A 13-year head start: Lessons learnt from a company that started WFH more than a decade ago
Posted by: Uma Shashikant on Jun 22, 2020, 11.20 AM IST
Work from home is quite the cool thing now. Thirteen years ago, when we began a firm that only had a virtual office, many did not think our model would work. Now that everyone is telling us the stories we had a tough time telling earlier, we feel so vindicated. But will this fascination last?
When we began Ciel, our premise was simple. There were many women like us, keen to pursue a professional career, but unwilling to let go of the responsibilities of home and of raising children. We all had years of experience going to work. Of being torn between work and home. Ciel was our model to work from home and work as if that did not matter. We did well for ourselves.
We made rules. We would log in at specific times. We would not take a break from work for anything other than kids and school. We would not suffer follow up, but stick to deadlines. The model worked wonderfully. We made elaborate process innovations to make sure our clients did not worry about us working from home.
The advantages were many. Without direct supervision and micro management, creativity and innovation happened at unexpected places. Even junior resources became adept at problem solving. We were great collaborators. One stood in for the other seamlessly since we all had our need for flexible hours. We were there when the children came home, and that was precious.
There were limitations as well. Some tasks that could be easily explained in person, took a long time on phone and on remote computer screens. Reading long documentations wasn’t easy for everyone. We reworked many a time. Sometimes we found it tough to collaborate. Sometimes we just missed the buzz of going out and meeting people. But we did very well overall and built a good business with a committed team.
Now that work from home has become the norm and that many are questioning whether this is indeed a better way to work, what would someone like us who have used this model long enough have to say about it?
First, the orientation towards problem solving needs a change. To work from home is to trust that problems can be solved by discussion and application of mind. There is no need to travel, or spend time and energy on multiple in-person meetings. To do that, everyone must focus on the problem at hand, and be willing to put in the hours, know the details, and listen in to the points others are making. That is much more demanding than sauntering into a meeting without homework and making a few off the cuff suggestions and getting off lightly. There is a lot of shrugging off real work and wasting other’s time that happens when it is easy to walk over and speak to a colleague.
Second, there must be ownership of the task on hand. The ability to work independently without being supervised and micromanaged is precious. Not everyone acquires it easily. More so when accountability is not clear. When tasks are not defined well, responsibility not assigned, many team members do not know how to proceed. Without active mentoring, they struggle to find their place and be responsible for their deliverables. Front ending possible questions, taking the time to clarify, being available to problem solve, are all essential to enable resources to grow. This behavior from the manager and the managed is an acquired skill.
Third, teams draw their energies from various sources. Some thrive with interactions and in social settings that involve many people. Some are content doing their assigned task and interacting as required for its completion. There are many degrees of variation between these two extremes. An office setting enables a quicker formulation and solving of a problem without taking the time for too much detailing, if the team enjoys the in-person brainstorming. Working from home can be frustrating when simpler issues take longer to resolve. An enabling environment is important.
Fourth, working from home means giving up perks of the job. The power dressing, travel, flights and the attendant importance, the social signals of the car you drive and the places you meet for lunch, and the power games with cohorts will all be gone. You won’t exactly become a recluse, but you would struggle drawing the line between work and home, spending your day juggling the two. You will trade a lot of glamour for slog, and that might get to you.
Fifth, there is a lot to be said for the culture of the workplace and the team spirit it nurtures. Working from home needs special attention to these aspects so that the team feels that it belongs in a community that nurtures, cares and also furthers professional growth. Without a formal setting for interpersonal interaction, a lot can remain unsaid and unknown. That can be a challenge especially during tough times.
The world will most likely try to get the best of both worlds. Many understand the futility of daily commute, long hours, and wasted time in an overdose of interpersonal interaction.
We see an increased effort to make rules and stick to the discipline of work hours, breaks, and completion of tasks to deadline. Many homes now have designated work areas where members are able to work undisturbed. This experiment is a worthy one. It offers the opportunity to question wasteful practices. Some business have begun to wonder if they overdid the idea of office—its grandeur and cost—when people seem to be doing fine from home. Many parents worry about returning to work while it is unknown when the kids will return to school.
This experiment could lead to a healthy mix of working from office and out of home. That might be a happy outcome as families get to manage their time better. There are jobs that require physical presence at the workplace.The realisation that a bulk of the others can be efficiently completed without being too fussy about where they are done from, is nice. Some relief from the rat race of commuting and long hours is good for all of us.
Online Courses
Banking is a highly respectable career choice in India today. It is a growing sector which translates into
The bond market is considered to be one of the safer avenues for investment, providing reliable and consist
Understand commodities as alternate assets for investing and their different types through our course.
Learn the working behind the process of issuing unsecured business and personal loans from our basic course
Learn what bill discounting and supply chain financing is and its different features with our online course
Learn how lenders make pricing and margin decisions during the corporate lending process through our course
Understand the need for mortgage finance along with the need, EMIs, pricing factors and repayment options.
Understand the concept of impaired loans and the mathematics behind lending through this online course.
Learn about the structure, features, operational aspects and positioning of the products on the PMS platfor
Learn how to construct individual portfolios and analyse risk and performance to meet investment objectives
Understand the benefits of leasing assets and different types of lease finance options through our online c
The course guides you to understand its types, eligibility, margins and pricing on loanagainst securities a
Get a complete understanding of debt instruments in India. This course is ideal for professionals who want
More people in India are investing in equities and shares creating a need for more skilled equity managers
Structured products are used to introduce tailor-made investment options in the world of finance. Our cours
Get the training you need to work in the Banking and Capital Markets industry through this intensive course
This NISM preparatory training is designed to help students whowant to take the securities and operation ex
What factors affect the debt market? Learn all about debt market indicators to understand the world o
Need help to understand the bond market? This bond valuation course simplifies debt bonds, bond yield
Poor credit ratings indicate risky investment opportunities. Learn about the concept of credit rating, its
Learn the different principles of equity valuation along with their real world applications.
Reinforce your stock market basics by learning about equity market indicators through our online course.
Understand the structure of debt capital markets and the structure of its primary and secondary markets.
Learn advanced methods of fundamental and technical analyses of financial statements in capital markets.
People in India are becoming increasingly savvy about the investment options available to them. Mutual Fund
People in India are increasingly knowledgeable about the investment options available to them. Mutual Funds
Become a mutual fund investment advisor. This course will teach you the basics of mutual fund investment th
This NISM modules preparation training is designed to help students who want to take the NISM examinations
Acquire the ability to provide complete financial solutions to investors using mutual funds through underst
Learn to evaluate a portfolio thoroughly through our advanced level course on portfolio evaluation!
Learn about the different types of equity funds and their positioning through ourintermediate level course.
Learn about the types of debt funds and their positioning through our intermediate level online course.
Learn how to choose and understand mutual funds products with our online course on mutual fund positioning.
Learn to market debt funds and how to calculate their risks and returns through our advance level course.
Learn to choose the right category mutual funds based on your clients' risk profile and financial needs.
Learn how to invest in liquid funds for treasury management through our advanced online course. Enrol now!<
Master the basics of option trading strategies and learn how to balance profits, risks and returns us
Delve into the nuances of equity trading strategies. Hone your skills to gain maximum rewards through this
Understand the consumer redressal procedures used by broking houses, their clearance and settlement process
Get started with the basics! Learn how trading and DEMAT accounts are different along with their opening an
Get the tools and knowledge you need to understand derivative products. Learn about the pricing of differen
Margin trading and lending is a high risk and return strategy. Learn how it works from our online course.
Learn how to open and operate DEMAT accounts through our beginner level online course.
Learn the concepts of equity trading and trading strategies through our beginner level online course.
Gain a thorough understanding of the best options trading strategies through our advanced online course.
Understand the IPO funding process in India and their benefits to investors through our intermediate course
Learn about IPO, ESOP financing structures along with loans against securities through our online course.
Meet the fast-growing demand of an economy that is drawing foreign investors, particularly NRIs. This cours
People are discovering how financial planning can help their money grow and prepare for a more secure futur
Learn how to measure investment performance through analysing Returns on Investment (ROI) through this onli
Understand the nature of investment risk with our course on measuring investment risk and how to manage it.
Learn to construct portfolios and the techniques used to allocate assets across classes and manage risk.
Learn to invest based on investment goals and objectives through our Intermediate course on Mutual funds.
This course gives you a thorough understanding of the key concepts in macro-economics and how to apply them
Monetary policies are designed to maintain price stability and ensure economic growth. Learn how monetary p
Understand how exchange rates fluctuate and the various factors that influence them through this online cou
Learn about the different sources of government revenue in economics and the implementation of fiscal polic
Learn how to measure economic growth and output through the macroeconomic indicators that influence it.
Learn about the macroeconomic indicators of inflation and their management through this online course.
Financial advisors are in-demand and this course prepares you to be a well-informed financial advisor with
As reforms in taxation take place, more and more professionals find they need help compiling their taxes. T
Learn the basic principles of tax planning for individuals and the various aspects that are involved in the
Learn how to keep track of business expenses and income through our online course on business taxation.
The insurance industry, like the rest of the financial world, is continually evolving. Insurance prof
Insurance contracts differ from other contracts as they are based on the main principle of utmost good fait
Learn to conduct a needs analysis to determine the insurance products suitable for individuals at different
Learn how to assess risks faced by insurance companies while accepting insurance proposals. This course is
This course is designed to help you understand persistency in insurance and the measures taken to improve i
People in India are becoming increasingly savvy about the investment options available to them. Mutual Fund
People in India are increasingly knowledgeable about the investment options available to them. Mutual Funds
Become a mutual fund investment advisor. This course will teach you the basics of mutual fund investment th
This NISM modules preparation training is designed to help students who want to take the NISM examinations
Acquire the ability to provide complete financial solutions to investors using mutual funds through underst
Learn to evaluate a portfolio thoroughly through our advanced level course on portfolio evaluation!
Learn about the different types of equity funds and their positioning through ourintermediate level course.
Learn about the types of debt funds and their positioning through our intermediate level online course.
Learn how to choose and understand mutual funds products with our online course on mutual fund positioning.
Learn to market debt funds and how to calculate their risks and returns through our advance level course.
Learn to choose the right category mutual funds based on your clients' risk profile and financial needs.
Learn how to invest in liquid funds for treasury management through our advanced online course. Enrol now!<
Get a complete understanding of debt instruments in India. This course is ideal for professionals who want
More people in India are investing in equities and shares creating a need for more skilled equity managers
Structured products are used to introduce tailor-made investment options in the world of finance. Our cours
Get the training you need to work in the Banking and Capital Markets industry through this intensive course
This NISM preparatory training is designed to help students whowant to take the securities and operation ex
What factors affect the debt market? Learn all about debt market indicators to understand the world o
Need help to understand the bond market? This bond valuation course simplifies debt bonds, bond yield
Poor credit ratings indicate risky investment opportunities. Learn about the concept of credit rating, its
Learn the different principles of equity valuation along with their real world applications.
Reinforce your stock market basics by learning about equity market indicators through our online course.
Understand the structure of debt capital markets and the structure of its primary and secondary markets.
Learn advanced methods of fundamental and technical analyses of financial statements in capital markets.