We’ve all been working quarantine-style for 4 months.
Here’s what the team thinks.
Our working arrangements at ListenMi have been pretty flexible for years. But for the first time since the company started in March 2013, the entire team started working from home March 2020. So I asked a few of the guys “How has working at ListenMi changed for you since Covid?” These are seven of their responses.
“Commuting was always a pain.”
For the women on the team who take public transportation to work, this journey was always the most stressful part of the day. They were muscling up to face the bus man, the loader man, and the unknown man they thought could be following them after dark. For those living out of town, working from home adds up to 3 productive hours to the day. Now we start work earlier in the days without having to factor in recovery time from travel. Overall, we see no benefit to painful commutes to work.
“I eat better.”
Team members are cooking more. While meal prep takes time, it does give them greater control over what they eat. And for those who choose to regulate their diet more closely, this is a more mindful break from work during the day.
“I save more.”
Daily spend on fuel, fares and fast food adds up. Budgeting is easier for single individuals with a more predictable schedule.
“Lunch Lymes and Movie Nights seem to work”
Shooting the breeze during lunch time was a critical part of team bonding at the office. So replicating our lunch time chats online was the 1st thing we tried by starting a ListenMi Lunchtime Lyme with just 2 rules: turn camera on, don’t talk shop. Check ins with persons ‘not doing so hot’ before and after lunch lymes revealed that their mood definitely improved after these casual interactions.
Then we started movie nights using the Netflix party chrome extension. So far we have seen Se7en, Extraction and Howl’s Moving Castle. Pausing the movies to discuss camera angles and colouring style on Google Meet would have ruined the experience for many other people. But it has been a fun live experience for the production team.
“I communicate more.”
Working successfully from home is as much about doing the work as it is about communicating the work. So for some team members like Patrick Meikle, being diligent about communicating has become a focal part of the work day. Actively sharing progress, getting updates and checking in helps the team to end the day on the same page and makes for a clear start for prioritizing work for the next day.
“I miss the whiteboard”
There’s 1 thing we haven’t quite replicated: our double sided whiteboard. I would insert a whiteboard montage video here if I had one. It has been the birthplace of many ideas. It is a campfire we gather round to review our past and plan our future. So it’s no surprise that Jojo McFarlane suggested we cut it up and each keep pieces at home to distribute the magic. We won’t.
Of course, it’s more than just the whiteboard. We vibe off each other differently while in the office. Seeing good work in progress from a peer is an instant source of motivation for a creative team. Creative energy is most easily transmitted by being in the same space and a whiteboard is both canvas and antenna.
“I’m just as productive”
Individuals have more control of their time. Some team members including Jenille Listenmi say their more productive work hours are at night, while others observe a strict 9–5. That largely works because, apart from check-ins and meeting deadlines, much of our work can be done asynchronously.
To hit targets we have reshuffled check in times, reinforced project management practices and given the team more autonomy, not less. We’re a small team so we can’t afford to micro manage. So once we communicate clearly the big picture goals and the immediate challenges we faced, a few team members have stepped up and helped to implement creative solutions. We spent time building up leadership skills so individuals can become more accountable members of productive mini teams.
Locked Down, but Growing Up.
Creating an online space where quality ideas flow organically is a focused, iterative and rewarding process for a team on a growth trajectory. I look forward to being tested over the next few weeks with new animation and design projects to see how our setup continually improves. Despite the challenges of the last few months, I can at least say we now run a tighter ship. And I look forward to the ideas we’ll bring to life as we continue to work diligently and creatively.
Kenia is a founder of ListenMi, an animation preproduction and design studio for culturally relevant digital products. She enjoys developing creative platforms, services and communities. Give this post some👏 👏👏 if you’re thinking about this stuff, and share it with others who do too.
Keep in touch with her on twitter, instagram, or see more of the team’s work on ListenMi’s instagram.
