Preserving Company Culture and Community During the New Normal

The COVID-19 virus has forced many on premise businesses to transition into a remote workforce. By now you know if you have been successful in this transition or if you are continuing to struggle. Through planning and process Usherwood was prepared to clear that first hurdle without much issue. Utilizing the Microsoft Teams as our unified communications platform, we have been able to securely collaborate using voice, video and document sharing to continue our day to day operations without interruption. What about the next hurdle?... Keeping that sense of the company culture and community in place while we are all remote.

Usherwood has taken two approaches to keep the sense of culture and community intact. The first being the more traditional route which includes town hall style video conferences, continuing to train remotely and generally having every conversation with video enabled to assure that everyone feels as connected as when we are all collocated in the offices.

The second way that the company is utilizing its UC solution to preserve the culture and community is led by the staff, less traditional, not typically scheduled on a regular basis, and has little to no preparation. It is “Virtual Lunch Club.”

Lunch club is a tradition at Usherwood that has grown out of a few people that were just to lazy to pack themselves a lunch. It has now become a midday event that has produced lasting friendships and the comradery that many of the staff look forward to attending. Lunch club includes all departments, all locations, and in some cases even staff from other businesses. All are welcome as long as they agree to follow the 8 rules of lunch club. (similar, yet much less violent as compared to fight club) The eight rules of Usherwood Lunch Club include:

1. You do talk about lunch club...

2. You DO talk about lunch club...even after it's over

3. Lunch club is over when it is time to get back to work.

4. Lunch club happens every day.

5. No invitations sent for lunch club… all are invited.

6. No shirt, no shoes… no service (not our rule, restaurants typically want you dressed appropriately)

7. You must cram as many people into the cars as possible. (not really a rule, just happens that way).

8. If this is your first time at Lunch Club, you have to eat (no spectators). 

Usherwood has continued this lunch club tradition virtually utilizing Microsoft Teams so that we can preserve the sense of culture and community that make Usherwood a great place to work. The Team has even begun incorporating some happy hours since everyone is self-quarantined and there is no need to drive anywhere.

Don’t allow this new remote work world that we have been thrust into undue the culture and community that your company has cultivated. Look to embrace those same things that make your compony culture strong utilizing the technology available.

If you are currently struggling to keep your business or company culture as it was, please feel free to contact Usherwood Office Technology to see what technologies may be a fit for your needs.

#UsherwoodStrong