Lots of focus on Nov 3, and how the world may change after that day. But what we do know is that WFH, or at least a hybrid model, will be with us well beyond the election day. So we do need to plan… (= THREAD)
As I mentioned in previous thread, the initial excitement about wfh being possible, and in some narrow areas even an advantage, is giving way to a form of fatigue, reduced motivation, and a test to social networking / teamwork structures, over time.

Hence, we have been thinking hard about what can be done (in the context of managing @ExanteData) to ‘stay sane’ and avoid the most obvious pitfalls of working from home in the longer-run. Three main points on this....
First, there is plenty of academic research linking mental and physical health. As such, we decided to offer personal training for staff (to handle back issues etc, while focusing on broader fitness too, via zoom). We used Alan Wong to guide this...

instagram.com/p/B2-XB7iH0pM/…
...It has been a major success, including for some staff who have never used a trainer before (now I just need to personally get on with it!!!).

[here is his handle, if you want to go down that route: @mvmtsolution]
Second, we have also experimented with socially distanced in-person meetings, for subgroups of the firm. We have done an outdoor off-site, team-building is a loft-space and even casual sunset cocktails. It may sound cliche, but it does improve the teamwork.
Companies used to do these events before the pandemic. But the irony is that now that socializing is constrained (for good reason) there is actually much more benefit, if you can organize it in a way that is safe. I strongly recommend an in person off-site of some form.
Third, having a plan for the future can matter. Staff wants to know what they can expect...Like the pilot informing passengers on an airline about delays, team-members/staff will appreciate color about what the plan is.

When is the temporary state supposed to end?
And what does the new steady state look like?

Articulating these plans early, even if they are not set in stone, may help team members mentally prepare for the future, and plan their lives (including living situation) more optimally. Eliminating some uncertainty is a positive.
As we move to a new steady state, it is important to realize which tasks can be done well, forever, remotely; and which tasks are done better in person. Strategic planning / brainstorming (a tasks where creative human interaction counts) should be done in person, if possible.
Client meetings, in person, have also been out of fashion since February. But I did one socially distanced one recently, as a test (outside) and it makes a difference. Try it.

There are many other examples...
We will not be getting back to normal soon. Certain employees may want to. But it will not be feasible, at least not in 2020, and probably not in early 2021 either. Hence, it is crucial to take feasible steps, to break negative cycles around remote work...
taking breaks, exercising, meeting in-person when possible, socializing with your team, and making a plan for the future (to have a vision, and some hope for improvement). It all helps.
There are grades of 'not a ton of fun' and upgrading from terrible to tolerable, is a big achievement; and small steps can make really make a difference. Lot of people have a lot of stress in 2020, reducing just a bit of it is important.
Most of us want to get back to normal, or at least a new hybrid reality with some form of in-person interaction as part of our work setup. But as long as the virus is here, we cannot optimize that way. We have to minimize the pain of working, mostly remotely, in a pandemic.
The key is to think; think about the small steps that make a difference; and take them. This is not a normal year, so the steps may well be unusual too. But as we all get sick of the monotony, anything that is a breath of fresh air, literally or figuratively, is worth a go. END.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Jens Nordvig

Jens Nordvig Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @jnordvig

1 Oct
The most important chart of 2020 continues to evolve. We had the incredible situation that incomes spiked in a depression, because government transfers were so big. Now that transfers are declining, incomes are coming down, but spending is still on an uptrend via past savings. Image
This is why the fiscal stimulus debate remains the hottest issue of the day, as well as more strategically. The cut in Federal unemployment subsidies are feeding directly into this. So that piece is key, although maybe the aid for states is what the negotiation is more focused on
2020 is not like any other year. The aggressiveness of fiscal policy, in the US and globally, is different. And the interplay between fiscal policy & QE is also different. "FisQEl Policy", if you will... (as opposed to the pure asset swap QE of the 2008-2014 period).@TheStalwart
Read 4 tweets
10 Sep
Just did @BloombergTV with @CarolineHydeTV, @romainebostick and @TheStalwart. Main discussion was about the recovery, and whether it is in question

My main point...watch two engines of recovery...
The recovery, since April-May, has had two engines:
First, the gradual reopening, in the US (with some setbacks along the way) and globally.
Second, the roll-out of big fiscal stimulus (in the US, and more broadly)
We have to watch these two engines. The low fatality rates and the greater appreciation for the importance of superspreading events and mask use (and aversion to big 2nd round lockdowns), means that big 2nd round lockdowns are unlikely, unless hospitalizations/death really move.
Read 6 tweets
6 Sep
It used to be 'I am not an epidemiologist'; and now we can flip to 'I am not a criminologist'. In any case, there is huge interest in the topic of the rise in crime in 2020 in US cities, for basic reasons of safety, and well as for political reasons.

Below, some basic charts...
Here, we project full year crime counts in major categories in NYC using the growth observed in the first eight months of the year, to allow comparison with previous (full) years. Image
There are major spikes in key categories (auto larceny: 59.6%, burglary: 42.9%, murders: 34.6%, as has been widely reported. But some other categories are falling (rape: -24.6%, felony assault: -3.7%) Image
Read 9 tweets
26 Aug
As Jackson Hole nears, it’s useful to recall how the Fed’s balance sheet has changed since end-2019 as well as contemplate how it might evolve in coming months including due to Powell’s review of the monetary policy framework = THREAD with charts from ChrisMarsh/@GeneralTheorist.
As is well known, Fed assets are now around USD7TN—up about USD2.8TN since year-end. This is due to (i) UST purchases (USD2TN); (ii) other securities (USD0.9TN); as well as (iii) central bank swaps which peaked at USD450BN (but are now below USD100BN).
On the liabilities side, bank reserves at the Fed (+USD1.3TN) have increased a similar amount to the Treasury General Account (+USD1.2TN) since year-end, while cash has increased USD0.2TN. Or, of dollar liquidity created, less than 50% has yet reached US bank reserves.
Read 11 tweets
24 Aug
We have probably seen the peak in WFH. Six months in, is very different than six weeks in.

Some observations...
Back in April, I was amazed how smoothly the transition to work-from-home had been working out. There were even aspects of the business (@ExanteData) which seemed to run more smoothly and effectively without a physical office.

But we are now 6-months into the process, and it feels different now. The novelty, the convenience, the flexibility is giving way to claustrophobia, disconnectedness and fatigue. Some examples:
Read 11 tweets
17 Aug
This was probably the key point i made to @tomkeene and @flacqua on @BloombergTV this morning.

This QE is different from the QE in 2009....
In 2009, the QE, in the US and elsewhere, was mostly an asset swap. The Fed (and others) bought bonds, and the market was given central banks reserves. The asset swap was not inflationary (many were totally wrong on that back then).
We have learnt over the last decade, that even huge (Asset Swap) QEs, such as Japan's, have a very hard time generating inflation. Japan never remotely reached their 2% target for example.
Read 9 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!