The Work From Home Dynamic

I was ecstatic when I found out I was able to return to (qp) global this summer, albeit virtually. I had such a wonderful experience there last summer and I was excited to build on the work that I had done last summer while learning new insights and skills. However, I wasn’t exactly sure what this would look like in a remote setting. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able sufficiently achieve my learning goals for the summer in a wok from home setting. One of the things I loved about my experience last summer was that the firm only consists of six people and it was easy to ask questions and have conversations with experienced people to gain insights about the industry. I was not sure how the communication with members of team would look like or how often I would have the chance to interact with the team.

After my first week, all of my concerns revolving around communication have been resolved. (qp) global uses Microsoft Teams to keep the whole team in the loop. I find it to be a very efficient way of conducting a remote work environment. On my dashboard I have a list with every member of the team. Next to each name there is a dot indicating their availability. A green dot is displayed when that person is available, a yellow dot appears if they are away from the computer, and a red dot appears if they are busy. I can then video chat instantly with any member of the team at a push of a button. I actually have found that communication has been easier this year. Last year there were a lot of times where members of team would be out in meetings. I would run into a problem and wouldn’t have access to the people I needed to ask questions to. Now, I can see exactly when they become available and send them a message asking if we could discuss certain aspects of the work I am assigned.

Th team has been incredibly helpful and are always willing to answer my questions or guide me through something. This type of care and attention by the leaders of the organization is amazing and I believe it is mutually beneficial as I am able to learn and do a better job on the assignments I am given. I think it’s important for leaders to share their knowledge with their followers and be communicative and helpful. I believe this method of communication for all members of the team is powerful and creates an environment that thrives on communication.