right way and how one reacts is based on his/her confidence.

Optimism - The aspect of hope and positivity is one trait which was tested to the core in these testing time. The orientation helped many at large, to overcome the negativity and gloom which is ever-growing and has been across the world and wherein people are struggling to overcome the same. The genesis is that, until one is not positive, it would impede the way forward and an aspect of going concerned for an individual. As crucial a trait it could be, optimism acts as a self-motivation and resistance to negative energy.

Change orientation / Flexibility: Unforeseen circumstances need unforeseen reactions and, in this context, oneÂ’s ability to change and navigate turbulent times has served as a catalyst to manoeuvre turbulent times. The protocols and practices in every aspect of our lives have been disrupted and new ways have been discovered to overcome the disruption. Hence in these testing times, oneÂ’s ability to be a recipient and that of acknowledging a change and eventually display flexibility is what enables a success factor.

I would prioritize the below three:

1. Wellness and safety of loved ones is the priority and most important lesson.
2. High EQ and psychological safety are pivotal for building strong foundations.
3. High Risk-taking abilities to ensure that BCP is much stronger and effective.

Change is inevitable - Cliched and holds true every single time. When an unexpected Pandemic hit us, something that the world had never witnessed before, it pushed every single firm to the edges of transformation. We welcomed "Work from home", which was earlier an introduction through the "flexibility initiatives" of the organizations. Something that they took pride in (even if one could avail one day of work from home in 1-2 months). This became the need of the hour and changed the way we functioned. Another quick example is the upcoming shift in work-related travel. The necessity of physical presence at a client location/ the workplace has been reduced considerably. The organizations have also come to realize the amount of investment that was earlier made on work-related travels; a lot of which will now become inessential travel. We shall be witnessing all of this and a lot more as the world moves towards restoring and adapting to the new normal, while continuously changing and evolving.

There is always a new possibility of doing things differently - On multiple occasions, we feel that there is no other way of doing something or following a process that we have been following for years. Yet, when we were faced with this unprecedented situation, it made us rewire our thinking, processes, and way of doing things. Let us take engagement as an example. We strive to keep our employees engaged by holding real-time discussions with them, aligning their personal aspirations with the organization's goals, helping with providing an environment that fosters personal as well as professional development. A lot of it had to be done in the physical world, but we managed to find their alternatives in the virtual world. Though there's still time to measure its success, we did manage to re-think and adapt to the new world and its new ways of functioning; making us realize that there is always a possibility of doing things differently.

Cherish your present - This pandemic made us sit alone, or with family. It made us think again, and think harder - are we missing out on taking a pause, cherishing what we have, and being grateful for it? It is so important to just hold on for a while, appreciate your achievements (and not wait for others to come and do it), and be grateful for the people we have in our lives. This year has been exceedingly difficult for each one of us, and while we struggled with a lot of unknown challenges professionally as well as personally, we did manage to survive! And that is what matters.

We Are Stronger Than We Know- Self-Empowered

The first week of the lockdown brought many of us to the edge of panic and despair.

• Not leaving our homes unless it is absolutely essential.
• Work from home for the foreseeable future.
• Are kids home from school without playdates, indoor attractions, or playgrounds?

It all seemed so impossible, and many of us wondered if we would make it past that first interminable day.

And then one day passed, and we realized we had not lost it - well, not completely anyway. Another day went by, and then a week, and somehow, we were doing it. We were rolling with these strange new circumstances, adapting to a new routine, a new way of life, without falling apart. And many of us were even thriving under the newer, relaxed routine. We were riding out the lockdown like champions! Of course, there are those with especially trying circumstances and some who have suffered mightily. Be mindful of this and empathetic as we encounter and interact with others.

Let us not forget what the lockdown taught us about our own resilience, strength, and courage. When pushed into a challenging situation, our true colours shine. Let us never underestimate ourselves ever again. 2020 has been a year unlike any we have ever seen. Let us use these unique circumstances to grow in ways we never have before.

This year has certainly been one of revelations and reflections in equal parts. As much as 2020 has been full of surprises, it has given an opportunity and the push sometimes for us to think about life a lot more.

My THREE big learningÂ’s relevant for both professional and personal space would be:

Let the small stuff go- We may never have an ideal solution but how we handle paradoxical situations can define how those solutions are internalized.

Take the time to recognize- While we want to have the big dents in the universe, we should equally take time to reflect and celebrate the small wins.

Honor Yourself- While working from home took center stage this year, that created a situation of not just working from home but rather living at work. The learning was that no matter the physical location of where we work, we must take time to replenish and honor ourselves.

Collaboration- If 2020 was anything, it was more about collaboration. It was encouraging to see people collaborating successfully beyond their own teams and functional areas / cross functional teams virtually. Collaboration not just professionally but in our personal lives and classical examples include men working together with their spouses/families in doing/assisting in household chores breaking the shackles of gender stereotyping.

Flexibility & Adaptability- We all became extremely flexible in 2020 and it may be our most essential skill that we mastered in the 2020/COVID period. Across globe we are living in a period of massive change, closure of business, job losses, virtual schools/colleges/learnings we have seen it all and have become flexible/adaptable and I doubt this level of flexibility could ever come if we were not thrown in such a situation.

Our adaptability to be more creative and flexible in the face of new situations across corporates / industries geographies is noteworthy.

Respect- If pandemic taught all of us something where we were not or partially competent then it must be Respect. Respect for one's time, respect for our colleagues, families, support, and inputs. We became more sensitive and showcased our least known/exhibited human trait (off late in last few years)

As humans and as professionals let us pat our backs as we stand in awe of our glorious achievements on this behavioral side.

Hoping 2021 to be bright and prosperous.