Staying Productive during Fears of the Coronavirus

These past few weeks have grown increasingly tumultuous as fears of the coronavirus have spread across the world. With this global pandemic, we can find ourselves growing anxious over our health and the people we love. Additionally, the state of the economy may lead to increasing pressures on our businesses, causing strain for both managers and employees. Many of my clients have been reaching out to me for advice, and these are a few of the actionable steps we can take to continue progressing our personal and professional lives during these times.

Be careful about media consumption.

It is necessary to keep up to date with ongoing situations, but an overload of social media and stressful information may breed anxiety and foster a negative emotional state. My personal stress levels constantly increased with the amount of news I consumed, causing me to grow anxious about things I could not control. Viewing news, social media, and other information is something we need to be wise about during this time. Evaluate your mental health and determine how you can receive necessary information while also managing your emotional wellbeing.

What can you do to assist your employer?

With the recent economic trends, businesses around the globe have been severely impacted by COVID-19. These times can be increasingly stressful for upper-level managers in your companies. In an effort to maintain productivity and ease their strain, think about ways to show your value. Reevaluate features of your job and unique ideas you have had in the past to show your employer that you are truly invested in the success of the company. Highlight changes that might increase productivity through virtual interfaces or improve team communication. By assisting your managers, you showcase your commitment to the company while also helping your organization move through these trying times.

Completing old tasks.

Many companies are allowing individuals to work from home in an effort to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. With decreased commute times and slower business, you may have more free time to catch up on old tasks and improve upon your professional skills. Take the initiative to go through past to-do lists and complete jobs that had been left by the wayside. In addition to working through forgotten tasks, use this time to learn new skills which will assist your future professional growth. By utilizing this extra time efficiently, we can further ourselves and our businesses through dedicated work and productivity.

Help those around you.

It is important to think about the individuals who were unable to rush to grocery stores to buy food and cleaning supplies. Safely reach out to those in your community who may need help to stay afloat during this global crisis. Additionally, by being a listening ear and communicating with loved ones, you may comfort those around you. As a helping hand and a good friend, you may lessen the burden others are feeling and help your community remain united through this pandemic.

Learn from this experience.

As with most experiences we have had in our lifetimes, we can learn from the trials and tribulations of the coronavirus. From improving our virtual communication skills to taking actionable steps to increase our professional toolbox, there is a multitude of opportunities available for us to continue growing and progressing. What can you do in these times to make yourself a better employee, manager, or business owner?

I hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy during this time. Through these tips, we will be able to control our fears about COVID-19 and continue to move forward with our personal and professional lives.

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Tips For Working Virtually

In the modern era, more and more teams are making the transition to work virtually. This movement to online platforms may challenge management staff and office productivity; however, with the right knowledge it is possible to establish a strong, interconnected, and effective remote team. For years, I have managed global teams through online interfaces, even working long-term with employees I never had the chance to physically meet. Through this blog post, I will share with you my advice for organizations moving to virtual platforms.

Develop and cultivate trust with your manager

This is a primary concern for many managers as they transition to a remote team. Leaders may find it difficult to trust that work will be completed or that their employees will be at their top productivity levels. There is a basis for these fears; some team members will take advantage of this lack of oversight and mismanage their time. However, this is not the case for all employees and by increasing trust through open communication and visibility, teams can continue to function effectively even virtually. Ensure that you and your work are visible with frequent updates to your manager. Send weekly emails regarding your work status and the goals you have met. Stay connected with your team and keep informed about the ongoings of your organization.

Increase communication

Communication is incredibly important to all workplaces, but it can be easy to fall off the grid when working virtually. Make an effort to increase communication with your team through visibility updates and check ins. Additionally, remain present during virtual communication. In the age of Skype and Zoom, conducting online face-to-face interactions are relatively easy, but it can be equally easy to mentally disengage from these calls. Refrain from muting yourself and actively engage in the discussions instead. Remember that your word choice and voice tone matters a great deal when communicating through phone or video calls. I often make an effort to answer phone calls while standing to ensure that my voice sounds strong, confident, and professional. By increasing communication and remaining engaged with virtual meetings, your remote team will stay connected and high-functioning.

Minimize outside distractions

Whether in the workplace or at home, we are all faced with different distractions. Create a list of things that are frequent distractions and work actively to limit them. Whether this means moving to a different space in your house to reduce noise or limiting social media use during work hours. Decreasing these distractions will increase your overall productivity. Designating a room, desk, or even table area as your work space may increase your overall focus and attention during your remote work. Make sure to keep this area clean and organized and ensure that it is removed from possible distractions.

Set important limits

Working from home can blur the boundaries between personal and professional life, causing high-focused individuals to lead long and intensive workdays. To keep a healthy work-life balance, make sure to know when you’re going to log in and out. Keep track of your hours and ensure that you are not exceeding a healthy amount of work. In addition to this, take regular breaks during the work day to hydrate, snack, or even complete small household chores. Similar to meeting with your co-workers in the break room, these brief moments away from work will increase your productivity when you return to your computer. Through these steps, you can create a healthy routine for your virtual work life.

I hope these tips will help you become more comfortable with virtual teams and increase the productivity of your organization. By taking simple steps to increase employee visibility, enhance communication, decrease possible distractions, and create a healthy work-life balance, your remote team will be set up for success.

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Tips for Networking

DimaGhawi.com

Originally published by The Baton Rouge Business Report.

OK ladies, let’s talk about networking. We all know that hard work and dedication to “the company” simply aren’t enough. Building mutually beneficial and trustful relationships opens new doors that expedite career and business growth. The good news is that as women, we naturally gravitate toward building such meaningful relationships. The secret is to integrate it as part of our daily work and career goals.

Seven tips that I learned over the years and found helpful:

1. Every conversation is an opportunity to form a new connection. We are networking daily with every interaction—with co-workers, neighbors, and even when standing in line at the grocery store. In addition to meeting new people, it is critical to nurture existing relationships by staying in touch and always offering support. Focus on what you can contribute to your existing and new connections instead of just what you need their help with.
2. Define your career goals and create your networking plan. Identify what you want to achieve in the next X number years, then start establishing meaningful business relationships that would help you along the way.
3. Create a quarterly networking plan that specifies the professional meetings, email follow-ups, a list of people you want to schedule phone calls with or invite for coffee at Magpie. Make it a habit to mark these plans on your calendar and give them a priority.
4. Network with decision makers within your company. Many employees are unfamiliar with other areas of the business outside their core team. Periodically, identify a manager from a different department and request a 30-minute one-on-one introduction meeting. Prepare questions to learn about the manager’s role and background and the department’s mission. This will enable you to develop a cross-functional understanding of the business while building new strategic relationships. Most managers are usually happy to help and appreciate the curiosity.
5. Social media is a powerful tool for network expansion. Repurposing just a few minutes of your Instagram or Facebook time can really pay off. LinkedIn has groups for every aspect of business that attract individuals globally with a similar focus. Get engaged in group discussions, provide comments, post ideas and virtually meet other members. Take the opportunity to evolve the most promising virtual contacts by scheduling a phone call or meet them in person if they live close.
6. Volunteering and supporting a cause you are passionate about is also an effective and less intimidating way for meeting like-minded people. Volunteers are brought together by a common interest, which makes it easier to start conversations and connect while giving back to the community.
7. Find opportunities to introduce your existing contacts to each other that have similar interests and backgrounds. Being the connector not only feels good, but it also will ultimately strengthen your core network and expand it.

Now, when you hear the words “networking event,” the first image that may come to your mind is a huge bright room, filled with strangers, all professionally dressed and wearing name tags, forming small discussion circles, and exchanging well-rehearsed elevator pitches followed by colorful rectangular business cards. As you walk in, you carefully scan the room nervously hoping to find a familiar face, and wondering how to join in one of the group discussions. Don’t worry, you are not alone.

Seven tips for navigating at networking events:

1. Some may recommend attending these events alone to motivate you to meet new people, which has merit. But, let’s face it, if you are not comfortable with attending alone, don’t miss out completely!Invite a co-worker to go with you. A familiar face can be comforting as long as you both focus on supporting each other to meet new contacts while networking together.
2. Arrive early. This gives you the opportunity to meet and connect in a smaller group before everyone else arrives. It is less intimidating than entering a crowded room and trying to break into an ongoing conversation.
3. Attend events with topics that excite you, and participate because of your desire to learn. This will reduce the stress related to networking. Instead, meeting new people with similar interests becomes a byproduct.
4. Have a professional business handshake. Make it firm while maintaining eye contact. Your handshake is critical for building a good first impression and demonstrating confidence.
5. Be present, listen, ask questions and show genuine curiosity to learn about the people you meet. Silence two distractions: the cellphone ringing in your purse, and the internal voice wondering “who should I talk to next.”
6. Follow up within two days with the new contacts that you want to stay in touch with. Send them a personalized email, or even mail a hand-written letter. Send a LinkedIn connection request and include a lagniappe of an article or a resource that is related to the discussion you had.
7. Enjoy yourself and have fun.

Men and women alike, we all know that we prefer to do business with people that we like and trust. Professional networking is how we get there. These tips use the power of connection to add value to your meaningful relationships and encourage you to be generous in offering help. Use a mix of networking methods that fit your personality. Be diligent and align your networking plan with your career goals. Most importantly, enjoy the process and make new friends.

For more information about Dima's leadership speaking, training, and coaching, visit DimaGhawi.com