Search
+
    The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    Unicommerce Solutions CEO feels being well connected with the team makes work from home easier

    Synopsis

    Kapil Makhija shares how he works from home and balances personal and professional time.

    Kapil-Makhija_CEO-UnicommerAgencies
    Commuting time is now family time for the Unicommerce Solutions CEO.
    Kapil Makhija, CEO Unicommerce Solutions feels work from home gives the freedom to work whenever you feel like.

    He told ET Panache, "In order to be efficient, and productive, I follow a structured work from home routine, which includes established working hours to ensure a large overlap with the team. It’s easy to be distracted when you are at home, the most important task is to set working hours. I plan my day in a manner, where I am giving equal importance and time to my work and family. I ensure that I have pre-planned slots for team discussions, catch ups along with setting a dedicated time to catch up on work and emails. What helps me is having the task list for the day clearly set out on my calendar, which ensures that the day is planned and productivity is not impacted."

    Consistent communication with the team is key feels Makhija. "Work from home becomes much easier when you are well connected with the team. I keep at least 3-4 hours a day for meetings and team calls. It helps in aligning the business objectives and gives me a clear understanding of how my team is performing. Regular check-ins with the HoDs and the team members on a frequent basis helps ensure that the teams are aligned on the overall objective and minimises rework," he shared.

    Commuting time is now family time for the Unicommerce Solutions CEO. "I used to spend 3-4 hours on the road everyday while commuting to work and for meetings. Working from home has given me a chance to utilise those hours with my family and for my hobbies. I try to help my family with daily chores and spend time with my kids playing with them, reading stories to them. At night, I ensure I keep some time aside for reading even if it's for an hour or so," he elaborated.

    The company is active on the Google ecosystem. "We believe that we should stick to one integrated platform, where we can easily meet all our business requirements and connect with each other on a regular basis for daily communication as regular communication is of prime importance during the work hours so we use Google Hangouts and G-mail to keep in touch. We have also created team groups and leadership groups on Google Hangouts, which helps us remain connected and work in sync with each other. Sometimes I also use WhatsApp to connect with individuals or team leaders," he said.

    Makhija has always been a strong supporter of remote/mobile working. "It allows me to significantly save time, which I would have otherwise spent on travelling for meetings or office. It also gives me the chance to spend more time with my family and play with my kids. They are too young to understand the situation, they are just happy that their parents are now at home and spending time with them. However, Work from Home comes with its own set of challenges, it becomes very important to keep the team motivated all the time. It’s easy for any team member to feel disconnected as there is no informal connection with colleagues and limited communication. In such time, we have to be extra cautious and connect regularly with each other," he said.

    Makhija admits that it is tough to find the right balance between personal and professional life. "Most of my personal time goes with my kids, I ensure that I play with them and help them in their daily assignments. My wife and I have dedicated time slots to take care of the kids, and do our work. I make sure that all the important tasks are scheduled for the first half of the day and I do not switch between tasks. I have created a dedicated workplace, where I keep myself away from all distractions," he ended.



    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
    ...more
    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
    ...more
    The Economic Times

    Stories you might be interested in