Buying A Home, Avoiding Burnout,
Developing
Resilience & More
|
Q: What trends are you seeing in today's market?
A: We are seeing a greater influx of people moving from the Bay Area to the Sacramento region. Because of the pandemic, and people being able to work remotely, they can profit from selling their homes in the Bay Area and get a house three times the size here in Sacramento. Also, because interest rates are low and will continue to be low for the next couple of months, the demand for real estate will remain high. In Sacramento County right now, there is only .7 months worth of inventory for prospective buyers - that's not even three weeks of available inventory. In a healthy market you would see anywhere between three and five months worth of inventory, and in a buyers market it's six months or more. Not only are we in a sellers market, but in August alone the average home sold in the Sacramento region received 100 percent of its selling price.
Avoiding Burnout
Professional burnout is very common. But did you know that there are warning signs you can watch for? And, if you already find yourself in this space, are their stress management techniques that are actually effective? The short answer to both is, yes. Click here for answers.
Developing Resilience
Business Strategies For Reopening
Creating A Strong Workplace Culture
A strong company culture is the backbone to an organization's overall success. But as research shows, even if you have created a culture that is strategically aligned, strong and intensely valued, it won't help you in the long run unless your culture is adaptable in real time. Don't let the pandemic sink your company's culture.
And, for those interested in learning more about our services, please contact us today! Your first consultation is FREE!
|
|
 |
|
How Do We Navigate A Safe Return To The Workplace?
|
 These days there isn't a news broadcast that I listen to or watch that isn't about the Coronavirus. Personally, we worry about our health and safety, and the health and safety of our loved ones. Professionally, we worry about how the virus affects our job, our businesses and what the future holds. As we continue to follow the news about the pandemic, it brings about a multitude of thoughts and concerns for both our employees and businesses.
Some common things we're hearing about working remotely:
- From greater flexibility (a benefit), to the challenge of establishing a workspace at home (a hardship), people are finding that working remotely has both its ups and downs;
- For those employees that report being furloughed or unemployed, they feel uncertain about finding new employment;
- Some employees and business owners report increase in production while working remotely from home;
- Many report that working remotely while simultaneously taking care of children has been a significant challenge;
- For those employees being asked to return to the office, but also find themselves without childcare, they report feeling as if they don't have viable options or solutions; and,
- For those being called back to work, many report feeling unsafe returning.
Some common questions business owners are considering:
- How do we handle employees who want to continue to work from home?
- How do we handle the process of employees who do not want to return, but we have determined it is important they do return to work?
- What are the restrictions for returning employees?
- How do we obtain employee cooperation?
- What is it I need to know when I accommodate some working from home, but I won't be able to accommodate others?
- How do I let our employees know we care about them and will make the workplace safe for them, but also gain their cooperation?
- Should I downsize because having staff work from home has proven to be productive?
- What do we do about staff who are suffering from anxiety because they have been home for so long?
- What happens when a staff member has COVID-19 symptoms? What is the sick leave policy? What constitutes these systems?
- How do I go about answering these questions and other important issues when reopening? How do I implement these policies?
For the foreseeable future, many of us will continue to work from home, and balance the demands of our professional and personal lives in a new way. At the same time however, many businesses are considering reopening their doors. The questions above reflect just a few of the things that are critical to think about before safely reopening. Even if you just have a couple of employees returning initially, it is important to take the time and answer these questions, outline your needs, the needs of your staff and the mandates issued by the government.
Once you've evaluated your needs, it is important that your executive team get together and have a reopening strategic planning session. How will you strategically reopen so that you are prepared to answer your staff's questions and fears? You need to make sure your business is able to run as efficiently and successfully as possible, while complying with current mandates and best practices. Additionally, your staff needs to clearly understand what your expectations are as your expectations will have changed from when they were previously working in the office.
A few things to consider:
Workplace safety. Employees need to know as an employer, your number one priority is making sure your place of business is as safe as it can be. What precautions have you've taken, and what will you do to make it safe every single day?
- Will you do temperature screens? Do gloves need to be worn? What is the mask policy? What if an employee cannot wear a mask for medical reasons? Do you have hand sanitizer stations? Are you implementing one-way traffic patterns throughout the workplace? Are you staggering shifts, including lunch and breaks? What other physical distancing measures in the workplace are you taking?
- What are the protocols for visitors and customers?
- What are the protocols when working from home?
Procedures for a return to work approach. Employees want to know what the expectations are when returning to work. Will the return be organized? How will your employees know they are meeting expectations upon return? For many employees, they will be returning to a workplace that is very different than the one they left. Communication in the workplace is always critical, and perhaps it's now even more critical as you communicate new expectations, policies and procedures.
- What is the communication plan?
- What are the benefit changes I need to be aware of?
- What policies have changed? Because of the changes that need to be made to accommodate the new way of doing business, employees need to know what they are. Some might include flexible work hours, absences, or employees sent home due to being sick.
We know the pandemic has brought forth many challenges, and that as a business owner or leader you are doing the best you can. While the recommendations we have provided to safely reopen your business is just a sample, it provides a good starting point as you navigate these unprecedented times.
If you think about what strategic planning is, it isn't just the annual plan regarding growth, operations and other opportunities. Today, it includes much more - how do we energize our employees? Stay in touch with our customers? Ensure everyone is safe? The goal is to make everyone feel included, cared for and provide a safe environment so that your company is known as a caring place to work and a place to do business.
|
Supporting Sacramento's nonprofits is important to us
The Sacramento History Alliance (SHA) is the nonprofit partner that manages the Sacramento History Museum, the Old Sacramento Visitors Center, Sacramento Living History and the Underground Tours programs. Working in concert with the City and County archives, the Center for Sacramento History, and its vast collections, we produce exhibits, tours, and programs for the Old Sacramento Historic District. These programs tell the stories of the diverse people who lived, worked, and built Sacramento during the Gold Rush and early 20th century.
Originally established as the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the organization took over the management of the Museum from the City of Sacramento in 2008. In 2013, the board of directors merged with the Sacramento History Foundation which supported the Center for Sacramento History to form the Sacramento History Alliance, a single, strong umbrella organization that provides leadership, management, and critical financial support for these facilities and collections. SHA's mission is to make history accessible to all.
A recent report from the American Alliance of Museums state that "The American public considers museums the most trustworthy source of information in America, rated higher than local papers, nonprofit researchers, the U.S. government, and academic researchers." As a history museum, our responsibility as an educational institution is significant. SHA continues to explore the complex issues raised about racial equity and diversity, inclusion, and accessibility with the creation of a cultural community advisory committee. This group consists of community leaders and academics and will provide the board, staff, and volunteers feedback to make the museum's programs more inclusive and relevant to a broader audience.
Currently, the Museum, located in Old Sacramento, is closed due to COVID-19. But the staff continue to work on innovative education programs accessed through a digital platform. While the pandemic has caused great uncertainty for many individuals, businesses, and organizations such as ours, it has also given us the opportunity to pause, reflect and redirect our efforts, growing in ways we may not have imagined.
Learn more about SHA, here.
|
|
|
