Staying Strong during the Pandemic Pandemonium Part 2

This is the continuation of my previous blog. A big thank you to HR experts and leaders Kyra Matkovich, Anish Aravind, Jeff Palkowski & Kevin Hubbard for sharing their experience with me.

Role of HR in calming the storm

Staying in a lockdown for a longer period of time is stressful. There are parenting struggles, relationship issues, conflicts with roommates, loneliness and what not. Add other factors like fear of losing job, frustration, anger, reduced income and it is a mess.  We are at a very critical juncture right now, everyone around us needs support and there are a lot of things HR can do to help :-

• To start off, send regular communications to employees. Keeping them informed and well aware of what is going on is helpful to reduce stress. Information like business updates, crisis management, FAQ on the company policies, protocol to be followed in case somebody has tested positive for corona virus are top priority right now. 
• It is also good to share tips on how leaders can manage a remote team, tools, technologies and platforms available to help employees, general information mails on symptoms of corona virus, how to stay safe and healthy etc. is more useful than you think. 
• Share tips on Exercise and fitness. If your company already have a fitness partner check if its possible to conduct online fitness sessions.
• Mental health and stress management is very important when you are confined to a closed space. Advice on stress relief techniques, breathing exercises, online contests/games/puzzles etc. are all appreciated.
• Parenting advice on engaging kids or even a simple mail which says that it is ok to have noisy kids in the background is quite reassuring for many people.

Kyra says “I also reach out to employees individually to just simply ask them how they are doing, and how this situation is impacting them, giving them room to express themselves. It's one thing to ask how work is going. It's another to ask them how they are doing and feeling, what challenges they are experiencing, and how I might be able to support them.”

You need the human to human connection to maintain your sanity during these difficult times. Everyone is going through a wide range of emotions these days. Check out this blog by Steve Browne on why it is important to have a good cry

It is easy to feel burned out when you are working long hours without a break and working from home makes it difficult to socialize with colleagues. It is a good practice to have virtual coffee breaks where employees can talk about non work related things.It also gives opportunity for people to express themselves outside of work.

Just a few weeks ago SHRM delivered pizza to all its employees and their families as a part of their quarterly meeting. It is such a nice gesture and helps to improve the employee morale during these difficult times. 

Tips on how to make video calls more effective

Long term work from home could have been a lot worse without the technology we have today. The phone calls, social media updates, chat messages and most importantly video calls have created an 'office away from office' feeling when you are working from home. Even if you are working in your pajamas, there are certain etiquette to be followed while on an official video call. Here are some tips to make video calls more effective :-

• Make sure to use the right method of communication based on the agenda and the number of employees included. Some issues can be discussed over a phone call or an email. Make sure each video call warrants a video call. Kevin says “Each organization and department will need to decide what information is important enough to share on a call, and what information should be shared in an email. Once that has been decided, organize this information into an outline or agenda and distribute to those who will be on the call. Not only will this set the correct expectations about what is to be discussed on the call, but it will help to keep the conversation on track.”
• It is always best to start meeting on time as it helps to establish a sense of stability. Also the facilitator needs to make sure that all participants are given a chance to speak/share opinions. 
• Being in a virtual meeting is definitely helpful to keep people engaged and be less distracted. Remember that everyone can see you so make sure to wear appropriate clothing. You must have already seen various funny videos and memes on social media about the blunders that happened over official video calls. Take necessary precautions to avoid being the leading character in such videos.

I remember a meme that said once this pandemic is over people would want to take leave for one week and just stay in office. Granted that working from home for a long time under a lockdown/shelter in place is harder than one could have imagined. I was watching a 90s movie with my preschooler and when she saw the main character working in an office her immediate question was why they aren't working from home and why people don't have laptops. It kind of makes you wonder about the future of the workplace (if there is a workplace i.e).

 

"We have come too far, we have sacrificed too much, to disdain future now.” - John F Kennedy

A big thank you to the contributors to this blog post :

Anish Aravind : Co-Founder and Principal Consultant, SS Consulting; Co-Founder and Director at M/A/R/S Kerala.

Kyra Matkovich : Senior Human Resources Business Partner Specializing In Employee Relations, Leadership & Development.

Jeff Palkowski : Senior Human Resources Specialist, Workforce Relations at University of Wisconsin-Madison, SHRM Volunteer Leader.

Kevin Hubbard: Jack Welch student who is a results driven, self-motivated, detail oriented administrative professional determined to solve problems.