#meetFlexe is an ongoing series profiling people that make up the Flexe team. To learn more about Flexe, visit www.flexe.com/company.
In early March, our team implemented a work-from-home (WFH) policy to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. While we’re fortunate that our business seamlessly supports remote operations, we still miss seeing each other in the office every day and were curious to know how the broader team is settling into their new routines. From our WFH veterans to those who have adapted over the last month, here’s a snapshot of the Flexe team’s WFH experience and biggest takeaways:
Keep people in the frame
“Trust that everyone is working just as hard as you are. If your teammates have kids and pets, be prepared to not hear back from them immediately, and be open to allowing people to work more flexible schedules.” — Chris Daltas, Principal UX Designer
Make time for deep work
“In a previous job, I regularly worked from home at least one day per week. These used to be my most productive days and I subconsciously expected that to be the same for this situation. But when everyone is working from home, it’s more challenging to find time for deep thinking in between meetings. To address that, we’re piloting a new ‘no meeting Thursday’ in the tech org to help find time to focus on larger projects.” — Julia Donald, Sr. Manager, Solutions Design
“One thing that I found to be helpful is muting Slack and my phone for about 30 minutes at a time to focus on projects and then come back to resolve any issues that may have come up during that time.” — Robert Gonzalez, Tech Support Specialist II
Forge stronger connections
“Start meetings by simply and sincerely asking ‘How are you doing?’ Often this question leads to conversations, builds connections, and lets your meeting attendee know that you care about their well being. Because I work with teammates and customers all over the country, this check-in has also allowed me to understand different local reactions to the pandemic that I normally would have missed.” — Kay Sautter, Sr. Implementation Project Manager
Separate home and work
“Taking the time to create a workspace that channels focus and creativity forces me to improve my posture, and separates me from distractions. To do this, I position my desk near sources of natural light, keep a coordinated set of colors near me, and wear noise-canceling headphones.” — Christopher Engelbrecht, Senior Software Development Engineer
“Getting into a routine is key. I had my before-work routine at the office which prepared me for the day and I try to do the same at home. Since there’s no community kitchen here, I keep pre-portioned snacks around to help me avoid lingering in the kitchen trying to make a choice.” — Sam Mueller, Lead Logistics Analyst
While the pandemic presents new challenges and disruptions, we’re fortunate to have a close-knit team and the technology to keep us connected. Look out for part two of our WFH series and get to know more about our team in past meetFlexe profiles.
