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Spring Cleaning: The Garden Isn’t the Only Thing That Needs Weeding

April 14, 2017Lori Rohrbach

Every spring, I get inspired to get my house and yard in order.  Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a terrible gardener.  In fact, I have a black thumb: put a plant near me and it will die in a matter of days.  Yet, come April, I am outside, clearing the weeds, raking debris and optimistically planting flowers in pots.  And I hate every minute of it.  But, I know I must do it.  If I want my home to be presentable to my neighbors and a source of pride for me, I will fill multiple contractor bags with weeds and drop yards of mulch.  I will clean it up and make it look better.

The same can be said for cleaning up a company’s website and internal portals.  Over time, these channels can get overgrown with outdated material.  Like a garden, it’s good to pull out the outdated, unimportant, and frankly stale content regularly to have the chance for new, colorful content to grow. It’s also a task that most people don’t like to do.  After all it takes time and resources to dig through that old content that somehow multiplied over time. The problem with not cleaning up your websites or portals regularly is that it creates a bad user experience – much like a prickly weed in the middle of a flower box.  It’s not pretty to look at, and it takes away from the overall message.

By taking the time to review your content, freshen the overall appearance and content, you will draw old visitors and new ones, and watch your business grow.  So, this spring, take the time to weed your websites and portals.  Clear out the old content, dust off the cobwebs of outdated information, and make sure to plant fresh, new content.

 

Author: Robin Imbesi

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Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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