Your WFH Refresh

By now, you’re all WFH (Work From Home) pros, figuring out systems that work for you. Kid/dog busts in during a zoom meeting? You’ve got a virtual background for that. Video call fatigue? You’ve got a stockpile of great questions to reenergize the group in breakout rooms. 

That being said, covid is testing our limits, and it’s challenging. As the northern hemisphere is heading into winter with longer nights and more time indoors, the struggle can most definitely be real. 

Lately, I’ve been digging back into these tips to help myself stay focused when I need to, and remind myself to take breaks to maintain my sanity.

So it’s a Graphic Facilitator’s WFH Tips remix this week! The timer has been especially clutch to help me back away slowly from news websites and drop into a focused space to work on what matters – projects with you all! 

Click through the gallery to see each image larger.

What are your best tips for working from home? If you don’t see yours below, send me a note and it might make it into Part III!

And remember, most of all, no matter what, you’re doing it. You’re a bright and valued person, you are loved, and you are doing the best you can. Thank you for what you do to make this world a better place!

Cheers, 

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe: Mapping out the priorities, needs, and opportunities of the Tribal Council.

Denver Housing Authority: Visually facilitating the first of three virtual retreat meetings focused on creating connections and a shared vision while working remotely. We mapped the team on the Enneagram circle using Google Jamboard to work collaboratively in real-time to reflect and learn about each other!

Studio Reveal: Hiring Barriers and Biases. Over the past few weeks, I collaborated with a team at the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to visually map the challenges to BIPOC in applying for and getting hired at the agency. I’m looking forward to seeing how the shifts this team identified can create a more welcoming and inclusive environment!

One Thing You Can Do for More Successful Remote Meetings and Classes

In one form or another, many of us have found ourselves settling into the realization that we’re going to be working and learning remotely for a while longer.

As research and experience reveal that virtual meetings are hard for humans, let’s be honest. How many times have you been in an in-person meeting and felt exhausted and bored? Regardless of platform, I’d like to take a moment to remind us:

We CAN take ownership of how we design meetings for impact and energy!

There are incredible tools and tech out there to support remote work and learning, and it’s easy to narrow our focus to the technology, or fixate on not being able to work together in person.

I love the way So You Want to Host a Web Meeting reframes: Remote meetings are SUPPORTED by technology, but they are not ABOUT the technology. So start with the PURPOSE, then add the tech!

Here’s the question I like to ask myself or my clients: What is the IDEAL OUTCOME for this meeting/event/class? At first, don’t even think about the how – just let yourselves imagine.

Once the purpose or outcome is clear, THEN you can think creatively about HOW. What tools or mindsets do we have now we didn’t utilize before? How might we leverage tech in new ways to create experiences that delight participants or students and ignite creativity and collaboration?

Exhibit A: Here’s what a wonderful, authentic client had to say after a virtual session we designed together and I graphic recorded remotely last week:

What a rich and rewarding session, Karina. Thank you. The excellence that ensued, in large measure, was brought about by your presence, your skills, and your work in making this strategic brainstorm session “not just another Zoom meeting.” Your services and final output, coupled with the willingness of our student leaders to engage, dream big, and plan a great Fall 2020, left us in a really good place to move forward with executing their ideas.

- Adam J. Herman, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University

So, what can YOU make possible?

Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.

Cheers,

Where in the Virtual World is ConverSketch?

iBlockBias: Last week I was honored to tune into a session hosted by Block Bias – a non-profit dedicated to facilitating important conversations and giving folks tools to work toward anti-racism. In 2 hours, these women built an environment where people got vulnerable, honest, and left feeling empowered!

Zoom Academy: Zoom Education hosted a two-day free training for teachers, school support, and administrators on how to learn and use their platform for more engaging and effective learning. Panels of experts and hands-on workshops left participants feeling better equipped for a very VUCA future.

Rice University: Working with the fine students representing the Jones Graduate School of Business to imagine what student life could look like this fall.