Culture, Connection & COVID-19
Culture has always been an important part of what makes Three Box… well, Three Box. But during COVID-19, it’s more important than ever.
Like all the other “non-essential” businesses out there, we’ve been operating under a new normal for the past month, exclusively working from home (WFH) and collaborating virtually. We’ve had to be extremely intentional in order to maintain the connections we share at the office so that we can continue to do our best work for our clients and for ourselves.
Here are a few guiding WFH and culture principles that have worked well for us.
CONNECT EARLY AND OFTEN.
We start every morning with a standing team video call that allows us to check in with one another, recap the latest COVID-19 developments that could impact our clients and review our individual priorities for the day. We’ve also moved to video conferencing for almost all internal and client meetings to replicate the face-to-face connections we’re missing in person. It seems simple, but it has made such a difference for our team. We also circle up in a group chat at the end of the day to quickly recap our accomplishments, which creates even more motivation and accountability.
REDEFINE FLEXIBILITY.
What worked when we were at the office doesn’t necessarily apply to this new WFH world. Before COVID-19, our office hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with flexibility for team members to get the rest of their work done based on their personal preferences and schedules. However, this level of flexibility can have a negative impact on collaboration and work-life balance when we’re all working remotely for an extended period of time, so we’ve moved our hours back to 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (with a one-hour lunch break) to encourage productivity while also giving our team the freedom to disconnect and live life in the evenings.
TAP INTO DATA.
For the past several years, we’ve used a personality assessment tool called Culture Index to better understand how each of our team members is wired. In this new environment, we’ve been leveraging this valuable data to evaluate the unique communication and motivation needs of our team members.
For example, I schedule more video check-ins with my extroverted team members who need to verbally process information and focus more on comprehensive written instructions and feedback for my detail-oriented colleagues. If you have access to data, use it!
ENCOURAGE MENTAL HEALTH.
It’s no secret that COVID-19 is taking a major toll on our collective psyche. The world as we know it has changed, and we’re all facing different levels of fear and anxiety for our physical, financial and mental wellbeing. In addition to checking in as a group each morning, we have weekly one-on-ones between leaders and team members to make sure everyone is doing well both personally and professionally so that our team has what they need to be successful.
We encourage team members to share how they’re coping and what has worked well for them with the broader group. We’ve also added questions specific to the new realities and stressors related to COVID-19 to our semi-annual employee survey this month.
DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN.
Even when times are tough… actually, ESPECIALLY when times are tough, it's important to bring light and joy into the world whenever possible. That means leaning in on virtual celebrations and happy hours, embracing the presence and unpredictability of our new tiny human or furry coworkers, and inventing new ways to have fun together like virtual background contests, book clubs and costume days. We also ask employees to share the good news they are hearing on a regular basis to lift our spirits and remind us of the good in this world.
We’d love to hear how you’re adapting to this new social distancing model while maintaining your office culture – let us know in the comments below or tweet us at @threeboxinc!