Last year brought a lot of change. Companies across the globe had to pivot, ready or not, and many went fully remote just like we did here at Veracode. 2020 transformed the way we work and communicate, changed how we raise our families and celebrate holidays, and even inspired us to (often humorously) reflect on the everyday traditions that we with some helpful tips from Veracoders, like using an ???ON AIR??? sign to let family know when you???re on a call or setting a firm schedule with alarms to prevent burnout.ﾂ?ﾂ?
March of 2020 was a huge change for all of us at Veracode, and certainly one we never imagined to still be in place a full year later. We had a lot of concerns about what would happen to our corporate culture that was so important to us all, or the strong relationships we nurtured with our customers and prospects, how would those fare? Here we are a year later. After countless Zoom calls and endless kitchen coffee trips, we???re looking back at our remote year and sharing some tips, some lessons, and some thoughts on how we???ve changed. But first??ｦsit up straight!
Your back really needs a decent desk chair
Some of us learned about lumbar support the hard way. For a good part of 2020 I sat on a rickety chair that I built myself, taunted by the sleek setup and high-backed desk chairs of my coworkers on Zoom. It wasn???t until the summer, around July, that I knew it was time for a change and bought myself a brand-new desk and a brand-new desk chair. See below for a before and after:
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Lifechanging (and so much brighter)! Almost immediately, it was easier to get into the zone and my back was on the mend. It just goes to show you that no matter where or how you work, lumbar support or bust.
Check in on teammates ??? and your teenagers
Veracoder Marcus Watson found ways to ensure that the mood is light, especially in chats. ???The teams within Veracode have their own channels to communicate and we try to make sure there???s levity in the business chat,??? he says. Marcus misses the ???buzz??? you get from working in an office, including how much easier it is to pick up on things that don???t quite translate well over text, and he makes it a point to check in with others if they???ve been under-communicating.
When it comes to balancing home and work life, Marcus notes that while it has been tricky with two teenagers, he???s felt supported through his work and has even found that it helps him slow down a little. ???Schooling from home has also encouraged me to take more breaks during the dayﾂ????ﾂ?checking in with the kids, and making sure everything???s ok, and we all take breaks to hydrate, eat, and chat,??? he says.
He???s all about carving out time, too: ???Working from home is no less valuable than working from the office so I try and avoid the temptation to put in longer hours. I make an effort to have firm breaks and set personal boundaries to make sure that work doesn???t interfere with personal life.???
Don???t apologize when life gets in the way
Suzanne Ciccone on the Veracode marketing team has found it really helpful to set reminders that prompt her to move so she isn???t sitting down for two hours straight. But more importantly, she realized that you don???t have to apologize for everyday things that are out of your hands. ???I think before all this I used to feel the need to pretend everything was always in control, my home life wasn???t affecting work at all,??? Suzanne says.
???But it was, and still is. It???s pretty impossible to pretend anymore, and that???s a good thing. I do still tend to apologize for the home life interruptions, and hear others doing it as well,ﾂ?but I hear myself doing it now, and I???m working on it! I think this year has taught us that it???s not something to apologize for.???
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Suzanne is determined to maintain the balance by not pretending that everything is perfect??ｦespecially when her cat Toshi is maddeningly inquisitive on work calls.
Carve out time to spend on something positive
Katy Gwilliam, a newfound Veracoder who joined us last year, has found a lot of positives in WFH life despite missing those water-cooler moments with colleagues. ???Cutting out the daily commute has bought me more time for exercise, so I???ve gotten into a great running routine that really helps break up the day and makes me feel more energetic,??? she says.
Breaks are a must, like stepping out of the house to grab coffee from her local cafﾃｩ or joining some virtual Veracode activities. ???The rapid shift to digital has made us more reliant than ever on tools like Zoom and Slack to stay connected and these platforms have enabled the company to continue hosting Town Halls, virtual drinks and hackathons without interruption; pretty amazing when you think about it,??? Katy says. ???And through the very nature of experiencing this strange time together, one unexpected upshot is that we???ve grown to learn about and appreciate each other as people, not just as colleagues on the other side of the desk.???
Simplify and upgrade your space over time
It can be helpful to reduce clutter. Like me, Veracoder David Buckle upped his desk game by improving his home office setup last year. Take a look at the before and after photos below; David was able to move to a larger flat, which meant he graduated from the dining table to a permanent desk setup in a designated working spot.
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???Now my desk is in my bedroom; I have simplified my setup so that when I switch off my laptop for the day, I can switch off from work and relax,??? he says. Simplicity in your WFH space means you can actually unwind with a sense of finality to your workday, recharging for tomorrow.
Define your schedule and stick to it to save sanity
In the first edition of We???re All WFH Too, Veracoder Darren Meyer shared the importance of setting a defined schedule that includes your kids, which can help you avoid sitting at your desk for the entire day. A year later, he still stresses the importance of setting that planned schedule:
???I think the main thing I???ve come away with after nearly a year of having my kids and partner as ???co-workers??? in my home is the importance of being even more deliberate about planning not only for productive work time for everyone, but for time to relax and enjoy life together,??? Darren says. ???And to have a solid plan for how to handle the increased need for flexibility when kids require support in their work.???
If you adapted well, celebrate that synchronicity
Doug Wilcox, who has a pretty ,ﾂ? to let us know, and share your tips with us!
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