Rebooting 101: How this founder got down to work

For Devendra Parulekar, founder of SaffronStays, getting back to work “was just something else”. Parulekar says he missed the general work environment and his desk, and is glad to be back in his zone since July. “When you go to office, you get into a group, cut yourself from all the distractions at home — be it your kids knocking at your door, collecting an Amazon parcel or finishing some chores. It is a welcome change.”The best part for Parulekar has been seeing his colleagues face-to-face, or well, mask-to-mask, instead of on video calls. “Seeing your colleagues — even if only a few of them — is a relief. I had a few colleagues over recently and every minute spent was precious,” he says.Since the team left the Mumbai office in a rush due to the lockdown, one of the first things they did on getting back was to clean and sanitise everything. “We had simply packed up and left. So, the first task was to make it start looking like an office again. When you are part of a startup, never mind whether you’re the CEO or an intern, you have to roll up your sleeves and get to work,” he says.Game changerParulekar and his team maintain their usual working hours. However, the new normal includes the need to be more trusting and patient with your colleagues. And, of course, going online, which has its perks since geography isn’t a barrier anymore. “ I can easily hire a brilliant coder in Hyderabad and s/he doesn’t need to show up at work. The pandemic has taught us how to work with people from across the world,” he says.Staying hopeful and positive has helped Parulekar keep his spirits up, along with constantly reminding himself that this too shall pass. And he’s got something on his agenda to help keep him and his staff motivated. “It would be great to go on an offsite where we have no agenda and no work at least for one full day,” he says.76642566

from Economic Times https://bit.ly/328XPBE
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