Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted businesses and business practices around the globe. Due to ongoing lockdowns, teams are increasingly shifting to working from home which creates its own challenges (and of course, opportunities). At Copperpod, to keep our clients, our employees and partners safe and healthy through this crisis, we have been working hard and working remotely for more than 2 months. We asked one of our senior team members, Gagandeep Singh, on how he manages his new work environment and how he continues to ensure our valued clients receive industry-best research on their patent enforcement campaigns.
How has the transition been to working at home - what worked and what didn't?
My home is just five minutes at a distance from my office. So, getting up early in the morning and reaching at my work desk has not been affected that much by working from home.
In the beginning, I used to work from any corner (such as sofa set, bedroom and/or lying down on the mattress) of the house, but sooner I realized that a separate home office is required. Quickly I grabbed my study table and a chair to make separate office space and it worked very well. Working from home office has been a bit challenging as my work requires a lot of concentration and silence. But as the time passed, I became used to the home environment and started enjoying the home office. I've become more comfortable with Google Meet for a conference call or weekly all-hands than going to the office or a conference room.
Now, I can take care of my wife and her ill mother in these difficult times without affecting my work. As there is no pressure of running to the home early or staying late in the office, I am able to give more time to my family as well as my work. I guess my working hours and family hours have increased to the level of my satisfaction and surprisingly these are the same 24 hours of the day. Although, I miss meeting my team-mates in person, gossip and little indoor games (Coup) we used to play in the lunch time.
To cope up with physical activities, I go for a walk with my wife in the evening.
Do you have any new co-workers (roommates, partners, children, pets)?
I live with my wife, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. To keep us all engaged we play some indoor games (Cards, Ludo and/or Carrom). The most enjoyable part is I get to eat freshly cooked food and snacks with my family members – my new co-workers.
Do you have a go-to activity to help you relax?
I love to feed birds, stray dogs and/or cows. To help relax myself, I listen and/or watch some Punjabi music video songs on YouTube. When the mind gets too heavy I sometimes go to the kitchen and love to cook up some snacks.
What is your best tip for working remotely?
Paste your To-do-List in front of your desk. Always maintain your body posture (like sitting straight on a chair) and keep noisy sources (like television or radio) away from your workplace.
