“While we don’t know what the impact of the coronavirus will ultimately be, we do know the importance of being calm yet vigilant, and of staying informed. How we take care of each other at work and at home will dictate how we come out of it on the other side.” -Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias
Over the last two weeks, amid the increasing threat of COVID-19 exposure for employees and communities, many companies (including Red Ventures) chose the path of proactive caution and shifted to a global Work From Home status.
From the start, our top priorities have been the health and safety of our employees, as well as the financial stability of our employees. We’re proud to be one of the first employers in our communities to move decisively and quickly to limit the spread of COVID-19.
It’s an unprecedented challenge for all of us, but that also means we’re in this together. Our hope is that by sharing what we learn along this strange journey, we can help others adapt to a “new normal” faster, too.
Here’s what we’re doing:
1. We’re starting every meeting with “How are you?”
First and foremost, we understand that this is not a typical WFH experience. There’s a lot of stress and uncertainty in the world right now, so it’s more important than ever that we all pay close attention to our emotional, physical, and mental well-being. As a company, we’re streaming live virtual workout sessions, guided meditations, and yoga classes to our global employees on a daily basis. We’re providing constant, clear guidance around telemedicine benefits and Employee Assistance Programs. We’re injecting humor into our communications when we can. And we’re encouraging our leaders to start every single meeting with one simple but meaningful question: “How are you doing today?”
2. We’re activating our WFH leaders
One of our biggest strengths as an organization is our ability to share knowledge and insights across teams – and that’s exactly what we’re doing as we adapt to Global WFH. Our full-time WFH teammates on our Reviews.com business, Healthline business, Higher Education business, and several other teams are proactively stepping up as leaders and sharing their top tips – internally and with the world.
3. We’re saying “thank you.”
Before we went into WFH mode, our facilities teams and office admins kept our offices stocked with soap, sanitizer, and supplies; now, they’ve stepped up as communications liaisons to help our distributed offices get information quickly. Our tech teams are working around the clock to troubleshoot with teammates and are even rolling out new products remotely to help us improve productivity. Plus, many leaders and companies in our community are using their platforms to be forces of good. All of these people (and more) deserve our many thanks! So, THANKS!
4. We’re over-communicating.
As we adjust to our new remote realities, we’re communicating as much information as we can, as often as we can. Our teams are fine-tuning their schedules to ensure they’re syncing up on a regular cadence, and keeping everything as close to business-as-usual as possible. We’re also sharing as many public health resources as possible – with regard to all of our office locations – to keep everyone informed on a global scale. The more we connect now, the easier it’ll be to stay productive, stay safe, and smoothly transition back into our usual office routines later on.
5. We’re embracing change.
This is an uncertain and uncomfortable time, but our hope is that when all is said and done, we can feel proud of how we came together and what we were able to accomplish. We’re continuing to find ways for RVers to give back and make a difference in our communities. Our teams are launching contests to keep us connected, comparing photos of our WFH set-ups, sharing collaborative playlists, and more. And now that ALL RVers worldwide are working from home, we’re setting up a virtual “coffee roulette” channel on Slack – where teammates can meet and share coffee breaks with coworkers they might otherwise not interact with.
6. We’re supporting our WFH parents.
Running up escalators is tough, but have you ever tried running up an escalator while holding a toddler? Our WFH parents are juggling meeting times, nap times, and much more. So if we hear a little “Baby Shark” in the background of our conference calls, we’re fully prepared to roll with it. To help our entire parent community, several RV parents compiled a list of their best WFH parenting tips – and you can read it here.
7. We’re taking the situation seriously, but never ourselves.
Whether we’re adding goofy backgrounds to our Zoom camera setups, creating virtual team challenges, or sharing pictures of our furry friends in our new “WFH Pets” Slack channel, we’re not letting WFH status stop the fun.
8. We’re hyper-focused on productivity.
We’re being intentional with our routines, our workspaces, and our time, so our days can feel a little more structured during this strange period. We’re pooling our tips for building efficient remote workdays, reminding our coworkers to take breaks, and we’re even scheduling at-home workouts together! Because gym access is decreasing, our fitness team is leading virtual HIIT workouts, yoga classes, and meditation sessions to help RVers stay active and healthy.
9. We’re looking to our in-house experts to keep us informed.
Our editorial teams at Healthline and TPG have been publishing non-stop coverage, helping audiences all over the world understand and prepare for COVID-19. Dr. Hanh Le from Healthline was recently quoted in the New York Times, and both media powerhouses are staying ahead of the story with live updates: Healthline | Medical News Today | The Points Guy
10. We’re empowering every employee to do what’s right for themselves and their families.
The reality is, this situation is much bigger than Red Ventures. The way we live and the way we work will have to change for some time. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still seek joy in our lives or fulfillment in our work. In other words, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
That statement has never felt more true than right now.
“As for Red Ventures, there is no other team I’d rather have to fight this fight with. My hope is that we’ll look back proudly at how we were able to adapt, mobilize, and do the right thing – every single day. And that when it really mattered, we rose to the occasion.” – Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias
