Dear Management, I'm Sorry

To all of my fellow white collar workers I want to say congratulations!! Yes, that't right! Congratulations! Due to the coronavirus the vast majority of us have all been granted our deepest desire...the ability to work from home (WFH), 100%.

I'm not sure about the rest of you but in my office and when speaking with my friends; there are a ton of individuals within the millennial cohort that have long desired to work from home. The question I pose is who can blame us? The core of our responsibilities can be completed remotely. Often times when being mandated to report to an office building on a daily basis it leaves us asking, why? Due to the time we live in anyone can instantly become extremely unstoppable with a laptop and a decent WiFi connection. With the advancement of technology in smart phones we can access our email, attach documents, conduct video calls (meet people), and dial as if we're at our desk (VoIP Technology).

Yet, with all of this being true after the first full week of working from home I find myself apologizing:

Dear Management, I'm sorry.

I apologize for thinking that this was easier. I apologize for not recognizing the blessing of being able to build relationships through daily interaction (internally and externally). I apologize for thinking that I knew best after less than a year within the organization.

During the first five days of our new WFH culture here are some of my biggest revelations:

1.Working from home requires more intentionality

One of the biggest changes I made this year was making sure to get back in the gym. Since the beginning of the year I have been very successful with waking up at 4:30am to get to the gym by 5:00am at least four days a week. I need to keep up this routine in order to be in the shower no later than 6:05am and make it to the office between 7:00am and 7:30am. Since the closings of all local fitness gyms the only workout I've done was today, Saturday. I know, don't judge me, and yes I'm still showering! Lol! :-)

Sure, the thought of being able to go to work in my pj's seemed really cool. However, I've noticed that for whatever reason it has been extremely hard to get up knowing that I don't have to. Since the drastic change in my routine I automatically feel less productive going into the work day, the morning goes by much faster, and I find myself cramming more into the afternoon as 5pm approaches just as fast as noon did.

2.Human interaction is VERY necessary!!

Yes, this is right! A lot of times we feel as if being around a bunch of other people is an annoyance. Being brutally honest, sometimes it is. However, having to be locked away and left to your own devices has the ability to drive a man crazy. During this short time I have discovered a new found appreciation for my co-workers.

For all TEKsystems employees reading this who sit in Southfield, MI....

I LOVE YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! Lol ,< 3

I'm truly thankful for the video conferencing platform, WebEx. It is now to me, so much more than a place where we can conduct conference calls. My team and I have shared multiple laughs this week. In lieu of March Madness being cancelled we had a "rep your squad day" where we dressed in the gear of our favorite team or alma mater (not everyone went to a D-1 school, including me lol) and voted on a winner. Additionally, we did a "cheers to the weekend" wrap up call on Friday. Everyone called in, camera activated, with their beverage of choice in hand and cheered to our momentous accomplishments for the week. We celebrated office numbers and specific individuals who continued to put forth a stellar effort. Being recognized by your peers does something for the soul.

3. Great leadership is essential

During the outbreak of this pandemic many organizations were forced to transition the entire make up of the business unexpectedly. Many questions had to be answered; What infrastructure support is needed for an at-home workforce? What assurances do we need to provide for our staff? When do we make the call to send everyone home? Are we all trained on how to respond in situations of crisis? How will this effect the business of our customers?

Lets face it, no one was 100% prepared for something this big, this early in 2020. We were all getting prepared to review Q1 and using those metrics for 2020 projections.

The only way an organization gets through something like this is by having great leadership. This looks like knowing how to stick to your guns and pivot when necessary. Our organization was sure to send out multiple emails and hold various conference calls as things progressed. This was very important as it made us feel involved and not left in the dark. When employees are seeking answers this breeds pressure. In this time it is very important for local leaders to lean on district, regional, and director level executives on what to do and say. They must put aside all personal feelings, forget about differences, and band together for the greater good of those that are on the front lines keeping the machine moving.

I tip my hat off to company leaders all across the world who are making tough decisions every day. I hope that you are doing what is necessary for you to remain sane and want to simply say, Thank You!!

I'm sure I'll have more revelations in the coming months but all in all this week has been very eye opening. I am both grateful for the ability to work from home and also ready to see my work family again.

Thank you for reading my honest thoughts!

What has working from home done for you? How has it shifted your reality? What are your thoughts and or worries?

Please feel free to share. I love interacting with the LinkedIn community.

Happy quarantine life!! Off to the grocery store I go...again!