Tiberiu Telegescu – Finance Manager – DXC Technology
Tell us about what happened with you & your company in the first weeks of this crisis.
Back in late 2019 when we realized the virus was spreading rapidly around the world, we started revalidating the assumptions that were baked into our BCP. We kept a close eye on the situation, did not panic and prepared for various scenarios. The focus we had in these trying times was twofold: take care of the people and take care of the clients.
The transition into remote working came very naturally to us as we already operated in a hybrid (remote / in office) environment – we offer to our employees, as a benefit, the WFH option. Initially, we made sure all employees that could work remote do so – we’re currently at 99%+. For our colleagues that had to be in the office, protective measures were taken.
When it comes to servicing the clients, I can honestly say that no disruption was noticed. We must bear in mind that our business model is to offer high quality services (mostly in support functions) to our clients who sit all over the globe. As such, the interaction with them is solely virtual anyway, so no disruption in the status quo from that standpoint.
What are your company’ top 5 priorities in this period?
I don’t think there is anyone out there who does not have safety of their employees, their families, partners as a top priority. Also, continuing to service our clients without disruption has always been one of our focus areas – and that will certainly not change now.
But you know, we live in a world that is changing at a pace like never before and which is being irreversibly transformed by ” digital “. The mass implementation of technologies like RPA, IoT, AI / ML, big data analytics, blockchain, etc. will transform even more the corporations ( and not only ! ) into data-driven powerhouses, where teams of highly trained and motivated professionals will be empowered by this newly unlocked data to both address internal business needs, but also to identify new revenue streams. In fact, I would even say that the challenge of leaders nowadays is to create a data-driven ecosystem that allows for an agile, scalable and efficient response to customer needs.
Therefore, I also focus on continuing to forester an environment centered on customer innovation, keep my team engaged and motivated and last but not least – help shape the leaders of tomorrow who will accelerate this transformation.
What were your challenges and how did you overcome them?
From a people management standpoint, first I made sure that everyone in my team & their families are safe. We’ve established regular team check-ins and I try to keep moral up by not keeping the meetings only business oriented. Also, we know that this period has been especially challenging for the parents out there, as they have to deal with two jobs at the same time – parenting and the regular work day-to-day. We recognize that and appreciate their effort and dedication and we are very understanding regarding their personal responsibilities.
From an operational standpoint however, I’m happy to say that no disruptions were noted in our services. As I said, we were already operating in a hybrid environment even before the COVID-19 crisis, so from a business standpoint, working remotely does not pose an issue for us.
However, having clients all over the world does carry an inherent risk of having clients whose business is affected by this crisis. Nevertheless, we look at these times as an opportunity to be even closer to our clients, to execute silently on our agreements and to be the partner of choice going forward, in the digital transformation journey.
How did you adapt to the new working conditions?
Frankly, they’re not that “new”. It’s not the “working conditions” that are new, but rather the period spent at home. I do video conferencing as often as possible and I have a personal rule – I have video calls with my team. I look at all this as an opportunity to catch up on my reading, do some online courses for which I “never had the time ” before and do some more cooking – one of my hobbies.
How did you organize your workspace at home? How does your office look like?
I took advantage of the fact that I have a big table in the kitchen, so I transformed it into my office – also due to its practicality. I always have a freshly brewed mug of coffee near my laptop and a bottle of water near me – we need to stay hydrated!
How do you stay motivated and productive? – tips & tricks of WFH
I think that motivation is always a very personal matter. For me it comes from never taking my eye off the prize – accomplishing my goals and executing on my vision. I’m not saying external intervention/encouragement doesn’t help, clearly it does, but I think that what exactly makes one do all the things they do comes from within. And, of course, coffee!
What do you miss from the “old days” when you were at the office?
I miss the in-person interaction, I miss the hustle and bustle of the office. I miss the impromptu meetings that frequently happen in office buildings in public spaces, like elevators, coffee machines, etc. – they’re a great way to catch up with people you haven’t had the opportunity to.
How do you personally manage work-life balance during this period?
I think “Flexibility” is the golden word here. We live in an age and I / we work in an industry where physical presence shouldn’t be what’s required – we’re compensated for the added value that we bring, not for how much time one may be in an office (or nowadays, “green” on the internal communicator).
How do you use in your advantage “the quarantine time”?
I think this time gave us all an opportunity to invest into ourselves. I take online courses; I try out recipes that I haven’t up until now and I read. Now, I’m reading Brené Brown – The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are.
Looking back at the last month, do you have a favorite moment?
In our preparations for our summer apprentice programs, we did video interviews with university students. I loved their enthusiasm and their positive attitude and they gave me very good vibe as well!
It is for the first time ever that this company is doing summer apprentice programs and we are very excited that despite all the difficulties we managed to go ahead with the program.
What activities do you enjoy engaging in as a family or by yourself?
I started watching old TV shows and films – I found that seeing them as an adult brings a whole new perspective.
What habit, mechanism or idea will you preserve for your professional and personal life when quarantine will end?
In this time, a lot of us focused more on ourselves, on things we like or on the things we’d like to improve. That’s why I will continue the digital courses that I started, but also listening to the podcasts that I discovered in the last two months.
What will be your company’ first 3 priorities when the lock down is over?
Safety for our employees, clients, partners and customers will continue to be our top priority, right along continuing to service our clients.
One thing to note here is just because the lock down is over doesn’t necessarily mean we will (or should) be back in the office from day one.
As such, my personal addition to the two priorities above is answering this: In the context of the post-pandemic “normal” (answering what will the new “normal” be is actually a tough question itself), how do I reinvent myself and the service we provide?