At a recent BW HOTELIER WebBlast: ‘Acing Communications in the New Normal’, Rajyasree Sen shared how she and her company has been dealing with the pandemic challenges and what lies ahead for the industry.

Rajyasree Sen, Director, Global Communications India, Hyatt Hotels in India structures her day well. One can be far more productive sitting at home, she thinks, by balancing out what needs to be done at home and finish their work. We don’t have to rush back home from office to get something done. “Balance is key,” Sen states. When you work across various timezones, such as with the Zurich and Chicago offices, hours tend to get stretched. In her opinion, she is at ease working from home as she has done this before as an independent consultant and entrepreneur.

Speaking at the recent BW HOTELIER WebBlast: ‘Acing Communications in the New Normal’, Sen commented that work has been difficult for people because one is just not used to it. She shared that one feels bad about the situation of the hospitality industry. “One does not know when things are going to get better since no one knows how long this will last,” she said.

Talking about her organisation, Sen shared, “I think what we did very well is that every morning we have a leadership team meeting on Zoom, which has been happening for more than 100 days now.” “I keep telling people that I end up talking to more people than I used to talk in the office,” she added. Sen informed that because of these, they could put a lot of structures in place and help in making the team feel together. 

Sen further added to the discussion by stating that because one doesn’t see the government stepping in quickly enough and the next step is not known, there is a constant worry of course. Sen believes new standards and ways of dining experience will be put in place. “It will take a while for things to stabilize”, Sen declares, “We need a sense of normalcy.” She advocates for people to have empathy. On a positive note, Rajyasree shared that no company in the industry is competing with each other in this crisis, and there is a pattern of unity instead.