Leverage the Learning
I’m a firm believer that every experience—good or bad—can be an opportunity for growth. So as we move through the pandemic crisis, I’m asking myself this question: “What have I learned that I want to carry into the future with me?”
It hasn’t taken long to see that, while it’s been stressful, the crisis has brought personal growth in several areas. Here are some lessons I hope to leverage in the days ahead.
- Relationships are vital. I intend to be more intentional in seeking and maintaining them.
- Crisis brings opportunity. I would never have wished for a crisis like this, but I’ve found new opportunities for my business. I want to keep that possibility mindset as things normalize.
- Self-care pays dividends. In the early stages of the crisis, I recognized the toll of the added stress and workload on me personally and my team. We moved temporarily to a six-hour workday to ensure that we didn’t burn out. Productivity has never been higher.
I realized some of these things before, of course. But the crisis has shown me just how much important these truths are. I’m a better leader now that I was eight weeks ago.
What lessons will you take with you from this crisis?
Increase Contact and Context in Remote Communication
For remote work, we rely heavily on digital platforms like Zoom. Unfortunately, the same digital technologies that make it so easy to exchange information can make it more difficult to achieve understanding.
That’s because we miss out on the casual interactions and hallway conversations that strengthen relationships and build trust. Also missing are contextual clues like body language, facial expression, and tone of voice.
Without context, misunderstandings are more likely to occur. Without contact, trust can quickly dissolve into suspicion. The result, all too often, is a war of words carried out through electronic messages.
You can avoid that by allowing space for casual conversations among remote workers. Begin team meetings by celebrating your wins and allowing some friendly banter. Designate one Slack channel as a digital water cooler, where people can share personal news, jokes, and recipes.
Contact and context. They both are essential for remote communication.
Reconnect with Your Why
The pandemic has shifted many things in our lives, including some of our goals. It simply hasn’t been possible to pursue some of them. Others may now seem obsolete.
While goals may change, your vision for your life doesn’t have to.
Review each of your goals but rather than asking, “Can I still achieve this?” reconnect to your why. Review your top three reasons for selecting that goal and ask, “What am I really trying to accomplish here? What’s my motivation?”
Some goals may not survive, that’s true. But your vision for each life domain will. Get back in touch with your why, and you’ll see new ways to achieve your vision.
How to Decrease Zoom Fatigue
Working remotely, we’re all taking more video meetings than usual. That has produced an unexpected side-effect that many are calling “Zoom fatigue.”
One reason for that is that video conferencing requires a higher level of focus than an in-person meeting. At first, it’s fun to see everyone’s face at the same time. But that soon creates a lot of visual distraction. Also, it can be harder to hear what’s being said because of poor connection quality or over-talking by other participants.
One way to reduce fatigue is to simplify the visual presentation. Consider using the Speaker View feature in Zoom, which displays a larger picture of the person who is speaking.
And since looking at your own face is likely your biggest distraction, hide your image so it will appear to others but not to you.
Journal Your Gratitude
Hold on, this is easier than it sounds! There’s nothing quite like the practice of gratitude for lifting your spirits and changing your attitude. And you don’t have to be a daily journaler, as I am, to do this!
All you need to do is take a moment every day to answer the question, “What am I grateful for right now?” I do that as part of my morning routine. But you can do it anytime, as long as you’re intentional about it.
And if you don’t have a Full Focus Journal, it’s no problem. Just jot your answer in your Planner, or Evernote, or anywhere you like. The power is in taking the time to notice your gratitude and write it down.
Getting tired of social distancing? You’re not alone. The practice of recording your daily gratitude will elevate your attitude and give you the energy to keep going!
Connect Outside the (Virtual) Office
During this crisis, most of us are feeling the loss of connection with others. Surprisingly, that applies to even the casual relationships we have at work, the gym, or even the coffee shop.
Researchers have determined that people are happier on days when they greet a colleague in the hallway or have even a brief conversation at the grocery store.
The good news is that you can supply some of that missing contact through Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other video conferencing platforms. Host a virtual book club, or an online “happy hour” after work. Get the team together for a video cooking class or yoga practice.
Your teammates miss each other! Helping them connect is a double win.
Manage Outcomes, Not Activities
If you’ve shifted to leading a remote team, you’ve already noticed a key difference. When they’re not in the office, it’s impossible for you to know what team members are actually doing.
You may be tempted to up the accountability by asking for daily activity reports or installing employee monitoring software.
Here’s a better solution: manage outcomes.
The beauty of remote work is that it gives team members greater control over their schedule and workflow. Your best employees will thrive under that system. And for those who have performance issues, looking over their shoulder won’t help.
Set clear expectations, then give team members the freedom to meet them on their own. Their performance will speak for itself.
Create a Go-to-Work Ritual
Working at home offers a lot of advantages, including casual dress and zero commuting time. But there’s a tradeoff.
Getting dressed for work and driving to the office play an important role in getting you psychologically ready to work. Without them, it can be difficult to get your mind to focus.
In the same way, driving home provides time to unwind. Both transitions are important: from home to work and from work to home.
The solution is to add a transitional step to your morning routine. That might be as simple as putting on shoes instead of slippers or taking a walk around the block. It can be anything that signals, “It’s time to shift into work mode.”
You can create a similar transition from work to home, maybe the same one in reverse.
Try it, and see if it doesn’t boost your focus!
Go Outside
Looking for a good stress-buster? Go outside!
The sun provides a healthy dose of Vitamin D, which is not present in large doses in foods. And this “sunshine vitamin” is great for boosting mood and energy.
Being outdoors is also great for your immune system, and boosts creativity! According to a study by the National Institute of Health, taking a walk increased creativity in 81 percent of participants. And the best results were seen in those who walked outdoors versus on an indoor treadmill.
Practicing social distancing does not necessarily mean staying indoors. To elevate your mood, boost your creativity, and increase your well-being, go outside!
Recognize the Stress
Have you seen the meme that goes like this: “Your grandparents were called to war. You’re called to sit on the couch. You can do it!”
That’s humorous at first. But it ignores the hidden stressors brought on by the current crisis. In this case, our two basic instincts for handling a threat—fight or flight—don’t apply. There’s nowhere to run in a global pandemic. And the only way most of us can “fight” the virus is to stay at home.
Added to the uncertainty we’re all feeling, and this enforced inactivity is actually quite stressful!
Do yourself a favor and recognize the strain you’re under. If you’re feeling more tense than usual, you’re normal! Acknowledge that this is a stressful time, even for those of us who are not engaged in front-line work. Give yourself some grace. Get some extra self-care. You might even consider a telehealth appointment with a counselor.
Recognizing the problem is half the solution. We’ll get through this!
Use Technology to Fight Technology
What keeps you on task when there’s no one else around? Working from home, you lack the subtle peer accountability provided by coworkers. You may find that you’ve been scrolling through your social media feed without realizing it.
To avoid that, I use technology to fight technology. My favorite weapon is an app called Freedom. It locks me out of certain other apps or sites when I need to focus on deep work.
This is incredibly valuable because the click patterns that get us into social media easily become coded into muscle memory. When you come back from a break, your thumbs hit the shortcut to Facebook before you realize what’s happening.
That’s when Freedom kicks in. If I’m tempted to browse the web or check social media during my writing time, my device gently nudges me back to work.
I choose the sites and apps to block, and I determine when to block them and for how long. And Freedom syncs across all my devices so I can’t accidentally get distracted by my phone or tablet.
Freedom keeps me free to focus on what matters. It can do the same for you.
Pomodoro Your Deep Work
Do you face more distractions when working from home, or fewer? If you said more, your big challenge is staying on task. If you said fewer, you may find yourself working too long without a refreshing break.
Either way, here’s a simple solution: the Pomodoro Technique. It’s super easy.
This method, developed by Francesco Cirillo, uses a timer to break down work into 25–minute intervals separated by a five-minute break. Cirillo, who is Italian, used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to track his work and break periods. (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato.) You might use the timer on your phone, or an online app like Focus Booster.
The 5-minute break gives you predictable times to connect with family members or coworkers, minimizing the need for interruptions. It’s also a reminder to get up, stretch your legs, and refresh your mind. You’ll be more productive longer because you’re periodically rejuvenated.
Control Your Inputs
During this crisis, you’re vulnerable to more than just the coronavirus. While that threatens your physical health, the “virus” of negative thinking can threaten your outlook and your leadership.
It’s hard to keep yourself motivated—let alone motivate others—when all you hear is bad news. Right now it’s more critical than ever to control the inputs into your mind.
Yes, we’re in a crisis. Much of the news is bad. But most media sources report much more than the events themselves. Commentary, conjecture, complaining, blaming, and arguing occupy a large portion of the news cycle. That negative talk can dominate social media as well.
But it doesn’t have to infect your mind. When you go to a buffet restaurant, you don’t have to eat everything offered. You can take what you need and leave the rest. Do that with the media too.
Get your news update, then move on. Take time to read some good news. You can’t allow your outlook to be invaded by pessimism, anger, or fear.
Take a Break Every Half Hour
The problem with working from home is not working too little. It’s working too much. Without the distractions of a busy office, it’s tempting to plow through task after task without a break.
But that’s counterproductive in the long run. Within an hour or two, your brain becomes fatigued and your productivity plummets.
Keep focused longer by using the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes to do focused work. Then take a five-minute break. Every two hours, break for 20 minutes.
That’ll keep your mind fresh. Plus? The breaks allow you to check-in with your kids, if you have them at home. When they see you once or twice every hour, you’ll be interrupted less frequently.
Clear Your Desk
I know. You have a pile for everything, and you know exactly what’s in each one. That may be fine as your personal filing system. But all that clutter kills your focus.
According to researchers at Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, “Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout the visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.”
In other words, seeing all that stuff makes your brain slower, like a computer with too many apps open.
Want to get more done in less time? Clear off your workspace!
Put Your “Why” in Plain Sight
The coronavirus crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. To be productive for the long term, you’ll need to keep your motivation high. The best way to do that is to reconnect with your “why” frequently.
Why do you want to be productive? What’s your purpose? What are you working for?
If your family motivates you, keep a photo within sight. If you’re focused on saving for a trip to the beach (when that becomes possible), set a seashell next to your monitor, a vacation photo as your desktop image.
Focus on your why, and you won’t lose your way!
Create a Cone of Silence
Deep work requires periods of intense focus punctuated by intentional breaks. To create a zone of focus, use technology to fight interruptions. Here are two tools for creating a virtual cone of silence, even with kids or coworkers nearby.
Dohm White Noise Machine. Place it in your workspace, or just outside the door. The soothing sound will block unwanted sound and put you into laser-focus.
Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones.These amazing headphones use a teeny bit of white noise to mask exterior sound, even without music playing. You can also stream your favorite focus music.
These are two of our favorite solutions. There are plenty of others at a variety of price points. Find one that works for you, and focus like never before!
A Simple Way to Boost Your Team’s Confidence
Team members are feeling a lot of anxiety right now, at work and at home. To beat this crisis, we need to keep ourselves and our teams calm and confident.
You can do that by posing two simple questions for your team every day.
- What are you grateful for regarding the company or your team (for example, a capability, a teammate, a way we can serve our customers)?
- What gives you confidence today?
Drop these questions into Slack, email, or whatever channel you use for internal communication. You’ll be amazed how a little gratitude positive thinking ups the attitude of your entire company.
Why You Need Daily Rituals Now More Than Ever
Lots of people are responding to this crisis in one of two ways. The first is to overwork in an attempt to keep things under control. The second is to retreat into worry. In either case, self-care gets neglected.
Yet this is exactly when you need self-care the most. To combat the emotional, mental, and physical strain of this event, rely on your daily rituals. Don’t neglect your morning self-care and your evening preparation for rest.
Double down on your workday startup and shutdown rituals. Enter each day with calm and focus. Then draw the workday to a close with confidence. You need that in order to stay focused, rested, and ready to lead.
Remember this: You are your company’s greatest asset. Take care of yourself.
10-Minute Self-Care Tips
Leaders dive straight into a challenge, sometimes at the neglect of their own wellbeing. Huge mistake. You need all of your strength and emotional reserves for the long haul, not just a week or two.
Here are 10 tips for stress-busting that you can do in just 10 minutes.
- Take a walk. Time outdoors refreshes the mind.
- Listen to soothing music. A huge help in your evening routine.
- Call a friend. Human connection fills a vital need.
- Write in a journal. Examine negative thoughts and emotions, and they lessen.
- Give thanks. Expressing gratitude to others will lift your own spirits.
- Take a break. Walk away from the laptop periodically.
- Tell a joke. Humor is great medicine, especially when shared.
- Drink water. Dehydration makes you feel yucky.
- Hold hands. When possible, keep the human connection with family members.
- Turn off the news. Get your update, then get out. Don’t obsess over what you can’t control.
5 Options for Handling Goals During Crisis
The current crisis has many of us wonder what to do with our goals. The restrictions we’re facing have narrowed our range of possibilities. Don’t be too hasty to abandon your goals. Here are five possible solutions.
Rejoice. If you achieved a goal, rejoice in it! Don’t neglect celebrating wins during this time.
Recommit. Reconnect to your “why.” It’s harder to achieve goals right now, for sure. But if it still stokes your passion, you may just need to recommit to it.
Revise. If you can’t pursue a goal as written, try revising the due date, the measure, or some other aspect. You may be able to preserve the achievement in a slightly different form.
Replace. If a goal simply doesn’t work right now, try replacing it with a similar goal in the same life domain. You might achieve the same purpose by different means.
Remove. Some goals may not be relevant during this crisis. If your current resources or priorities make a goal obsolete, just delete it. These are your goals, after all.
The situation is challenging right now, but there are plenty of things you can achieve, even now. Choose your approach, and keep working.
Top Tips for Remote Working with Kids at Home
School closures add another level of complexity to working from home. Here are some parent-tested tips for remote work when you have children at home.
- Negotiate parenting responsibilities with your spouse. Clarity is a marriage saver!
- Plan the day in 30-minute increments. Variety equals focus.
- Enlist kids in doing more chores. Now that’s a Double Win!
- Choose a project a day. Imagination is the greatest toy.
- Post the schedule each morning. That heads off many questions.
- Connect before doing deep work. A few minutes of focused time can free you to focus.
- Take advantage of downtime. When teenagers sleep, you focus.
- Signal when you’re working. A Post-It, a closed door, or “Mommy’s going to work now,” whatever works.
- Keep up your shutdown ritual. You need to decompress, and they need to have you “home” from work.
You can do this!
The Question That Changes Everything
These are stressful times for leaders. With the uncertainty in the marketplace, it’s tempting to adopt worst-case thinking and become reactive. Here’s a simple tip for keeping a growth mindset despite the current crisis.
Ask yourself, “What does this make possible?”
What new products or services are possible in this context? What efficiencies can be gained from having a remote team? What can I accomplish with the time gained from travel or event cancellations?
Start thinking about possibilities, and they will begin to appear.
How to Keep Your Team United While Working Remotely
Remote work offers tremendous advantages for productivity, but it has a downside. The casual interactions that happen naturally in an office are no longer possible. There are no hallway conversations, drop-in visits, or chats around the coffee pot. The team can start to feel disconnected. When that happens, trust erodes very quickly.
Here’s a tip for keeping a remote team connected. Hold a virtual coffee break. Designate a 20-minute period for casual interaction via video chat. We use Zoom, but there are many other platforms. Appoint a moderator, and observe the One Conversation Rule. Celebrate wins, exchange personal updates, and even share a joke or two.
When you notice something missing from remote team dynamics that you counted on in the office, replace it virtually.
Designated Channels for Communication
Remote teams can work from anywhere, which is a great advantage. One downside is that they may resort to communicating through whichever medium is handy at the moment. Text messaging from Starbucks. Phone calls from the car. Email or Slack from the laptop. Conversations easily spill across channels making it nearly impossible to follow the thread.
You can avoid that by designating specific channels for various types of communication. Here’s what we use for each purpose.
- External Communication. We currently use Gmail for email. It’s the business standard, and easily tracks threads and stores attachments.
- Internal Communication. Slack only. It’s versatile, searchable, and intuitive. This tool is ideally suited for remote teams.
- Video Conferencing.We use Zoom, but there are other good platforms. The point is to pick one and get the whole team using it.
- Document Storage.We use Google Docs. The big sell here is its simplicity, plus a killer search feature. Again, it matters less what you use than that you settle on a single tool.
Simplify your communications channels, and you’ll spend a lot less time asking, “Now where did I see that?”
The Virtual Workroom
Introverts tend to like working remotely more than extroverts do. However, both may miss the buzz of the office, the frequent interactions, and even the chatter of others working nearby.
Solution: The Virtual Workroom.
Use Zoom, Focusmate, or another online platform to create a virtual space where people can work “together.” Leave the mics on so you can hear the keyboards tapping and papers shuffling. You’ll be amazed at how close it feels to being in the same room.
Bonus: The subtle peer accountability is also great for boosting focus.
Ten Focus Tips for Working from Home
Working remotely can supercharge your productivity. But there are inherent distractions. Here are 10 tips for staying focused while working from home.
- List your Daily Big 3. This tool is more important now than ever.
- Designate a workspace. It’s more productive than floating.
- Take frequent breaks. Try 5 minutes every half hour, or 10 minutes every hour.
- Find a virtual workmate. Having a Zoom or Focusmate partner keeps you in the seat.
- Use a startup ritual. You need this to transition from “home” to “work.”
- Use a shutdown ritual. This helps you transition from “work” to “home.”
- Signal your family when you’re working. A closed door, a baseball cap, a Post-It note: anything will do.
- Go outside. A brief walk will boost your mental acuity and focus.
- Use noise-reduction headphones. This really helps with kids at home.
- Block social media. We like Freedom for this. It keeps you from scrolling.