TRANSFORMATION GUIDEBOOK
LETTER FROM OUR LEADER
We are living in an environment that none of us ever envisioned. As stated before, our priorities have been and continue to be the safety and well-being of our Elements employees and their families, while continuing to serve the needs of our members. As we come out of crisis mode and move into our future, this guidebook is intended to help all of us get smarter and continually improve our remote workforce strategy. Please review this information carefully and review it again. Most important, if your answers are not found here, find your voice and ask more questions. This guidebook will continue to evolve! We will let you know when important changes and updates are made to the digital version we will keep on the Incident Response Team (IRT) Site via Sharepoint. We are #ElementsStrong!
WHAT
big decisions have been made?
WHO
should return to the office?
WHEN
Our remote workforce strategy will continue throughout the Suite 300 remodel, to be known as The Transformation Project, moving forward.
Specific requests to be in-office should be directed to Susan Weber or Sherri Dorsey.
We will return to the office following the completion of the remodel, likely to be completed in early 2021. A target return date will be better determined once the construction gets underway. You will continue to receive detailed communications throughout this process.
Limited workspace will be available in our 1st floor offices located behind the Farm Bureau branch; approval for you to work inoffice must follow the protocol as defined in Chapter 1.
Our branches and the Wealth Management Team will not be impacted by the remodel, so these locations will likely allow for employees in-office sooner than employees based in Suite 300. Employees must follow the protocol as defined in Chapter 1.
will we return to the office?
Introduction
WHERE
WHY
HOW
will we work during the transformation?
are we following a remote strategy?
will we get our jobs done?
Most employees, except for branch staff and other essential onsite teams, will continue working remotely for the foreseeable future. We will have extremely limited office space. As of Mid-June, Suite 300 will be officially closed.
As we have observed the Indiana stay-at-home order since Mid-March, it makes sense for us to continue working safely from home until the remodel of Suite 300 is completed. Construction is slated to begin in mid to late June.
Our initial success with the remote workforce strategy has proven our ability to successfully serve our members and each other. If you have any lingering technology or other types of needs to ensure your continued success, please connect with your manager as soon as possible.
As social distancing guidelines ease, several teams may have opportunities to interact with business partners. When that happens, familiarize yourselves with the protocols at the sites you’re visiting in advance, so you are prepared to follow their guidelines while there.
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOL PRIORITIZING THE WELLNESS OF OUR EMPLOYEES
CHAPTER ONE Policies at Farm Bureau Requirements Per Farm Bureau: The Farm Bureau Building has many of its own plans and procedures in place to protect all employees in their building. Our Facilities and HR teams will keep everyone updated as these guidelines evolve and change over time. We always discuss the building’s rules through the perspective of what’s right for Elements. Meetings At Our Office: There should be very few if any meetings at our office. Any guests to the building will need to follow the Farm Bureau protocol (wearing masks, social distancing, etc.) and complete the Daily Health Assessment prior to entering the building. Meeting space is limited so please continue to use Teams, phone calls, etc. If a vendor requests an in-person meeting, suggest a virtual Teams meeting first. If this is not an option, then consider meeting at an outside venue (weather permitting) such as a coffee shop or restaurant with outdoor seating. If this is not an option and you are comfortable doing so, arrange the meeting in-office and have the vendor complete the Daily Health Assessment on the day of the meeting. Also advise them of the restrictions in place inside the Farm Bureau Building.
Procedures Outside of the Office Meetings Outside Our Office: • If you have a meeting at another company, familiarize yourselves with the protocols at that site in advance so you are prepared to follow their guidelines while there. • If you arrange an in-person meeting with other Elements employees at a restaurant, coffee shop, library, or other public location, please follow all current CDC Guidelines. • If you do not feel comfortable about an in-person meeting, talk to your manager.
Personal Travel: Please use your best judgment when traveling on vacation or family visits or social events. • Know the requirements of the place(s) that you will be visiting. Realize that not all states, cities/towns and locales are re-opening on the same schedule. • If you travel by plane OR attend a social event* of 250 or more people without social distancing in place, you should not be in any Elements branch or office space for 14 days upon your return. Please speak with your manager regarding your trip or social event if you have concerns regarding the potential need for self-quarantine. *May include weddings, block parties, family reunions, and public events. Weekly church services, errands around town, and dining at restaurants are not considered “social events” as long as you follow social distancing guidelines.
HEALTH & SAFETY TRAVEL AND MEETING GUIDELINES
• If you do not feel well and are scheduled to come into the office, please notify your supervisor and work from home if you are able to do so. • You will be required to complete the Daily Health Assessment and follow the in-office guidelines when you return to the office. Business Travel: Business travel is not permitted at this time. If a situation arises that requires travel, please escalate to the appropriate Senior Staff member for discussion and approval before booking. If you are scheduled to attend conferences, meetings, or events later in the year, please verify with the vendor/sponsor if the event will still occur and if there is a virtual option. You should plan to participate only if a virtual option is available.
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER ONE
HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES INSIDE THE OFFICE
Proximity Social Distancing: • Current CDC Guidelines should always be followed 6 feet as of May 11 • Expand your concept of “personal space” and err on the side of caution to maintain adequate distance Elevators: Farm Bureau is requiring that no more than 4 people be on an elevator at one time. Masks should be worn. Use the stairs as much as possible. Please follow the “one way” directions as posted.
No Shared Spaces: The breakroom for Suite 300 is closed for the duration of the remodel. Employees should not plan to use shared refrigerators, microwaves, or coffee makers. If employees are working onsite, they should either bring their own drinks and meals or plan to visit the cafeteria, if it is available. Avoid sharing masks and gloves/desk supplies/food or drink/personal items such as makeup, aspirin, ETC.
Branches: Directional signage and floor stickers are going into our branches to aid members in observing social distancing guidelines.
Protection
Proof of Wellness
General Protection: • Masks required where 6’ social distancing can’t be maintained and strongly recommended in all areas.
Elements has introduced a new Health Screening process that requires all employees to complete a self-assessment form from home on any day you plan to come to the office for packing or other necessary activities that must be approved by your supervisor/HR. The form is accessible on the IRT site.
• In addition to handwashing, frequent sanitizing is expected. Additional sanitizing stations to be provided in building common areas, including entrances, elevator lobbies, restrooms, and cafeteria.
If you have traveled by plane or attended a social event of 250 or more people without social distancing in the last 14 days, you will be advised to self-quarantine.
Using Restrooms: Masks & handwashing required.
Recommendations Outside the Office: Please follow all best practices as stated by the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov. Handling Awkwardness: Yes, wearing protective masks and distancing habits might feel weird at work. That’s okay! It’s still the best thing to do for you and your family and your coworkers and their families.
REMOTE WORK BEST PRACTICES & TIPS FOR COPING WITH STRESS
CHAPTER TWO Of course, we have already been working remote for quite some time. We have shared these basic tips previously, and they’re worth repeating. This booklet allows us to bring previously published material all into one place. Please re-read these tips!
Daily Schedule
Workspace Environment
• For those who have children and spouses at home, take time to come up with a schedule the night before for the next workday.
• Do your best to keep a separate area for your workspace. This helps keep home life and work life separate.
• Stick to boundaries. It is tempting to be “on” constantly when you work from home.
• Find a quiet spot without distractions and designate it “the work spot” to have a space to focus.
• Decide on your schedule each day and stick to it. Respect that others on the team may have different boundaries. Be sure to communicate those to one another.
• Make your workspace as comfortable or similar to your office environment as possible. For example, if you had a stand-up desk in the office, make a makeshift stand-up desk to accommodate this.
• Update your calendar adding in times when you will be away from your space, when you are taking lunch or a break, etc.
Remote Office Co-Working Spaces Memberships: If you’re interested in this option, please contact your supervisor who will discuss the option with HR.
CHAPTER TWO
REMOTE WORK
Transitioning from Office to Remote
Support Yourself
Physical Wellness
• Do your morning routine as usual; wake up at your normal time, shower, do your hair, make-up, getting dressed, etc.
• Take frequent breaks from listening to news stories and social media. Constantly hearing about the pandemic can cause additional stress.
• Set an alarm every hour to get up and move around and to look away from your computer screen to rest your eyes.
• Set timeslots for your breaks to make sure you don’t get distracted doing other things like cleaning, laundry and housework. Some may find it easier to work remotely although the absence of office distractions may cause you to forget to eat lunch or take breaks.
• Take care of yourself physically: eat healthy, exercise, journal, stretch, or meditate. • Try to do activities you enjoy and take time to unwind. Be intentional about this! • Take care of yourself emotionally and know when it’s time to get help. Utilizing our free resource through OneAmerica could be very helpful (guidanceresources.com) - Reach out to our HR team if you need information on accessing this resource.
• During your lunch break, take a short nap (10-30 mins). Studies show that you can be more productive and it may even be better for you than a cup of coffee while providing the same amount of energy. • Be aware of your posture, a risk of working from home is becoming more sedentary. Sit, stand, go for a walk – moving our bodies can get our brains moving as well.
TECH TIPS HELPFUL TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO MEETINGS
Professional Development
Organizational Member Data Policy Reminders
• Continue to pursue your goals, read industry related articles, watch videos, and listen to podcasts that focus on your job – development does not stop just because we work from home.
Working at home does not exempt anyone from following our policies, which are designed to prevent data breaches and to maintain privacy. Please reach out to your manager if you feel you need additional resources to securely work from home.
• Login to the My trueU Portal to find courses to enhance learning on topics like career, relationships, health, finance, and community at mytrueu.com.
Remember: • Keep member information secured; mute smart speakers while working • Lock your device when you step away • Use VDI to access member information systems • Do not print sensitive member information at home or save sensitive member information on your personal device • Keep laptops up to date with security updates • Watch out for phishing emails
1. For video meetings, use Teams/Skype outside of VDI. True for managed and unmanaged devices. 2. If inside VDI, don’t expect video of others and audio quality to be ideal. Sharing your video is not available. To share your video, use outside of VDI. 3. If you have a slow internet connection at home, turn off video sharing to improve audio quality. 4. If you are having issues being seen or heard – check the device settings in Teams/Skype. 5. If you are told that you are too soft to be heard, get closer to your computer screen if using your laptop speaker and mic. 6. For best results, use a headset in lieu of your laptop speaker and mic. Helps with volume, sound quality and avoids echo. Contact IT Help Desk to request a headset. Your best source for Tech Tips is the IRT Site.
CHAPTER TWO Team Communications
Organizational Communications
Luckily, there are so many ways for our organization to communicate and stay connected while remote!
• Lisa’s All-Staff Email Updates began as a vital source of information at the beginning of our remote workforce in Mid-March. She will continue sending these regular updates indefinitely to include essential topics and details you will need to know while working remotely. Please stay in tune!
Examples for Team & 1:1 Communication: • Teams/Skype Chat • Text • Phone Call • Outlook Email • Teams/Skype Meetings • FaceTime • Face-to-Face (following CDC guidelines) • US Mail, especially for encouragement – write some old-fashioned letters to your team and other Elements friends!
• Leaders Live is a brief weekly recorded video updates provided every Wednesday with a link in Lisa’s emails. The videos will feature leaders across Elements and important current updates. • The IRT Site (stands for Incident Response Team) is an internal web page on SharePoint that contains multiple documents, articles, and other resources relevant to the health crisis and working remotely, in general. This cross-departmental team of 13 employees
REMOTE WORK has met most workdays since Mid-March to discuss your wellbeing and improve your abilities to work smoothly from home. They will continue to post information of value to this site. • The Buzz is released on the Beehive and to your inbox twice a week on Monday and Thursdays. It is the recommended main internal communications channel for most company announcements. Any information you prepare for The Buzz should be reviewed and approved by your supervisor prior to submitting to internal-communications@elements.org. Please use the following format when drafting a Buzz: What? name your event with brief description When? include both date(s) & time(s) Where? specify location How? include a short paragraph describing any action necessary by employees
• “Elements TV” is the term for the screens around the office that display digital posters of upcoming events, anniversaries, birthdays, and other important information. We also have that available on your computer now! See the IRT site for the latest Elements TV and a link to archives. Want to post an announcement to Elements TV? Send an email to Karmen Johnson two days in advance of your announcement with a short description of what you’d like to post and, how long you would like the announcement to run for. • Yammer is the place to engage with coworkers, post photos, share personal or workplace stories, and more. We often use this channel to recognize coworkers for a job well done. If you want to share a story about them, be sure to tag them and use the hashtag #DAYMADE at the end of your post.
CULTURE CONTINUES “EMPOWERING MEMBERS TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL SUCCESS”
CHAPTER THREE Our Culture is what makes Elements special, unlike any other company. Our remote workforce strategy will not change the importance of Culture and the fact that we are a Best Place to Work in Indiana! Nothing tells the story of our Culture better than our corporate values, known as The Elements of Success. Keep them in mind through your daily work, behavior, and communication while we are remote.
The Elements of Success Accountability Leadership Integrity
Collaboration Trust Community
Three Pillars of Giving Youth Development Homelessness & Housing Healthy Lifestyles
The Elements Experience Be the Expert Deliver financial wellness via education, listening, and personalized solutions Live the Purpose Deliver an exceptional member and employee experience Grow the Business Deliver innovative products and services by way of engaged talent
FUN IDEAS
TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CO-WORKERS • Visit Yammer often! Watch for The Cube, but you can post comments, photos, and #daymades anytime. • Use social media and apps such as Houseparty, Marco Polo, and more. (after-hours) • Send letters and cards and small gifts by mail! • Watch Elements Communications for potential social opportunities to be organized geographically in the future.
MANAGER & COACHING TIPS HELPING YOUR EMPLOYEES ADJUST TO THEIR NEW NORMAL
CHAPTER FOUR Tips for Managing Your Team Remotely If “proximity” is a lead determinant of relationships, how do we manage through an extended remote workforce strategy where we have limited physical proximity to our teams? Due to the world health crisis and now our Transformation Project (office remodel), many of us and our employees are continuing a “new normal” and working primarily or even completely from home. Since this is different than what most of us are used to, here are some suggestions and tips on how to manage your remote team effectively. This knowledge is helpful for everyone! If you find that you’re not receiving strong guidance and frequent communication from your manager, please speak up to him or her and ask for more of what you need. Again, find your voice. You deserve good leadership!
CHAPTER FOUR
MANAGER TIPS Promote health and safety first, especially if you have employees on your team who must go into the office (1st floor space only and must be approved) and if you have employees who must conduct business beyond home. Expand your support and stay connected to your team. Conduct weekly 1:1’s with each direct report. Use phone calls, Skype chat, or Microsoft Teams to create a more personal connection. Set up a daily Skype chat group to stay connected throughout the day. Communication is critical.
Trust your team. Work hours may vary based on employees working remote with children or other family in the home. Schedules are impacted for everyone so be flexible. Assume the work is being done as Responsibility is the #1 strength of the Elements team. Stay Connected. Consider holding regularly scheduled remote social time such as a “coffee break,” “happy hour,” or even some type of “show and tell time” where you connect the entire team by phone or Skype/Teams.
Heighten your own awareness of email communications and re-read all messages before hitting SEND. Since you can’t see the reaction of the receiver, be clear, concise, and sensitive in your messaging.
Practice good health habits yourself and encourage your team to do the same. Take regular breaks for stretching or walking around the house. Choose healthy snacks to keep your mind sharp and your mood in check.
Set expectations such as emails must be responded to within XX hours; use texting if an issue is urgent; share challenges immediately; don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Focus on development. Encourage your employees to take online courses or listen to podcasts. Watch the internal communication channels for other training opportunities during our remote work time.
Managing with the Elements of Success Appreciate the importance of mental well-being. Encourage employees to reach out to you or their co-workers if they feel challenged, overwhelmed, or stressed. We have resources available to help with the workload and we have a great Employee Assistance Program when the need arises. Continue cross-training. We know it has been occurring and it’s necessary. Please keep it up! Consider all “swim lanes” blown apart and encourage your team to help wherever and whenever they can lend a hand to others in the organization. Manage change brilliantly! Consider this time your opportunity to shine as a manager.
Trust: High levels of trust translate into better team performance. Maintain the belief that everyone is doing the best that they can to serve our members and support each other. Collaboration: Use systems and processes to structure, support, and encourage team collaboration and coordination. Be flexible and open to change if something doesn’t work for the team. Seek input from others. Accountability: Keep all team members connected and make everyone feel included. Show them how their work is contributing to the larger picture. Leadership: Ask the team for feedback on how best to stay connected. Be timely in communicating with your employees. Give extra thanks and kudos whenever possible. Intentionally connect team members to others for additional support and resources.
TRANSFORMATION PROJECT THE VISION FOR OUR FUTURE WORKSPACE
Fabric pattern inspiration images for our Transformation. Examples only!
The Vision for Our Future Workspace The Transformation Project is all about creating a collaborative environment that will support employees as well as reflect our pride and family-like culture. It is about supporting technology, flexibility, and business practices as they evolve over time. It is about fully embodying the energy and vision of Elements, standing out from the competition, attracting both members and employees. The strategy will be a hybrid approach where there will be a handful of Private Offices making the move to a highly efficient and ergonomic workstation solution with Mobile Touchdown Hubs woven throughout for Mortgage Loan Originators and other sales staff.
There will be an Eco-System of spaces such as Open Collaborative Areas, a Social Hub, Quiet Zones, Focus Booths, and various types of Meeting Rooms. The furniture will be flexible, effective, and adaptive. New technology will be added to each meeting room to improve ability to work with those remotely and our vendor partners.  Easier to connect, share and collaborate. Overall, we are transforming to a modern day, comfortable, and efficient environment that encompasses the vision and energy of Elements today and the Elements of the future.
CHAPTER FIVE
Design Concept
Key Objectives
The overall concept is about connecting and is based on employee surveys, focus groups, and interviews...
Technology: Persuasive, instinctive and natural, integrated but flexible.
• Connecting the outdoor space with the interior space.
Timeless: Foundation is enduring, everlasting and sustainable, quality finish materials.
• A connection of a natural palette with texture and strategic placement of color. • Space with movement. • Geometry with organic form. • Power of Choice with freedom and flexibility in how and where to work. • And finally, connecting the history and tradition of Elements with the future in complete harmony.
Style: Reflects integrity of Elements vision with tradition infused with a warm urban twist. Unity: Overall unifying theme that is inviting. Unified design concepts, unified design materials, unified vision and culture. Harmony: Responds to five senses, clear organization, natural light infused with variety of light levels. Pops of intentional color with a soothing vibrancy.
DESIGN INSPIRATION Design inspiration images for our Transformation. Examples Only! Not actual renderings for our space. You may love the final design. You may not. 100% satisfaction not guaranteed, yet everyone will likely love something about it.
CHAPTER FIVE
Transformation Project Timeline MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
Remote Work Began
Planning with our vendor partners
Packing Days and Virtual Town Hall
Moving Days and Office Shutdown with Move Agents
Construction
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
All Employee Trainings for the new space
Move In and support from our vendor
Construction
AUG
TRANSFORMATION New Space Highlights
ALL DRIVEN BY EMPLOYEE INPUT • • • • • • • • •
Technology will be a key improvement in all areas Larger number of private spaces for 1 and up to 12 people Digital whiteboards and 1 touch conference call connection Furniture placement and styles will minimize close contact Materials/fabrics that can be cleaned easily and sanitized Glass panels to enclose work areas versus previous fabric panels Touchless entries/doors Improved heating, air and ventilation systems Departments will be strategically placed for better collaboration
# ELEMENTS STRONG