Come globe-trot with us—from Brazil to Ireland and Belgium, before finally touching down in our own backyard—for an inside look at daily life for our innovators around the world right now. You’ll catch a glimpse of more than one impromptu home office, along with insights and inspiration from some of our globally distributed teams.
First stop: Brazil
Life is definitely quieter these days on the ordinarily boisterous streets of São Paulo, according to HR Director Patricia Quiejo. In fact, she says it seems like the pace of the whole world has slowed down—and maybe that’s a good thing.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge of working from home? What’s the biggest reward?
A: I’m a working mom, so the biggest challenge for me is balancing my dedication to work with other responsibilities: kids, homeschooling, housekeeping and all the rest. That said, I’m so grateful to have this additional time to spend with my kids, to have them get to see what I do at work—and to have them wave to my colleagues when we’re on video calls! Sometimes it is a bit stressful to be at home, them seeing and wanting to play when we have a full agenda, but we are learning to make it all work.
Q: How is your team adapting to the new working arrangement?
A: We received training in new agile methodologies just days before we moved to a work-from-home model, so that was lucky, I guess. But our weekly check-ins have definitely kept us closer as individuals—we’re all team members working toward a common goal—so this has been a catalyzing experience in many ways. I also think that talking and hearing about each other’s needs has helped us all grow closer and better support one another.
Q: Have there been any surprising takeaways or insights from your experience so far?
A: I’ve had more quiet time than usual to reflect on things—especially those things that we usually have ready answers for. In meetings, for example, you’re always thinking so fast, and sometimes that can even lead you to have the right answers for the wrong questions. So right now I’m slowing down and focusing on addressing the right questions.
Meanwhile, crossing the Atlantic ...
Michael Phelan may be accustomed to working remotely from his home in Ireland, but he echoed Patricia’s thoughts on the challenges of work-life balance—frankly, it can be hard to keep them apart when the two spheres are directly connected. Here’s what’s driving the Data Science Leader right now.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge of working from home? What’s the biggest reward?
A: The biggest challenge for me is maintaining a reasonable work-life balance. The biggest reward, hands down, has been the fact that I get to spend less time traveling.
Q: How is your team adapting to the new working arrangement?
A: I do think that not being in the same room together every day with all of my colleagues has forced us to adapt and change a bit—we weren’t necessarily hosting virtual happy hours or swapping cooking recipes quite so often in the past, for example. So we’re still adjusting. But we’re also getting important work done and ensuring that the needs of our customers are met.
Q: Have there been any surprising takeaways or insights from your experience so far?
A: I think I may have an advantage in this regard because I’m a remote worker most of the time—I’ve been working from home for about two years now. But the current situation has in some ways leveled how my team approaches our work. It’s also showcased all of the ways we can compete as a global, all-virtual enterprise.
... and on to Belgium
Ilse Neyrinck admits to having her fair share of ups and downs while adjusting to our “new normal.” But the Antwerp-based Regulatory Affairs Manager says that now she’s settling into the groove with her work-from-home setup nicely.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge of working from home? What’s the biggest reward?
A: Staying focused and getting into the right rhythm are two things that I’ve struggled with. But the upside is that I’m much more relaxed once I do get focused.
Q: How is your team adapting to the new working arrangement?
A: Strange but true, it almost feels like we’re more connected right now than we were in the past. We’re doing a lot of video chats and IMing—and the team always responds really quickly if anyone has a question or asks for help. People just seem more patient, more engaged. Is this because we have a shared enemy, so to speak, in COVID-19?
Q: Have there been any surprising takeaways or insights from your experience so far?
A: Going forward, I believe that we will learn that we can take more risks, and that we can take more ownership for our own work as well. I also want to say that, in terms of the progress we’ve made on a potential preventative vaccine, our innovation has been incredible. What else? Oh yes! I realize that I am among the luckiest people in the world, with the support of my company and my loved ones. I’m enjoying the little things and feeling content.
Finally, home again
Our last stop: Jersey City, New Jersey—not so far from our global corporate headquarters and home to Priya Sharma. Here’s how the Senior Brand and Digital Marketing Manager is navigating the crisis and remaining focused on impact, even while working remotely.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge of working from home? What’s the biggest reward?
A: The biggest challenge has been juggling multiple responsibilities: work, helping my kids with online schooling and remote recreational classes, checking in on my family in India—sometimes all converging at the same time. The greatest reward has been skipping the commute and being able to spend that time with my kids and helping them through this crisis.
Q: How is your team adapting to the new working arrangement?
A: We’ve had advanced digital capabilities, policies and infrastructure in place for a while now, all of which have proven to be hugely beneficial during this time. We’ve also added daily core team check-ins to connect, support each other and flag where we may need help from a team member. Plus, we have regular video calls with our leaders, which give us a chance to connect as a broader team, share, learn and have a dialogue as a community. All these touchpoints have helped us continue to function as a tightly knit team—and remain sane!—throughout all of this.
Q: Have there been any surprising takeaways or insights from your experience so far?
A: It’s prompted me to take a step back and really evaluate, “What are our priorities? How can we approach things differently? And where can I be most effective?” It seems like we don’t always make time for that kind of reflection.
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