Fostering a Connected Culture in a Remote World

FEATURE: Connected Culture in Remote World

With 375 employees (including 150 drivers) working across seven separate locations around the country, ReedTMS Logistics was connecting with a remote workforce long before the coronavirus pandemic made it a necessity. Even so, when every employee started working from home due to the pandemic, the company had to take those connections to the next level.

“It was a struggle in the beginning,” admits Eileen Dabrowski, Director of Learning and Development at the company. “Our closeknit culture makes Reed unique. Prior to COVID, we took our ability to come together as a team for granted. It’s entirely different now without ‘the glue of HQ.’”

Communication

To keep in touch, Dabrowski encourages supervisors to schedule regular, virtual meetings with each of their team members. “It is so critical to maintain a pulse on the company and on every employee. Making time to let team members know that they are valued goes a long way toward helping those who are working remotely, over-the-road or in a different location feel connected,” she explains. She stresses the importance of giving these conversations undivided attention.

“We’re all multi-taskers by nature. People can tell, even over the phone, if you are not giving them your full attention,” she says. “It is easy to not feel valued if the person you are talking to is not actively listening and engaging.” Like many companies, Reed has invested in technology and resources to support more virtual communication.

“One of the positives of COVID is that our communication has improved significantly,” Dabrowski says. A number of platforms help to bring employees together – Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype. “The Teams group chat function has been a game changer, she says. “It allows us to engage in discussions and address issues in real time in a safe way. I suspect we will continue to rely heavily on this technology post-COVID.”

Training

Working remotely added a new layer of complexity to employee training, prompting the team to look for ways to adapt. “When COVID started, we looked at our curriculum and tested it virtually with an external audience,” Dabrowski explains. “We’d ask, ‘Where did I lose you?’” The exercise helped to identify important opportunities for improvement. For example, the team quickly recognized that virtual training on a complex business intelligence platform or load-tracking software could not be completed in just a few days as it could be in person. They now provide the training through mini-sessions with a different cadence.

In addition, they began asking subject matter experts to teach a portion of the curriculum. This helps to provide more perspectives, add variety to the presentation and allow employees to new connections within the company. Dabrowski’s team continually solicits virtual feedback on training initiatives, using Constant Contact, Microsoft Sheets, and micro surveys. To encourage authentic feedback, most feedback can be provided anonymously. The company is

Driven by a global pandemic, ReedTMS and other companies in the transportation space now foster connections with their customers, prospects, and employees through strategies that leverage communication, training, and engagement.

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also implementing a Kaizen program, and employees are encouraged to bring issues to light and suggest solutions.

Employee Engagement

Perhaps the most powerful strategy for forging connections in a remote environment was already widely used at Reed prior to the pandemic: focusing on employee engagement. Dabrowski has always sought out opportunities to bring employees together. Now many of those experiences take place virtually. Executives host online coffee chats to give employees a chance to connect with top leadership. Company-wide virtual happy hours are held to celebrate key milestones. Virtual walk and run events allow employees to interact and stay active. The company’s philanthropy efforts also help to build employee engagement and boost morale.

“We feel better as humans when we give back,” Dabrowski points out. Due to the pandemic, several long-standing events were held virtually in 2020, including annual back-to-school shopping with at-risk children and a Christmas gift event for the Mike Alstott Foundation. In-person events have been held when conditions permitted, including a summer clothing drive, a Thanksgiving meal for area firefighters and a local road clean-up. Dabrowski makes a point of involving employees in selecting the beneficiaries of the company’s philanthropic efforts. Each Reed facility has the opportunity to identify organizations in their local area for charitable giving. “People love to feel part of the process,” she says. “Employees vote on charities quarterly and we make a point of getting their feedback after each event – of asking, ‘How did that make you feel?’” Dabrowski says the team tries to schedule activities at times that allow more employees to join. For example, the road clean-up event took place at 5 a.m., so drivers could participate. While widespread vaccinations and lifting restrictions may allow many Reed employees to head back to the office, others will continue to work remotely. Thanks to lessons learned during the pandemic and a long-standing focus on building a connected culture, the future for Reed looks promising. n

For a deeper dive into this topic, check out the PowerPoint “The Future of

Transportation: Bridging the Gap Between Remote Individuals, HQ &

Satellite Locations,” presented during the 2020 Accelerate! Conference by Michelle Wiggins & Eileen Dabrowski from ReedTMS Logistics. Find it in the 2020 Conference Presentation Library.

Mentor Match: Make a Difference in Your Career

Starting as an administrative assistant and working her way up to branch manager for the Great Dane Tampa and Miami branches, Women In Trucking (WIT) Chairwoman Laura Roan Hays attributes her successful 30plus years transportation career to the mentorship she received. Laura Roan Hays “Without the encouragement of my mentors, there’s a chance I would have left the industry in search of a more traditional career,” she says. Now, mentoring is her way to give back. She encourages members of the association to take advantage of the Mentor Match program in WIT’s community platform, Engage. “During the late 1980s and early 1990s, I didn’t personally know any females in the trailer manufacturing industry, specifically in sales,” she says. “To be able to encourage, coach, listen, motivate, and support other women in a maledominated industry like transportation through this online mentor program is extremely valuable.” She cites three reasons mentorship will elevate your career:

1. Career Advancement & Earnings

According to a Sun Microsystems study on the career progress of employees, mentors were six times more likely to be promoted than those who didn’t, and 20 percent more likely to get a raise.

2. Strengthen and Broaden Your Network

Mentors share professional contacts, make introductions to the right people, and can open doors to new opportunities.

3. Rewarding Both Personally and Professionally

As a mentor, you shape the next generation and be a part of their successes. As a mentee, you grow and gain confidence, see new perspectives, and become more successful. “I don’t believe we ever outgrow the need for a mentor – I still have several mentors who encourage me regularly,” says Hays. “Knowing that I may have played a small role in someone’s success brings me great joy. It’s a win-win for everyone!” To enroll as a Mentor or Mentee in WIT’s Mentor Match program, visit engage.womenintrucking.org.

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