"Navigating through the Lockdown..."

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have impacted many human lives across the Globe including almost every Business too. With the lockdowns getting extended or being eased at a slower pace world over, the impact on Global Economy can't be accessed in entirety yet and it would require lot of resilience & grit for organizations to bounce back once the situation eases. The brunt of lockdown will still be felt on balance sheets in the quarters ahead and the money markets will continue to be unpredictable albeit providing opportunities to many investors with stocks at their all-time lows. A bellwether of Banking Industry,HDFC Bank, which almost a month back on 9th March’2020 was trading @ INR 1107/-, made a low of INR 767/- on 24th March and as on date trading at INR 897/- again. On one end, investors lost wealth and on the other, imagine, how much money someone (with a bit of risk taking appetite, long term horizon on wealth creation and with an optimistic view of life in general) would have made even in this downtime; had he or she timed the investment a bit. From 24th March to 8th April, in almost 2 weeks, its ~17% gain for HDFC scrip....

Nevertheless, this world has seen even bigger crisis in the past like two World-Wars recessions/slowdowns; this to me still is just a temporary halt with economic activity waiting to take off as soon as normalcy returns. India especially, with its human capital & consumption potential alongside a decisive PM at the helm of affairs, might be the country most well prepared to bounce back with a vengeance.

It’s also good to see the #HR function in almost every company taking the pole position in these challenging times and disseminating all sorts of relevant information to employees to keep them updated and at ease. Legendary #JackWelch had emphasized the importance of HR function in successfull organizations and these times have proved why whatever he said - was 24 Carat Gold. Other functions like Finance, Sales etc. have been rather rendered almost dysfunctional, not in literal sense although, is these testing times for the world and organizations.

The lockdown has limited our access to offices, malls, gymnasiums and running tracks etc. but on the contrary, presented us with extra time off roads (minimum 2 hours in my case), Business travel, other commutes etc. Let's utilize that to our advantage and make best use of it.

•  Exercise more if you are a fitness freak.
• Read extensively if you enjoy that.
• Try cooking if you haven't ever tried your hand at.
• Spend time and create more happy memories of togetherness with your Family.
• Read all those important Business reports & documents lying in your repositories that you didn't find time for in normal course.
•  Speak more often to your co-workers, ex-colleagues, relatives, Customers - they are in a similar space as you are today.We all need each other more through these times.

And yes, i said Customers, personally speaking - i have had more engaging interactions with some of my Customers in these times, talking less of Business and their families more - the bond getting stronger with a genuine interest for each other's well-being.

As they say - “A sound mind resides in a sound body". Take care of your health, it’s the best investment you can ever make in your lives. Take time to exercise, play indoors with your kids, sweat it out anyways, enjoy the endorphins rush - they make you happy and happiness is contagious. Most pertinet, that we keep our minds calm, yet alert and bodies relaxed yet sharp through this downtime. I personally, have been able to maintain my exercise rhythm through the lockdown, although with less intensity, due to limited weights & almost no machines. A set of dumbbells at home and innovative use of some furniture made sure that I get the necessary pump in the muscles minimum 3-4 times a week. Blissfully, I were able to start reading Bhagavat Gita, something I have been contemplating for almost 3-4 years now. Believe it...i finally pulled out some pages from the top-shelf of my books cabinet (preserved metliculously almost over last 5 years) and managed to complete a poem that i had started composing on a Jet Airways flight 9W-0735 from Delhi to Chennai on 30th May'2015; just through one late evening in this very lockdown. Yes, i could somehow never priortize completing that poem earlier and could mention the date/flight no. so precisely because i had then used the back of a Boarding pass printed in A4 at home.Now, the details matter the least....most pertinent is the point that i am quite decent at preserving & valuing memories that matter to me; another upside of being an Ariean :-). Rest, I do plan to allocate some time to meditation, but it still evades my reach constantly; somehow not my personal favourite too….so excuses weigh heavier than desire here or i possibly (& happily) always priortize playing indoor cricket with my elder Son compared to the option to meditate :-)

Wrapping it up, i must add that if you don’t traverse this lockdown with a new skill or atleast with some ground covered in acquiring a new skill, more or less sustained fitness levels, further polishing an old hobby that you always wanted to ...than you never were short of time in your kitty probably– but lacked Discipline certainly….

Good luck & best of work through this downtime and we will meet soon...