First things first. Yes, I used the words “love and “laughter” alongside “pandemic.” In no way am I making light of the crisis that has unfolded, of the loss and damage it has caused around the world. But now more than ever, we need to shine a spotlight on those instances of love and laughter when they occur—and, of course, we all could use some tips and tricks to navigate our new (yet hopefully temporary) reality.
In this new blog series, I’ll share with the entire Buck “family”—colleagues, clients, soon-to-be-clients, and others who are part of our network—on a regular basis what we’re learning here at Buck as we endeavor to continue to meet our commitments to our clients and each other.
I recognize that many of us have to wear two hats: Keeping employees present and productive while also figuring out how to successfully work from home with kids, spouses, perhaps even elderly family members. These tips and tricks are meant for you, as well as to share with your employees.
The tip that rules them all: Bring your authentic self.
We reached a tipping point sometime in the past few years where it was no longer a “crime” to have your dog bark, or your child yell out, “hey Dad, we’re out of orange juice” during a conference call. Now, with so many of us having to work from home—alongside spouses who are similarly “sheltering in place” and children who no longer can go to school—such instances are part of the daily rhythm.
But rather than cringe when it happens, embrace it. Tilt your webcam to show everyone how cute your dog is, invite your son to wave to those you’re meeting with. The smiles you’ll bring to your colleagues will easily offset the temporary halt in productivity.
Speaking of kids home from school…. One of my colleagues shared a list of online educational resources to positively keep children engaged. While the list (provided at the end of this blog) is great, what made me smile though was the email subject line: Working from Home with Kids: [expletive deleted] that’s hard!
Better still, I learned one of this colleague’s children plays drums under the name “Vegan Drummer Girl.” That is so awesome… and something I might never have learned about if it weren’t for these challenging times.
So there you have it: the first installment of Working from home in a pandemic: Tips and tricks, love and laughter.
Online resources to keep your children engaged, entertained, and educated
- Online listing of education companies offering free resources
- Circle Round: podcasts of folk tales from around the world.
- “Learn at Home” website for families provided by Scholastic.
- Virtual exhibit tours offered by museums around the world:
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- British Museum, London
- Guggenheim Museum, New York
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Musée d’Orsay, Paris
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
- Pergamon Museum, Berlin
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence
- MASP, São Paulo
- National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
- Resources for younger children: