Saturday, November 17, 2018

MANAGEMENT SPECIAL.... Effective mgmt of tech leads to better work-life balance


 Effective mgmt of tech leads to better work-life balance

Flexible Timings To Help Employees Cope With Stress
Our life has transformed as we transition from an analogue to a digital world. We are connected 24x7 through technology. Apart from connected devices, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI), our world seems digitised in more ways than one.
We get up with an alarm by an AI digital assistant and end the day listening to music on an app. The time between wake up and sleep is digitally controlled. Our breakfast may be pre-cooked in the microwave using a pre-programmed instruction. We turn to apps more than the papers for news. We book a cab through an app rather than walk to the taxi stand. Then as we proceed to work, we clear our pending emails on our smartphones. Our connected watch reminds us of the appointments in the calendar.
The laptop or tablet is the enabler at work for emails, conferences and scheduling the day. We use our smartphones again to book a quick lunch, since we have no time.
Our workplace has transformed due to the impact of digitalisation. Business planning cycles have shrunk from years to months, and now weeks. The workplace has transformed into spending more time with laptops and machines rather than people around us.
Business models are being disrupted. AI, data analytics, cloud computing, etc, are changing the way we think and respond to our customers. The response times have dramatically changed and so has the definition of competition. What is impossible today becomes a reality tomorrow. Our customers and competitors are getting redefined in every way.
Then as we return home, we are busy on social media to wish friends and relatives for their birthdays, anniversaries and promotions. We neither remember this information nor do we have the time to wish anyone in person.
At home, we turn to smartphones or tablets for movies, sitcoms or games to relieve ourselves of the day’s stress. We are oblivious of our family members, and do not have the time or energy to talk or listen to their stories.
Life seems hectic in every way possible. We seem to be racing against time. Technology seems to make us lonely and less emotional in all our relationships.
How can organisations help individuals cope with such a stressful life? Helping employees balance life and work is possible in many ways.
Some of our initiatives at Siemens in this direction have been:
› 24x7 free counselling services for employees and their family members
› Healthy break (exercise for three minutes) twice a day at work
› Programmes like ‘Fit for life’ & ‘Enrich your life’ for different employee segments
› Health and wellness interventions at workplace
› Flexibility of working hours & work-from-home plans ›
Sabbaticals and volunteering leaves
It is time to challenge ourselves. Digital technology has been invented to make our life better and more comfortable. It is up to us to use technology effectively.
By S Ramesh Shankar
The writer is EVP & head of HR — South Asia, Siemens.
TOI 7NOV18

1 comment:

Dominick said...

Well, you can try timesheet template by orapex. This one is the best free scheduling software in my view. I have recently used this and it really works very well. That's why I'm suggesting you all try this if you want to track or manage your time properly.