Teleworking also necessitated mental
and emotional adjustments. “You’re opening this window into your personal life. There’s the understanding that people have pets and children that will be visible in Zoom meet- ings. There are all those human elements.” To support those human elements, “the
two words we dialed up when COVID hit were ‘empathy’ and ‘transparency,’” Forrester says. Empathy matters, he says, because
“we know that everyone is handling and processing this differently.” Transparency, Forrester explains, is criti-
cal because “as soon as COVID hit, there was a lot of fear of layoffs. We started doing weekly company updates. We’ve talked about our clients. We’ve talked about our sales pipeline. We’re giving them updates. We didn’t lay off anyone,” he says. Deierlein of ThunderCat also stresses
the importance of having a culture that recognizes and supports the human element because some of his employees are feeling isolated, some are homeschooling their children and others are taking care of elderly parents while teleworking. “It’s the entire spectrum here, as it is with
many places,” Deierlein says. “It’s important to remind people they were not alone and that others are struggling or dealing with similar issues and that they can get through it. In many ways we all became more human, more vulnerable and more transparent, more forgiving of delays and missteps.” ThunderCat leaders are asked to make
sure they touch base with each of their team members — preferably by video conference, but at least by phone — once a week, he says. The company also provides numbers to call and websites to visit to get help if needed. “We send out encouraging emails
periodically reminding people that we are there to support them 100% if financial or health or mental health issues come up. We have reminded folks it is OK not to be OK, and to raise their hand. We give them reminders that we’ve got their back.” ThunderCat is now taking steps to
introduce new people to its culture, which is based on “performance, community, family and fun,” Deierlein says. “Our VP of HR is planning a new round of company Zooms since we have actually done some hiring during the pandemic.”
Wr nVri i
The Law Firm of Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, P.C. is honored to be named one of the 2021 B oki
etPae o igna.
s lcst
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www.kearneyco.com.
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Challenges come and go, but at Kearney & Company, our culture endures. We are big enough to meet any Federal customer’s financial management needs, but small enough to be nimble. Regardless of the obstacle, we adapt to support our employees.
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