Tools and skills needed to get your work done in 2021

ET Online|

Updated: 13 Jan 2021, 11:00 AM IST

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The year that was

The year 2020 will be known as a year of many upheavals, shocks and challenges. The way we lived, worked or interacted with people changed drastically. Staying indoors became a norm. Working from home, studying online, depending on online deliveries and watching OTT platforms for entertainment has become the new normal. Things haven’t been easy but the only way forward is to become adaptable to these changes as some are here to stay. Here are some skills needed to survive and grow in a post Covid world.

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Embracing the new norm

Working from home is here to stay. Many multinational companies have already told their employees about it. Going to the office everyday of the week will be replaced by a hybrid work culture. Both these scenarios are good as they cut down on the commuting time drastically. An office saves a lot in transportation, power and food bills. But working from isn’t easy as there are many distractions and network issues always loom large. One needs a designated corner or room with minimal distractions to work from home. High speed net connectivity is a must. One needs to invest in noise cancelling headphones, data cards and wifi routers to be able to work for longer hours.

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Getting technology savvy

Apart from having a high speed internet people are relying on Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams to carry on with the work. But there are other tools that can make your task simpler. If you want to make your presentation look snazzy you can opt for mmhmm. One of the biggest aspects of working remotely is communications and one enormous challenge was building that social connection. For that you can use Remotion or Tandem . Here your team sits with you on the homescreen and you can then create rooms like you do in actual life. When it comes for collaboration you can use Slack and Zoom. Another tool worth checking out is Notion, which is great in documentation and helps keep everyone aligned. (Text: Pranbihanga Borpuzari)

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Tool time

One of the critical parts of working from home is managing your time. For this you can use Motion as it mixes your to-do list with the calendar. If you are working across different time zones you can use Figure it Out . In the area of design, Figma, Bubbles and Jam are great for teams to collaborate on various projects . For productivity, the three tools that can be used include Rescue Time, which is an automatic time tracking software. TickTick and Motion help you manage your to-do list. Another tool that can come handy when sending a lot of emails is called Superhuman. For communication, Loom is a video messaging service especially designed for work. Monosnap is another tool that can take screenshots and videos, and the last one in this category would again be Tandem. (Text: Pranbihanga Borpuzari)

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Honing your leadership skills

Working remotely means not being able to meet your team on a regular basis but one must be in touch with their team. Offices are encouraging people to participate in team events remotely so that everyone feels connected. Team leaders can have weekly virtual meetings where one can discuss work and other issues that will help team members feel connected. Leaders must now plan virtual meetings in such a way that team members can engage with each other and have a dialogue.

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What is Emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ) is an individual’s ability to understand and handle their emotions. Working remotely for a long time can lead to various mental health problems such as professional isolation, burnout and depression. It is important to take sessions from a trained professional during such times. Many organizations are helping their employees get counseling.

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