Reflections on Covid Office Gymnastics
By Chris Robinson of Friedman Law Firm, P.C.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
They say fondness grows with distance. At this point the distance is not nearly great enough, and I would be loath to consider harboring fondness for Covid. Nonetheless my appreciation for the benefits to our office grows as the days of Covid begin to recede in the rear-view mirror. In the next few posts, I’d like to share a few reflections on what we have gained during the sudden exodus, the work-from-home, and the back-to-office transitions. This first post will focus on the exodus transition.
For all practical purposes the pandemic came upon us like a thief in the night. There could never have been sufficient warning. With no time to build our defenses it left us scrambling to employ what resources we had on hand. Three key resources come to mind: old technology, new technology, and the people using both.
First, just three months before Covid hit, we replaced all our aging desktop computers with sleek new PCs. Happily, we had not yet disposed of the decommissioned PCs. In short order we were able to configure this old technology for our staff members to take home and work remotely. And thanks to our IT vendor, we had also just deployed a VPN system which enabled remote server connection for the whole office.
Second, we were just beginning to explore a new service on the market called Zoom – also less than three months before Covid came. While not without connection frustrations, it is hard to imagine a pandemic work-from-home environment without Zoom. I am thankful that Zoom was in the right place at the right time. In addition, we had only recently installed a new telephone system which enables personal cell phones to connect as if they are sitting on a desk in the office.
Third and by far the most important resource — through the twelve months preceding the pandemic we had enjoyed a nearly complete turnover of Firm personnel. By “enjoyed” I don’t mean to suggest it was a pleasant process. Turnover never is. What I do mean is that when it was all said and done, we had the most stable, talented, and professional group of employees I’ve known in the eight years I’ve been here. And THAT is very enjoyable!
The steadfast willingness of this team to serve our clients to the best of our ability is what kept us thriving through a whole new operational paradigm. Amidst the anxieties with which everyone was trying to cope, our attorneys, paralegals, and support staff assured our clients that Friedman Law Firm is solid and dependable. The equation comprising our motto, what we say = what we do, did not falter for a moment as we underwent the rapid exodus from office to home.
The Covid-delayed Olympics are now in full swing. We underwent our own gymnastics when Covid first hit. All we really knew at that point was that we needed more space between us. But thanks to these resources – old and new technology and the people making up the Friedman team – we can look back upon that first transition as a clear Win.
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