As we all venture into the new realm of working from home together, it is important to be mindful of everyone’s circumstances and appreciate the realities and challenges of others, as they settle into their new offices!
It is strange to think that only two weeks ago we were all together in Brighton doing innovation training, where I was so impressed by everyone’s energy and ideas which have carried through to adapting to working from home. The interactivity hasn’t stopped; although we are remote, the ingenuity continues every day, as we find new ways to keep our meetings and touchpoints fun and meaningful.
With video conferencing, we are enjoying having a look into each other’s homes, ensuring that the camaraderie we have in the office is carried across online. Our team of seasoned workers-from-home (our colleagues and freelancers), as well as our wider HAVAS network, have shared a set of ‘rules’ and tips that we currently stand by:
- Set and respect boundaries – When the workday is over, go offline. Do not email, text, or call others who are on off-hours unless necessary; working from home does not mean working 24/7
- Reduce time spent in meetings – Do your best to start meetings on the hour and keep them to 45 minutes or less
- When you do meet, choose the right medium – Make an effort to Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, or call when appropriate
- Connect in fun ways – Tune in on our Twitter and search for #JustSomethingNice and #JustSomethingInteresting. We have suggestions to put a smile to your face
- Take breaks – Go for a quick walk around the block – it’ll refresh your thinking and stop you getting pressure sores from sitting on your bum for too long! You’ve got to make up for the fact that you are not getting up from your desk to talk to colleagues
- Find a new routine – All the time that you save from commuting could be used for small tasks: doing your laundry, pruning your bonsai trees, watering the plants, clearing out the fridge etc.
- Don’t stay in your pyjamas – If you do, make sure it is at least from the waist up in case you unexpectedly find yourself on a Zoom call
- Reflect and re-evaluate – We are fortunate to be part of such an amazing industry and its inspiring to see how some of you, our clients, may be part of the solution in getting us through COVID-19.
And above all, stay true your values. We, the HAVAS Just:: team, continue to live our values of Collaboration, Curiosity and Confidence on a daily basis, even virtually.