BLOG – Page 2 – Andrea Arena

Remote Working Is Here To Stay

Remote Working is here to stay. McKinsey's article, "Fostering employee productivity and morale during COVID-19" speaks to the ways and importance of maintaining employee productivity and employee engagement with a remote workforce. The article suggests, "Leaders might take into account the challenges people are encountering in balancing their work lives with their personal lives. This is particularly true for working parents and other caregivers." What assistance are you providing your people to help them stay focused while working from home - with or without kids attending virtual school in the next room and safeguarding elderly family members with a compromised immune system? The national errand running capabilities of Timesquared Concierge have transitioned from a "nice to have" to a "must have" for many employers. We complete all of the personal errands (weekly grocery shopping, Target and Costco runs, driving vehicles for service, taking pets to the vet and so much more) allowing the employees to focus on the job at hand. Providing TimeSquared Concierge as an employee benefit send a clear message that their employer understands their personal challenges. https://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/covid-response-center/leadership-mindsets/podcasts/fostering-employee-productivity-and-morale-through-covid-19#

Tags: COVID Solution, COVID-19, Employee Benefit, Employee Engagement, Employee Productivity, Remote workers, Remote Working|

Ready, Set Write

At TimeSquared Concierge, we realize that many are struggling with how to redirect their energy due to the COVID-19 restrictions. For that reason, we will be posting suggestions regularly in hopes that it encourages our clients and friends to make the very best of these challenging times. Our first recommendation is is to start Journaling. Whether you choose to record video or audio, type or handwrite, the object is to be consistent to get the best results. For some, journaling is an effective way to purge your thoughts, questions, and concerns. Getting everything on paper can lighten the mental load and provide clarity. Knowing that you can revisit it, gives you the freedom to release it from your thoughts. “One of the most effective ways to reduce stress with journaling is to write in detail about feelings and thoughts related to stressful events, as one would discuss topics in therapy, and brainstorm solutions, but there are several different ways to practice journaling. The method you choose can depend on your needs at the time, and your personality; just do what feels right.” according to VeryWellMind.com’s September 5, 2019 article, “The Benefits of Journaling for Stress Management”, by Elizabeth Scott. So, our first recommendation during this period of “social distancing” is to start Journaling. Remember, this is just for you. No one else will read it unless you choose to share it. Who knows, it might the beginning of the next great American novel! #Journaling #StressManagement #Covid19 #SocialDistancing #TimeSquaredConcierge #YourTimeSquared

Tags: COVID-19, journaling, socialdistancing, Stress Management|

The holiday season is our time to shine!

Concierges are the season’s magical elves committed to making every customer’s dream a reality and this season was no exception. From collecting enough pine cones for a client to write a marriage proposal in the snow to making custom gift baskets for a someone described as, “strongly self identifies as a Jewish, Chilean Vegan”. We are the ones convincing the salesperson at a discount retailer to hide the designer handbags when they arrive and call us immediately as a matter of national importance. We include notes in our contacts with the names of our clients’ relatives and what we bought for Aunt Edna last Christmas. Please don’t get offended when we remind you of your spouse’s birthday or email you a simple, make ahead recipe for your neighborhood potluck. We just might keep you out of the “dog house” or save you a couple of frantic hours in the kitchen! We are the ones who drive across town for a friend who is under the weather, because we know that nothing has more healing power than receiving your favorite soup and a thoughtful note. Of course, we always include a small box of chocolate …. for medicinal purposes. We are driven to make the magic happen. I use the word “driven” because it is a calling. It is something deep within a true concierge. There is a delight that we feel when we make even the smallest dream come true. So, hug your concierge. This time of year, they are easy to spot. They are exhausted but have that satisfied look of a job well done plastered across their merry little face! We look forward to making your life better in 2019! http://TimeSquaredConcierge.com

Tags: concierge, corporate concierge, customer service, errand running, family, frantic, holiday season, magical concierge, TimeSquared Concierge, work/life balance, working parent|

My answer to “This is How Real Working Mothers Are Managing (It’s Not as Complicated as You Think)”

Laura Vanderkam’s article “This Is How Real Working Mothers Are Managing (It’s Not as Complicated as You Think)” states, “The math is straightforward. There are 168 hours in a week. If you work fifty and sleep eight per night (fifty-six hours per week in total), that leaves sixty-two hours for other things.” Of course, my first thought is that she was remiss in not mentioning the imperative that you outsource your personal errands to TimeSquared Concierge. My second that was the realization that my opinion on this matter changes with the day and, if I am truly honest, the difference is the lens through which I am viewing my life. If I allow myself to be hyper critical, I see the inside of the refrigerator that could benefit from a thorough cleaning. However, most of the time, I see the smile on my daughter’s face or hear her utter a clever statement that is decades beyond her years or catch the reflection of the two of us attempting to imitate dance moves that clearly should be left to the professionals. Sure, I could benefit from some “me” time and I have my share of “first world” challenges, but I am tremendously grateful for the life I have and the people I share it with! https://verilymag.com/2015/09/working-mothers-i-know-how-she-does-it-laura-vanderkam?utm_source=Verily%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=8bb79406ca-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e08a3e62a0-8bb79406ca-88944549

Tags: productivity, work/life balance, working mom, working parent|

Quality vs Quantity Time

Recently, I attended a speech on the topic of parenting. The speaker was great. I agreed with the majority of what he said, but his suggestion that parents increase the amount of time we spend with our children rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, it all sounds good on paper, but the reality is that most of us are trying to cram 30+ hours into a 24 hour day. If we plan to spend more time with our children and then fail to do so, it creates guilt or anxiety which is no good for anyone. With all the expectations put on us in our professional and private lives, we don’t need any more reasons to feel inadequate. I thought long and hard and, after much deliberation decided that it’s just not possible. I do my very best and give all the attention that I can to my family. In my opinion, what’s most important is the quality of time spent, not the quantity. Being extremely present in the limited time you do have with your family can go a long way. And if they could be doing something better with their time, who am I to prevent them? For example, I love spending time with my daughter Charlie, but I can't teach her how to do a pirouette. She must spend time with her ballet instructor to learn that. Its best to use your limited time together giving what only you can - unconditional love. The most memorable moments with my daughter happen when I am present enough to recognize and seize the opportunity. For example, one morning while driving my daughter Charlie to school, we saw a red fox dart across the road. I

Tags: connecting with kids, family, parenting, quality time, work/life balance, working parent|

Is Your Life Being Squeezed?

The answer to “Sandwich Generation” retention How do you retain your valuable employees who find themselves in the “Sandwich Generation” - a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children? Imagine an employee who leaves work 30 mins early to pick up mom’s prescription, then fights traffic for another 45 minutes to get to the daycare on time and avoid the exorbitant late fee. Once they are home, they whirl around the kitchen, trying to whip together a healthy meal for their family while struggling with the guilt from missed time at the office. I’m sure this is all too familiar for most of you. After all, the Pew Research Center, reported just over one of every eight Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for a parent, in addition to between seven and ten million adults caring for their aging parents from a long distance. These individuals are at war with themselves - struggling with demands from so many with so few hours in the day. They know the importance of putting family first, but they also know what is expected of them at the office. For the ones I know, their professional life is a safe haven. It is the place where they can give 100% and reap tremendous rewards with often quantifiable measures of success. It feeds their sense of accomplishment, pays their bills and hopefully allows them to financially prepare for their own “golden years”. That is unless it is totally derailed by the competing factors previously mentioned. Do you doubt for a minute that it happens? You know it does. The question isn’t IF it happens, but rather how frequently.

Tags: busy, work/life balance, working mom|

What Millennials told us they value in the workplace

Because they confound the leadership so much, leaders will say “what do you want?” And millennials will say “we want to work in a place with purpose, we want to make an impact, we want free food and bean bag chairs.” And yet when provided all these things they are still not happy. ~ Simon Sinek’s interview on Millennials Millennials get a pretty bad rap. This generation—defined as the group born between 1982 and 2004—have been labeled as lazy, entitled and overly obsessed with their smart phones. Simon Sinek added insecure and monumentally depressed to the list. Even so, Millennials are the leaders of the future. What these future leaders want most is change. I know what you are going to say. They just want everything handed to them. Participation trophy syndrome! Well, a recent study conducted by Gallup.com shows evidence that Millennials may be more like you than you think. As a matter a fact, the scores for employee engagement and workplace satisfaction were pretty even across the board. Based on the 200,000 Americans surveyed only about 1/3 of people are engaged at work. This number includes all generations currently in the workforce. So the real question is, if everyone feels that they are waiting for employers to provide what they need to keep them engaged, how do Millennials differ from the previous generations? The difference is, Millennials aren’t willing to wait. This dissatisfaction results in the job hopping that Millennials are so famous for. At TimeSquared Concierge it is our job to make sure your employees are well taken care of so they can stay focused at work. That is why we created a survey to find out exactly what millennials really want in

Lessons From the Edge

“I see hundreds of high-level professionals who are brilliant, achievement-oriented and accomplished, but at the same time exhausted, depleted, depressed and demoralized. In the pursuit of a great career, they’ve compromised their health and well-being. …Sacrificing your health and well-being demonstrates your lack of prioritizing yourself as important, failing to understand that you must care for yourself before you can be of true service to anyone else, your organization, yourfamily or your employer.” ~ Kathy Caprino for Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2012/09/05/what-you-should-never-compromise-on-while-building-your-career/#70cbc8a95298 Picture this. I’m at a large consulting firm and meeting an executive client for the first time, I turn to greet her and notice immediately that her eye is twitching so wildly that she can’t even make eye contact with us. What we learn is she was just notified that she would be traveling out of the country the next day on business and her housekeeper just reported that the washer broke mid spin cycle. So, the clothes she needed for the trip are submerged in 15 gallons of soapy water. The icing on the cake is that the housekeeper doesn’t speak English. I explain we will have a Spanish-speaking team member call the housekeeper and ask her to take the wet clothes to the laundromat to wash them. Meanwhile a member of our team headed to the house to check the warranty and manage the washer repair. When I mentioned we would pick up voltage converters and healthy snacks for her trip on the way, I saw a tear roll down her face. She said nothing. I opened my arms and gave her a big hug. Dare we admit that we have been that executive a time or two? Perhaps you are surrounded by

Building Your Corporate Culture…one small gesture at a time

The September 2014 Robert Half article titled, “9 Low-Cost Ways to Keep Employee Retention High” reminds us that it is often the small gestures that are important. But, isn’t that usually the case in life? Men, don’t get me wrong, expensive jewelry is always appreciated! However, dare I admit that remembering my favorite dessert or finding a message on a Post It note when I open my laptop can mean almost as much. This concept reminds me of the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither is your company’s culture. The foundation may be your Core Values and Mission Statement, but you have an opportunity to lay bricks each day with the small gestures and initiatives that are in complete alignment. An example of one small initiative at TimeSquared Concierge is that we gather personal information during on-boarding and you never know when that information may be used to surprise you. For example, your favorite ice cream flavor may be purchased for the office when you make a big sale or your favorite type of flowers might be sent to you when you are out sick. We are in the business of anticipating needs and making our clients feel special. Why wouldn’t we do the same for our valued employees. After all, without them, our company simply couldn’t succeed. I’d love to hear some of your signature small gestures that shape your corporate culture. https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/9-low-cost-ways-to-keep-employee-retention-high

Great advice on ways to safeguard our four-legged family members

We are always looking for ways to keep you happy and healthy! So, we'd like to share this blog post from K-9 Coach. They are a great dog training, grooming, boarding company that we highly recommend. This particular post is important because it warns all of us about some foods that you probably didn't realize could be harmful to your pet. For example, grapes could cause renal failure in dogs and Macadamia nuts can be poisonous! So, heed these warnings...... no matter how much they give you those pleading "puppy dog eyes". http://www.k-9coach.com/category/blog/