Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Equipping Business for Success

Lexie:

The transition back into a hybrid schedule was bumpier than I would have preferred. I had to learn how to get out the door with two kids! I had forgotten all that goes into a morning routine. I have also noticed that I am more of an introvert than I thought. I find that I lose more energy around people than I perhaps did prior to the pandemic. But NOT being quarantined is amazing! I think I’ve also gotten a clearer picture of my goals and my values, which has enabled me to begin focusing on what I want to dedicate most of my time to and where to set better boundaries. I’m working on finding myself and my voice more than I did pre-pandemic.

Xiang:

Toyota Industries Commercial Finance (TICF) currently utilizes “2-3” work schedule, meaning two days in the office and three days working from home. The hybrid working schedule provides a lot of flexibility for me. My challenge initially was to create a new routine. I needed to rearrange my activities to allow me to take care of work and family responsibilities effectively. For example, working-from-office days are for team development and relationship building. For the days that I work from home, I will spend most of my time on the tasks that require focus without disruption. In addition, I schedule my son’s after-school activities on the days I work from home so that I don’t need to get stressed out about being stuck in traffic.

Emily:

During the pandemic DLL took the opportunity to reimagine and renovate our offices (think HGTV reveal!). It was exciting to return to this completely redesigned space that served a new purpose as the heart of our collaboration, culture and community. We all had to rethink when and why we would come to the office to meet with our team and customers, let go of the idea a traditional office had in our lives, and create new boundaries for work/life flexibility.

My daughter was born during the pandemic so balancing a commute to and from the office and daycare was new for me. Initially transitioning into hybrid working meant that I had to rethink my routines and divide responsibilities with my family so we all could maintain balance in our lives. Building a support network around my family and me was so important for maintaining that balance.

I have come to love my days in the office and feel more balanced because something as simple as changing the physical location of where I do my work allows me to separate the lines between my work and family life. I am a mother, wife, daughter and leader. I noticed I feel I can be more present in each of those roles now with this blended way of working (rather than being tempted to respond to one more email when I was fully remote).