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Painting Yourself Out of Corner: Sometimes, You Need an Extra Hand

July 14, 2017Lori Rohrbach

A few weekends ago, my husband and I were painting our porch floor.  It was a straight-forward job: he was doing the edging and I was doing the rolling.  Of course, even the easiest of jobs can get messy.  In my case, I had reached the roller too far over and splattered paint on the baseboard.  Of course, this was after I had painted a large section of the floor in front of the baseboard.  It was impossible to reach across to clean it and my husband had stepped away to do something for one of our children.  I had to step in the freshly rolled paint to clean the mistake.  It was messy – my foot was covered in paint, and I had to roll the section again to remove the footprint.

Toward the end of the job, a similar situation arose.  My husband left a tool on a window sill after we had (once again) painted the floor in front of it.  What was different this time was that we worked together to find a way to get the tool without ruining the paint.  I held his belt to support him as he reached over to grab the tool.  As a team, we resolved our issue creatively and efficiently.

As the paint dried, I realized there was a business lesson to be learned from this home improvement project.  I made a mess, and rather than waiting for my husband to help me, I made the mess even bigger.  Then, when another challenge arose, we worked together to resolve the issue cleanly.

When faced with a mess in the business world, many people would do what I did – try to fix the problem alone in hopes no one will notice.  Sometimes, you get lucky, and no one sees the mistake.  It’s more common though, for the mess to get bigger. The better course of action to take is to engage an expert to help you identify the solution quickly and efficiently.  Business can be messy, and when a situation arises that you can’t handle yourself, ask for help.  Find the partner or professional team that can provide you with a solution that is creative, efficient – and keeps the paint off your feet.

 

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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