Hi, my name is Baptiste Gamblin and I did my placement with Nannybag, a French start-up company whose business covered 30 different countries.
It all started back in January 2019 when I flew off from Paris to set up the North-American offices in Montréal. It was part of my mission as country manager to quickly build market shares while recruiting and leading a team of Rockstars.
Since then I’ve understood the benefits and challenges of working remotely, having a team reporting to me and myself reporting to the founders in the Parisian headquarters.
Therefore, in those extraordinary times, I aim through this blog to share with you a few tips to help you to take the most out of the COVID 19 situation.
Tip 1: Stay ahead, Stay connected
Firstly, when working remotely you might experience isolation leading to a lack of information. Here, effective communication will be your best ally.
As part of my professional experience, I quickly understood that communication would be a major factor determining the success of my placement goals. One way to successfully get ahead of the situation is to be proactive and create the meetings through Google Hangout, Zoom or even Skype. And for me, time management was key, as my line manager was busy as was I, so I planned each meeting and participated with them with energy.
Tip 2: Create an enjoyable routine
“It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. Now more than ever, the routine you decide for yourself will provide structure and discipline to reach objectives both personal and professional.
Looking back to my personal routine, I always valued short but powerful hours over long hours at the office. A traditional day would start with an early breakfast kick off, leaving me time to prepare for the day ahead as well as read the news. As soon as I felt my focus was falling, I would finish early for a gym session before completing the rest of my day, later in the evening.
However, this is only an example as your working routines may be set. However, your daily routines should be a blend of activities you enjoy enhancing a healthy environment.
Tip 3: Set up objectives that will define your path
At a time when most companies are reassessing their monthly, quarterly, and yearly objectives, there is an opportunity for you to do the same. Take a step back on the work you have provided and critically assess what you could improve. Be humble, identify the problems clearly and once you find them: BREAK THEM. Break them into smaller ones until each of them match a solution.
In 1 to 3 years, it will also be a time for you to enter the very competitive working environment. In a world bound to change always faster, see this pandemic as an opportunity to sharpen the skills you will later market to recruiters.
Stay home, be safe.
