Reconnecting as one team

After a long, tough lockdown, followed by severe civil unrest in their home province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South African colleagues Afzal Mitha and Dianne Taylor have reconnected for the first time in person. And it turns out, their reflections are even more meaningful for their shared experience.

DT: To say we’ve had a tough year would be an understatement, right Afzal? And yet, somehow, we’ve managed to work through it all. You’ve been my go-to whenever a client asks me for something technical; it’s good to see you.

AM: You too, Dianne. I was already working from home when lockdown happened, so in that way, work didn’t change for me.

DT: Ah, you see I was climbing the walls with frustration; I’m normally out on the road. In sales, you have to be a chameleon and adapt to your client’s mood; it’s much harder to read emotion over the phone. It was a tough, trying year. Forgetting is not easy when you’ve been at the forefront of it, is it Afzal?

AM: No. I live in Phoenix, which was quite close to the looting and unrest. It was the scariest time of my life. I had maybe three hours’ sleep in a week and two bags packed and ready to flee: one with my important documents and one with my clothes and valuables. You couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread; RS sent us grocery packages, which we were grateful for.

DT: It’s unimaginable. I live in Kloof, which is further up the hill, out of main-city Durban. But we could hear gunshots from time to time in and around us.

AM: Fortunately, the business cared about us deeply. They opened up the communication channels and we were invited on to a call to share our experiences openly with the team. Senior managers also phoned me to make sure I was ok. That matters.

DT: It’s when you see the strength and resilience of our community: it’s amazing how people came together and kept each other safe. I remain positive. There’s lots to be hopeful for and our RS family has been so caring. Even months after the unrest, they’re still checking in on us.

AM: If I can send one message, it would be that we learn from this, respect and treat each other like brothers and sisters and strive for peace in the world.

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Read more in Issue 1 of Our World, our digital magazine which is available in?English,?French,?Spanish,?German,?Italian,?Chinese?and?Japanese.