A crisis triggers the deepest values in mankind. The desperation in fulfilling the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs such as physiological needs, safety needs, love and sense of belonging, esteem and self-actualisation will magnify our most inner thoughts and desires. How we act during a crisis reflects our perception and we should be accountable and responsible for any measures taken.

Most employees began their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle of their business operation on 18 March 2020. When the government imposed the

Movement Control Order (MCO), the government and private sectors were directed to urge their employees to work-from-home (WFH) while maintaining the key performance indicator (KPI) for the year.

Nevertheless, many are facing work environment-setup problems such as inadequate technology, poor Internet connection, domestic interruptions, work overload, fragmented communication system, work prioritisation issue and many more.

Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our daily operation and life without a hand-break. A global pandemic is not an everyday crisis. Nobody has the “How to Live and Work with COVID-19: Beginner Edition” manual book.

Agile management approach

One must decide whether they want to run the day or let the day run them. The clock is ticking, COVID-19 is mutating very rapidly and we should not be working any less than that. In such crisis, it is best to practise the Agile Management approach.

Highsmith J. (2004) describes agility as the ability to adapt and respond quickly to any change. An agile person views changes as opportunities rather than a threat.

Agile Management helps us to survive during this unsettling and uncertain crisis.

First, we must adopt and adapt with the current situation of COVID-19 spread. We have no choice but to accept that the COVID-19 situation is a global crisis and we must believe that there is hope for the future and the situation may be a blessing in disguise. When we are threatened, we tend to quickly respond to the crisis.

Therefore, be bold to make positive decisions and generate win-win results. Reach out for all the weapons for the war. Purchase or borrow a computer if needed and subscribe to an Internet plan if warranted. Get assistance from the experts. Bear in mind that technology is necessary for any agile team.

Second, social distancing should only be practised physically, not virtually or via augmented reality (AR). During a crisis, we must communicate and interact with our colleagues and partners even more frequently, in order to keep us moving forward. Maintaining good collaboration and communication with other people is very important and essential. Help your colleagues in need and utilise all types of technology tools to connect with each other. If you are a leader, protect and control your team. Be a leader with good listening skills. Show more empathy and compassion. Address your subordinates’ problems and concerns, prepare a set of adjusted and personalised solutions for everybody and synergise the team. A quick leader who acts upon a crisis is a real star.

Planning and strategies

Third, be a master of planning and strategies. Task, information and instructions are like wild horses. ‘Tame’ them with note-taking or jotting on a piece of paper. A schedule helps us to be systematic and subsequently minimises the risk of work procrastination.

Strategies prepare us to tackle the issues in a holistic view. The norm of doing things has changed and we should not be in denial. Prepare a list of to-do-tasks, prioritise the work and adjust the schedule accordingly.

Working-from-home (WFH) simply means making ourselves visible while being invisible. Utilise the Internet of Things (IoT) at all cost. Make use of IoT such as Google apps (emails, Google Meet, Google Hangout, Google Sheet, Google Form), Zoom, Skype, Webex, and et cetera to interact, cooperate and make decisions with people virtually. Despite all kinds of distractions at home, try to stick to our schedule as much as we can. Go with the flow, attend online meetings, be productive and unplug after 6 pm.

Lastly, engulf confidence with a skill set and knowledge. Learn as much as possible during the crisis as if you are preparing for a war. To survive, we must make a choice whether to be disciplined now or to regret later. Spare some of our valuable time to learn new skills and gain more knowledge. We may be working from home, but we should never allow ourselves to live in a comfort zone especially during a crisis.

COVID-19 will vanish but its effects must not paralyse us both in a personal and professional manner. Learn how to tackle issues with agile management, and we will realise that it only takes an ordinary person to do extraordinary things.

-- BERNAMA

Nur Zahira Samsu Zaman @ Taufiq is Assistant Registrar at the Rembau (Negeri Sembilan) campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA.