I am an extrovert! When lock-down hit I struggled with how I would remain professionally productive while also maintaining my sanity.
I am a natural networker and connector, a valued asset as a major gift fundraiser. Finding ways to meaningfully engage alumni has been a challenge this last year. Pre-covid I was based in Philadelphia and had the opportunity to travel to meet with alumni in NYC, Chicago, Arizona, and Southern, California with the purpose of re-engaging them with their alma mater. Whether that be encouraging them to attend events, volunteer, guest lecture in a class, and have an impact philanthropically. When classes went virtual and the world shut down, I questioned how I would meaningfully engage with my prospects. Luckily, I work with some very creative and collaborative colleagues, and without missing a beat we transitioned to virtual engagement opportunities.
One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been no commute and being able to engage with alumni from home. No longer did I have to spend weeks planning a trip out to Southern, California which involved securing enough meetings, booking travel, etc. I could coordinate a full day of virtual meetings, for example starting the day with a coffee meeting with a finance alum in NYC, catching up with an alum over lunch in Chicago, and finishing the day with a virtual speed networking event with alumni in Southern, California. Further, alumni also had more time available to give back to their alma mater, whether that be "zooming" in for a guest lecture in an undergraduate leadership class for 30-minutes or hosting a breakout room to mentor MBA students. Engaging alumni nationally and internationally on a more frequent level has been a win during the pandemic. That being said zoom fatigue is real.
As an MBA student myself, I was hit with severe zoom fatigue in the Winter of 2020. Spending more time indoors and on the computer for all meetings, conference calls, and class post-work hours took a toll. I knew I was not alone, and one of the ways I found to combat fatigue was to turn to "old-school" telephone calls in substitution of zoom. I scheduled bi-weekly check-ins with colleagues and found comfort in knowing others also were experiencing similar fatigue. I also adjusted my work routine to include a morning walk with my dog for 30-minutes before sitting down at my computer paired with an afternoon break involving another walk or a virtual workout class (shout out for Les Mills On Demand for keeping me in shape during COVID!) Finding mental breaks is critical to remain focused during the workday.
Staying connecting with colleagues was also a challenge over the last year. Water cooler conversations did not exist, spontaneous collaborative moments with office mates were extinct, and coffee run-ins at the on-campus Starbucks were no more. I found I had to be more intentional and plan ahead in order to stay connected with colleagues. Microsoft Teams and zoom are great ways to keep that instant collaboration going but I missed connecting with colleagues on a personal level. To help with this, I started to turn to a phone call instead of zoom as sitting on zoom all day is fatiguing. I also coordinated several in-person meet-ups with colleagues, of course outside and socially distant. These in-person meetings over lunch or coffee proved to re-energize my soul both professionally and personally. The power of an in-person smile and conversation makes a huge difference. As we transition back to the office or to the "new normal" as some will say I am looking forward to seeing colleagues in person.
Now after a year and a month of quarantining at home I can appreciate some silver linings; (1) connecting more frequently and consistently with colleagues and prospects located across the U.S., (2) having the ability to build in a dog walk or work-out class in the middle of the day, (3) appreciating the power of in-person
meet-ups and how impactful an in-person smile and laugh can boost your mood. In a year where home also became our office, our gym, on occasion a restaurant, our go-to coffee shop (shout out for Nespresso for helping me become an at-home barista), and a place to connect with family I look forward to venturing out into our "new normal" once everyone gets their shots.
C'est la vie.
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