82 “Cannot Be Driven By Ranks Or Hierarchy In Crisis”

ANSHUMAN MAGAZINE, Chairman & CEO, India, South- East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE

Anshuman Magazine

What was the problem you were grappling with?

A deluge called Covid-19 — the “problem” that brought the whole world down to its knees.

Who did you approach and why?

Unfortunately, there was no time for seeking advice from anyone. What helped me was the experience that comes with having worked in the services industry for close to 30 years. While our focus on ‘client centricity’ taught me the value of having a ‘focused’ approach, ‘firefighting’ during volatile situations taught me the value of always being ‘ready’. Most importantly, tough situations taught me the value of ‘empathy’ — which was the need of the hour.

What was the best advice you ever received?

In a crisis, ‘action’ is more important than strategy. We prioritised helping our employees first, while the strategy was streamlined in due time. Also, one cannot be driven by ranks or hierarchy in such situations — what is required is ‘taking charge’ and ‘acting swiftly’. And in all of these, communication remains key.

How effective was it in resolving the problem?

We have already started seeing visible results on ground. We are handing (and resolving) hundreds of requests from over nine centres. We are also constantly improving our efforts, based on feedback — something that continues to evolve as we move forward.