The highs and lows of a year at home

I know I am lucky not to have been impacted by the pandemic as significantly as many people, and similarly Sky Betting & Gaming hasn’t experienced the severe impacts many businesses have. Despite that, the last 12 months have been tough, and as we approach the milestone of a year working at home I wanted to share some of the ups and downs.  

Over the last year we have experienced challenges with communication, catch ups with staff and well-being.  But there were also positives particularly around home/work balance and employee well-being becoming more front of mind: these are two changes that are here to stay. Although I’m looking forward to normality returning (whatever that will mean!), there is no doubt that there are learnings from the last year that will shape our working lives going forward.  

Challenges 

There have been many challenges brought about by the pandemic, including becoming a 100% remote workforce overnight which has been compounded by the pressures of living with various degrees of lockdown. 

Well-Being  

The biggest challenge I have found is how tiring it is to work 100% remotely. Staring at a screen for the whole day is draining, and I finish the day much more tired than in the office, especially when one meeting runs into another. To try and combat that I’ve started having 25-minute catch-ups instead of 30, and doing some meetings as old-fashioned phone calls rather than Zoom meetings just to break things up. As a business we have trialled a company-wide lunch hour, with time blocked out to keep it meeting free.  Feedback on that has been great so far, with the ‘gap’ providing a genuine break from work or just time to think away from Zoom.  

One of my biggest challenges has been ending the day: I don’t think it matters what level of responsibility you have, everyone faces this. We’ve lost routine, and driving/walking was our time to either prepare for or wind down from work; however, there’s now a blurred line between the day starting and ending. If I had ￡1 for every time my wife had told me I was grumpy straight after finishing I would have a lot of pounds! I never appreciated how the drive home helped end the working day before. 

Catching Up 

It’s brilliant that we have so many tools to keep us all connected, but the way we interact has changed. We’re now in the habit of scheduling chats instead of having impromptu catch-ups. This means that we miss out on knowing how people really feel and what’s truly on their minds: conversations have become focused on day-to-day work rather than meaningful chats. Quick chats on the way to a meeting or in the kitchen making a coffee often sparked an idea or thought to follow up on, and there is no doubt that losing these will have reduced our innovation.  

To combat the structured catch ups and really get into how we are feeling or address the challenges/opportunities we have, my Senior Team now have a weekly ‘Open Mic’ session, which is 45 minutes for us to talk about anything. This has helped us solve problems and has helped me ensure I have a happy team.  

Communication 

Communication was easier in the office. You walked past someone and got an update or checked on how they felt, one-to-one catch ups were more informative with the additional body-language cues and even at company-wide presentations you could read the room to see how a message was landing.  

I’ve had to think a lot more about how I communicate with people virtually and how updates to the whole business work. Tone is important, and when a digital message is shared it can often be misinterpreted. I think it’s more difficult to get the tone right when you’re writing an email, and once that message has been delivered you don’t receive the real-time feedback you would if you were in the office.  

There have been positives for me and my Senior Team. We’ve had to think more about the frequency and channels we use to communicate effectively. I’ve learnt that to maintain engagement and keep information flowing you need various communication mechanics, from regular all-business updates and fortnightly videos to (slightly terrifying!) live Q&As.  

Our visibility as a Senior Team is important and I believe we’ve become more present (despite not being in an office) through our regular communication, and it’s a priority of mine to build on this when we’re back in the office.  

Positives 

In amongst the challenges there have been positives to take from the last year, and some things that will change forever.  

Flexibility & Well-Being Focus  

Employee well-being has been at the heart of our decision making and communication throughout the last year as it became immediately apparent how tough things were for people.  At Sky Betting & Gaming we have been lucky that we can provide flexibility to make things easier. We have been clear that everyone has their own busy times and that managers should work with people in their teams to decide how and when they want to work. 

Previously we have never articulated or talked as openly about employee well-being, but its now firmly here to stay.   

Family Life 

Being at home so much has been great for spending more time with my family. Having had a second child during lockdown it has been a massive positive to be around more during the day, something I couldn’t do as much with baby #1. There have been more opportunities to do things during the day with my toddler, whether that’s a quick trip to the park or a quick ‘scoot’ round the block when I have gaps in meetings. I’m also aiming to be able to do this on some days once office life is back.  

Rising to the Challenge 

Finally, the last 12 months have highlighted what a fantastic workforce we have at Sky Betting & Gaming.  To move to working 100% remotely (with all the challenges that has brought) and still maintain the output and service to customers is a monumental achievement. 

Hopefully the next 12 months are as eventful and exciting but just with more getting out and about!!