We hope you are all staying healthy and happy during this strange time. We are all facing challenges that most of us have never had to experience for an unknown length of time and at unprecedented levels. Some of these include getting groceries, others include job security, and less obviously - mental health.

As a company we are realizing the value in our remote work structure. When Lindsey Love and Lindsay Schack set out to create a business in architecture, they were met with the challenge of communicating between Bozeman, MT and the Teton Valley. Lindsay Schack, with two young children, needed to create a fluid work structure that would allow her to work from her home outside of Bozeman. Once Lindsey and Lindsay were able to practice several possible solutions through video conferencing, a communication app called Slack and regular calls to update each other and their clients, they began to see that the systems they were creating could be replicated to manage additional team members, not to mention grow a friendship and partnership.

We are now a team of six, each with the ability to work from home when it is necessary. Through messaging, sharing and other cloud based technology, we manage what we all do internally, we work with clients who may not be able to visit either of our offices during certain times of the year, and we connect with one another on a personal level. Life throws unexpected obstacles at us all throughout the year, and it has been our goal to create an environment where people are the focus. We’re proud of the talented, motivated, caring team we have, and we can’t help but think that we were all attracted to a place where our health and relationships come first. We all work better because of it. It’s been a learning curve since day one, but it’s a benefit that none of us are taking for granted right now.

We are writing this looking forward into the unknown. We could be back to working in the office in a few weeks, or we could be separated for the rest of the summer, or even longer. We want to let our clients and the community know that the health and safety of our employees has been of the utmost importance to us since day one. Each of us have settled into our home offices quickly, as it is a familiar place, and we haven’t skipped a beat. It has been an unexpected comfort to have reliable systems in place when the world outside seems unpredictable.

Several months ago Lindsay Schack discussed our remote work structure with Danielle Savio and Justine Hadj, of Gazella Blog, an Australian based publication covering women in design and architecture. Here are a couple of quotes from the article describing what we focus on to maintain clear communication within the team.

“WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON GOOD COMMUNICATION. IT’S EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR LEVEL OF AVAILABILITY. WHAT THEIR CONFLICTS MIGHT BE. WHAT THEIR WINDOW OF WORK IS AND WHEN IT’S NOT. ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT WAS NO HIERARCHY AROUND WHO’S FREE TIME IS MORE IMPORTANT. WE CREATE THOSE BOUNDARIES AROUND OUR TIME OURSELVES AND THEY ARE DEFINED BY OTHERS. THE CHOICE LANDS WITH EACH PERSON. BEING PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE IS CRITICAL. THERE CAN BE NO JUDGEMENT ABOUT WHETHER SOMEONE DESERVES TO TAKE A DAY.

“WE SOMEHOW CIRCUMNAVIGATED THE CHALLENGES OF THE REMOTE STRUCTURE OF OUR STUDIO. WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND FIND CONNECTION AND INSPIRATION. WE DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO JUST GO DOWN TO THE LOCAL LUMBER YARD, WE CAN FIND AND REACH FAR BEYOND WHAT OUR LOCAL RESOURCES ARE, WHICH BENEFITS US.”

Our thoughts are with those businesses in our community and beyond who are now learning to work remotely. We’re not saying we are experts in working remotely, but we have worked through many challenging experiences over the past five years of doing it and we would like to help anyone who could use a few tips during this difficult time. Here’s a list we’ve put together to help others who may be navigating a work-from-home environment for the first time.

VIDEO CONFERENCING:

Don’t be afraid to show your face (or kids, or pets) on a webcam, it helps us feel human and closer. Especially with long term remote work, it’s important to do everything you can to feel connected to one another. When our fellow team members lack the feeling of connection they can feel left out, which builds tension, stress and ultimately leads to a less productive day of work. The reality is that we all work & live in the same place now and boundaries of “professionalism” need to change. The fact is that even as mere humans with stuff going on in the background, we all accomplish amazing work. Let’s embrace and celebrate it together.
Mute yourself when not speaking. Small noises in your background can disrupt those speaking. Tensions can be exaggerated when we aren’t together, so now more than ever, it’s important that those speaking feel that they have our full attention.
Break the ice. Coordinate with your team to do a toast or something that puts a smile off everyone’s face before your meeting begins : )
Use chat windows to accumulate organized questions to ask before transitioning to a new topic.
Regularly scheduled team check-ins. In an office setting we tend to naturally check in with one another throughout the day without realizing. We are used to asking about weekends or life events in passing when we see each other, but that can sometimes be missed in a team video call. Intentionally checking in with one another on an individual basis to find out how someone is doing in their life beyond work is an important part of keeping a team together.

Scheduling and communication:

Predictable calendars. When in a remote setting, it’s more important than ever to make sure the whole team updates their calendars to reflect their availability and what they are up to. Let the team know you have a walk planned in the afternoon. It will not only let everyone know that you don’t want to be bothered during that time, but your colleagues will ask you how it went, which is an important casual conversation starter that can help you feel more connected.
Replacing employee break time with casual conversations and check-ins. Schedule your lunch with another team member through a video call. Look for small ways to fit in the kind of conversation you would typically have in passing with each other in your office.
Small acts of communication matter. When a team member posts something in a shared channel or via an email it’s important to show them that you saw it. A simple thumbs up or thank you can go along way in an environment where assumptions are easily made.

Health and Productivity:

Dedicated workspace. When you work from home it’s easy to fall victim to the distractions. We find that lots of natural light in a quiet space makes for the best place to focus. Find a spot that works for you and make sure others in your home understand that it’s a place of work for you.
Get dressed. This one seems so simple, but it can really make a difference in how productive you are during the day. Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean that you should put a collared shirt on over your underwear and slippers ; ) Treat a day of work at home just like you would any day headed to the office. You’ll be more productive and it feels good!
Self care. We can talk about small things in your work day to help you be more productive working from home, but ultimately you need to be happy and healthy to work well. We especially encourage this with our team. Getting outside for an hour or two can make your whole week. So whether it’s morning yoga, a walk down the block or an afternoon ski tour, schedule time to be active.

We hope this was helpful and that you and your family, friends and colleagues are all well and are staying healthy. We welcome any questions, feedback or suggestions. Together, we will get through this challenging moment. Thank you for your patience and continued support.

Take care,
The Love | Schack Team