Working from Home as a Team

Effective beginning this past Monday, all the Foxes are working from home, until further notice. While working from home is not altogether a new practice for us, working remotely as a 5-person team for several consecutive days is. So, I asked the Foxes to answer a few questions about their experience this week. Here’s what they had to say:

What does a typical "working from home" day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus?

Maggie: I have been told I do my best writing first thing in the morning, so any task that requires full-brain focus is first on my list. I also take advantage of not having to go through my "get ready" routine first thing after waking up. Knocking some work out before dealing with my face and hair is stress relieving in a weird way.

Heide: As someone who consistently works 2-3 days/week from home, my remote working schedule has become fairly consistent. Whether I am commuting into the office or just to my home workspace, my morning still requires me to get ready, eat breakfast, drink coffee and check email. From there, the day responds to my workload, but maintains necessary breaks, coffee and lunch. If I have errands to run, appointments to make or meetings to attend – all of those are included on my calendar and allow for my fellow Foxes to see my schedule.

Audra: YES! Following a morning routine is essential for me, otherwise I’d stay in bed forever. I do a lot of the same things to get ready for the day when I'm working at home as when I go to the office. Before I "go to work," I do all my normal grooming plus I get dressed – even if it's just leggings and t-shirt, or even better, a fresh pair of PJs, it makes all the difference! I also like to put on shoes. It's a little weird I know, but it's a trick I play on my brain that helps me feel ready for the day.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced this week while from working from home?

Adrian: The mashup of working mom/stay-at-home mom/homeschooling mom has been quite interesting. My work deadlines don't stop (or haven't stopped thus far) for #COVID19, but my 4-year-old doesn't quite understand why he's not my first priority at all times. We're both finding our way through this new normal as conference calls, video chats and project tasks conflict with reading hour, arts and crafts, snack time, and free play. #workingstayathomemom

Maggie: Taking breaks. I feel that this week has been a little more hectic because we are having quick check-ins or prep meetings before connecting with our clients. You don't realize how many times you walk over to your fellow co-worker’s desk and have a quick five-minute conversation. Now it takes effort and scheduling to do that.

Also, dealing with my dogs. They think they are on vacation and need to be let outside every 10 minutes to terrorize a squirrel. My neighbors are seriously going to hate me by the end of this!

Audra: A challenge I've always had when working from home is resisting the distraction of household chores. All day long I'm taunted by the clean dishes still in the dishwasher, the grass growing outside my window, the dryer buzzing with warm laundry, etc. One thing that works for me is I use the time I save in the morning by not commuting or doing my makeup to instead knock out a couple of chores before I sit down to work. Also, if I can keep my work area clear of clutter or other reminders of the chores waiting for me, it's a lot easier to stay on task.

Crista: Like many, Working + Parenting + Schooling during the same time, place and hours has been an adjustment for my whole family! I'm lucky to have help from grandparents part of the day to watch my 4-year-old, but it's still a busy, noisy household that always requires one eye and ear out to monitor when it's time to start a new activity, snack time, nap time, etc. The good news? We are all learning to give each other grace for all kinds of situations!

What was easier or different than you expected while working from home?

Crista: Our firm has been extremely well set-up to handle this, thankfully, because of the amount of web-based technology we regularly use in communication, project management and our creative tools. Even with the occasional technology blip, I don't feel like I'm missing any necessities that I would have at my office desk (other than easier ways to bug my co-workers with questions or chatter!). Even within our team, our interactions have been especially focused and targeted, I think because we have heightened awareness that everyone's time is in demand with new competing daytime responsibilities.

Maggie: Staying connected with clients. Using Microsoft Teams' features such as video conferencing and chat has made it easy to get business done efficiently while also keeping some feelings of normalcy when it comes to being connected with others.

Audra: One of the things that I didn't expect was the experience of our whole team working remotely. On a normal week, at least one of the Foxes works from home for a day or more, but very rarely do we ALL work remotely on the SAME day. Being separated for several days now but still needing to collaborate on nearly every single project has resulted in us finding new ways to stay connected. On the first day, we implemented Microsoft Team's chat tool as a way of having those quick "pop your head in" type of conversations. Not only has it helped our inboxes from being bogged down with internal conversations, it given us a channel for sending memes and gifs or just having casual chit-chat.... Almost like we're all together again!

What did you enjoy most about working from home?

Heide: One of the biggest positives about working from home is the availability I have. By removing my commute, office distractions and hours away from home, my time and brain power are at max efficiency. I tend to use my breaks for chores around the house (dishes, laundry, etc.), while time-blocking allows me to focus. I find myself accomplishing tasks in less time, which removes the dreaded 'work grind' feeling.

Crista: Yoga pants. And, actually, I think everyone has a new kind of camaraderie right now, within our staff, our clients, on social media, and so on. I enjoy learning about the positive ways people are coping.

Maggie: Stretchy pants and little to no makeup!

Audra: My favorite thing about working from home (aside from the dress code) is how flexible my workday feels and how much time I get back in my day. I feel more "in the zone" while working from home and I think a big part of that is having fewer interruptions and being able to work during the parts of the day when I'm most productive. But word to the wise – don’t forget to take breaks! Go outside, call a friend, or if you're me, fold some laundry. It's easy to become a crotchety work zombie at home.

Adrian: I have enjoyed not actually commuting to work. My commute time is not that bad, but the ability to just roll right into being productive once I'm up and ready has been nice. However, as a social person, I do not like the solidarity of working from home. Cabin fever is real!

Any other general advice?

Audra: Video conferencing is the new reality and there are so many hiccups that come along with it, especially when calling in from home! Kid start singing in the background? Cat walk across your keyboard? Just apologize and keep going. We're all navigating this brave new world together and let’s be real, we could all use a laugh!

Crista: Keep up with daily goals and a schedule, even if it is loose or needs to move around a lot during the day.

Heide: My advice for anyone transitioning into a remote-working environment would be: Don't expect immediate perfection. Every home life is different, every individual works differently and it will take some time to find your groove.