As a mom of 3 and CEO, I used to dread the thought of my kids having to stay home from school. Not that I don’t love my kids to the moon and back, but Mom’s, you know how it is!
About a week ago, my employee notified me that her daughter’s school is closed until spring break & she will have to try and figure out how to juggle that with her full time work schedule. I have to admit, I was in shock… how could a school close down and what will the working parents do?!?
Little did I know that we all would have to make major changes for what was coming, COVID-19. The changes we had to quickly make is unlike anything I have ever seen. I did not fully wrap my head around “social distancing,” homeschooling or 100% working from home. If someone would have told me two months ago, that what is going on now is the new normal, I do not think I would believe it.
We all have a choice to make, as they say: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” We can be upset, think the worst… or we learn, make changes and fight for success and the safety of ourselves and others.
I choose to fight, to help, and to grow; to appreciate the quality time I get to spend with my family and help my business succeed. When this blows over, which it will, I want to look back and feel proud of the way I handled the situation, my business and my family.
Here are some things I am doing/ideas during COVID-19 as a Mom and Executive:
Prioritizing, planning & scheduling: I set a schedule for home schooling and coordinate work & home schedules with my husband so we can take care of business and our children and their education. I appreciate all the videos, links and everything else that teachers and friends are sending, but it is overwhelming and I am just going to focus on the important stuff and not stress over the things that I can not control. If one day things do not go according to plan, its okay! We are human and this is different and hard. In times like these, do the best you can and remember family comes first! It’s important that your kids feel comfortable, happy and at ease!
Implementation of tools for remote work success: Thank Goodness my office is set up for everyone to work remotely. My brother and I invested in a software, RecruiterPM which is a project management and analytics tool that decreases close rate on roles, increases productivity and helps you manage employees working from your office or remotely in real time. This tool has been a key to our success especially with COVID-19. Currently, RecruiterPM is FREE to offices who need help and support during this time.
Top talent that will now be looking for new opportunities: My team is working harder than ever, especially because of the uncertainty and increase in unemployment with this virus. We are in front of top notch talent and setting up interviews for our clients non stop to fill their hardest to fill positions.
No one knows what the future will hold and I know each business is different. I believe it is important to stay strong, real and focused during times like these and to help the people you love and work with!