It’s Feel Good Friday! Today on the Daily Grind, we highlighted how you can create a better virtual workplace with insights from industry speaker Alissa Carpenter, CEO of Everything’s Not OK and That’s OK.
Alissa Carpenter founded Everything’s Not Ok and That’s Ok in 2015 after more than a decade of work in higher education. She is an author, TEDx speaker, podcast host and learning facilitator working with organizations to transform the way employees communicate by creating inclusive workplaces.
“When working from home, I always stress giving yourself grace and give others grace, because this is so different from a regular work from home situation. I see this more as a crisis work from home, so a lot of the strategies and tips I would usually share are just not always possible,” explained Carpenter.
“Give yourself permission to acknowledge not every moment is going to be ok. If you can set aside time and set new expectations for yourself, that is very important. In this new normal, really establish what you can expect from yourself, what your expectations should be and what needs to be deferred to your supervisor.
Expectations and communication are the two biggest things you need to focus on right now, and it really transcends the time that we’re in. Know who is responsible for what and what the priorities are is so important.
Before we were in this situation and just in the office and working with your colleagues there might have been ten projects on the docket and things shifted at a vastly quicker rate; things are different now. We’re no longer literally face to face, so communication is going to be the key to making sure everyone is on the same page.
The other thing people are really struggling with are work hours. I’m finding people are getting stuck in an ever shifting on-demand schedule. We’re not really setting clear expectations or boundaries and that’s vital trying to stay levelheaded as we move forward in this crisis.
Another tip to be aware of us is with restrictive communication, its vital to always be showing gratitude. Now more than ever we did in the past – to do those “Check-In’s.” Things such as “I appreciate you, what you’ve been doing for our team, etc.”
Sending something physical, something simple like a card, or even an e-card – just something different that catches them by surprise and lets them know they are valued goes a long way to keep our connections strong,” concluded Carpenter.
