Coronavirus: A period of unrest, but there’s hope

Nothing will be the same again, and maybe that’s a good thing. The potentially devastating impact of COVID—19 on the world economy is beyond the scope of measure. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern that the pandemic could trigger conflicts around the world. The heart-warming pictures of Italians singing from their balconies at the start of the crisis is gradually being replaced by mounting incidents of social unrest, with increasingly longer queues at food banks. The risk is that if the economy collapses it will also bring down civil society with it. Political philosophers have a term for it: we are being propelled towards the “state of nature”.

Thomas Hobbes introduced the concept of the state of nature in his 1651 book The Leviathan. He was very clear that the state of nature was not an archaic state of affairs that occurred in the remoteness of time but something that can occur at any moment. Whenever political stability breaks down, it can be replaced by anarchy. And of course, for Hobbes, the state of nature was not a pretty place:

In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving.

We are not in a Hobbesian state of nature – not yet. We don’t anticipate having, in the words of Hobbes, “no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society”, although at present there is no theater, no concerts, no travel and no sporting events. We are also starting to see initial manifestations of what Hobbes called the “war of all against all”: such as countries aggressively outbidding each other on the global market for coronavirus protective equipment.

Hobbes goes on to capture the essence of the state of nature in chilling and memorable terms: “And which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. COVID-19 has instilled fear in all of us – continual fear.

Leviathan

All is not lost

Fortunately, Hobbes also teaches us that we are not doomed, that it is possible to escape the state of nature. But the only way to survive is via social cooperation.

For all its misery and wretchedness, the state of nature is also a state of equality. We are all mortal and equally vulnerable. That is certainly true of life under COVID-19. This virus is a great leveller, it does not distinguish between nationalities or ethnicity, genders or social classes, religions or languages. Today we are all equally at risk, and from this fundamental equality another reality ascends: only unity, teamwork and solidarity will defeat this invisible enemy.

To escape the Hobbesian state of nature we need to forge a new social contract, a mutually-beneficial agreement where everyone agrees to make a sacrifice in the short run on the understanding that everyone will be better off because of it in the long run.

Similarly, to overcome COVID-19 we will need to commit to an unprecedented level of sacrifice, trust and social cooperation. Living under temporary lockdown and maintaining physical distancing is a big sacrifice for many people, especially as unemployment escalates and many businesses are on their knees, but we must have trust in the World Health Organization and in our public health experts, since these emergency measures will work only if everyone complies without exceptions.

But mutual social cooperation is fragile and tentative, especially in a capitalist world where selfishness is a virtue and greed rewarded. This crisis is forcing us to rethink many firmly held assumptions: the pursuit of individual self-interest will not work this time, there will be no trickle-down effect, and senseless, wasteful materialism is no longer sustainable.

Don’t be a fool

The biggest threat to social cooperation is the selfish actions of free-riders who want to benefit from people’s spirit of cooperation without doing their bit for the common good. Hobbes had a term for this type of person: the fool.

As Hobbes explains, the fool believes that there is no such thing as justice, and that it is legitimate to break an agreement in the pursuit of self-interest. The world is full of fools, except that in times of crisis their true nature is fully exposed. These days they include people who continue to stockpile even now they see how unnecessary it is or who flout lockdown rules selfishly. They also include businesses who exploit people’s fear by overcharging for food, face masks or hand sanitizes. All it takes to avoid being a fool is to prioritize cooperation over self-interest, or the common good over private interests.

Like in the Hobbesian state of nature, living with COVID-19 is a reminder of the emancipatory politics of social cooperation. We are entering the territory of a new social contract, which will form the cornerstone of a new civil society post COVID-19.

(This article is republished from The Conversation)

Working From Home? Don’t Work In Your Pajamas and Other Tips

The Coronavirus pandemic has given rise to the ‘work from home’ trend many are worried about. When I read the WhatsApp messages and Facebook updates in recent weeks, I see many of my friends and acquaintances, especially those who are working remotely for the first time, dread the work from home option – desperately wanting to get back to work! But Relax, it’s not all that bad. There’s a lot of learning and fun in remote working I must say!

My work from home journey started in 2011, when my organization, Trivone Digital Services, gave me the opportunity to work remotely and travel when necessary, as my child was very young. Fast forward 10 years… and I’ve amassed a decade’s worth of remote working secrets.

I won’t shy away from saying that our CEO and veteran journalist, Mr. L Subramanyan and our Chief Content Officer, Mr. Raj Narayan are true visionary leaders, having an x-ray vision into the future with practical doses of humanity. My bosses were well aware that we were hired to build a new brand, make things rock and bring value to the table. After all being a journalist has never been an effortless job for anyone and there was no question of taking things easy.

The real reason managers are apprehensive of work from home is that they are fearful of change and that fear grips the corporate landscape. They are afraid to trust their employees whenever they’re out of sight. They may assume that an employee who’s working from home is watching TV soap operas and chilling out on a vacation, instead of getting their work done. While trust is critical to the success of any team, it is especially important when taking critical decisions like this.

A leader whose employees work from home has to trust his or her teammates. My professor once said that lack of trust in your employees is a failure of leadership, and it hurts individuals as well as the organization’s own customers and shareholders. And I’ve been lucky to get the positive and supportive culture, though life was not without its challenges. It took me a few weeks to realize that the supreme flexibility and autonomy come with a price.

It takes practice and requires a significant amount of self-awareness, discipline and laser-like focus, not discounting a strong tech guy who is readily accessible and a constant desire to challenge your own standards, in a milieu, where you are left alone and bound to meet deadlines. While a lot has been written about how to make remote working a success, I write this post to tell you about some simple Don’ts when ‘work from home’ is the norm.

Mistake No. 1: Work in your pajamas

The most productive people don’t wake up and instantly start working while still in their pajamas. Instead, they get ready for the day as if they were heading into the office. In other words, they dress up in presentable clothes. The simple reason is, your pajamas aren’t exactly professional attire and so they will not put your mind in “work mode.”

Mistake No. 2: Work from the bed or couch

Having a designated workspace is something I cannot stress enough. Good for you if you can work productively from the couch or bed, but very few can. There is no one-size-fits-all setup that works for everyone, but the key is to have a designated area in your home — with a comfortable chair and a desk big enough to fit your stuff (i.e., external monitor, printer, keyboard and mouse, file cabinets). Lighting also makes a difference. Studies have found that cooler lights can make workers more productive. Move your workspace closer to the window if you get plenty of natural sunlight as research has shown it can decrease depression and improve mood, energy and alertness.

Mistake No. 3: Go silent and cold

My job involves talking to a bunch of people in the industry, including public relations professionals, industry veterans and the team. Even on the dullest days, always make it a point to over-communicate. As someone who has managed a team from home, making sure everyone takes part in the conversation about what they’re working on, assignment status of an article, as well as their concerns and issues and so on. Have regular telephone, chat or email communication with your manager and team. Ask for direct feedback. This can be a casual update, rather than a formal meeting and will also help you in building a sustainable relationship with people around you.

Mistake No. 4: Neglect your health

When you aren’t working from home, there’s usually very less physical activity – no coworkers to go on a coffee run with and no long walkways to the meeting rooms or the bathroom, leave alone the well deserved water cooler gossips to hone your brain. There were countless times when I’d find myself with back pain and numbness in the legs because I’d been sitting for hours, without even realizing it. Earlier, I’d get so lost in the silence of work that I would even forget to eat lunch. But sitting for excessively long periods of time can have severe risks, including early death.

I make it a point to set up time throughout the day for walking around when talking. My mom is my coffee companion and she makes it a point to talk seriously fun stuff and not burden me with any errands during those breaks. There are also downloadable apps and programs that allow you to set walking goals to ensure you’re moving an adequate amount, like the Work Break Timer, StandUp! and Time Out.

Mistake No. 5: Ignore tech support

Working remotely comes with technological challenges. You may have a hard time connecting to your server. Your work computer screen just went black. Files seem to have disappeared. After spending hours on the phone with IT support, I’m now skilled enough to fix these common issues on my own.

Mistake No. 6: Not create a method and structure

The power of Yoga

It’s easy to get distracted by personal matters when you’re working from home, because you’re easily accessible to people outside of your work life. That’s why you need structure — a consistent schedule that you’re strict about — to prevent distractions from disturbing your workflow. The best thing to do this is to create a to-do list for each day. It should include very specific, measurable and achievable tasks. Keep the list flexible but stick to it.

More importantly, set your own limits. Even as a single parent with a toddler I managed and well indeed as told to me by my superiors, so the rest of you can I’m sure. And thankfully my son, who will enter his teens next year, is ‘understanding’ enough to let me be on my own with doors locked when I’m working. But for the most part, be clear with your folks about your work schedule.

TAKING WORK FOR GRANTED IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE when you work remotely. The option to work from home is a great privilege, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic. Or you never know this may even be the future of work! Some professionals, like hospital workers and those in other emergency services are required to show up onsite for their jobs. Be thankful, and make the most out of the opportunity. Au revoir!