Like most organisations, YGAM have been adapting to remote working as we follow the current guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the last three weeks, I have welcomed two new members to my team and my induction plan had to be quickly adapted to meet our current working conditions. It has tested my leadership skills as I try to ensure my team receive the support needed in a new role, whilst also ensuring they’re not overburdened or isolated whilst I myself negotiate home working with a seven year old in tow as my husband (an NHS worker) puts in 15-hour days, seven days a week.
Thank goodness for technology! The phone calls have been plentiful, and our TEAMS team meetings have allowed us to get to know one another, albeit virtually for now. We’ve had ‘getting to know you’ meetings and today a quiz to mix things up. Quite often conversations take place naturally in an office environment and it has been important for us to still have those human interactions about life outside work and the current pandemic which envelopes us all.
We have discovered we have a very well-travelled team and we had a giggle when discussing our spirit animals. Best line of the day, “A dog in a cats body.” It was also interesting (and very funny) to hear about one team member’s love of GOT and how she lost her cool when she met Kit Harrington.
As a team we thought we’d share what has worked well for us:
- Clear and tangible goals, demonstrating how we all feed in to the desired outcome.
- Regular meetings with visuals. Not just face to face with Teams, Zoom or Skype but as our team are visual learners, they like to see things demonstrated and they like to be able to follow the process through. Interacting with each deliverable and how it filters through to them and how they support the strategic vision has been useful and all the colourful diagrams and spreadsheets are coming in handy.
- Taking care of our emotional health. What can I do? How can I help? Has been the mantra here right now. We are all negotiating a new, albeit temporary, way of life, some of us are home-schooling adding to the mix so we are grateful for the flexibility and the open lines of communication. We’ve encouraged and ensured we are having regular, open dialogue and that wellbeing is every bit as important as performance. Virtual coffee mornings and daily check ins have been extremely useful.
- Motivational talks and coaching to support with managing tasks has been crucial and we have also been picking up new skills and enrolling on new online courses.
- Yoga/Walking/meditation/prayer and a healthy dose of Netflix have been vital kept us going.
We hope you’re all keeping well. Linda, Asma, Amy and Claire.
