STEPPING INTO THE VIRTUAL ERA

We are entering, full-force, into the virtual age. There have been gentle nudges by cutting edge companies for years, encouraging colleagues and fellow entrepreneurs to explore the work from home professional style.

It turns out, the nudge we needed was a shove into the deep end. Enter novel coronavirus, COVID-19. 2020 has challenged everything from our economy to interpersonal relationships and communication methods.

As we enter head-first into the virtual era, we have compiled some helpful lessons learned on the way:

#1 Shift your mind-set. More than ever, professionals will be measured on output, not by how many hours sat at the desk. Remove distractions, and make consistency a priority. Without time indicators you have become accustomed to in your professional setting, it is easy to lose track of time. Maintaining a schedule creates normalcy.

#2 Re-create ‘in-person.’ Meet, but meet differently. In phone calls, video conferences, and other virtual means and methods of meeting, be sure to engage everyone on the call. Be intentional about inclusion, and find ways to highlight your teams’ extraordinary work. Now, more than ever, the little things matter the most.

#3 Overcommunicate. Provide additional context. Explain the “whys” of decisions and their possible effects to replace the information picked up organically in the office. Body language and situational social ques have more room for interpretation in a virtual setting.

#4 Keep Experimenting. Find new ways to meet existing objectives. Goals do not have to change, but unconventional circumstances require creative solutions.

#5 Give yourself grace, view situations with compassion, and remember the extra stress everyone is experiencing. The issue at hand is not simply figuring out how to work from home. They are managing newly full households, and worrying about a potentially deadly virus as well as economic fallout and social justice issues. Accept that there will be some messiness, and showing your team that you are not immune to it.

Leaving 2020 behind, we firmly believe our economy is prepared and ready to greet the virtual era with open arms.