Given the uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential adjustments to the way the industry is going to operate, we wanted to find out how our team fared through the COVID-19 situation and how they see the world evolving in the coming months. We’ve asked 7 questions to 7 of our consultants from all around the globe. Today, we interview Irish Manipis, who is a Senior Consultant in our Singapore office.

What has your experience been like during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Staying at home during this period has given me the opportunity to spend more quality time with my family. Without the weekly travelling to client sites, I’ve come to enjoy the peacefulness of being still at home. I’ve spent more time in my home and on my own bed now than in the past 5 years combined.

How do you think Delta Partners has handled the situation? What would you highlight?

Being true to our Delta DNA and family spirit, I felt connected to the Singapore office through our weekly Happy Hour sessions and with the broader office through our weekly All Hands Call. It was great seeing the friendly and familiar faces that I’ve come to miss. These calls also kept us updated on the latest happenings within the office; I especially enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the open, candid and humorous discussion we have during our Happy Hour calls.

What are you most looking forward to when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted?

I am eager to spend time with my colleagues, friends and family in person – since we haven’t been able to meet during this lockdown. I will treasure and appreciate having these face to face interactions with them even more so after this – they will be greeted with a big hug! Also, I am excited to be able to travel again, as it has been such a large part of my life and career.

Are there any skills you have learnt or habits you have developed during the pandemic that will benefit you in the post-COVID-19 work environment?

I’ve understood that to make working from home sustainable, I needed to create work vs. home boundaries, e.g. touching base via a quick phone call rather than a scheduled video-conference meeting, setting cut off times etc. Also, I learnt how to manage client relationships more effectively – there is great value in having frequent touchpoints via face-to-face video calls to talk about their concerns. It is important for us to be proactive and show that we are always there to lend them our support.

How much of a change do you expect in the way mgmt. consultants operate in the post-COVID-19 world? If you expect there will be change, in what way(s)?

I expect that consulting will move towards a full digital delivery model with remote work becoming more prevalent. Clients will also have leaner budgets and may be more interested in taking on shorter-term projects. Projects would also become increasingly stratified, with a clear distinction between “Strategic” and “Operational/ Implementation” ones. In the post COVID-19 world, “Strategic” projects would be favoured as it removes the need for any labour-intensive/ face-time on the ground.

What kind of priorities do you think will be important for telecom, media and/ or tech players in this post-COVID-19 context?

TMT companies played a pivotal role to help fight the outbreak – using their scale and reach they educated the public, entertained those in quarantine and enabled the significant uptake in remote working. To me, the key priorities in the post-COVID-19 environment would be to continue working on technology development, e.g. roll out of 5G products and services, and to work closely with governments to help vulnerable users get lower cost internet access and ease any traffic problems due to increased video consumption.

Any advice or recommendation you would give to new Delta Partners joiners, in this new context?

Firstly, welcome and congratulations on joining the Delta family. We are excited to have you on board. Joining at this time may seem rather “weird”, however do make the most of it by engaging with your mentor and onboarding buddy – who will be able to help with your integration. Do not be shy and feel free to join in for our weekly Happy Hour calls, we promise that the team is friendly and will not bite. Improve your skills through remote training sessions and keep open communication channels for feedback and virtual catch-ups. Once this is over, we look forward to meeting you and celebrating in person!

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Irish Manipis
Senior Consultant