Lockdown lifestyle of MDs and CEOs

Rupali Chowdhury, CEO, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

Almost everyone is now using virtual meeting platforms such as zoom or skype to conduct official meetings from home during the pandemic. But many are facing issues handling these new platforms. I think the telephone or WhatsApp can be used to eradicate those barriers if need be.

Also, it is very important to keep our minds uplifted in these conditions. We are thinking too much about the future. It is always uncertain. Instead of thinking what may go wrong, we need to focus on the present days and how we can make them better.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

Yes, of course. I have been investing more time in reading books and watching TV series and movies during the shutdown. How else am I supposed to cope with the distressing time? If you have a habit of reading or watching movies, it will help you immensely to get through the current crisis.

If you are interested in cooking or gardening, these activities can also help you pass time. I have also seen many opting for online courses to make a good use of the current days of leisure.

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

Although I am not an expert in this, the world will live in uncertainty as long as no vaccine for Covid-19 is invented. And this will also have an impact on me. The whole world has been shut down. People will continue living with feelings of uneasiness, and for as long as some feel that the situation will impact them, that condition will prevail and the fear factor will persist.

People will only take matters easily if the doctors are certain. People do not perceive influenza the same way anymore although it is also a contagious disease. It is important to understand that contracting a disease does not mean the end.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman, MD & CEO, Mutual Trust Bank  

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

Firstly, connectivity is very important, especially for banks where data security is of utmost priority. Personally, in my role as the head of Mutual Trust Bank, I have to ensure that the bank's data is protected at all costs. Secondly, for people to work from home, they have to be assigned certain deliverables within a certain time.

Only ten to fifteen percent of my employees are working from home and we have to ensure that they are well-equipped to continue working. And of course, there has to be some level of control to ensure employees are working proactively. Lastly, impossible boundaries should not be set during these times.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

The current situation has made me stressed out about my work and employees. On top of that, we have been working around the clock with no fixed schedule. But I still try to de-stress myself through Netflix and YouTube at the end of the day. Watching movies also helps me relax. Aside from this, working out has been helping me recently.

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

This pandemic will not end anytime soon. It has changed our lives and will continue to do so for some time. People will continue to maintain social distance and online meetings will be more prioritised. Covid-19 has habituated me to make my own cup of tea or coffee for safety's sake. So, I think we will also become more self-dependent.

Ultimately, we will become more conscious citizens to protect ourselves and our surroundings. This will impact our eating habits as well. People will go to restaurants less and opt for delivered or homemade food more.

Taskeen Ahmed, MD, IFAD Autos

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

Working from home is a challenge in Bangladesh and to do that, it is important to know the business model first. There are some public systems which still need to be digitised to make things easier for businesses. The more manual a business, the harder it is to make it work from outside the office.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

I have been reading a lot of profiles of inspiring leaders like Gandhi. Netflix or Amazon Prime is obviously coming in handy during the shutdown, but I wish there were similar ones where we could just stream old Bangla movies. I have been watching films like "The Lion King" and "Cinderella' with my daughter.

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

For businessmen like us, after the pandemic, the short-term challenge would be recovering from losses and getting things back in shape. In the long run, the challenge would be to gain sustainability and stay prepared for unprecedented crisis such as the coronavirus outbreak.

Hussain Elius, CEO, Pathao

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

To be efficient in working from home, you need to be extremely disciplined - more so than in "normal" times because of the absence of physical cues. Have and hold your schedule to the highest degree of respect.

I spend about an hour the night before to plan out my day. Google Calendar is your friend. I make sure to fill up my calendar and block time for tasks I want to accomplish during the day. Then during the workday, it is just a matter of following through.

Also, remember to exercise, even if it is just a few pushups and squats. Do not let your body weaken. There is a strong feedback loop between your mind and body. If you feel healthy, your mind feels healthy too.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

I just finished reading "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A Heinlein. It is a fantastic sci-fi book about an uprising in lunar colonies. A fun read.

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

The pandemic may one day be over, but even as we emerge from it, I do believe our society will change because of it. It is still too early to know how those changes will turn out to be, but we all need to accept those changes not just to adapt but to thrive.

Farzanah Chowdhury, MD & CEO, Green Delta Insurance Company

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

Working from home is a whole new tool for all of us. But if we do it in a structured and meticulous way, it is extremely useful. For example, it gives you flexible working hours, so you know when you can be the most productive. It also gives the human resource department the opportunity to figure out which employees are the most efficient and who are not.

Working from home is a great way to increase networking, generate time for yourself and make the best use of whatever you have. You get to test your limits and know exactly how you can operate at your best.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

I have not had enough time to read books, but I do watch movies on Netflix and other platforms. I have a toddler. So, I watch online fun activities etc with her. The internet is full of too much information. So, sorting out necessary ones from those which are not is important for me. I also manage to take time out to exercise, to make sure my parents are doing alright and so on.   

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

I think I have gained 10 years of experience over these two months. The pandemic has changed my thinking, and exposed me to a new dimension, and I am embracing these new changes. We should prepare ourselves to work in a new environment where anything can change any time.  

Emran Hasan, CEO, Shanta Asset Management Limited

What is your advice for those who are working from home?

Had the coronavirus pandemic not occurred, we would not have realised how efficient the work-from-home model is.

Those who are working from home, I think they are being more efficient as they are working under flexible working hours and without any disturbances. They can continue working from home even after the pandemic is over.

Are books, movies, TV shows or games helping you through the shutdown?

I have been watching a lot of old movies based on IMDb rating. I also watched the Marvel series I had missed out earlier. I am reading a lot of self-help books, and books on the capital market that falls under my profession. The two to three hours that used to get wasted because of travelling between office and home, I have that now to read books.

In addition, I try to take out at least 30 minutes every day to exercise because home workout is essential when you are staying indoors for so long.

How might things change after the pandemic is over?

I can say that the society's thinking process would change after the pandemic. Our tendency to binge shop or waste money on luxuries might change. We might actually learn the value of remaining happy with bare minimums.

We are probably going to opt for higher online transactions and travel less. Until the coronavirus vaccine becomes available for all, I think we are going to stick to these changes.