Perhaps the earth has truly gone into “reset” mode due to the lockdown caused by the Coronavirus. Perhaps it is time for us to push the “pause” button and rethink how we have been living our professional and personal lives. Perhaps the “reset” mode and “pause” button are now compelling us to rethink the meaning and purpose of our relationships, both at home and at work.

While this lockdown is certainly a challenge, and most of the world has put strong restrictions on movement, there has been another not-so-tangible side to this lockdown. The slowdown on our physical movement is compelling us to look within ourselves. The long hours indoors and restrictions on going out has necessitated us going in. Going in and questioning ourselves; going in and becoming more aware of how we have been thinking; going in and asking ourselves, “Did this way of being get me where I wanted to be?”

The whole world is talking about the fact that at the end of this lockdown we shall wake up to a new world. What will this world look like? What will it ask of us? And what will we need to do to fit into this new order? Our home confinement is making us question the things we were running after, the quality of our relationships, and what we truly want from our lives.

The time has come for us to slow down and realign our lives so that we can flow smoothly in the future. We need to reconnect with our loved ones, friends, and professional associates as individuals with different human nuances—not just targets to be achieved or duties to be performed. We need to spend time getting to know each person and acknowledging the anxiety and vulnerability each one faces, including ourselves. We have to connect with ourselves so that we can connect with others.

How was our life as consultants before the virus compelled us to pause? What were we to pause for? What were we supposed to see? So many questions, so much confusion, and so much uncertainty. These questions and so many more get answered on their own when one understands and lives the philosophy of Flawless Consulting. It is the mantra for success in human relationships—a way of life applicable in both personal and professional life.

As consultants, we were constantly rushing to meet deadlines, grabbing the next order, pushing our way ahead, striving hard to impress the client with heavy content and verbose presentations, pushing our beliefs, trying to control people and decisions, and believing that others should do as we recommend because we know the best. Relationships were professional and impersonal and lasted only as long as they served the business purpose. Then suddenly, the “pause” button was pushed. Without realizing it, we are finding ourselves in a mode of self-questioning and self-enquiry. And we are asking ourselves: Were those deadlines realistic? Am I really the right person for that job? Do I really have all the answers? Does the client believe I have understood him/her? Can I push my solutions on to the client? Does the client really trust me?

With the last question, we take our awareness a notch further—a step deeper within ourselves: What do I need to do to make the client know he can trust me, feel I understand the real issue, and believe I will not let him down?

When we become aware of our own thoughts and feelings, and know with what kind of mindset we are entering a discussion—whether we want to be in control, just executing, or be a partner in a project—we become more secure within and know what we need to ask from the client to enable us to give our best to the task at hand. Awareness also makes us recognize resistance in a client so we don’t take it personally, and makes us acknowledge our own resistance, too.

The new world is going to be a slower paced world—a world with greater self-awareness, where relationships will have more depth and life will be more meaningful. Are we ready to align ourselves with this new world? It is quite amazing that Flawless Consulting has been sharing the value of this mindset for over four decades and its philosophy is even more relevant now than ever before.

We need to recognize that patterns are changing and we need to change, too. Not changing with the flow will only create resistance and make it painful for us. This sudden change of pace is making us rethink how we need to reset ourselves and our ways of thinking and operating. We need to build deeper connections with our associates, our families, and most importantly, ourselves.

“I think that when the dust settles, we will realize
how little we need, how very much we actually have,
and the true value of human connection.”

Perhaps the earth has truly gone into “reset” mode due to the lockdown caused by the Coronavirus. Perhaps it is time for us to push the “pause” button and rethink how we have been living our professional and personal lives. Perhaps the “reset” mode and “pause” button are now compelling us to rethink the meaning and purpose of our relationships, both at home and at work.

While this lockdown is certainly a challenge, and most of the world has put strong restrictions on movement, there has been another not-so-tangible side to this lockdown. The slowdown on our physical movement is compelling us to look within ourselves. The long hours indoors and restrictions on going out has necessitated us going in. Going in and questioning ourselves; going in and becoming more aware of how we have been thinking; going in and asking ourselves, “Did this way of being get me where I wanted to be?”

The whole world is talking about the fact that at the end of this lockdown we shall wake up to a new world. What will this world look like? What will it ask of us? And what will we need to do to fit into this new order? Our home confinement is making us question the things we were running after, the quality of our relationships, and what we truly want from our lives. The time has come for us to slow down and realign our lives so that we can flow smoothly in the future. We need to reconnect with our loved ones, friends, and professional associates as individuals with different human nuances—not just targets to be achieved or duties to be performed. We need to spend time getting to know each person and acknowledging the anxiety and vulnerability each one faces, including ourselves. We have to connect with ourselves so that we can connect with others.

How was our life as consultants before the virus compelled us to pause? What were we to pause for? What were we supposed to see? So many questions, so much confusion, and so much uncertainty. These questions and so many more get answered on their own when one understands and lives the philosophy of Flawless Consulting. It is the mantra for success in human relationships—a way of life applicable in both personal and professional life.

As consultants, we were constantly rushing to meet deadlines, grabbing the next order, pushing our way ahead, striving hard to impress the client with heavy content and verbose presentations, pushing our beliefs, trying to control people and decisions, and believing that others should do as we recommend because we know the best. Relationships were professional and impersonal and lasted only as long as they served the business purpose. Then suddenly, the “pause” button was pushed. Without realizing it, we are finding ourselves in a mode of self-questioning and self-enquiry. And we are asking ourselves: Were those deadlines realistic? Am I really the right person for that job? Do I really have all the answers? Does the client believe I have understood him/her? Can I push my solutions on to the client? Does the client really trust me?

With the last question, we take our awareness a notch further—a step deeper within ourselves: What do I need to do to make the client know he can trust me, feel I understand the real issue, and believe I will not let him down?

When we become aware of our own thoughts and feelings, and know with what kind of mindset we are entering a discussion—whether we want to be in control, just executing, or be a partner in a project—we become more secure within and know what we need to ask from the client to enable us to give our best to the task at hand. Awareness also makes us recognize resistance in a client so we don’t take it personally, and makes us acknowledge our own resistance, too.

The new world is going to be a slower paced world—a world with greater self-awareness, where relationships will have more depth and life will be more meaningful. Are we ready to align ourselves with this new world? It is quite amazing that Flawless Consulting has been sharing the value of this mindset for over four decades and its philosophy is even more relevant now than ever before.

We need to recognize that patterns are changing and we need to change, too. Not changing with the flow will only create resistance and make it painful for us. This sudden change of pace is making us rethink how we need to reset ourselves and our ways of thinking and operating. We need to build deeper connections with our associates, our families, and most importantly, ourselves.

“I think that when the dust settles, we will realize

how little we need, how very much we actually have,

and the true value of human connection.”

Simi Suri has been a consultant with Designed Learning since 2017. She has been an HR and business professional for over two decades, and has experience in both, corporate and entrepreneurial, worlds. She has been a corporate trainer, executive coach, instructional design consultant, communication specialist and behavioural scientist.