Staff Share Learned Benefits, Tips to Working Remote
The NCRPC and affiliate NCKCN have practiced remote working for select staff for several years. That small group grew in spring 2020 when the office went nearly entirely remote for a number of weeks. As was the case for many offices and organizations, the process of going remote on a large scale was a learning one.
When staff participated in a virtual meeting in December 2020 as part of the Kansas Beats the Virus Initiative, remote work rose to the top of the list for a group action project. The Kansas Leadership Center launched the initiative in partnership with the State of Kansas to encourage local solutions to help control the spread of COVID-19. Gretchin Staples facilitated the meeting in what ultimately resulted in a social media campaign to break remote work myths based on the personal experiences of staff with remote working.
“Having staff working remotely was not really new to us, but we never explored the remote option any further because it simply did not seem feasible given the nature of our work,” NCRPC Executive Director Emily Benedick said. “As a result of the pandemic, we were suddenly an entirely remote office overnight. As an organization, we learned a ton about the benefits of and tricks to working remote.”
The myth breaking and points of advice were shared on the NCRPC Facebook page in late December and early January. The series covered a wide range of topics including communication, accountability, technology and more. To view the tips, visit the NCRPC Facebook page.
This article appeared in the January 2021 NCRPC Newsletter.
