[Work From Home, Day 20] When you read this article, chances are you are at home and are taking a break from your work. Many companies assign employees to work from home as a form of participation in government efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. For those of us who are accustomed to working face-to-face with our team in the office, this condition may feel unfamiliar. If usually, we can invite them to meet to discuss a problem, now we are forced to communicate w

[Work From Home, Day 19] I have many plans for February and March. I have a prior engagement with clients and a promise to go back to my hometown for a short vacation with my family. But all are canceled because of the pandemic. Not only me, but people around me must cancel their plans either. Whenever I read on my social media timeline, so many people post like these: “I am supposed to travel abroad.” “I am supposed to watch a concert I have been waiting for.” “I am supposed

[W ork From Home, Day 18] “Wow”, that’s the first thing I had in mind when reading the posting on my timeline about Venice during this pandemic, I saw dolphins are swimming in the canals. The empty canals with Venetian architecture buildings on its sides, with beautiful bridges across the canals, added with a group of fish swimming freely. Those canals came alive not because of human’s activities, but because nature becomes the king once again. The image of dolphins that came

[Work From Home, Day 17] When we first hear the idea of Working from home (WFH) because COVID-19, it sounds fun: being able to work without having to waste time in traffic or jostling in public transportation. We don’t need to wake up in the morning which means we can sleep longer. It might also be possible to have more time with children and families, or there is an opportunity to take care of household matters that have not been managed. Comfort-Zone vs. Stress Do you belie

[Work From Home, Day 16] A few days back, I saw a comment in LinkedIn that said certain leaders or managers had, all of a sudden, become micromanagers during this crisis period where “work from home” policies are being practiced worldwide to combat the spread of the coronavirus. I personally would think that at this difficult time, humanity and empathy are of utmost importance to hold us all together. While social distancing keeps us physically apart, we have the technologie

[Work From Home Day 15] A few days ago I read a news article about two Tennessee brothers who purchased nearly 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. They meant to sell them online at a profit. It turned out that they managed to sell some of their stock to the tune of up to $70 per bottle. Amazon and eBay discovered their scheme, quickly shut down their listing, and banned them from selling on the platforms. They were then stuck with thousands of unsold inventories and an investig

[Work From Home Day 14] My most favorite memories growing up were my father’s storytelling time. From tales of his mischievous and carefree childhood to his war-time heroics, they were all special. I would just close my eyes and listen and it was like daydreaming in color. To my young self, my father had the look of Omar Sharif in his adventure movies. Many times he would share of his narrow escapes of death during the war, bullets whizzing past him, bayonets thrust at him an

[Work From Home Day 13] These past 2 weeks, there seemed to be a spike in the amount of activity in social media. Maybe because of this “house-arrest,” everybody is restless or agitated, prompting many to take to the social media to let off steam. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic, the MCO and their related issues provided a lot of ideas, to keep the cyber-writers busy. As the postings increase, we cannot help but notice the ever-increasing postings, comments, and tweets tha

[Work From Home Day 12] During these hard times of the global pandemic, most countries have enforced Movement Control Order or a total lockdown to curb the spreading of the virus further. Having to abide by this enforcement, most people regard being quarantine as a form of isolation that devoid them of any physical and social activities, limited only within the compound of their homes. The constant bombardment from media of the rapid growth on the numbers of an infected pers

[Work From Home, Day 11] Greetings everyone! How are you doing amidst the pandemic? I hope you are all adhering to #StayHome #DudukRumah rules, follow strict hygiene practices, social distancing and seek medical help if you are experiencing illness. On the bright side, this is the time where everyone is finally together at home and this is the perfect time to experience or explore new things - through none other than the borderless platform of the world wide web. After the th

[Work From Home Day 10] Our Malaysian government has announced two days ago that the Movement Control Order has been extended for another two weeks until 14 April 2020. Considering that most of us will be working from home much longer now, we at Dale Carnegie Malaysia think it is appropriate to share some tips on ways to take command of yourself while working from home. As a complementary on today's topic, this is all of our Dale Carnegie Malaysia’s members showcasing their w

[Work From Home, Day 9] It has been almost 2 weeks now. We are still under the Movement Control Order (MCO), our government’s effort to help us curb the spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia. When our government announced that we will be extending the MCO until mid of April, my heart sank. Here I am in Selayang while my parents are all the way in Seremban, one of the 8 identified red zones in Malaysia. My heart yearns for me to go back home to them, but I do not want to risk anyone’

[Work From Home Day 8] Remember the days when we could step out of the house for a grocery run? Or go to the gym for your daily workout? Or go on a school run to drop off the kids? All these mundane tasks which we sometimes dread now seem enticing don’t they? Now we can hardly leave the house without getting negative comments or worse, stopped by the police or the army. The world is hurting. We are being attacked global

[Work From Home, Day 7] My daily routine when I am home is to watch the BBC news at 7am, followed by reading the day’s newspapers. And the news has been bleak and depressing. In the last few weeks, mainstream and social media have fed us a daily dose of spirit dampening reports on the COVID-19 and how it has adversely affected facets of our lives; be it in terms of health, social interactions, mobility as well as our livelihood; as in our jobs and income. Only this morning, t

[Work From Home Day 6] As creatures of habit, it is understandable for us as humans to feel uncomfortable with the sudden changes in lifestyle. Ian Newby-Clark, a psychologist at the University of Guelph explains that a habit is how effortlessly our actions are done without us engaging with much energy or thought into it. The second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia struck us hard, professionally and personally, hence we are out of our usual habitual habitat. Everythi

[Work From Home Day 5] #StayHome Love, CHU SOOK PENG Business Development Manager, Dale Carnegie Malaysia

[Work From Home Day 4] One day before the Movement Control Order was enforced, my friend sent me the picture of Happy Mummies to be! Babies! It shows how some married couples are looking at this quarantine as their second honeymoon. A time to spend quality bonding time together. However, an hour later, I read this article that shocked me. It reported that there have been long queues for divorce after Home Quarantine! Marriage registration offices in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province

[Work from home, Day 2] Good morning, Malaysia! On this second day where most people are staying home, how are you coping? One of Dale Carnegie's principles from the book, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” is working well for me! Peace - My heart is warmed by the actions of everyday heroes around us. For example, I observed how a middle-aged couple who operates a mini-market selling fresh vegetables in my neighborhood used an assuring tone to calm a panicking crowd that

[Work From Home Day 3] As our nation plunges into a period of uncertainty and distress due to the ongoing pandemic, fear is a natural emotion for many to have. These are testing times for many of us, as we navigate through uncharted territory and it is understandable to feel apprehensive about the future. However, it is imperative that we do not give in to feelings of fear and hopelessness. This is especially true for businesses and organizations as they play a huge role in o

[Work from home, Day 1] Let us create a positive environment amidst crisis! 1. Malaysians are navigating into the uncharted territory within the next two weeks. But we all have one thing in common, that is the need to rid COVID-19 out of our country so we can continue with our everyday life. How fast we can purge our country from this “uninvited guest” depends entirely on us as Malaysians. The authorities have imposed the “Restriction of Movement Order” beginning on the 18th