Word came down on the afternoon of Friday, March 13, as the week was winding down. Everyone was being encouraged to work from home beginning the following week. The newspaper, like other businesses across the nation, was adjusting to the demands of the virus economy.
There was a mad scramble to make sure everyone was prepared with the tools they normally leave on the desk -- either a physical desk or the computer desktop. Folks were scurrying about for passwords and training on the instant-messaging platform that was available to facilitate communication.
Thousands of workers in Arkansas over the past week have adjusted to the new reality of working from home, with some employees having to do so for the first time. Converting to work-at-home status means focusing on the essentials at first: equipment, connectivity and access. Employees need a laptop, an Internet connection and passwords at hand to access key information and job aids.
Beyond the essential tools required to do the job, productivity and training experts say the best way to stay productive is to replicate your office environment at home -- and nothing is too simple to consider. "I've had some employees insist on using the same mouse," says Deb Cullerton, managing partner of PMA, a national training firm. Cullerton is based in the San Antonio area.
Structure is vital in adjusting to a new work environment:
Keep the same hours.
Set up your workspace to mimic the desk at work.
Maintain a routine -- if you usually drop by mid-afternoon and visit with a colleague every day for a quick check on customer activity, keep doing it. Instead of dropping by the desk, pick up the phone and make a call, or send an email or instant message inquiry.
"It's important to do the same things you've been doing," says Allyson Lewis, a time-management consultant with an expertise in productivity training and development. Lewis, based in Jonesboro, is founder and CEO of the 7 Minute Life, a time-management firm.
"People can be very productive at home -- they have less distractions and they don't have other people knocking on their door all the time," Lewis said. "Others can be more innovative because they have a chance to take a breath; they're not being micromanaged."
There is no strong data revealing how productivity is affected by work-from-home policies since the transformation really only picked up momentum in the past few years, Cullerton said, adding that output can actually increase initially.
"The novelty of it can improve productivity for a while," she said. "It can be surprising but productivity can go up because there aren't as many interruptions, the number of meetings go down. People also get on lockdown mode and only concentrate on doing the important things."
If you haven't yet committed to a work-from-home approach, both experts emphasize the importance of conducting trial runs. Employees should work from home for a day or two and begin listing in detail all the things they may not have at home but are easily found around the offices: staplers, paper clips, files -- both paper and electronic -- that you need to access every day.
"There needs to be preparation work done in advance," Lewis said, noting that doing real-time trials before switching to a home office can make a real difference in the long run.
"Companies are going to have to do trial runs to find out what the real obstacles are. Each person is going to have different fears about working from home, and different needs. You can't set a sweeping policy and believe it will work for everyone."
Experts caution that this transition to a home-work environment can be a difficult adjustment on some employees, and they urge managers to stay tuned to the mental health of their workers, who can feel isolated.
"This is going to be a particularly stressful time, more so than any other," Cullerton said.
"People are stressed about the virus, or family members being sick and adapting to a new work environment. People are going to feel disconnected and it's important to check in with them, especially to find out about their emotional well-being."
INSURING ARKANSAS
The Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. this month is celebrating its 70th year of serving Arkansans in all 75 counties. The company is the second-largest property insurer in the state.
"Farm Bureau started the property insurance business to provide stability and security for its members," said David Moore, executive vice president and general manager of the insurer.
"We like to say we are Arkansas' insurance company," he added. "We are very proud of the fact that we are the largest Arkansas-based property insurance business."
Farm Bureau Mutual has insurance agents and adjusters in every county of the state to serve customers. The insurer also markets life insurance, auto coverage and health insurance in partnership with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
SAFE DIGGING
Having more time at home these days might inspire some to go ahead and plant that 12-foot shade trade they've been considering. Be safe, be smart and call before you dig.
April has been designated National Safe Digging Month, and the state Public Service Commission is reminding Arkansans to take precautions before pushing that shovel too deep into the yard. You never know what kind of line you might hit and break.
The solution: call 811 before you dig. You can also contact Arkansas One Call at 800-482-8998.
National Safe Digging Month increases awareness of the national call-before-you-dig number, 811, in order to prevent damage to underground utility lines and connections.
ARVEST TOPS $13 BILLION
Arvest Wealth Management has topped $13 billion dollars in assets under management. The company recorded revenues of $69.6 million in 2019 and reported total assets under management of more than $13.2 billion as of Dec. 31.
The subsidiary of Arvest Bank offers wealth management, trust, investment, and insurance products and services, has investment and trust advisors throughout the bank's four-state footprint: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas.
"2019 was a year focused on our ongoing commitment to addressing the changing landscape of our business," Arvest Wealth Management President and CEO Jim King said. "While we made significant operational and system enhancements in 2019, our investment and trust advisors, through our discovery and financial planning process, continued to work with our customers to better understand their hopes, dreams and goals, and work to create an investment plan to help them achieve those goals."
Arvest Wealth Management also completed the first phase of its move to Pershing, a BNY Mellon company, as the provider of Arvest's clearing and custody platform in 2019. The company said the move to Pershing will allow for better integration of wealth management services into the Arvest Bank online and digital platforms and improve customer experience.
SundayMonday Business on 03/22/2020