As coalitions and local programs shift more of their work and communication online, the Rockwood Leadership Institute has several tips to practice digital resilience ("staying safe and secure online so we can put our time and energy towards our actual work").
NCCASA developed a four-level assessment for programs to decide when to work remotely or in-office. They've also shared a sample list of projects advocates can work on from home and a sample letter to program leadership about how to support staff in making the transition to remote work (both attached below).
Coalitions can find Best Practices When Providing Advocacy Over Technology from NNEDV's Digital Services Toolkit.
The Victim Rights' Law Center has also developed a handout on Tips and Policies for Personal and Remote Devices.
A summary of tips and ideas shared on recent coalition peer-to-peer support calls is attached at the bottom of the page as well. All identifying information has been removed.
As many people move to using Zoom, or other online video conferencing platforms, it's important to be aware of fatigue. A Mindful.org article explains what Zoom Fatigue is and how to find balance.
Moving to remote work also likely means that programs and coalitions are needing to re-prioritze their work right now. The Management Center offers a helpful tool to aid folks in doing this: http://www.managementcenter.org/article/how-to-actually-reprioritize/
Caring For Staff As They Work From Home
In a recent Coalition Community Space, attendees discussed how coalitions are supporting their staff in working from home. Some of the fantastic ideas included:
- “consultations with an ergonomic company”
- “We sent everyone's office equipment home with them in March as a mandatory requirement. We also set a dollar amount everyone had to spend to ensure they had what they needed for an accessible home office for staff working from home. We did a second required amount for self care purchases for all staff”
- “We have yoga mats/tools, meditation and yoga subscriptions, audio books subscription, and art tools at the office. We wanted staff to have access to these things for their well-being now that they're stuck at home”
- “Is our self-care performative?” Everyone in the space thought this was an amazing and important question.
- “Self-care can only be effectively implemented if we talk about intersectionality, barriers to vulnerability and authenticity, and create a Community space that normalizes and requires discussion about those things. Spaces where we hold each other accountable for creating pressure, violating boundaries, not speaking our needs”
Remote Supervision Resources
RSP's paper on Remote Supervision offers practical advice and ideas for supervisors.
Not specific to remote supervision, but relevant to supervision in this moment, The Management Center offers an updated check-in meeting agenda template.
Three Harvard Business Review articles on remote supervision and management:
- https://hbr.org/2020/03/8-ways-to-manage-your-team-while-social-distancing
- https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your-newly-remote-workers
- https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-managers-can-support-remote-employees
Work From Home Resources
An important part of working from home is making sure you have all the tools and supplies you need to be successful. The following resources may help coalitions and local programs make the transition easier:
- Management Center's Survey to Assess Staff Needs (available as Word document or Google document)
- Ergonomic Tips from the Employee and Family Resource Center
