Home Sweet Work: how our team has made WFH work for them

Omnicom Group’s CEO, John Wren, sent out an internal memo earlier this week [Interbrand is a part of Omnicom Group Inc.].

Here’s a snippet from it we should all commit to memory:

“In these uncertain times, compassion for one another is critical and I urge everyone to remain conscious of their work/life balance. When your office becomes your home, it can be harder to step away from your computer and have an official end to the workday.”

We asked a few local Interbranders about their respective WFH processes, including tools and tips that are getting them through, from clogs (pictured above) to content to collaborative online spaces.

By Lucy Gavan,
Senior Strategist

In an industry where we express ourselves through clothes — shout out to my writers in all-black — what happens when our attire doesn’t get to see the light of day (bar a neck-up, pixelated-screen preview)?

What happens when we’re just wearing our clothes for the benefit of ourselves and our dogs?

Today marks a milestone for me: I invested in a pair of BIRKENSTOCK clogs to ‘wear around the house’. They’re not the prettiest things, but I feel a case of WFH Stockholm Syndrome (BIRKENSTOCKholm Syndrome?) might develop over time.

This footwear purchase has helped me find my balance. It’s allowed me to retain both a trace of professionalism, plus a sense of routine i.e. my morning ritual of picking out an outfit.

My clogs are a happy WFH medium. They’re more about function than form: comfy, yes, but also actual shoes, so I sit here feeling as though I’ve made an effort.

Obviously, style is personal, but I believe we’re all on the verge of creating a whole new genre of WFH fashion — COVID chic — to cope with the terrifying prospect of losing our self-expression and our professionalism during this era.

By Angela Pavlak,
Senior Project Manager

• Keep a routine. Get up at the same time, go for a walk/run, meditate, have a morning that doesn’t involve work. I can’t emphasise that enough. There’s a tendency for people to overwork right now — you need to
  resist that.
• Have mini-breaks that don’t involve screen time. Be it doing your washing, sitting/moving about on your balcony/garden in the sun, reading a book. Going to the bathroom does not count as a break, and walking to and from the loo isn’t exercise. Please continue going to the bathroom, but also take legit breaks where you Step. Away. From. The. Screens.
• Don’t work in your PJs. A weird one, but, like Lucy, I really miss getting dressed for work. It’s the routine thing, but there’s a mental aspect to it as well: you’re entering Work Mode. I’ve been neglecting my clothes lately, but I still like to get semi-dressed up, since it motivates me to work!

By Amanda Szylo-Duncan, Strategy Director

To make this new normal work in our house, my husband and I split the day: we each take turns working a solid set of hours before switching to homeschool duties or just hanging out with our twin boys.

Whether I’m working the early or later shift, it’s a long day at our place (did I mention there’s no gap in-between?). And although the four of us are ‘alone’ right now, we’re also spending a lot more time looking at screens to do work and to connect with others.

I can easily get to the end of the day feeling a little frazzled.

To help with my mindset, I try and keep one 20-minute block in the day to get outside, by myself, for a walk or a run. Getting outside really helps with perspective. Fresh air and sunlight can’t be overlooked.

If possible, I also try and change where I work in the house. I’ve found a simple shift in my environment, even if it’s just the three steps it takes to move from my desk to my backyard, can be really refreshing.

I need to include one more vital thing… sharing memes with your workmates helps. It’s a serious time, but it’s still important to LOL!

By Alex Creamer, Design Director

I recently surveyed our team about the WFH experience. Below, I’ll share some of the findings. No need to thank me, I put my working from home trousers on one leg at a time, just like you.

Let me begin with the bad. By which I mean internet connections. By which I mean the fact Kazakhstan has faster internet than Australia (they’re ranked 65th in the world; we’re 68th). My personal favourite is when someone’s about to… reveal something important… and they go… all glitchy.

Another downside? We miss communicating and collaborating naturally, over a tea in the kitchen or, in more recent times, over the communal bottle of Aquim Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser.

Enough negativity. Here’s some stuff you can use, broken into what I’ll call The Two Ts.

Tools
Sure, ideation sessions aren’t as smooth and feedback can be harder to get, but here’s what we like and what gets us through.
Microsoft Teams is our go-to for quick vid calls and general chat.
Webex is our preference for larger meetings (six people or more).
Mural and Miro are good collaborative creative spaces.

Time
While not having to commute means we get some time back, the more important thing is having structure and control over our time. Carve out chunks of time during the day that are dedicated to getting shit done. Even better, agree as a team on the key points in the day and separate them into beginning, middle, end e.g.
Stand-up: 9:45AM.
Lunch: 12–1PM.
End of day: 6PM.

Like the construction of IKEA furniture after a couple of XPAs, it’s never that simple. So, let your people know at stand-up if your day deviates from the norm (appointments, kid stuff, online Zumba class, etc.) and you can all adjust accordingly .

Overall, working from home is a work in progress, but we’re getting better at it every day.

By Nicola Mansfield, Managing Director

One schedule for the household. That’s the key.

My 12-year-old son has moved seamlessly to Microsoft Teams (as has Interbrand) for all his classwork and collaborates in groups, led by his teachers. My 10-year-old and I have adjusted our schedules, so they sync with his fixed breaks. That means we can all eat, kick a ball, and talk together during break times.

We try to laugh a lot, too, ’cause it’s all a bit serious in the world right now!

The three of us work in a row, so it’s easier for me to supervise their online work — it would be impossible if I couldn’t see their screens.

Speaking of screens… the big challenge is time away from them. They’ve gone from a two-hour daily limit (including TV) to five hours of learning on a screen (the irony!).