Pandemic Reflections - Teslim Akindele

Meet Teslim Akindele, Assistant Project Manager at Winnipeg Housing. Teslim graduated from UWPACE with a Project Management Diploma in 2017. We asked him to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted his work-life.

"Before the COVID-19 pandemic my typical workday included spending the majority of time at my desk updating budgets, sending emails, contacting contractors for quotes etc. and also with a lot of meetings in and out of the office every other day of the week.

I currently work from home. I have adjusted to the change knowing that it is a means to help reduce the chance of the pandemic becoming worse and also that it is our new reality. Adaptability and being agile are demanded by most organizations, so there’s almost no option but to adapt to new realities as they come.

I still have my typical workday starting from 8:30am and ending by 4:30pm. But all communication is done virtually. Being a project manager, no day is the same with deadlines coming up and even resolving issues/risks with stakeholders when they arise.

These are weird and difficult times and there’s a range of emotions each person is going through. I’d say do what is best within your limits to adapt, cope, stay afloat, or even just survive this period and hopefully we look back at this time and be happy with the lessons it taught us all."