It’s another Monday morning. For the home-based employee, it’s another week of working virtually. Another week of trying to juggle kids, our career, and perhaps a barking dog or curious cat while we’re maintaining a professional atmosphere in which to complete our work. Your home isn’t designed to be an office, but overall, you’re managing fairly well.
A PwC survey in June found that 44% of employers felt employees were more productive working at home during the pandemic, vs. 31% who believed they were less productive and 25% who felt work output was roughly the same. How would you categorize yourself?
There are many factors at play here to be your most productive. The key is in planning as much as you possibly can, and this means as a family. Women are particularly stressed and job statistics show they are increasingly leaving their jobs to provide childcare and assist with virtual learning. For single parents, the stress is even greater as there’s no partner to balance things out.
However, the world keeps churning. Bosses still expect top quality work and the same dedication they were accustomed to pre-COVID-19. Is this possible, you ask?
Yes, in fact, it is. It just takes a lot of creativity.
Consider:
According to a Gallop poll, 1 in 4 adults is working entirely from home. Statistics vary, but approximately 50 percent of students are participating solely in online learning, with the remainder in some sort of hybrid arrangement. That’s a lot of people home together all day trying to accomplish what was once done with the support of others in a designated environment. It’s no wonder there’s stress!
We invite you to grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and explore these tips and resources:
- Dual working couples can and should stagger their day. Finding a unique solution that is amenable to your family while meeting your supervisor’s expectations is crucial. Communicate this information to your supervisors and work together to create a realistic plan.
- Respect each other’s space, both for adults and children. Ensure everyone has the best working and learning environment possible. Take this very seriously to minimize frustration.
- Outsource what you can afford (grocery delivery, housekeeping, etc.) Consider child care or utilization of a “pod” schooling situation for those days or even a week when you must be in a conference or nonstop meetings. Allow yourself the ability to give proper attention to the task at hand, especially if you are a presenter or you are participating in continuing education.
- Curb unrealistic expectations and let go of perfection. If the laundry is a bit piled up or the grass needs mowing, don’t be so hard on yourself. It will get done. You need less stress, not more. Prioritize.
- Demonstrate compassion for others and practice understanding. We’re all in this together. Be creative in solutions to help each other during this challenging time.
- Practice your best self-care. We all know what we need—proper sleep, exercise, eating right. We also intuitively know what makes us feel our best on a very specific level. Whether it’s yoga, walks in nature, reading for an hour each day, taking particular supplements, or sticking to a certain nutrition, continue to make that activity a priority. As the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Take care of yourself both emotionally and physically.
- Set boundaries. Turn that laptop off and put the phone up for a bit. Resist the urge to check emails during family time. If you’re fortunate enough to have a home office, shut the door when the workday is complete. Learn to say no, and stick to it. Prioritizing will bring clarity to the things that can be postponed or even eliminated from daily life right now. Saying no tends to make us feel guilty, but for our own mental and physical wellbeing, it’s a necessity. Make your decisions and stick to them.
- Have a plan for emergencies such as sick children or your own need for a sick or personal day off. Have a plan for when (not if) your internet has an issue or there are other technology issues. We all run into this from time to time. How can we adapt and pivot and still get our work done?
- Remember to advocate for yourself. This is something that a virus can’t diminish. Maybe you were in line for a promotion earlier in the year, or you were facing a particular challenge. Again, communication is key to allow your supervisor to see that you haven’t missed a beat and you’re ready to tackle anything from a promotion to advancing your skills to dealing with sensitive issues with coworkers.
- Recognize that this is temporary. Institute practices that will help you look back and remember how your family conquered this challenge successfully.
Ten Resources to Navigate our COVID-19 World:
- The Cloud. If you don’t already utilize Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, or the like for your work projects, now is the perfect time. By sharing documents securely, you can work together efficiently and in real time. Google has an entire suite of products to help: https://www.google.com/docs/about/
- Productivity software. From Monday to Microsoft Teams to Trello and all the others in between, these help keep us on track for virtual or on-site tasks. Most of these platforms have free trials. Try: https://monday.com/product/
- Lost your job due to the pandemic? Spend time on not only the popular job boards such as Indeed, but do some searching on LinkedIn. There are wonderful opportunities to be had, and the search feature is excellent. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/
- Need help with health and human services in your state? Many resources are listed here: https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/index.html
- Self-care apps have increased in popularity. Many suggestions are listed here: https://psychiatry.ucsf.edu/copingresources/apps#a
- Looking for some different educational opportunities for your children? Try these:
- Virtual Field Trips: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/?fbclid=IwAR3xAaEuF9L6zycO_xBL5Nd8lhk63Dnyqp6z30iMGkMS_E2ijMiEOmGH_WY
- Keep everyone learning with Kahn Academy: https://keeplearning.khanacademy.org/
- Stream stories for free: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
- Nature and animal webcams from around the world: https://explore.org/livecams
- Looking for some support, even for a few hours? Try https://www.care.com/
- Childcare specific resources by state: https://www.childcare.gov/covid-19
- COVID-19 Prevention in the Workplace: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html
- Coping with COVID-19 from the National Institutes of Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19.shtml
What are your favorite tips for juggling work and home life during COVID-19? Please share in the comments. We’d love to hear your insight!
Coaching can play a part in helping you identify, think through, and put sound practices into place. If you’d like more information on our services, please visit www.mbrownassociates.com and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarshallBrownAssociates. Interested in making an appointment? Call Marshall at 202.669.2065
COVID-19 has interrupted our lives for months now. We’ve had to pivot our careers a bit and employ some changes in how we carry out our daily work. However, one common denominator still exists—we need to network and continue to build professional connections.
Gone were the days of those in-person events; the socials, networking breakfasts, lunch and learn—all of it needed to be accomplished in a new way. The good news is, it’s still possible to network, and maybe even be more productive in doing so.
Korn Ferry reports this sobering stat: until COVID-19, event planners were putting together more than 5,200 meetings a day, each with more than 10 attendees. COVID-19 brought that to a grinding halt.
Where is the good news in all of this, you ask? Finding positive aspects to our seemingly defunct networking life allows us to realize there’s one big savings, and that is time. The time you used sitting in traffic, looking for a parking space, driving from one spot to another can be worked more effectively into our day, thanks to modern technology.
We are of course talking about all the internet platforms we’ve become so familiar with in the last months. Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and the like. We were familiar with them before, but now as we become seasoned users, we need to make them work for us the same as any other tool in our career—not for convenience sake, but to actually help expand our network and strengthen those valuable connections we’ve already built. Here are some ideas to utilize our home/remote office space and those in-person conferencing tools into a valuable resource for networking:
Use the video chat feature, not just the audio. Striving to make a great first impression still applies, even from our home office. Have a good background/divider or suitable green screen, dress in your normal business attire, and be ready to meet existing and potential new colleagues with a smile and air of professionalism, just as you would in person. Considering all the stress COVID-19 has brought about, we need to keep our meetings positive and make good connections that will serve us in the future—not connections fraught with despair because we’ve recently lost a job or are frustrated dealing with the pandemic upheaval. Keeping a spirit of true collaboration and offering to help others is essential.
Join in on career fairs and preorganized networking opportunities. Hosts of these events are getting creative, including having a “map” of booths or presenters that you can click on, which will take you to Zoom or a similar platform. Roll with the creative ideas and put them into practice. Some have found that partaking in a “virtual coffee break” is even beneficial. Gather together some colleagues who have commonalities and see if there’s a chance to forge more connections within your network.
Utilize the obvious built-in icebreaker—COVID-19. Taking genuine interest in how people are doing and pivoting their work life is both a chance for them to share their experience, and you may even learn some great tips, too. Most importantly, it affords us the opportunity to share human experience.
Focus on your connection. After brief introductions, pivot the conversation to your new contact and learn about them. They will remember this, and you never know when an opportunity may come along that they would consider you a good fit for.
Be patient and remember everyone’s life has been upended. A colleague may not return a call or email as quickly as they normally would. Maybe it’s difficult to find a good time to meet. Be mindful that they are enduring challenges themselves. Give them a reasonable time to respond before giving a gentle nudge.
Polish up your professional and personal online presence. It’s all about putting your best foot forward professionally. Think about it – what do we do when we want more information? We look a person or organization up online. Make your profiles ones you’d want others to be pleased to see.
The most important takeaway is that we keep an open mind and turn the challenges of COVID-19 into new possibilities. One constant that will always remain is the need to network and develop relationships—we just need to engage in new strategies to accomplish this.
For more information on connecting with Marshall Brown, please email info@mbrownassociates.com and visit our website at www.mbrownassociates.com
As a follow up to my last blog, I believe that there are even more benefits to participating in a Mastermind group which is why I am continuing the list today. Without further ado, let’s take a look!
Feedback – In life, there are common issues that are bound to arise whether it is with running a business, changing careers, or simply trying to make ends meet. Regardless, having people who may have been through these problems can be invaluable. In the group, there is always the same goal to grow personally and professionally and become more successful so you will be guaranteed help in some way or another.
Accountability – When you brave the world alone, there is very little accountability for actions. However, a mastermind group will look to change this by setting objectives at the end of every meeting. If the targets are not hit, you will be held accountable which should improve your discipline as well as keeping you motivated.
Improve Confidence – With the help of other members, you will start to make huge decisions in your life and for your business, which will allow you an improved confidence. Once you have more confidence, this will show to everyone in the same room and will soon spread to those that you can influence.
Expand Skills – When you attend meetings for your group, you will be meeting with all different types of people who all have different skills and perspectives to offer. With any luck, each member will specialize in something different, which will allow you to interact and expand your very own skill set. When you attend your very first meeting, you will see that there is a very special atmosphere to be experienced. In some ways, it is like being back in school again because you have peers who are pushing you to become even stronger. As you continue to challenge each other and raise the bar, you will soon see an improvement in your performance.
Help Others – So far, many of the benefits have been focused on what you will see in return of your investment but there is also a flip side to this since there are many other members. When you contribute an idea that gets taken forward and helps someone to increase his or her happiness in life, it can be a great feeling. When you help others, you also know that you will see the return of this at some point in the future.
Summary – As you can see, there are some amazing benefits that you will get from joining a mastermind group. Besides gaining business ideas, having many voices of reason, improving your confidence, having accountability, and expanding your skill set, you will have an opportunity to spend time with influential people and this will have a profound influence on both your personal life and your business. Amongst other things, you will make small changes, which can be a great way!
Interested in joining a Three-Month Mastermind group that I will be facilitating starting in June? In this group, you’ll learn how to be more strategic by setting SMART goals, brainstorming together, and you’ll receive a private coaching session from me each month. You’ll get three hours of strategy monthly, checklists, resources, networking, and more. Sign up by April 30th for an instant $100 discount. Want more information? Visit our 2017 Mastermind Group page, or call me at 202.518.5811. I invite you to share this with your like-minded colleagues.
Here’s to your success!!
As a coach, a question I regularly receive from coaching clients is whether or not anyone really can “have it all,” especially in this time of economic uncertainty within most industries.
Well, I hear you asking and so I’m answering! The truth is this: Yes, you can have it all but you might not be able to have it all, all at the same time.
Undoubtedly, you’re aware that it takes sacrifice to get to the top of your game, whether that be personally or professionally. When you’re creating a family, your career might need to be put on hold and, as you nurture your career, you may find yourself with less time to invest in your personal life. This is the inevitable balance of progress in our world. There is give and there is take and you have to accept the ebbs and flows in order to move forward with grace and focus.
Now, not being able to have it all, all at the same time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being aware that not every aspect of your life will flourish simultaneously is actually quite liberating.
With the knowledge that you will need to maintain balance in order to keep your work and personal lives alive even when needing to more heavily invest in one or the other, you will make better choices with both your time and resources. You’ll be aware of your tendency to let one side or the other slip and can stay on top of your basic needs to keep yourself balanced enough to remain grounded and successful in all areas.
What is a Mastermind Group – Essentially, mastermind groups were first introduced to boost both personal and business skills. With this in mind, a typical group will be educational at the same time as offering brainstorming, support, and even peer accountability. When you join a group, there will be a focus on success for both yourself in addition to all of the other members.
Between participants, various activities will take place including the setting of powerful goals and plans to accomplish them. With commitment and confidentiality in tow, members will give and receive completely honest and compassionate advice. Not only are members a source of support when needed, they will also play devil’s advocate so you will be in the best possible position for success moving forward.
What the Group Isn’t – Many misconceptions can be found with this topic so it is important to note that the group isn’t a class. Although guest speakers can sometimes be brought in, the focus revolves around brainstorming rather than having one person speak and the rest listening. Finally, the group isn’t primarily for networking opportunity (although if it happens, even better!). At times, leads may be shared but the idea is to bring individuals together regardless of their line of work.
Benefits – When reading this, the main question will probably be ‘well, why should I join a mastermind group? What is in it for me?’
Make Connections – In life, it can be incredibly lonely especially if you stay in the office late or work all by yourself. Therefore, having a mastermind meeting will allow you to build connections with others who may be in the same boat. As well as sharing your stories, you will have an outlet for all of your dreams and aspirations. Once you spend time with like-minded people, you will have a newfound motivation and will to succeed. Over time, you will build connections with these people.
Create Ideas – Since brainstorming is one of the key reasons to such a group, you will be able to create ideas and feed off of the ingenuity of those around you. Within your career or personal life, you will think about certain ideas so much that you struggle to see the flaws. However, the group will help you to see the good points and bad points in ideas thanks to the honest conversations that occur.
Summary – Now, you should know the basics of mastermind groups and what they offer. Stay tuned for more insights in Part 2.
Just last week, one of my clients asked his employee to revise a proposal that will be sent to a client. Annoyed, the guy said “What for? I thought I was the lead on this account.”
Does this conversation sound familiar?
Assert Your Authority
Most leaders believe in the power of brainstorming and teamwork, but the problem is, some employees tend to mistake their open-mindedness for weakness. Just because you’re polite and open to suggestions, doesn’t mean that everything you say may be questioned!
As a leader, you must hone your business communication skills so people working with you will know how to differentiate between a directive and a request.
Does it mean making every deadline non-negotiable? Should you stop taking suggestions from your team?
No.
Here’s a Better Idea: Change the Way You Communicate
Be careful with your choice of words and tone of voice. Consider the following:
Deadlines:
“It would be great if you could submit your work by lunch tomorrow.”
Vs.
“I’ll expect your work tomorrow on or before lunch.”
Work requests:
“Please edit your report for Client A, make it more compelling.”
Vs.
“Your report for Client A isn’t convincing enough, can you please revise it?”
Both statements mean practically the same thing, but the second statements can be interpreted as a suggestion, while the first one is a clear order.
As for your tone of voice, make sure that your voice is loud and clear when you’re talking. This isn’t the time to be shy, so just man up, and look them in the eye when you’re talking.
What if my support staff is stubborn?
Use this simple rebuttal formula. Let’s go back to the second example:
You: “Please edit your report for Client A, make it more compelling.”
Employee A: “Why? It took me 3 days to complete that report, Employee B says it’s great.”
This is a typical excuse. Employee complains, saying that it already took forever to complete the work then segues to add the opinion of someone else to back up his claim.
You: I understand that it takes a lot of time to create a report1, but it needs to be revised2 because it doesn’t have substantial proof to back up the results you’re claiming3”
Let’s dissect this simple formula:
1. Empathize – Show that you understand how they feel by repeating what they said.
2. Reiterate your request – “it needs to be revised”
3. Give a specific reason – the reason should be specific, objective, and reasonable. Don’t just say “because I want you to revise it.”
Using imperatives doesn’t equate to rudeness though, so make sure you add “please” or “kindly” when possible. The same applies when you’re using the rebuttal formula above. If anyone in your staff continues to argue after you’ve provided a reasonable objection, then it’s time to remind him of your position. This is your last resort; don’t use this argument often because doing so will appear as if you’re abusing your power.
Your business communication skills will affect your relationship with your team and image as a leader. Does your voice have a certain air of authority? Do you sound like you know what you’re doing? If you do, then you’ll have no problems getting people to do what you asked.