Blend360’s Ways to Stay Productive & Connected During the Pandemic

Normal seems as if it is a distant memory, and many of us are longing for normal during this time of crisis. While most of world is adjusting to a new way of life, we are left with a vexing question.

How is this pandemic effecting productivity?

While working from home may seem like a dream come true, it can also become a nightmare. There are many daily distractions that have become more prominent during this time. Being in proximity with your spouse, children, and even your pets day in and day out can drastically decrease your productivity. Or even social media, we are all hungry for information and are constantly checking for new updates, more so than we were. With all of these distractions, it is important to make a list of ways you can stay proactive and productive.

We are sharing the tips and tricks works for our Data Science team to stay positive, productive and connected:

STAY ORGANIZED. Create a schedule to help keep you on track with your work and set up designated workspace free from distractions.

• Try to plan out your day to as granular as each hour. Block time on your calendar, even if it’s just to relax.

SELF-CARE IS ESSENTIAL. Staring at the computer screen for 10 hours at a time can cause you to make mistakes that you normally would not make. The Pomodoro technique should be used, 25 minutes of work, 5-minute break.

• Daily meditation prior to the start of the workday to help balance the mind despite the daily unknown state of affairs.
• Get up and get outside. Even if it’s just for a walk around the block.
• Keep up with daily exercise routines to help maintain routine and state of health.

SILENCE IS THE ENEMY. Communication is important in keeping spirits high while so much is uncertain. Utilizing online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Teams, Bluejeans, etc. are great ways to stay connected to the team.

• Friday afternoon virtual pizza lunches is a great way to keep the team engaged and excited.
• Virtual coffee talk with your work buddy.
• Speaking with the client at least once a day providing updates can help you stay motivated.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. We need to be armed with knowledge in order to maintain control in what seems like a hopeless situation.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF. Thinking outside the box when the proper tools are not available to complete a project. Turn that “yes, but we can’t…” into a “yes, we tried a different approach...”. Banding together is what will keep productivity going.

TRANSPARENCY IS KEY. It’s important to be transparent with not only the employees, but with investors and customers. Keeping employees in the dark during a developing situation can affect morale.

• BLEND has been doing leadership check-ins. These are super beneficial in keeping everyone “in the know”.

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. You need to know that as a company we are all in this together, and we will get through this together.

Although this has been a tough time for everyone, it’s important to find the positive light. This crisis we are in is unprecedented, but it does not have to shape our future. If we stand together and stay productive, we can make it through this tough time. Cheers!

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