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Collaborating Remotely: Work and Beyond

Mrinal Parekh Mrinal Parekh, Senior Manager at CleverTap, has expertise in product, consumer, and digital marketing, with previous roles at Razorpay and Amazon.
Collaborating Remotely: Work and Beyond

There are many articles out there discussing the COVID-19 situation and how it is affecting our lives personally and professionally. While many offer tips on working remotely, we decided to ask our own employees — our “CTzens”— about what they’re dealing with and what is actually working for them.

Coming Together (Virtually) as a Team

When we asked our teams how they make remote teamwork possible, they agreed that not much has changed. Since we have offices across the globe, working in cross-functional teams across geographical boundaries is the norm for us. People are already familiar with Zoom or Slack and find it easy to collaborate across time zones.
zoom calls
While it looked like our CTzens seemed well-acquainted with working remotely, we were curious to see how they were dealing with social distancing from their teams. Here are some of the tips they offered.
work from home pointers
Innovative ideas like these have taught our teams to be more positive and productive. Here’s how we have fun at work (when not at work)!

Being Human First

The harsh reality of mixing work and home life remains a challenge for many CTzens. We had working moms asking for ideas on how to keep their kids entertained without school or domestic help. We had people living alone, discussing how to address loneliness and boredom. Issues such as internet bandwidth and finding a quiet space to work have become challenges, too.
Overall, CTzens have demonstrated a willingness to be flexible and accommodate each other while ensuring goals are met. In a crisis like this, cooperation and empathy among colleagues cannot be underestimated.
Here are some tips from our colleagues addressing these challenges:
“Approach your work relationships with compassion and no judgment.”
“Be flexible and patient with everyone at work and at home.”
“Reward yourself after a few hours of work.”
“Plan breaks accordingly — without your phone.”
“Appreciate family members when they help you. Appreciate kids when they listen to you.”
“Compartmentalize work and home. Make sure when work is done, you disconnect.”

Tech to the Rescue

As a company, we have introduced daily virtual coffee breaks with NO agenda. This allows us to come together and maintain that “in-office” culture and engage with one another on a regular basis. We’ve even had a few new colleagues introduced and onboarded virtually!
e-chai charcha

What CTzens Miss Most

being around my people
Work can and will happen remotely, but there is really no replacement for face time with colleagues. At CleverTap, teamwork is embedded in our values and is evident in how we strive together — and in times like this, we’re grateful for coworkers who have imbibed the values and continue to demonstrate them irrespective of where they work from.
It may be a while before we come back to our comfortable office chairs, and meet coworkers face-to-face around the watercooler. But every day we are learning new ways to navigate and thrive in this new normal.
#WeGotThisAtCT
#WeGotThisAtCT

Last updated on August 14, 2024