Taking care of yourself (and your team) while figuring out remote work

You’ve probably received a mountain of ‘We’re here for you during COVID-19’ emails. You now have more daily distractions than you can count. You may be working out of a comfortable home office, or possibly from the kitchen counter or a pile of large textbooks in the corner. Your WiFi may be sagging under the weight of a thousand Netflix subscriptions simultaneously streaming in your neighborhood.

It’s understandable. Sidelining anything that isn’t mission critical right now is more than a coping mechanism — it’s a way to survive.

In the midst of these extraordinary circumstances, you just might also be struggling to get your job done. Your current concerns likely go well beyond the professional to the medical and even the economic arenas. (It’s OK; you’re not alone there.)

But there’s something important that could lead to improved performance, more productivity, and (yes) even greater job security. Or it could position you as a competitive candidate for future roles.

You may have guessed that we’re talking about professional development.

Have you thought about it lately? (No one would blame you if you haven’t.) But it’s the single element that may not just be a welcome distraction right now — it could serve you and your teammates well especially when the future is uncertain.

If our professional development (or that of your team) has gone by the wayside, you can still make it a priority. Here are some expert tips from around the web.

• When it comes to their own growth, individuals shouldn’t have to go it alone. Managers should be a part of the growth conversation, said Devin Rogozinski in a post for Atlassian. Getting aligned on strengths and opportunities is the start. Then they build an actionable plan where progress can be tracked and shared — in Trello, of course. Kickstarting a remote discussion via video could be your first step.
• Organizations can opt to build flexible formal programs. There may be no better time to institute change than when in the midst of it. Instead of a ladder, careers at your company could look more like a jungle gym. Building a better Buffer’s Hailley Griffis shared Buffer’s career framework, which provides a path and rationale for employees to grow horizontally…think breadth as well as depth. Her post also includes a free copy of their Level and Placement guide.
• Social distancing (or distances of any kind) can still allow for mentoring. A recent Harvard Business Review article, by co-authors David G. Smith, professor of sociology, and W. Brad Johnson a professor of psychology, covered this timely topic. How can we support our colleagues as mentors these days? “Be a role model, show vulnerability, and share authentically about your own experiences during the shutdown of normal work,” Smith says. Each of us is working differently than usual these days, no matter if we’re accustomed to working from home or not.

When it comes to less formal, ‘just-in-time’ forms of learning, there are plenty of low-cost and free asynchronous options online, and many digital certificate programs may soon reduce their fees given the current economic climate.

To determine what course of action would be best for you, consider creating a personal SWOT matrix. (Yep, SWOT matrices aren’t just for your next marketing meeting.) This article from MindTools has a great list of questions to get you started. And check out their infographic on the subject.

If you’re a manager, your support of colleagues’ professional development will build loyalty and impact retention. And you owe it to yourself to invest in your growth. After all, your team needs the best version of you in hard times.

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Is professional development on your list of to-dos? Share your plans with us — or if you have a question, leave it here for the community!