QUESTION: “WHAT ARE YOUR BEST IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE THE WFH EXPERIENCE AS PLEASANT, POSITIVE, PRODUCTIVE, AND HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE?”

October 29, 2020

I asked @litquidity’s audience for their best ideas to make everyone’s WFH experience healthier, more productive, and more pleasant. Over 300 quality responses from virtually every firm on Wall Street were submitted and below are my top 30. I am privileged to host a Zoom Q&A session for the 30 winners on Friday, October 30th at noon EST. Our entire industry is in this together and it is a testament to our future leaders that you gave such thoughtful responses to the challenges every one of us currently faces. A special thanks to @litquidity for helping us spread the word and @skylarhandler for the idea and all the hard work to put this together. Everyone should feel free to share this information with their respective firms and friends.

Stay safe and strong everyone,

Rich Handler

RICH HANDLER
CEO, Jefferies Financial Group
1.212.284.2555
[email protected]
@handlerrich Twitter | Instagram
Pronouns: he/his

OVERALL THEMES PEOPLE WANT THEIR COMPANIES TO PRIORITIZE: 

Health – mental health (check-ins & therapy incentives), physical health (work out incentives, normalize 10 minutes stretching/yoga breaks, standing desks, and blue light glasses), and nutrition (encourage healthy eating at local places)

Culture & Social Aspect – host virtual clubs, 1 on 1s, mentors, happy hours, game nights, etc. where employees can group and “meet” online and bond over outside non-work-related interests 

Volunteer & Charity Work – incentivize getting out & working towards something greater. Allocate certain times and develop groups that share the same non-profit work

Use commute time to something positive – how would you allocate the time you usually spend traveling?

TOP 30 WINNERS (over 300 quality ideas)

1. Instagram: @adreanoalacchi

“Flexibility. Instead of practically forcing online connectedness (workouts/wellness webinars, dinners, activities, etc.) offer employees the chance and TIME to do so with their significant others, friends, and or families. Allocating time each week per team (so it fits with workflow) will allow people to do their own thing and serve as small talk later. Recording webinars allow for the ability to connect live or later, alone or with a loved one. UberEats discount codes allow people to enjoy a night off alone, or in the company. Asking teams individually if they’d like to do an activity before imposing one for culture building.

The point is to be flexible. Everyone is trying their best, but at the end of the day, no two people are the same. Empathy to their schedule, lives, and priorities will go a long way now, and for their sentiment to the firm later.”

2. Instagram: @robwagnerr

“Lately there seems to be less camaraderie among the junior bankers driven by a lack of touchpoints around the office (break room, putting greens, generally sitting near each other). I think something that would be helpful would be a top-down mandate to VPs/Associates to coordinate meetings among the “bullpen” each week. Allow An/As (or any combination of junior bankers) to hang out in low-stress zoom meetings where they can chat about things non-work-related (how WFH is going, hobbies, life updates; of course, appropriate). This would serve as a general morale booster and help people feel more plugged in. Also, it would give the 2020 An class the opportunity to meet the other juniors more casually. I believe this hasn’t happened much because bringing together a whole group is a daunting task as a junior banker, but with direction to do it, it will happen. I’ve noticed that most team meetings occur with senior bankers which causes them to take a different tone and aren’t as morale-boosting as junior only meetings.”

3. Instagram: @therealmattlev

“I think a company phone/computer app would be a good solution for a company to company basis for many issues. For instance, having tabs for a day planner, COVID testing resources, therapist session sign-up, and more could open more people up to solutions to their problems. It can be expanded/shrunk down to what the company and its team members think is most worthwhile for them. Especially good for an innovative company such as Jefferies!”

4. Instagram: @fabiords

“Instead of the firm buying coffee beans/tea/lunch for the office, employees can get vouchers for food or drinks to be redeemed at local businesses/shops of your own choice. A budget depends on the cost savings from not operating in the office (savings of food, drinks, electricity, toilet paper, etc.). This way people are stimulated to get some exercise and fresh air while local businesses are supported as well. Win-win.”

5. Instagram: @jrburrows_

“I think if there was something like a monthly ‘Productivity Stipend’ for relaxation. With the Productivity Stipend, you can use this month for anything that comes to mind – arts/crafts, music, dinner, etc. to allow for some time to relax the mind and get out of the house. This can be weekly or monthly, and it gives the employee incentive to disconnect from the workspace and allow for a legitimate break to avoid burning out. On top of that, make sure they have the most up-to-date ergonomic applications and furniture to feel comfortable in their own space as they no longer have a traditional office. Or maybe something similar where you are allowed to clock in for Paid Time Off/Vacation Days. I heard of a company that allows you to clock-in and get paid when you go and volunteer. So, if you choose to volunteer with an organization for the day, you can clock-in for it versus taking PTO or unpaid work for some jobs.”

6. Instagram: @cregan1312

“Lunch and Learns. These are basically where you dial into a Zoom meeting and people from different areas of the company give a presentation on their role/projects. Sounds very formal however it can be a great insight into what different parts of the company do and you can relate this back to your own role. Q&A at the end. Competitions with the winner receiving some sort of voucher. These can be family-oriented such as best pumpkin around Halloween, etc. Masterclasses after work for example a cocktail class that is taken from a trained cocktail maker on Zoom with your colleagues that you work with day in and day out. Networking within your company such as being randomly paired up to people that enter and arrange a catch up over a cup of tea for 15 minutes on zoom which gives you the opportunity to speak to people that you may have never spoken to even when working inside the office. Just some examples.”

7. Instagram: @chasengensurowsky

“At the analyst level, I think the most frustrating part about WFH is reaching out for something you don’t know to associates or higher up and never getting a response and flying blind. I think to fix this there should be a 15-20-minute team-wide time block on the calendar that is used solely for answering work-related questions.”

8. Instagram: @ferris__schuler

“Reallocate funds previously earmarked for conferences, travel, and office events to continuing education efforts. This proposal would primarily benefit analysts and associates. IB firms might encourage employees to attend advanced modeling boot camps. Buy-side and equity research may encourage younger employees to study for CFA. Wealth management and private banking groups could push employees to pursue CFP. A directed continuing education effort would benefit firms and employees alike. Employees will gain valuable expertise for their firms while bolstering personal career prospects. Educational objectives will also yield significant mental health benefits for employees. Employees gain a long-term objective, adding stimulation to otherwise mundane daily routines. This will ultimately improve productivity and worker morale. Of course, such an initiative requires that employees prioritize job responsibilities first and only study outside of work hours. However, I am confident that employees at top firms are capable of this, especially after ~7 months at home. Furthermore, all of the major educational firms (Kaplan, Bloomberg, etc.) offer tremendous online study plans.”

9. Instagram: @jakelmancini

“Maintain normalcy. Don’t think just because we’re working from home now that we’re always near our workstations. Obviously, in the world of Finance/Consulting/Tech there are long nights and weekends, but if you wouldn’t make a request of an employee pre-WFH, then don’t make it now. I’ve noticed more ad hoc requests during off-hours, and people spending more time online, and I think this can be attributed to the attitude that working from home equates to 24/7 availability.

Gatherings – Host game nights, happy hours, or wine tastings. Work needs a social component, it bonds team members, allows employees to see another side of their superiors, and vice versa, and builds good will toward the company. My company had a trivia happy hour the other day and I was able to connect with coworkers I haven’t spoken to since before the pandemic. This was a positive experience.

Breaks – Encourage employees to take their full lunch breaks and get outside. With the winter coming the days will be getting even shorter, and the mental health effects of being indoors all day with no break only to finish work with the sundown can be demoralizing. Do not have managers asking employees to work through lunch if possible.”

10. Instagram: @jrdimarc

“- Provide the employees with a 30-minute exercise Zoom session conducted by a professional to boost health and morale 1 hour before work start (so time for shower after, eat something) (no accessories required, only body work)

– Hire a nutritionist to make a healthy meal plan for employees (obviously not too personalized but something generic with some variables) (maybe options for vegans/vegetarians or people with allergies)

– Encourage open talk from the employees on the issues that worry them about wfh/whatever by appointing a counselor who afterwards will discuss those issues with the management (the employee would remain anonymous)”

11. Instagram: @joanna_green

“I have been working from home for 7 straight months and know the most difficult part is the social aspect. The social component of the office and comradery. I propose to create small groups of coworkers that live relatively close to each other meet at a mutual location or a volunteer’s home for a work from home session together. The office can supply a healthy lunch and the coworkers have a chance to mingle without the scary commute and still work like they are in an office setting.”

12. Instagram: @cobb21

“Incorporate breaks in the middle of the day for exercise. As a society, we are too glued to our electronics and tethered to our screens daily. Something that I have found to be very helpful during WFH is going on a walk, doing a quick 10-minute workout, or shooting some hoops. If we could normalize these mandatory breaks to get some sunlight and be outside while unplugged, productivity & positivity would greatly increase.”

13. Instagram: @ptmannion

“Scheduling weekly 30-min 1:1 Zoom lunches for random pairs of employees. We initiated this for a new hire so that she could get to know everyone in the office, and it was a hit. It’s easy to miss the chance to get to know someone today in the way you would by swinging by their desk or talking 1:1 at a happy hour.

Have a third party schedule the lunch, so that the employees are more likely to attend. They are welcome to change it to a coffee or beer as long as they follow through.

The 1:1 setup is better for Zoom than a group happy hour where only one person can talk at a time. The format forces employees to get to know each other as people. Getting to know each other as people makes it easier to overcome the road bumps that come in any work relationship, especially one that is digital-first.”

14. Instagram: @fratallen

“Make it company policy to set aside a block of time once a week for just work, not meetings. WFH brought with it a lot of meetings “just to touch base” or check in since we no longer see each other physically. This really grinds junior employees down because they spend a ton of time during the day just in catch up or level set meetings when they could be working instead.

Setting aside a time slot (like Friday mornings or something) where there can’t be any meetings and it’s just designated to get stuff done, time would be great.”

15. Instagram: @risforraymondd

“Employers should consider paying for or subsidizing therapy sessions. Mental health for junior bankers was already pretty bad before COVID, and WFH only amplified it for some. Sometimes they need to vent, or just someone to talk to outside of work. It’s a drop in the bucket for most companies to offer and provides more benefits to juniors than most would think.”

16. Anonymous

“Some thoughts that I have found to be incredibly impactful in my current role

– Encouraged mandatory family time at some point during the work week (throw up a ‘do not disturb’ on Zoom and it’s assumed you are taking personal time, no questions asked)

-We have also offered a ‘gift of time’ – has been offered 3x since March – it is a company ‘holiday’ where all employees are encouraged to not check their phones/emails/etc.

– We have also implemented ‘Zoom-free’ Fridays, with intending to give all employees a chance to step away from Zoom and to finish their weeks by focusing on individual work/deliverables so that they can clear their to-do’s without being bogged down by Zoom meetings. Unless necessary, we are encouraged by our CEO to not have any Zoom meetings, and if needed. To have them before noon.”

17. Instagram: @marcelhsantos_

“Focus on mental health and personal needs. I think first and foremost, companies need to realize that the cause of this work from home is a pandemic, which has been a traumatic experience for the world and general. Seems like a no brainer, but we need to focus on every employees’ mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. We need to be checking in and reaching out to employees as a friend, and someone they can talk to. Are they lonely? Are they feeling signs of anxiety and depression? Have they had personal family and friends affected by this disease? Before we can demand productivity let’s make an effort to understand what they are going through. A lot of the people suffering the most are people who thrive on social interactions and who now feel secluded from the world and trapped in their homes, oftentimes by themselves. We need to be reminding everyone in the organization that they are not alone and that they can always count on their employer to be there for them during this time.

Host engaging events. In addressing the employee’s mental health and personal needs, I think firms should creating and hosting interactive events which will serve to bring back office camaraderie and remind everyone they are still part of a team. One thing Rich Handler already does, is host engaging zoom calls with guest speakers not necessarily industry related, but more like a meeting at a team building retreat. Now with virtual meetings as being the norm, you can easily have great guests talk about their experiences in whatever industry they work in. Companies should also be leveraging small office competitions to engage their employees. This interactive social media competition was a great way to engage with me as an example, currently writing an essay and working for a lunch with Rich (and I don’t even work for Jefferies). Firms should be using this same concept within their organization and creating mini competitions for their employees to participate in which boosts morale for the winners and stimulates creativity. In addition to these, there should be social events such as virtual Happy Hour. I would combine that with a cocktail making class or a cooking class; a fun new skill learned from your own home. Throw in a virtual group workout session and you’ve taken care of the mind, body, and soul. Having employees attend, for example, a virtual home body pump class with their boss can not only benefit them health wise but can also offer comic relief.

Don’t micromanage. Finally, companies need to understand that the workday has changed, and they should not fear a lack of productivity. Oftentimes I’ve seen firms become overbearing during this time and attempt to micromanage by having far more work meetings and check-ins than before the pandemic. Or certain firms rushing to have offices open, only to have to send employees home again…In my opinion, this has the opposite effect on productivity and leads to employees feeling more stressed and overworked. Instead, opt to give more freedom on how employees structure their workday. Gone are the 9-5 workdays. If an employee wants to begin his workday at 3pm and finish by midnight, they should be able to do so (assuming they are adhering to whatever deadline they have). If they want to work from out of town for a month, let them. Understand that most employees who used to take hour long lunches are now taking a quick trip to the microwave and are back to their computers working, slurping down food in one hand while typing with the other. Relax, trust you’ve built a competent team who will continue to be productive and let them prove otherwise. Implement these ideas and firms will have loyal, healthy, grateful employees who will remember this period of work from home as a pleasant experience amidst a horrible global catastrophe.”

18. Instagram: @graceoakeyy

“Especially for juniors, the work from home set up has taken away the working environment where in the process that many people call learning by osmosis takes place. In other words, many of these situations that one experiences just from being surrounded by others in the office – which includes Hearing bits of conversations, being able to pop your head in someone else’s cubicle to ask a quick question, etc. – can no longer occur organically. Such learning by osmosis, although seemingly insignificant, adds up over time, and with a remote working environment that seems likely to continue into the foreseeable future, it is not only the case that all workers are missing out on those small, organic interactions in the hallways, in the coffee room, etc. but also that the junior workers in particular are missing out on much of this learning osmosis that supplements the more direct and practical learning that occurs through the course of their work over a long period of time.  I think most of us could agree that in general, most interactions over Zoom don’t necessarily feel as organic as, for example, running into a coworker when going to ask a question to someone who sits a few rows over from you and having a short conversation about what you both did over the weekend; so the question becomes, then, what can we do to facilitate and foster the same kind of organic interactions in a completely remote working environment? I don’t have a one-and-done solution, but I believe it starts by taking some of those virtual happy hours (or whichever similar events it may be) and replacing them with empty, purposely unscheduled times which could be filled with something as job-related as an analyst calling up a VP to ask about a comment she made on a call client call that morning or something as non-job-related as going on the same guided run through the Nike run app ‘together.’  These interactions are structured so far as companies should ensure the time is made somewhere for them to occur — but only so far as that.  Otherwise, they should be formed to be as organic as possible, and through these more organic interactions which many are otherwise missing out on not being constantly in a sea of cubicles, this will contribute significantly to a more pleasant and positive (and thus healthier) mental state and well-being.”

19. Instagram: @papakingsley

“Regular surprise subscription style packages directly to the team’s homes. Special boxes, meals, fun gadgets, media, communal/team experiences all in the comfort of home. Our firm does this once a month and it’s been awesome for the connectedness across multiple cities and teams. Fun virtual experiences within Topia or other private platforms to go deeper together and explore new content and experiences beyond the Zooms and Slacks.”

20. Instagram: @pat_penfield

“The only way to make the work from home experience pleasant, positive, productive and healthy is to make employees feel appreciated and seen. There doesn’t need to be a complex answer to this question.

One of the biggest challenges of actual work at home is that sometimes it is difficult to gauge how hard an employee is working. Acknowledging and being proud when they do and supporting them when they need it makes them feel appreciated.

Checking in even just to make small talk makes an employee feel seen, builds a stronger relationship and makes a more personal connection that pushes said employee to be more productive and work harder for you.

To make a work from home environment more pleasant, ensure employees have proper equipment (a comfortable chair goes a long way), send COVID friendly gift cards and things to do.

To make the environment healthier, build an incentive program for employees. Encouraging them to spend time away from the computer during off hours, exercise and spend time outside.

At the end of the day, we’re all human and we all want to feel like our work matters. The answer to your question is compassion and care for your employees.”

21. Instagram: @vrajv

“Having a standing Zoom call that people can join in and out of. Gives the option for spontaneous conversation, healthy motivation, and quick collaboration. Currently, work experiences force you to WFH by yourself with little interaction from team or others (2nd degree, 3rd degree connections from company), excluding meetings. Having a standing Zoom call/room that people can hop in and out of throughout the day gives people the opportunity to feel like they are in a coworking space. It also helps spawn spontaneous conversations that could in fact help with motivating you throughout the day (i.e. work improves in quantity/quality while seeing others are doing so as well). Additionally, if there are roadblocks during the day or something quick, you don’t have to wait on an email or IM chat. You can ask your fellow colleagues for help right on the call.”

22. Instagram: @amandapsduh

“Pair up employees for 1:1 Zoom lunches with folks in the organization that might otherwise never meet. Opportunity to share ideas, speak candidly, get out of your headspace and learn something new.

Bi-monthly team raffles/games. Introduce some fun, competitive spirit, and camaraderie into company departments. It could be random trivia, jeopardy style, or creative ideas to improve things at the organization. Teams rate each other’s answers with points, winners win, and maybe the rest go into a raffle for a runner up prize like UberEats, etc.

Intra-company mentor matching. Many of us would not be where we are today without someone’s guidance at key junctures in life. Help WFH employees combat imposter syndrome, and a host of other professional challenges, with a mechanism to match up more senior folks with juniors and mid-level (this would probably go a long way in combating loneliness as well, feels good to be supported and listened to). You could even do a rotation of mentors to help employees meet and connect with the right fits.”

23. Instagram: @patrick.tice

“The best way to create a better WFH experience is to create a stronger sense of community within the firm despite not sharing an office space. A sense of community within a firm is what keeps employees engaged and happy to be at work, and it’s the same sense of community that helps people continue going to the gym and staying healthy.

One way to accomplish this through WFH would be to have location-based communities within the firm, irrespective of the team that an employee is on. This location-based system would allow for coworkers to meet up near where they live – and now work – if they feel comfortable doing so. This would enable community discussions within the firm while also diversifying perspectives among teams since employees would ideally be talking with more people who are not only on their team. They could also meet up to go for a walk throughout the day to improve both mental and physical health. Overall, this would help foster the sense of community that occurs within an office space but without the office. The centering around a specific location for the community pod would be the ‘replacement’ for what was the office space prior to large scale WFH.

One way to safely implement this would be to have employees share their location and then create a mapping of where each employee is and then find the 10 (or however many people are deemed safe and effective) nearest people by location, and create a pod based on that. That way, even within cities, people would be able to avoid high-touch areas such as public transportation since their pod will be location based, and they could walk to meet each other. In more rural/suburban areas, this would most likely not be an issue given that largely to move in those areas, a personal vehicle would be required anyway.”

24. Instagram: @serhanbaker

“Turn the fact that we’re online into an advantage. The edge we can have now is that we don’t have to travel physically to have a meeting with someone in a different state/country. Now we can meet colleagues or peers from all around the world and exchange information regularly, learn best practices and learn experiences from the office that’s across the ocean in a weekly/monthly world wide alignment sessions, attend board meetings as spectators. And increase the value of off-work activities such as podcast/article/book recommendation boards, poker tournaments with colleagues all around the world, online wine tasting (with a delivery service making sure everyone has the same set of wines). And you can create very interesting internship experiences. Imagine an intern being able to observe an important board meeting quietly, or meeting people from other teams (not just only adjacent teams, but think for example someone from investor relations) and just how much they could learn about the company by seeing all these different aspects, or being able to get help from their colleagues from another country, both getting more info and distributing the load of training interns to more people. Examples can be endless, really.”

25. Instagram: @bdbleyer

“With WFH, work and non-work time often blend, which prevents employees from taking full advantage of time off or personal time to recharge and re-equip to be productive. One potential solution to this issue may be establishing a sign-out check-in routine each night where employees complete a very brief form reflecting on their work on a given day and allowing employees to process and demarcate an end to their daily work. The form could also include a ‘question of the day’ where employees can answer something about their non-work related interests, hobbies, etc. each night – these answers could be shared with the team to help reproduce the level of camaraderie that may not have a chance to be developed in an online capacity. One example question could be ‘What’s your favorite place to visit’ and provide an opportunity for people to post pictures or share URL links to their favorite destination. Small check-in’s like this, if they become routine, allow for the company to keep employees accountable as well as allow managers to ensure their employees aren’t being overworked; additionally, it allows employees the opportunity to sign-off from work on a given night and have a chance to engage with a fun question and social experience.” 

26. Instagram: @dannysteww

“A successful WFH experience boils down to two things:  infrastructure and incentives.

Let me start with infrastructure. Arguably the hardest part about switching to a WFH environment for many office workers is the lack of investment made in our home ‘office’ over the span of our career.  Suddenly, we have families who may or may not have been facing pay cuts/job losses who are now working from a kitchen table, with no monitor, and an uncomfortable (yet stylish) kitchen chair from West Elm. The expectation for these families to go spend money to buy the personal items they need is likely unrealistic.

To solve this issue, I think companies should consider a stipend towards upgrading their ‘home office,’ with little to no restriction on where the money can be spent (so long as it fits within work from home categories – perhaps submitted through an expense system). Companies such as Cisco have already taken steps to upgrade home offices for employees, but I think finance companies are behind the 8 ball on this.

The last is incentives. Every company within the last six months has sent a message to its employees encouraging health and wellness practices while working from home. But gyms are closed and hours are precious.

To solve this, I would consider several items:

-Company paid subscription to online workout services (i.e. online yoga courses, HIIT classes, etc.)

-Create company specific exercise groups to encourage camaraderie, perhaps within a free app like Nike Run Club or other walking apps

-Creative incentive structure, such as HSA contributions for participation

The last thing I would mention, and I know it would be controversial, but… do we really need to send emails after 11PM? Would we not all benefit from some amount of sanctity of time in our personal lives?

Sure, we’re never far away from the computer working from home, but sometimes it feels like we need to be.”

27. Instagram: @michaelpenna1

“To keep it simple: At home incentives and competitions. Humans are social creatures who like to be rewarded. If you can incentivize people for doing a good job at home, you can send everyone something via Door Dash. By doing something like this, it makes your employees feel as they are being treated well which increases their job security in an insecure time. Also, you can have fun game time like the game among us between employees which is something that can be done from home. This will build not only employee chemistry but can brighten anyone’s day and let the employees have some fun.”

28. Instagram: @william.messick

“Healthy screen time: Naturally, virtual work requires significant time online; to promote employee safety and productivity, mandatory screen breaks should be required every couple of hours (when possible). In addition, changing desktop/phone screen light settings from blue to warmer colors significantly reduces eye strain and screen-induced fatigue.

Maintain the culture: With crucial in-office interaction time missing, employees — especially junior staffers — may feel their work relationships have thinned or diminished. Going beyond virtual happy hours and hangouts is thus very important to maintain workplace culture. Corporate-sponsored virtual workout sessions, interest groups (cooking, sports, hobby-specific, etc.), gaming sessions, and competitions are good ways to keep employees connected and ensure they feel they’re part of the firm.

Streamlined communication: Communicating effectively online is essential to virtual workplace success. Using a unified communications platform — as opposed to multiple independent communication services (e.g. Zoom for meetings, Slack for messaging, etc.) — is an excellent way to streamline and simplify workplace communication.

Time tracking: To ensure efficient use of time is made in an environment filled with distractions, I have personally found tracking my time and holding myself accountable has helped me stay on task. Planning time for both work and breaks has kept me productive.

Organization: Although the necessity of staying organized in an online work environment is already known, being effective with self-organization is essential. I have found using a PowerPoint calendar — in which each slide is a day — allows me to plan both time-specific events (work hours, meetings, etc.) on one side of each slide, and other duties (emails to write, reports to read, etc.) on the other. Ensuring employees can find innovative, personalized strategies to organize themselves and manage their time is essential to the success of a virtual workplace.”

29. Instagram: @philatravelgirl

“-Lunch and learn sessions

-Fun, creative topics and presenters, such as Lego Serious Play, Improv, Childhood Creativity

-Financial and wellness seminars

-Trivia team competition (draft/assign teams every qtr) with prizes

-Book club 

-Mentor/mentee programs expanded across regions, front/back office  

-Meeting black out times (no meetings before x or after y times) and email turn off on weekends”

30. Instagram: @colbslice

“What’s the saying, never waste a good crisis? Within financial services the pressure, perceived or real, is ubiquitous. Maybe this is when we regroup and change our perspective a little. The focus tends to center around competition, client acquisition, capturing and growing assets, proving one’s worth or intelligence to others, growing the bottom line, the list goes on. Often these come at the expense of our clients, relationships, and sanity. What has become somewhat uncomfortably apparent to me is that we forget, what could arguably be, the keystone in all of this… being human. We are all human and individuals who enjoy being treated as such. We all like to feel good, it makes us all more productive. Exercise makes us feel good, those endorphins do quite a lot to counter stress and its impacts to us mentally and physically. Some firms add gym memberships to their package of perks or have massages and acupuncture built into its healthcare plan. These are all great steps, but management encouraging the frequent and pervasive use would drive that home. Companywide workouts or Peloton rides might be a way to start. Talking, talking also makes us feel good. We should all be checking in with our people just to see how they are, giving them the chance to be human and feel that someone does understand and actually gives a sh*t. This too should come without the fear of perceived weakness or inability. Build your team up like a family, make them realize that missing the mark from time to time is ok, it doesn’t mean that they inherently suck at their job or are an idiot. Help them to see that sometimes a mistake can be the best way to learn. The individual who never makes a mistake knows no other way. Encouraging learning, and not just about specific roles or just within finance (although important), but about things completely unrelated. These unrelated topics, they make you more relatable. People, clients, we all look for things and people to whom we can relate. While this random stream of consciousness does little to specifically address WFH and making it a more sustainable experience or bring to light some previously undiscovered nugget of truth, maybe that isn’t really the point. Shift to being more human, talking more, caring more, and learning more; likely greater productivity, greater success and a greater bottom line will arise. Perhaps in the future, those that chose not to adjust the lens will be those that stand out like a pair of Crocs in a sea of Gucci loafers.”

© 2025 Jefferies Financial Group Inc.