How to step up at work during a crisis

By DAISY OKOTI

The Covid-19 pandemic has, no doubt, impacted negatively on the already scarce jobs worldwide. Millions of jobs have been lost as more and more companies opt to trim their staff numbers to cut costs. The International Labour Organisation predicts that if the situation persists, half of the global workforce could lose their jobs.

Well, while times are tough and the future bleak, if you still have a job, it is important that you do everything within your power to keep it. This week, we offer you some tips to help you stand out at your workplace during this period – whether you are working remotely or from the office.

Be proactive

You must have noticed changes in your mode of work since the pandemic started. These changes could range from simply changing your working location to actually changing how you do your job. Whatever the case, understand that it is partly your responsibility to ensure that you stay afloat and meet the new expectations.

If you are having challenges with the new systems your company is using or struggling to understand an instruction, reach out to your line manager at the earliest opportunity. Do not sit around with work undone, waiting until it is too late before pointing out an issue.

Under normal circumstances, procrastination can put your job on the line. Now imagine what could happen during this pandemic. Rule of thumb: Voice out any challenges you may be facing as soon as you encounter them.

Rethink your style of work

If you are one of those people who keeps saying, “My contract says I should work from 8am to 5pm”, you may want to rethink that stand. You shouldn’t overwork yourself, but you should adapt to the changing realities around you and demonstrate agility and flexibility while executing your tasks.

The changes brought about by the new normal have forced employers to look for employees who can take up new tasks within a short time. Demonstrating your openness to change puts you in good stead for such opportunities.

This is also not the time to ignore your colleague’s phone call because they called after working hours. Empathy is a critical ingredient for success during such crises. Understand that working from home presents different challenges to different people and support your colleagues whenever you can.

Learn additional skills

Put your free time to good use by signing up for some online workshops or training programmes that are being offered for free by different organisations – of course, in your line of interest.

It could be a course in Excel, digital marketing or even writing. It goes without saying that these skills will benefit you in the long term. Apart from helping you do more in your current job, adding these skills to your resume and LinkedIn profile strengthens your professional menu. So yes, aim to spend your spare time wisely.

Prepare well for virtual meetings

This means preparing well in advance. Organise your talking points, your PowerPoint slides and prepare to them in a way that actually makes sense. Prepare just the same way you would for a boardroom meeting. Do not forget your writing material.

Since you are working from home, you could be tempted to slide out of your blanket at 9am and log on to a meeting with your boss, but this is not wise. Remember that besides just being a good worker, you should aim to take your place and stamp your worth within the organisation.

You don’t want to show them that they can operate normally without you.

Always communicate

Emergencies happen. There are so many things that can happen and cause you to fail in delivering on your assignments. Your children can destroy the internet cable, you could have a power outage, and your machine could crash. The trick is to communicate all the time.

Communication is at the centre of all the other organisational functions you can think about, even during normal days. So imagine how much more important it is during the pandemic when employees are working remotely?

Communicating with your team, manager and colleagues makes it easy for everyone to meet their objectives, whether you are simply sharing an update or stating a challenge you’ve encountered.