Along with 2.6 billion other people, Forward And Thinking’s team is working from home.
Find out how each one of us is dealing with the lockdown, their coping mechanisms and everyday madness
Lisa Hepworth, our Business Development Executive, shares her thoughts.
1. What’s your work situation like at the moment?
Initially things went quiet, which was to be expected. Being fairly new into a team/company, I didn’t have an established client list and fully forged relationships so there was a balance of finding the right time and tone of when to make that call and when to send an email, how to word it etc… admittedly also being new, panic set in and I forgot some of my core values and overall style which threw me off for a while. Having supportive management and colleagues helped me find my way and to think about the longer-term impacts as opposed to the short term. I’m focussing on later in the year and building relationships for when we’re allowed back out into the big wide world!
2. Describe your socialising strategy
Socialising… we have groups set up on messenger and WhatsApp for family and friends, both of which are huge red markers for my age category – no Snapchat or TikTok groups here! I used Zoom and Kahoot for a virtual quiz with friends this weekend – nice to see and hear people I’m used to spending time with.
3. What are you reading?
Other than reading with the kids, not much! We’re reading The Twits at bedtime right now 🙂
4. What are you watching?
Subscribed to Starzplay to specifically watch The Act – final episode to watch in the next day or so – I got distracted by Veronica Mars (halfway through Season 2 already.)
5. What are you listening to?
Definitely having the radio on more often on the smart speakers, have always subscribed to Apple music, generating playlists, so plenty of tunes playing out (and paying attention to those adverts!)
6. How are you staying fit?
Not sure I am – does opening the fridge count? Plenty of reps being done there! Missing my PT sessions, doing a little bit of Joe Wicks with the kids, walking and recording the distance – I did jog once so far (only 2 miles but I did it.)
7. Have you taken up a hobby?
Do puzzles count? – as in jigsaws (current one is a marvel avengers 1000 piece so I’m going to blame it on the kids as it’s a bit geeky!)
8. Any tips for getting necessities?
Work with friends! Three of us are messaging each other when we’re heading to farm shops or supermarkets and picking up bits for each, just buy what you need, not panic buying!
9. Any advice on how to cope with kids’/partners’ meltdowns/ cabin fever?
Sunday was spent in separate rooms, all doing our own thing as tensions were starting to rise. Having some quiet time away from each other definitely helped!
10. An awkward moment?
Kids appearing in the room during video calls, or bawling up the stairs asking for something inappropriately – top tip – use headphones and stay on mute!
11. Best work email?
Ooh, difficult one – I think my warm leads coming back and arranging the catch up meetings and also, it would have to be the internal ones, confirmation my 3 month review went well, Friday drinks meeting ID emails from Ali and Andrew (Forward And Thinking’s founders) which, definitely helps to end the week on a positive note!
12. An aha! Moment?
When Jo (Forward And Thinking’s Senior Business Development Manager) said, ‘it’s just not my style’. I had a light bulb moment that I had changed my styled to stress and panic. I knee jerked into doing things I wouldn’t normally do. After I heard Jo say that out loud I realised that I needed to go back to basics and my days/weeks have been so much more productive since!
13. What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?
I think lock down will continue for another month. Gradually services will re-open and the world will return to normal at an alarming rate. Hopefully, with people being nicer and recognising all of the things we took for granted!
