An Open Letter of Working in the COVID-19 Pandemic

How We’re Feeling

I’ve always thought there’s no way that I could work from home, and I was concerned about working remotely. However, I quickly realized I would not have any problem staying busy, and everyone seemed to be acclimating to their at-home workspaces while being productive. I do miss the personal connections and walking down the hall to talk to someone instead of having to email or call. I am so proud of the way we have all met the challenges, and I’m so thankful to work with people who care so much about our well-being.

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Working from home has been more difficult than I imagined. What began as only a couple of weeks away has now turned into three months with no real end in sight. I guess the old saying that “the only thing certain is change” is true. And even though things are running smoothly, that doesn’t mean I enjoy working from a distance. But, I’ve also realized that I’m not alone. So many people are suffering without work to support their families. So, until the time comes to return to our office, I’ve decided to stop feeling sorry and be thankful for what we do have.

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I’ve always enjoyed short stints of working from home. However, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that I realized how valuable an office (away from home) and interpersonal interactions with my fellow teammates truly is! Technology is great, but I honestly miss the value of sitting with co-workers discussing a client call, or running a printed version of a deck by my boss and watching her markups and body language. I will never again take for granted the value of face-to-face interaction and hope to always be a blessing to others in such situations.

What We’re Learning

• • Regardless of where I work, whether it’s at home or on the 13th floor of the Regions Building, I still love what I do

  • I work a whole lot better when I’m immersed in the creative energy that permeates our company. I love being around my creative colleagues

  • In times of crisis, leadership is critically important

  • My dogs can be obnoxious during the day

  • It’s possible to have too many “work” shoes

  • I've relearned what has become my mantra, "technology good." No kidding. Technology, good.

  • Gratitude is a powerful thing in trying times

  • That “essential” comes in many different and unexpected forms (for example, the UPS guy)

  • My business partners are ready for crunch time

  • I spent too much time “getting ready” in the morning and I stayed too late most days at the office

  • That Arkansans are, for the most part, smart people and did not succumb to the panic that gripped many other states during the pandemic

  • That a lot of people have pressure washers

  • That reconnecting - with my people, my home, my dogs - has been a mystical, magical gift that I was given in the midst of the madness

  • I’ve learned that who you experience adversity with makes a big damn difference

What We’re Doing

Working from home means living at work, but that's fine with me. Personally, I have been far more productive being closer to my family. There is more time in the day after you account for no walks to school, commute times, lunch breaks, picking kids up from school, walking dogs, etc. That's not to say that I don't miss the routine of making breakfasts, packing lunches and attending school events and after school sports. It just provides more focus time for delivery. Our family makes up for it later.

• • Our family adopted another Greyhound who has been a challenge. Groceries are also a challenge. It's like a buffet here for kids, so when the parents are busy working, it’s tough to police mealtime schedules.

  • I adopted a puppy Labrador Retriever. It’s been nice training her and having something I can focus on outside of work.

  • At first I joined a lot of virtual happy hours, sometimes with people I haven’t even met before. Now I just reconnect with close family & friends.

  • When setting up your home office, the only thing “inside the box” should be your new feline co-worker.

  • Coordinating my mask with the rest of my outfit.

  • Homeschooling and trying to relearn 5th grade writing, geography and math

  • Lots of pool-time with the kids

Grouper culture is unique. We get stuff done, but I really do miss my ComGroup family probably more than I anticipated at the beginning of this. No one expected to be out of the office for this long. We were supposed to just be testing our remote capabilities for two days. With cases steadily on the rise, we are now faced with the question of when to go back.